14. "The Sinner" — USA
"The Sinner" masterfully unfolds a mystery that is nearly impossible to figure out. Jessica Biel (who is great here) suddenly stabs and kills a man on the beach, and secrets about her past are revealed in every episode. These secrets will leave you constantly changing your mind. The series was made for binge-watching, and has a solid ending.
13. "Feud: Bette and Joan" — FX
"Feud," from Ryan Murphy ("Glee," "American Horror Story") was quite the opposite of what audiences and critics expected. Instead of focusing the feud between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, the show was a topical and well-timed commentary on the treatment and manipulation of women in Hollywood. Jessica Lange is a triumph as an aging Joan Crawford, and Susan Sarandon is the perfect choice for an older Bette Davis.
12. "Alias Grace" — Netflix
"Alias Grace" digs deep into how gender, social status, and mental illness were treated in the past, and how it can affect people to this day. It's a well done series with a story whose themes reflect conversations that are happening in our culture today.
11. "Marvel's Runaways" — Hulu
Marvel shows, while good (minus "Iron Fist" and "Inhumans") suffer from taking themselves a little too seriously. "Marvel's Runaways" does the opposite. It centers on teens in LA who discover their parents are evil supervillains. At the same time, they're discovering that they have superpowers. One of them glows, one of them has a giant magic wand, and one of them can talk to a dinosaur appropriately named Old Lace. The series knows it's already ridiculous and embraces it in a way no other superhero show has so far.
10. "Big Mouth" — Netflix
This charming but vulgar Netflix series follows seventh graders experiencing — or about to experience — puberty. Their bodies are changing, and they're developing sexual desires. Following around these kids are "hormone monsters," who are both helpful and very, very awful. The show comes from the mind of Nick Kroll, and features the voices of Jordan Peele, John Mulaney, Fred Armisen, Jenny Slate, Jason Mantzoukas, Maya Rudolph, and more.
9. "Riverdale" — The CW
If you're into glossy, cheesy teen drama that doesn't require much brain power, and where the teens are played by adults well into their 20s, The CW's "Riverdale" is perfect for you. The characters are based on the Archie comics (Archie, Betty, Veronica, and many more) but they're in a modern setting, with lots of murder. Seriously. There is so much murder on this show, especially in its bloody second season.
8. "One Day at a Time" — Netflix
The remake of the 70s sitcom is about a divorced mom raising two kids with the help of her mother. The mother, Penelope, is an Army veteran, now a nurse. The show depicts her Cuban-American family as they adjust to their new life. It's positive, funny, smart, culturally relevant, and has great performances. The show isn't afraid to take on dramatic material, either. "One Day At a Time" is what every family sitcom aspires to be, but can never seem to pull off.
7. "Godless" — Netflix
In this Western from executive producer Steven Soderbergh, a man in hiding from an outlaw in the 1880s American West ends up in a mysterious New Mexico town of only women. It's a gritty, exciting, and well-acted Western with memorable performances from Michelle Dockery and Jeff Daniels. "Godless" was made to binge, and embraces every Western cliche in a good way.
6. "The Bold Type" — Freeform
Every woman will wish she had "The Bold Type" as an insecure teenager. The show centers on three young women in New York City who work at a magazine that is basically Cosmopolitan. The women have individual personalities that don't rely on their looks or boys. They support each other as they come into their own, both in their careers and in their personal lives. The best thing about "The Bold Type" is that unlike any other show aimed at teens, the story doesn't rely on fights between its leading women. Even their boss, who on any other show would be a monster, is a supportive mentor. This show, a surprising tear-jerker, should be boring because the conflict resolution is so friendly, and tied up in a perfect bow at the end of every episode, but its complex characters make it interesting.
5. "Mindhunter" — Netflix
"Mindhunter" is a slow-paced but thrilling psychological drama and crime procedural that completely reinvents what a procedural can be. It's the origin story of the FBI team that studied the psychology of serial killers, and includes real-life serial killers like Jerry Brudos, Ed Kemper, and Richard Speck. It has great performances, thoughtful writing, and it looks like a David Fincher film (Fincher is an executive producer and directed four episodes).
4. "The Handmaid's Tale" — Hulu
"The Handmaid's Tale," which won Hulu Emmys including best drama, is horrifying and strangely beautiful in the way it's adapted for the modern age from Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel. It's executed seamlessly, and stars some of the best in the business. The set combined with the use of color and light make the world look appealing, when the reality of Gilead is anything but. "The Handmaid's Tale" had a lot to live up to, but deviating from the book — and casting one of the best ensembles in years — made it one of the best new series of the year.
3. "Glow" — Netflix
"Glow," based on the 1980s show "Gorgeous Female Ladies of Wrestling," is a fictionalized story of the casting and making that show. "Glow" debuted on Netflix in June, and has been the biggest surprise of 2017. It's hilarious, heartfelt (but not in a cheesy way), and filled with complicated women from many backgrounds. It's like a ten-episode, female-centric sports movie that's also about friendship and forgiveness. Wresting is just a bonus. Alison Brie (who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance), Betty Gilpin, and Marc Maron work so well because they fit perfectly into the world of 80s Los Angeles.
2. "Big Little Lies" — HBO
"Big Little Lies" didn't have a great start. The show was basically marketed as "True Detective," but with women, which didn't seem particularly appealing. And the first few episodes leave a bit to be desired. But the story quickly turns into a compelling look at strong friendships between women, as well as domestic abuse and its psychological effects. Other shows and films have covered domestic abuse, but never in the way "Big Little Lies" did, and the way Nicole Kidman's Emmy-winning performance did.
1. "American Vandal" — Netflix
"American Vandal" is a poignant and funny reflection on true-crime entertainment (specifically "Making a Murderer" and the podcast "Serial"), social media, and teen culture. The show is a fictional documentary about a high school student who is trying to uncover whether or not his classmate Dylan spray-painted a bunch of penises on a teachers' cars.