Samuel Brace on the best new TV shows of 2018…
Continuing our countdown to 2018’s end, the next article in our TV ‘best of’ series – following on from the ‘best TV moments of 2018’ and ‘best TV characters of 2018’ – focuses on the best new TV shows to come to our screens across the entire calendar year. There have been some absolute marvels over the past 12 months so narrowing them all down to a concise list is no easy task but here we have attempted to present five of the very best offerings. Whether you like horror, espionage, period drama, or sci-fi, there is something for you on this list. So, let’s get to it. Here are the best new TV shows of 2018.
The Terror
The first entry into this list was a closely fought affair but when it came down to it, putting together a ‘best new show’ list that doesn’t include The Terror just felt wrong. This 1800s-set drama about the doomed British voyage of the Northwest Passage was riveting from start to finish; replete with exquisite performances from the likes of the always compelling Jarred Harris, Tobias Menzies, and Ciarán Hinds, The Terror was a tense, frightening, and truly cinematic TV experience that was quite unlike any other in 2018. If season two happens, it will arrive as a fresh story in the anthology style but that’s no problem at all – less is always more and with The Terror, we were gifted just the right slice of grisly sub-zero nightmare fuel.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
It was hard to know what to expect from Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan before it arrived to Amazon in the second half of 2018 but what we ultimately received was an espionage thriller of the highest calibre, taking all the best elements of shows like Homeland and 24 but boiling it all down to a concise package that respected its viewers’ time. Led by a compelling and innately likeable John Krasinski, Jack Ryan never felt like a chore, packing in just the right mix of character drama, heroic feats, and Bourne style globetrotting. Krasinski’s Jack Ryan seems destined to become a true TV staple, a hero we can depend on to get the job done in an increasingly complex world where there are no easy solutions. Jack’s next mission will certainly be one to watch out for.
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