Top 10 TV Shows of 2018

Every year, more and more programs flood television screens. As a way to remember the best TV shows of 2018, CHC Upper School students shared their favorites.

• The Flash – The CW  The Flash stars Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, an ordinary CSI working for the Central City Police Department who is struck by lightning and becomes the fastest man alive.  In its fifth season, The Flash is filled with stories featuring time travel and alternate dimensions.  When asked why they enjoy the show, Sarah Blais (‘20) said, “There’s a lot of humor but there is also action that makes it intense and keeps you watching.  There are constant twists in the story that keep the show from getting boring.” Eric Clark (‘20) shared similar thoughts and said, “It holds my interest the entire time.  I literally can’t walk away from the show.”
• Grey’s Anatomy – ABC  Grey’s Anatomy takes place at Seattle Grace Hospital and focuses on Ellen Pompeo’s character Dr. Meredith Grey.  Leading ABC’s TGIT Thursday night lineup, Grey’s Anatomy is in the middle of airing its fifteenth season and is the network’s highest-rated drama and longest-running primetime show.  A fan of Grey’s, Nadia Norman (‘20) said, “I like the show because it shows me a glimpse into my future since I want to be a doctor!”  Sarah Blais (‘20) added, “Grey’s Anatomy shows the passionate connection between patients and doctors and that is really sweet to see.  There is always a life-lesson learned in each episode, too.” The show has won many awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama, and is praised for the diversity of its cast, including Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson.  In addition, a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy is also airing on ABC, called Station 19.
• Lucifer – Netflix  When Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), the Devil, grows tired of his reign in Hell, he moves to Los Angeles and becomes a consultant for the LAPD.  When discussing the show, Sadie Cohen (‘21) mentioned, “I just started watching and it’s so good – I was immediately hooked.”  Lucifer was canceled by Fox in May 2018 after three seasons on the network, but Netflix saved the series for a fourth season that will premiere some time in 2019.
• On My Block – Netflix  On My Block tells a story about four teenage friends in a predominantly Hispanic and African-American inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood as they traverse high school and the success and the challenges that come with the experience.  Nadia Norman shared that On My Block “demonstrates real-life problems and I like watching shows that I can relate to.”  A coming-of-age comedy, this is a show that should not be missed.
• Fuller House – Netflix   A spin-off of the 80s-90s show Full House, Fuller House features D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron-Bure), her sister Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin), and best friend Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), members of the original cast, and how they adjust to their new lives after tragedy rocks the Tanner-Fuller family.  As Sarah Blais (‘20) describes the show, Fuller House is “a fun, light-hearted show that has such a great legacy” despite a sad beginning.  Now with four seasons streaming on Netflix, the show has seen great success among viewers, but there has not yet been a renewal for a fifth season.
• Marvel’s The Punisher – Netflix  In Marvel’s The Punisher, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) takes up the role of a vigilante and sets out on a quest for vengeance against those responsible for the death of his family.  However, The Punisher soon discovers a conspiracy with ties to New York’s crime sphere and seeks the truth about injustices in the city. Ben Schwantes (‘20) said he likes watching The Punisher because “the tense situations in the show create a lot of the action,” keeping him on the edge of his seat.
• The Ellen Degeneres Show – CBS  Ever since 2003, comedienne Ellen DeGeneres has hosted her own daily talk show featuring segments like celebrity interviews, music acts, and games with the audience.  Mrs. Oakley (Upper School Spanish) shared that she enjoys watching the show because “it really makes you laugh.” The show has won numerous Daytime Emmy awards and People’s Choice Awards, proving that tuning in would be well worth the time.
• Manifest – NBC   Manifest is certainly a binge-worthy show that immediately hooks in viewers.  After Montego Air Flight 828 experiences a turbulent but otherwise normal flight, the passengers and crew land in New York.  Here’s the catch: what only seemed like several hours for those on Flight 828 was equivalent to more than five years for their families who have moved on with their lives when the passengers are presumed dead.  Following siblings Michaela and Ben Stone (Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas) and the rest of their family as they adjust to being back together once again, the sister and brother soon realize there is an even greater mystery at hand than they originally anticipated.
• Riverdale – The CW  Inspired by the world of Archie Comics, Riverdale focuses on Archie Andrews (KJ Apa), Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse), and Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) as they balance high school, relationships… and a murder investigation.  When school celebrity Jason Blossom (Trevor Stines) is discovered dead in Sweetwater River, everyone in the small town of Riverdale becomes a suspect. Now in its third season, the town has moved on from the Blossom murder and is now under the thumb of the scheming Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos), Veronica’s father, who is trying to build an empire for himself in Riverdale.  With plot twists and bombshell reveals in every episode, the audience never knows what will happen next.
• God Friended Me – CBS  A vocal atheist, Miles Finer (Brandon Micheal Hall) receives a friend request on Facebook from someone calling themselves “God.”  This account sends Miles friend suggestions for people in New York City that require his attention. Though at first suspicious of the friend suggestions, Miles seeks the aid of his hacker friend and colleague Rakesh Singh (Suraj Sharma) to help out Cara Bloom (Violett Beane), a struggling journalist.  After reuniting Cara with her mother, the three millennials become friends and work together to solve each friend suggestion and spread some good in the Big Apple.

• The Flash airs on The CW Tuesday nights at 8/7c.
• You can watch Grey’s Anatomy Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.
• All three seasons of Lucifer are available to stream on Netflix, with the fourth season arriving in 2019.
• On My Block is streaming on Netflix and a second season is in development.
• Fuller House and Marvel’s The Punisher are both available to stream on Netflix, as well.
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs locally at 3:00 on CBS.
• Manifest can be seen on NBC at 10/9c on Monday nights.
• Tune in to Riverdale Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
• God Friended Me airs Sundays on CBS after 60 Minutes.