End of the Year TV Survey 2016

Just like last year, I’ve adjusted Jamie’s End of the Year Book Survey to TV and Film since I also blog about those. My TV Survey is below and stay tuned for my Movie Survey and of course, the Book Survey!

For the full list of TV shows that I am currently watching, click here.

1. Best TV Shows I Watched In 2016?

*My goal: List five or less shows per category.
New Drama: This Is Us (NBC),  Pitch (FOX), The Path (Hulu), Marvel’s Luke Cage (Netflix), Westworld (HBO)
New Comedy: The Good Place (NBC), Angie Tribeca (TBS), Atlanta (FX), Insecure (HBO), Haters Back Off (Netflix)
Returning Drama: 12 Monkeys (Syfy), Bates Motel (A&E), Mr. Robot (USA), The Walking Dead (AMC), Quantico (ABC)
Returning Comedy: Superstore (NBC), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox), Blackish (ABC), Fresh off the Boat (ABC), The Last Man On Earth (Fox)
New Reality: Geeking Out (AMC)
Returning Reality: Face Off (Syfy)
Mini Series: Ryan Murphy’s The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
TV Documentary: Hamilton’s America Documentary (PBS)
TV Documentary Series: Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath (A&E)
TV Special: Marie Claire Young Women’s Honors (The CW)
Live Musical: Grease Live! on Fox

2. New TV Show I Was Excited About & Thought I Was Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Dramas: Designated Survivor (ABC) started off strong. The first handful of episodes were beyond solid. But as the pacing slowed, so did my interest for the story. I still watch the show and enjoy it but the show has been unable to maintain the thrill of its first few episodes.

Dramedy: No Tomorrow (The CW) is not a show that I was highly anticipating but I knew that it would at least deliver on some level. So I was excited about checking it out and am glad that I did. That said, while I do enjoy the show and love that the series knew what it wanted to be and executed that right out of the gate, there are still some little things that bug me about the show. Overall though, job well done. Just wish I could appreciate the show in all its glory.

3. Most Surprising (in a good way) TV Shows I Watched in 2016?

Drama: Van Helsing (Syfy) is a show that I really look forward to watching each week though note that I essentially know nothing of the Van Helsing mythology. So going in blind, with nothing to compare it to and analyze it with, I was nervous about being able to enjoy it without knowing anything. But it wasn’t confusing at all and I love this show!

Comedy: American Housewife (ABC) has its issues but overall, I really get a kick out of it. I actually gushed all about the show in my initial review here. And Wrecked on TBS is basically a parody of Lost. I love it. It feels like a quiet throwaway comedy because literally nobody that I know other than Lost fans have checked it out ha ha and it’s divided among us as to the liking of it. But I love it and I’ll watch it for as long as it’s on the air.

4. TV Shows I “Pushed” The Most People To Watch (And They Did) In 2016?

Drama: Mr. Robot (USA) is a show that I haven’t stopped talking about since its series premiere. Even though it felt like, while the show was appreciated in season one, there was a huge boom right before season two, I’m so happy that people are on board, no matter when they started watching. The point is that you’re watching. So yay, Mr. Robot! Now, I’m hoping Pitch will catch on!

Comedy: Superstore (NBC) is still the comedy that I am pushing like no other, that people I’m encouraging to check out are actually tuning into. I’d like to say the same for The Good Place (NBC) and Life in Pieces (CBS) – slowly but surely these shows are rising up the rec ranks.

5. Best Newish Series That Avoided the Sophomore Slump? Best Season Finales of 2016? Best Series Finales of 2016?

Best Season Two: Quantico (ABC), Supergirl (The CW), Dark Matter (Syfy)

Best Season Finales: iZombie (The CW) Season 2, Jane the Virgin (The CW) Season 2, Pitch (Fox) Season 1, 12 Monkeys (Syfy) Season 2, Shades of Blue (NBC) Season 1

Best Series Finales: Heroes Reborn (NBC)

The season two finale of Jane the Virgin delivered. And boy did it have so much to live up to, the entire season leading up to this one hour. My favorite part? Michael said his vows in Spanish! Oh my goodness, that was so beautiful! Words can’t even express how beautiful that was. I totally teared up during this moment.

6. Favorite TV Show I Binged in 2016?

Stranger Things (Netflix) is worth all of the hype! If you haven’t watched this yet, make it a point to asap! This show is truly a love letter to 80s sci-fi and it is magnificent.

Notable Mention: Glitch (Netflix) is an Australian paranormal drama that follows a group of people who died (across many different years) and come back to life one night in their small town. It’s got some revelations & twists along the way and at the end of the first season that I absolutely loved. I cannot wait for the second season!

7. Best TV Series From a Genre Out of My Comfort Zone?

I don’t really watch much reality TV but one day, I stumbled across Running Wild with Bear Grylls on NBC which I had always been meaning to watch and finally was able to this season. I highly recommend watching Shaq’s episode if there’s only one episode you watch. Survivalist, Bear Grylls takes a celebrity out into the wild for a few days and we get to see the celebrities in a more humanized way. It’s pretty great.

8. Most Thrilling TV Series of the Year?

Aftermath (Syfy) and American Crime (ABC) take the cake this year. Wow. Aftermath is paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi combined and it’s absolutely bananas. You literally cannot predict what will happen next and I love it. On the other hand, there’s American Crime which is realistic and so, so, so incredibly intense, especially since you have a pretty good idea of the many different possible routes (none great) that the show could take. What a whirlwind!

And as always, 12 Monkeys! Episode 2.08 “Lullaby” was the Groundhog Day inspired episode. It was PERFECTION.

Pretty close to perfection was the notable mention of Episode 1.15 “Turn” of Quantico (ABC) in which there is a terrorist attempt on Quantico. Woo! Talk about an episode that will have you at the edge of your seat for the entire hour!

9. New TV Show I Watched That I Am Most Likely To Re-Watch?

Well, I’m ahead in this one. In watching Westworld (HBO), I would re-watch each episode 2-3 times before moving onto the next one. There’s just so much to take in here, it’s impossible to see it all in just one viewing. I highly recommend a re-watch if you’re considering it.

10. Favorite Key Art for a TV Show I Watched in 2016?

11. Most Memorable Characters of 2016? Most Memorable Guest Stars of 2016?

  • Jasmine (Karen David) & Aladdin (Deniz Akdeniz) on Once Upon A Time (ABC)

The Jasmine and Aladdin origin story in Episode 6.05 “Street Rats” was the highlight of the season so far for me on Once Upon A Time. Seeing a live action version of my favorite Disney characters and seeing how the writers made the origin story their own…I loved it!

  • Reagan (Megan Fox) on New Girl (Fox)

With the show’s star taking a leave of absence due to her real life pregnancy and maternity leave, the show needed a new “new girl,” so to speak. Enter, Megan Fox. I knew Megan Fox was funny because this isn’t her first comedic role. Add that to the fact that I really like Megan Fox, and basically I was super excited to see her breathe new life into this show. Boy did she ever! I’d love to see her become more of a permanent fixture on the show, the character of Reagan and Megan’s performance of Reagan is that awesome.

  • Madeleine Stowe (Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys) guest starred on the hit Syfy adaptation of the film which was a very, very exciting moment! She obviously didn’t play the same role as she did in the film but I loved seeing what role the writers gave her.
  • The entire cast of The Good Place. If you haven’t been following my reviews of The Good Place, well, you’ve missed out on my analysis of the characters, the world, and the story so I’d say just backtrack and read those to get up to speed on my thoughts. I have many.

12. Most Beautifully Written Episode of 2016?

The Walking Dead – Episode 6.13 “The Same Boat”
I loved how the dialogue and action was such a beautiful, gritty dance between Carol and Paula (Alicia Witt). I loved how the line is so blurry here when it comes to Carol’s emotional state and how she works Negan’s people while she and Maggie’s people are being held by them. Simply put, another absolutely fantastic episode for Carol. I also loved the directing, by Billy Gierhart, who has directed a handful of episodes of the show since season two.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/Impactful TV Episodes of 2016?

Drama: American Crime (ABC) – Following the events of Episode 2.07, particularly Taylor reaching his limit of harassment…and bringing a gun to school, Episode 2.08 is intertwined with comments from real life victims of crime in a school setting, Columbine included. This episode left me speechless. Also, I still haven’t finished season 3 of Black Mirror but I think it’s safe to say that “Nosedive” is my absolute favorite episode of the season and possibly the entire series. In this episode, in this world, social media rankings determine people’s actual class/status in their everyday real lives. It’s so fascinating and just wow. Wow.

Comedy: Fresh Off the Boat (ABC) had a notable episode, “Year of the Rat” which I believe was the first time the Chinese New Year was celebrated on Primetime TV. Wow. Long, long overdue. Blackish Episode 2.16 “Hope” (ABC) faced police brutality head on and it was glorious. Perhaps the most important episode of the entire series. Meanwhile, on The Mindy Project, Episode 4.18 “Bernardo & Anita” was the long awaited episode in which Mindy dates an Indian guy and is faced with the hard truth that her Indian experience is so much more naive and privileged than many others. Also long overdue, showing the varied experiences of minorities. Very much appreciated this one.

14. TV Show I Can’t Believe I Waited Until 2016 To Finally Watch?

Sliders (Fox/Sci Fi) came on in 1995 and ran for five seasons, following a young genius, Quinn Mallory (Jerry O’Connell) and an unlikely group of people as they travel to parallel worlds. It’s just as exciting as I’d hoped it would be story wise. That said, I loved and hated each character for very distinct reasons ha ha but by the time the cast began falling off and the show became more serial, following a storyline that basically took the show down, I was nostalgic for the earlier seasons of the show. I watched the show on Netflix so if you’re looking to give it a shot, check it out while it’s still streaming.

Cast of Sliders: Cleavant Derricks, John Rhys-Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, Jerry O’Connell

15. Favorite Quotes From TV Shows I Watched in 2016?
Veep (HBO)
Episode 5.01 “Morning After”
“There’s not gonna be a film. The only thing Catherine ever finished is an entire ice cream cake.” – Selina

“Starting today, I’m getting in shape. I’m counting my steps.” – Mike
“Too bad you’re not counting your missteps. You’d be done by breakfast.” – Selina

The Last Man on Earth (FOX)
Episode 2.13 “Fish in the Dish”
“I’ve got to come clean, it’s eating me up inside.” – Todd
“Okay then, come clean.” – Phil
“No, it’s not that easy, man! I don’t want anybody to hurt. They’ve all been through so much already and I want them to feel safe.” – Todd
“Then don’t come clean.” – Phil
“Then I’m the biggest bastard on earth.” – Todd
“Todd, stop it. That title is reserved for Erica’s baby.” – Phil

Episode 2.18 “30 Years of Science Down the Tubes”
Phil, sweetie, I’m a scientist.” – Mike
“What, were you a freaking analyst in Nasa’s Fartology and Toots Division?” – Phil

Quantico (ABC)
Episode 1.20 “Drive”
“Iris, just because I don’t want what you want, doesn’t mean that I’m making a mistake.” – Shelby

Scorpion (CBS)
Episode 2.24 “Toby or Not Toby”

”I’ve loved you since I can’t remember when and I’m gonna love you till I can’t forget how.” – Toby

Arrow (The CW)
Episode 4.17 “Beacon of Hope”
“What can I help you with mom?” – Felicity
“Well, my beautiful baby girl. I am here to rescue you. After the b-o-r-e-a-c-k-u-p-e you could use some regular socialization. So, how about a leisurely lunch?” – Donna
“Oh my god, I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that you just spelled breakup or that you misspelt it.” – Felicity

The Mindy Project (Hulu)
Episode 4.14 “Will They or Won’t They”
“I saw dozens of those grey ribbons on the subway. I thought it was to prevent old people from driving.” – Mindy

Episode 4.15 “2 Fast 2 Serious”
“That is very interesting, I did not know that they held sporting events at Madison Square Garden. I thought that’s just where Billy Joel lived.” – Mindy

Episode 4.21 “Under the Texan Sun”
“Oh my God! Please, please don’t kill me! I’m not caught up on any of my shows!” – Mindy

Supernatural (The CW)
Episode 11.21 “All in the Family”
“So, we good? You all signed up?” – God
“Uh, I, I, I guess you know that I was an atheist until ten minutes ago. Is that an issue?” – Donatello
“Not for me. I believe in me. But our skepticism is to be expected. I did include free will in the kit.” – God

Fresh Off the Boat 
(ABC)
Episode 2.13 “Phil’s Phaves”
“I don’t understand, how could Cattleman’s get a B minus?!” – Louis
“Well Dad, maybe if you applied yourself, your grade would be higher.” – Eddie

Episode 2.19 “Jessica Place”
“Where is ‘Next Week on Melrose Place’?” – Jessica
“Oh, that was the finale.” – Deirdre
“What does that mean?” – Jessica
“The season finale. It’s the last episode of the show until the new season starts in September.” – Amanda
“So they just take summers off?” – Jessica
“Well they do make 32 episodes a year.” – Carol-Joan
“But there’s 52 weeks in a year! Not even teachers take 20 weeks of vacation! Teachers!” – Jessica
*Jessica storms out of the living room and into her bedroom, slamming the door*

The Middle (ABC)
Episode 7.20 “Survey Says…”
“Hey! How about we catch a movie or something?” – Frankie
“Why? So we can see how few black people there are in films?” – Sue
“Okay…we’ll put a pin in that…” – Frankie

Modern Family (ABC)
Episode 8.08 “The Alliance”
“Mommy, can Ivan come for dinner?” – Joe
“No señor, cause tonight the whole family is coming over for dinner cause we’re gonna vote on where we’re going on vacation this year.” – Gloria
“A vote with a moral stain on it since ballots are reserved for land owning adults.” – Manny
“Because nobody wants to go to the birthplace of Edgar Allan Poe!” – Gloria

Blackish (ABC)
Episode 2.19 “The Leftovers”
“This morning, I tried drinking a kale smoothie and my body rejected it.” – Dre

New Girl
 (FOX)
Episode 5.06 “Reagan”
“I understand quantum physics more than I understand how you ended up with Cece.” – Reagan

“I don’t speak English.” – Liz
“Where are you from?” – Nick
“Outside of Connecticut.” – Liz

Episode 5.20 “Return to Sender”
“It’s called a French whore’s bath.” – Nick
“You wouldn’t make a dime off a French whore.” – Jess
“You would make zero dollars.” – Cece
“I’d make millions. Millions. Bonjour. Croissant. Millions.” – Nick

Episode 6.09 “Es Good”
“The boat lady was hitting on him right in front of us.” – Nick
“I don’t own him! He’s not the box set of Felicity.” – Jess

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
Episode 3.12 “9 Days”
“Oh no. Did you watch Grimm again last night? You know it gives you nightmares.” – Rosa
“I’m sad. Jason died this morning.” – Boyle
“I’m sorry. That’s terrible. Is he a friend of yours?” -Rosa
“He was my dog.” – Boyle
“Oh okay, so no big deal then.” – Rosa

Episode  3.15 “The 9-8”
“You’re supposed to be my friend.” – Charles
“I’m an adult man, I can have two close friends. Hell, I could have three close friends!” – Jake
“You wouldn’t.” – Charles
“I would.” – Jake
*scoffs* – Charles

Episode  3.17 “Adrian Pimento”
“Just make sure you take it easy.” – Holt
“Uh sir, I was twenty minutes late for work today, I don’t think you need to tell me about taking it easy.” – Jake
“Are you bragging about being a bad employee?” – Holt
“No. Dismissed, Me.” – Jake

Episode 3.22 “Bureau”
“…I would have contacted him sooner but this is a rogue op and he’s a real stickler for the rules. He once picked up a penny off the street which he then reported on his taxes.” – Holt

Episode 3.23 “Greg and Larry”
“We’re not going anywhere. The flight is booked and there’s already a huge standby line.” – Charles
“What? We have to get on that plane! Were you stern?” – Amy
“Amy, you know I wasn’t.” – Charles

Episode 4.10 “Captain Latvia”
“This is the best day of my life!” – Terry
“You have three kids, Terry.” – Jake
“I said what I said!” – Terry

Angie Tribeca (TBS)
Episode 2.08 “The Coast is Fear”
“Victim’s name is Sebastian Ellsworth, graphic designer. Worked mainly in the advertising space; posters, labels coupons. So we won’t need to back up his work anymore because he just got sent to the cloud.” – Monica

Mr. Robot (USA)
Episode 2.04 “eps2.2_init1.asec”
“Krista’s is wrong. Annihilation is always the answer. We destroy parts of ourselves everyday. We photoshop our warts away. We edit the parts we hate about ourselves, modify the parts we think people hate. We curate our identity, carve it, distill it. Krista’s wrong. Annihilation is all we are.” – Elliot

Scandal (ABC)
Episode 5.17 “Thwack!”
“There are people who are trying to kill you.” – Olivia
“The only person who ever tried to kill me is him!” – Andrew
“I never tried to kill you. I know how to kill people.” – Huck

16. TV Shows I Watched In 2016 With the Shortest & Longest Episode Span (In Its Entirety)?

I think it’s a tie between 3% (Netflix) and Stranger Things (Netflix) which are both in Season 1, which ran for 8 Episodes.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – 13 Seasons, 278 Episodes and counting (season 13 currently on winter hiatus)

17. TV Show That Shocked/Surprised Me The Most? 

Plot twists and character deaths weren’t really shocking to me this year but there was a pleasant surprise on Angie Tribeca (TBS). The case of the week in Episode 2.07 “Boyz II Dead” involved a boy band member which meant we got a lot of boy band nostalgia. Cameos for days! Joey McIntyre and Chris Kirkpatrick to name a few. #Winning

Another pleasant surprise was seeing two worlds collide on The Mindy Project. In Episode 4.21 “Under the Texan Sun,” Mindy went to Cloud 9 from NBC’s Superstore. It was very cool and exciting to see this since I absolutely love Superstore.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (You will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing)

Dorothy & Red Riding Hood on Once Upon A Time (ABC) I never saw coming but once it came, I was totally on board! A diverse romance like this on a Disney show was a long time coming and executed perfectly. A definite standout moment of the season, of the series, for sure.

Notable Mention: I love the slow burn between Rosie and Annalise on Rosewood (Fox) and am totally going down with this ship, no matter how long it takes for the ship to even set sail.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year?

Can I go with every non-romantic relationship on Jane the Virgin (The CW) because I love all of the relationship dynamics on this show – and there are countless. What a wildly over the top tangled web of characters we have here on this show and I totally eat up every single minute of it.

20. Best TV Show I Watched In 2016 That I Watched Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody:

Eyewitness (USA) is the only TV show that I watched this year solely based on the recommendation from someone else. And it’s good! Thanks, Meg! It’s very thrilling and intense, and even though I haven’t finished watching the first season, which just recently aired in its entirety, I highly recommend it. Here’s a brief synopsis:

EYEWITNESS delves into the lives of Philip and Lukas, two innocent teenage boys who bear witness to a triple-homicide while in the midst of a romantic encounter. Desperate to keep their relationship a secret they must keep what they’ve seen hidden from everyone, including Philip’s new foster mother, Helen, (Julianne Nicholson) a former big-city homicide detective who left her harrowing career to become a small-town sheriff. With a murderer on the loose who is desperate to silence any link to the killings, Helen will stop at nothing to solve the case and bring peace back to Tivoli.

21. Best World Building/Most Vivid Setting of a New Series?

Best world building hands down goes to Westworld (Showtime) this year. If you’ve seen even just the first episode, you can agree. But what else was pretty cool this year? Hmm…

While the shows that I’m going to mention have very vivid settings and intriguing worlds, I definitely think there’s so, so, so much more of these worlds that we should see. So, I love the world building that we’ve seen so far. But I want more.

First, there’s 3% (Netflix), a Brazilian drama which follows a group of teenagers who head into intense testing to join the 3% of the country who get to live in a safe haven and away from the rest of the country’s poverty. It’s as disturbing as you think it is and I’d say a must watch. There are only 8 episodes, so it’s easy to watch in one day.

Then, there’s Incorporated (Syfy) which is futuristic so I’m biased here because I’ll fall head over heels for anything futuristic. And this show, set in a future where companies truly have unlimited power, doesn’t disappoint. It delivers what we’d expect and much more in terms of the little things but on a grander scale, I’m excited to see how this show will make the world it’s in its own as the series moves forward.

Last but certainly not the least is Colony (USA) which was created by Carlton Cuse, so, really, enough said, amiright?

Notable Mentions to Timeless (NBC) for fellow time travel fans, Frequency (The CW) for really killing it in its adaptation of the film, and Chance (Hulu), a show that I feel like nobody is watching but I am really enjoying. The world itself is not fascinating but I really love the tone of the show and feel like that’s certainly worth mentioning.

22. TV Shows & Episodes That Put A Smile On My Face/Were The Most Fun To Watch?

Dramas: Scorpion (CBS), iZombie (The CW), Stranger Things (Netflix)

Comedies: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox), New Girl (Fox) + the crossover episodes of these shows was quite fun too. Remember those?

Dramedy: Jane the Virgin (The CW)

TV Documentary: 50 Years of Star Trek (History)

All of the above of course is great but also, the epic Aliens crossover event that The CW did between The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow was fan-freaking-tastic! I loved, loved, loved every single minute of it. If I had to pick a favorite episode, I’d go with the Arrow one but honestly, this whole crossover event was just the best icing on the crossover cake ever. I don’t know how they’re going to top themselves moving forward.

Now can we talk about Scorpion Episode 2.24 “Toby or Not Toby” for a minute? The life or death stakes for Toby were my favorite here of this entire season, perhaps series. Then, Toby’s proposal to Happy….it was so beautiful! I totally squealed! Even though she initially declined. I love how the writers made us care about Toby and Happy as much as Walter and Paige. I loved this moment. So tender. Sigh.

The Mindy Project Episode 4.17 “Mindy Lahiri is DTF” is certainly notable. Mindy’s online dating fiasco is funny but what really made this episode laugh out loud funny was Jody accidentally inviting the whole office to his house for a viewing party of a show that he doesn’t even watch but has to pretend he does now that he’s in too deep. Oh my goodness. Absolutely hysterical.

Now I can’t decide which story was the funniest in the Life in Pieces Episode 1.17 “Hair Recital Rainbow Mom,” but a close win would probably go to Jen and Greg who throw Lark an over the top birthday party and then they get freaked out about preschool by the parents that are at the party. Oy.

Episode 5.09 “Heat Wave” of New Girl is one of my favorite episodes of season five. From Winston’s police authority voice to Schmidt’s Jewish hairstyle and Nick’s stubborn sweat, I could not stop laughing out loud. It reminded me of season one and what made me fall in love with the show in the first place. Plus, an actual “new girl” being thrown into the mix again, new blood reignited my love for the show and I kind of feel like it reignited the flame in the writers room too because the writing was the best it’s been in awhile. Also, Episode 5.18 “A Chill Day In” was legit laugh out loud hysterical as we followed a high Jess and sober Cece on their girl’s night – Cece’s bachelorette party. So funny. It’s episodes like these that make me appreciate why I fell in love with this show.

23. TV Show That Made Me Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) Episode 12.09 “The Sound of Silence”
This episode reminded me of the classic Buffy episode “Hush” since so much of this episode is in silence and so much of what is unsaid speaks volumes. Meredith is attacked by a patient every single moment of this episode is just absolutely phenomenal. From the attack to watching Meredith come to for the first time, Meredith not being able to hear anything, Meredith not being able to talk because her mouth is wired shut, everyone at the hospital doing all that they can to help one of their own…every moment was just so precious. It was beautiful. Ellen Pompeo did a fantastic job. Absolutely fantastic.

The 100 (The CW) – Episode 3.11 “Nevermore”
Whoa. Talk about a powerful moment. Monty has to kill his own mother when she’s infected by the City of Light nonsense. Oh man, this was emotionally gripping and so hard to watch, this, Monty’s reality. This is without a doubt one of the most standout moments of the series for me.

True Life: We Are Orlando (MTV)
MTV followed a handful of survivors from the Pulse Nightclub shooting, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, also a hate crime against the LGBT+ community. This documentary gave a voice to the survivors in a less statistical, more personal way that their peers could connect to and I’m so grateful for MTV for doing this.

24. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Queen Sugar (OWN) is a drama that I don’t hear anyone talking about and it’s so good! It’s a family drama that follows three adult siblings who come together to run their father’s sugarcane farm after his death. The siblings are so different and these dynamics make for some of the most truthful and fascinating storytelling I’ve seen on OWN to date. There’s Nova (Rutina Wesley, True Blood), a worldly-wise journalist and activist; Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Unforgettable), the savvy wife and manager of a professional basketball star; and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe, Awkward), a formerly incarcerated young father in search of redemption. If you’re not watching this show right now, get on it. There are only 13 episodes in the first season.

Also, notable mentions to the super fun The Librarians on TNT if you want a magical drama that doesn’t take itself too seriously and Wynonna Earp on Syfy which is Syfy’s true hidden gem at the moment.

From Left to Right: Kofi Siriboe, Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner / Photo Credit: OWN

25. Most Unique TV Show I Watched In 2016?
Angie Tribeca (TBS)

It feels like just yesterday I was watching the first season of Angie Tribeca, which TBS aired in its entirety this past January. And then aired its second season this past summer. Yep, we got two full seasons in one year! How amazing is that?! I love how forward thinking TBS is and how out of the box Angie Tribeca is. It’s unapologetic satire and I love every single second of it.

You’ve seen me gush about the show before but long story short, the writers are absolutely brilliant. The cast is superb and there’s nothing I love more than comedic actors who really give themselves over 100% to a role and that’s everyone in this cast. Angie Tribeca doesn’t take itself too seriously, nor does it take people in general and their contradictory ridiculousness seriously and that’s what makes this show comedy gold. Gold!

26. Favorite Award Show in 2016?

The SAG Awards were by far the most diverse this year and as you may remember, award season was under immense pressure this year after #OscarsSoWhite began trending. Speaking of the Oscars, Leonardo DiCaprio FINALLY won his first Oscar – long, long overdue and Brie Larson won her first Oscar – oh my how she has come a long way since her pop star days! I am so, so, so proud of her! Another favorite Oscars moment? Lady Gaga’s powerful performance of her Oscar nominated song, “Til It Happens To You.”

Blogging

1. Favorite TV Related Blog Posts I Read in 2016?

      • This Arrow Retrospective “Why {REDACTED} Died and Why Did {REDACTED} Have to Die?” from Green Arrow TV was so on point!
      • Actress, Joy Bryant Penned the Essay, “Stop Telling Me I Should Have Kids” For Lenny Letter
      • Marvel’s Luke Cage Proves That ‘Heroes Can Wear Hoodies Too’ – IndieWire

2. Favorite TV Review That I Wrote in 2016?

The Good Place (NBC) Series Premiere – Review

The Path (Hulu) Season 1 – Review

Heroes Reborn (NBC) Series Finale (talk about nostalgia) – Review

3. Favorite TV Related Posts I Wrote in 2016?

My TV History: The List – A list of every single TV show that I’ve watched since 1990.

4. Favorite TV Related Event That I Participated In This Year?

San Diego Comic Con

5. Best TV Blogging Moment of 2016?

See number six.

6. Most Popular TV Related Post This Year On My Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Jenna Ushkowitz (Glee) Interview

7. Post I Wished Got A Little More Love?

Let’s Talk About Greenleaf on OWN

Looking Ahead

1. TV Show I Didn’t Get To In 2016 But I Will Attempt To Watch in 2017?

Scripted: Underground (WGN America), Shut Eye (Hulu), Good Girls Revolt (Amazon), even though the latter was cancelled
Reality: Captive (Netflix)

2. TV Shows I Am Most Anticipating in 2017?

New Drama: The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
New Comedy: Dear White People (Netflix)
Returning Drama: Switched At Birth (Freeform) the final season, the long anticipated season two of Humans (AMC), and the final season of Orphan Black (BBC America)
Returning Comedy: Angie Tribeca (TBS), Playing House (USA) has been MIA for some time, and Insecure (HBO)

3. One Thing I Hope To Accomplish or Do In My TV Life In 2017?

Interview a TV legend.

4. 2017 TV Premiere I’ve Already Watched & Recommend To Everyone?

The Pilot of 24:Legacy (Fox) is absolutely fantastic! I want to watch more asap. I’m also working my way through The Path (Hulu) Season Two. Stay tuned for my full spoilery review of the entire season on January 25, 2017 when the first episode premieres on Hulu.

What are your TV standouts of the year?