10 Best New TV Shows Of 2017

7. Big Little Lies

Nicole Kidman. Reese Witherspoon. Laura Dern.

Those three names alone all-but-guaranteed Big Little Lies would be watchable, but their performances (and those from Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgård et al) combined with David E. Kelley's sharp writing and Jean-Marc Vallée's sun-drenched direction.

The show promises a murder from the very beginning, and gradually unspools its mystery over the course of 7 great episodes, each more addictive than the list - this is made for HBO, but you'll want to binge it as if it were on Netflix. The setup, which focuses on the mothers of children who all attend the same school, could feel too airy, but they make it into something worthy of its prestige billing.

With some hilarious interplay from its female stars the show can be bitingly funny at times, but it also delivers a rich (and rich-person) melodrama and much more besides. The show tackles some very serious matters across its run, but does so in ways that, while shocking, also feel natural and well thought out, giving the snaking plot twists and turns an effective backbone of weighty drama, and of course that cast is more than up to the task. Witherspoon and Kidman, as Madeline and Celeste, give some of their best work in years, and Skarsgård is truly frightening as Celeste's husband.