And the 10 most binge-worthy series of 2017 are ...

This was a year the binge-watch and the streaming services, particularly Netflix, came of age. The culture of catch-up was upon us as traditional viewing patterns waned. Looking back on the year, a simple rule of thumb seemed to apply: the better the roles for women, the better the series.

Without further ado, envelopes, please. And the 10 most binge-worthy series of the year are ...

MOST TALKED ABOUT SERIES OF THE YEAR

The Handmaid's Tale

A big winner at the Emmys. And how appropriate in this Trump/Weinstein era that it should be an extraordinary adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel of a patriarchy gone rogue. But, then again, perhaps it was the headlines that made it all so frighteningly plausible.

Elizabeth Moss was unforgettable as June/Offred, a woman kept as a "fertility slave" in a miserable household in a future fascist US. The first season ended on a cliffhanger, and the second can't come fast enough.

Read a more in-depth review of The Handmaid's Tale.

WATCH | The trailer

FEMINIST DYSTOPIA OF THE YEAR

Alias Grace

A second TV adaptation of an Atwood novel which also uncannily reflected the moment in which it was made. This time around it was a period drama loosely based on a real-life murder in mid-19th century Canada. Sarah Gadon was luminous as convicted killer Grace Marks, a young Irish immigrant who, much like the quilt she works on throughout this wonderful production, slowly reveals her backstory.

Read a more in-depth review of Alias Grace.

WATCH | The trailer

#METOO OF THE YEAR

Big Little Lies

A darkly subversive caper exposing the underbelly of Monterey, the sort of well-heeled, yuppie-millennial town that is supposedly to die for. Which, in this case . It had everything you'd want in a modern melodrama: catty females, imploding marriages, rabid school mommies, a murder mystery and a bang-up finale - and a talented trio in Shailene Woodley, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman.

WATCH | The trailer

CALIFORNIAN GOTHIC OF THE YEAR

Glow

Big hair and spandex in this return to the 1980s. On paper, this looked weak: a comedy based on a cheap reality TV show, Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. But it was a protofeminist riot, a wildly entertaining romp with a gang of misfits in the ring as a sleazy failing B-movie director puts together his last-throw-of-the-dice wrestling show - and piles on the hilariously mangled stereotypes.

Read a more in-depth review of Glow.

WATCH | The trailer

SLAM-DUNK OF THE YEAR

The Crown

Who woulda thunk? A hit series on Queen Elizabeth II? This was a surprisingly atmospheric and tense period piece. One's domestic affairs are aired as are a constitutional crisis or two. Claire Foy was excellent as Her Majesty, as was Matt Smith as Prince Philip. But full marks to John Lithgow for his portrayal of Winston Churchill. The second season will shortly be with us.

WATCH | The Season 2 trailer

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE OF THE YEAR

Twin Peaks: The Return

Don't ask us for an explanation as to what exactly happened there. But this welcome return to that small logging town did raise the bar in flat-out weirdness just as the original did a quarter century ago.

In addition to Special Agent Dale Cooper, Kyle MacLachlan got to play who knows what? A bad man on a mission, a happy simpleton trapped in an insurance company, a lost soul drifting across the dimensions? Who cares? It was the road trip to end all road trips.

WATCH | The trailer

TWILIGHT ZONE OF THE YEAR

Game of Thrones

A shortened season as we gear up for the coming winter when we bid farewell to GoT in 2019. But it crammed a lot into seven crazed episodes: big battles, big betrayals, heaving bosoms, a dragon resurrection, ice people, sexual fireworks, incest, White Walkers, bloody revenge and a cliffhanger.

WATCH | The trailer

BOYS' MOMENT OF THE YEAR

Ozark

Nail-biting stuff as a Chicago money launderer relocates his family to a rural backwater when a Mexican drug cartel gets nasty. Jason Bateman was excellent as a sort-of good man having a bloody crisis.

Read a more in-depth review of Ozark.

WATCH | The trailer

THE BREAKING BAD OF 2017

Godless

A pure-bred Western with the whole shoot: gun battles, galloping horses, big country, and a town full of leading ladies - all of whom are widows in the sights of an outlaw. Jeff Daniels and Michelle Dockery steal the show. The finale was a killer.

Read a more in-depth review of Godless.

WATCH | The trailer

THE HIGH NOON MOMENT OF 2017

The Vietnam War

This 18-hour history series from Ken Burns mixed combat footage with the testimony from both sides of the conflict. The big lesson here is how little the US has learned from it all. It's heartbreaking stuff.

Read a more in-depth review of The Vietnam War.

WATCH | The trailer