Top 5 New TV Shows of 2016

By Darian Scalamoni

            It’s been a very special year for television with tons of new series, some new shows I’ve even wanted to watch that I haven’t had the time yet. Some of those shows include Westworld, The Crown and Better Things, but there are also some other shows that I loved that just couldn’t crack my top 5 best new series this year. Those honorable mentions include NBC’s This Is Us, which is one of the best network dramas I’ve seen in years and one show that I really wanted to place in my top 5 but I just couldn’t put it over the other shows and that is Amazon’s Fleabag. The comedy/drama follows a young woman dealing with life through sexual encounters, awkward interactions with family and friends and grief from a tragedy. Everyone should check out the six-episode first season because it is tremendous.

            Having said all of that, here are my Top 5 Best New Television Series of 2016.

5. Horace and Pete (louisck.net/Hulu)

The series in which its creator and star Louis CK describes as a tragedy more than a comedy, and it’s hard to disagree with him. The first article I’ve ever posted on Cinema Wave was my review of this show that follows the two titular brothers played by CK and Steve Buscemi that run a bar together in Brooklyn that is a multi-generational while they deal with their own personal issues. It deals with authentic, serious issues including mental illness and cancer as the two main characters try to deal with the craziness in their respective pasts while dealing with their family in the present. Both CK and Buscemi are terrific in the show as are the other supporting characters played by Edie Falco, Jessica Lange and Alan Alda who steals the show as Uncle Pete. The show will make you laugh and cry but it plays so much like a play rather than a show but the writing and acting are so extraordinary that it warrants a spot on my personal list.

4. The Night Of (HBO)

Here’s a show that took everyone by surprise and that is the miniseries, The Night Of. Starring Riz Ahmed as a convicted felon who allegedly murdered a young woman after a wild, sex induced night and John Turturro as the lawyer who tries to save a young kid’s life, the show was tremendous. It gave a dark, gritty look at the underbelly of the prison system and the changes many have to make on the inside to survive. The show, originally intended to star James Gandolfini before he passed away, had Turturro step into one of the best television roles of 2016 as Ahmed’s lawyer named John Stone. The show enthralls you into an environment and had critics raving when it was on television. The layered crime drama solidified itself as one of the greatest limited series of the year, and possibly of all-time. Another home run for the premium network it was broadcast on.

3. Atlanta (FX)

Definitely the most original show of 2016 is that of Donald Glover’s first crack at being a big-time showrunner, producer, writer and actor. Due to the success of this comedy series on FX, Glover is now viewed as one of the great visionaries in Hollywood today. Following Earn Marks (Glover) as a budding music producer and manager for his cousin Paperboi, who is a viral sensation for his rap music, the show provides an amazing and honest look at life in the city of Atlanta and the relevance on black culture in today’s society. The show has a particular flavor that no other show has ever been able to encompass before and that’s what makes it so special. The urban authenticity gives the audience just a glance into the life of a young, black man wanting to succeed and do what he needs to do to get by when struggling. The acting and writing are some of the best of the year whether it be film or television and it’s smart humor just makes the show that much funnier while handling real topics from week to week.

2. American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Ryan Murphy has quickly become one of the top minds in television today and a big part of that happened this year with the first season of his new series: American Crime Story, which was to be a spinoff series from his beloved horror series, American Horror Story. The first season of this crime formatted show that would follow real life American crimes followed the trial against former football icon O.J. Simpson for killing his wife and someone who was believed to have been her lover. The show was tremendous and truly encapsulated the times when the trial went on for almost a full year before Simpson was acquitted. The show was showcased mostly for its starry cast that included John Travolta, David Schwimmer and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson but it was Courtney B. Vance, Sarah Paulson and a breakout, star-making performance from Sterling K. Brown that truly made the show and content amazing television. Vance and Paulson as Johnnie Cochran and Marcia Clark, respectively were also amazing, having won tons of awards already for their respective performances. The polarizing first season of the anthology series was polarizing and was truly must watch TV.

1.     1. Stranger Things (Netflix)

It’s remarkable to see where Netflix has come in terms of content and original programming since becoming the streaming giant that it is today. Having said that, the network hasn’t had a show anywhere near as critically and universally beloved as Stranger Things. The 80s set horror/thriller follows a town searching for a missing young boy named Will but when his best friend Mike goes to try and find answers to his disappearance, he discovers top secret government experiments and a unique little girl named Eleven in the woods. The show is truly an homage to classic, suspense filled shows and films of the past such as X-Files, E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The efficient storytelling, along with dark humor and terrific dialogue makes for a show that is different than anything else Netflix has produced. As well as star making performances for all the young actors especially Millie Bobby Brown’s portrayal of Eleven and even seeing David Harbour play one of the best roles of his career. You can see the influences clearly by the creators of the show The Duffer Brothers as the show is filled with nostalgic substance and style bringing a unique show unlike any other to the top of the ranks of television in 2016.