1. The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Quote:
More than two decades after O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, the trial of the century returned to dominate TV. Whereas Ezra Edelman’s O.J.: Made In America put its focus on The Juice, The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story was all about the people: the heavy hitters familiar from the headlines, the minor players in the jury box and beyond, and the American public that made the whole thing such a sensation in the first (and now second) place. Despite the imprimatur and repertory cast (and a little bit of the tawdriness) of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, the limited series managed to handle its tricky subject matter with a tremendous amount of grace—due in no small part to source material from Jeffrey Toobin, the supervision of the Ed Wood and People Vs. Larry Flynt team of Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, and a stable of directors that included John Singleton and Anthony Hemingway. Murphy helmed four installments, too, his keen eye fortunately outweighing his shaky command of tone. And there’s no denying that his involvement helped to build the series’ on-camera Dream Team, from his muse Sarah Paulson (giving the performance of her career) to big-movie-star booking John Travolta, who didn’t really embody Robert Shapiro (or any person who’s ever lived) but was utterly captivating nonetheless. Sterling K. Brown vaulted from the conflicted conviction of Chris Darden to a broadcast gig; Courtney B. Vance found the human beneath Johnnie Cochran’s courtroom showboat. From the vantage point of 2016—a year defined by an interminable media circus with a controversial conclusion—the events of The People V. O.J. Simpson almost appear quaint. But that doesn’t diminish its powerful examination of race relations, fame, the American legal system, and all the points where those things intersect. The initial broadcasts of the O.J. Simpson trial were a guilty pleasure for millions of viewers. The People V. O.J. Simpson still struggled to identify a guilty party, but they certainly weren’t the people tuning in to FX every Tuesday last winter. [Erik Adams]
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2. Atlanta (FX)
3. The Americans (FX)
4. Better Call Saul (AMC)
5. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)
6. Halt And Catch Fire (AMC)
7. Veep (HBO)
8. BoJack Horseman (Netflix)
9. O.J.: Made In America (ESPN)
10. The Good Place (NBC)
11. Westworld (HBO)
12. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS)
13. Rectify (Sundance TV)
14. Documentary Now! (IFC)
15. Insecure (HBO)
16. You’re The Worst (FXX)
17. Game Of Thrones (HBO)
18. Silicon Valley (HBO)
19. Lady Dynamite (Netflix)
20. Fleabag (Amazon)
21. Jane The Virgin (The CW)
22. The Night Of (HBO)
23. Better Things (FX)
24. Stranger Things (Netflix)
25. Search Party (TBS)
26. Black-ish (ABC)
27. Girls (HBO)
28. Black Mirror (Netflix)
29. Horace And Pete (LouisCK.net)
30. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
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