Year-End Lists

Notable, browsable lists of the year's best music, movies, books, and TV shows. Year-end lists are fingerprints; aggregate statistics are smudges. Therefore, we make no tallies. Follow the link for each list to see essential commentary from its authors, at the source.

2016 TV Shows

David Wiegand: 12 Best TV Shows of 2016

11 January 2017

David Wiegand: 12 Best TV Shows of 2016, as published by The San Francisco Chronicle

[see also 2017]

  1. Atlanta
  2. The Night Of
  3. This Is Us
  4. The OA
  5. Westworld
  6. Stranger Things
  7. Speechless
  8. The Good Place
  9. Insecure
  10. Lady Dynamite
  11. One Mississippi
  12. The Crown

Sonia Saraiya: 20 Best TV Shows of 2016

02 January 2017

Sonia Saraiya: 20 Best TV Shows of 2016, as published by Variety

[see also 2010s, 2019, 2018, 2017]

  1. Atlanta
  2. Silicon Valley
  3. The Girlfriend Experience
  4. Halt and Catch Fire
  5. Fleabag
  6. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
  7. Better Call Saul
  8. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
  9. Insecure
  10. BoJack Horseman
  11. Rectify
  12. Frontline
  13. Black Mirror
  14. The Real O’Neals
  15. Lemonade
  16. Veep
  17. Superstore
  18. The Crown
  19. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
  20. Lady Dynamite

Maureen Ryan: 20 Best TV Shows of 2016

02 January 2017

Maureen Ryan: 20 Best TV Shows of 2016, as published by Variety

[see also 2018, 2017]

  1. Jane the Virgin
  2. Rectify
  3. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
  4. Black-ish
  5. The Americans
  6. One Mississippi
  7. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
  8. Atlanta
  9. Insecure
  10. Better Things
  11. Halt and Catch Fire
  12. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
  13. Catastrophe
  14. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
  15. O.J.: Made in America
  16. Fleabag
  17. Transparent
  18. Stranger Things
  19. Superstore
  20. Marvel’s Agent Carter

Slant: 25 Best TV Shows of 2016

31 December 2016

Slant Magazine: 25 Best TV Shows of 2016

[see also 2019, 2018, 2017]

  1. Atlanta
  2. The Americans
  3. BoJack Horseman
  4. The Girlfriend Experience
  5. Silicon Valley
  6. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
  7. Horace and Pete
  8. Better Call Saul
  9. Transparent
  10. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
  11. High Maintenance
  12. Black Mirror
  13. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
  14. Girls
  15. American Crime
  16. The Night Of
  17. Broad City
  18. Easy
  19. South Park
  20. American Horror Story: Roanoke
  21. Jane the Virgin
  22. Bob’s Burgers
  23. Insecure
  24. Happy Valley
  25. Orange is the New Black

IndieWire: 10 Best TV Shows of 2016

26 December 2016

IndieWire: 10 Best TV Shows of 2016

[see also 2010s, 2018, 2017]

  1. BoJack Horseman
  2. Veep
  3. The Americans
  4. Better Call Saul
  5. You’re the Worst
  6. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
  7. Atlanta
  8. Rectify
  9. Catastrophe
  10. Mr. Robot

Keith Uhlich: 10 Best TV Shows of 2016

24 December 2016

Keith Uhlich: 10 Best TV Shows of 2016, as posted by The BBC

  1. The Girlfriend Experience
  2. The X-Files
  3. O.J.: Made in America
  4. Black Mirror
  5. BoJack Horseman
  6. The Fall
  7. Better Call Saul
  8. Game of Thrones
  9. And Then There Were None
  10. The Americans

Alan Sepinwall: 21 Best TV Shows of 2016

23 December 2016

Alan Sepinwall: 21 Best TV Shows of 2016, as published by Uproxx

[see also 2010s, 2019, 2018, 2017]

  1. Horace and Pete
  2. The Americans
  3. O.J.: Made in America
  4. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
  5. BoJack Horseman
  6. Rectify
  7. Atlanta
  8. Veep
  9. Fleabag
  10. Better Call Saul
  11. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
  12. Halt and Catch Fire
  13. Orange is the New Black
  14. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
  15. Better Things
  16. Girls
  17. American Crime
  18. Transparent
  19. Catastrophe
  20. Game of Thrones
  21. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Daniel D’Addario: Top 10 TV Shows of 2016

23 December 2016

Daniel D’Addario: Top 10 TV Shows of 2016, as published by Time Magazine

[see also 2018]

  1. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
  2. The Girlfriend Experience
  3. The Americans
  4. Late Night with Seth Meyers
  5. Atlanta
  6. O.J.: Made in America
  7. Better Call Saul
  8. Veep
  9. Speechless
  10. Love

Playlist: 30 Best TV Shows of 2016

22 December 2016

The Playlist: 30 Best TV Shows of 2016

[see also 2010s, 2018]

  1. Atlanta
  2. The Girlfriend Experience
  3. Rectify
  4. Transparent
  5. The Americans
  6. BoJack Horseman
  7. Togetherness
  8. Fleabag
  9. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
  10. Girls
  11. Stranger Things
  12. The Night Of
  13. Search Party
  14. Silicon Valley
  15. Westworld
  16. The Good Place
  17. Orange is the New Black
  18. Catastrophe
  19. Game of Thrones
  20. Jane the Virgin
  21. Broad City
  22. Baskets
  23. Halt and Catch Fire
  24. Black Mirror
  25. Horace and Pete
  26. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
  27. London Spy
  28. The Crown
  29. Lady Dynamite
  30. The Night Manager

Hank Stuever: 20 Best TV Shows of 2016

21 December 2016

Hank Stuever: 20 Best TV Shows of 2016, as published by The Washington Post

[see also 2019, 2018, 2017]

  1. O.J.: Made in America
  2. Veep
  3. The Americans
  4. Transparent
  5. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
  6. Atlanta
  7. Quarry
  8. The Night Of
  9. The Crown
  10. Billions

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