Favourite Shows of 2018

Maniac (Paramount / Netflix): a dystopian yet warm tale of two people brought together by a drugs test in a local laboratory. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill bring it home with top-notch performances, rounded out by a great supporting cast and strong direction by Cary Fukunaga. Its sensitivity lingers long after viewing.

Altered Carbon (Skydance / Netflix): how do I even start to describe this show? It's Blade Runner on TV, a dystopian science fiction cyberpunk murder mystery. Its ambition doesn't always reach great heights, but you've got to admire it for even trying when it could just have been another generic action series. 

Killing Eve (BBC): James Bond is a psychopathic blonde. Based on Luke Jennings's Codename Villanelle novellas, the series successfully puts the viewer in the shoes of the bad girl, who roams the earth hunting her next target. It's alluring, dangerous and well made.

​Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (CW / Netflix): blending the commercial aesthetics of 'Riverdale' with a compelling story about adolescence, change and identity, this show captivated me to the point of binge-watching the entire programme in a couple of days. Kiernan Shipka is great as always.

Titans (Warner Bros / DC): for the first time, DC gets Gotham City completely right with a Nolan-esque tale of frustrated teenagers, jaded superheroes and supernatural doom and gloom. Let's hope they make more. It reminded me of the first two X-Men movies, you know - the good ones.