*By Max Godnick* With just a few days left in the year, Cheddar decided to take a look at the best and worst of what 2018 had to offer. The year was filled with headline-grabbing moments and stories that played out on the big, small, and streaming screens. [A star was born](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A), the world caught another case of royal wedding fever, [Disney got Foxy](https://cheddar.com/videos/what-the-disney-fox-deal-means-for-fans), and Megyn Kelly proved she is [definitely not a morning person](https://cheddar.com/videos/nbc-reports-megyn-kelly-exit-negotiations-underway). With more content at audiences' fingertips than ever before, Hollywood entertained and intrigued throughout what could wind up being a watershed year for the industry. Here are our favorites. **#5. Rosambien:** In March, ABC's reboot of "Roseanne" drew ratings the likes of which are rarely seen on traditional broadcast TV anymore. The premiere episode drew 18.2 million viewers ー a four-year high for any network comedy ー and convinced the industry that the secret to recapturing 1990's-sized primetime audiences was pandering to television's neglected demographic: Trump supporters. And then, [Roseanne took an Ambien](https://cheddar.com/videos/ambien-maker-responds-to-roseanne-explanation). Two months later, the show was off the air, after its star compared former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to an ape on Twitter. Barr tried to explain the gaffe away by saying she was under the influence of sleeping pills at the time ー but Bob Iger had heard enough. On May 29th, the network officially cancelled the hit series that had briefly seemed poised to put broadcast television back on the map. Now, the reboot is back on the air, only without its titular star, and still earning strong ratings. But Roseanne's biggest legacy is the [full-on reboot revival] (https://cheddar.com/videos/hollywoods-reboot-revolution) it inspired ー Murphy Brown sends her regards. **#4. Mr. West Goes to Washington...and Beyond:** What a year it was for Kanye West, who was equal parts rapper, politico, and prolific Twitter beefer in 2018. Two years after [promising a 2020 run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycnTPgp3DY8) for the White House, the musician turned designer realized the man he'd be running against might actually be his biggest fan. What started with [240-character endorsements](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/989179757651574784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E989225812166696960&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billboard.com%2Farticles%2Fcolumns%2Fhip-hop%2F8379659%2Fdonald-trump-kanye-west-timeline) of the president on Twitter quickly turned into [MAGA hat photo shoots](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1046466533973590016/photo/1), [TMZ meltdowns](https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8472926/kanye-west-apologizes-for-saying-slavery-was-a-choice), and the most talked-about [Oval Office encounter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBPbkfvJ5eM) since 1998. Along the way, West released an album to at-best tepid reviews, made the rap world choose sides between him and Drake, and welcomed the newest addition to the West-Kardashian-Jenner dynasty. Notably though, it was his wife, Kim Kardashian, who made the real political impact this year ー[successfully lobbying](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/us/politics/trump-alice-johnson-sentence-commuted-kim-kardashian-west.html) President Trump to grant clemency to a 63-year-old woman serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug conviction. **#3. The Streaming Wars Get Serious:** Netflix's spending spree continued, Amazon entered the ranks of prestige TV, and Disney set out to turn the digital world into its own Magic Kingdom. The streaming wars reached new heights in 2018, as Hollywood continued to awkwardly grapple with what counts as a "movie," even as the streamers' march to the awards podium seems more and more inevitable. This year, [Netflix broke HBO's 17-year-streak](https://cheddar.com/videos/netflix-dethrones-hbo-in-most-emmy-nominations) as the most-nominated network at the Emmys, but it was Amazon that won TV's biggest night when "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" swept the major comedy awards. But Ted Sarandos has loftier goals ー which is why he finally made the controversial decision to release original movies in theaters to better their chances at the Oscars. Now "Roma" has the look of a Best Picture frontrunner just one year after the Cannes Film Festival banned the platform from competition. But Netflix ($NFLX) won't have much time to chill. Disney unveiled its [Disney+](https://cheddar.com/videos/disney-when-brand-names-pick-bland-names) service one year ahead of its late-2019 launch, and Apple ($APPL) continues to drop [star-powered press releases](https://www.vulture.com/2018/03/every-apple-tv-show-in-development.html) announcing upcoming shows and movies by the day. But when or where we'll actually get to watch those projects ー we still have no idea. **#2. Inclusion at the Box Office:** Wakanda Forever ... and ever, and ever, and ever. "Black Panther" is now the ninth highest-grossing movie of all time ー a far cry from one year ago, when industry forecasters were skeptical about a lesser-known superhero getting his own standalone movie. But any doubt quickly dissapeared when the film became a legitimate cultural phenomenon that challenged industry preconceptions about blockbusters, franchises, and who counts as a bankable leading man or woman. Now the movie is the first surefire Oscar contender to come from the realm of capes and cowls. But "Black Panther" was only one part of a year-long renaissance of diversity on the big screen that saw "Crazy Rich Asians," the first Hollywood film with a majority-Asian cast in three decades, make $238 million on its road to reviving the romantic comedy. Now a mixed-race Spider-Man is swinging his way to the top of the box office in "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse," with female-led superhero movies and "Black Panther" sequels ready to save the day in 2019 and beyond. **#1: #MeToo: One Year Later:** Oct. 5 marked one year since The New York Times published its [Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html) into dozens of sexual harassment allegations made against Hollywood super producer Harvey Weinstein. The story launched a movement that proves to be as strong as ever heading into its second year. More powerful men in the entertainment industry saw their empires crumble following claims sexual misconduct claims ー none more notable than Les Moonves, the now-former CBS chief, who became the latest entertainment titan to be taken down by [Ronan Farrow's investigative journalism](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/08/06/les-moonves-and-cbs-face-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct). The year also saw some of the men accused in 2017 make clumsy attempts at comebacks. Louis C.K. returned to the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village, New York to a [chorus of critics](https://cheddar.com/videos/louis-c-k-s-return-to-stage-tears-comedy-world-apart), some of whom walked out of his multiple performances. Almost one year to the day after the birth of the movement, the referendum reached its climax when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified in front of Congress against now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, putting the movement on a global stage for all the world to see.

Share:
More In Culture
U.S. Omicron Cases Surge as People Gear Up for Holiday Travel
President Joe Biden is expected to meet with his COVID-19 response team as the omicron variant continues to surge across the country. Experts say Delta is driving this surge but Dr. Anthony Fauci says Omicron will take over. Emergency physician Dr. Daniel Fagbuyi joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Trip.com Adds Hopper Price Freeze Feature for Customers
Trip.com is now adding Hopper's price freeze feature for its users. The feature will help travelers save money by protecting them from pricing volatility when booking their next trip. The company is the first online travel agency to partner with Hopper's B2B initiative, Hopper Cloud. Dakota Smith, chief strategy officer at Hopper, joins Cheddar News to walk us through the feature and how the company is addressing Omicorn concerns.
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Swings to Second-Biggest Box Office Opening Ever
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' caught moviegoers in its web this weekend at the box office. The film premiered at $260 million in U.S. ticket sales, making it the second-best domestic debut of all time and the biggest opening since the pandemic began. Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxofficePro.com, joins Cheddar News to discuss the film's success.
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Swings Into Theaters
Spider-Man is hoping to come to the rescue of movie theaters as they struggle to recover from the pandemic. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" starring Tom Holland is officially out in theaters and is expected to generate a whopping $150 million in its box office debut. Sean O'Connell, managing editor of CinemaBlend, joined Cheddar to discuss his expectations for the new Marvel movie, and what the entertainment industry is doing to prepare for a potential winter surge in COVID cases.
Hybrid Work: What's Working And Not Working
With the resurgence in COVID cases and the uncertainty of the Omicron variant, many companies, like Apple, Ford, Google, and countless others, are delaying their return-to-office dates. This means employees will continue to work from home full time or continue a hybrid approach, which can cause some challenges. Executive coach Stefania Romeo joined Cheddar to discuss how companies can best manage the difficulties of hybrid work.
Rebecca Minkoff Launches New Program For Female Founders
Rebecca Minkoff is launching a new initiative through her non-profit, Female Founder Collective. A former Wall Street analyst and financial strategist will be coaching new founders to focus on their financial transformation, from getting their business financially organized to uncovering opportunities to increase revenue. The renowned founder and fashion designer joined Cheddar to discuss this new program and the advice she gives to female founders hoping to get their business off the ground.
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Shatters Pandemic Box Office Records
Travis Clark, senior media reporter at Insider, joined 'Wake Up With Cheddar' to break down the $253 million domestic opening for the new Marvel movie. This also marked the third-largest global opening of all time, earning $587 million worldwide, even though it wasn't released in China, which is a major market for moviegoers.
Load More