Some of my new favorites from 2016. So things like GOT won't be included. If I don't list something that seems surprising I probably didn't see it. Hard to keep up these days. Also some quick plugs about 2017.
Netflix:
Stranger Things- Just a solid show that brings back memories. With the rebirth of Star Wars, it looks like Sci-Fi is making a big comeback both on the big and small screen.
The Crown: Historical dramas aren't exactly my favorite genre of show. But it is hard not to enjoy Lithgow as Churchill and the attention to detail in this show.
Luke Cage: Marvel and Netflix continues to be a great duo.
I want to see Black Mirror.
2017:
Marvel and Netflix have a full slate with Iron Fist, Punisher, and the Defenders. A Series of Unfortunate Events will set the tone for 2017. And David Fincher is making something called Mindhunter which you think would be good. Netflix is supposedly doubling their original content in 2017 so I'm sure many more shows will become popular.
HBO:
Westworld: Probably the best new show of 2016. HBO needed this to be good and it was.
The Night Of: Really good. I consider this to be the second season of True Detective. Wish it got more press.
2017 and onward.
David Simon is back with The Deuce, a show about the rise of the legal porn industry and exploring things like the rise of HIV. If this is even close to the Wire, it will be a masterpiece.
Hulu:
The Path: I thought this was pretty good but Hulu hasn't really caught mainstream yet. But I thought by the end it really found its footing. Examines a cult and the complications from that.
Horace and Pete: Really unique show from Louis CK. It isn't a Hulu original but was recently added. I watched the whole thing in like a day or two.
2017:
Handmaid's Tale is coming in March. Based on a Margaret Atwood dystopian book where women basically have no rights. Has a chance to really put Hulu on the map with Elisabeth Moss staring.
AMC/FX
I'll combine these two. I have heard decent things about Preacher and the Night Manager but didn't watch either. I really liked Baskets on FX. Not everyone's cup of tea but I enjoyed it. Atlanta and American Crime Story both are at the top of critic's lists but I haven't seen either.
2017
FX hits the ground running with Taboo with Tom Hardy and Legion, a Marvel X-men show. AMC doesn't have anything jumping off the page for 2017 for new shows.
International Shows:
Just a mixed bag here:
Doctor Foster on Netflix is a good family drama with a dark side. If you aren't watching Peaky Blinders you're wrong. Also Happy Valley is a good crime drama and for a light-hearted show on a lazy afternoon, the Detectorists is a good watch.
For 2017:
Things start off with a bang with Sherlock Season 4 on January 1st.