SHOW STOPPERS
It's That time (again) to take a look back at the year in television — from what got us psyched, to what made us lunge for the remote. Here, without further ado (and in no particular order), are our pick for the top 10 best tV show of 2016 — and the top 5 stinkers.
“Bull”
Michael Weatherly pulled off the unlikely feat of successfully jumping from an established series to a new show. As slick-yetlikable jury consultant Dr. Jason Bull, Weatherly made fans forget his 13 years playing flirty Tony DiNozzo on fellow CBS series“NCIS.”
“The Night Manager”
Tom Hiddleston passed his James Bond tryout with flying colors as suave spy Jonathan Pine on AMC, going up against a deliciously ruthless Hugh Laurie as the villainous Richard Roper — all in sumptuous, exotic locales. Oh, and #Hiddlesbum didn’t hurt, either.
“TheAmericans”
This FX series, essentially ignored by the Emmynominators until this year, continued to shine in Season 4. The world of Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip (Matthew Rhys) — Reagan-era Soviet spies in suburban DC — continued to unravel as they began indoctrinating daughter Paige (Holly Taylor) into the spy business.
“The Crown”
Just when you thought you were sick of reading/watching/hearing about Britain’s royal family, along comes Claire Foy (“Wolf Hall”), sparkling as Elizabeth Windsor in this Netflix series, tracking her early life and coronation as Queen Elizabeth II. Gossip and backstabbing is on display. Matt Smith plays an increasingly disinterested Prince Philip, and John Lithgow is terrific asWinston Churchill, raging against the ravages of old age and political infighting — both in the House of Windsor and in Parliament.
“The People v. O.J. Simpson”
Masterful casting, and solid acting and writing turned this retelling of the “trial of the century” into appointment viewing and snared FX a raft of awards. Standouts: Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden, Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran.
“This Is Us”
NBC’s freshman hit mixes pathos, humor and flashbacks into a feel-good dramedy by chronicling triplets (one of whomis adopted) dealing with their 36th birthdays. A top-flight cast includes MiloVentimiglia, Mandy Moore and Sterling K. Brown.
“StrangerThings”
This Netflix series, a mashup of ’80s youth-oriented sci-fi movies (“Gremlins,” “The Goonies,”“E.T.” and more), kept us riveted thanks to a talented young cast and veteran actress Winona Ryder (above) as a terrified mom. Plus, the special effects rocked. Wecan’t wait for Season 2.
“The Night Of”
The late James Gandolfini’s pet project had the essential elements of a hit: a gripping story with a touch of ambiguity, and terrific performances. John Turturro, as a rumpled, eczema-challenged lawyer (those poor feet!), and Riz Ahmed as his client, the stoic, accused murderer Naz Khan, both shone. And let’s not forget the cat.
“Game ofThrones”
HBO’s megapopular series continued its hot streak this past season. It didn’t miss a beat and dropped several bombshells (including the resurrection of Jon Snow). Nearly every episode was a talker.