My Five Favorite TV Shows, Movies, Tweeters, and Songs from 2018

Part of me likes high-culture (opera, ballet, classical music).  But I have a Mr Hyde – and he likes junk sci-fi, Netflix dramas, hip-hop and EDM. Yes, I’m several decades too old for that kind of music – but ever since I switched from Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin to The O’Jays and Luther Vandross in the 1970s, my taste in music has been very urban.

Likewise, with TV – I love documentaries and highbrow (BBC) shows.  But you know what? After a day reading and writing non-fiction, I want to switch off more than switch on.

Here are my lists – for 2018.  Oh, and here is Obama’s. Obama’s top movies, books, and songs

ICYMI – My top 5 podcasts from Think Bigger Think Better

AND – My top-5 non-fiction reads from 2018

5 top Twitter accounts

1. Tom Nichols @radiofreetom– a lapsed Republican and intellectual becomes one of Trumps harshest critics. Author of Death of Expertise.
2. Bernie Sanders @SenSanders – We need his voice. I don’t agree with everything by a long shot, but the US needs an intelligent, articulate, passionate, and uncorrupted voice from the far left.
3. Nate Silver @NateSilver538 – Superstar statistician (and former poker pro) uses data-driven analysis of politics, sports, and science.
4. Scott Kelly @StationCDRKelly – Dude runs the ISS. Amazing photos. Great insights.
5. Annie Duke @annieduke – The best quotes on Twitter – Feynman, Aurelius, Tetlock – the best insights into decision-making.

5 Best Songs of 2018

1. Logic – AfricAryaN ft. Neil de Grasse Tyson
2. Juice Wrld – Lucid Dreams and Wasted (he gets 2!)
3. Travis Scott – Stargazing
4. French Montana – No Stylist ft. Drake
5. J Cole – KOD

5 Best TV Shows of 2018 (ok, seven)

With apologies to Handmaids Tale and Black Mirror – which I did not finish.

1. Ozark – Jason Bateman kills it in this dark battle between cartels, and backwoods rednecks.
2. Killing Eve – BBC at its finest. On the surface a show about a beautiful female assassin (yawn), but the quirky humor makes it great watching. (I finished the whole season in an evening!)
3. Dark (Dunkel) – a German Stranger Things. Darker (doh). Watched it in German for giggles.
4. Westworld Season 2 – after a slow and confusing start in episode 1, as dope as the first season.
5. Who – We now have a female Dr. who crushes it. I first watched this show in 1963! Some say it is too political now. I say go back to the Brady Bunch then.
6. Expanse – Season 3. The first few episodes of Season 1 were so-so, then the writers hit their stride and wow!  An elegantly created future solar system with Mars, Earth, and the Asteroid Belt at war with each other and an alien presence.
7. Rick and Morty, Bojack Horseman – just in case you thought I lost my sense of humor.

5 Best movies of 2018

I watch movies mostly with my kids.  No Hungarian directors, or Arab stars – car chases and sci-fi for us.  A very pedestrian collection, suitable for an eight- and fourteen-year-old.

• BlackKKKlansman – Spike Lee manages to be political and subtly hilarious in this timely release of a black police officer infiltrating the KKK (yes, really.)
• Black Panther – Marvel does it again. Watch this for the incredible costumes and photography. (Ok, ok and a bit of fighting.)
• Christopher Robin – I was dreading this. Am very glad my eight-year-old is growing up so I no longer have to sit through Disney claptrap. It was full of charm and humor. Delightful!
• First Man – I was 8 when we landed on the moon. That (and Star Trek) shaped my worldview immensely. This is what humanity can do at its finest.
• Annihilation – Natalie Portman and Tessa Thompson crush it.  There was lots of bad sci-fi in 2018, this poked its head above the crowd.

OK – tell me what I’ve missed. Your fave TV, music, and movies from 2018?