The 19 Best TV Shows of 2018
Best TV Shows of 2018
Damn, there was a lot of great TV in 2018. We had a hard time narrowing it down, but here are some of the best shows we couldn't stop obsessing over.
'The Haunting of Hill House' (2018)
Writer-director Mike Flanagan took Shirley Jackson's haunted house classic about a group of paranormal investigators and an evil house and made it into a heartbreaking story about family, loss and grief. We love the entire cast, but especially newcomer Victoria Pedretti as the tragic, haunted Nell. The second season will focus on different characters, but we'll never forget the Crain family.
'Pose' (2018 - Present)
Set in the same drag ball scene as “Paris is Burning” in 1980s New York City, Ryan Murphy's latest show is groundbreaking, moving, and of course, completely fabulous. Mj Rodriguez stars as Blanca, an HIV-positive trans woman who leaves the House of Abundance to form her own House of Evangelista. She takes in Angel (Indya Moore) and Damon (Ryan Jamaal Swain), who dreams of being a professional dancer. The ball scenes are amazing, but this show's heart is with the characters, including the Golden-Globe-nominated Billy Porter as emcee extraordinaire Pray Tell.
'Killing Eve' (2018)
We can't get enough of this cat-and-mouse series, starring Sandra Oh (who received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations) as a security officer on the trail of a mercurial assassin (Jodie Comer). Created by the Phoebe Mary Waller-Bridge, who was also nominated for an Emmy.
'Queer Eye' (2018)
I'm not crying, you're crying. Who knew that five gay guys giving straight guys makeovers could be so emotional? A toast to these most excellent and kind gurus.
'Wild, Wild Country' (2018)
The true story of controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the commune he founded in Oregon is a wild ride indeed. This riveting six-part series rightly won an Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
'The Good Place' (2016 - Present)
"The Good Place" was always good, but Season 3 -- which takes place in a new timeline -- is off the charts. Especially the episode where nearly everyone is turned into Janet (D'Arcy Carden)!
'Bodyguard' (2018)
"Game of Thrones” alum Richard Madden shines in this excellent, tense series that's catnip for fans of shows like “24.” Here, he's a former soldier with PTSD who becomes a bodyguard to a politician (Keeley Hawes of "MI-5") who stands for everything he hates. Madden and the show have both been nominated for Golden Globes. Unlike on "GoT," Madden gets to use his native Scottish accent and we live for the way he says "Ma'am."
'Who Is America?' (2018)
In Sacha Baron Cohen's jaw-dropping political satire series, he gets a number of public figures to make complete fools of themselves. It's the most cringe-worthy outrageous thing you'll see all year.
'Patrick Melrose' (2018)
We love Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock, but as the incredibly damaged Patrick Melrose, he's spectacular. The show was nominated for five Emmys and Cumberbatch is up for a Golden Globe.
'The Terror' (2018)
This Ridley Scott-produced drama is based on the true story of British expedition to the Arctic that set out in 1845 and never returned. In this version (based on the Dan Simmons novel), they're not just dealing with harsh conditions and a shockingly overconfident captain (Ciarán Hinds), but something supernatural... and deadly.
'Sharp Objects' (2018)
Amy Adams is terrific as a reporter who returns to her small Southern town to cover a series of murders of young girls. Could it be tied to her own, very effed-up Southern Gothic family? Based on the novel by "Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn. Adams, Patricia Clarkson and the show are all up for Golden Globes.
'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction' (2018)
Bearded "retirement" David Letterman is some of the best Letterman yet. With guests including Barack Obama, Jay-Z, and Tina Fey, these conversations go way beyond your usual "plug your latest movie" talk show interviews.
'Barry' (2018)
Bill Hader (who won an Emmy and is up for a Golden Globe) gets maximum mileage out of the crazy premise of a hitman who decides to become an actor. And hurrah for Henry Winkler, who netted his first Emmy ever as Barry's pathetic yet revered acting coach, Gene.
'Homecoming' (2018)
Another brilliant, unsettling series from "Mr. Robot" creator Sam Esmail: Julia Robert stars as a woman who realizes that her job helping soldiers transition back to regular life is not what she thought it was. She, the show and costar Stephan James received Golden Globe nominations.
'The Looming Tower' (2018)
Based on the nonfiction book by Lawrence Wright (who's a co-creator of the series), this Hulu show is set in the '90s and shows how the rivalry between the FBI and the CIA may have inadvertently set the path for the tragedy of 9/11. Particularly good are Jeff Daniels as the chief of New York FBI's Counterterrorism Center and Tahar Rahim as his protege, a Muslim Lebanese-American FBI agent who goes undercover to try to prevent Al Qaeda attacks.
'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' (2018 - Present)
A whole lot darker and more devilish than the '90s ABC TGIF version, the new Sabrina makes for addictive TV. And all hail Madam Satan (Michelle Gomez), Sabrina's favorite teacher who gets a glamorous, evil makeover when she's possessed by the devil's handmaiden.
'American Vandal' (2017 - Present)
In its second season, "American Vandal" continues to skewer all those so-serious true-crime docs and podcasts with its in-depth investigation into... "The Turd Burglar." The title eps alone are gold.
'The Americans' (2013 - 2018)
One of the best TV series ever made signed off this year with one of its most accomplished seasons. Philiip and Elizabeth Jennings, Russian spies-turned-American husband and wife, were forced to go on the run after years of lies, subterfuge, and murder caught up with them. The series finale is the equivalent of an almost perfectly-wrapped bow atop this slow-burn series that submits its lead characters to their most honest, and deserved, of ends.
'Better Call Saul' (2014 - 2018)
Season 4 of this great "Breaking Bad" spinoff concluded with Jimmy firmly in shady-at-best lawyer Saul Goodman's shoes. Watching him con and manipulate both us and Kim on his way to the most Jimmy he has ever been was narratively satisfying but emotionally crushing. Naturally, we can't wait for Season 5.
