Top Ten TV Shows of 2017

10. The Sinner 

9. The Punisher

8. GLOW 

7. Curb Your Enthusiasm

6. The Deuce

5. Mindhunter

4. Game of Thrones 

3. The Handmaid's Tale

2. Stranger Things

1. Better Call Saul 

10. The Sinner 

Season 

1st (8 Episodes)

Network

USA 

Creator

Derek Simonds

Cast

Jessica Biel (Cora Tanetti) 

Christopher Abbott ( Mason Tanetti)

Dohn Norwood (Dan Leroy)

Abby Miller (Caitlin Sullivan)

Bill Pullman (Harry Ambrose) 

Critical 

8.1/10 (IMDB)

94% (RT Critics)

88% (RT Audience)

Golden Globes Season 

- Nomination for Best Actress in Mini Series or Made for TV Movie (Jessica Biel)

- Nomination for Best Television Limited Series or TV Movie 

I've never even heard of The Sinner until now and had no idea it was actually a mini series until I was looking at the Golden Globe nominations. It looks pretty interesting though with a stellar cast - 🤯 will have to elaborate more on it though.

Dec 12, 2017 15:37:39 GMT UT said:

I've never even heard of The Sinner until now and had no idea it was actually a mini series until I was looking at the Golden Globe nominations. It looks pretty interesting though with a stellar cast - 🤯 will have to elaborate more on it though.

It's based on a book. Wife was intrigued by the commercials and read the book on a plane during a work trip. Came home and said we had to watch. Glad we did. So captivating and compelling. Good acting and plot with tension, emotion, swerves, and squirms. Gave me a newfound respect for Jessica Biel and cranked up my Bill Pullman love to 11. Really recommend you check it out.

I think we still have it on TiVo, but PI’s the first person I’ve heard give it a big positive review so maybe that will get me watching.

9. The Punisher 

One Batch, Two Batch, Penny and Dime. ~ Frank Castle

Season

1st (13 episodes)

Network

Netflix 

Creator

Steve Lightfoot 

Cast 

Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (David Lieberman)

Amber Rose Revah (Dinah Madani)

Ben Barnes (Billy Russo)

Paul Shulze (Rawlins)

Critical 

8.9/10 (IMDB)

61% (RT Critics)

94% (RT Audience)

The Punisher was almost entirely awesome and made #3 on my list , it's a Superhero show by name and association only but really it's just a violent action/espionage that doesn't really pull any punches. Not surprising audiences love it and critics don't at all.

I will say if Bernthal was on screen more , this would have a shot at my #1 - not that he isn't the focal point of the movie but he is so captivating at playing Castle he truly elevates the character above anyone else on the show. I didn't want to look away whenever Castle is on and I can't say that about every character and the B and C stories the whole run.

Mubani's storyline took forever to really reach it's potential to the point where I was almost sick of her character before the payoffs. Lewis's storyline I didn't like the whole time and thought the payoff was a little weak - those and the obvious "swerve" were my main knocks against the show and what knocked it all the way down to three for me.

Once everything starts clicking in the last 4 or 5 episodes though this show , and not just Bernthal take it to what it should of been. I think Season 2 is going to be better from the get go since all the characters are established and they can build from here. Despite my criticisms I do love this show and it lived up to most expectations.

Same general response to Punisher as the movie pick for number nine with the added caveat that generally even the critics don’t like the Marvel Netflix series so I don’t even have that motivation.

Dec 14, 2017 1:02:29 GMT mikec said:

Same general response to Punisher as the movie pick for number nine with the added caveat that generally even the critics don’t like the Marvel Netflix series so I don’t even have that motivation.

I didn't like Jessica Jones or Luke Cage , never gave Iron Fist a shot but Daredevil is really good and Punisher is barely a Superhero show - it's only real tie is being set in the universe. It's pretty violent and dark as opposed to their big screen endeavours and the actual Punisher show has alot of action and some espionage. I understand why the critics don't love it but if you were going to give one of the shows a shot I'd suggest Punisher - it's well acted and it's the role Bernthal was born to play. 

I think it's really well written too , but if you are skeptical about Marvel in general I don't think I could say enough to convince you. We weirdly have a lot of the same tastes in movies but drastic differences in television. 

I thought The Sinner was alright but lacking a certain something that to really elevate it into a show that I would go around telling people they need to watch. It tended to drag a little bit (six episodes probably would have sufficed) and some of the "edgier" aspects (I'll avoid specifics for those who might seek it out) seemed like a bit of a grab for attention and not entirely necessary to advance the plot. Agree that the strong acting creating the dynamic between Cora and Detective Ambrose was the highlight though.

8. GLOW 

If one of you turns out to be like Hulk Hogan, I've hit the fucking jackpot. ~ Sam Sylvia 

Season

1st (10 episodes)

Network

Netflix 

Creators 

Liz Flahive 

Carly Mensch 

Cast 

Alison Brie (Ruth Wilder)

Betty Gilpin (Debbie Eagan)

Sydelle Noel (Cherry Bang) 

Britney Young (Carmen Wade)

Marc Maron (Sam Sylvia)

Critical 

8.0/10 (IMDB)

94% (RT Critics)

88% (RT Audience)

Golden Globes

- Nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series: Musical or Comedy (Alison Brie)

I decided to put these up because I might be short on time tomorrow , depending on how the morning goes.

GLOW is a show I only watched a few episodes of and didn't go back to , it wasn't inherently bad or anything and had some great moments and lines from Maron but it just couldn't hook me. I think one of the main reasons looking back is because I never found a character I really enjoyed or rooted for - and perhaps that arc comes later on and I need to watch more but to me it seemed to lack a true protagonist. Alison Brie was good in the role but you hardly root for her , at least early on.

I know mikec really likes the show so I'll read this thoughts while admitting it's one of the few shows I need to go back and watch again. It worked with Breaking Bad after I was really lukewarm on it for the first season or so.

Ugh, for fuck's sake. I can't believe I forgot to put GLOW on the list.

Alison Brie is probably the most underrated actress on television right now. She's been great on all the shows she's been on, but was always under the radar. So that makes me all the more glader that she got a Golden Globe nomination.

I had exactly the same experience with GLOW as UT did. I really wanted to like it, but in the end I didn't care for the show besides the wrestling-related scenes, and that wasn't enough to keep up with it.

Like Punk'd, I spaced on GLOW. If I had to place it, it would have been about 7th on my list. A solid first season that had some tough waters to navigate through, but managed to appeal to a mass audience. I was really surprised when a bunch of friends who know me as a wrestling guy, would sms me and tell me how much they were into GLOW. These were the same friends who usually gave me lip for devoting the first half of Australia Day to the Royal Rumble.

On a personal note, I don't think there was any way this show could fail. Firstly, A League of Their Own is one of those comfortable 90s movies I must have sat through a dozen times as a kid and the show had a lot in common with it. The other factor going into it was the 80s aesthetic, which I'm a sucker for and it can set a bunch of shows apart (eg. Stranger Things).

However, the show's biggest strength is it's casting. There's really no big-name actors on the show, just a bunch of people who either made their name on television, had a bit part here or come from an entirely different industry altogether. It seems like everyone is giving an honest effort and have treated the show with plenty of respect.

I'm genuinely excited for Season 2, I hope they can maintain the momentum.

I genuinely loved GLOW and was surprised it only made 7th on my list, a testament to how many shows I love on tv right now I guess.

I liked all of the show, but will admit that it picks up considerably in Episode 5 once Ruth finds her character. From there on the show really finds its footing for the old wrestling fan in me, building the oversized 80’s wrestling personas is really fun.

A few weeks ago I was in a rut and just needed a quick pick me up to improve my mood and went back and played a handful of scenes from GLOW that cheered me right up (Ruth at the furniture store, Ruth as the Jewish lady, the GREAT training montage with the male wrestlers, and the final match of the finale).

It’s awesome, I’ve recommended it more than I’ve recommended any other show this year.

Dec 14, 2017 4:30:22 GMT @admin said:

I thought The Sinner was alright but lacking a certain something that to really elevate it into a show that I would go around telling people they need to watch. It tended to drag a little bit (six episodes probably would have sufficed) and some of the "edgier" aspects (I'll avoid specifics for those who might seek it out) seemed like a bit of a grab for attention and not entirely necessary to advance the plot. Agree that the strong acting creating the dynamic between Cora and Detective Ambrose was the highlight though.

Did you read the book? I didn't, Wife did, and after some that edgy shit, I'd turn to her for confirmation on whether it was true to the book or being pumped up for crash TV sake. She confirmed all the edgiest stuff was indeed in the book. So in that sense, it felt pretty true to its source material, I guess. Granted, the book is based in Germany, I think... And I feel like all those straightlaced Germans are really into some wildly disturbing shit beneath the surface.

I think I agree that the length could've probably been compressed from 10 episodes into 6.

7. Curb Your Enthusiasm 

Season 

9th (10 episodes)

Network 

HBO 

Creator 

Larry David 

Cast 

Larry David (Larry David) 

Cheryl Hines (Cheryl David)

Jeff Garlin (Jeff Greene)

Susie Essman (Susie Greene)

Critical 

8.7/10 (IMDB)

76% (RT Critics)

91% (RT Audience)

Sure I’d like Curb, just don’t watch it.

The tv critics poll is up. Their top ten is -
Leftovers
Handmaids Tale
Big Little Lies
Better Things
Twin Peaks
The Good Place
Halt and Catch Fire
Insecure
Game of Thrones
Better Call Saul

See the whole list here uproxx.com/critic-polls/best-tv-show-of-2017/

Curb picked up right where it left off and was just as sharp and ridiculous as before. The whole fatwa storyline played out great, with LD redeeming himself in a way that was completely true to his character and resulted in this wonderful call-back to all these previous episodes. Each episode tossed up something different and it was just cool to catch up with the entire cast again.

Also it was surreal to see Sammy all grown up. As JB would say, that's some real Boyhood shit right there.

And it's great to know that HBO announced that they'll be bringing it back for a 10th season.

I think this was lower quality curb, but low quality curb still makes me laugh more than most shows.

6. The Deuce 

Season

1st (8 episodes)

Network

HBO

Creators

George Pelecanos 

David Simon 

Cast 

James Franco (Frank Martino/Vincent Martino)

Maggie Gyllenhaal (Candy)

Gbenga Akinnagbe (Larry Brown)

Gary Carr (CC)

Dominique Fishback (Darlene)

Critical 

8.2/10 (IMDB)

92% (RT Critics)

83% (RT Audience)

I want to see The Deuce , but have heard some kind of polarizing things about it so I've been sort of procrastinating - I have a feeling it's going to end up becoming like The Night Of for me in which I understand it's quality but just don't get hooked into the characters or story too much. Obviously an unfair assessment but that's just a feeling I got.

I know mikec has seen it twice through already so he's going to be able to elaborate on it.

I've got a confession to make, I included the Deuce as 10th on my list, more in a show of good faith than anything else. I haven't seen the show yet, but a period piece surrounding the porn industry written by David Simon seems like the type of show that would be a Top 3er for me. I'm going to watch the show later tonight, and I'll guarantee I'd prefer it over a lot of the other HBO shows I threw on my list.

Speaking of the Night Of, it's right up there with The Newsroom as a show that had an amazing pilot and could never quite live up to it.

The Deuce was excellent. Much like with The Wire, David Simon takes us someplace we haven’t spent a lot of time and makes it feel like that must have been exactly how it was blending his fictional story with real ones heard on the beat or in research. It was funny, horrific, and occasionally violent in a way that took my breath away. Great show, it was my number two.

Dec 16, 2017 5:01:20 GMT mikec said:

Sure I’d like Curb, just don’t watch it.

The tv critics poll is up. Their top ten is -
Leftovers
Handmaids Tale
Big Little Lies
Better Things
Twin Peaks
The Good Place
Halt and Catch Fire
Insecure
Game of Thrones
Better Call Saul

See the whole list here uproxx.com/critic-polls/best-tv-show-of-2017/

I wonder why Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Brothers didn't make that list, one of the best TV shows I watched this year, way better than so many of the shows that got ranked on that list. 

I’d guess that the people who watch a large majority of tv shows that come out each year disagree with you... but it did get one tenth place vote on the best new show ballot.

5. Mindhunter

Season 

1st (10 episodes)

Network 

Netflix 

Creator

Joe Penhall 

David Fincher 

Cast 

Jonathan Groff (Holden Ford)

Holt McCallany (Bill Tench)

Hannah Gross (Debbie Mitford)

Anna Torv (Wendy Carr)

Sonny Valicenti (ADT Serviceman)

Critical 

8.7/10 (IMDB)

96% (RT Critics)

95% (RT Audience)

Loved Mindhunter so much , it made it all the way to #2 on my list. I reviewed it a little more in depth in another thread but it's a great in depth look at the beginning of criminal pyschology as told by one of my favorite storytellers/directors in David Fincher. I love the entire era and ambience the show captures.

It really picks up and goes to a different level when the actual serial killers get involved. It's the peak of the show.

Overall though I would recommend it to anyone , and am sad mikec hasn't made time for it yet! :@