10) Wolf Hall
A scandalous excuse for courtly intrigue starring the half of Britain’s population not already employed by Game of Thrones, BBC’s Wolf Hall successfully adapted all the post-medieval politicking and skullduggery of Hilary Mantel’s award-winning historical fiction novels.
An exploration of the House of Tudor by way of House of Cards, the miniseries made Thomas Cromwell’s rags to aristocrat ascendance through the court of Henry VIII a highly entertaining study in the power of kings, religion, and simple persuasion.
The factual backbone of the series gave every death and nation-defining decision an extra kick in the pantaloons, but it was the terrific cast, costuming, and location shooting that made Wolf Hall feel lavish on a Masterpiece budget. With Mantel’s concluding novel in the series due shortly, we can only hope that the BBC doesn’t waste any time in delivering a proper conclusion to this stately, but engrossing telly tell-all.
9) Master Of None
If Netflix’s Master of None is an authority on anything, it’s appropriate titling. 2015 was packed with amazing half hour comedies nestled just outside the confines of this list, each a master in its own right. Review was the flat-out funniest, You’re the Worst the most sardonically sweet, Catastrophe the most disgustingly romantic. On aggregate though, it was Aziz Ansari’s candidly personal and totally winning new series that proved itself 2015’s comedy to beat.
Whether musing on racial representation in the media, earnestly reaching out to the inner lives of parents and the elderly, or just enjoying a magical weekend in Nashville, Ansari’s Dev was the loveable anchor around which Master of None could explore whatever subject happened to strike its fancy. Your only assurance came in knowing that wherever Dev’s friends, adventures, or confusion took him, hilarity would ensue.