The Trial of the Century, A Closer Look, and The Craziest Ex in West Covina: The Twenty-ish Best Shows of 2016

In 2016, there are relatively few things about television that are set in stone. When I compiled my top ten list back in 2015 I noted that there were over 400 scripted shows across TV's various viewing formats (A term labeled "Peak TV" in the industry). That number has only grown (455 scripted shows to be exact). Shows are no longer kept around or cancelled purely on their number of viewers. Nobody even knows for sure how many viewers shows on the various streaming platforms (notably Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu) get, because streaming sites don't have to share that information. When a show like Good Girls Revolt on Amazon is cancelled, all viewers and industry watchers know is that somehow the show did not please the online shopping giant.

All that being said, right now is one of the most exciting times to be a fan of television. Pretty much any platform that can produce original programming, is producing original programming. That means if you have very specific tastes when it comes to TV, chances are someone is creating something that caters to them. With so many options out there, it can be hard to know which shows to make time for, and which ones to skip. In some cases you might not even know a show or even a whole viewing platform exists.

With all of that taken into consideration, my list this year looks pretty different from last year's list in some key ways. First of all, instead of doing a Top 10 list with a "Runners-Up" section, I've decided to merge the two and just do a Top 20 list this year. With the massive number of options to choose from, narrowing the best shows down to a list of ten just wasn't realistic. List purists beware, there are a few rankings on my list where I have merged two equal quality shows with very similar concepts into one spot on the list. The list technically features more than 20 shows, but I assure you I only paired shows that have an incredible amount of similarity. The "Honorable Mentions" section I used last year will stay intact. I think it's a good way highlight shows that range in quality from "pretty good" to "great" for anyone who might be looking for something new to watch.

Now let's talk about what isn't on the list. You won't see last year's list makers: Parks and Recreation, The Mindy Project, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Master of None, or Jessica Jones. Parks and Recreation as mentioned in last year's list has concluded, while Master of None and Jessica Jones did not air new seasons this year. The Mindy Project and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are still fantastic shows, but with the multitude of great shows out there, there wasn't room for everything. Regretfully I also had to leave great shows like ABC's masterful Agent Carter, strong new fall dramas Pitch and This Is Us, Amazon's dark-comedy trifecta One Mississippi/Fleabag/Catastrophe, OWN's powerful family drama Queen Sugar, HBO's stronger than ever Veep, and Netflix's out of the box Lady Dynamite off of my list as well.

What you will find are 20+ fantastic shows like nothing else on TV. Last year my list focused on shows that could only exist in this current state of TV. This year I tried to focus a little harder on shows with a very specific sense of voice. Not just stories that have never been told before, but stories that are being told in brilliantly creative ways. I love these shows, flaws and all. Disagree with my list? Write your own list, I'd love to read it!

**UPDATE** (12/31/16): After finally catching up on some things I had on my DVR there was one more show that I just couldn't leave off of my list. Surprisingly, to me, it was actually a reality show, which I would have never expected to be putting on my list. That being said, this show ended up being so good, I couldn't leave it off.

Honorable Mentions:

Catastrophe (Amazon)
One Mississippi (Amazon)
Fleabag (Amazon)
Lady Dynamite (Netflix)
Veep (HBO)
This Is Us (NBC)
Pitch (Fox)
Arrow (The CW)
Agent Carter (ABC)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Scandal (ABC)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Frequency (The CW)
No Tomorrow (The CW)
The Ranch (Netflix)
Luke Cage (Netflix)
Speechless (ABC)
Madame Secretary (CBS)
When Calls The Heart (Hallmark)
New Girl (Fox)
Daredevil (Netflix)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
The Mindy Project (Hulu)
Queen Sugar (OWN)
You're the Worst (FXX)
The Carmichael Show (NBC)
Life In Pieces (CBS)


21.) Survivor: Millennials Vs Gen X (CBS):

Reality television will never have the same impact for me as scripted TV, but when it's done well, it can be an entertaining look at how people behave when put in a situation where they have to rely on people they are simultaneously competing against. More often than not, Survivor is a show that doesn't live up to its potential. Despite having a ridiculously stupid theme, this last season of Survivor was arguably the best season the show has ever had. Alliances shifted on a weekly basis, every player was playing to win the game, and many of the players had surprisingly motivational journeys along the way. Most of the tribal counsel's were blindsides, or at least entertaining to watch. It's rare that a final three contains three players that actually earned their spot, let alone for two of those players to be very deserving of winning. The jury wasn't bitter, and actually crowned the right person as the winner (though one of the runners-up would have been a fine winner as well). This is what Survivor should look like. 

20.) The Flash (The CW) / Supergirl (The CW & CBS):

I can't justifiably list Supergirl or The Flash here without noting that both shows had their fair share of issues in 2016. The Flash suffered from a season long story arc that was a weak imitation of its very successful first season, a shift in tone that often made the show gloomier than it should be, and began its third season with the ill-conceived "Flashpoint" plotline. Supergirl spent all of season one and part of season two just trying to figure out what kind of show it wanted to be. That being said, when both shows are performing at peak levels, they are the best superhero shows TV currently has to offer. The Supergirl crossover episode "Worlds Finest" (which brought the Flash over to Kara's world) was one of the year's most fun episodes of TV, while The Flash episode "The Runaway Dinosaur" (Which saw Barry trapped in a dream-like reality known as the "Speed Force") was easily one of the best episodes of any show on TV this year. Both characters were also a lot of fun collaborating with their Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow cohorts in The CW's four part DC crossover, "Invasion." These shows seem to be heading in better directions than they started in at the beginning of the year, and Supergirl deserves a lot of credit for switching networks from CBS to The CW and becoming a better show in the process. 

19.) The Good Place (NBC):

It's hard to imagine a show created by Mike Schur (writer for The Office and co-creator of Parks & Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine) that stars comedy veterans Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, not being a success. While the nine episodes that have aired so far in its first season are not enough to put it in "Top 10" range, The Good Place has quickly found a consistent comedic tone that makes it the most promising new show of the Fall. Like Parks and Recreation the show does an excellent job of examining what it means to make ethical choices, while also milking laughs from the absurdities of society (in this case the society of the afterlife). Eleanor's journey to become a better person resonates, because it is the journey of the human experience, that just happens to be taking place in a hilariously absurd setting. It might not be everyone's type of humor, but it's very reminiscent of NBC's comedy heyday, which is always welcome. 

18.) Broad City (Comedy Central):

Broad City, the absurd comedy about two millennials' adventures living in New York City, definitely isn't for everyone. The show's comedic sensibility is often odd, sometimes crass, and definitely out of the box. That's often the show's biggest asset. When a show is up for just about anything like this one is, then it opens up a whole new world of jokes and stories to explore. All of this is led by the battle tested friendship of Abby and Illana, whose chemistry drive the show and many of its jokes. In season three, the show was better than ever. Mundane situations such as going to the DMV, working at a co-op, or traveling to Abby's hometown of Philadelphia, become absurd adventures for the show's two heroines, while both characters also experienced emotional turmoil when meaningful relationships fell apart for them. 

17.) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox):

Brooklyn Nine-Nine was bumped out of the top ten this year because it tried to take a more serialized approach, which got in the way of what the show does best. With the deepest and most across the board funny cast of any show on TV, Brooklyn is never better than when it gives those characters the freedom to bounce jokes off of each other. There are no weak links in this cast, and the writers over time have only gotten better and better at knowing how to best use each character. Four seasons in, it sometimes shows its age, but at this point the show is the equivalent of TV comfort food; always reliable and enjoyable. 

16.) The Night Of (HBO):

The story of a man who appears to be guilty of a murder he doesn't remember committing, The Night Of is a fascinating, if uneven, look at the justice system in America. Riz Ahmed gives one of the year's best performances as Naz, who slowly transitions from an naive college kid, to a hardened product of his time in jail, willing to do just about anything to survive. John Turturro is similarly excellent as an ambulance chasing lawyer who stumbles across this giant case after noticing that the evidence against Naz didn't quite add up. While the show is never quite able to recapture the intensity of its premiere episode, it is still an excellent look at how the justice and prison systems are deeply broken, as well as a compelling mystery. Despite it's occasional weak moments, The Night Of  is an ultimately fascinating show that does a decent job of examining the failures of the justice system in America. 

15.) Underground (WGN America): 

Part 12 Years a Slave and part The Great Escape, Underground tells the highly entertaining and often emotionally powerful story of a group of slaves that make a run for the Canadian border, the loved ones they left behind, and the people on along the Underground Railroad who help them. Most impressive among the cast are the two leads Aldis Hodge and Jurnee Smollett-Bell, who both give exceptional performances. Smollett-Bell in particular gives a fantastic performance as Rosalee a somewhat naive house slave who grows into a fighter over the course of the journey. The "prison" break aspect of the show is often exciting, but never in a way that undermines the fact that the show is set against the greatest tragedy in American history. For so much of history, art was used as a weapon to portray slaves and African Americans as unintelligent and animalistic. The brilliance of Underground is that it constantly portrays its heroes as clever, intelligent, and genuine human beings. It's also worth noting that this show has one of my favorite opening credit sequences of any show currently on. 

14.) Black-ish (ABC) / Fresh Off the Boat (ABC):

Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat represent what ABC's comedy department is doing so well right now: cultivating cleaver, diverse, and socially relevant family comedies. While ABC has many many shows that fall under the "family comedy" banner, these two are the funniest and most thoroughly developed of the bunch. They feature caring, but flawed fathers, and mothers who are both nurturing and successful at their careers. Each show has hilarious grandparents who are perfect for at least one solid joke per episode. Constance Wu and Tracee Ellis Ross are constant joke machines that elevate their respective shows.  Most impressively, both shows have overcome the greatest challenge facing any family comedy: hiring child actors who are exceptionally talented. Personally I find Fresh Off the Boat to be the more consistently laugh out loud funny of the two shows, but Black-ish often tackles socially relevant topics in a way that is unlike any other show. The Black-ish episode "Hope" was arguably the most socially relevant episode of TV all year. 

13.) Search Party (TBS):

Imagine the Scooby Gang as a group of self-obsesses millennials living in New York City (minus the dog) and you've got a decent description of Search Party. Alia Shawkat plays an aimless woman, who finds meaning in investigating the disappearance of a former college acquaintance. As the mystery becomes more complex, she drags her friends into her obsessive search for the truth and asks them to do increasingly dangerous things to help her. The show does a fantastic job of building a compelling mystery around a case that is not at all what it appears to be. It's also a portrait of a generation that is in many ways is so desperate to finding a meaningful way to live, that they will sometimes ascribe meaning to things that really aren't very meaningful at all. I'm a sucker for "normal person turned sleuth" stories, and Alia Shawkat leads an exceptional cast in what is an often fun and suspenseful tale. 

12.) Superstore (NBC):

After pretty much eliminating comedy from their line-up, Superstore became NBC's attempt to reignite their once highly regarded comedy brand. The show got off to a slow start, but by the end of season one it was starting to resemble a lot of the great NBC comedies from the past decade. It has the "work family" theme and office politics of a show like The Office, the heart of a show like Parks and Recreation, and the absurd sense of humor of a show like Community. While Superstore has yet to reach the high standard set by those three shows, it has carved itself out in the TV landscape as a hilarious workplace comedy with a unique voice. That it resembles those shows doesn't mean it is imitating them. Superstore is creating it's own comedy language as it progresses along, which has made it stand out. The cast is deep and hilarious, without any weak links in the bunch. Like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Superstore is a reliably funny, and heartwarming show that I find myself looking forward to above most other shows every week. 

11.) Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) / Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS):

While cable news found themselves almost baffled as to how to cover admittedly the strangest Presidential election ever, the "aww shucks we're just your friendly neighborhood Nazis" group self titled the "Alt-Right," and pretty much anything else going on in American politics in 2016, the late night talk show hosts were primed and ready for the fight. With the exception of a couple of useless Jimmys, late night talks shows are a broad range of comedy/satire vets who refused to normalize ridiculous things like PEOTUS Trump's Twitter rants, or rise of the racist self titled "Alt-Right." Chief among those late night hosts are Seth Meyers, the former SNL and "Weekend Update" anchor, and Samantha Bee, a long time The Daily Show correspondent. Meyer's "A Closer Look" segment takes a critical look at current political events, in a way that is both hilarious and enlightening. Bee's show features many similar segments, which often focus on the absurdity of what is going on in American politics. Whether or not you agree with their politics (I don't always), both have turned their shows into sources of social relevance, such as Meyer's recent call for the media to stop lazily normalizing the term "Alt-Right" or Bee's many segments that focus on putting a human face on the Syrian refugees seeking asylum in America. 

10.) BoJack Horseman (Netflix):

BoJack Horseman at it's best, is a wildly clever and inventive comedy, that also focuses on the artificial happiness of fame, the dangers of substance abuse, and how fear can cause us to push others away. The third season of the show was more uneven than the previous season, but at its best, the show was radically different than any other comedy on TV. The episode "Fish Out of Water" which featured almost zero dialogue and beautiful visuals, was a poignant homage to the silent film era, that arguably belongs in the discussion as the best episode of the year. "The Best Thing That Ever Happened" is a brutal bottle episode in which BoJack destroys his personal and professional relationship with long time friend and agent Princess Carolyn. "Stop the Presses" is a surprisingly creative episode that revolves around BoJack's phone conversation with a customer service representative at a newspaper he receives but never subscribed to. "That's Too Much, Man" and "That Went Well" are heartbreaking reminders that our actions affect those who look up to us the most. It's not all doom and gloom though. The show features an astounding number of hilarious sight gags, and a surprisingly well crafted "Updike" joke. What other show do you know where character actress Margo Martindale plays character actress Margo Martindale, a criminal on the run from the police? 

9.) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW):

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is just your run of the mill story about a successful lawyer who has a nervous breakdown, moves across the country to pursue a man she dated at summer camp as a teen, and expresses her feelings through musical numbers. As a musical, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creates an astonishing number of original songs. Each episode features around two or three "Weird Al" style music videos that parody anything from classic musicals (Dreamgirls, The Music Man, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, etc.) to specific pop artists (Beyonce's "Lemonade", Shakira, the Spice Girls, etc.) or genres (Rap battles, "girl power" country anthems, 80s ballads, etc). That the show produces so many original songs, and that so many of them are actually funny, is impressive enough. That's only half the story. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is also a hilarious comedy with a clever (if at times odd) sense of humor, which actually acknowledges its heroine's (creator/star Rachel Bloom) mental health issues and takes them seriously. The show never lets Rebecca off the hook for her unhealthy obsessions, but it rightly never demonizes her for them either. The song "JAP Battle" (in which Rebecca goes toe-to-toe with her childhood rival in a rap battle) is one of the best moments of any show this year, and that's just one of many great moments the show had to offer in 2016. 

8.) Happy Valley (Netflix):

Good crime dramas are hard to come by these days, which makes UK import Happy Valley a rare gem in the TV landscape. Sarah Lancashire is the heart of the show as Catherine Cawood, a veteran police officer who keeps the peace in her small hometown of Calder Valley. Unlike many recent crime dramas Cawood doesn't solve crimes through Holmesian deductions or high tech CSI work, she's simply a good, consistent, cop who knows her town like the back of her hand. It's a refreshing approach to crime solving that American networks (namely CBS, but there are other offenders) could benefit from taking a look at. Layered into crimes that Catherine finds herself solving (many of which she stumbles upon as a side effect of her usual case work, as they are not in her department) the show layers in a tragic backstory for our heroine, that does more to speak to her character than to over-dramatize the storylines. Catherine is hard, cause she has to be, but gentle when the job calls for it. The show isn't overly dramatic, and you won't find any absurd plot twists here, but it's an extremely compelling crime drama that features one of 2016's very best acting performances.

7.) American Crime (ABC):

Easily network TV's greatest drama in 2016, American Crime's second season featured a complex story revolving around the alleged sexual assault of a high school boy, and the ripple effect that it has on an entire community. Over the course of the season, the show explores the treatment of rape/assault victims, cyber-bullying and the dangers of cyber-vigilantism, racial divisions, unequal treatment of of women and minorities in the workplace, gun violence, homophobia, human sexuality, and stigma that surround those with mental health issues. Not only does the show touch on those topics, it handles them with a care, respect, and diligence that is rare for any television show network, cable, or otherwise. Part of the reason those topics are handled with such care, is that the deep cast of talented actors is doing such exceptional work. Lili Taylor and Regina King are outstanding as mothers willing to got to any lengths to protect their children, and Connor Jessup gave the breakout performance of the year as a teen who spirals out of control after allegedly being raped by a fellow student at a party, and then being subsequently bullied for taking his accusations to the police. That's to say nothing of the many other great performances featured on the show. Episode seven of the season was one of the most heartbreaking and shocking hours of television this year. That this show aired on a basic network is honestly baffling, but this is the kind of drama that networks should be trying to make.

6.) Mom (CBS):

In this list I've described Brooklyn Nine-Nine as being something similar to comfort food, and said that Superstore is one of the sitcoms I look forward to most each week, but there's better and more enjoyable sitcom on TV than Mom. In it's fourth season Mom still has a sharp and hilarious sense of humor thanks in no small part to comedy veterans Allison Janney and Anna Faris. Bonnie and Christy Plunkett's mother/daughter banter is one of TV's most consistent sources of laughs. The show has also developed a strong bench of supporting characters (played by Mimi Kennedy, Jaime Pressly, and Beth Hall) that it smartly calls on to create a strong support system for the Plunkett's, while never allowing them to get in the way when the story needs to give all of its focus to Bonnie and Christy. Where the show really excels is in the way it balances tragedy with comedy. The show earnestly addresses serious topics such as Jill (Jaime Pressly) dealing with having outlived her mother who committed suicide when she was girl, or Christy's emotional turmoil over the idea of her past example potentially leading one of her kids down the same path, while also being able to find humor in dark situations. In the episode, "Sticky Hands and a Walk on the Wild Side," the group takes a hilarious trip to Canada to smuggle black market maple syrup across the border, in an attempt to avoid processing their feelings over a friend and fellow alcoholic who died from a drug overdose. The episode not only features some of the best jokes of any episode the show has done, it also features a moment in which the women have an AA meeting on the side of the highway to process their feelings about their friends death. It's one of the most quiet and humbling moments of any show in 2016, and a perfect example of why Mom is such an excellent show. 

5.) iZombie (The CW):

From vampires to superheroes, The CW isn't lacking in "genre" shows with a supernatural (funny enough the name of another genre show on the network) twists. The best of those shows, and frankly any genre show on TV, is the hybrid zombie invasion/crime procedural, iZombie. In its second season, the show only became increasingly better, by slowly losing its reliance on a strict procedural format, and allowing the story to naturally develop it season/series long story arcs. The show made a lot of wise decisions, including allowing Clive to be brought in on Liv's secret. As a detective, there's a certain point where Clive begins to look bad at his job if he can't figure out that something is odd about Liv. Where iZombie benefits is from the mistakes that it's creators made with their past series, Veronica Mars. While that show was excellent, it's second and third season hit multiple stumbling blocks. iZombie has so far done an excellent job of avoiding those same mistakes, which gives the creators a change to tell wildly imaginative and complex stories, without having the show fall apart. The greatest complement I can give iZombie is that it is incredibly good at what it does, and what it does is wildly different than anything else on TV. The season two finale, "Salivation Army" was a thrilling homage to the classic "escape the zombie horde" trope, that ended up being one of the most fun and adventurous episode of the year. On top of that Rose McIver not only does some fantastic acting as Liv Moore, but she also handles the many personalities Liv must take on, without making any of it seem cheesy. 

4.) The People V. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story (FX):

The People V. OJ was arguably the TV event of 2016. While it clearly didn't top my list, the show was easily one of the finest pieces of storytelling this year, television or film. The beauty of the show is that it takes a story about a case, to which everyone know the outcome, and turned it into a tense and suspenseful viewing experience. The power of the show is how it encapsulates the vast number of themes that this case represented in real life. It depicts a Los Angeles (or United States really) that was in racial turmoil, a case with such a huge celebrity component that it changed forever the way court cases are reported, opposing sides who both believed they were fighting for what was right even as their personal lives were torn apart, a case that would forever change the handling and importance of DNA evidence, and in the middle of it all the murder of two human beings. Sarah Paulson, Sterling K. Brown, and Courtney B. Vance all deservedly won Emmy awards for their performances on the show, with Brown giving what I would argue is maybe the greatest performance of any actor on any show this year. Episodes like "Marica, Marcia, Marcia" (which depicted the many personal attacks made against Marcia Clark as a woman during the trial), "The Race Card", and "A Jury in Jail" were near perfectly crafted episodes of television. If this goes down as the greatest show of the year, I may not agree, but you'll hear no complaints from me either. 

3.) Atlanta (FX): 

Atlanta is pretty hard to describe in a lot of ways. On the surface it's the story of a down on his luck man named Earn (creator/star Donald Glover) who becomes his rapper cousin's manager in an attempt to make a living and provide for his daughter. In reality the show is much more complex than that. This show feels like a piece of Donald Glover put on the screen. Earn's adventures often lead him into increasingly absurd and comically tragic situations, and often Earn's only defense against what life throws at him is that he's aware enough of his situation to point and laugh. Atlanta is a comedy, but not in the traditional sense. It can be deeply dark, and yet somehow find the humor in the darkest situations. What's so fascinating about Atlanta is that the show feels like Glover took a piece of himself, and put it on the screen for everyone to see. I was a big fan of Glover's writing work on 30 Rock and his acting work on Community, but this is Glover writing and acting on a level that is beyond anything he has ever done before. There arguably isn't a show more uniquely individual to it's creator, and that makes Atlanta a rare find. 

2.) Halt and Catch Fire (AMC):

In it's first season, Halt and Catch Fire, a frequently good, and occasionally great show. By it's second season it had developed into a consistently great show. When it's third season aired this year, it somehow took another leap in quality to become the greatest drama on TV. Where many dramas equate dramatic twists and turns with quality, Halt wisely cashed in on three seasons worth of character history to create an often slow burning and quiet drama. That's not to say that the show is lacks suspense or powerful dramatic moments. The boardroom scene in "The Threshold," in which Donna and Cameron's disagreement over Mutiny's direction results in them both calling for a vote to oust the other from he company, was arguably the most tense moment of any show this year. The way Donna and Cameron's partnership eroded over the course of the season was one of the most tragic developments on any show, while Cameron's development of an almost "mama bear" like defensiveness of Gordon, whom she had previously all but hated, was one of the most endearing developments of the show. These characters know the best and worst sides of each other, and some of TV's most powerful moments this season were when these characters found themselves in the same place as one another, forced to confront that fact. The final four episodes of the season constituted the best run of episodes of any show this year, and even gave the show a fantastic direction to head in for its final season. 

1.) Jane the Virgin (The CW):

There's really not a whole lot to say about this show that I didn't say when it topped my list last year. Jane the Virgin is an often hilarious satire of the telenovela genre that is also TV's most earnest, genuine, and heartfelt comedy. Gina Rodriguez is still giving TV's best acting performance, balancing the comedic and dramatic demands of the show with ease, and the rest of the deep and talented cast is still at the top of their game (including the best narrator on TV). Jane's wedding to Michael was one of the most touching and romantic moments on TV (full of fantastic moments like Jane's abuela telling her that all of her hopes and dreams moving to America were being realized in that one moment, or Michael taking lessons form Alba to be able to say his wedding vows to Jane in Spanish). The third season has taken even more creative risks. Jane lost her virginity to her husband Michael, and the show thoughtfully focused on how Jane had made her virginity such an important part of her identity that once she had lost it she felt like she had lost a part of herself. The show is also unafraid to take creative risks. Season three's fall finale was an episode that paid homage to the storytelling style of Alfred Hithcock, and while the show's tone and style might seem incongruent with the works Hitchcock, it made for one of the most inventive and fun episodes of TV all year. That the show has produced 51 episodes without a single dud, is beyond impressive, especially considering how many different themes and storylines the show is juggling at any given time. There's simply no better show on TV. 

The Fastest Man Alive, the Funniest Cops in New York, and a Virgin: The Ten Best Shows of 2015

One of the reasons I'm drawn to television over a lot of other storytelling formats is that it's constantly progressing. A decade ago some people were saying that reality television was going eliminate scripted television, and now there are over 400 scripted shows across the various network, cable, and online viewing formats. We are in a so called time of "Peak TV," where there are so many viewing options that it is impossible to watch everything out there. More viewing options means more diverse shows than ever before. Sorting through all of the great shows to come up with just ten is difficult, and my list reflects ten shows that I don't think would have been possible a decade ago. Admittedly, as a viewer I tend to lean toward comedy more than drama. What drama shows I do watch tend to be niche shows more than the white male anti-hero shows that win most of the critical praise. These are ten shows that have made the most of television's ever diversifying landscape to tell some of the most fun and compelling stories in the medium. Warning: Some spoilers may follow, but I'll try to keep them to a minimum.

Honorable Mentions:
Community
Broad City
Casual
Catastrophe
Hindsight
Veep
Agent Carter
Arrow
Supergirl
The Good Wife
Scandal
Grey's Anatomy
The Simpsons

Runners-Up:
Fresh Off the Boat (ABC): One of ABC's diverse family comedies that proves that family comedy can still be very funny and socially relevant. Constance Wu is an all-star.

Halt and Catch Fire (AMC): This show improved significantly from its freshman season, by shifting focus to its two much more compelling female leads, while still giving its male leads interesting material to work with. This was one of the most interesting dramas on TV in 2015.

Review (Comedy Central): While the show is at times a little crass for my taste, no other show can induce both laughter and cringing at the same time, like this one. It's the most hilarious of dark comedies.

Daredevil (Netflix): The first glimpse that Marvel and Netflix could do great things together, this show had better action sequences than any other superhero show, and a compelling dedication to tone. It also features one of the best supporting casts of any show, including an amazing villain.

Mr. Robot (USA): One of a handful of shows on, that is being shot more like a movie than a traditional show. This show featured spectacular cinematography, a mastery of suspenseful storytelling, and an amazing starring performance by Rami Malek.


10.) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox):

About a decade ago, network TV experienced what I would call a modern golden age of comedy with shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is very much a descendant of those shows, with a sharp sense of humor and a deep (and talented!) cast. Comedy is hard, and few shows are as consistently funny as this one. Every cast member gives it their all, and the writers have done a great job of figuring out which jokes work best with each character. Sometimes the show has too many moving parts for its own good, but with a cast this deep, that's bound to happen.

9.) Parks and Recreation (NBC):

Parks and Recreation is one of TV's all time great shows, and its final season was one of the show's best seasons in years. Leslie Knope's Tammy 2 impression in "Ron & Jammy" would be enough to get it on this list, but it also gave us all time great episodes like "Leslie and Ron" which was a funny and touching look at one of TV's oddest friendships. The two part finale "One Last Ride" was a very satisfying end to a show that was often the optimistic and hopeful antidote to so many of the dark and brooding shows that occupy space on TV. There never was or will be another show quite like Parks and Recreation. 

8.) The Flash (The CW):

Greg Berlanti has become the leading influence behind the rise of the comic book adaptation on the small screen. As of 2015, he has produced three DC Comics adapted shows (Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl), and has a fourth (Legends of Tomorrow) set to premiere in early 2016. Berlanti's work changed The CW from the network that markets to teenage girl, to the network that markets to niche audiences. Easily the best of Berlanti's shows is The Flash, which melds the whimsy of its comic book origins with polished special effects, and a perfect balance of dark and humorous themes. The Flash had a near perfect first season, which culminated in one of the most powerful dramatic moments on TV, when Barry was forced to hold his dying mother in his arms, knowing after all his work to save her, he couldn't. Grant Gustin is a spot on casting choice as Barry Allen/The Flash, and the rest of the supporting cast adds a lot of heart and humor to the show. This show works because it is completely sincere, even when it is dealing with some of the more ridiculous aspects of its genre. The Flash is self aware and fun to watch. 

7.) Mom (CBS):

With the increasing diversity of programming on television, it can be difficult to find a way to define shows that blur the lines between comedy and drama. Mom is one of those shows that defies easy categorization. In format, it is very much a traditional Chuck Lorre CBS sitcom, albeit one that's actually good (Yes, that's a burn on you The Big Bang Theory). With adept comedic performers like Allison Janney and Anna Faris, the jokes are quicker, smarter, and funnier than most other shows. Going into its third season, the show has done a good job of building up a supporting cast of comedy savvy actors for the two leads to work with. In spirit, Mom isn't really a sitcom at all, rather it's one of television's most heartfelt dramas about suffering, and what it looks like to stay afloat in a world that seems determined to take you down. What makes Mom excellent, is how nimbly it walks the line between humor and heartache. The jokes never take away from the serious struggles Christy and Bonnie face (such as fighting to remain sober, trying to keep a roof over their heads, and dealing with the death of a loved one), but they do keep the tone of the show from becoming too dark. It's a balance unlike any other show on TV. 

6.) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix):

In a lot of ways, Tina Fey's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a spiritual successor to her first show 30 Rock. The characters and the plot lines of the show, often become absurd to the point of distraction, but the number of killer jokes per episode is awe inspiring. This show represents a very welcome return to TV by Tina Fey. Kimmy isn't just a rehash of 30 Rock. The titular character is optimistic and endearing in a way that few characters are these days (R.I.P. Leslie Knope). Ellie Kemper has been doing great, but underrated, work for a few years now and seeing her fit with the perfect star vehicle, is nice. The supporting cast is perfect at delivering Fey's fast paced jokes, with ease. Not to mention, the show is flat out hilarious (The running gag that mathematically the Olsen twins must actually be four people, is great), and features the most catchy theme song of any show on TV. 

5.) Jessica Jones (Netflix):

Marvel's Jessica Jones has rightfully earned the title of best superhero show, even if it technically isn't much of a traditional superhero show. With the tone and sensibility of a much darker Veronica Mars (a show of which Krysten Ritter, who is perfectly cast here, is an alum), Jessica Jones is more noir thriller than traditional superhero versus villain tale. That's what makes it stand out in a TV landscape that isn't lacking for good superhero shows. Jessica is a rape survivor. Not only was she physically violated by her attacker, but she was mentally violated by his ability to control the minds of those around him. Kilgrave, Jessica's attacker, is the most horrifying villain from any comic book show, and honestly he's more substantial than any of Marvel's movie villains too. The ensuing fight between Jessica and Kilgrave is a pointed metaphor for the act of rape, those who inflict it, and those who survive it. Jessica has been changed by her experiences, but she's no cowering victim. She's a complicated character who often acts out of fear, but always acts out of a strong determination that Kilgrave must be stopped from hurting more people. The show isn't without its flaws, but Jessica Jones is a sharp portrayal of a fascinating character, and one of the best shows on in any genre. 

4.) iZombie (The CW):

Zombies have risen in cultural status in the last half decade. Television shows and movies have just about exhausted all avenues when it comes to the idea of these brain hungry hoards, which is what makes a smart show like iZombie so much fun. iZombie flips the genre on its head, by making the protagonist, Liv Moore (get the pun?), a zombie who satisfies her need to eat brains by eating the brains of murder victims and then using the insights/personality traits of the victims to help solve their murders. Each week brings a new case and a new brain, which allows the writers to have a lot of fun with the different personalities that they throw at Rose McIver to play. The supporting cast is a lot of fun, and Rahul Kohli in particular often delivers the funniest moment in any given episode. Underneath all of the murder and zombie lore, iZombie is really the story of a woman whose life was altered forever by a disease, and her struggle to maintain her closest relationships, while trying not to become a danger to those she loves. There's nothing prestigious about iZombie, but the story is unique, the writing is sharp, and the cast is incredibly fun to watch. 

3.) Master of None (Netflix):

Aziz Ansari's first attempt at producing his own show was a hit that came out of nowhere. Yes, Ansari quickly became one of the most memorable characters on Parks and Recreation, but what he would bring to the table as a show creator was largely unknown. The result was a charming romantic comedy, and easily the most razor sharp social commentary of any show on TV. The strength of the show lies in Ansari's ability to craft each episode as a complete story. Half of the show's episodes focus on main character, Dev, his struggles dating, and eventually his growing relationship with Rachel (played excellently by the relatively unknown Noel Wells). The other episodes tackle relevant social issues such as lack of diversity in Hollywood ("Indians on TV"), discrimination against women ("Ladies and Gentlemen"), and how our society is quick to ignore the elderly ("Old People"). Most of all, Master of None is incredibly funny and features a cinematography style that many movies would envy, let alone television shows. 

2.) The Mindy Project (Hulu):

The Mindy Project's move from Fox to Hulu hasn't changed the show in any major ways, but well into its fourth season, the show and its creator seem more focused than ever on what they want the show to be. If seasons one and two were Mindy Kaling's version of a long form romantic comedy, then seasons three and four have been the aftermath that is never shown in the movies. Mindy and Danny's relationship is complicated because opposites may attract, but they are also bound to argue. Starting with season three's excellent finale ("Best Man"), the show has been giving Mindy and Danny (played by the always great Chris Messina) a lot of strong dramatic material to work with. These characters have grown more as individuals, partners, and parents in the last half season, than in the entire rest of the show. With all of the new dramatic material, what's impressive is that The Mindy Project is still a hilarious sitcom with a sense of humor unlike any other show. This may not be the most consistently hilarious sitcom, and its social commentary (this season has dealt with the struggles and expectations of first time moms) may not be as strong as a show like Master of None, but The Mindy Project plays the long game better almost any other show. Mindy Kaling is a storyteller who can keep a complex story going for more than twenty episodes, while many show have trouble doing the same with only ten to fifteen episodes. 

1.) Jane the Virgin (The CW): 

Jane the Virgin tops my list of the best shows of 2015, because it is the best balancing act on television. It would be hard for any show to be a telenovela, a satire of telenovelas, an absurd comedy, a heartfelt story about family, a drama about a broke single mother, a romance, and a coming of age story about an aspiring writer all at once. Jane the Virgin doesn't just manage to be all of these things and more, it manages to be them all exceptionally well and with a spot on sense of tone. The success of the show is due in large part to the excellent writing, led by series creator Jennie Snyder Urman, and the deep and talented cast. Jane the Virgin works as a show because its absurd plots (the pilot episode starts with the titular virgin being accidentally artificially inseminated and becoming pregnant with her boss's child) are always grounded by relatable characters who keep their humanity in the face of all of the absurdity surrounding them. Gina Rodriguez's work as Jane would be enough to land this show in the top spot. There is no other actress on TV doing the level of work that Rodriguez is, and it's a testament to the show's writing that it gives her enough great material to shine. The rest of the cast does excellent work as well, with even the most stereotypical of characters being developed into someone complex. In its second season, the show has only gotten stronger. Jane's struggle to be both a mother and a master's student has given the show some of its best material so far, and plot lines like Alba's application for a green card or Rogelio's continuing struggle with having missed more that twenty years of his daughter's life, ground the show in the fears and regrets that we all have. Jane the Virgin probably isn't for everyone, but no show on TV has a bigger heart, and that's what makes it stand out in the most crowded TV landscape ever.