TV used to be the place where acting careers went to die, however thankfully now it is where the best storytelling can be found, and A-list actors are chomping at the bit for a role they can sink their teeth into on the small screen.
2018 was another great year for telly, with some incredible performances already clocked in and some fantastic binge-watch TV consumed. It wasn't just the fictional shows that caught people's attention this year however, the success of 'Queer Eye' and 'Love Island' show we're not done with reality TV yet, and the likes of 'The Staircase' on Netflix proves the era of the true-crime obsession is still very much here.
Scroll down for our top ten TV shows of the year so far.
10. 'GLOW'
The second season of this Netflix Original Series only just arrived on the streaming service but already it has earned itself a place on the list. The dramedy is based on the true story of a 1980s female wrestling group trying to break through in a very much male-dominated TV landscape. The first season was a glittering fist-pumping smash and the second season has come back just as strong and given us a chance to get to know the characters of this ensemble better. Everything from the pressures of motherhood to the #MeToo movement are dealt with in this series but it's also got some moments of great comedy writing and a electric eighties soundtrack to boot.
9. 'Cobra Kai'
We too were sceptical of a TV reboot of the iconic 'Karate Kid' movies, but we have to say, the fact that it had Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprising their roles as Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence, well, you'd have to be curious. We couldn't have been more surprised that it actually is a decent show. It openly embraces its nostalgia with flashbacks from the original movie and is very much aware what got you here in the first place.
What keeps you there though is a decent story that picks up similar themes of the original movie but has the added the depth of being told from an older and not-necessarily wiser Daniel and Johnny. Both have grown into what you might have expected, but at the same time, you don't initially find yourself rooting for the now rich and successful Daniel and find yourself willing Johnny to get his life together. This show is one of YouTube's first original series, which means you can watch the first two episodes for free, but then you need to subscribe for the rest. It's worth it though, particularly if you too were a kid practicing your crane kick in the 80s.
8. 'The Staircase'
We're not sure when we all became so obsessed with a good true crime documentary series. 'Making a Murderer' certainly got the ball rolling on Netflix, but before that we had our ears glued to the 'Serial' podcast and long before that you may have stumbled across this French television miniseries called 'The Staircase'.
Made by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, it followed the story of novelist Michael Peterson, who is accused of the murder of his wife Kathleen, whose body was found at the bottom of a staircase in their home in 2003. The ten-episode series received generally positive reviews and even won a Peabody Award in 2005. Lestrade made a follow up to the documentary in 2012 and again in 2015, the latter of which was picked up by Netflix and has been released as three new episodes of the miniseries, together with the previous ten episodes.
So if you've never seen any of it, you are in for a thirteen episode rollercoaster of a case with so many unpredictable twists and turns that will leave you doubting your own judgement time and time again.
7. 'Patrick Melrose'
Sherlock it is not, Benedict Cumberbatch's latest TV offering was as dark and gripping as you get. The five-part drama saw the actor take on the titular role in this David Nicholls adaptation of the Edward St Aubyn novels. Melrose is a deeply troubled man and over the course of the series we explore his life over several decades from early childhood abuse to alcoholism, drug addiction, recovery, marriage, and fatherhood. As you can tell, it's not the easiest of watches, but it's worth it for Cumberbatch's flawless performance.
6. 'Love Island'
Okay, okay, okay, back off already, I'll explain the reason that 'Love Island' is included in the list. This show has once again become one of the most talked about TV series' of the year and has clocked up record number viewers. It has the rare honour these days of being a "TV Event", reminiscent of the early days of 'Big Brother' when people would be running home to catch an episode.
Why do we love it so? No, cynics, it's not because we are all brainless idiots switching off in front of the box, if anything, we are switched on - connecting with people we don't even know over the one thing every schmuck has in common - the need for love. (Don't gag.) Whether you're an Instagram model or a postman every one of us knows the feeling of the first burst of excitement when you have a crush to the gut-wrenching pain that can be rejection.
'Love Island' has found a format that can bring us altogether in front of the box again and through some slick editing and the fantastic voice-over work of Iain Sterling, has managed to take the success of reality TV shows to new heights. Oh and it has a BAFTA.
The Defence rests.
5. 'Legion'
Sitting all the ways up on the Fox channel, you may not have yet saw any of this excellent series, which trumps most of the other attempts of superheroes stories on TV at the moment. Sorry Netflix. Dan Stevens plays David Haller, a young man who's spent most of his life in a mental hospital owing to his multiple personalities. But what if he wasn't crazy? What if he actually could read minds, take on different powers and change the world? It's weird stuff, but considering it's by Noah Hawley - the brains behind the excellent Fargo TV series - there's a lot to like here. It gets weird at times but as the recent second season proved, it's worth sticking with for how it skillfully pushes the boundaries of the superhero genre.
4. 'Atlanta'
Donald Glover is having a bit of a moment in 2018, and it's well deserved. His hit 'This is America', under his artistic name of 'Childish Gambino', earned him a long over-due number one, while his FX series 'Atlanta' is going from strength to strength, earning the actor both a Golden Globe and an Emmy.
Glover stars in 'Atlantia' (as well as writing and directing it) as Earnest 'Earn' Marks, an aspiring music manager trying to turn his life around by making his rapper cousin Alfred a star. It's second season arrived earlier this year to much critical acclaim thanks to great writing, nuanced characters and its impressive cinematic production.
3. 'Queer Eye'
I don't think anyone realised how much we all needed 'Queer Eye' in our lives until we got it. This fabulous show is just the tonic if you're feeling disillusioned by the current state of the world and will restore your faith in the power of kindness and a good haircut. While this series originally ran from 2003 until 2007, we are all about the Netflix reboot, which sees Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Jonathan Van Ness and Tan France change the look and lives of individuals across America. You'll laugh, you'll most definitely cry, and most of all you will fall in love with that Fab Five. We already got two seasons in 2018, but sorry Netflix, we're greedy. More please.
2. 'Derry Girls'
One of the breakout comedies of the year was undoubtedly the superb 'Derry Girls'. Set against the Troubles in early-1990s Northern Ireland, it follows the lives of four teenage girls (and the wee English fella) who are navigating through their youth during a time of war and conflict in a sort of 'Inbetweeners' way.
Filled with wonderful characters, laugh-out-loud moments and a nice dose of nostalgia, this show, written by Lisa McGee, was the warm, funny and lively anecdote we needed last January and thankfully there is more on the way.
1. 'The Handmaid's Tale'
We're not sure why we have become so morbidly fascinated with the enormously troubling world of Gilead, but this dystopian drama has got its claws into us, and as disturbing as it can be at times, it is must-see viewing. Perhaps it's because the Emmy-winning series show us just how severe the consequences could be for letting extremist viewpoints take over, an apt metaphor for our world today. However, it also comes down to the great work of a writing team which has managed to continue the story beyond Margaret Atwood's exceptional novel as well a performance from its lead Elizabeth Moss that is worthy of all of the accolades.
