‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’
Everything that I said in my Best TV of 2016 piece earlier in the week applies here, but the quick take is that yes, I believe network television is playing on a different field than cable and streaming.
I still believe broadcast networks are churning out great comedies, and they dominate this list. I’m less interested in the dramas, because, frankly, most can’t compete qualitatively with the best of what cable and streaming services offer. Whether it’s because they have to pander to a mass audience, conform to wince-inducing FCC restrictions or pad their seasons with 22 episodes, dramas almost never end up in the first tier when weighed against Platinum Age cable and streaming offerings.
The time crunch critics (and viewers) face had a negative impact on my network viewing habits. Though I still watch a few of the “just entertain me” gems I had on the list last year, like CBS’s Elementary and NBC’s The Blacklist, I didn’t follow full seasons (well, technically they are still on the DVR) — and since I was just sampling, they couldn’t in fairness make the list. The same applies to The Flash, Arrow, and Gotham, all series I endorse but now visit more than inhabit. That said, there was plenty to like on the network side, including some invigorating new blood.