So, the golden era of television seems to be showing few signs of ending anytime soon. In fact, there’s so much choice out there right now, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do the choosing, let alone watching.
Fortunately, we’re on hand to pick out the TV shows to watch this season.
Our advice? Cancel all plans. From returning old-timers to fresh blood, these are the shows to keep on your radar from now until year’s end.
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1 | Mr Robot
Imagine everything you enjoyed from the film anarchistic Fight Club combined with quirky, odd-yet-infinitely-likable main character (a la Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) packaged in genuinely clever, tech-savvy script, and you’ve got yourself Mr Robot. Such was the acclaim heaped upon the show’s first season that it found itself renewed for a second before it had even aired on TV. The series follows a computer programmer (Rami Malek) whose flair for hacking leads to his recruitment by a mysterious anarchist known only as Mr Robot (Christian Slater). It is the standout show of the season, and that is saying something.
2 | Fargo (season 2)
Nobody could have anticipated quite how impressive this spin-off to the Coen Brothers’ nineties belter Fargo was going to be. A prequel set in 1979, the second season follows Lou Solverson – the father of season one deputy, Molly (Allison Tolman) – as well as the events preceding the oft-mentioned Sioux Falls massacre. The entire cast have been ditched à la True Detective with Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson and Kirsten Dunst sharing lead duties.
3 | The Last Kingdom
British TV’s answer to Game of Thrones is on its way. Only, instead of George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, the source material here is Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories; in place of Westeros, we’re based in ninth century England – then comprised of several kingdoms; and instead of a cast mostly comprised of Brits, it stars… well, another cast of Brits, including Jason Flemying and Matthew Macfadyen. Throw Rutger Hauer in to the mix and The Last Kingdom is born.
4 | The Affair
If you were one of many left reeling by the stirring events of The Affair’s first season finale, good news! The next load of episodes picks up just three months later. Dominic West (forever The Wire’s McNulty to us) and Ruth Wilson – who won a Golden Globe for the show back in January – both return as Noah and Alison in the drama that depicts an illicit affair from the perspective of the parties involved.
5 | The Last Panthers
A jewel heist thriller starring John Hurt and Samantha Morton from the co-writer of This Is England; is your remote pulsing yet? Jack Thorne’s Carré-esque trilingual thriller tracks Morton’s loss adjuster Naomi, who is tasked with recovering stolen diamonds following a European heist conducted by gangsters and bankers. The fact David Bowie’s recorded an original theme song for the show confirms this as a November must-watch.
6 | Jessica Jones
Marvel’s web of output spread to Netflix earlier on this year when the first of four planned shows fronted by four new superheroes arrived in the form of Daredevil. Next up is the eponymous Jessica Jones which follows an ex-superhero turned private investigator, played by Krysten Ritter (you’ll remember her as Jesse’s junkie girlfriend from Breaking Bad). That it’ll all lead to an Avengers-style series titled The Defenders is reason enough to jump on board.
7 | You’re the worst (Season 2)
The first season of this under-the-radar show, proved itself to be one of the year’s most original (and genuinely funny) comedies. Centered on the relationship of self-involved writer, Jimmy, and Gretchen, a self-destructive Los Angeles PR executive, the two toxic personalities attempt a relationship where taboo is merely a form of oneupmanship. If you’ve not seen season one of You’re The Worst yet, it’s time that you cancelled your Saturday plans and got yourself mighty comfy – it can easily be done in one sitting.