The era of so-called “Peak TV” – a term supposedly coined by John Landgraf, CEO at FX, to refer to the overwhelming increase in programming seen in the past half-decade or so – has left viewers with a more diverse selection of shows than ever before.
There is, simply, an abundance of options – both of what to watch and how to watch it. In 2019, this over-saturation is clearer than ever.
Many of last year’s best and most popular shows are returning, such as Succession (The Independent’s number one show of 2018), Barry, Killing Eve and Queer Eye.
Other shows that have been away for longer, including Fleabag and Game of Thrones, are back, while Transparent is returning for a one-off musical. Notably, Deadwood is returning as a standalone HBO television movie, more than 12 years after being cancelled.
Several of television’s most prominent and acclaimed creators have highly anticipated new ventures coming this year, Watchmen (by Lostmastermind Damon Lindelof) and The Virtues (by This is England’s Shane Meadows) being two of the most-talked about.
As streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney – who are launching their own in the coming months – continue to ramp up investment in original programming, it is of some comfort to traditionalists that many of the year’s better programmes can still be found showing in weekly time slots, on the BBC, ITV or Channel 4.
Click through the gallery below for The Independent’s picks for the best television of 2019 so far.
Get the latest television reviews from The Independent here.
