9 Shows That Got Us Through This Garbage Dump Of A Year

Bravo premiered their original scripted series, Imposters, at the beginning of 2017, and it turned out to be not only a great hour-long show, but the perfect escape. Blending drama, comedy, and even a bit of the action/thriller genres, the show about a con woman who marries a variety of men (and at least one woman) before taking them for everything they’ve got was the perfect show to live vicariously through. Whether you’ve dreamed about slipping on a wig and sunglasses and starting over in a new place, or if you wanted to hunt down an ex for revenge, or even if you wanted a bit of a romance, this show has it all. Let yourself escape into the sexy and secretive world of Imposters before season two starts in early 2018. — Lea Palmieri

Where to watch Imposters

Despite its mealy-mouthed title, The Durrells in Corfu is one of the most addictive and exuberant shows on television. The series follows a family of oddballs as they attempt to rediscover happiness in a ramshackle rental on the Greek Isle of Corfu. I like to describe the series as “PBS meets Parks & Rec,” and that’s because like the sitcom, it’s funny, honest, and full of heart. It also takes place in this twinkling dream town, where everyone’s a character (and up in each other’s business). Season One is available to stream with Prime Video and Season Two just wrapped up a run on PBS proper. — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to Stream The Durrells in Corfu

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got”–are there truer words to describe 2017? I think not, which is why I have turned to Cheers time and time again this year to help me take a break from all my worries (it sure helps a lot). Sitcoms have done a lot to keep me sane this year, as every single day feels like a slog through emotional muck, but watching this show right now felt different. Cheers clicks right now because it isn’t just about nonstop laughs; it’s about people with real differences united by the most tenuous of things (a bar). But that one thing is enough, and these lovable outcasts, these societal orphans, they band together to help each other out episode after episode. Cheers isn’t just comforting, it’s something I find hope in. Also, the risqué hijinks and snarky one-liners don’t hurt! — Brett White

Where to stream Cheers

It took a long time for me to be convinced to watch The West Wing (despite my love of Aaron Sorkin), and when I finally did, it could not have come at a better time. When you’re feeling despondent about the state of the world (and politics), sometimes you need an optimistic depiction of the White House to get you through it all. I immediately became enamored with the characters and their relationships and found solace in this ideal illustration of Washington D.C., because if we can’t have it in real life, at least a TV version can provide a little escape. — Jade Budowski

Where to Stream The West Wing

Maybe it’s nostalgia or perhaps I just have an affinity for revisiting 30-year-old mysteries, but my 2017 comfort show is the gold-standard of true-crime TV known as Unsolved Mysteries. Now streaming on Prime Video, these classic whodunits are a welcome reprieve from the perpetual bucket of sludge known as 2017. Life might suck, but at least you haven’t been murdered! Sure, that’s a low bar, but small victories, right?

Unsolved Mysteries was true-crime before true-crime was cool. The soothing, scary sound of Robert Stack’s voice can’t fix 2017, but it can help you forget your problems one mystery at a time. — Josh Sorokach

Where to stream Unsolved Mysteries 

There are a lot of shows that helped me through this hellfire of a year. Legion, Rick and Morty, and BoJack Horseman all helped me with my personal demons. Memories of The Young Pope kept me laughing all year. But there was really only one show that brought me pure, unironic joy and solely felt like it was “mine.” Of course it was a Disney cartoon. In a world full of bad things, Star vs. the Forces of Evil is good. It’s about a loving princess who fights evil using narwhals and rainbows. It’s a candy-coated adventure epic with a sweet little love story at its center. Sure the beginning is slow, and it’s certainly not a watch for everyone, but Star made me happy this year. Sometimes that’s all you can ask for. — Kayla Cobb

Stream Star vs. the Forces of Evil on Hulu

There are a lot of things I loved watching this year, but only one provided the pure, escapist fun I craved during the flaming garbage dump that was 2017: Beat Bobby Flay. Like most Food Network shows, the premise is pretty simple: cooks from around the country take on Iron Chef (and DILF extraordinaire) Bobby Flay. Even though Flay’s challengers get to choose the dish prepared, Flay usually ends up winning, and he does it with his signature charm, a healthy dose of trash talking, and some unbelievable looking food. For 30 minutes, Beat Bobby Flay encourages viewers to imagine a world in which the only major issue is running out of Gruyère or overcooking a tuna steak. I’ll take that world over 2017 any day. — Claire Spellberg

Watch Beat Bobby Flay on Food Network

Where to watch Steven Universe

It’s hard to believe that a show that was more and more explicitly about a woman’s descent into mental illness could be comforting, but a) that’s how bad 2017 was, and b) the panache with which Crazy Ex-Girlfriend pulls off its story — and the confidence that I have in them to tell the more serious parts of their story right — means I always feel like I’m in very good hands. And those blessed musical numbers! In 2017, CXG delivered Patti LuPone and Tovah Feldshuh singing about the Jews, an impish crooner personifying the Santa Ana winds, Heather reluctantly singing an inspirational Broadway ballad, and, at long last, “Period Sex.” Thank God for this show, every day. — Joe Reid

Where to watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend