SLIS’s Best TV Shows of 2015: this year’s most compelling television series of various genres. 

With 2015 about to come to a close we continue are yearly best of lists (click here for best songs, and click here for best albums), with a look at all that was weird, wild and wonderful in the world of television.

2015 was a good year for TV, be it drama, horror, comedy, science fiction or documentary, offering a wide range of content that continues to prove how much television often equals cinema in terms of character, storytelling and production values.

So let’s take a look at the year’s best, ranked by my (at times inimitable) categories, with runners-up included. I’ve included Amazon links for box sets where available.

Off we go:

Best New Drama: The Man In The High Castle

This gorgeous adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s alternate history story is a gloomy examination of a world where Hitler and The Third Reich won WWII and took over America, with the Nazi’s claiming the East Coast and Japan taking the West.

Full of top-notch production values (thanks to Ridley Scott’s involvement), an excellent cast (Rufus Sewell’s menacing yet compelling Nazi officer the standout), it’s become Amazon’s most successful series, yet its lack of inclusion on other best-of lists irritates. Watch it.

 

Best New Drama I’m bummed I didn’t watch: Mr. Robot

Sorry, but a show on USA called Mr. Robot starring Christian Slater did not foretell great things. I was expecting some goofy comedy, yet apparently I missed what might be the best show of the year?! And now I have to wait till Netflix because it’s not on-demand with my cable provider anymore dammit.

 

Best Returning Drama: The Americans

I wish more people would watch this show, because I want to see it continue until it’s good and ready to call it a day. An examination of love and family while serving one’s country in an illegal covert capacity, makes for wonderfully tense viewing.

 

Runner-up: Homeland

The hype has faded after a few wonky seasons, but Homeland gave us an assured and touching 2015 run, with Claire Danes toning down the crazy eyes and showing a more mature and in-control Carrie Matheson. And the fate of Peter Quinn, (perhaps still to be officially resolved??), was emotionally grueling.

 

Second Runner-Up: Game of Thrones

GOT fifth season was its most uneven, but episodes like Hardhome show how it gives big budget cinematic spectacle a run for its money. Now we just have to wait a few more months to know if its most beloved character is returning or officially a corpse.

 

Best Show That Started Off Meh But Ended Badass: Fargo

At the start of Fargo’s second season, things seemed awfully slow and listless. But halfway through it roared back to life and often excelled its first season.

Kirsten Dunst was excellent as dingbat with delusions of grandeur, Ted Danson was touching as the best cop dad ever on TV, and Zahn McClarnon, was a revelation  as Hanzee Dent, going from a supporting role as a mob henchmen into an inspired catalyst of chaos.  The 70’s setting fit the show’s weird Coen-esque world to a tee.

 

Best Superhero Show: TIE: Daredevil and Jessica Jones

Marvel’s network shows have been pretty dull, but Netflix has allowed for a new degree of maturity and adult content that has spiced up the superhero sub-genre.
With Daredevil, Marvel’s ole hornhead gets the reverence he was denied in the Ben Affleck stinker (even if Vincent D’Onofrio played an oddly emasculated Kingpin), and with Jessica Jones, we finally get a major league feminist asskicker with Krystin Ritter starring in a gripping superhero psychodrama (although some of the subplots, like Carrie Anne Moss’s character’s marriage problems feel superfluous).

Both shows brought an edge of neonoir to the mix which helped differentiate them from their more vibrant do-gooder cinematic counterparts.

 

Best Dramatic Series Finale: Justified

Justified went out just like it went in, mixing it up with laconic literary character and suspense, giving a fine send off to series leads Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins as Marshall Raylan Givens and criminal Boyd Crowder, flip sides of a coin that couldn’t exist without the other.

 

Best Comedy: Silicon Valley

Mike Judge’s examination on antisocial nerds and cutthroat capitalism was even better than its first season, offering endless crackups from awkward social/business deals gone terrible wrong.

 

Runner-up: Louie

Louie Ck’s show is the perfect mix of gut busting hilarity with moments of dark reflection, making it unlike any other comedy before or since.

 

Second runner-up: W/Bob and David

Woo hoo! the cast of Mr. Show are back, and still funny and wonderfully bizarre.

 

Best Horror Show (Which Also Happens To Be A Comedy): Ash vs Evil Dead

The Walking Dead’s old news, and Fear The Walking Dead? Meh. Hannibal-smanibal. Penny Dreadful? God that show was a letdown. AHS? Uh-uh. The Strain? Are you kidding?

Nope all those shows aren’t fit to carry Ash’s chainsaw. Turning a horror movie franchise into a tv show was a challenge but Starz’s series totally works, with its half hour format giving us just enough Evil Dead blood and guts and Bruce Campbell smarminess without overstaying its welcome.

 

Best Late Night: Last Week With John Oliver

By shedding light on news stories otherwise ignored by mainstream media, and offering a call for social justice for good measure, John Oliver offers hilarity with heart that eclipses all other comedy news shows.

 

Best Documentary (which is also the best show of the year): The Jinx

Holy hell, HBO’s peek into the life of billionaire murderer (c’mon he did it) Robert Durst was compelling, maddening, disturbing and terrifying. I’ve never jumped out of my couch and yelled at the TV like I did in the finale. An examination into how the judicial system unfairly favors the rich, and how a crazy, arrogant man got away with murder three times (or has he?).

 

Best Documentary runners-up: Going Clear/Montage of Heck

HBO killed it with docs in 2015. Going Clear was a white knuckle ride into Scientology, while Montage of Heck gave us a disturbing yet cathartic glimpse into the life of the late Kurt Cobain.

 

Best Show That Everybody Else Hated: True Detective Season 2

Thanks to butt hurt bloggers miffed at series creator Nic Pizollato offhanded comments, it seemed like the entire internet had it out for TD this year, mocking its noirish conventions and morose characters.

Sure, it wasn’t as good as season one, and had some potholes that nagged, but damned if it didn’t offer sidelined stars Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn a chance to actually prove they all could act. And there were excellent moments of suspense, and some nuggets of pulpy dialogue. If you didn’t like it, its your loss.

 

Runner-up: The Muppets

Apparently the idea of the Muppets in a 30 Rock/Office style makeover didn’t sit well with critics. Screw’em. I enjoyed the premise and chuckled at every ep. Is it better than the original show? Of course not. But don’t tell me the creepy Chip the IP Guy doesn’t crack you up.

Well that wraps up my fave TV shows of 2015. What were your favorites of the year? Be sure to tell me in the comments. And stay tuned for my list of the best films of the year!