Saturday, January 9, 2016

10 Best TV Series of 2015


Please Like Me: Season 3 (2015) ★★★½
PIVOT, HULU

Season 3 pales in comparison to the two previous seasons, but it still makes the list. I hope in the future the stories will go back to dealing with Josh Thomas' wacky friends and family, and less about Josh. He's the creative genius behind it all, but he's also the show's least interesting character.







Manhattan: Season 2 (2015) ✭✭✭✭
WGN

Lacked some of the fire - no pun intended - of Season 1, but still a worthy watch. I guess this show is done. It will be missed.






Home Fires: Season 1 ✭✭✭✭
PBS

I really liked this simple, unassuming show about ladies in Yorkshire stiff-upper-lipping their way through WWII. More please. If Americans had to put up with the sacrifices these folks made for just one day. we'd be screaming like stuck pigs. There's be less war too.







House of Cards: Season 3 ✭✭✭✭
Netflix

I lot of folks disliked Season 3 of this wonderful show, but not me. Looking forward to Season 4.







Mozart in the Jungle: Season 1 (2014) ✭✭✭✭
Amazon

Enjoyable show about the lives and loves of orchestral musicians in NY.  It's a good antidote for our dumbed down American culture. I haven't finished Season 2 yet, but it seems to be getting a little soapy. Hopefully it pulls itself together.







Indian Summers: Season 1 ✭✭✭✭½
PBS

Now this IS a soap, and a darn riveting one. All about Brits and Indians attempting to co-exist circa 1920. Think Downton Abbey with papadams.

 





Mad Men: Season 8 ✭✭✭✭½
AMC

How do you end a legend? Matthew Weiner mostly gets it very right.







Wolf Hall ✭✭✭✭½
PBS

Mark Rylance's brilliant minimalism in Bridge of Spies may well earn him an Oscar nom. He's just as great as Henry VIII's lawyer in this starkly produced series. Check it out!









Schitt's Creek: Season 1 ✭✭✭✭½
POP, HULU

Funny, funny, funny. Hilarious Dan Levy stars along side his old man and the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Did I mention this show is funny? 







Transparent: Season 2 (2014) ✭✭✭✭½
Amazon

The pfabulous Pfeffermans are back for another pfunny and pfancinating season. Season 2 is less of Jeffrey Tambor and more about the screwed up lives of the kids (Gaby Hoffmann, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass), but the series still works very well. The writing and acting here are absolutely first rate.





Honorable Mention

Doll and Em Season 2 (2015) ✭✭✭

Master of None Season 1 (2015) ✭✭✭✭ 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 1 (2015) ✭✭✭✭





10 Best TV Series of 2015


Please Like Me: Season 3 (2015) ★★★½
PIVOT, HULU

Season 3 pales in comparison to the two previous seasons, but it still makes the list. I hope in the future the stories will go back to dealing with Josh Thomas' wacky friends and family, and less about Josh. He's the creative genius behind it all, but he's also the show's least interesting character.







Manhattan: Season 2 (2015) ✭✭✭✭
WGN

Lacked some of the fire - no pun intended - of Season 1, but still a worthy watch. I guess this show is done. It will be missed.






Home Fires: Season 1 ✭✭✭✭
PBS

I really liked this simple, unassuming show about ladies in Yorkshire stiff-upper-lipping their way through WWII. More please. If Americans had to put up with the sacrifices these folks made for just one day. we'd be screaming like stuck pigs. There's be less war too.







House of Cards: Season 3 ✭✭✭✭
Netflix

I lot of folks disliked Season 3 of this wonderful show, but not me. Looking forward to Season 4.







Mozart in the Jungle: Season 1 (2014) ✭✭✭✭
Amazon

Enjoyable show about the lives and loves of orchestral musicians in NY.  It's a good antidote for our dumbed down American culture. I haven't finished Season 2 yet, but it seems to be getting a little soapy. Hopefully it pulls itself together.







Indian Summers: Season 1 ✭✭✭✭½
PBS

Now this IS a soap, and a darn riveting one. All about Brits and Indians attempting to co-exist circa 1920. Think Downton Abbey with papadams.

 





Mad Men: Season 8 ✭✭✭✭½
AMC

How do you end a legend? Matthew Weiner mostly gets it very right.







Wolf Hall ✭✭✭✭½
PBS

Mark Rylance's brilliant minimalism in Bridge of Spies may well earn him an Oscar nom. He's just as great as Henry VIII's lawyer in this starkly produced series. Check it out!









Schitt's Creek: Season 1 ✭✭✭✭½
POP, HULU

Funny, funny, funny. Hilarious Dan Levy stars along side his old man and the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Did I mention this show is funny? 







Transparent: Season 2 (2014) ✭✭✭✭½
Amazon

The pfabulous Pfeffermans are back for another pfunny and pfancinating season. Season 2 is less of Jeffrey Tambor and more about the screwed up lives of the kids (Gaby Hoffmann, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass), but the series still works very well. The writing and acting here are absolutely first rate.





Honorable Mention

Doll and Em Season 2 (2015) ✭✭✭

Master of None Season 1 (2015) ✭✭✭✭ 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 1 (2015) ✭✭✭✭





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