Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! Though 2017 was a tumultuous year, the same cannot be said for the quality of television content. From the digital space to animation, from shippers to writers, 2017 has been the most fulfilling year of television yet. The best part? It’s only going to get better. As everyone sits down to various pies, turkeys, cranberry sauces and tofurkeys, TVOvermind would like to give special thanks to what we are most grateful for this year in television.
Sean A.- In terms of television, I’d say I’m most thankful for the current state of animation. I’m a huge cartoon and anime nerd, and the last decade has done wonders for the medium. We’ve gotten shows like Steven Universe and Adventure Time that have pushed the envelope of what can be done in American kids’ cartoons. Even better, kids’ cartoons are now being appreciated and praised for their adult appeal. I’m also super excited that anime is finding its way into the American mainstream; Netflix is producing original series and the medium is becoming more widely celebrated. The best part is that these changes seem like they are slowly but surely bringing forth a new age of animation. An age where animation isn’t seen as a genre, shows to only be targeted towards kids, but as a medium, a way to tell any and every kind of story. Animation is pushing past barriers and heading to a new place, a place where we might see adult-oriented American cartoons with the same level of action and drama as Game of Thrones or Marvel’s Netflix series, and that is so exciting to me.
Tiffany C.- The thing I’m most thankful for is Deckerstar, or Lucifer and Chloe. Of course, I ship many couples. Whether it’s Gideon and Rip Hunter, Walter and Paige, Oliver and Felicity, or Barry and Iris. If I like it, I ship it. Aside from all those perfect OTPs, Deckerstar is the one pair that I ship harder than all the other couples. I knew from the moment Lucifer told Chloe that he would not let her die, that they would eventually get together. Yes, it’s taking them a while to admit their feelings, but that’s the way drama works. If all of the fanfiction stories that I read about these two have any indication, I’m more than confident that my Deckerstar would be just fine.
Joy D.- I’m truly grateful for MSNBC’s coverage of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands hurricane disasters and Late Night Talk Shows and Saturday Night Live. Out of all the TV networks it’s been MSNBC that I’ve seen being consistent in reminding the U.S., that, yes, these islands are populated by Americans. Likewise, all of the late night talk show hosts have stepped up their game for this period in U.S. politics. At different times they’ve all make me laugh at the painful realities that keep happening. Ditto to SNL. Finally, this has definitely been the year of female empowerment. It would be impossible to express my gratitude for the national shift around instances of sexism and sexual abuse into a single event. However, I did rail against the obvious sexism of Stana Katic being fired from Castle in 2016. As such, the Amazon pickup of her new show Absentia is something I’m extra grateful to see.
Araceli A.- It’s been a particularly difficult year for many reasons, so it was important to find love and joy where you could. I’m grateful for the return of love to television, particularly on This Is Us and Outlander. There is no greater epic love on television right now than Outlander‘s Jamie and Claire Fraser, who literally crossed 200 years after two decades apart (yes, that is complicated math) to be together. Likewise, This Is Us has the greatest love of all: family. The Pearsons have reminded us that there is no greater story than that of the average American family and how we get through the best and the worst together. Everyone has their individual tastes, but This Is Us is the show all generations all across the country can relate to. A show that brings people together is definitely something to be grateful for.
Happy Thanksgiving 2017!
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