32 Behind-The-Scenes Looks At TV Shows, Movies, Theater, And Fandoms From 2016

From Disney princesses to the end of Idol and those who've kept Harry Potter and Star Trek alive, BuzzFeed Entertainment reported on what goes on in the worlds of your faves this past year.

A24; FX; Suzanne Tenner; The CW; Sony; Matthew Murphy; Amazon; STX

1. 60 Days In

AE

Seven law-abiding citizens volunteered to spend two months behind bars to help a frustrated sheriff fix his problematic prison, and every second was filmed for A&E’s hit docuseries. This is how they pulled it off. (By Jarett Wieselman)

2. American Crime

Ryan Green / ABC

American Crime creator John Ridley and stars Felicity Huffman, Connor Jessup, and Joey Pollari told BuzzFeed News how socially responsible storytelling turned the ABC drama into the most daring TV show in years. (By Jarett Wieselman)

3. American Idol

Fox

Since 2002, American Idol has discovered unknown talented singers and offered them the chance to achieve superstar status. While not everyone has reached the heights of Kelly Clarkson or Jennifer Hudson, many have left indelible marks on the hearts and ears of the viewers who did “Dial Idol” for them. Before the series finale, BuzzFeed News asked past contestants to reflect on how the show changed their lives. Within are their slightly edited responses. (By Jarett Wieselman)

4. American Psycho

Jeremy Daniel

The book writer of the musical adaptation of American Psycho reflected on turning the gory classic into a big Broadway show. (By Louis Peitzman)

5. Asian-Americans on Broadway

Deen van Mee / Aladdin

Hamilton has been hailed as the start of a new, less white era on Broadway, but many remain underrepresented onstage. As Asian-American actors celebrate progress, they also reveal the stark realities that prove how far theater still has to go. (By Louis Peitzman)

6. Big Brother

CBS

It’s poetic justice that a woman emerged victorious on Big Brother 18, considering the season also saw male contestants grope women, critique their bodies in lecherous and condemning ways, and spew some truly heinous opinions about women in general — like when Paulie Calafiore was heard on the live feed calling women “dumpsters” for male bodily fluids. “It was hell and it felt like hell,” Da’Vonne Rogers told BuzzFeed News of living inside the Big Brother house for 99 days. (By Jarett Wieselman)

7. The Challenge

Ian Spanier Photography / MTV

Over the past 18 years, MTV’s The Challenge has quietly influenced the reality shows we’ve all come to love. Here’s how this bananas-crazy series shaped the genre as we know it. (By Jarett Wieselman)

8. Dear Evan Hansen

Matthew Murphy

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriters behind the hit musical Dear Evan Hansen and lyricists of La La Land, have brought devastating honesty to audiences on the stage and screen. (By Louis Petizman)

9. Disney Princesses

Walt Disney Pictures

Meet some of the women who paved the way for princesses who don’t need princes or ridiculously small waists. (By Ariane Lange)

10. The Edge of Seventeen

STX Entertainment

Hailee Steinfeld and The Edge of Seventeen writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig told BuzzFeed News how their film nails the teenage experience — in the best and worst ways. (By Krystie Lee Yandoli)

11. Falsettos

Joan Marcus

Falsettos’ radical depiction of gay relationships and chosen families was ahead of its time when it opened on Broadway in 1992. Nearly 25 years later, it’s been revived for a new generation that’s living in a world that once seemed like a far-off fantasy. (By Louis Peitzman)

12. Ghostbusters

Hopper Stone / Columbia Pictures

After its difficult road to theaters, Ghostbusters director and co-writer Paul Feig and co-writer Katie Dippold talked to BuzzFeed News about why the movie became a cause célèbre among misogynists. (By Kate Aurthur)

13. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

Netflix

Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and executive producer Daniel Palladino spoke to BuzzFeed News about what the revival’s final four words could possibly mean for a future Rory and about the importance of Wild in A Year in the Life, which author Cheryl Strayed shed some light on as well. (By Krystie Lee Yandoli)

14. The Girl on the Train

Universal

The narrative backbone of Paula Hawkins’ novel remained intact throughout Erin Cressida Wilson’s screenplay, but the film did diverge from the book in several noteworthy ways. BuzzFeed News spoke with Wilson about the scenes she cut, the characters she added, and the two sex scenes you almost saw. (By Jarett Wieselman)

15. Good Girls Revolt

Amazon

Good Girls Revolt told the story of a group of women at Newsweek who sued the magazine to become reporters and leveled the playing field for women everywhere. But in the eyes of the cast, there’s still a long way to go. (By Krystie Lee Yandoli)

16. The Harry Potter Fandom

Jeff Lowry for BuzzFeed News

The world of Harry Potter won’t stop growing. But as the franchise struggles to evolve with the times and live up to the tenets of the original series, the devotion of its legendary fandom is showing major signs of fatigue. (By Alanna Bennett)

17. High School Musical

Fred Hayes / Disney Channel

In honor of the 10th anniversary, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel, and Monique Coleman talked to BuzzFeed News about what really went down with the Wildcats. (By Jaimie Etkin)

18. How to Get Away With Murder

Bob D'Amico / ABC

Pete Nowalk told BuzzFeed News what two years at the helm of How to Get Away With Murder has taught him about listening to his actors, perfectionism, and learning from his mistakes. (By Jarett Wieselman)

19. Jane the Virgin

The CW

Jennie Snyder Urman has turned The CW’s charming comedy into TV’s most topical show by creating an onscreen world that reflects — and comments on — the one in which we live. (By Jarett Wieselman)

20. Joy

Twentieth Century Fox

BuzzFeed News exclusively obtained a copy of Joy’s original script by Bridesmaids’ Annie Mumolo — here’s how it compares to David O. Russell’s WTF version that played in theaters. (By Kate Aurthur)

21. The Magicians

Syfy

Syfy’s fantasy drama The Magicians explores what happens when young adults find out they have powers. “You’re drinking and you’re fucking. What does magic do for you then?” co-creator Sera Gamble asked aloud. (By Kate Aurthur)

22. The Backlash Against Me Before You

MGM / New Line Cinema

Disability rights activists have rallied against the normalization of suicide for disabled people in Me Before You. Protesters told BuzzFeed News the scope of the protest is unprecedented. (By Ariane Lange)

23. Moana

Disney

BuzzFeed News spoke with Moana directors Ron Clements and John Musker about how Disney’s latest animated feature came together, and with screenwriter Jared Bush and producer Osnat Shurer about the movie's female-empowered ending. (By Keely Flaherty)

24. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge

New Line Cinema

After starring in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Mark Patton left Hollywood behind. More than 30 years later, the film has become a homoerotic cult classic — and its leading man is coming to terms with what he calls the “ultimate betrayal.” (By Louis Peitzman)

25. Nina

Suzanne Tenner

More than 11 years in the making, Nina was accused of racist casting and wounded by behind-the-scenes fighting. The filmmakers told BuzzFeed News how it all went so wrong. (By Kate Aurthur)

26. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

FX

BuzzFeed News talked to the writers of the riveting FX drama about every damn thing. (By Kate Aurthur)

27. Parents Television Council

Fox

Founded in 1995 by an ultra-conservative activist, the Parents Television Council has been fighting to keep sex and violence off the air for over 20 years. By many measures, they’ve failed utterly. But failure is part of their plan. (By Ariane Lange)

28. Sausage Party

Sony Pictures

Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and the filmmaking team behind Sausage Party talked with BuzzFeed News about the10 years it took to make the first-ever R-rated CG animated movie about a lesbian taco, a Jewish bagel, and an evil literal douche. (By Adam B. Vary)

29. Search Party

TBS

On the surface, TBS’s dark new comedy might look familiar, but Search Party isn’t like anything else on TV. (By Louis Peitzman)

30. Sense8

Netflix

It was an eventful first half of 2016 for Netflix’s impossible-to-categorize drama, with co-creator Lilly Wachowski taking leave and the exit of one of its series regulars. But the Sense8 cast told BuzzFeed News it’s all in service of creating the most inventive, emotional, and powerful episodes possible. (By Jarett Wieselman)

31. The Star Trek Fandom

Alex J. Berliner / ABImages

Science fiction’s most venerable franchise marked its 50th anniversary with a new movie and its first new TV series in over a decade. But the chance to unify and mobilize its famously devoted — and demanding — fanbase may be the true final frontier. (By Adam B. Vary)

32. The Witch

A24

The Witch director Robert Eggers looked to the past to make a horror film that feels disturbingly new. (By Alison Willmore)

For more Best of 2016 content, click here.