Marvel's Jessica Jones
Krysten Ritter is our new favorite badass in this gritty, psychologically rich new superhero drama with a difference. Ritter's Jessica Jones is a superhero in early retirement, now working as a private investigator in New York and trying to adjust to normal life while still haunted by her traumatic past. If you only binge one new Netflix series this year, make it this one...
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
...Or this one, if you're in the mood for something a little lighter. Not unlike Jessica Jones, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) is adjusting to normal life after a trauma – spending 15 years imprisoned in an underground doomsday cult – but she's doing it with unsinkable optimism. It's the unexpected meshing of sunny comedy with dark subject matter that makes Tina Fey's new show so insanely charming. That, and the incredible cameos. Get caught up before season two debuts in 2016.
Mr Robot
Nope, it's not about a robot. The year's most buzzed-about new show centers on a lonely hacker (played by outstanding newcomer Rami Malek) who gets recruited by a group calling themselves "FSociety". Their goal is to overthrow capitalist society worldwide by destroying the credit system and erasing all debt. What unfolds is a dizzyingly smart, exhilarating cyber-thriller with its finger firmly on the pulse of how we live today.
The Jinx
"Bob is very smart. He's managed to get away with three murders." The most terrifying story you'll watch on screen this year is all the more so because it's non-fiction. Fully titled The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, this chilling HBO documentary series examines the life of eccentric millionaire Durst and the litany of unsolved crimes for which he's been suspected over the years, including the murder of his first wife. Good luck sleeping after the finale.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Don't let the title put you off – this is the smartest new rom-com of the year. Co-created by Devil Wears Prada screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, the show's all about a single woman (Rachel Bloom) who's still pining for her ex, and makes the perfectly rational decision to follow him to California in hopes of a fresh start. A gloriously eccentric yet completely honest look at how relationships can derange you, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is part musical, part drama, all awesome.
Better Call Saul
We all loved Breaking Bad, but who really thought a prequel sounded like a good idea? Sleazy lawyer Saul Goodman works great as a comic relief character, but it was hard to imagine him carrying his own show... until Better Call Saul debuted, and all our doubts vanished within five minutes. Bob Odenkirk's an insanely charming leading man, adept at far more than comedy, and playing the younger, more idealistic Jimmy McGill really showcases his dramatic chops.
Fear the Walking Dead
2015 was the year of the AMC spinoff, and The Walking Dead's legions of devoted fans had plenty of misgivings about this Los Angeles-set counterpart. After a slow start, the show found its feet – and differentiated itself from TWD – in focusing on the very earliest days of the zombie apocalypse, building up a slow, creeping sense of dread and mounting panic. There's just six episodes to get caught up on right now, before the show returns next summer for a fuller 15-episode run.
