Once again, the increased competition among network
television, pay-cable outlets, and streaming services created a plethora of
quality television from which to choose. The choices were many and varied with
something to please even the most discerning viewer. Below, I list my year-end
Top Ten (sorry, network television!) with a few words of free association about
what tickled my television taste buds about each. Included at the end is a
short list of shows deserving an honorable mention (There you are, network
television!) that fell short of my Top Ten but nonetheless merit mention.
#10 – The Deuce (HBO)
At a glance: Hookers with hearts of gold and career
ambitions set against a gritty Times Square backdrop circa 1977. Come for
Maggie Gyllenhaal but stay for Emily Meade.
#9 – YOU (Lifetime)
At a glance: Based on a novel by Caroline Kepnes, YOU offers
up a refreshing 21st-century take on stalking that leaves you questioning the
real power balance between perp and victim.
#8 – TIE: The Alienist (TNT) and The Terror (AMC)
At a glance: Period piece terror at its finest.
#7 – The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
At a glance: Male version of Grace and Frankie. Come for the delightful camaraderie between Michael
Douglas and Alan Arkin but stay for the ghostly advice of the divine Susan
Sullivan.
#6 – Sharp Objects (HBO)
At a glance: Atmospheric Gillian Flynn adaptation dripping
with gothic Southern tension. Come for Amy Adams, but stay for Patricia
Clarkson. And Matt Brewer. And Elizabeth Perkins.
#5 – Pose (FX)
At a glance: Drag pageantry and pathos. Come for the
colorful glamour and catty one-liners, but stay for Billy Porter’s
career-turning performance.
#4 – American Horror Story: Apocalypse (FX)
At a glance: A fine return to form for the venerable
anthology series. Come for Sarah Paulson and Kathy Bates as a terrible twosome,
but stay for the delicious return of Joan Collins.
#3 – Killing Eve (BBC America)
At a glance: Oh, Sandra!
#2 – The Assassination of Gianni Versace (FX)
At a glance: Come for Darren Criss’s career-making
performance, but stay for Judith Light who really shines.
#1 – The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
At a glance: Mike Flanagan continues to cement his
reputation as one of horror’s best visual storytellers. Horror with family at
its heart.
Honorable Mentions:
Yellowstone (Paramount); Shameless (Showtime); Howard’s End (Starz); How to Get Away with Murder (ABC); Will & Grace (NBC); The Cool Kids (FOX); Murphy Brown (CBS).
Biggest
Disappointment: Castle Rock
(Hulu)
