17 Dec 2018

Listener picks for best TV shows of 2018

From Afternoons, 2:09 pm on 17 December 2018

We asked our audience to tell us their favourite tv shows of 2018. Here they are:

Deep water on TVNZ on demand - both the dramatization of the serial killing of gay men in Sydney as well as the documentary made of the killings. Excellent watch. Rowena

We loved The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. Atmospheric and brilliant directing and acting make this series a stand out supernatural thriller. The House itself is full of striking images and the series goes backwards and forwards in time, so dreams, memories, nightmares and experiences merge with great impact. Watch for the room with the red door - one of those doors that just won't open until you understand what it means! Mary from Titirangi

Creepy Belgian 'ghost story' Hotel Beau Sejour (Netflix). Brilliant (mainly) young cast. And also in Flemsh! I think the Belgians might be the new Scandinavians of TV. Michael C

My favourite show I watched this year was The Detectorists. I liked it because it was very gentle, and Mackenzie Crook has the best face for almost anything. It allowed me to release my inner amateur archaeologist.
Cheers, Lisa

By far, it's gotta be Gomorra, whose 3rd season was released late last year. It's about today's Naples drug dealing cartels, seen from the gangsters' point of view. It's great at building their characters. It has the most unpredictable plot since Game of Thrones' season 1, it keeps you guessing all the way through. The cinematography is flawless. The music is perfectly fit - mainly catchy Italian hip hop from the 'hood. IMDb reviews are like 'best running TV series' (yes, when considering Game of Thrones). It depicts the Naples' periphery and gangsters' spirit perfectly, through well thought details. Highly recommend. Cheers, Dan

Our standout TV programme (Netflix and Lightbox) for this year is Shetland. We had a wonderful family who stayed with us when they moved from the Shetland Islands to Hawke's Bay 12 months ago. They talked about how magic this place was, and how harsh the environment was, so this was our way of trying to understand their love of the isles. We were planning a trip to Scotland and based on their enthusiasm (and insistence!) we stayed a week on Orkney, almost the Shetlands. Stunning place!!! The Shetland series is a lovely story of people, relationships, and genuine gentle police work solving murder. It's a great way to almost visit this stark, beautiful and unforgiving land. Cheers, Heather Bell

The Expanse. Criminally under appreciated sci-fi with believable physics - no magic gravity, light speed travel or lasers. Cold War between Earth, the technologically more advanced Mars and the repressed "Belter" colonies on asteroids/moons further out. Add in some less than eithical businesses and a strange alien "proto-molecule" to make it even more intense. Frankie Adams is in it too. Reuben.

Outlander on Lightbox!!!  All the way, no contest!!  And I'm only part way through season 2! It is like the ultimate present consisting of many smaller gifts individually wrapped to make up the one large gift.  Beautiful Scene shots (Scotland in particular).  Based around the Jacobite Rebellions (1746) so much history with everything else thrown into the mix.  The scenery, costumes, music etc - just draws you into another zone 😊.

Succession - Soho. Simple King Lear-type plot - sounds like we've heard/seen it before - but incredible character development and fantastic, evil, witty script. Best bit? Seeing Matthew MacFadyen play the traditional, old school "wife" role in his relationship with Sarah Snook. Harriet

My favourite TV show from this year has to be The Good Place, which is on Netflix. They're currently halfway through Series 3. It's a hilarious series about philosophy and ethics, which might seem like a bit of a misnomer. It has a wonderful cast, a lot of heart and some great twists. A great choice for a comedy if you've loved other shows by showrunner Michael Schur like Brooklyn 99, Parks and Recreation and The Office. Ngā mihi, Kasey

River on Netflix.  Thought provoking, emotional and engaging.  Followed up closely by Bodyguard (netflix) which was just cool. Oh - and Grey Zone on TVNZ on Demand - absolute quality and very deep.  Sarah

Best TV this year  Rebekah Martinsson on Lightbox - let stories develop and outstanding production - thanks Blair

Fav tv this year - The Collection. About a post war Paris fashion house and the secrets it hides. Substantial story lines, beautifully produced. Very human flawed characters - empathy inducing and repulsive. In the tradition of Peaky Blinders. Cheers Judy

Hi Jesse my very fave tv program was without a doubt Poldark Season 4. It has everything romance, intrigue, jealousy, & all the human faults. It's very fast passed so much happens in one episode!! Can't wait for season 5 next year, has a very big following, great visuals!! Done so well. & to top it off the main character Ross Poldark is a hunk!!! What more could you want. Cheers, Jan

Favourite TV programme Brokenwood... great acting, great music funny and local. Especially love the quirky phrases Mike Shepherd uses like 'collywobbles'. Karen

 The best TV show we have ever watched - Series 1, 2 & 3 The Newsroom, hands down! My husband and I have Very diverse viewing tastes - but this one ticked ALL the boxes for both of us. Jeff Daniels is simply outstanding. Seasons greetings, Sally in Selwyn

Hi Jesse Stand out performances from a stellar cast topped by Benedict Cumberbatch made Patrick Melrose my favourite watch this year. I watched it go to whoa on a flight to Hong Kong. Geoff

Hi Jessie, Ozark (Netflix) - Breaking Bad type thriller. Mick in Nelson

Big Little Lies (Soho and Neon). Hands down the best 📺 show I've ever seen. Obsessed with Monterey and those mothers! The sets and acting superb. Looking forward to season 2. Janine