10. The Good Place
The Good Place is back for an all-too-short third season this fall, and continues to bring its unparalleled charm, wit and fluctuation as four mediocre humans and a devil of the afterlife continue to try to make sense of what makes a life (or afterlife) moral. The cast continues to shine individually and their chemistry is terrific — surprisingly, considering their divergent characters. Still, The Good Place is poking fun at the greatest fears of the characters — from deciding on a muffin to being emotionally vulnerable — but it’s also poking fun at the pervasive fear of moral bankruptcy. At a time when there exist so many issues in the world that we are acutely aware of, and ostensibly concerned about, but also virtually inactive in response to (think climate change, bias and oppression, poverty, inequity, corruption — it goes on), The Good Place is reassuring of our best intentions, and wholesomely in favor of the inherent good of people. Maybe that’s productive, or maybe it’s deluding us. Either way, its constant jokes are a riotously good time, and it doesn’t take a hedonist to say that might be good enough.
– Katie Sims
9. Legends of Tomorrow
What started as a dumping ground for all of The CW’s forgotten DC characters back in 2016 is now a fun, campy ensemble show that produces the best characters and dialogue in the Arrowverse. 2018 has seen the ending of season three and the beginning of season four, featuring great episodes like “The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly” and “Wet Hot American Bummer.” Legends is a show that values fun above all else, and it works so well that one can almost forgive them for the line “Make America Grodd Again.”
– Olivia Bono
8. The Librarians
This TNT show, very similar to Legends of Tomorrow in tone (fun and character-centric) and form (inclusive ensemble show with fantasy and time-travel elements), was unfortunately cancelled in 2018. Despite this, the final season’s episodes were enjoyable, including a Civil War ghost story and a body-switching Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The final two episodes, “And the Trial of the One” and “And the Echoes of Memory,” serve as a fitting conclusion to both the season and the series.
– Olivia Bono
7. Bojack Horseman
Bojack Horseman just may be the most important TV show made in a long time. It follows a washed-up sitcom star as he navigates fame, addiction, depression and mental illness. It perfectly dehumanizes being a horrible person and forces the viewer to bathe in the the pain that Bojack causes his family and friends to endure. This show is dark comedy in its finest form — you leave each episode feeling as if your heart has gone through hell but somehow still feeling extremely happy.
– Peter Buonanno
6. Queer Eye
The newest season of Queer Eye can restore one’s faith in humanity. The Fab Five is back at it again with brand new, and ever necessary, style, health, personal care and mental health tips that apply to both the subjects of each episode and the greater viewing public. The show’s reboot aims to increase sensitivity towards those considered to be outsiders during this divisive time in America. As five wonderful, and unapologetically, gay men work their way through the conservative South spreading love and fashion tips, we, the audience, have no other choice but to follow suit and acknowledge that we are, in fact, more alike than different.
– Madeline Rutowski
5. Doctor Who
The Doctor is in, and she’s a woman! The latest season of Doctor Who has been full of new ideas, new monsters and a new look. Helmed by a new showrunner, Chris Chibnall, this season pushes the Doctor where she has never gone before: Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 to meet Rosa Parks, the border between Pakistan and India right at the moment of partition, and 17th century Lancashire in the middle of a witch trial. The Thirteenth Doctor is confident, tenacious, and clever. If you’ve never watched before, now is the time to start.
– Jessica Lussier
4. Brooklyn 99
The fifth season of Brooklyn 99 saw the return of our favorite police precinct and detectives, and thanks to NBC, it is not the last. This season brought the laughs we love and the support we needed. In many ways, it season felt the most personal to date, furthering the relationships between characters and striking the perfect balance between comedy and seriousness.
– Jessica Lussier
3. Bigmouth
What do you get when Nick Krol and John Mallaney make an animated show together? Well… Bigmouth. This show is not safe for work by any means and brings us all back our middle school years in a very sophisticated and adult way. Whether you were that awkward small kid or one of “big men” as the show deems, you will be sure to find a character that is extremely easy to relate to. Further, Coach Steve is hands down one of the funniest and most well thought-out characters in television right now. Be sure to catch Bigmouth on Netflix now.
– Peter Buonanno
2. Great News
Great News combines the eccentric characters of Arrested Development with the offbeat storylines of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt into one ridiculous — yet short-lived — series. The second season deals with aspiring journalist Katie’s dreams of making it big and dating her boss, Greg, in addition to aging anchor Chuck’s feelings of inadequacy in the modern news scene. Tragically, NBC canceled the show after I binged both seasons in two days, and now I feel empty inside.
– Jeremy Markus
1. Atlanta
Created by comedian and rapper Donald Glover (“Childish Gambino”), Atlanta satirizes American culture with eye-opening social commentary and gives viewers a peek into the lives of its African-American characters. Glover’s Earnest is street smart, even though things always seem to go wrong for him, and his loyal friends (such as Darius, a confidently awkward young Nigerian-American who loves guns) steal the show with hilarious one-liners. Atlanta also masters the art of the shot. The single-camera setup makes the footage raw and believable. Cinematographer Christian Sprenger highlights the importance of the city as a setting without simply emphasizing the landmarks, but by expressing the gritty personality of the city, and he is also a virtuoso in lighting. In short, Atlanta is a magnificent comedy in both its writing and its technical aspects.
– Ariadna Lubinus