We awarded 13 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2017 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2018 so far and what’s to come. The Bridge, Stranger Things and Queers are previous winners in this category.
- Read on for our top 6 TV shows of 2018 so far and our hopes for the next half year
A Very English Scandal (BBC1) Cast Q&A
Hugh Grant is completely unrecognisable here and proves, were it needed after his fine turn opposite Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins, what a versatile actor he has become. Best Russell T Davies since Queer As Folk.
Ackley Bridge (Channel 4)
This was Grange Hill rebooted for millennials and relocated in Yorkshire. It found its feet in its 2nd series and we very much hope it is rewarded with a 3rd.
The Bridge (BBC2) Cast Q&A
This Sweden/Denmark original won our 2015 monsta for Best TV for its 3rd season. Its 4th and final outing never let the quality drop.
Feud (BBC2)
Creator Ryan Murphy was behind Nip/Tuck, Glee and American Horror Story. This 8-parter focused on the real-life rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange have rarely been rewarded with such fine material and both are on fire as the sparring actresses.
Mark Kermode’s Secrets Of Cinema (BBC4)
We’d fallen out of love with cinema (too many superhero movies) until we discovered Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review on 5 Live. This 5-parter for BBC4 featured Kermode only and benefitted from its tight focus on what makes genres including horror, coming of age and romcoms. Yet again TV was outdoing film in explaining celluloid attraction but in a way that reinforced when movies were magic, they were unbeatable.
Kiri (Channel 4)
We actually find writer Jack Thorne a bit hit and miss (hit: A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic, miss: Woyzeck at the same venue) but this social work drama had real heart and a central performance from Sarah Lancashire that really made you root for her character even though at times you weren’t really sure whether you were right to do so.
On our radar for the next 5 months are Deutschland ’86, Fear Of The Walking Dead, Bodyguard (Q&A), House Of Cards, Walking Dead, Killing Eve, The Crown, Stranger Things, and No Offence.
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