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My Top 5 for 2018

These are my picks for best new shows this year.

Once again I have wrestled with choosing my Top 5 new shows for the year.

In no particular order they are:

The Assassination of Gianni Versace (FOX Showcase)
Bodyguard (Netflix)
Killing Eve (ABC)
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (Netflix)
My Brilliant Friend (FOX Showcase)

These are the new shows that get an honourable mention, also in no particular order:

Riot (ABC)
The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
Mystery Road (ABC)
Safe Harbour (SBS)
Waco (SBS)
A Very English Scandal (BBC First)
Blue Planet II (Nine)
Romper Stomper (Stan)
Lost in Space (Netflix)
Pose (FOX Showcase)

If you have missed any of these they would make for very worthy summer bingeing!

Readers will be able to vote in the TV Tonight Awards shortly!

24 Responses

  1. Not sure what makes a “new” show, but my votes for Victoria, War and Peace, and 800 Words.

    No appetite for crime or violence (except historical depictions). Love to see more family based dramas.

  2. Quite a revealing by insight that hardly anyone lists any Aussie shows in their top 5 (or 10). Mystery Road comes up a few times. Maybe it’s cultural cringe, or maybe we still just don’t produce the kind of expensive high end cable quality that people seem to crave.

  3. ‘Detectorists’ for me-can’t quite see why ‘people are so enthralled with ‘Killing Eve’-it started interestingly but got more and more ludicrous as it went on-OK for a comedy like ‘Fleabag’ but not for a spy thriller which is what it was pushed as.

  4. My top
    1) Bodyguard
    2) The Sinner
    3) Masterchef
    4) Bachelor in paradise
    5) Will and Grace
    Mentions to, Insatiable, Good Girls, Playing for keeps, Dynasty, Younger and Preacher

  5. I think ‘Counterpart’ has to be eligible since it debuted in December last year and most had already done their 2017 lists by then.

    Plus, I don’t think it was a strong year for “new” series this year as there were many quality shows in their 2nd or 3rd seasons.

    1 – Killing Eve
    2 – Sharp Objects (that ending gave it a boost!)
    3 – Counterpart
    4 – Mystery Road
    5 – Little Drummer Girl

  6. I’m pretty sure that Riot hasn’t had a repeat screening anywhere since it’s original broadcast.
    I might have to buy the DVD but I would prefer it on blu-ray, which isn’t available.
    Why make excellent content and then not make it available in ways that consumers might want it?

    1. Quality drama takes a lot of money. With the internet and digital recording FTA audiences and advertising revenue per viewer are smaller. Commercial FTA makes money out of sport, news and light entertainment. But that’s what most people under 55 what to watch anyway. The best network drama is This is Us, and it’s been relegated to Thursday night on a secondary channel. For quality drama without ads has to be funded by subscription.

  7. I’ve got The Haunting of Hill House, Patrick Melrose and The Terror on my list to watch over the summer. I’m gonna brave Black Earth Rising if I have the time/stomach.

  8. Thanks for that David. Only just watched Romper Stomper and loved it. Lots of twists i didn’t see coming. The ending struck me as a cliffhanger to a second series. Do you know if one has been commissioned?

  9. If we’re talking about shows that started this year I’ve been enjoying 911, Manifest, FBI. Aussie shows I liked were Chopper, Bite Club, Playing for Keeps, Mystery Road, Dead Lucky, Harrow, Safe Harbour & Pine Gap. Shows from last year The Good Doctor & Resident are really good. That’s all I can think of now.

  10. The Haunting of Hill House, is on my summer binge list, The Assassination of Gianni Versace was the only show on your lists I’ve seen and it was brilliant. tragic story but brilliantly told.

  11. Tried doing a top 5, but could only manage to narrow down to a top 10. Some really great new shows this year.

    1. Pose (Showcase)
    2. Killing Eve (ABC)
    3. Sharp Objects (Showcase)
    4. The Terror (Prime Video)
    5. The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
    6. Maniac (Netflix)
    7. Homecoming (Prime Video)
    8. Lodge 49 (Prime Video)
    9. Barry (Showcase)
    10. Succession (Showcase)

    Honourable mentions: Bodyguard (Netflix), The Looming Tower (Prime Video), The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (Showcase), Cobra Kai (Youtube Premium), Queer Eye (Netflix), Castle Rock (Showcase), Mystery Road (ABC), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix), Patrick Melrose (BBC First), The Little Drummer Girl (BBC First), Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger (FOX8), Kidding (Stan), Hilda (Netflix), Wellington Paranormal (SBS VICELAND).

  12. I watched Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette and although I thought some parts were funny, I felt that it was less stand up comedy and more of a cause. I thought that I was being lectured at instead of being entertained.

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