The Best New TV Shows to Binge in 2017 So Far
Set your DVRs because these are all the new TV shows of 2017 you need to be watching.
1. "Raven's Home" (Disney Channel)
Raven Baxter is BACK! In this reboot of the 2003 Disney Channel classic, Raven married her high school sweetheart Devon and they had two kids, Nia and Booker. But when they divorce (but remain friends), Raven and the kids move in with her lifelong best friend Chelsea and her son Levi so they can raise their kids together. With everyone living under one roof, things are bound to get crazy. Add Raven's son Booker's newly discovered visions of the future to the mix and the shenanigans will never cease!
2. The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Set in a dystopian future where people are unable to get pregnant, the few woman who can get pregnant are forced to become concubines and bear children for the upper class. This television adaptation of Margaret Atwood's classic book shows what can happen when people aren't paying attention to what their government is doing and become complacent.
3. "13 Reasons Why" (Netflix)
Despite the controversy surrounding its graphic depictions of sexual assault and suicide, 13 Reasons Why swiftly became the most popular Netflix show on social media less than a month after it premiered. Despite its imperfections, the story - which follows a boy named Clay as he listens to thirteen tapes left behind by his crush Hannah Baker explaining all the reasons she committed suicide - is being lauded for its unflinching portrayal of what it's like to be a high schooler in 2017.
Even though the show was originally touted as a limited series, the writers left a ton of unanswered questions in the season finale (that weren't left open-ended in the book) that have fans wondering if there's a second season in the works.
4. "Riverdale" (CW)
Whether you're a fan of the Archie comics or not, you're going to love the CW's modern take on them. CW's take incorporates the old-school, retro feel of the comics into a modern, dark retelling. The story kicks off during Archie's sophomore year in high school after the mysterious murder of Jason Blossom rocks the seemingly perfect town of Riverdale to its core.
The series features all the characters from the OG story like Archie, Jughead, Veronica, and Betty. Of course, the famous love triangle between Veronica, Archie, and Betty is alive and well in this alternate universe, but with a twist: it's more of a love SQUARE. Despite Jughead being asexual in the comics, he's seemingly into Betty in the show.
5. "Famous in Love" (Freeform)
If you're obsessed with all things celebrity and want an inside look at what it's like to be a glamorous Hollywood big wig, Famous in Love is the show for you. It's all about a regular college student named Paige who's skyrocketed to global fame when she lands the lead in a Twilight-esque book-to-movie adaptation called Locked at an open casting call. Obviously, love triangles, feuds and lots of scandals (on screen and off)!
6. "Andi Mack" (Disney Channel)
Disney Channel's newest show is so mature, its creator Terri Minsky (the same genius who created Lizzie McGuire) didn't think the kids' network would go for it. Andi Mack tells the story of Andi, a sheltered 13-year-old girl whose life gets turned upside-down when her older, cooler sister comes home and reveals a life-changing secret: She's not her sister - she's her mom. Woah. That sounds like a TV show more suited for Freeform than it is for a children's network like Disney Channel.
Andi Mack has the exact same real-life feel you appreciated about the classic Lizzie McGuire, but the shockingly realistic twist adds an emotional layer to the show that's not typical in Disney Channel's light and fluffy lineup.
7. "Dear White People" (Netflix)
When Dear White People's trailer hit YouTube back in February, it caused outrage among certain viewers who accused the show of being "anti-white" because of its title. The haters went on to #BoycottNetflix, but that didn't hurt Dear White People's chances of success one bit.
Because it's not anti-white at all. It's an enlightening show all about what it's really like being a black student at a predominantly white college in 2017 - a point of view that virtually non-existant on today's TV landscape. It unpacks issues of race and privilege through a comedic lens so it's enjoyable and binge-able at the same time as being timely, raw, and eye-opening.
This isn't one to miss and it has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating to prove it.
8."Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" (Netflix)
Based on your childhood favorite book by Lemony Snicket, AKA Daniel Handler, this Netflix show brings Count Olaf to life once again, but this time he's played by Neil Patrick Harris instead of Jim Carrey. When the Count becomes the guardian to three children named Klaus, Violet, and Sunny after their parents die in a fire, he hatches a plan to steal their inheritances.
9. "The Good Doctor" (ABC)
Based on the Korean drama of the same name, The Good Doctor follows a young surgeon with autism and Savant syndrome as he begins working in the pediatric surgical unit of a prestigious hospital. The show stars your childhood Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fave, Freddie Highmore, as Dr. Shaun Murphy. His wonderful performance in this instant hit show will further prove why everything he touches turns to gold!
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