2018 Winners! The Best Shows of the Year

1 / The Americans

Some series are better off for not going out with a bang. FX’s brilliant spy drama The Americans was true to its morally ambiguous self with the chilly, bitter and haunting final episode. 

Death might have been a gentler punishment for Russian spies-next-door Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) than the aching void they face upon returning to their unwelcoming motherland, together yet alone, in the bleakest of open endings. John le Carré couldn’t have scripted their exodus from America, where they’d been embedded long enough to plant roots and raise a family, with more shattering consequence. 

Pick up a copy of the magazine for more.

Also in this issue:

• The Orville: Creator-star Seth MacFarlane and costar Adrianne Palicki talk round two of Fox’s space romp.
• Streaming Mady Easy!: We break down the tech, the services and more in five simple steps to make you (yes, you!) a streaming pro.
• Going for the Gold: Senior Critic Matt Roush gives his take on who should and who will most likely win at the Golden Globes in January. Will The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel make another big splash?
• Plus: Chef Anne Burrell talks the lastest season of Worst Cooks in America; the best bets from the annual Twilight Zone marathon; Catherine Zeta-Jones dishes on Queen America; and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.

The Holiday Issue! Hoda & Savannah: The ‘Today’ Stars Celebrate Their First Anniversary as Cohosts

Whether they’re hosting the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in record-low temperatures or posing in sky-high heels for TV Guide Magazine’s holiday-themed photo shoot, Savannah Guthrie’s and Hoda Kotb’s smiles never dim.

Now approaching their first anniversary as Today coanchors, the longtime NBC News colleagues are a generally irrepressible duo exuding good cheer and friendship — and they’re striking ratings gold.

After Matt Lauer’s exit last November due to alleged sexual improprieties, Today has comfortably remained No. 1 among morning shows in the advertiser-coveted demo of viewers age 25–54, while steadily gaining on ABC’s Good Morning America in total viewers. (At press time, it had beaten GMA for four straight weeks.)

We sat down with the pair — after they changed into comfortable flats — to talk about their close relationship, covering tough stories and their best family Christmas memories.

Also in this issue:

• Holiday Preview: Ho-ho-hold on—you’re going to need this guide to wade through all of this year’s holiday episodes (like NCIS and Fresh Off the Boat), specials (CMA Country Christmas), marathons and movies. Plus, a handy seasonal calendar.
• Happy Days: Henry Winkler looks back on Fonzie’s first Christmas.
• Outlander: Behind the scenes: With ingenuity and major construction, the Starz hit’s Scotland set becomes 1700s North Carolina.
• Plus: Bruce Springsteen comes to Netflix; TV Guide Magazine‘s 2018 Gift Guide; Fuller House‘s family grows again; scoop on Timeless‘s send-off; and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.

#1 New Show ‘FBI’: Meet Primetime’s Toughest Crime Fighters

The scene filming on a crisp November day in New York City has all the elements of a Dick Wolf procedural. Emergency vehicles crowd the street, while police officers keep oglers away from yellow Crime Scene tape. A young man and woman stride up the steps of New York’s City College, which is standing in for a fictional school where a controversial figure was burned to death. The duo: special agents Omar Adom Zidan (Zeeko Zaki), known as OA, and Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym), the heroes of producer Wolf’s new CBS drama, FBI.

The look of determination they each have hints at the partners’ confidence they’ll eventually find their perp. “If they’re knocking on your door, they’ve got you,” Zaki says ahead of filming this upcoming episode. “There’s no running.”

Viewers aren’t going anywhere, either. Since its September 25 premiere, FBI has won its Tuesday 9pm timeslot with more than 9 million people tuning in, making it the season’s No. 1 new show. No surprise, as it’s like comfort food to fans of Wolf’s other shows, such as NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the Chicago franchise. While some things are different — FBI deals with federal-level cases like terrorism — familiar elements remain. Namely, bad guys are brought to justice, and Wolf treats the agents with the same reverence and respect he extends to first responders.

“I grew up in an FBI-friendly environment. My favorite uncle was an FBI agent,” says Wolf, who also produced Inside the FBI: New York, a 2017 docuseries for USA. With this drama, he has a simple goal: to show “the boots on the ground, highlighting the work that is done on a day-to-day basis to keep us all safe.”

And though the real FBI has come under partisan fire recently, “this show is not political,” Wolf continues. Indeed, the bad guys aren’t inside the bureau. In the pilot, the team brought down a white supremacist bomber and MS-13 gang members.

Upcoming episodes mix topical issues and bread-and-butter FBI concerns, like environmental violence and white-collar crime. The December 4 installment hinges on the murder of a U.S. marshal and a witness he was protecting. Maggie and OA must track down the person who leaked info that led to the hit.

The show’s strong cast also includes Sela Ward as Special Agent in Charge Dana Mosier, Law & Order veteran Jeremy Sisto as her deputy, Jubal Valentine, and newcomer Ebonee Noel as whip-smart analyst Kristen Chazal. But Maggie, a recently widowed workaholic from a law-enforcement family, and OA, a Muslim former military officer new to the FBI, are the central characters. So finding the right actors to portray them was a top priority.

Also in this issue:

• Feel-Good TV: Adventure and setbacks await in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2. Plus: Top mood-lifters like Schitt’s Creek, One Day at a Time and The Big Bang Theory.
• Arrowverse Crossover: Three of The CW’s supershows—The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl—collide for their annual action-filled mashup.
• Vicki Lawrence: My Life on TV: The Cool Kids star talks Carol Burnett and Hannah Montana.
• Plus: Meet the crew of Syfy’s Nightflyers; Jennifer Aniston is a pageant mom in Dumplin‘; the best way to give the gift of streaming; a tribute to the late Stan Lee; J.K. Simmons talks Counterpart; and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.