FURIOUS – “The Gorgon”
Disney
Who needs critics, am I right? Well, if you don’t trust the professional class, you may want to turn to audiences instead. There are more votes, more views and when something ranks highly you may want to pay greater attention.
Looking over the releases in the last stretch of time here, there are 10 shows that stand out across various genres and streaming services that seem to be worth your while. This is based on thousands of audience ratings on IMDB, and this could be a good place to get started. Keep in mind, IMDB has a different scale than say, Rotten Tomatoes, where something hitting an 8 is great, whereas 9s could be some of the best shows ever. Some selections:
Ted Lasso (Apple TV) – 8.7/10 – Just an FYI to start here, these are overall ratings for each show, though of course there is variance between seasons. Here in season 4, Ted Lasso has begun a reboot of sorts with a new women’s team, with the season breaking viewership records for its return. It’s the highest-ranked show here by far.
House of the Dragon
Photograph by Theo Whiteman/HBO
House of the Dragon (HBO Max) – 8.3/10 – It just ended, so you can binge the recent season 3 now, along with the others. While it remains the third best Game of Thrones show after the original and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, season 3 was very good.
Widow’s Bay (Apple TV) – 8.1/10 – One of the most buzzed-about series of the year deserves its hype, a blend of comedy and horror led by the immensely talented Matthew Rhys with a stellar supporting cast alongside him.
Silo (Apple TV) – 8.1/10 – The apocalyptic Silo has had its ups and downs, but after a lackluster second season and lackluster first half of this season, things have gotten very, very good with its latest episode, the highest-scored of the series.
Lanterns
Photograph by John Johnson/HBO Max
Lanterns (HBO Max) – 8.0/10 – The DCU series is a much-needed hit, and a grounded exploration of one of the least-grounded heroes out there. It’s only on episode three, but in terms of conversation, it’s the most talked-about show on TV every week.
Reacher (Prime Video) – 8.0/10 – Reacher’s back. He’s punching things. He’s getting double-crossed. He has to find various important objects and help various people in need. This is always pretty fun, hence the high scores, and we’re halfway through season 3.
The Gentlemen (Netflix) – 8.0/10 – This is cheating because as I write this, season 2 of The Gentlemen isn’t out, but it will be later this week, and there’s no time to catch up like the present. The Guy Ritchie gangster series is better than the movie he made of the same name, and unlike anything on TV these days.
Furious (Hulu) – 7.9/10 – I am still trying to process that this enormously praised serial killer drama is created by the same person who did New Girl, Elizabeth Merriweather. It’s the polar opposite, but she soars in both genres, as does Emmy Rossum in an Emmy-worthy turn.
Lioness (Paramount+) – 7.8/10 – People love Taylor Sheridan series, and Lioness is no different here in season 3. It took a long while for the show to return, but it’s a good time to jump back into the action, or start it for the first time.
Legends (Netflix) – 7.8/10 – Ah, I slipped one in here you probably don’t know, huh? Legends is a Netflix miniseries about customs officers infiltrating a British heroin empire that flew under the radar, and it’s worth the watch.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Be the first to comment