2018 was the year that time stretched long and thick like evil taffy.  Maybe the crumbling of American democracy had some kind of cosmic effect on it, but it felt this year felt like three...and a half. Thankfully, the year was crammed with great television, movies and music.  From Black Panther (yes it was released this year) to HBO's Succession to the return of Christina Aguilera, the entertainment got us through it.  

With that said, Hollywood definitely tried it in too many ways, and here’s hoping they will stay in the endless nightmare-chasm that was 2018.  Here are 8 entertainment trends that should stay in 2018...

Despite loving my new day job, the only real reason why I am so excited for Mondays these days is because of CBS's new screwball sitcom, Happy Together. Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West star as a homebody married couple, who take in Cooper James, a dashing Aussie popstar who needs a break from the fast life.  Admittedly the premise in ridiculous (and sitcom-gold), but Happy Together is effortlessly funny, surprisingly witty show where the stellar cast (includes Stephanie Weir and Victor James) takes turns stealing scenes from each other.  

Yet I wasn't shocked to learn the following: CBS has not ordered any additional episodes of Happy Together, and the series will mostly likely end with just a 13-episode run due to lackluster ratings (about 4 million with a .9 demo), THR.com reports.  This unfortunate news only solidifies my theory that some shows, like Fox’s short-live Pitch, are just too good for broadcast television. Shoot your shot, Netflix!

If you feel a chill and smell pumpkin spice in the air, it can only mean one thing: Fall TV is here!  And if you're anything like Small Screen Girl, you spent the summer lamenting about the surprise pregnancies, weddings, break-ups, potential murders, angelic possessions and more.  Finales put our favorite characters through the ringer, and premieres aren't that much kinder either.  

Here are 8 characters who deserve better in the 2018-2019 season.  

I truly believe that you stumble on the right television show at the right time.  I call it Divine Fandom.  When I was struggling in both my personal and professional life, I somehow found Shameless—the Showtime drama about a dysfunctional family from the south side of Chicago that my best friend has begged me to watch for years.  No matter what is happening in your life, I felt nothing but #blessed after seeing what the Gallaghers endure on a daily basis.

Within a week, I was six seasons deep into the drama that is equal parts crazy, heartwarming, hilarious and fantastic.  It’s a shame how a show that is inclusive, that is as dark and twisted as Shameless, that is as expertly and sublimely acted has been mostly ignored by major award shows.  Yet it also falls in line with the drama’s south side charm.  The Gallaghers move heaven and earth just to survive, barely catch a break, so why would they expect any praise? 

Here are 6 reasons—one for each Gallagher (psychotic half-sister Sammy doesn’t fucking count)—to binge Shameless before the start of Season 9 on September 9.

Geek Christmas, otherwise known as San Diego Comic Con, has come and gone, and thankfully left plenty of spoilers beneath our glowing light sabers, bat signals and comic books.  

Though most television shows have just began production, the stars and producers came armed with juicy tidbits and even new trailers.  Here are some of the most intriguing news and teasers for new and returning series, like The Flash, Supernatural, Star Trek Discovery and more...

If you’ve spent more than five minutes on this blog or my Twitter feed, you know I’m not shy about sharing my opinions.  It’s a blessing and a curse for an entertainment critic, because while I don’t want to have an intense feeling about everything from the flower arrangements at the latest trainwreck of a housewives event, I guarantee you I could do a five-minute rant on them. 

But that’s not to be said that I don’t have a ton of questions either.  I’m plagued with just as many if not more.  Here are just a few of the burning questions and maybe some answers on my favorite TV shows like Jane The Virgin, Grey’s Anatomy, Black Lightning and more…

We are currently in the midst of the second golden age of television, thanks to an abundance of streaming networks and the emergence of niche programming.  However, Hollywood's nauseating love of reboots and remakes smacks of such unoriginality and laziness on behalf of the studios.  So it's ironic that one of my favorite shows, and one of the best shows on television and streaming services is Netflix's One Day At A Time, a remake of the 1975 show.

Starring Justina Machado and the legendary Rita Moreno (a member of the prestigious EGOT club), this remake is centered on a divorced veteran mother, her extended family and pesky landlord Schneider as  in modern day Los Angeles.  One Day At A Time is a seamless and exceedingly watchable combination of comedy, drama and a family's amusing and relatable dysfunction.  

So I was aghast when the cast and crew began expressing concern that Netflix had yet to renew it for a third season.  In a world where Fuller House not only exists but is thriving, I cannot abide by this at all.

Here are 8 reasons why Netflix needs to renew One Day At A Time immediately.

When I was a little girl, my mother didn’t buy me clothes with white people on them.  It was her way of making sure I didn't idolize the litany of white characters on television and in books.  I never really noticed until I was older when I was shopping for my niece and was reluctant to the do the same (I literally made her Gryffindor gear with my bare hands.  She raised a proper blerd, don't worry).  As long as I had my Michael Jackson t-shirt or Care Bears nightgown, I was happy. 
 
As I watched Black Lightning from the new CW superhero series and electrocute racist cops that told him to “get his black ass on the ground” and his daughters hold their own against their own personal villain, I felt my inner eight-year-old giggle with glee in a way she rarely had.  Because I saw myself eagerly saving my allowance to buy a Black Lightning shirt instead of my Michael Jackson cards.  Is this why kids love comic books?  Because they get to see themselves and their stories reflected back and heightened by imagination and fantasy?  Because it's so easy to envision themselves as the savior?  

From black women owning entertainment to the hellscape that is American politics, 2017 has been a year of polarizing change and picking the right side or wrong side of history.  Unfortunately, even fictional characters weren't spared from the dumpster fire tendencies of this year.  

Whether unlucky in love, saddled with a shark-jumping plot or unspeakable tragedy, here are are 8 characters that deserve better in 2018.