Ranking My 5 Favorite New TV Shows Of 2017 (so far)
We live in what is now being describe as the golden era of television as and frankly there are so many television shows airing and available for screening that its becoming incredibly difficult to keep track of them all, restrict your viewing to a select few (cos lets face it, a lot of them are really good) and worst of all picking one favorite (or even five) has become a wearying task that takes hours of deliberation and analysis and even after that, it doesn't always satisfy you.
The following shows are the five best new shows of 2017 so far that I've seen. Now, before we proceed any further, I,d like to remind whoever is reading that this list is essentially personal and I in no way speak for the general public but still feel free to recommend your own favorites and even list them in the comments section. So without any further ado, here we go:
5. Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Netflix
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| Netflix |
Based on the novels by Lemony Snicket, A Series Of Unfortunate Events is a delightful dark comedy centered around the ill fated but resourceful Baudelaire children: Violet, Klaus and Sunny. Following the passing of their parents in a fire, the children are left in the care of their uncle, the villainous Count Olaf (played energetically by Niel Patrick Harris) who is failed actor with his eyes on the fortune left behind by the deceased parents. With its lavish visual and production designs and its gothic humor, its definitely one to watch.
4. American Gods
Starz
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| Starz |
Another adoption, this time based off Neil Gaiman's popular 2001 novel. American Gods tells the story of a modern world where both old and new deities alike clash. The show's psychedelic and daring visuals is definitely its biggest seller but take nothing away from the intriguing narrative, sometimes dark humor and the chemistry between the eccentric characters played by a rich cast. To be honest, the pacing of the show is a kinda slow at times which for a impatient viewer could be a big turn off but regardless its a wonderfully crafted adaption.
3. Taboo
FX, BBC One
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| FX |
For about a month after watching Taboo, I still could not stop gushing about the show and recommending to practically anyone I had a conversation with. set in 19th century London, Taboo follows Tom Hardy's James Delaney who, following the death of his father, just returned to England from Africa with fourteen stolen diamonds and looking to start his own shipping company. This show is wonderfully dark with intriguing dialogue and a fair amount of gore but Taboo's biggest takeaway besides Tom Hardy's incredible acting is its slow burn aspect. The story takes its time to materialize and maintains its mystery, managing to keep the viewer intrigued right until its explosive conclusion.
2. Legion
FX
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| FX |
I think what I loved the most about legion is its fresh and daring approach to the superhero genre that has completely taken over the industry. With Legion, you could go into the show without having any idea of its comic book roots and you'd still fall completely in love with it. As a superhero show based on comic books about one of the most powerful mutants ever (David Haller, son of Professor X), legion doesn't contain a lot of spectacle but that in itself is its greatest strength. Its an intelligent show with visually arresting visuals and a compelling story with wonderful pacing that compels you to pay rapt attention to every single scene lest you miss an important detail only improved upon by the efforts of the great cast (Dan Stevens and Aubrey Plaza in particular), Legion kept me hooked, delightfully confused and guessing what was real and what wasn't right until the very end.
1. 13 Reasons Why
Netflix
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| Netflix |
Perhaps the most gripping tv show I've seen in a while and its probably because of its sensitive subject matter also because of how humane, real and relevant its narrative felt . Based off the 2007 novel by Jay Asher, 13 Reasons why tells the story of Clay Jensen and his Hannah Baker who after committing suicide, leaves behind taped recordings detailing 13 reasons why and how a series of demoralizing circumstances brought on by select school peers caused her to take her life. Having read the source material and as good as it was, I have to say that the show is an improvement on the book. The show takes a brave, bold and mature approach to sensitive issues such as emotional abuse, rape and suicide. Brought to life by a great cast, the chemistry between the two leads, Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford deserves high praise as well as the shows visuals. I have to admit that the show's title and synopsis suggest a boring episodic narrative but in reality, the show was gripping, intense and engaging right until the very end. As a show, 13 Reasons Why encourages communication and basic human decency towards one another, the dangers and powers of severe depression and shows many of the ways Hannah's friends and loved ones failed her. All in all, even though the grounded and bold approach to its subject matter made it difficult to watch sometimes, it was still unbelievably absorbing.
So there you have it, we're almost eight months into 2017 and the year has already provided us with some amazing new comers and I'm hoping that by the end of the year, this list would've changed.
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