15- Jimmy Kimmel Hosts the Emmy Awards
Jimmy Kimmel Live is one of three late night shows that I watch. So I was incredibly excited to see him host my favorite awards shows, the Emmys. He was great. So great that he will be hosting the Oscars in 2017. I really enjoyed all of his bits, and I wish he was on screen longer.
14- The Gilmore Girls Revival is Total "Bulls***"
The Gilmore Girls revival was a slight letdown. But, as usual, Kelly Bishop knocked it out of the freaking park. Like seriously, someone give this woman an Emmy. Now. She was the best part of the show by far, and Emily Gilmore was the only character I found myself liking more after this revival. That "Bulls***" scene was killer.
13- FX Becomes Better
While most devoted their attention to FX's other new fall comedy (Atlanta), I watched Better Things. And I really, really enjoyed it. While it took a little while to find itself, by the end, I was really loving it. I can't wait until it returns for season 2.
12- Netflix Gets Stranger
Stranger Things was the breakout hit of the summer, and by the time I watched it in October, seemingly everyone had already seen it. It was really fun, and Winona Ryder was amazing in it. Netflix has had a lot of new shows this year, but Stranger Things stands out among them all.
11- John Oliver Talks about Donald Trump
Before this clip became popular, I'd never seen John Oliver's show. I watched it online, and I found it to be really funny. While I'm still not a regular viewer of Last Week Tonight, I appreciate his work, and I'll still check out clips on YouTube.
10- Denise Hemphill Loves Quantico
Denise is my favorite character on Scream Queens. And when she "died", I was incredibly angry with the show. And then she came back to the show. Which was incredible, because she got to talk about Quantico some more, and that was my favorite part of the entire second season of Scream Queens.
9- Seth Meyers Takes a Closer Look
"A Closer Look" is always a segment I look forward to on Late Night with Seth Meyers. It's my favorite part of the whole show, and it's improved a lot since its introduction. This year, with Trump/Clinton in full swing, it was at the top of its game, and I can't wait for more.
8- Lady Dynamite
Netflix is known for some pretty high-quality shows (well, also Fuller House, but still), and Lady Dynamite is among my favorite. It may not have received the same attention as Stranger Things, but it was by far my favorite of Netflix's new shows (and they had a lot) this year. I don't like it quite as much as Grace and Frankie, but I still adore it. Speaking of, when the heck is it coming back?
7- NBC Goes to the Good Place
NBC's newest comedy series The Good Place is among my favorite shows of the year. It's brilliantly crafted and acted, and I find it to be hysterical. Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, and the rest of the cast are just really great in this show, and I can't wait to finally see its first (hopefully of many) season wrap up in January 2017.
6- Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!
The People Vs. OJ Simpson was one of the most acclaimed shows of the year, and I adored it. Most of my love for it was because of Sarah Paulson, who knocked it out of the park. "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" was one of my favorite episodes of television this year (and maybe ever).
5- Sam Bee Goes Full Frontal
Before Full Frontal, I had never seen Samantha Bee in any television program, as I never watched the Daily Show. However, I decided to tune in, and I'm so glad I did. Full Frontal has quickly become one of my favorite shows, and I look forward to hearing her take on the crazy things that
4- David S. Pumpkins
David S. Pumpkins became an internet sensation after his debut on the Tom Hanks episode of SNL. The sketch left me thinking two things: "That was brilliant!" and "That was so weird!". David Pumpkins is arguably the best SNL sketch of Season 42 so far, and will probably become a classic Halloween sketch.
3- Rachel Bloom Wins the Golden Globe
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was the best new show of the fall 2015 season, and Rachel Bloom received critical acclaim for her role in the series. She appeared to be an underdog for the Golden Globe win, but she defeated several other worthy nominees, winning the CW's second consecutive Golden Globe. It was a deserved win that made me so incredibly happy.
2- Live from New York, It's Ariana Grande
This is SNL's second appearance on this list, and it deserves it, after an excellent 2016. Ariana Grande was, without a doubt, my favorite host of the 2010s, and one of my favorite ever. This was such a great episode, from start to finish, and Grande was the reason it all worked. She truly shined in the Tidal and Sound of Music sketches, while taking a backseat in the excellent Mermaids sketch. No doubt, she'll be back on the SNL stage.
1- Hairspray Live!
When Hairspray Live was announced, I had my doubts, but those were put to rest after watching it. Hairspray Live tops my list for the best TV moment of 2016. I've seen it about 10 times now, and I still love it. Everything about this was just amazing, and everyone killed it. Especially Ariana Grande.
In a terrible, terrible year, these things made me a little more happy, and for that reason, they're the best of the worst.