It seems that every year, we say to ourselves, "There's no way television can keep this up! It's just too good right now!" And every year, we're amazed at all the new shows that come along and unexpectedly slap us silly while proving us wrong. Guess what? 2014 was no different, and cable (and its new pal online streaming) was the place where limits were pushed, expectations were shattered, and television felt new again. These are the best new cable and streaming dramas of 2014.
The Affair | SHOWTIME
The Affair is the ultimate he-said-she-said drama. With the help of strong acting and a nifty storytelling framework that involves both dual timelines and multiple (unreliable) perspectives, the series gleefully abuses our notions of honesty, deception, and the power and accuracy of human memory. There's so much more going on than the infidelity revealed in the show's title—including a crime story—and we've been hooked since Episode 1. Are the main characters lying? Are they hiding something? Are they simply trying to appear less scummy than they actually are? Note to all would-be mystery writers: The Affair is a master class on keeping viewers guessing in a satisfying way.
Fargo | FX
My expectations were low when Fargo was announced. "FOR SHAME!" I thought. "The classic Coen Brothers movie is perfect in every way, and any homage to it would be offensive at best!" Well, shame on me, because Fargo went on to become one of the best TV series of 2014, period. Showrunner Noah Hawley's sharp writing and FX's loose creative leash attracted an unbelievable roster of talent—Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, newcomer of the year Allison Holman, a host of incredible directors—resulting in one of TV's most amazing triumphs since, well, Breaking Bad. Season 1 is extremely violent and darkly comic, and if you haven't watched it yet, you should drop everything and get started right away.
TV.COM REVIEW: Fargo Series Premiere Review: Breaking Bad
Happy Valley | BBC ONE / NETFLIX
If American network television needs another reason to give shorter seasons a shot, please allow me to present BBC One's Happy Valley. The crime drama is a prime example of tight storytelling at its best, requiring only six episodes to cover a complicated and enthralling kidnapping case from all angles. And right at its center is a dazzling performance from actress Sarah Lancashire that would sweep the American awards circuit if Americans knew Happy Valley existed. Episode 4 also gave us one of the most intense and brutal moments of the television year.
The Knick | CINEMAX
The Knick is a stunner. I'm betting that auteur Steven Soderbergh can turn water into wine, because he's running a series that's poised to put Cinemax—a network that's long been known as the closest thing premium cable has to a smut factory"—on the map of excellent, groundbreaking TV. Armed with Clive Owen's intensely cool performance as a turn-of-the-century surgeon, Cliff Martinez's anachronistically perfect score, and Soderbergh's artful direction, The Knick is Cinemax's first true swing into the big leagues.
Manhattan | WGN AMERICA
WGN America's second original scripted program (after the witchy Salem) immediately earned the fledgling network serious cred as a source for outstanding drama. Set in the 1940s in Los Alamos, New Mexico—a town built in the middle of desert to serve as a top-secret headquarters for the nation's best scientists to invent the atomic bomb—Manhattan is a gorgeous, layered drama that lit a fuse in its pilot and kept on burning until its explosive Season 1 finale. The show is ostensibly about secrets (military, corporate, and personal) being kept under immense pressure in a confined environment, and every element of the story, from the military's mission to what's happening in the lives of the scientists' wives, is equally fascinating. Plus, fantastic performances abound; John Benjamin Hickey's turn as the mysterious Dr. Frank Winter is one of the standouts of the television year.
TV.COM INTERVIEW: Manhattan Series Creator Sam Shaw on Strong Female Characters, the Show's Surprisingly Modern Roots, and Why It Isn't a Story About WWII
The Missing | BBC ONE / STARZ
Yes, it's another co-production/British import in which parents receive devastating news about their child, but The Missing employs dual timelines set eight years apart to create a puzzle that's a heck of a lot of fun for viewers to solve. James Nesbitt's performance is amazing, the shooting locations are gorgeous, and the central mystery is entirely absorbing. Plus, it's open-and-shut in eight episodes! Well, we think it is—the first season is still airing here in the U.S.
Outlander | STARZ
Romance! Time travel! Kilts! Gorgeous scenery! Pecs! The television adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's popular novels has delivered on all accounts, and Starz was the perfect network to bring it to the small screen. The channel is on the rise, it can afford to spend some money on a genre piece, and it's known as a home for both sex and violence, two of Outlander's main ingredients. What's more, the source novels have a pre-installed fanbase that generated plenty of buzz, and showrunner Ronald D. Moore infused the series with instant critic cred. Mix all that together with on-location filming in Scotland and two compelling leads in Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan and you've got a recipe for success.