2017 was a great year for television. It introduced us to the world of Gilead, a dark take on classic comic book characters, a ’50s housewife turned stand-up comedian, the strong women of Monterey, a revival of a beloved sitcom, and many more. Television has never been better at the height of the so-called “peak TV.”
TVOvermind conducted a poll to find out the Top 10 Best TV Shows of 2017 based on the public. The poll was spread around the web and, gladly, there are hundreds of respondents who shared their best TV shows this year. After tallying the results, we were able to find out the ten best TV shows this year according to the public. Here is the list:
1. Stranger Things
The hit Netflix series premiered its second season last October 27 to critical and fan acclaim. Some of the viewers even proclaimed it as better than the first season. For the second season, the series has expanded its mythology and gave us a lot of time to learn more about the characters, especially Will (Noah Schnapp) who is definitely this season’s MVP. It also introduced us to fan favorite Bob (Sean Astin) who became a meme sensation, as well as Steve (Joe Keery) who became a “symbol for motherhood.” Nevertheless, the second season received positive reactions due to its thrilling and exciting storyline. There is no doubt that the series deserves the number one spot on the list.
2. Big Little Lies
HBO’s seven-episode limited series became an instant favorite among fans and critics when it premiered last February. The viewers were hooked up by the strong female lead characters and the central mystery. The series also gave us one of Nicole Kidman’s best performance in her career, playing the role of Celeste Wright. Her characters is involved in a domestic abuse storyline which resonated the viewers. It’s no surprise that this thrilling, addictive and twisty series was voted by the public as one of the best this year. HBO has recently renewed the series for a second season. We all can’t wait to see the gals on Monterey again.
3. The Handmaid’s Tale
Hulu’s breakout drama series, which follows the “handmaids” in a totalitarian society called Gilead, resonated to viewers due to its coincidental parallel to the current political climate. The series is based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, but it is still a timely story today. The series won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series last September, and earned awards for its stars Elisabeth Moss, Ann Dowd, and Alexis Bledel. Given its timeliness and its impact to the viewers, the series is definitely part of the list. The second season is expected to premiere this Spring, and we all can’t wait to see what’s next to Offred’s journey in Gilead.
4. Game of Thrones
One of the most popular TV shows right now, the series is continuing its streak on wowing its viewers every episode. The acclaimed seventh season introduced us to various storylines like Daenerys Targaryen arriving in Westeros with her army to wage war against the Lannisters and Jon Snow forging an alliance with Daenerys to unify their forces against the White Walker army. We also witnessed Arya and Bran reuniting with their sister Sansa. The series has been renewed for an eight and final season, which will be consists of six episodes and promises an epic adventure in each final chapters.
5. The Leftovers
Considered as one of the most underrated TV shows, the series didn’t gave us disappointment when it ended last Spring. Kevin Garvey and Nora Durst’s love story had a satisfying conclusion as well as the other characters of the series. We thought that the series is all about finding the reason behind the Sudden Departure, but it ended up centering on the characters who remained after the event. Carrie Coon’s performance in the final episode was considered as one of the best in television history. Sadly, the series was snubbed at the Emmys (save for Ann Dowd’s guest nomination), but it was loved by the critics and fans.
6. The Crown
The second season premiered last December 8, but it’s not an excuse for the series to not be part of the list. The critically-acclaimed season introduced us more to Prince Philip and Princess Margaret. It gave us a behind-the-scenes look on the historical events during the late 50s and early 60s. John Lithgow’s Winston Churchill might have been missing this season (save for his cameo in the sixth episode), but the series was able to fill it out with its wonderful new supporting characters and interesting storytelling of the Royal Family during that time. This is also the last time where we see Claire Foy taking the titular crown, as Olivia Colman will take over the reign next season.
7. Master of None
As the top comedy series 0n the list, Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang gave us a wonderful second season of the series with its ambitious storytelling. The first two episodes were set in Italy while the rest are set back in New York. It gave us an episode that tackled religion, centered on ordinary New Yorkers, and most notably, a wonderful coming out story in its critically-acclaimed “Thanksgiving” episode. But, what most people might have forgotten is that the series also tackled sexual harassment months before the “Harvey Weinstein mania.” There is no news yet if the series will have a third season, but we all hope to see more adventures with Dev.
8. 13 Reasons Why
Based on the 2007 novel by Jay Asher, the series received critical and fan acclaim when it premiered last March 31 due to its timely take on suicide and bullying. It quickly became one of the most-talked about series in social media as it resonated to a lot of millenials. Its portrayal of suicide and self-harm led Netflix to add strong advisory warnings prior to the first episode. Nevertheless, it became a popular series and the good news that it has been renewed for a second season which is scheduled to premiere next year.
9. Veep
The series’ uncanny timeliness to the current political climate is considered as one of the reasons why it is still popular after six seasons on air. Its on-the-spot political satire made a lot more sense when Donald Trump became the president and, sadly, it now looks like a “documentary.” It won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series last September as well as an acting win for its star Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The series has been renewed for seventh and final season, and we will definitely miss it once it ends.
10. Better Call Saul
As a prequel/spin-off of Breaking Bad, the series is starting to stand on its own and become more better than its predecessor. We are slowly moving forward to Jimmy McGill’s transformation to the Saul Goodman that we know. Its storytelling became more clever as it moves on. The third season gave us one of the best TV episodes this year, “Chicanery,” which is a take on classic courtroom dramas written in a smart way. Michael McKean gave one of the best TV performances of the year during the episode. We can’t wait for the fourth season, which is scheduled to premiere around fall next year.
Follow Us
