Adam Epstein

This article contains some spoilers for season four of Netflix’s Black Mirror.

By now you’ve probably already read at least one “best of television in 2017” list, if not several of them. Many of these lists are quite good, explaining in detail why a wide variety of television shows are deserving of the accolades they’ve received. But these lists don’t take always into account your precious time and energy, both of which are increasingly limited in this era of rapid TV proliferation. No reasonable person can actually be expected to watch all of the shows that TV critics tell them to.

The last 12 months have been marked by political upheavals, natural disasters, and a continuous string of scandals that plagued virtually every industry in the global economy. Though appraisals of 2017 vary depending on the person, it has been an ugly year from a purely objective standpoint—one so messy and brutal and eerie that the world might appear unfamiliar to you in a way you’ve never quite experienced before.

This is part of our series on The gift of good TV. Stay tuned for our final story this week.

Well, it happened. Disney and Fox confirmed today what had been rumored for weeks: The two entertainment giants are joining forces. Disney is buying most of 21st Century Fox for $52 billion, the biggest and most consequential media merger in an era of big and consequential media consolidation deals.

Disney will acquire most of 21st Century Fox in a blockbuster deal worth $52 billion, the two companies announced today. Disney will get Fox’s TV and film studios, its cable TV networks (FX and National Geographic), and its stake in Hulu, which gives the Mouse House a controlling stake in the streaming service.

Prince Harry is having a pretty good month. Two weeks ago, the British royal announced he was engaged to American actress Meghan Markle, and today (Dec. 12), he confirmed what had been rumored for more than a year: He and his brother, William, are in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The first reactions to The Last Jedi are in, and they’re universally glowing. Those who have seen the film say it’s one of the most unique entries in the Star Wars universe, filled with truly unexpected moments.

This is part of our series on The gift of good TV. Stay tuned for new stories over the next two weeks. 

Black Mirror has made its name depicting oppressively dark visions of our future in neat little 60-minute installments. The best moments of its genre-bending new season, however, come when Black Mirror lightens up.

The producers of The Ranch have written Danny Masterson out of the comedy series amid a police investigation into allegations that he raped four women, Netflix announced today. The news comes just a day after Netflix content boss Ted Sarandos confirmed that House of Cards will continue for one season without actor Kevin Spacey, who was fired following multiple sexual misconduct allegations. And last month, Jeffrey Tambor left Amazon’s Transparent after being accused of sexual harassment.

Why do they keep going back to Isla Nublar?

Imagine that a shadowy organization known only as “The Network,” with seemingly infinite connections to the governments of global powers, is capable of orchestrating death and destruction on a massive scale, selectively targeting entire populations for extermination. Imagine also that the key to unlocking this group’s secrets is hidden within an unpublished manuscript for the sequel to a cult graphic novel, which is in the possession of an 11-year-old boy.

Michael Flynn, president Donald Trump’s former national security advisor, plead guilty yesterday to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russia, suggesting he could have a cut a deal with investigator Robert Mueller to offer damaging information on the president in exchange for a lighter charge.

After almost a year out of the sport, Tiger Woods has returned to competitive golf. He’s currently tied for fifth place at the Hero World Challenge, a tournament taking place this weekend in the Bahamas that features some of the best players in the world. (Woods is hosting the tournament, which benefits his charitable foundation.)

The US Senate narrowly passed its tax overhaul bill in the wee hours of this morning, after Republicans made a number of last-minute changes to satisfy the few remaining holdouts from their party.

I never thought I would ever feel bad for Tommy Wiseau, the inscrutable mind responsible for what many have deemed the worst movie ever made, The Room. I didn’t think I would ever admire Wiseau either, but here we are. James Franco’s The Disaster Artist, a film about the ridiculous creation of The Room, has made me feel both these things.

One of the great American dramas of the 21st century could be returning to television.

Disney released the long-awaited trailer for Avengers: Infinity War today, the 19th film in the Marvel cinematic universe. This one promises to be the biggest and most superhero-y Marvel movie yet, featuring virtually every hero we’ve come to know and love since the comic book company kicked off its modern film slate with Iron Man in 2008.

Matt Lauer was fired from NBC News today after the network was made aware of detailed allegations that he sexually harassed a colleague. CNN reported that the New York Times and Variety had been investigating the former Today anchor for weeks.

Matt Lauer was fired from NBC News today after the network received a detailed allegation about his “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” The news was announced live on television by his former colleague and current Today host Savannah Guthrie, who read a statement from NBC News chairman Andy Lack.

There are only a few sure things in this world: death, taxes, and Democratic politicians dominating the Grammys.

By now, you’ve heard the news: Prince Harry of Wales and American actress Meghan Markle are engaged, the British palace announced today. Markle will be the first American to marry into the royal family since the socialite Wallis Simpson married King Edward VIII in 1936, sparking a constitutional crisis in the UK. The prince and Markle are set to wed sometime in the spring.

Books are the fuel that make the Hollywood engine run. According to one estimate, 20% of the top 1,000 films in the past decade were based on novels, and countless more movies and TV shows are derived from short stories, nonfiction books, graphic novels, and other texts. Without books, we’d have nothing to put on our screens.