I think I can speak for everyone when I say that 2016 has been a rough year. From all of the celebrity deaths to Brad and Angelina splitting up, it's been heartbreaking for us all. However, despite all of the devastation that 2016 brought, there was one place that was thriving one place where we could find comfort and escape the outside world and that place was television.
2016 has proven to be a great year for television, with Game of Thrones producing its strongest season yet and The Walking Dead's unforgettably gruesome season premiere.
We also got The CW's epic superhero crossover between Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends Of Tomorrow as well as the highly anticipated sophomore seasons of the brilliant Happy Valley and the enticing Mr. Robot. Gilmore Girls made its long awaited comeback and how could we forget about American Horror Story's terrifying new direction that kept us guessing until the very end?
Although 2016 was incredibly kind to our favorite returning shows, the year was also full of jaw-dropping new arrivals. These new shows weren't afraid to break the mould and many of them filled us with joy, broke our hearts and won us over. Television had some of its finest hours yet with HBO and Netflix largely responsible for the biggest successes. So if you're looking for something new or are simply curious to see if your favorite made the list, let's take a look at the best offerings from 2016.
1. Westworld (HBO)
I think we were all expecting big things from HBO's hugely anticipated Westworld and the remarkable thing is is that it delivered on all fronts. From the first episode, #Westworld challenged the viewers to open their minds and unlike several other HBO series' I found myself immediately immersed in the world from the very first episode.
The show takes place in a world where artificial intelligence is more than just a myth and where a customer can pay to take part in a narrative of their choice, interacting with and killing the robots before it all begins again.
[[jwplayer:hWLeUAFO]]
However, the lies and deception prove that there is much more to this than meets the eye. Westworld has been a global success and, after wrapping up it's first season with a jaw-dropping episode, fans are already anticipating Season 2. If Westworld produces a second season half as good as the first then Game Of Thrones could face some competition as HBO's flagship show.
2. Stranger Things (Netflix)
Over the past few years, Netflix have really built up a reputation as not only one of the greatest online distributors of film and television series, but as one of the greatest places for new original drama. 2016 took things to the next level for the streaming service as their Marvel products continued to launch to critical acclaim. However, their biggest success of the year came in the form of their hauntingly brilliant Stranger Things.
The supernatural drama focuses on a small town that is rocked by a series of disappearances. As some of the residents investigate they discover that not all is what it seems. Starring Winona Ryder, Netflix spared no expense in making sure this was a fan favorite and it is one of the most original shows around.
[[jwplayer:tvGtFkH7]]
Like Westworld, the series offers mystery and yet maintains a strong solid writing and acting along the way. Moreover, #StrangerThings had elements of the classic creature feature films from the '50s which made it all the more enjoyable. At only eight episodes, this one is definitely worth a watch before Season 2 arrives next year.
3. Preacher (AMC)
I wasn't sure how I would feel about AMC's Preacher before it began airing and even after viewing the pilot episode I wasn't completely hooked. However, despite a slow start, the series wasted no time in getting down to the gritty stories and, although I started watching it as a Sunday replacement for Game Of Thrones, #Preacher quickly became the show of the week for me and one episode simply wasn't enough.
Set in the fictional town of Annville, Jesse Custer attempts to take over as town preacher a job formerly held by his father. Elsewhere, a supernatural entity escapes custody and finds itself inside Jesse, giving the preacher unfathomable abilities. Based on the successful comic book series of the same name, Preacher went from strength to strength.
Preacher Officially Renewed: What We Want To See In Season 2
[[jwplayer:fHzty0HQ]]
By the end of the season I had fallen in love with every character and I found it rather hard to bid farewell to them all for a whole year. The Dominic Cooper led drama is incredibly dark and disturbing yet somehow manages to maintain a light hearted and comedic tone. Preacher is unlike anything else I've ever seen on TV and I'm still counting down the days until Jesse Custer can take me to church once more.
4. MacGyver (CBS)
The biggest surprise of the year came in the form of CBS' MacGyver a reimagining of the '80s classic action series of the same name. Unlike many remakes that have come before, this new MacGyver manages to update the format for a modern generation yet maintains the essence of the original series.
Starring X-Men's Lucas Till in the titular role, there is literally nothing that this Mac can't do and Till portrays the role so well that one would think it was written specifically for him. The supporting characters are equally as compelling and the script never fails to be both humorous and dramatic and, occasionally, heartbreaking.
MacGyver Has All The Tools Needed For A Successful Reboot
[[jwplayer:w0GpAkKf]]
Despite some criticism from the media, #MacGyer has been a hit with the viewers at home, bringing in an average of 7 million viewers on a Friday night a feat that is almost unheard of and hasn't been accomplished since Ghost Whisperer aired back in 2005. If the show continues this reign of success then Mac could be fixing up our TV sets for several years to come. We should be so lucky.
Looking for some more good TV shows to binge on? Check out these:
The Best TV Series Currently Streaming On Netflix For 2017
20 TV Shows Ending In 2017 And Why We'll Miss Them
The Most Surprising Shows Of 2016's Fall TV Season
5. Divorce (HBO)
When it comes to comedy, nobody does it like HBO and it's great to see that Divorce manages to keep up that trend. Although she appeared in a few episodes of global phenomenon Glee back in 2012, #Divorce marks Sarah Jessica Parker's return to the television since her Sex and The City days.
Parker's character Frances decides that she wants a divorce from her drab and dreary husband Robert but this doesn't end her problems it only makes them worse when Robert hires a sneaky divorce lawyer. With some of the funniest lines on cable and great acting performances, Divorce is everything you could want from a comedy and it's even a little heartwarming too.
6. War & Peace (BBC)
The word 'epic' gets thrown around a lot these days, but when using it in reference to film or television it usually refers to the grand scale of production. There was nothing bigger and grander on television this year than BBC's eight part mini-series War & Peace which enthralled viewers around the world.
With a standout performance from Happy Valley's James Norton, War & Peace had everything you could possibly want from a mini-series.
The mini-series, based on Tolstoy's famous novel, was beautifully paced, acted directed. The battle scenes were spectacular, the locations were magnificent and the clothing was spot on for a piece like this. With a standout performance from Happy Valley's James Norton as the troubled yet lovable Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, #WarAndPeace had everything you could possibly want from a mini-series.
7. The OA (Netflix)
The OA was released on Netflix worldwide the same day as Season 2 of Amazon's The Man In The High Castle and as a result I almost missed out on this one. After making time to watch #TheOA, I completed the entire series in two sittings yes, it's that good. Full of mystery, madness and the unknown, this series is excellently written and acted and I couldn't stop watching.
In this day and age originality isn't easy to come by but The OA has buckets of it.
What starts off as a series about the re-emergence of a young woman who had disappeared several years ago, The OA takes several different turns that kept me glued to my screen until the very end. Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij have produced nothing short of a masterpiece here.
[[jwplayer:QoqqYOQ1]]
I watch a lot of TV series' but it has been a long time since a show resonated with me like The OA has. If you have a couple of hours free, move this one to the top of your must watch list no matter what you think is going to happen, you'll be wrong.
As the show has only been available for a few weeks, there is no word on whether or not there will a second season. Critical response to the show was primarily positive and the show definitely has an audience, so there should be no cause for alarm. I thoroughly hope there is a second season because in this day and age originality isn't easy to come by but The OA has buckets of it.
2016 may not be a year that many of us will remember fondly but there is no denying that it was a great year for television. The shows above were great accomplishments and they have all played a part in changing the TV landscape for the better.
Television is stronger than ever and whether your a fan of Westworld, Preacher or Stranger Things, 2016 has been good to us TV addicts. As we bid farewell to another year, let's hope 2017 will continue to improve the TV landscape because 2016 has certainly set the standard very high.
What TV Shows captured your attention in 2016? Tell us your choices in the comment section below.