Originally published December 17, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
Samuel Brace with his ten best TV shows of 2017…
Wow. What a year it’s been.
2017 has been a true standout for high quality television; featuring never better returning favourites, premium series finales, and new shows announcing their arrival onto the stage. There’s been a bit of everything in 2017 but just which of its myriad TV entries have transcended above all others? Well, that’s why we’re here today, to present to you the 10 best TV shows of 2017.
10. Legion
This was certainly unexpected, not because its showrunner (Noah Hawley of Fargo) isn’t talented but because of its subject matter. An X-Men spinoff show about Xavier’s son? “No thanks” many said, but the many were wrong, Legion was terrific. A truly bizarre adventure, this mind bending FX escapade forced itself away from the pack by bringing prestige TV back to the superhero genre after Netflix temporarily departed it a few series ago. Legion is visually beautiful, funny, interesting, and features a truly terrifying villain to chase after Dan Steven’s hero, a hero that we should note, is among the best MCU has had to offer so far.
9. Bloodline
There haven’t been many ardent champions of this lesser known Netflix series, but this particular writer couldn’t have been a bigger fan. Bloodline finished its mesmerising three season run in 2017 and delivered a closing effort that more than made proud the work already achieved. With once again standout performances from Kyle Chandler and an inescapable (but still little seen) Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline got it just right when sending off the truly disturbed Rayburn family, with its remaining members left to forever stain the shores of their Florida Key’s home, permeating the minds of all that witnessed their particularly sinister family feud.
8. The Punisher
As mentioned, there had been a departure from the stage of premium superhero TV content by Netflix, a stage that they built themselves but a stage they departed from nonetheless. It was temporary however, and with The Punisher they arrived back in fine fashion, providing audiences a grisly, blood-soaked, and emotionally wrought TV revenge romp. Jon Bernthal certainly deserves to be singled out, delivering a performance of substantial worth, proving once again the immense talent he has at his disposal. The Punisher wasn’t perfect, still a few episodes too long, but this was Netflix’s best MCU effort yet in both pacing and structure.
7. Twin Peaks
We had high hopes for whatever Twin Peaks would turn out to be after 25 years away but the good news is that whatever it was the results were rather glorious. David Lynch returned to the limelight with more of an 18 hour film than any kind of TV series, sending giddy viewers on a nightmarish odyssey and into a perpetual state of febrile intoxication. This wasn’t the show that many were expecting, Twin Peaks was weirder and more Lynchian than ever, but still comprising all those beloved winning components, leaving audiences trapped inside a ghoulish maze with their favourite FBI agent.
6. Stranger Things
Talk about anticipation. Stranger Things season 2 might have been the hottest TV ticket in town and thankfully the show still knew how to delight in its sophomore outing. Sequels to adored hits are always a tough nut to crack but thankfully the Duffer brothers managed to cut this particular Gordian knot without much difficulty. While the magic wasn’t quite as prevalent this time around, Stranger Things 2 still delighted with its adventure, nostalgia, and charming characters that we’ve all come to love. Whether this train will stay on track is a question for another day, but right now, it’s still a must see TV event.
SEE ALSO: The Ten Best Netflix Original TV Series of 2017
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