10 Best TV Performances Of 2017 (So Far)
The actors who have been, like a slice of cherry pie, damn good in 2017.
2017 has already been a h*ckin good year for television, from the quarter-of-a-century-in-the-waiting return of one of TV's most influential shows, to the weird and wonderful new pretenders to the crown.
While there are various elements that make these shows great - TV has always been a writers' medium, but it's also increasingly cinematic and beautifully directed - at the heart of many of these brilliant shows are the actors and actresses who inhabit them.
They are charged with bringing those scripts to life, and a strong performance can elevate an average series, make a good one great, or transcend the material to become truly iconic in its own right, and those are things all of these have done so far this year. (A couple of notes: only one character per show, and only shows that have aired at least half their season this year, so Game of Thrones (and thus Lena Headey) isn't eligible yet).
Honourable Mention: Tatiana Maslany - Orphan Black
Honestly, in any given year that Orphan Black has been on screen, Maslany could walk into the top of any such list. Her performance over the past five seasons has been superlative - even if the show itself has been a little more up and down in its quality (Maslany is really what keeps me watching) - something that was finally recognised at the Emmys last year (and hopefully will be again next year).
Hers is one of the best TV performances of the decade, and there's not much more to be said about the stunning way she brings so many different characters to life and then interacts with herself in various ways. She gets an honourable mention, because she's got a lifetime pass.