Here are the top actors and actresses from the cable section of the television awards.

Supporting Actor on a Cable TV Show

#7.  Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead)

#6.  Paul Bettany (Manhunt: Unabomber)

#5.  Tyler Labine (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#4.  Elijah Wood (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#3.  Alfred Molina (eud: Bette and Joan)

#2.  Joe Gilgun (Preacher)

#1.  David Thewlis (Fargo)

One of the great villains of the year, David Thewlis truly was imposing and intimidating to the poor people on Fargo.  Complex and compelling, Thewlis could never be ignored.

Supporting Actress on a Cable TV Show

#7.  Izzie Steele (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#6.  Fiona Dourif (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#5.  Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel)

#4.  Jackie Hoffman (Feud: Bette and Joan)

#3.  Jean Smart (Legion)

#2.  Melissa McBride (The Walking Dead)

#1.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo)

She started as a con woman/villain Nikki Swango and quickly became someone whom everyone wanted to root for.  Her relationship with Ray in the series really was an honest and heartfelt one and provided much of the emotion for Fargo.  She was awesome.

Actor on a Cable TV Show

#5.  Dan Stevens (Legion)

#4.  Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel)

#3.  Sam Barnett (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#2.  Evan Peters (American Horror Story: Cult)

#1.  Ewan McGregor (Fargo)

This is the third win for Fargo in these categories, but this is probably the most deserving.  Ewan McGregor was so good in his dual role that it was hard to tell that he was the same actor.  His work as Ray was heartbreaking and then how Emmit went off the deep end after killing his brother was a tour de force of acting. 

Actress on a Cable TV Show

#6.  Amanda Marks (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#5.  Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Cult)

#4. Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)

#3.  Carrie Coon (Fargo)

#2.  Susan Sarandon (Feud: Bette and Joan)

#1.  Jessica Lange (Feud: Bette and Joan)

What kept Fargo form winning all four categories?  Two astounding performances from two brilliant actresses in one epic series.  The top of those two performances belongs to Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford.  Lange constantly filled each scene with the pain and the struggles of this star actress trying to keep relevant in a world that wanted to bring her down.  It was a raw and painful performance in many ways and showed just how powerful Jessica Lange could be. 

The second list of television programs will contain those shows that you can watch on cable.  HBO and Showtime and those types of networks are not included here.  They fall into the streaming list.

Top 10 Cable TV Shows

#10.  Mr. Robot (USA).  I have lost a lot of interest in the USA show.  I watched the first couple of episodes of the third season, and I have fallen behind because there were other shows I was more interested in seeing.  This is still one of those that I may try to catch up with.

#9.  American Horror Story: Cult (FX).  Still behind on this, but the real life type horror story based on the political climate of the world makes it all the more terrifying.  Plus… clowns.

#8.  Manhunt: Unabomber (Discovery).  The story of the chase to capture the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski was compelling each week.  While some of the acting was at times average, Paul Bettany’s Ted was always top notch.  The way the FBI eventually brought down the Unabomber was extremely fascinating.

#7.  Legion (FX).  Mutants on television.  But not just any mutant, but one of the trippiest ones ever.  Dan Stevens is amazing as Legion, the mutant who appears to be crazy.  It is an unbelievable world that we live in where the Shadow King can be a network TV villain.

#6.  Fargo (FX).  The third season of the anthology series may have been the worst, but the worst of Fargo is still better than most shows on TV.  There were great performances from Carrie Coon and Ewan McGregor and a great villain in VM Varga.

#5.  The Walking Dead (AMC).  This was a number one show for several years, but now it is number five on the cable section.  The Walking Dead has had its issues lately, but there is still enough there to be hopeful. The bite heard round the world seemed to have sealed the fate of Carl.  Negan is a great character.  So hopefully, this great show will find its way back to prominence.

#4.  Bate Motel (A&E).  The final season of Bates Motel was great, but it never reached the level of the fourth season final couple of episodes.  Sheriff Romero did not get his proper respect as a character, but there was some great one on one between Norman and his brother Dylan.

#3.  Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (BBCA).  Based on a book by Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently is a weird and wild adventure full of fun and wit.  Everything is connected?  Everything is connected to fun.

#2.  Feud: Bette and Joan (FX).  A brilliant series focusing on the feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.  Add in two amazing performances from Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange and the show is as compelling as possible.  Lange was heartbreaking as Joan Crawford. It was only 8 episodes and it was over way too soon.

#1.  Rick and Morty (Cartoon Network).  Pickle Rick!  I discovered Rick and Morty this year, binged the whole series on Hulu, and enjoyed the third season very much. Each week this show would push the limits more and more.  Heck, we had an episode with the return of the Vindicators where drunk Rick set up death traps, killing most of the team.  You don’t get things like that anywhere else.  These ten episodes were over before you knew it and we have no idea when exactly we may see Rick and Morty again.  So enjoy these episodes while you can.  Pickle Rick!!!!

I am an unapologetic fan of the WWE.  I have been a fan of wrestling since I was a little boy watching with my father and my grandmother.  I have been a WWE fan for years, since the days of Bob Backlund and Superstar Billy Graham.

I do not watch other forms of wrestling.  Not that I dislike other organizations such as New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) or Ring of Honor (ROH), but I do not watch them much. I prefer the WWE.  Much like Marvel in the world of comics, I am a part of the WWE Universe.

So these will all focus on WWE/NXT stars and matches.  I am sorry if that annoys you.

Match of the Year

#10.  SHIELD vs. The New Day (Survivor Series)

#9.  Wargames (NXT Takeover Wargames)

#8.  Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman (WWE Great Balls of Fire)

#7.  Aleistar Black vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT Takeover Wargames)

#6.  Usos vs. New Day (Hell in a Cell)

#5.  #DIY vs. Authors of Pain, Ladder Match (NXT Takeover: Chicago)

#4.  A.J. Styles vs. Brock Lesnar (Survivor Series)

#3.  A.J. Styles vs. Finn Balor (TLC)

#2.  Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dune (NXT Takeover: Orlando)

#1.  Authors of Pain vs. Revival vs. #DIY (NXT Takeover: Orlando)

Wrestler of the Year:  A.J. Styles

AJ Styles became a two-time WWE Champion after defeating Jinder Mahal on Smackdown Live.  He then had a classic match with Brock Lesnar.  AJ may be the best in-ring performer in the world right now.  He is a well deserving Wrestler of the Year for the 2nd consecutive year.

Runners-Up:  Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns

Mike Man:  Paul Heyman

No one can tell a story on the microphone as Paul Heyman.  He has the audience in the palm of his hand and his ability to put over the opponent is masterful.

Runners-Up: Kevin Owens, New Day, The Usos 

Feud of the Year:  Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

They built this feud brilliantly.  They made both men look tremendous, especially Braun Strowman.  Strowman was allowed to win matches against Reigns and it made him into the “Monster Among Men.”

Runners-Up:  The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan, DIY vs. Authors of Pain, The Bar vs. Rollins and Ambrose, The Usos vs. New Day

Show of the Year:  Smackdown Live

Runners-Up:  RAW, NXT, Mae Young Woman’s Tournament

PPV: NXT Takeover: Chicago

Runners-Up:  Great Balls of Fire, Wrestlemania 33, SummerSlam, NXT Takevoer: Orlando, NXT Takeover: Wargames

Misused Star of the Year:  Bayley

No performer was more misused than Bayley.  She was as big of a star as she could be in NXT, and when she arrived on the main roster, she was as over as anyone.  And then creative slowly dropped the ball with Bayley.  Now, she is just another woman in the locker room.

Runners-Up: Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt

Breakout Star of the Year:  Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman was the breakout star last year as well, but this year was truly the truth.  He is now a main event star and the most dominant and fear-inducing performer in years.

Runners-Up: Asuka, The Miz, The Usos, Rusev

Woman of the Year:  Asuka

Asuka was (and still is) undefeated in her NXT run and her arrival on RAW. She is the most dominant female we have seen perhaps ever. 

Runners-Up:  Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, Natalya

Tag Team of the Year:  The Usos

The Usos moved away from Roman Reigns, turned heel, and became the best tag team on the roster.  The Uso Penitentiary shows no signs of stopping. 

Runners-Up:  The Bar, The New Day, The Authors of Pain, Ambrose & Rollins

The D Bryan Shining Through the Crap Award:  Cedric Alexander

Cedric Alexander has been waiting patiently for his push.  Alexander is one of the most talented of the cruiserweights.  He may just now be getting what he is due.

Runners-Up:  The Miz

Worst Turn:  Jack Gallagher

Best Return:  Kurt Angle

Runners-Up:  The Hardy Boys

Worst Storyline:  Kurt Angle’s Illegitimate son, Jason Jordan

The golden age of television has been upon us for the last few years and there are so many opportunities to find quality entertainment that it is nearly impossible to rank anything via TV.  So last year, we split the TV categories into 4 sections.  Network, Streaming/HBO, Cable, and YouTube.  I really liked the separation and it allows us to look at more series and more types of entertainment.

This list is the YouTube list.  The following ten YouTube programs are great.  Sadly, there are two of them that are no longer with us, and that makes me very sad.  In fact, I hope that, at some point in the year of 2018, the people in charge reconsider their choice and return those two programs to their rightful place.  I know that I would watch them.

YouTube Programs

#1.  Movie Trivia Schmoedown (Collider).  The Movie Trivia Schmoedown had quite an incredible year.  The Schmoedown is one of the most entertaining programs on YouTube right now.  It mixes movie trivia with the world of WWE and UFC fighting.  It brings you great characters, teams, storylines, team factions and promos.  There are champions and challengers and the games are high drama.  The brainchild of the Schmoes (Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis), the Movie Trivia Schmoedown has only grown each week.  Each week there are matches mainly on Tuesday and Friday and it leads to big events such as the Collider Collision or the Schmoedown Spectacular.  Harloff is the current Movie Trivia Schmoedown Champion having defeated the legendary “Dangerous” Dan Murrell.  The team of “Little Evil” JTE and “The Insneider” Jeff Sneider form the championship team of The Patriots who have held that title all year long.  They have special divisions that include the Innergeekdom championship, held by Hector Navarro and the Star Wars Championship, held by Ken Napzok.  Napzok, who just recently turned heel (or to the Dark Side, if you want to remain in the Star Wars world) had a remarkable promo against the face Harloff.  The two of them arguing over Napzok’s heel turn was gold and worthy of the best of the WWE (a world where both men have more than a passing knowledge).  This was after Napzok turned his back on his Nerd’s Watch teammate Rachel “The Crusher” Cushing, forcing her to play in a handicap match against Blofeld’s Cat.  The episode was uncomfortable, but riveting.  This season of Movie Trivia Schmoedown ends on December 22nd with three YouTube videos featuring major matches that is known as the Schmoedown Spectacular II.  I know I’ll be watching.

#2.  The Top Ten Show (SK Plus).  This is a show has I complained about being cancelled last year and returned this year.  I love John Rocha and Matt Knost together and they have inspired me to follow their list each week with the EYG list.  Great show and great movie talk.

#3.  TV Fights (Screen Junkies). The first of the cancelled too soon shows on the list.  Roxy Striar hosted the debate show and our own Billy Business was the fact checker.  Each week, I would watch along live and it would make my night when Billy would read a tweet from me.  I miss TV Fights.

#4. Movie Fights (Screen Junkies).  This was almost on the list of cancelled shows, but it has returned with a new host and a new format.  Movie Fights became a victim of the sexual harassment accusation of former show host Andy Signore.  The others involved, rightfully so, pulled the debate show from the air until they were ready to move on.  Thankfully, the show returned this past Thursday with its sneak peak at the new show.  Welcome back.

#5.  Schmoes Know Show (Schmoes Know).  Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis are here again as they host a show on YouTube that streams live (most) every week on Wednesday nights.  They have a cast of revolving regulars helping them each week that include such individuals as Ken Napzok, Mark Reilly, Josh Macuga, Brett Sheridan, Joelle Monique among others.  There is a ton of fun and great talk. They passed show number 300 this year.  Here is to another 300 episodes!

#6.  Collider Movie Talk (Collider). A daily movie talk show featuring a revolving panel of commentators giving their opinions on the news of the day.  This year, Mark Ellis became the regular head of the panel, replacing former head John Campea.  They do routines such as Buy or Sell, Opening This Week and Twitter Questions.

#7.  TV Talk (Collider).  Here is cancelled show number two.  This show was great as it ran every Monday with Josh Macuga, Sinéad de Vries, Emma Fyffe, and David Griffin (and a few other guests along the way).  The show was so successful that they moved it to daily.  Then without warning, the show was pulled from YouTube.  That was strange going from once a week to daily to cancelled.  It was always great discussion with a crew that had a lot of chemistry.  Bring back TV Talk!  

#8.  Fatman on Batman (Kevin Smith). Pop culture icon Kevin Smith joins Marc Bernardin every week to talk about the latest in Geek culture and entertainment.  Anytime you can listen to Kevin Smith tell stories, it is a good thing, and he has a great chemistry with Marc Bernardin.

#9.  Heroes (Collider).    Jon Schnepp, director, comic book enthusiast, writer, hosts a (now) daily show that deals with discussion of everything heroes related.  Movies, television, comics- anything that they can.  There are many others that sit on the panel with Schnepp, but Jon certainly is one of the strongest voices.

#10. In Bob We Trust (Movie Bob).  Movie Bob does movie reviews, explains how he would “fix” certain franchises, does a popular series on movies that are “Really That Good” as well as other forms.  Movie Bob is enjoyable to listen to as he speaks fast and gives his honest opinions, even if you won’t like them.

This is the “I Am Groot” Award, the film that provides the best voice acting work.  This could be an animated movie that has a great voice work, or it could be an actor who performs a performance capture role or a CGI character that in featured in live action films (No, not Steppenwolf).

This award was first instituted last year. We gave out an honorary award last year as well.

Previous winners:  Robin Williams (Honorary), Awli’i Crovolho

There was not as many great voice acting this year as in past years, which speaks to the weakness of the animated films of 2017.

Runners-Up:  Kate McKinnon (Ferdinand), Bradley Cooper (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Will Arnett (Lego Batman), John Cena (Ferdinand), Anthony Gonzalez (Coco), Alec Baldwin (Boss Baby)

2017 I Am Groot Award winner:  Andy Serkis (War for the Planet of the Apes, Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Andy Serkis could have been considered another honorary winner of this award considering the epic nature of his career in performance capture.  Just with his work in the Lord of the Rings films as Gollum would be enough.  However, an honorary award is unnecessary for Andy Serkis as he is continually providing the best performances year after year.  And this year, he was exceptional as Snope in the Last Jedi and he was his usual excellent self as Caesar in the final Apes movie, The War for the Planet of the Apes.  It is very possible that we will be seeing the man take this award once again before his career ends.

As for the others- Both John Cena and Kate McKinnon were added to this list today, since I just saw Ferdinand.  They were both really good in that role.  I actually considered Kate McKinnon as the winner of this award, but, in the end, Serkis and his two great roles won out.  Will Arnett was great in one of the best Batman movies we have had in quite a while.  Young Anthony Gonzalez was great in Coco.  Alec Baldwin had a great year overall as Trump, Match Game and here. 

2017 was a big year for pop culture and choosing a Star of the year is always a challenge.  The Star of the Year could be an actor/actress, a musician, a performer, an iconic pop culture figure, a company…whatever.

The previous winners of this prestigious award include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jennifer Lawrence, Marvel Studios, JJ Abrams.

This year’s winner:

Gal Gadot

Gal Gadot was someone who I did not think would be able to handle the role of Wonder Woman.  Sure she looked great, but from what I had seen in Batman v. Superman and other films she had done, I did not believe that she had the acting chops to be Princess Diana.

How wrong I was.  She was wonderful, if you can excuse the pun.  Then, the movie Wonder Woman became a transcendent hit, bringing the female hero to the forefront of Geek culture.  And Gal was stand out.  She was also one of the stronger parts of Justice League.  Wonder Woman was a special moment for girls and boys together.  It cannot be overstated how important it is to the young girls of the world to have a hero like Diana.  Gal Gadot is truly perfect in the role.  I am so glad that I was wrong about it.

Runners-Up:  Stephen Colbert, Tom Holland, Disney, Alec Baldwin, Kate McKinnon.

Colbert, Baldwin and McKinnon truly raised their game this year because of Donald Trump.  Tom Holland became a new and Amazing Spider-man.  Disney is on the verge of purchasing FOX and maybe becoming the leading candidate for the 2018 Star of the Year.

Now, I do not mean to make any specific comment on the state of couples by pairing it up with death.  It is just a coincidence, but I do usually put these two categories together.

Best TV Death

#5.  Mary Watson (Sherlock).  I loved Mary.  She was great with John Watson on Sherlock.  She turned into a villain, but that did not make her loss easier.

#4.  Bob Newby (Stranger Things 2).  Bob arrived on Stranger Things as a questionable man.  Many thought he had an agenda… and he did.  His agenda was being a good man.  His death was more upsetting than we ever thought it would be.

#3.  The Patriot (Agents of SHIELD).  Jeffrey Mace was the new head of SHIELD and he was The Patriot.  He had a great heroic death, saving people in the Framework.  I was sad to see him go.

#2.  Sasha Williams (The Walking Dead).  Sasha had a great death scene, coming out of the coffin as a Walker.  She really put Negan on his heels, and the fact that she had planned it out was amazing.

#1. Shiva (The Walking Dead).  Maybe the strangest number one we have ever had.  The most emotional we have had this year was the CGI tiger.  Shiva got a great heroic death as well, saving King Ezekiel from the Walkers.  I was truly sad to see Shiva go.

Honorable Mention:  Norman Bates (Bates Motel), Stick (The Defenders), Alexandria (The Defenders), Belle (Once Upon a Time)

Worst TV Deaths

I have three names for this and they are all on the same show. And it is Inhumans

3. Triton

2. Gorgon

1. Dr. Evan Declan

The first two on the list both died in stupid ways only to come back from the dead.  Then, Henry Ian Cusick, who was playing the doctor/scientist who seemed to be an important character, but wound up being killed by Gorgon as a side note.

Best TV Couples

#5. Connor & Oliver (How to Get Away with Murder).  I have always enjoyed this pairing and they have had a very intriguing season.

#4.  Hook & Emma (Once Upon a Time).  It was happy ending for the OUAT couple.  Captain Hook and the Savior finally got married.  They also had perhaps the best musical episode on TV.

#3.  Phil Coulson & Melinda May (Agents of SHIELD).  Coulson & May have yet to really get together, but I am enjoying them.  They have great chemistry and have serious rooting factor.  And now, they are in space.

#2.  FitzSimmons (Agents of SHIELD).  Another great couple on Agents of SHIELD, Fitz and Simmons have had to struggle to find their way back to each other.  They are constantly being pulled apart, and need to find their way back.  They are great together.

#1.  Jughead & Betty (Riverdale).  “Bughead.”  Who knew that combining Betty with Jughead would become something so transcendent.  They became a much more important pairing than Archie and Veronica.  They are in a problem spot right now but I hope they find their way through it because they bring something special to Riverdale.

Honorable mention: Rick & Michonne (Walking Dead), Asher & Michaela (HTGAWM), Mike & Eleven (Stranger Things 2)

WORST TV COUPLES

Only two here…

#2.  Elijah Pope & Sandra (Scandal).  Obviously, if you end up shooting your true love in her head, you are not the greatest couple.

#1.  Olivia Pope & ANYONE.  (Scandal).  Olivia has had several partners this year.  From former Prez Fitz to Jake to that reporter guy.  Olivia is just no where near what she once was.  She has won this category before with Fitz, but now it is with anyone else.

Okay, so I know that there are plenty of other great comics from other great comic book companies.  The thing is… I collect exclusively Marvel Comics (I did purchase the Batman Dark Knight III, but that is basically it).

My list of best comics will be all Marvel.  You can happily make your own list.

Top Ten Marvel Comics of 2017

#10.  Spider-man.  That is Miles Morales.  I have enjoyed the feel of Miles Morales consistently.

#9.  Daredevil.  The beginning of the year saw the awesome debut of my favorite new villain, Muse.  Daredevil had a great year, including a trip to the Supreme Court.

#8.  Iron Fist.  The Iron Fist TV series was not up to par with the rest of the NetFlix shows, but the new Iron Fist comic series was great, with Danny Rand having to go through a tournament of the great Kung Fu masters to get his chi back.

#7.  Infamous Iron Man.  Who would have thought that having Victor Von Doom repent his evil ways and take up the armored mantel of Tony Stark would be a good idea.  I guess it always is good when you have great writing.

#6.  Secret Empire.  It started off strong, though very hated. Turning Captain America to Hydra was a mistake.  But if you would get past the character assassination, the story itself was pretty good and led the death of Black Widow.

#5.  Amazing Spider-man.  Dan Slott brought Peter Parker to the forefront of the world stage as the new Tony Stark, and then tore it all away from him.  All the while keeping the core of the character in tact.

#4.  The Unworthy Thor.  A five issue series that was just tremendous.  Why did Thor lose his hammer?  We find out what happened to him right after the loss of the hammer and then we found out why.  It was very strong series.

#3. Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man.  This series returned as a way to tell more lower level Spidey stories.  However, the issue where Peter Parker reveals his identity to J. Jonah Jameson was tremendous and redefined the series and the characters.  What a great moment.

#2.  Champions.  The team of Ms. Marvel, the new Hulk, Miles Morales, Nova, Cyclops, Viv Vision are always fun and they do feel like a different type of super hero team.  Plus, one of my tweets appeared in Champions #7.  Whoo-hoo

#1.  Hulk.  This is the new She-Hulk comic where they dropped the “She” before it.  Since the Legacy issues have renumbered back to the original run so it is labeled She-Hulk again.  The first five or six issues of Hulk were awesome.  It focused on Jen Walters and her new anger troubles. It also turned her grey.  It was an awesome take on the character.

MOST DISAPPOINTING

Man-Thing.  The five issue series with Man-Thing written by Goosebumps author R.L. Stein should have been fantastic, but it was such a thud that I was so disappointed with it.  The way he wrote the character was so uninspired that I could not believe it.  A master of horror who failed with the Man-Thing.

To Watch:  Runaways.  Marvel has gotten the band back together. And with the new series, Runaways could be a great series.  It has gotten off to a great start.

Other honorable mentions:  Weapon X, Scarlet Spider, The Totally Awesome Hulk, The Mighty Thor, Nick Fury, Moon Knight, The Invincible Iron Man

This is the wave of the future. It is how we will all be getting our programming one day.  The number of streaming services have exploded over the last couple of years and there is no putting the genie back in the bottle.

I mean… Disney started talking about their own service in 2018, which is one of the big reasons why Disney is attempting to purchase such a big chunk of IPs from FOX.  It is not just about bringing the Fantastic Four and the X-men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It is about bringing content to their streaming service.

Yes, Disney is in the future, but for now, I have the list of Top 8 streaming services for 2017.  Again, it is my choices and you may disagree.  I am not a Game of Thrones viewer so the appearance of that show on a certain streaming service does not impress me.

#8.  YouTube Red.  This is an attempt by YouTube to cash in on the streaming service.  I have not purchased this, but the idea of YouTube without the ads is, I must say, appealing.  The series that they have for the service has not caught my fancy at this point and it may need to come up with something more interesting to really compete.

#7.  CBS All Access.  Another one that I do not subscribe to, but the inclusion of the new Star Trek: Discovery series makes one think about it.  There are not enough CBS shows for this to matter to me either, but who knows.

#6.  Starz.  I did have Starz during this year in order to watch American Gods, but I have not watched anything else on it.  American Gods was a tremendous show, though and it was well worth the price.

#5. HBO.  There are great programs on HBO, but I do not subscribe here either.  I must say though that I have considered this several times.  I know that some day I will binge the seasons of Game of Thrones, but, with this series heading into its final season, I will not be getting HBO for it yet.

#4. Showtime.  One reason for this to be as high on this list as it is.  It was the reason why I purchased the service.  It was for the 18 episodes of Twin Peaks; The Return.  After Twin Peaks ended its run, I cancelled my subscription to Showtime.  I am just not interested in the network outside of Twin Peaks.  I did watch the Putin Interviews while I had it.  Those were somewhat fascinating.  One of the biggest WTF moments of the year was watching Oliver Stone make Vladimir Putin watch Dr. Strangelove.

#3. Amazon Prime.  This is with a bullet.  It has some great shows on it, especially the return of The Tick.  Amazon also outbid everybody for the rights to create a Lord of the Rings style TV show.  Another fun series here was Comrade Detective, showing us how to fight for the Communist ideals.  Amazon Prime is hot right now, but I am not sure it has enough oomph to get past numbers 1 and 2.

#2. Hulu.  Hulu has really moved itself into a position of strength.  They had some great original series (Handmaid’s Tale, The Runaways, 11/22/63) and it offers you a chance to stream HBO, Showtime and the networks.  Hulu has been working on becoming a player to compete with the big dog…

#1. Netflix.  Of course.  The king of the streaming service once again, Netflix is appointment TV.  Just this year they added such shows as Stranger Things 2, The Punisher, The Defenders, 13 Reasons Why, Glow, Big Mouth, Mindhunter, Santa Clarita Diet, A Series of Unfortunate Events, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Fuller House, Grace and Frankie, Bill Nye, Narcos, Castlevania, BoJack Horseman, Friends from College, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Crown, The Keepers… I could go on.  And that does not even include the new movies Netflix is putting out.  Or the old favorites that you can get.  Netflix is still the top of the line and it might take a lot to bump it off its perch.  We’ll see if the Mouse can do it.

There were actually quite a few really good villains over the year of 2017.  Here will be the top 12 villains for the year.

#12.  Clifford Blossom (Riverdale).  Turns out that Daddy Blossom wound up killing his own son in the first season of Riverdale.  There were many throwbacks to Twin Peaks with this story, including the father being guilty.  The story was right before our eyes the whole time, as was the white hair (not red as you thought).

#11.  Kai Anderson (American Horror Story: Cult).  I actually am in the middle of this season, trying to catch up with AHS: Cult and I am enjoying the performance of Evan Peters as the charismatic cult leader with intentions of a higher position.  I do not know yet how the season ends (I am in episode 7) but Kai is the heart and driving force behind this realistic and horrifying season.

#10.  Penguin (Gotham).  Every year, Oswald Cobblepot is in consideration for this list and that is because he is one of the best written characters on Gotham.  He is deeply developed and the portrayal by Robin Lord Taylor is amazing.  He instills such pain and loss in Penguin that you can’t help but relate to him despite the terrible things he does to get ahead.  Penguin has shined brightly in season 4 of Gotham and he continues to be a standout character on that show.

#9.  Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War trailer)  This is probably going to be someone who is considerably higher on this list next year as the actual movie comes out next May 4th.  Thanos stands out in this trailer as a serious threat to the MCU.  Josh Brolin does some great voice over work and the CGI looks tremendous.  Thanos is on the way up.

#8.  Negan (The Walking Dead).  Negan was number one last year, but, oh how the mighty have fallen.  Negan has been a non-factor for much of the last year.  The show has slowly moved the main cast into a war with the Saviors and the charismatic Negan, but it is happening so slowly that the villainy of Negan is slipping away.  When you add in the greatness of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Negan still makes this list, but at a considerably lower point than when Lucille crushed Glenn’s head in.

#7.  Olivia Pope (Scandal).  A few weeks ago in the TV Week That Was, I speculated that Olivia Pope has actually been replaced by a Skrull.  That is the only reason I can think of as to why Olivia Pope, who would speak about being a Gladiator and wearing a white hat, would become the leader of the black ops group B613, becoming as bad as her father was/is.   I don’t know what this character ever did to the writers of Scandal, but she is practically unrecognizable this season.  Truthfully, Olivia has never been the same since she was kidnapped in season 5.  So… though she is not really a Skrull, that makes more sense.

#6.  Hela (Thor: Ragnarok).  Cate Blanchett in the MCU?  Yes please.  And they made her Hela, the Goddess of Death.  She was one of the best villains of the MCU and really made a serious threat in Thor: Ragnarok.  She destroyed Mjölnir, she killed the Warriors Three with but a thought, and took over the throne of Asgard.  Could Hela return as the object of affection for Thanos?  Oh, that would be so epic.

#5.  V.M. Varga (Fargo).  One of the slimiest, horrible villains of the year arrived on Fargo.  Just the teeth alone made this guy a disturbing persona, but there was so much more.  He did things and just expected to get away with it.  He cared only for his bank account and he was cruel and vicious.  David Thewlis does a great job in every scene that Varga appears.  You really want this guy to get his comeuppance and that is the key to a great villain.

#4.  Professor Pyg (Gotham).  I love this guy.  Pyg appeared on this season’s Gotham and he has created a serious creep factor.  Not a well known DC character, Pyg really gave Jim Gordon an antagonist to play against.  The fact that Pyg did not see Jim as an enemy at first made this villain all the worse.  And then he made up some meat pies and forced people to eat them.  Absolutely brutal and gross and awesomely villainous.

#3.  Vulture (Spider-man: Homecoming).  When we heard that Michael Keaton would be joining the cast of Spider-man: Homecoming, everybody took notice.  And his ability elevated a character like Adrian Toomes aka the Vulture to another level.  The acting skills of Keaton made his car confrontation with Peter Parker all the more intense.

#2.  Evil Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks).  Kyle McLaughlin had an acting tour de force this year as he played both the villain and the hero in the return of Twin Peaks.  The evil doppelganger of Dale Cooper (with Killer Bob inside him) was just wicked the whole time.  He had the best arm wrestling match of the year!  He was vicious and no one was really sure exactly what was happening.  Evil Coop wound up back in the Black Lodge, with Bob finally gone, but do you think that we could see him again some day?

#1.  Pennywise (It).  This was tricky.  If the new version of Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård, failed, then the new Stephen King adaptation of It would fail as well.  Bill Skarsgård had huge shoes to fill as Tim Curry’s appearance in the original mini series as the Dancing Clown was so iconic that he was remembered more fondly than the series itself.  Bill Skarsgård knocked it out of the park.  Pennywise was creepy, terrifying, funny and perfect.  And It was one of the best movies of the year.  Pennywise looked like he was a goner, but we know that there is a second It coming down the road.  Maybe Pennywise will be able to end at the top of this list once again.

Worst Villains of the Year.

I wanted to talk about three particular villains that were really bad.

#3.  The Black Hood (Riverdale).  This one still has a chance to pull itself out of the crap that it is in.  The Black Hood killer started hot, but it has really become a flop of a character.  On the phone with Betty?  Um… In what could have been something worthy of Riverdale, so far, the Black Hood has been way too inconsistent.

#2.  Alexandria (The Defenders) When the word came down that the villain of the Defenders would be played by Sigourney Weaver, we all got excited.  Then we saw her in the remarkably average Defenders and we wondered why we were so excited.  She did not even make the final battle, dying from Elektra’s blade a few episodes before the finale.  Definitely a disappointment.

#1. Steppenwolf (Justice League).  Easy.  The worst villain of the year is Steppenwolf.  He was nothing more than a giant video game characters with no motivation, no reason, and terrible CGI.  This was not the type of villain that should have been facing off against the Justice League.  The look of the character was just the worst.  Steppenwolf was the most obvious problem the Justice League had, and was a terrible draw away from the positives of the interactions among the heroes.  I hated every scene that had Steppenwolf in it.

Each year, there are films that are released in 2016 in limited release in order to qualify for Oscar races, but they do not go wide release may times until January.  That would make them 2016 films that I see in 2017.  Last year, I eliminated these films from my list of Top 30 films of the year because they were really films from the previous year.  However, I figured, why not recognize these films anyway.  All it would mean would be they can have a list all to themselves.

So here are the Top 5 films of 2016 that I saw during the calendar year of 2017.

#5.  Silence.  Great performances from Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver was contained within the latest film from Martin Scorsese.  It had an epic feel to it, but it also had a lengthy feel to it.

#4.  The Founder.  The story of how McDonald’s went from a small business in California to a worldwide conglomerate of fast food.  Starring Michael Keaton in a solid performance as Ray Kroc.

#3.  Patriots’ Day.  The story of how the police and the FBI were able to capture the terrorists who set the Boston Marathon bombs.  Inspirational while also brutal, Patriots’ Day nearly slipped into the #2 spot.

#2. Hidden Figures.  How did NASA get a man into orbit?  This is the true story of how a group of African American women helped that to happen.  Hidden Figures is a fun and entertaining history lesson that we all should have known.

#1.  A Monster Calls.  I was ridiculously emotional during this.  I loved this film and I thought the performance of Lewis MacDougall was beyond anything I had seen from a young actor.  The tree was great (although I did keep thinking about Groot) and this story was perfectly told.  The mystery of exactly what was happening really ripped out the heart of the viewer.  It was so great.  It deserves a number one spot.

It is now December, and where did this year go?  It seemed like we were just bidding farewell to the horrid pile that was 2016 and welcoming a new slate that would be 2017.  Where does the time go?

It is time to bid bon voyage to 2017 and begin to welcome 2018 into Geek Nation.  We do this every year, creating lists of the best and worst in Geek culture from the past calendar year.

We look at Movies, Television, wrestling, streaming services, the internet, pop culture, actors and actresses as well as many other areas of interest.

Again, these list are all the opinion of EYG and only of EYG.  If you are offended by something here, well… make your own list.

Over the next month, I will be adding to this on a regular basis, culminating with a look ahead to 2018 (Hello, Infinity War).

BY THE WAY… FROM THIS POINT ON… THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!!!

SO BEWARE!!!!!!