7 of the very best TV shows from 2015

How many have you seen?

2016 is fast approaching and while some people might be making New Years resolutions about hitting the gym or reading more books, watching these TV shows should also be on your list.

The weather is absolutely crap but while you’ve still got some holiday time away from work, these superb TV shows are definitely worth your time.

Here’s a brief description of 7 incredible TV shows from 2015 and why they simply are must see TV.

Master of None

What’s it about?:  Aziz Ansari plays a 30-year-old aspiring actor named Dev that’s trying to make a name for himself in New York. If the premise is tired, the delivery is anything but. Each episode feels like a short-film that’s fresh and original because each one deals with specific subjects that range from racism to sexism, and even perceptions of the elderly in a hilarious, yet tasteful way.

It’s a sort of rom-com for the millenial generation, taking a look at everything from relationships to the pitfalls of getting older.

It’s almost like: A romantic comedy that’s more perceptive and honest about the world that we live in as opposed to the painful and cliched crap that you usually see.

Watch it because: If you’re currently in your late 20s or early 30s, no other show has nailed that mindset quite like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bFvb3WKISk

Game of Thrones

What’s it about?: If you don’t know the differences between the Lannisters and the Starks by now then you’re an extremely latecomer to the best show on TV.  Season 5 took a while to get going but that’s not to say there wasn’t any moments of sheer genius in Westeros this year.

While Tyrion was travelling and Daenerys was dallying, Jon Snow was leading from the front which culminated in the most stunning episode of TV this year, the siege at Hardhome.

Kill the boy and let the man be born.

It’s almost like: Fans of the show will say that there’s nothing quite like the characters and events in the Seven Kingdoms but for GOT newbies, imagine a melting pot with Hadrian’s Wall, The Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare and The War of the Roses…but with dragons.

Watch it because: Wait, you’re not watching it already? Trust me, all those people that tell you it’s brilliant aren’t lying. Specifically regarding Season 5, 99.99% of the movies released in 2015 couldn’t compare to the visuals, pacing and action on display at Hardhome. It’s stunning.

Making a Murderer

What’s it about?: Filmed over a 10-year period, Netflix’s latest smash-hit documentary is a real-life account of the travails of Steven Avery, a man that served 18 years for a crime he didn’t commit.

Now his freedom is on the line again, and some want to see him put away for good. The scope of this feature is stunning in how it details corruption in local law enforcement, small town prejudice and the life of a high-stakes criminal case where reputation is everything and things are never as they appear.

It’s almost like: A TV version of the brilliant podcast Serial because you’re fully immersed in this court case.

Trust me, you’ll live and breathe every second of this superb show.

Watch it because: It’s the most addictive show of 2015.

Catastrophe

What’s it about?: American boy Rob gets Irish girl Sharon pregnant after  they hook up for a week while on a business trip to London. It’s filthy, funny but incredibly perceptive of what relationships are like in 2015.

It’s almost like: Knocked Up without the misguided and sugar-coated Hollywood schmaltz that took away part of the charm from Apatow’s film.

Watch it because: Our own Sharon Horgan is sublime in it and it’s the perfect antithesis to those shows that can feel fake and forced.

Daredevil

What’s it about?: Just like the movie, the premise is the same as “a blind lawyer, with his other senses superhumanly enhanced, fights crime as a costumed superhero”. Unlike the Ben Affleck starring film though this Netflix original series is absolutely stellar.

It’s almost like: Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy meets The Wire.

Watch it because: The wonderfully choreographed action scenes definitely pack a punch but it’s the moments between the characters that stay with you longer.

This is popular entertainment that’s made with intelligence, realism and passion. Here are a few more reasons if you need to know just how good TV life in Hell’s Kitchen is.

Narcos

What’s it about?: Narcos tells the true-life story of the growth and spread of cocaine drug cartels across the globe and attendant efforts of law enforcement to meet them head on in brutal, bloody conflict. It centers around the notorious Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar and Steve Murphy , a DEA agent sent to Colombia on a U.S. mission to capture him.

It’s almost like: The narrative style of Goodfellas and Casino combined with the TV empire building antics of The Sopranos or Breaking Bad.

Watch it because: Wagner Moura’s portrayal of Pablo Escobar is sensational. He’s dangerous and charismatic in equal measure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7elNhHwgBU

Fargo

What’s it about?: Season one was exceptional but could this live up to it? You betcha! We’re back in 1979 and following Molly’s father Lou Solverson as he deals with the deception, intrigue and murder in and around frozen Minnesota.

It’s almost like: The Coen Brothers original icy noir mixed with Breaking Bad’s eye for casting and its consuming and immersive pace.

Watch it because: Nick Offerman as a drunk Libertarian lawyer is only eclipsed by Kristen Dunst’s perfectly judged performance between tragedy and comedy. Still though, Bokeem Woodbine is so good in these episodes that he gives Billy Bob Thornton’s character from Season one a run for his money.

Worthy mentions: Toast of London, Mr Robot, The Jinx, Broad City, Peep Show, Jessica Jones, The Affair, Veep, House of Cards,  The Walking Dead, Homeland.

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