TV Tuesday: Favorite TV Shows of 2016

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Yesterday, I summed up my Favorite Movies Watched in 2016, so today it's time for TV to get its due. It was a GREAT year for TV shows! There is just SO much available now, between streaming services (we joined Netflix last year), cable channels, and networks, that it's impossible to keep up with all the amazing shows - but we gave it our best! In fact, our movie viewing fell way off last year because we were watching so much TV.

The full list of TV reviews I wrote this year (35 in all!) is included below, and these have all been added to my TV Reviews tab (along with the ones previously reviewed). They are sorted by genre. Just to be clear, I only write reviews of shows that I enjoy, so everything on this list is worth watching!

And here are a few superlatives to whet your appetite:

Best Comedy

BrainDead 

This show is just so incredibly unique (some might say weird). It tickled our funny bones all summer. Besides being funny, it is also a sci fi story about aliens and a political drama set in Washington, DC - yeah, you just have to see it for yourself.

Best Drama

Designated Survivor 

This new fall show really grabbed our attention, and we can't wait to see more! It's about a terrorist attack that destroys the US Capitol and most of the Cabinet and Congress, leaving the Designated Survivor as President, the HUD Secretary played wonderfully by Keifer Sutherland. It's a crime show and political drama all rolled into one, with a great cast and a lot of mysteries to be solved.

Best Dramedy

 Orange is the New Black

I had trouble choosing just one from this list of great shows, but Orange Is the New Black still rules for its originality, cast, writing, and mix of both humor and drama. We can't wait for the next season!

Best Crime/Mystery/Thriller

The Americans  

Again, a tough choice with so many great shows to choose from, but The Americans has stood the test of time and continues to be one of our favorite shows, year after year. Its story of a pair of Russian spies masquerading as a normal American family in the 80's is suspenseful and compelling, and we can't wait for the new season to start!

Best Sci Fi

 Orphan Black

Sci fi is one of our favorite genres, and we love all the shows on this list, but Orphan Black is Just. So. Good. It's one of the few shows our college son comes home to watch with us, and the three of us are completely hooked. It's an original premise with great acting, great writing, loads of suspense, and a wonderful sense of humor. And Tatiana Maslany deserves a whole room full of Emmys for her multiple roles as a dozen different clones.

Best Netflix Original Show

 Stranger Things

We binge-watched this show with our son this summer and loved every moment of it! An original plot harking back to the 80's in feel, look, and pop culture references, we were completely won over by this one.

Best Amazon Prime Original Show

 Transparent

An impossible choice! My three contenders in this category - Bosch, Transparent, and Catastrophe - are all so very different and all excellent. But season after season, Transparent brings gut-wrenching drama and laugh-out-loud humor. This is one seriously dysfunctional family, but they love each other.

In addition to the reviews listed below, also check out my post, When Good Shows Get Cancelled, a round-up of One-Season Wonders still worth watching!

KEY: Available on:

AP = Amazon Prime

C = Cable and/or Cable On Demand
H = Hulu

I = On network’s own website

N = Netflix

Comedy
BrainDead (C, I, AP) - CBS
Grace and Frankie (N) - Netflix
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (N) - Netflix

Drama
Designated Survivor (C, I, AP) - ABC
Feed the Beast (C, I, AP) - AMC
The Fosters (C, I, AP, N) - Freeform (formerly ABC Family)

Dramedy (both Comedy & Drama)
Catastrophe (AP) - Amazon Prime
Freaks and Geeks (N) - NBC (now exclusively on Netflix & DVD)
The Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce (C, I, AP, N) - Bravo
Love (N) - Netflix
Orange is the New Black (N) - Netflix
This Is Us (C, I, AP) - NBC 
Transparent (AP) – Amazon Prime
Younger (C, I) – TV Land

Crime/Mystery/Thriller
American Crime (C, I, H, AP) - ABC
The Americans (C, I, AP) - FX
Aquarius (C, I, AP, N) - NBC
Bosch (AP) - Amazon Prime
The Catch (C, I, AP) - ABC
Conviction (C, I, AP) - ABC
Dexter (I, N, AP) - Showtime
Legends (C, I, N) - TNT
The Missing (C, AP) - BBC (UK), Starz (US)
NCIS (C, I, AP, N) - CBS
NCIS: New Orleans (C, I, AP) - CBS
The Night Manager (C, I, AP) - BBC (UK), AMC (US)

Sci Fi
Colony (C, I) - USA
Frequency (C, I, AP) - CW
Humans (C, I, AP) - Channel 4 (UK), AMC (US)
The Last Ship (C, I, H, AP) - TNT
Orphan Black (C, I, AP) - BBC America
Stitchers (C, I, AP) - Freeform (formerly ABC Family)
Stranger Things (N) - Netflix
Timeless (C, I, AP) - NBC
Wayward Pines (C, I, H, AP) - Fox