Best TV Shows of 2019

As we are reaching the end of 2019 it is time to recap the best TV shows of the year. This year there are some returning favorites with new seasons as well as some making their first appearance on the list. Here are my picks for the best shows of 2019:

1. In The Dark
I went into this show not knowing anything about it, but the trailer got my attention enough to give it a shot, and it turned out to be my favorite show of the year! It is about a young blind woman who is a little bit of a mess, who finds out her best friend has been murdered. It sounds dark, but the series has a good mix of humor and lightheartedness mixed in with the drama and mystery. You can watch it now on Netflix or the CW.


2. Cobra Kai (Season 2)
The Karate Kid reboot returned this year with the second season. I loved the first season and this season was just as good! The story of Danial and Johnny continues as they each try to run rivaling karate dojos. The students play a big part as the new generation of karate kids. This one has a lot of drama, comedy, and of course action. You can check it out now on Youtube Premium.


3. Glow (Season 3)
The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling are back for a 3rd season. This year they have taken their wrestling show to Las Vegas. Interestingly, this season focused a lot more on the stories of the characters out of the ring. We learn more about each of the ladies such as their interests and what they struggle with. I recommend this season if you enjoyed seasons 1 and 2. Glow season 3 is streaming now on Netflix.


4. American Ninja Warrior
The obstacle course show American Ninja Warrior had its 11th season this year and it was one of the most exciting yet! (Minor spoilers ahead). Up until season last season there had been only 2 ninjas to make it to the end. With courses getting more difficult we were beginning to wonder when there would be another champion. Well this year, someone did it and it was well deserved!


5. What Would You Do?
Wrapping up the list this year is a returning favorite What Would You Do, the show that creates situations where something is not right, and they film it with hidden cameras to see if someone will step up and say something or do something about it. The show sets a good example of doing the right thing when you see something that is not right. Here is one of my favorite clips from the season where someone is being treated poorly because they never learned to read.


If you like these shows, check out last year's list the Best TV Shows of 2018.

Best TV Shows of 2017

This year was kind of interesting in terms of which shows were picked to be in the best tv shows of 2017. In this years list, there were 4 major network shows and 1 cable show. Three of the shows were brand new this year and 2 of them actual had 2 seasons each within the year. After considering all the shows watched this year, here are Connected Isolation's picks for the best tv shows of 2017:

1. The Mick

The Mick is a new comedy that debuted this year featuring Kaitlin Olsen as an R-rated aunt who reluctantly falls into custody of her niece and nephews and has to look after them in the mansion owned by their parents who are put in jail. The show is very funny and stands out over other half hour comedies as it pushes the boundaries of what is appropriate for network tv. 

2. The Toy Box

The Toy Box is another show that debuted this year and like The Mick, had 2 full seasons in 2017. The Toy Box is kind of like Shark Tank for kids in that toy inventors pitch their ideas to a panel of kids who then play with the toys and review them as they ultimately decide which toy will be produced and sold at Toys R Us. Eric Stonestreet does a great job as host and the kids are always entertaining and honest with their critiques. 

3. Nathan For You

In its 4^th season, Nathan For You is back with Nathan Fielder doing his thing as he helps struggling businesses succeed by using out-of-the-box ideas and elaborate methods to achieve a goal. If you have seen any of the previous seasons, you know what to expect. If you haven't seen them, definitely check them out as this is a fantastic series that is quite unique and will have you in wonder as you watch some of the craziest ideas come to life. 

4. Hunted

The Hunted is another new show that made its debut this year. It is a reality competition style show where pairs of “fugitives” are set off on the run while real detectives and investigators try to track them down by any means necessary. If the contestants make it to the end without being caught, they win a large sum of money. This show was very exciting and fun to watch as we get to see both sides of the chase from the detectives and the fugitives. 

5. American Ninja Warrior

Rounding out the top shows of 2017 is a returning favorite, American Ninja Warrior. The 9^th season was a good one especially for the women ninjas as more than any previous year made it to the later stages of the competition. We also saw many veterans and new contestants compete on some of the toughest courses we have seen in the history of the show. ANW has a good mix of athletics as well as emotion as they feature the backstories of the ninjas revealing what motivates them to succeed. 

What were some of your favorite tv shows of 2017? Feel free to comment below.

Also check out the Best TV Shows of 2016 and the Best Shows of 2018.

Best TV Shows of 2016

As has become tradition, again we recap the best TV shows of the year! This year we focus mostly on prime time network shows with a couple exceptions from daytime and cable. Some shows have returned while others are new or make the top list for the first time this year. Here are Connected Isolation's picks for best TV shows of 2016:

1. Second Chance
Second Chance may not be the most well known show of 2016 but it is one of the best shows that slipped under the radar and earns its spot as the best show of 2016! It is a futuristic sci-fi action drama which features a police sheriff who was killed but brought back to life in a younger version through technology developed by a gifted twin. The show was great and could easily have another season but it looks like they have decided to wrap it up with just 1 season.


2. Bachelor In Paradise
This is one of those guilty pleasure shows. As a spin off of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Bachelor In Paradise is pretty much an all star cast where they throw a bunch of the favorite contestants from past seasons onto a beach resort and watch the drama unfold. Plenty of great characters and drama made this season good enough to take the 2nd spot in the list this year.


3. Running Wild with Bear Grylls 
Survivalist Bear Grylls is back at it again taking a new celebrity each week on an adventure they will never forget. In this series, Bear and a celebrity hike, climb, and descend through dangerous terrain while trying to find things to eat in the wilderness and try to find a safe place to sleep at night. It is exciting to watch and the situation lets you see the celebrities in a different light than we are used to seeing them.


4. Broad City
I got hooked on this comedy by watching clips and full episodes online. It features 2 young ladies in New York and follows the situations and mishaps they manage to get themselves into. It is a dark comedy with inappropriate style humor but the 2 main characters are great and the episodes are laugh out loud funny.

5. American Ninja Warrior
ANW was back for another new season this year. Not much surprises here but the show is entertaining as always as it features some of the best athletes competing on challenging obstacle courses as they try to make it to the end to be crowned American Ninja Warrior!

Best TV Shows of 2015

It's time once again to wrap up this year's best tv shows of year. This year we are focusing on prime time tv shows, most of which are available on the major network channels. It also focuses on reality/documentary style vs written or drama based programming. 2015 had many great new shows as well as returning favorites. Here is a recap of the best shows of 2015:

1. Nathan For You
The best show of the year is one that is in its 3rd season now on Comedy Central. Each week Nathan Fielder goes around to struggling businesses and presents them with creative ways to improve their business. His ideas are usually out of the box and very outlandish but usually prove to be somewhat effective despite how impractical they may seem. In this clip, he helps a local tv store compete with the big box retailers.


2. Home Free
Home Free is a new competition show that debuted this year where each week, couples work together to restore homes for deserving families. At the end of each show, one is eliminated and the winning couple gets to win their dream house. The one big supersize they don't realize is that each week, the eliminated couple actually gets to win the house they have been working on. It makes for a very happy and emotional ending for every episode.


3. I'll Have What Phil's Having
In this new food/travel/documentary style show on PBS, Phil Rosenthal, best known for being the creator of the show Everybody Loves Raymond, goes around to different countries and tries out the best foods they have to offer. It is a fun way to get to see the different countries and learn about the most delicious foods out there.


4. The Island
Another great new show this year was the survivalist style show The Island on NBC. It takes a group of strangers and puts them on an island with minimal supplies. They must then work together to try to find food and water, make a shelter, and survive against the elements or any other obstacles they may encounter in their time on the Island. 


5. American Ninja Warrior
A returning best show this year is American Ninja Warrior, the skills competition show which competitors compete against each other with the goal of conquering several challenging courses. They come from all walks of life with the goal of making it to the end the fastest. This year was the best so far and had competitors going further than any season before!

Best TV Shows of 2014

Here is the annual 10 best TV shows of the year featuring the best major network shows as chosen by Connected Isolation.  This year there were many returning favorites, a few new shows, and for the first time, a morning show is featured in the mix along with all the other prime time shows.  Here are the best shows of 2014:

1. I Wanna Marry Harry
You might think it is a joke that his show is number 1 this year, but it is in fact the best show this year.  Many critics did not like this show and many probably wrote it off as a bad show based on the title or premise alone.  This show did not even get to air the whole season on Fox as it was canceled in the middle and the rest of the episodes were shown online, but this really was a good show this year.  The casting was excellent and overall it was edited and constructed into an ideal reality show with lots of drama, emotion, and a great ending!


2. The Quest
Another new show debuted this year and comes in at number 2.  The Quest was a fantasy/reality competition show putting contestants into a magical medieval setting and having them compete in various tasks and tests of skill in order to be come the one true hero to save the day.  This show was great because it was different by combining two different genres into one.  The casting was good both in terms of staff as well as the contestants. The setting was realistic and the storyline was a lot of fun to follow.  Hope this one comes back for a new season!


3 Live With Kelly and Michael
For the first time a daytime show has been featured here on the best shows of the year.  While "Live" has been around for quite some time, and even Kelly and Michael have been hosting for a while, this show is just wonderful and a great way to start off your morning.  Kelly an Michael are both a pleasure to watch and it is nice to see the contests and different guests they have on the show each day.


4. Master Chef / Master Chef Jr
A couple of returning shows to the 10 best list again this year are Gordon Ramsey's Master Chef and Jr edition.  With many cooking shows out there, this one stands out as having great judges, a good format, exciting competitions, and eclectic home cook contestants.  The main show is great to see the high level of cooking and drama while the Junior version is just as entertaining with the kids as they are so animated and you never know what they are going to say.


5. Big Brother
It's no surprise Big Brother is on the list again this year.  One of the long running reality competition shows out there, this one is always a summer staple.  They tried to mix it up with some new twists this year. Some worked better than others.  It was not a perfect season, but still good enough to make it one of the best this year.

10 Best TV Shows of 2013

It has been another good year for tv so once again we have the top 10 best shows of the year.  These are all shows from major broadcast networks so if your favorite cable or premium channel show is not on this list, that may be why.  This year we have some brand new shows as well as some veteran shows which have been featured in previous years. Here are Connected Isolation's 10 best tv shows for 2013:

1. Whodunnit
Whodunnit is new show that takes a group of ordinary people and puts them in a mansion where each week one of them is "killed".  The remaining contestants must then use clues left behind to try to figure out who did it.  The catch is that the killer is actually one of them, but no one knows who it is.  This show was so fun to watch this year.  The casting was excellent in addition to the drama, strategy, and suspense which made it the best show of 2013.  


2. The Following
Here is another new show which premiered this year staring Kevin Bacon as a former detective who is brought back to catch his biggest nemesis, a serial killer who has escaped and who has a cult like following of killers ready to do whatever he says.  It took me a while to get into this series, but once it picked up, it became the best prime time drama of the year!


3. Big Brother
It's no surprise Big Brother has made it on the list this year.  The mother of all reality shows had one of it's most controversial seasons this year with contestants saying a lot of things they shouldn't have.  The drama, competition, and emotion ran high this season which places it again on our top ten list this year.


4. Master Chef / Master Chef Jr.
Two for the price of one this year with a new Master Chef as well as an equally enjoyable Master Chef Junior.  This has become my favorite of the many Chef Ramsey shows where ordinary people get to compete to be America next great chef.  The Junior edition gave kids a chance to show their skills in the kitchen this year and was possibly even more entertaining than the regular edition.


5. Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss is back again this year putting the CEO's of companies in disguise and sending them into the front lines of their own companies to find out what the employees really think.  This show always has a lot of good moments where the bad employees are discovered and confronted and the good employees are praised and rewarded. 


6. Shark Tank
Shark Tank is back on the list this year with the wealthy "sharks" deciding which entrepreneurs they want to help out and partner with to grow their business.  The banter between the sharks is great and it is fun to see ambitious people trying to bring new businesses and products to the market.  


7. American Ninja Warrior
American Ninja Warrior is a unique athletic event that really shows true physical skills such as strength, balance, and agility in a variety of events and obstacles.  People from all over the country compete and try to move on to the next stage in the fastest time.  No American has even finished all the stages yet.  Will this be the year?


8. Brooklyn Nine Nine
A new show and the first comedy on this list is Brooklyn Nine Nine.  This show stars Andy Samberg as a goofy police detective in Brooklyn.  He is supported by a strong cast of funny characters.  Each week they solve crimes but the main focus is the humor and the jokes.
9. Trophy Wife
A surprise hit this year is the new comedy Trophy Wife.  This show is similar to Modern Family in the fact that is has a large cast, but I find the characters to be much more likeable.  Don't be thrown off by the title.  This show is about a family and all the funny interactions and relationships between them.
10. Secret Millionaire
Rounding out the top ten this year is the feel good show Secret Millionaire.  The show sends millionaires to a poor area of the country in need where they look for opportunities to volunteer and help out.  At the end, they reveal their identity and give money to those people who need it most.
  
  
Hope you found a good show to watch here on this list.  What was your favorite show of 2013?

Check out last year's 10 best tv shows of 2012 here.

Also check out the Best TV Shows of 2014. 

10 Best TV Shows of 2012

It's time to recap the best tv shows of the year with the annual top 10 list.  These are my favorite shows that aired this year.  Note, these are all major network shows so if your favorite cable show is not on here, that may be one of the reasons.  Here are the 10 shows from 2012 you should watch:

1. Big Brother
The number one spot this year goes to the reality show Big Brother.  This show has the drama, excitement, and suspense to keep you tuned in for 3 new episodes every week.  This year had a coaches theme where former house guests returned to help out the new house guests.  There were tons of great moments including this one where there was almost a fight between Willie and Joe.


2. Master Chef
I'm not really into cooking shows all that much, but Master Chef really hooked me in this year.  It stars Chef Ramsey and a group of unknown contestants who want to prove themselves as the next great chef.   Each week they compete in challenges and one person goes home.  This season was made by some great participants such as Monte and Christine who despite being blind, holds her own in the kitchen.


3. Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss is a show that puts CEO's in the shoes of their employees to really get a feel for how the business is going and what the morale of the workers is like.  They go in disguise and work alongside their employees to see how they can make the company better.  At the end, they revel themselves and reward the exceptional employees who are doing a great job.  It is always heartwarming and emotional. 
4. NY Med
NY Med is part of a series of documentary style shows that take the viewers inside hospitals and introduces us to the nurses and doctors and what they deal with on a daily basis.  There is plenty of drama and excitement that goes on each episode.  It also makes you appreciate good health after seeing the situations of some of the patients on the show.


5. Secret Millionaire
Another feel good show to check out is Secret Millionaire.  Much like Undercover Boss, the show takes a real life millionaire and sends them to a poor area to get involved with organizations in need.  Their true identity is hidden as they interact with people who are working to make a positive impact on less fortunate communities.  At they end, they reveal who they are and donate money to those who need it most.


6. American Ninja Warrior
This is a physical competition show that has been around for a while in countries like Japan, but is relatively new to the US.  Athletes compete on obstacle and skill courses to get the best time.  People from all over the country can try out, but only one will make it to the end and be named American Ninja Warrior.


7. Rules of Engagement
Even though it is not one of the most talked about shows out there, Rules of Engagement continues to be one of my favorite comedies on tv.  This year it has gone into syndication so you may be able to catch the re-runs along with the new episodes when the next season starts.

8. Parks and Recreation
Another one of the best comedies still going strong is Parks and Recreation.  The show continues to be funny even as settings and characters change.  The cast is great and the writing is very good.  They even got vice president Joe Biden to guest star on the show this season.


9. Shark Tank
Here is a show that I didn't really watch the first couple seasons it was on, but now I am really into it.  You have 5 wealthy "sharks" who are looking to invest money into ideas they think show promise and will be profitable.  Regular people pitch them their products and companies in hopes of getting some financial support.  The show is very entertaining and it's fun to see these new companies and products come to life.


10. Last Resort
This is one of the few dramas that caught my interest this year.  And while it is only half way through the season and will in fact only have 1 season as it stands now, it is still worth checking out.  The show is about a crew on a US submarine that gets attacked by it's own country, or so it seems.  There is lots of action and drama along with some powerful characters and an interesting story line. 

What was your favorite show of 2012?  Leave a comment below.

Also check out the Best Shows of 2013 and last year's list of the best tv shows of 2011.