Just like last year, Netflix had the strongest lineup in 2018. The popular streaming service has the most good shows, followed by HBO, the king of cable, and The CW, the king of broadcast.
The most popular show was Roseanne, but that show ended the same year it came and got replaced by the Roseanne-less spin-off The Conners within the span of a single year. Another upsetting cancellation with a miraculous revival was Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the FOX police comedy starring Andy Samberg which was picked up by NBC the same day FOX cancelled it.
Both Roseanne and Brooklyn Nine-Nine are examples of the power and speed of social media and how it has changed the entertainment industry.
Without further ado, here is a list of my favorite shows of the year, separated by network with new shows typed in bold (as usual, does not include reality, documentaries, specials, PBS or foreign-language shows).
NBC
The Good Place
Superstore
Great News
Saturday Night Live
Timeless
Shades of Blue
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Will & Grace
Blindspot
CBS
Young Sheldon
Mom
Elementary
Blue Bloods
Madam Secretary
ABC
The Conners
The Kids Are Alright
Black-ish
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Roseanne
The Goldbergs
American Housewife
How to Get Away with Murder
Fresh Off the Boat
Speechless
FOX
The Gifted
Ghosted
The Simpsons
Bob’s Burgers
Family Guy
The Last Man on Earth
The Mick
New Girl
Empire
Last Man Standing
The CW
Black Lightning
All American
Supergirl
Riverdale
Supernatural
Jane the Virgin
iZombie
The 100
The Flash
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Arrow
Legends of Tomorrow
USA
Colony
Suits
The Sinner
Syfy
Channel Zero: The Dream Door
The Magicians
The Expanse
12 Monkeys
Wynonna Earp
Killjoys
Van Helsing
Bravo
Imposters
Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce
Comedy Central
Corporate
Drunk History
Another Period
Detroiters
South Park
TV Land
Younger
Lifetime
You
Unreal
FX
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Pose
American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Baskets
Atlanta
The Americans
Legion
Snowfall
FXX
Archer
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
TBS
The Last O.G.
The Detour
American Dad!
TNT
Animal Kingdom
Claws
Cartoon Network
Adventure Time
Adult Swim
Hot Streets
Ballmastrz: 9009
Joe Pera Talks with You
The Shivering Truth
The Venture Bros.
Dream Corps LLC
Nickelodeon
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Disney Channel
Star Wars Resistance
Disney XD
Ducktales
Star Wars Rebels
Freeform
Grown-ish
Siren
Cloak & Dagger
The Bold Type
BBC America
Killing Eve
AMC
The Terror
Dietland
Lodge 49
The Little Drummer Girl
Fear the Walking Dead
Humans
Preacher
Better Call Saul
The Walking Dead
IFC
Portlandia
Brockmire
Stan Against Evil
Baroness Von Sketch Show
truTV
Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters
Sundance
Hap and Leonard: The Two-Bear Mambo
The Split
Pop
Let’s Get Physical
Wolf Creek
OWN
Life Is _____
The Haves and the Have Nots
Queen Sugar
Greenleaf
HBO
Mosaic
Barry
Succession
Sharp Objects
Random Acts of Flyness
Sally4ever
Crashing
Divorce
High Maintenance
Silicon Valley
Westworld
Insecure
The Deuce
Tracey Ullman’s Show
Room 104
Showtime
The Chi
Patrick Melrose
Escape at Dannemora
Homeland
Billions
The Affair
Cinemax
Outcast
Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus
Starz
Counterpart
Howards End
Vida
Ash vs. Evil Dead
Outlander
Epix
Get Shorty
Audience
Mr. Mercedes
Loudermilk
Netflix
On My Block
Lost in Space
Safe
The Innocents
Maniac
Hilda
The Haunting of Hill House
Bodyguard
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Narcos: Mexico
The Kominsky Method
Grace and Frankie
Voltron: Legendary Defender
Jessica Jones
Santa Clarita Diet
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Dear White People
Trollhunters
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Luke Cage
GLOW
Orange Is the New Black
Atypical
BoJack Horseman
American Vandal
Big Mouth
Daredevil
House of Cards
The Last Kingdom
Mystery Science Theater 3000
F Is for Family
Amazon Prime
Ordeal by Innocence
Forever
Homecoming
Mozart in the Jungle
Bosch
Goliath
The Man in the High Castle
The Patriot
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Hulu
The Looming Tower
All Night
Castle Rock
The Bisexual
The Path
The Handmaid’s Tale
Casual
Runaways
Crackle
Us & Them
YouTube Premium
Cobra Kai
Impulse
Sundance Now
This Close
CBS All Access
Star Trek: Discovery
The Good Fight
DC Universe
Titans
To get a better sense of which of these shows I thought stood out the most, I also made three other lists.
These shows made me laugh harder than any other show this year.
Funniest Shows of 2018
Great News (NBC)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Portlandia (IFC)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Black-ish (ABC)
South Park (Comedy Central)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
Archer (FXX)
American Dad! (TBS)
Baroness Von Sketch Show (IFC)
Funniest Show of the Year:
Sally4ever (HBO)
This British comedy which first aired on Sky Atlantic is about a woman who falls out of love with her husband and starts seeing a woman instead. The funny writing is punctuated with the blunt delivery of the cast, and it features one of the most hilarious sex scenes I’ve ever seen.
Weirdest Shows of 2018
Riverdale (CW)
Preacher (AMC)
Counterpart (Starz)
Legends of Tomorrow (CW)
Maniac (Netflix)
Supernatural (CW)
Legion (FX)
Westworld (HBO)
The Orville (FOX)
Weirdest Show of the Year:
The Good Place (NBC)
This show continues to be one of the best on broadcast TV because of how unpredictable and creative it is. You might not know what’s happening in this head trip of a comedy until the very last episode. That’s if you aren’t too busy wrapping your mind around the previous episodes to focus on it.
Favorite Shows of 2018
Atlanta (FX)
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Sharp Objects (HBO)
Random Acts of Flyness (HBO)
Insecure (HBO)
Bodyguard (Netflix)
BoJack Horseman (Netflix)
Cobra Kai (YouTube Premium)
Impulse (YouTube Premium)
Eli’s Favorite Show of the Year:
Homecoming (Amazon Prime)
The show that absolutely hooked me the most this year was Homecoming. This show stars Julia Roberts as a therapist for soldiers afflicted with PTSD at a mysterious facility that is run in a questionable manner. Her therapy scenes are shown in flashback and she apparently wants nothing to do with the place anymore, but an investigation into the building’s operations forces her to recall her time there and the reason why she quit.
Next up is my list of the best films of 2018.
Homecoming was excellent. Every scene between Heidi and Walter was mesmerizing. I’m working on my favorite shows of 2018 list and they all seem to be accounted for here! A very thorough list!
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Thank you Matt! I’m interested in reading your list when you post it!
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