20 Best TV Shows Of 2017

17. The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Amazon

Amy Sherman-Palladino returned to screens last year with Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which received a largely positive response, but her latest venture is perhaps even better. It's certainly more original, and yet features all the fast-talking dialogue, dysfunctional families, and strong female characters you'd expect from the creator.

Airing on Amazon, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel takes place during the 1950s, and sees a housewife unexpectedly set on the path to becoming a stand-up comedian.

With House of Cards' Rachel Brosnahan in the lead role, Miriam 'Midge' Maisel becomes a delightful presence; funny, smart, fierce, and eminently worth rooting for. Sherman-Palladino's trademark dialogue (now with curse words) fits perfectly into both stand-up and the very Jewish side of 50s New York, the production design is gorgeous, and it is uproariously funny.

There's real character work underpinning all of that too, with a talented cast of familiar faces (Alex Borstein is a standout), and it's a show with vast amounts of heart, humour, honesty, and charm by the truckload.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.