2016 Wrap-Up: The Power of Love

It’s 2017! I find that difficult to believe.  For me, the second half of 2016 flew by at an improbable pace.  But time marches on inexorably, so before diving back into the regular swing of reviews, it’s time for my annual list of shows that premiered in 2016 that I particularly enjoyed, and what I particularly enjoyed about them.  You’ll note that several of these haven’t gotten the full review treatment yet, but I expect they all will eventually.  I hope they will! 

It’s worth noting that despite my extreme delinquency in reviewing Fall 2016 shows, I still published 54 reviews this year (including SimonBakers).  That’s only down a few from last year’s tally of 65, which means that the pace of new network & cable television production continues to soar.  And I still haven’t begun including shows from sources other than network and cable (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Playstation Network, Crackle . . . ).  I can justify that decision by saying that the “Television is Important” mission is to examine meanings and trends in mass-market productions rather than productions designed for smaller niches, but that argument breaks down pretty rapidly when one realizes that many of the online-streaming shows have equivalent or higher viewership than cable shows—even those designed for general viewership.  Are more people watching original programming on Netflix, or WGN?  As close-lipped as Netflix has been about ratings—and it has been very close-lipped—independent research seems to indicate that its hit shows have at least 3 times as many viewers as WGN’s biggest hits.  WGN’s making some truly great television (Underground, Outsiders), and more people should be watching—but more to the point, it’s hard to argue on the basis of viewership that WGN is more relevant than Netflix.  Perhaps I’ll move toward reviewing streaming shows as well, this year.  We’ll see.

But let’s get to the new shows I liked in 2016 (in their order of airing.  For those I've reviewed previously, I've included links to the reviews).  This group of 18 is pretty diverse.  But they do, mostly, have one thing in common:  they draw a relationship between love and hope.  They demonstrate ways in which love can make people rise above themselves, their circumstances, and the boundaries of society and expectation.  Maybe that’s just what I need right now, but as themes go, it’s hard to beat.

Shadowhunters (Freeform, Jan. 2016):  This show is fanciful and melodramatic in a YA wish-fulfillment way, but it rises above its kin.  Its emotion feels genuine and its big themes—the power of love to overcome the bounds of social expectations and make everyone more effective—rings true.

London Spy (BBCA, Jan. 2016): Heartbreaking and suspenseful at the same time, this show also (but very differently) demonstrated the profound power of love to motivate against even the most preposterous of odds. 

Outsiders (WGN, Jan. 2016):  Big, Shakespearean themes about loyalty, pride, the succession of power, and love across social boundaries that (like Shakespeare’s) seem both epic and personal. 

Colony (USA, Jan. 2016):  This show builds a believable, frightening world and sympathetically depicts the full range of choices that people can make under impossible circumstances, showing both the power of loyalty and its limitations.

The Family (ABC, Mar. 2016): Far from perfect, but effectively twisty and turny, this show was both a mystery and an exploration of the faultlines formed by social expectations and well-meaning lies.

The Catch (ABC, Mar. 2016): I rarely find the relationship-as- compulsion trope sympathetic, but somehow I really want these crazy kids to make it.  And even without the relationship, these are just good tricksy cons.

Houdini & Doyle (Fox, May 2016): The best new procedural of the year, by my reckoning. 

BrainDead (CBS June 2016): Outstanding.  A trippy exploration of the absurdity of our politically-divided nation, this show provided hope about the power of love and determination to overcome the weirdest of threats.  This show came at exactly the right time. 

Dead of Summer (Freeform June 2016): solid, self-contained horror that was always just a little weirder than expected.

Underground (WGN Mar. 2016):  Half history, half heist, all well-crafted.  Manages to make the drama of the human spirit suspenseful and exciting.

The Night Manager (AMC April 2016):  impeccable, subtly-performed spy miniseries that manages to be both sexy and human at the same time. 

The Good Place (NBC Sept. 2016):  In a word, brilliant.  A genuinely intellectual exploration of ethics, justice, and love that is as funny as it is well-constructed.

Aftermath (SyFy Sept. 2016):  A deeply, madly weird romp through a multipocalypse with a family led by smart, resourceful women, with a surprisingly genuine sense of the variety of love.

Westworld (HBO Oct. 2016): I have mixed feelings about this one, actually, but it’s undeniably gorgeous and just thought-provoking enough to keep me watching. 

Channel Zero (SyFy Oct. 2016): creepy horror that explores the power of imagination.

Eyewitness (USA Oct. 2016): I have mixed feelings about this one too, but its meditative tone and hesitant love story drew me in.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (BBCA Oct. 2016):  A manic puzzler whose weirdness is matched by its warm affection for its characters.

Sweet/Vicious (MTV Nov. 2016):  Two young women find their power in violently ill-advised, but dramatic, ways.  Tackles tough stuff head on, and shows the power of friendship to provide hope.

On the DVR/Unreviewed:  I’m looking forward to getting back to the reviews!