The buzziest show of the year, Stranger Things is an unrepentant love letter to the 1980s. The story – essentially The Goonies Go Monster Hunting – is sharp and suspenseful, but you’ll have most fun spotting references. Almost every scene contains an overt nod to a classic film. Stand By Me. Carrie. ET. Under the Skin. A Nightmare on Elm Street. Minority Report. Aliens. Great to watch if you enjoy feeling smarter than the people you’re watching with.

Mr Robot arrived out of nowhere last year. Originally broadcast on an American network most known for its professional wrestling output, it somehow beat the odds and made Best of 2015 lists everywhere. Featuring a star-making turn by Rami Malek – who similarly seemed to arrive out of nowhere, despite playingKing Ahkmenrah in the Night at the Museum movies – this cyber-thriller about a paranoid hacker is bold and disorientating. Happily, the second series is just as good as the first.

Rami Malek and Joey Bada$$ in Mr Robot. Photograph: USA Network/Getty Images

An endless number of shows have attempted to satirise the world of reality TV in the past, but none do it as well as UnREAL. This is because, where previous efforts have been comedies intent on ramping up the genre’s absurdities, UnREAL gives it the peak TV treatment. It’s an out-and-out drama, set behind the scenes on a Bachelorette-style dating show, and follows a producer’s long, slow fight to retain a scrap of dignity while culture bottoms out around her. UnREAL feels like a true peek behind