RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
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2014 GAF TV Show of the Year Voting Thread! Cast your votes!
- Thread starter RatskyWatsky
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Spread the word! Tell KorraGAF!
dead souls
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01. Hannibal- What can I say that hasnt already been said in this thread? Simply divine.
02. Rectify- A stunning artistic achievement that makes with sympathize with almost every single character. Yes, even Teddy.
03. Shameless- The best, and darkest, season yet. Emmy Rossum should be a multiple Emmy winner, the rest of the cast is excellent, and around 90% of the things that made me laugh the hardest in 2014 came from the mouth of Noel Fishers Mickey Milkovich.
04. Masters of Sex- Nearly as great as the first season, which is high praise indeed. Fight would be a strong contender for my favorite single episode of 2014.
05. The Bridge- Even better than the first season. Its a true shame that FX canceled this, though given the ratings they really had no choice.
06. The Affair- Great cast, interesting conceit, Maura Tierney, Paceycon 2014.
07. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver- As a longtime fan of The Bugle I was really hyped for this show. It blew away even my wildest expectations. Humor, relevant information, naked old men--the only thing that could improve this show is a Zaltzman-esque pun run.
08. The Flash- Remember how Arrow got really good after about half a season? The Flash didnt. It hit the ground running--cheesy pun intended--and has maintained its quality over the course of the fall.
09. Penny Dreadful- Two Words: Eva Green. And hey, the rest of the show is pretty good too.
10. Getting On- The funniest show that literally no one is watching.
Honorable mentions in no particular order:
Legend of Korra, Fargo, 24: Live Another Day, The Fall, Justified, Orphan Black, Outlander, Homeland, Arrow, Orange is the New Black, Silicon Valley, Veep.
02. Rectify- A stunning artistic achievement that makes with sympathize with almost every single character. Yes, even Teddy.
03. Shameless- The best, and darkest, season yet. Emmy Rossum should be a multiple Emmy winner, the rest of the cast is excellent, and around 90% of the things that made me laugh the hardest in 2014 came from the mouth of Noel Fishers Mickey Milkovich.
04. Masters of Sex- Nearly as great as the first season, which is high praise indeed. Fight would be a strong contender for my favorite single episode of 2014.
05. The Bridge- Even better than the first season. Its a true shame that FX canceled this, though given the ratings they really had no choice.
06. The Affair- Great cast, interesting conceit, Maura Tierney, Paceycon 2014.
07. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver- As a longtime fan of The Bugle I was really hyped for this show. It blew away even my wildest expectations. Humor, relevant information, naked old men--the only thing that could improve this show is a Zaltzman-esque pun run.
08. The Flash- Remember how Arrow got really good after about half a season? The Flash didnt. It hit the ground running--cheesy pun intended--and has maintained its quality over the course of the fall.
09. Penny Dreadful- Two Words: Eva Green. And hey, the rest of the show is pretty good too.
10. Getting On- The funniest show that literally no one is watching.
Honorable mentions in no particular order:
Legend of Korra, Fargo, 24: Live Another Day, The Fall, Justified, Orphan Black, Outlander, Homeland, Arrow, Orange is the New Black, Silicon Valley, Veep.
1. Game of Thrones
Continues to weave a spell on me and is getting better with each episode. Nothing else on TV comes close to this show for me. It's nearly perfect.
2. The Leftovers
A surprise hit for me. Excellent casting. Awesome premise. The show is disturbing in all the right ways. Really excited for season 2.
3. The Walking Dead S5 P1
I almost checked out during season 4 but man the show has come back in a big way. Rick is a total badass, and he stops problems as they come up which has been great for the pacing if the show this season. Feels like a lot is happening. Can't wait for part 2 next year.
Continues to weave a spell on me and is getting better with each episode. Nothing else on TV comes close to this show for me. It's nearly perfect.
2. The Leftovers
A surprise hit for me. Excellent casting. Awesome premise. The show is disturbing in all the right ways. Really excited for season 2.
3. The Walking Dead S5 P1
I almost checked out during season 4 but man the show has come back in a big way. Rick is a total badass, and he stops problems as they come up which has been great for the pacing if the show this season. Feels like a lot is happening. Can't wait for part 2 next year.
Okay here is my top ten. I added some other stuff at the bottom for fun. You are a trooper if you actually read all this!
1. The Good Wife: I finally caught up on The Good Wife this year and realized what many have been saying for years: it was one of television’s best. And that was as true as ever in 2014. Even after a big shake-up towards the end of 2013, The Good Wife wasn’t afraid to further reinvent itself this year. There was the departure of a core member of the cast which the show skillfully used to drive character motivations and develop new storylines towards the end of Season 5. This Fall saw Cary go on trial. This emotional arc created some excellent material for Matt Czuchry and gave recurring guest star Mike Colter an opportunity to really flex his acting muscles as the menacing Lemond Bishop. The Good Wife also doubled down on its political side with Alicia exploring a run for State’s Attorney which allowed us a glimpse at another layer of the show’s main character. On top of all this, I continue to be astounded at the show’s attention to detail that helps fill out the space between these bigger plot points. Like the way it examined how the smallest things could play a part in the outcome of Cary’s trial or on the lighter side, the hilarious prestige drama parody Darkness at Noon. This is just some of what made The Good Wife so excellent in 2014 and my favorite show of the year.
2. Rectify: Rectify is as powerful and affecting as any show you will find on television right now. In its second season, there was a greater focus placed on the crime that sent Daniel Holden to prison. It led to some very gripping sequences, particularly those involving his debrief in the finale. Yet the show is still not all that concerned with helping us solve the mystery surrounding that night many years ago, but instead wants us to just watch how Daniel, his family, and the small town of Paulie are affected by his release in the present. And it is here that the show continues to shine brightest. Season 2 brought with it too many memorable moments to count, but several in the fourth episode “Donald the Normal” really stand out to me. Seeing Daniel get to leave the infamy that follows him so closely behind for a bit made for incredible TV and his visit to his old friend Kerwin’s family is ones of the sequences that has stuck with me the most from this past season. Aden Young continues to wow me in the lead role and the rest of the cast can certainly hold their own. The way everything comes together as the season ends makes for a wonderful cliffhanger, one that has me chomping at the bit to see Season 3. In its second season, Rectify remained one of television’s most beautiful, moving, and fascinating shows.
3. Game of Thrones: Game of Thrones is always tough to place on a list like this for me. There isn’t a show still airing that I enjoy watching more than it. Yet my familiarity with and passion for the source material leads to me being a bit more critical of it as times due to problems with the adaptation itself. That was certainly the case with Season 4 where I took particular issue with the handling of Jaime and Cersei’s relationship. Yet there was still so much to love this season. The Royal Wedding. The Battle at the Wall. Tyrion’s trial. Everything with newcomer Oberyn Martell. Based on the books, this should have easily been the best season of the show so far. While I’m not sure it was, it is still a damn good season that featured all the beautiful scenery, shocking moments, and great acting we have come to expect from HBO’s epic fantasy series and that is certainly enough for me.
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The past couple of years have seen some of my favorite sitcoms come to an end. Others have gone into cruise control as they’ve gotten on in years. So Brooklyn Nine-Nine has swooped in at just the right time for me. It got off to a surprisingly quick start out of the gates in 2013 and has continued to deliver laughs a plenty this year. Since the beginning, I have praised how great the cast of characters is. There really isn’t a dud in the bunch, but Captain Holt has clearly separated himself from the pack. Andre Braugher’s deadpan delivery is unrivaled and the writing staff knows how to bring out the best in him. This season that included an inspired guest appearance by Kyra Sedgwick as the Captain’s old rival. Guest stars are another aspect where B99 excels with a number of great spots over the past year including Craig Robinson’s turn as the infamous and hilarious Pontiac Bandit. Even potential stumbling blocks like two romantic pairings within the main cast were handled with aplomb. Simply put, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has become TV’s best comedy.
5. Rick and Morty: There is a certain freedom inherit in an animated series and Rick and Morty takes full advantage of that freedom. The central dimension-hopping premise allows the writers to craft incredibly creative storylines and explore imaginative new worlds each week. I also appreciated the variety of material they covered in the first season. From the hilarity of Mr. Meeseeks to the dark ending of “Rick Potion #9” to the improvised brilliance of “Rixty Minutes,” Rick and Morty always managed to surprise me with each new episode. Along with top-notch writing, the voice cast deserves credit for helping bring these characters to life including the always funny Chris Parnell and Sarah Chalke as Morty’s parents as well as co-creator Justin Roiland who plays both leads. Even after only one season, this has become one of my favorite animated series of all-time and I can’t wait to see where they take things in Season 2 next summer.
6. True Detective: When looking at things like acting and cinematography, it is hard to beat True Detective. It had my favorite performance of the year in Matthew McConaughey’s turn as Rust Cohle and my favorite directorial moment in the fourth episode’s incredible long take. But this was a well-acted and visually spectacular show throughout all eight episodes of its freshman season. True Detective also excelled as a character study. Instead of focusing on the murder mystery like some similar shows have in recent years, they used the case as a way to dig deep into Rust and Marty and TD was much better for it. With the help of its unique framing device, True Detective allowed us to look at these characters at different points over the course of seventeen years slowly peeling away the many layers of its complex leads. While it was not without flaws (I had some issues in the final act that took place almost solely in present-day), True Detective was a highly captivating drama and my favorite of the new shows that debuted in 2014.
7. Fargo: One of the advantages seen in this anthology type of series is certainly the kind of talent they can attract and it shows in FX’s Fargo. The acting is great across the board. Martin Freeman and Alison Tolman were both excellent, but it was Billy Bob Thornton who stole the show for me as the chaos-creating hitman Lorne Malvo. While there are some connections to the film in the narrative, the show tells a great crime story of its own. But the type of people who populate this shared world and the kind of dark humor present throughout make it feel familiar in all the right ways. When you throw in stuff like the well-implemented mid-season time-jump, one of the year’s best finales, and even more laughs than the movie, you get a new Fargo tale that captures the spirit of the original film and in my opinion surpasses it in overall quality.
8. Person Interest: Person of Interest became one of TV’s elite dramas with its near-perfect third season and while I feel it lost a bit of momentum at the beginning of Season 4, it remains one of televisions must-watch shows. It continues to strike that great balance between procedural and serialized elements that I covet so much in a show like this. I’m equally impressed with how it juggles plots for our band of heroes as well as multiple long-term antagonists (this year included Decima, Vigilance, and The Brotherhood to name a few) and those in-between (I’ve loved seeing Elias again). And you might not expect it from a CBS procedural, but POI finds itself dealing with important issues like national security in a post-9/11 U.S. and the evolution of artificial intelligence. On top of all that, it continues to deliver great action from some of TV’s utmost badasses in Reese, Shaw, and Root. It’s can’t-miss TV.
9. You’re the Worst: No show in 2014 grew on me quite like You’re the Worst did during its first season. The pilot was really not my thing, but I kept watching and was rewarded with one of the year’s best comedies. I love this show’s unique take on the romantic comedy which approaches both how Jimmy and Gretchen get together and how their relationship develops in a very modern way. Its eighth outing “Finish Your Milk” was my favorite including a climactic argument between the two leads which blew me away with just how real it felt. And while focusing on this relationship, You’re the Worst never forgot that it was a comedy, doling out laughs in large doses each week. There were quite a few stabs at the rom-com on the small screen this year, but none were close to as interesting, funny or entertaining as You’re the Worst’s take on the genre.
10. Jane the Virgin: I originally wrote this show off due to its premise, but after watching it for myself I discovered just how big a mistake that was. It simultaneously embraces and pokes fun at telenovela clichés, and it is that tongue-in-cheek approach, buoyed by TV’s best narrator and some hysterically clever captions, that I think allows Jane the Virgin’s ridiculous premise along with the rest of the show’s lunacy to work. Despite how silly and soapy the show can be, there is a surprising amount of heart at the core of it too. This is in large part due to lead actress Gina Rodriguez. Her performance as Jane is wonderful and gives life to a character that is easy for viewers to root for. It all adds up to my favorite new show of the Fall and one of this year’s best.
Honorable Mentions
Orange is the New Black: Didn’t like it quite as much as Season 1, but still damn good. Morello's backstory was the standout moment/episode I'd say.
The 100: A little too rough at the beginning for a top ten spot, but Season 2 has been one of my favorite shows airing this Fall.
The Missing: Only just finished this after writing up my list, but right up there with Fargo and True Detective as far as anthologies go. Finished much stronger than TD too.
Orphan Black: Mythology and plotting became kind of a mess this season, but I still love watching this show and Tatiana is just amazing.
Black-ish: Can’t believe how funny this is. Definitely makes me laugh more than most on TV.
The Legend of Korra: Really enjoyed both seasons, but Season 3 was especially strong.
TV-GAF Post of the Year
A brief discussion about whether anyone was going to make a Season 2 OT for The Following led to this gem by dead souls:
Be proud of this dead souls. It's a coveted award I'm handing out here.
Runner-up: I also loved this one from The Bridge’s Season 2 thread by Cornballer:
A few more thoughts on TV in 2014:
-Veronica Mars, one of my all-time faves got a movie! That was awesome!
-Homeland and The Walking Dead were much improved this season.
-Silicon Valley is worth watching if for no other reason than that amazing dick joke in the finale. Good show overall though.
-Along with The Good Wife and Rectify, my favorites older seasons/shows that I caught up on/finished in 2014 were Spartacus, Rome and Les Revenants which were all fantastic.
-How I Met Your Mother was the worst thing I watched this year. While the finale is particularly horrendous, the whole season is like a master class on how not to end your television show.
-Show I'm most miffed about not being caught up on is Hannibal. On top of all of the praise, it seems like it'd be right up my alley as well.
1. The Good Wife: I finally caught up on The Good Wife this year and realized what many have been saying for years: it was one of television’s best. And that was as true as ever in 2014. Even after a big shake-up towards the end of 2013, The Good Wife wasn’t afraid to further reinvent itself this year. There was the departure of a core member of the cast which the show skillfully used to drive character motivations and develop new storylines towards the end of Season 5. This Fall saw Cary go on trial. This emotional arc created some excellent material for Matt Czuchry and gave recurring guest star Mike Colter an opportunity to really flex his acting muscles as the menacing Lemond Bishop. The Good Wife also doubled down on its political side with Alicia exploring a run for State’s Attorney which allowed us a glimpse at another layer of the show’s main character. On top of all this, I continue to be astounded at the show’s attention to detail that helps fill out the space between these bigger plot points. Like the way it examined how the smallest things could play a part in the outcome of Cary’s trial or on the lighter side, the hilarious prestige drama parody Darkness at Noon. This is just some of what made The Good Wife so excellent in 2014 and my favorite show of the year.
2. Rectify: Rectify is as powerful and affecting as any show you will find on television right now. In its second season, there was a greater focus placed on the crime that sent Daniel Holden to prison. It led to some very gripping sequences, particularly those involving his debrief in the finale. Yet the show is still not all that concerned with helping us solve the mystery surrounding that night many years ago, but instead wants us to just watch how Daniel, his family, and the small town of Paulie are affected by his release in the present. And it is here that the show continues to shine brightest. Season 2 brought with it too many memorable moments to count, but several in the fourth episode “Donald the Normal” really stand out to me. Seeing Daniel get to leave the infamy that follows him so closely behind for a bit made for incredible TV and his visit to his old friend Kerwin’s family is ones of the sequences that has stuck with me the most from this past season. Aden Young continues to wow me in the lead role and the rest of the cast can certainly hold their own. The way everything comes together as the season ends makes for a wonderful cliffhanger, one that has me chomping at the bit to see Season 3. In its second season, Rectify remained one of television’s most beautiful, moving, and fascinating shows.
3. Game of Thrones: Game of Thrones is always tough to place on a list like this for me. There isn’t a show still airing that I enjoy watching more than it. Yet my familiarity with and passion for the source material leads to me being a bit more critical of it as times due to problems with the adaptation itself. That was certainly the case with Season 4 where I took particular issue with the handling of Jaime and Cersei’s relationship. Yet there was still so much to love this season. The Royal Wedding. The Battle at the Wall. Tyrion’s trial. Everything with newcomer Oberyn Martell. Based on the books, this should have easily been the best season of the show so far. While I’m not sure it was, it is still a damn good season that featured all the beautiful scenery, shocking moments, and great acting we have come to expect from HBO’s epic fantasy series and that is certainly enough for me.
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The past couple of years have seen some of my favorite sitcoms come to an end. Others have gone into cruise control as they’ve gotten on in years. So Brooklyn Nine-Nine has swooped in at just the right time for me. It got off to a surprisingly quick start out of the gates in 2013 and has continued to deliver laughs a plenty this year. Since the beginning, I have praised how great the cast of characters is. There really isn’t a dud in the bunch, but Captain Holt has clearly separated himself from the pack. Andre Braugher’s deadpan delivery is unrivaled and the writing staff knows how to bring out the best in him. This season that included an inspired guest appearance by Kyra Sedgwick as the Captain’s old rival. Guest stars are another aspect where B99 excels with a number of great spots over the past year including Craig Robinson’s turn as the infamous and hilarious Pontiac Bandit. Even potential stumbling blocks like two romantic pairings within the main cast were handled with aplomb. Simply put, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has become TV’s best comedy.
5. Rick and Morty: There is a certain freedom inherit in an animated series and Rick and Morty takes full advantage of that freedom. The central dimension-hopping premise allows the writers to craft incredibly creative storylines and explore imaginative new worlds each week. I also appreciated the variety of material they covered in the first season. From the hilarity of Mr. Meeseeks to the dark ending of “Rick Potion #9” to the improvised brilliance of “Rixty Minutes,” Rick and Morty always managed to surprise me with each new episode. Along with top-notch writing, the voice cast deserves credit for helping bring these characters to life including the always funny Chris Parnell and Sarah Chalke as Morty’s parents as well as co-creator Justin Roiland who plays both leads. Even after only one season, this has become one of my favorite animated series of all-time and I can’t wait to see where they take things in Season 2 next summer.
6. True Detective: When looking at things like acting and cinematography, it is hard to beat True Detective. It had my favorite performance of the year in Matthew McConaughey’s turn as Rust Cohle and my favorite directorial moment in the fourth episode’s incredible long take. But this was a well-acted and visually spectacular show throughout all eight episodes of its freshman season. True Detective also excelled as a character study. Instead of focusing on the murder mystery like some similar shows have in recent years, they used the case as a way to dig deep into Rust and Marty and TD was much better for it. With the help of its unique framing device, True Detective allowed us to look at these characters at different points over the course of seventeen years slowly peeling away the many layers of its complex leads. While it was not without flaws (I had some issues in the final act that took place almost solely in present-day), True Detective was a highly captivating drama and my favorite of the new shows that debuted in 2014.
7. Fargo: One of the advantages seen in this anthology type of series is certainly the kind of talent they can attract and it shows in FX’s Fargo. The acting is great across the board. Martin Freeman and Alison Tolman were both excellent, but it was Billy Bob Thornton who stole the show for me as the chaos-creating hitman Lorne Malvo. While there are some connections to the film in the narrative, the show tells a great crime story of its own. But the type of people who populate this shared world and the kind of dark humor present throughout make it feel familiar in all the right ways. When you throw in stuff like the well-implemented mid-season time-jump, one of the year’s best finales, and even more laughs than the movie, you get a new Fargo tale that captures the spirit of the original film and in my opinion surpasses it in overall quality.
8. Person Interest: Person of Interest became one of TV’s elite dramas with its near-perfect third season and while I feel it lost a bit of momentum at the beginning of Season 4, it remains one of televisions must-watch shows. It continues to strike that great balance between procedural and serialized elements that I covet so much in a show like this. I’m equally impressed with how it juggles plots for our band of heroes as well as multiple long-term antagonists (this year included Decima, Vigilance, and The Brotherhood to name a few) and those in-between (I’ve loved seeing Elias again). And you might not expect it from a CBS procedural, but POI finds itself dealing with important issues like national security in a post-9/11 U.S. and the evolution of artificial intelligence. On top of all that, it continues to deliver great action from some of TV’s utmost badasses in Reese, Shaw, and Root. It’s can’t-miss TV.
9. You’re the Worst: No show in 2014 grew on me quite like You’re the Worst did during its first season. The pilot was really not my thing, but I kept watching and was rewarded with one of the year’s best comedies. I love this show’s unique take on the romantic comedy which approaches both how Jimmy and Gretchen get together and how their relationship develops in a very modern way. Its eighth outing “Finish Your Milk” was my favorite including a climactic argument between the two leads which blew me away with just how real it felt. And while focusing on this relationship, You’re the Worst never forgot that it was a comedy, doling out laughs in large doses each week. There were quite a few stabs at the rom-com on the small screen this year, but none were close to as interesting, funny or entertaining as You’re the Worst’s take on the genre.
10. Jane the Virgin: I originally wrote this show off due to its premise, but after watching it for myself I discovered just how big a mistake that was. It simultaneously embraces and pokes fun at telenovela clichés, and it is that tongue-in-cheek approach, buoyed by TV’s best narrator and some hysterically clever captions, that I think allows Jane the Virgin’s ridiculous premise along with the rest of the show’s lunacy to work. Despite how silly and soapy the show can be, there is a surprising amount of heart at the core of it too. This is in large part due to lead actress Gina Rodriguez. Her performance as Jane is wonderful and gives life to a character that is easy for viewers to root for. It all adds up to my favorite new show of the Fall and one of this year’s best.
Honorable Mentions
Orange is the New Black: Didn’t like it quite as much as Season 1, but still damn good. Morello's backstory was the standout moment/episode I'd say.
The 100: A little too rough at the beginning for a top ten spot, but Season 2 has been one of my favorite shows airing this Fall.
The Missing: Only just finished this after writing up my list, but right up there with Fargo and True Detective as far as anthologies go. Finished much stronger than TD too.
Orphan Black: Mythology and plotting became kind of a mess this season, but I still love watching this show and Tatiana is just amazing.
Black-ish: Can’t believe how funny this is. Definitely makes me laugh more than most on TV.
The Legend of Korra: Really enjoyed both seasons, but Season 3 was especially strong.
TV-GAF Post of the Year
A brief discussion about whether anyone was going to make a Season 2 OT for The Following led to this gem by dead souls:
Be proud of this dead souls. It's a coveted award I'm handing out here.
Runner-up: I also loved this one from The Bridge’s Season 2 thread by Cornballer:
On-set photo:
If The Bridge ends up getting canceled, I want FX to occasionally run random 30-second snippets of the two of them discussing vampire lit for the next few years.
A few more thoughts on TV in 2014:
-Veronica Mars, one of my all-time faves got a movie! That was awesome!
-Homeland and The Walking Dead were much improved this season.
-Silicon Valley is worth watching if for no other reason than that amazing dick joke in the finale. Good show overall though.
-Along with The Good Wife and Rectify, my favorites older seasons/shows that I caught up on/finished in 2014 were Spartacus, Rome and Les Revenants which were all fantastic.
-How I Met Your Mother was the worst thing I watched this year. While the finale is particularly horrendous, the whole season is like a master class on how not to end your television show.
-Show I'm most miffed about not being caught up on is Hannibal. On top of all of the praise, it seems like it'd be right up my alley as well.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
I don't know if I should vote. All I watched was Korra and American Horror Story this year.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Vote bro!
CreeperBlocks
Banned
lol no. It's Hannibal time.
Monocle
Member
Hey, thanks. And thanks for mentioning the sales too. I waited too long to pick up those blu-rays. Now I've got myself a nice belated Christmas present.
1. You're the Worst; This is number one and it is not even close. I watched the pilot of this out of boredom one night and fell in love. This is about as close to pure joy in a TV show that I have found in years.
2. Veep
3. Brooklyn Nine Nine
4. Person of Interest
5. True Detective
6. Masters of Sex
7. 24: Live Another Day
8. Broad City
9. Parks and Recreation
10. The Good Wife
2. Veep
3. Brooklyn Nine Nine
4. Person of Interest
5. True Detective
6. Masters of Sex
7. 24: Live Another Day
8. Broad City
9. Parks and Recreation
10. The Good Wife
Yeah mine just arrived today. Good times.
I kinda have to try this now.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
It's one of the best new comedies of the year, for sure. It's absolutely worth your time.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
1. True Detective ; Probably one of the most exciting moments of television I've seen in a while. I loved that there was no stupid twist, no supernatural junk, and no miraculous resolution to the case. Hell, the show is good enough that I'm willing to excuse, and maybe even forgive, the show's misogyny.
2. Veep ; I do watch a lot of sitcoms, but I think Veep is the one sitcom that has stuck in my mind. It's probably because it makes me wish there were more seasons of The Thick of It though, but even on its own, it's a show that has some biting satire and strong performances... something I just don't really look for in a relatively disposable genre.
3. Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown ; Although the seasons have been getting shorter and shorter, I think it also means that they have more time to make stronger episodes. The Vietnam episode this year is special and one of the strongest episodes that I've seen of the show. If you compare this to his other produced show, The Getaway, where celebrities go through a city and give you a brief overview of the things you can do there if you have money, you can tell how far he's come from the early No Reservations days.
4. Louie ; I still love the show, but this season definitely felt like a departure from the previous seasons. I understand why it would be much more divisive, since this time he decided to try to make a Woody Allen movie by stringing together 3 or 4 episodes together. I still enjoy his voice and what he has to say though, but I wonder if he's finding television a bit too limiting now.
5. Cosmos ; I was really looking forward to this show, which by all rights really shouldn't exist. But by the good graces of Seth McFarlane (of all people), we get an update to Carl Sagan's seminal educational series. I appreciate that it had a clear political agenda, taking the time to basically take a giant dump on Creationism in pretty much every single episode, but I miss the production values of the original series. Having cartoons just isn't the same thing as seeing actors trying to recreate moments in scientific history.
6. South Park ; I imagine part of the reason I enjoyed this season of the show a lot is because of how game-focused it was. Throw in a strange continuity involving Randy being Lorde and you have probably one of the more refreshing seasons of the show in a while.
7. Fargo ; I think I enjoyed this show more than I thought I would, based on the my prejudices against on the show. But they managed to adapt one of the best movies ever made into a really good show. Just look at From Dusk Till Down and see how difficult that task can be. I am wary about a second season though.
8. Going Deep With David Rees ; I really can't remember how I discovered this show, but I'm really glad I found it. Probably the best way to think about this show is to consider it to be a "serious" version of Review with Forest Forrest MacNeil or a less gimmicky version of Mythbusters. I put serious in quotes because the show is really based on Rees trying to discover everything he can about a simple, mundane experience. You'd think that no one could make a 20 minute episode about how to make the perfect ice cube or how to dig the perfect hole interesting, but Rees manages to do it. It was a real surprise this year for me and I'm glad I managed to find it.
9. The Knick ; Some of the story beats aside, I really liked how this show came together. I'd argue that Clive Owen gave one of the best performances from the crowd of movie stars who "slummed" it on television this year, and Soderbergh's construction of the show is simply amazing. When I found out that the entire series was directed like it was a movie - that is, all the scenes on one location were filmed at the same time - I was shocked. I can't imagine how an actor has to transform themselves when they have to think about their character's motivations in the first episode of the series and then have to shift to thinking about their character's motivations in the final episode of the series... but that's even before thinking about the logistics of production that Soderbergh must have had to think about in trying to put it all together.
10. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver ; I stopped watching The Daily Show and Colbert a long time ago, but Oliver's show was just a fresh take on the whole "satirical news" format. The fact that he isn't constrained by the crappy format that seems to handcuff Stewart helps tremendously. There are no shitty celebrity interviews with people pimping their movie that no one cares about, and Oliver is able to take 15-20 minutes to flesh out an editorial. It's a show that I wish was one every week of the year.
Some honorable mentions:
The Comeback ; Having just finished the show, I felt the need to mention it. Maybe it'll creep up into the top ten at some point, but I don't want to do that because I figure I should let it simmer for a bit. As for the show itself, it was such a strong and interesting character study in a medium where the subjects of these shows are typically men. Yeah, we now are in the renaissance of the "it's hard being a woman and having a career" genre of television, which has been reduced down to "Cop Mom Mom Cop" by the TV critics, but the story of Valerie Cherish and her struggle to remain relevant being put up against her wish to just have a normal life is a such a strong story to tell. I might consider swapping this with Veep, to be honest.
MasterChef Australia ; I became obsessed with this version of the show for a while, even though long time fans of the show seem to hate it with a burning passion now. But it's interesting to see how editing can change the entire complexion of a show. Whereas the American version features the tedious reality TV show junk of yelling and backstabbing and whatever, the Australian version seems much more... positive. I'm sure that the people yell and maybe even hate each other at times, but none of that actually makes it into the show. I also find it amazing that the damn show is on 4 nights as week for 12 weeks.
The Amazing Race Australia vs NZ ; Probably the most exciting version of the show to air since TAR: China Rush or Asia. I don't know if it's just a different host, a different production style, a different type of contestant, or whatever... but it was much more exciting than the recently finished US version. (Let's pretend that the Canadian version doesn't exist).
Person of Interest ; I guess I'm not sure if I'm reviewing the end of the last season or the first half of this season, but the show still manages to keep my interest. I feel like it might have peaked when the "big event" happened a year ago, but the show is still strong enough to keep me interested in the characters and what will happen to them.
Elementary ; I'm putting this here just so I can say that it's miles ahead of Sherlock!
2. Veep ; I do watch a lot of sitcoms, but I think Veep is the one sitcom that has stuck in my mind. It's probably because it makes me wish there were more seasons of The Thick of It though, but even on its own, it's a show that has some biting satire and strong performances... something I just don't really look for in a relatively disposable genre.
3. Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown ; Although the seasons have been getting shorter and shorter, I think it also means that they have more time to make stronger episodes. The Vietnam episode this year is special and one of the strongest episodes that I've seen of the show. If you compare this to his other produced show, The Getaway, where celebrities go through a city and give you a brief overview of the things you can do there if you have money, you can tell how far he's come from the early No Reservations days.
4. Louie ; I still love the show, but this season definitely felt like a departure from the previous seasons. I understand why it would be much more divisive, since this time he decided to try to make a Woody Allen movie by stringing together 3 or 4 episodes together. I still enjoy his voice and what he has to say though, but I wonder if he's finding television a bit too limiting now.
5. Cosmos ; I was really looking forward to this show, which by all rights really shouldn't exist. But by the good graces of Seth McFarlane (of all people), we get an update to Carl Sagan's seminal educational series. I appreciate that it had a clear political agenda, taking the time to basically take a giant dump on Creationism in pretty much every single episode, but I miss the production values of the original series. Having cartoons just isn't the same thing as seeing actors trying to recreate moments in scientific history.
6. South Park ; I imagine part of the reason I enjoyed this season of the show a lot is because of how game-focused it was. Throw in a strange continuity involving Randy being Lorde and you have probably one of the more refreshing seasons of the show in a while.
7. Fargo ; I think I enjoyed this show more than I thought I would, based on the my prejudices against on the show. But they managed to adapt one of the best movies ever made into a really good show. Just look at From Dusk Till Down and see how difficult that task can be. I am wary about a second season though.
8. Going Deep With David Rees ; I really can't remember how I discovered this show, but I'm really glad I found it. Probably the best way to think about this show is to consider it to be a "serious" version of Review with Forest Forrest MacNeil or a less gimmicky version of Mythbusters. I put serious in quotes because the show is really based on Rees trying to discover everything he can about a simple, mundane experience. You'd think that no one could make a 20 minute episode about how to make the perfect ice cube or how to dig the perfect hole interesting, but Rees manages to do it. It was a real surprise this year for me and I'm glad I managed to find it.
9. The Knick ; Some of the story beats aside, I really liked how this show came together. I'd argue that Clive Owen gave one of the best performances from the crowd of movie stars who "slummed" it on television this year, and Soderbergh's construction of the show is simply amazing. When I found out that the entire series was directed like it was a movie - that is, all the scenes on one location were filmed at the same time - I was shocked. I can't imagine how an actor has to transform themselves when they have to think about their character's motivations in the first episode of the series and then have to shift to thinking about their character's motivations in the final episode of the series... but that's even before thinking about the logistics of production that Soderbergh must have had to think about in trying to put it all together.
10. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver ; I stopped watching The Daily Show and Colbert a long time ago, but Oliver's show was just a fresh take on the whole "satirical news" format. The fact that he isn't constrained by the crappy format that seems to handcuff Stewart helps tremendously. There are no shitty celebrity interviews with people pimping their movie that no one cares about, and Oliver is able to take 15-20 minutes to flesh out an editorial. It's a show that I wish was one every week of the year.
Some honorable mentions:
The Comeback ; Having just finished the show, I felt the need to mention it. Maybe it'll creep up into the top ten at some point, but I don't want to do that because I figure I should let it simmer for a bit. As for the show itself, it was such a strong and interesting character study in a medium where the subjects of these shows are typically men. Yeah, we now are in the renaissance of the "it's hard being a woman and having a career" genre of television, which has been reduced down to "Cop Mom Mom Cop" by the TV critics, but the story of Valerie Cherish and her struggle to remain relevant being put up against her wish to just have a normal life is a such a strong story to tell. I might consider swapping this with Veep, to be honest.
MasterChef Australia ; I became obsessed with this version of the show for a while, even though long time fans of the show seem to hate it with a burning passion now. But it's interesting to see how editing can change the entire complexion of a show. Whereas the American version features the tedious reality TV show junk of yelling and backstabbing and whatever, the Australian version seems much more... positive. I'm sure that the people yell and maybe even hate each other at times, but none of that actually makes it into the show. I also find it amazing that the damn show is on 4 nights as week for 12 weeks.
The Amazing Race Australia vs NZ ; Probably the most exciting version of the show to air since TAR: China Rush or Asia. I don't know if it's just a different host, a different production style, a different type of contestant, or whatever... but it was much more exciting than the recently finished US version. (Let's pretend that the Canadian version doesn't exist).
Person of Interest ; I guess I'm not sure if I'm reviewing the end of the last season or the first half of this season, but the show still manages to keep my interest. I feel like it might have peaked when the "big event" happened a year ago, but the show is still strong enough to keep me interested in the characters and what will happen to them.
Elementary ; I'm putting this here just so I can say that it's miles ahead of Sherlock!
FantasticMrFoxdie
Mumber
Just binged Peaky Blinders
Fucking lovin this show. New contender IMO
Fucking lovin this show. New contender IMO
LeeRoyBrown
Banned
This totally goes against the rules of the thread, but I'm not lying when I say this.
I pay $66 a month for Foxtel and I don't watch a fucking thing.
EXCEPT.
Game of Thrones.
And the A-League.
1.Game of Thrones, because I love the fantasy setting.
2. A-League, love Football, and I'm Australian.
I pay $66 a month for Foxtel and I don't watch a fucking thing.
EXCEPT.
Game of Thrones.
And the A-League.
1.Game of Thrones, because I love the fantasy setting.
2. A-League, love Football, and I'm Australian.
WarrenMax007
Member
1) True Detective. This show has it all. Amazing performances from Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, Nic Pizzolatto's precise writing full of engaging, sometimes funny dialogue, and of course Cary Fukunaga's impeccable directing with arguably the best TV cinematography achievement of 2014 - 6 minute long shot without any cuts or edits, simply breathtaking.
2) Fargo. After True Detective it was hard to imagine that we'll see something as good this year, But Fargo comes very close. Interesting, darkly funny and filled with great performances, Billy Bob Thorton being the best.
3) Kingdom. Coming from the little known network, family drama first and MMA sports drama second, Kingdom is one of the best shows of the year. Writing is both engaging and takes things at it's own pace. Acting is very good, with Frank Grillo and Jonathan Tucker being the standouts. Also it's always good to know that the show has been renewed for two more seasons.
4) Shameless. This show is greatly underappreciated. Since season 1 it is one of the best shows on TV. Blend of drama and black comedy, great perfomances and best child actors on TV make this show one of my favourites.
5) Silicon Valley. After slow start show becomes very funny in the second half of the season, with one the best jokes of the year in the final episode.
6) Suits. After bad first part of season 3 and good second half, season 4 comes back to season 1 quality. Harvey is a badass, Luis is funny, Donna is charming, story is interesting and full of intrigue, some good guest stars and we have an awesome season.
7) The Walking Dead. Part 1 of season 5 is the best run this show had since season 1.
8) Forever. Very good procedural with interesting and funny characters.
9) Modern Family. This is a comedy that i anticipate the most every week. This show has good characters, it's funny and Phil is amazing.
10) Banshee. While season 2 wasn't as good as season 1, it still was super fun to watch with the best action on TV and lots of nudity.
2) Fargo. After True Detective it was hard to imagine that we'll see something as good this year, But Fargo comes very close. Interesting, darkly funny and filled with great performances, Billy Bob Thorton being the best.
3) Kingdom. Coming from the little known network, family drama first and MMA sports drama second, Kingdom is one of the best shows of the year. Writing is both engaging and takes things at it's own pace. Acting is very good, with Frank Grillo and Jonathan Tucker being the standouts. Also it's always good to know that the show has been renewed for two more seasons.
4) Shameless. This show is greatly underappreciated. Since season 1 it is one of the best shows on TV. Blend of drama and black comedy, great perfomances and best child actors on TV make this show one of my favourites.
5) Silicon Valley. After slow start show becomes very funny in the second half of the season, with one the best jokes of the year in the final episode.
6) Suits. After bad first part of season 3 and good second half, season 4 comes back to season 1 quality. Harvey is a badass, Luis is funny, Donna is charming, story is interesting and full of intrigue, some good guest stars and we have an awesome season.
7) The Walking Dead. Part 1 of season 5 is the best run this show had since season 1.
8) Forever. Very good procedural with interesting and funny characters.
9) Modern Family. This is a comedy that i anticipate the most every week. This show has good characters, it's funny and Phil is amazing.
10) Banshee. While season 2 wasn't as good as season 1, it still was super fun to watch with the best action on TV and lots of nudity.
RepairmanJack
Member
I forgot about this and now have to go back and amend my list. Its easily my favorite new show of the year outside of Fargo. It kind of reminded me of It's Always Sunny, with their cast of horrible people but a little less cartoonish, and Happy Endings where no matter what I felt about the show I just wanted to see more of the characters and them interacting.
Barrage
Member
1, Broad City Season 1-Comedies typically take longer to come together.How do you solve that problem? Have the leads be real-life best friends, and have them do their own thing for years before being given their own show. This show is hilarious, and warm,and i discovered it at the exact right time.I hope this show runs for the rest of the decade.
2. True Detective Season 1- I agree with most True Detective talking points-the medium-bending direction, the gorgeous cinematography, the praise of The Tracking Shot Heard Round The World. The two things I differ with the masses is that I think Harrelson gives the defining performance of the show, and that people who had issues with the ending tend to be projecting on Rust a little too much.
3. Game Of Thrones Season 4-the best season since the first. It felt like there were less dull storylines, or maybe we just checked in on them less often. Still impressed at how it mixed high stakes with character development so smoothly.
4.Rick And Morty Season 1-Was never big on Community,and now I see why-Dan Harmon's imagination is too big for a Hollywood lot.
5. Banshee Season 2-When your only sin is that you're not as thrilling as your peerless first season, I don't think it's enough to ignore the stuff Banshee does right. It's still the smartest dummy in the room.
6. The 100 Season 2- TV's best lowbrow secret-this show got GOOD. Reminds me of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, in that it's a show that silently outgrew it's genre trappings.
7. Veep Season 3- Hilarious and biting, as this show goes on it gets all the plusses of a comedy ensemble(chemistry, comedy based on really knowing the characters) while still keeping it's razor sharp tone.
8..Review Season 1- I originally thought this was going to be an unscripted reality show.Instead, it's a serialized, surprisingly dark and personal story that uses it's brilliant concept to fuel the narrative.And the show is better for it.
9. Louie Season 4-When did a show not being able to be pidgeon-holed become a bad thing?
10.Comedy Underground With Dave Attell Season 1-the best portrayal of live stand-up(and the feeling of being inside of a comedy club) onto television ever.
2. True Detective Season 1- I agree with most True Detective talking points-the medium-bending direction, the gorgeous cinematography, the praise of The Tracking Shot Heard Round The World. The two things I differ with the masses is that I think Harrelson gives the defining performance of the show, and that people who had issues with the ending tend to be projecting on Rust a little too much.
3. Game Of Thrones Season 4-the best season since the first. It felt like there were less dull storylines, or maybe we just checked in on them less often. Still impressed at how it mixed high stakes with character development so smoothly.
4.Rick And Morty Season 1-Was never big on Community,and now I see why-Dan Harmon's imagination is too big for a Hollywood lot.
5. Banshee Season 2-When your only sin is that you're not as thrilling as your peerless first season, I don't think it's enough to ignore the stuff Banshee does right. It's still the smartest dummy in the room.
6. The 100 Season 2- TV's best lowbrow secret-this show got GOOD. Reminds me of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, in that it's a show that silently outgrew it's genre trappings.
7. Veep Season 3- Hilarious and biting, as this show goes on it gets all the plusses of a comedy ensemble(chemistry, comedy based on really knowing the characters) while still keeping it's razor sharp tone.
8..Review Season 1- I originally thought this was going to be an unscripted reality show.Instead, it's a serialized, surprisingly dark and personal story that uses it's brilliant concept to fuel the narrative.And the show is better for it.
9. Louie Season 4-When did a show not being able to be pidgeon-holed become a bad thing?
10.Comedy Underground With Dave Attell Season 1-the best portrayal of live stand-up(and the feeling of being inside of a comedy club) onto television ever.
1. Hannibal ; Season 2 ended with such a huge, climactic note that I can't help but still be awestruck by it. The series continues to impress me and one-up itself with each passing episode. The macabre beauty of it all seduces me as much now as it did in Season 1. Cannot wait for the new season in the spring!
2. True Detective ; Harrelson and McConnaughey blew me away when I watched TD. McConnaughey especially, holy fuck. Amazing characters, a grisly, gripping storyline, really well-edited and the pacing was spot-on. The show is brilliant. It's a shame we won't get more of Rust and Cole in the next season!
3. Jane the Virgin ; Only started watching this recently but oh man, oh man... Gina Rodriguez is a showstopper with her performance as Jane. But the entire cast of the show is amazing, to be fair. And the story? So many twists and turns. The romance is there too, just... Wow. The show does everything right. I'm so hooked!
4. Game of Thrones ; Another year of GoT, another year of amazing television. This season was pretty great for lots of my personal favorite characters (Arya, Tyrion, Jon), and next season promises to be even better!
5. The Affair ; So intense, poignant, reflective, and disturbing. The show touches on so many themes of intimacy, infidelity, loyalty, and the human condition that it puts the show's
murder-mystery plotline
6. The Walking Dead ; Season 4's first half was pretty great. After the events of S3's finale, I was pretty excited to see where all the characters would wind up or how they would cope with the changes, and the show didn't disappoint. Antsy for the second half to air already!
7. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ; After the shaky footing that was displayed during the 1st season of AoS, I was delighted to experience a much more confident, well-crafted show with Season 2. The actors have really come into their own in the roles and it's evident in many different characters, especially Skye and Ward. The finale left me wanting a lot more, and I'll definitely be tuning in when it airs again!
8. Arrow ; Arrow is always impressing me, seriously. I love this show. Season 3 has taken some big turns and all seem for the best so far. To see how far our heroes can be pushed before they break, yet still come around and save the day, that is a superhero story for me. And Arrow hasn't disappointed in that department.
9. House of Cards ; I binged this in a single weekend, no regrets. Spacey's performance as Frank Underwood still leaves me with goosebumps. Hell of a role for the man and the he eats up the scenery like it's his second nature. So effing good.
10. Outlander ; Surprise hit of the year for me, I started watching this on a whim and instantly fell in love with the characters, the setting, and the unfolding storyline. Haven't read the books so I'm still excited about where the story will go in the future.
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
My ordering is super weird but this was the conclusion I came to:
1)Mad Men: A true return to form for the series. After a disappointing 5th season and the 6th being good but not great, the first half of season seven has some of my favorite story lines for the show. Don's return to the office had to be my favorite episode and his transformation throughout the season showed real character change. One of my favorite aspects of the show is watching Sally grow, which continued through out the season. This season managed to surprise me with Ginsberg's exit, which doesn't happen too much with TV. Finally, the relationship between Peggy and Don came together is such a masterful fashion that showed the genius of the show.
2)Transparent: While I enjoyed Alpha House, I didn't take Amazon's attempt for original content seriously until Transparent. More of a sweet show then funny, it's hard for me to describe what makes it so good. It managed to avoid traps I saw coming and created a dysfunctional family that all shared a dissatisfaction I could sympathize for.
3)Bob's Burgers: Bob's Burgers is the new Simpsons. Initially I dismissed the show after watching a few episodes from the first season, but once I got past that the show began to shine. Classics from 2014 like The Frond Files and the fifth season opener Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl signals the show is going strong into another year.
4)Regular Show: I thought the show was on the decline after the fifth, partially due to the change towards the park team became more family-esque, but season six managed to better adjust to the new dynamic. RS keeps up the quality wacky storylines, personal and retro references that appeal to both adults and children for another year maintaining it as one of my favorite cartoons this decade.
5)Rick and Morty: I've never been a fan of original Adult Swim programming asides from The Boondocks. Rick and Morty was a pleasant surprise being less crude and better animated than its predecessors. While some of the family storylines can be basic, the self aware science fiction and dialogue made this one of my favorites of the year.
6)The Killing: I binged watched The Killing over a few days a few weeks ago. While the show made the Twin Peaks mistake of stretching a murder mystery across two seasons, the story picked up in the third culminating to the final season that ended up being its best. Depicting the fallout from the third season finale, the writers did an excellent job showing the emotional toll it took on Linden and Holder and their friendship. While the murder mystery was not the same quality as the third, its depiction of hazing and hatred felt genuine enough to be enjoyable, especially with how the investigation was affected by strain of the two investigators.
7)South Park: Episodes each season has hits and misses. This season had more hits with some becoming my favorite episodes of the series. Despite Tray and Matt having less interest in the series, it remains enjoyably topical and abrasive.
8)True Detective: The hype on GAF for True Detective turned out to be mostly true with great acting from Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. While the philosophical thoughts could have been better integrated and the case concluded more simplly than I liked, the character driven plot is masterfully directed and caricature of Louisiana created an atmosphere I enjoyed.
9)Game of Thrones: As a book reader I have problems with adaptation, which will likely always keep it low on my list of favorites. The show is best when it sticks to the material, since rarely are significant changes for the better (with one exception happening in the finale). GRRM makes the best changes, such as how Joffrey's demise unfolded. Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey continued their superb performances and Pedro Pascal played Oberyn justly. Despite the flaws the story is still excellent, with the fourth being the last season to not deviate from the books.
10)Girls: GAF loves to hate on this show, but I enjoy watching Lena Dunham's character Hannah fuck up, which people have claimed is very similar to herself after reading her memoirs. Hannah's lack of empathy for death was an especially memorable episode. The other characters keep their unsatisfactory lives intact and Hannah's relationship with Tom remains one of the best parts of the show.
Comments to be added later.
1)Mad Men: A true return to form for the series. After a disappointing 5th season and the 6th being good but not great, the first half of season seven has some of my favorite story lines for the show. Don's return to the office had to be my favorite episode and his transformation throughout the season showed real character change. One of my favorite aspects of the show is watching Sally grow, which continued through out the season. This season managed to surprise me with Ginsberg's exit, which doesn't happen too much with TV. Finally, the relationship between Peggy and Don came together is such a masterful fashion that showed the genius of the show.
2)Transparent: While I enjoyed Alpha House, I didn't take Amazon's attempt for original content seriously until Transparent. More of a sweet show then funny, it's hard for me to describe what makes it so good. It managed to avoid traps I saw coming and created a dysfunctional family that all shared a dissatisfaction I could sympathize for.
3)Bob's Burgers: Bob's Burgers is the new Simpsons. Initially I dismissed the show after watching a few episodes from the first season, but once I got past that the show began to shine. Classics from 2014 like The Frond Files and the fifth season opener Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl signals the show is going strong into another year.
4)Regular Show: I thought the show was on the decline after the fifth, partially due to the change towards the park team became more family-esque, but season six managed to better adjust to the new dynamic. RS keeps up the quality wacky storylines, personal and retro references that appeal to both adults and children for another year maintaining it as one of my favorite cartoons this decade.
5)Rick and Morty: I've never been a fan of original Adult Swim programming asides from The Boondocks. Rick and Morty was a pleasant surprise being less crude and better animated than its predecessors. While some of the family storylines can be basic, the self aware science fiction and dialogue made this one of my favorites of the year.
6)The Killing: I binged watched The Killing over a few days a few weeks ago. While the show made the Twin Peaks mistake of stretching a murder mystery across two seasons, the story picked up in the third culminating to the final season that ended up being its best. Depicting the fallout from the third season finale, the writers did an excellent job showing the emotional toll it took on Linden and Holder and their friendship. While the murder mystery was not the same quality as the third, its depiction of hazing and hatred felt genuine enough to be enjoyable, especially with how the investigation was affected by strain of the two investigators.
7)South Park: Episodes each season has hits and misses. This season had more hits with some becoming my favorite episodes of the series. Despite Tray and Matt having less interest in the series, it remains enjoyably topical and abrasive.
8)True Detective: The hype on GAF for True Detective turned out to be mostly true with great acting from Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. While the philosophical thoughts could have been better integrated and the case concluded more simplly than I liked, the character driven plot is masterfully directed and caricature of Louisiana created an atmosphere I enjoyed.
9)Game of Thrones: As a book reader I have problems with adaptation, which will likely always keep it low on my list of favorites. The show is best when it sticks to the material, since rarely are significant changes for the better (with one exception happening in the finale). GRRM makes the best changes, such as how Joffrey's demise unfolded. Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey continued their superb performances and Pedro Pascal played Oberyn justly. Despite the flaws the story is still excellent, with the fourth being the last season to not deviate from the books.
10)Girls: GAF loves to hate on this show, but I enjoy watching Lena Dunham's character Hannah fuck up, which people have claimed is very similar to herself after reading her memoirs. Hannah's lack of empathy for death was an especially memorable episode. The other characters keep their unsatisfactory lives intact and Hannah's relationship with Tom remains one of the best parts of the show.
Comments to be added later.
Marc
Member
1. Utopia ; Deals with the most important subject matter facing the human race currently, which is impacting all of our lives and not fully aware of it or how out of control things are. Crazy good writing, decent acting, great characters... just a great show that everyone should get involved in.
2. Hannibal ; Almost the perfect season, falls flat with some of the silly plot twists but the emotional impact and writing around the silliness elevates it. The acting is crazy good too.
3. True Detective ; The show loses some of its zeal by the end and kind of gets a bit silly, but the character writing and the simply jaw dropping acting from Matt for Russ is perfection.
4. The Leftovers ; The show is such a good bad show, a silly concept with no doubt an awful conclusion but the emotional impact and writing of it and the well drawn out characters keep you tied down to this show. I know I will regret it, as the creative team are the biggest con artists working currently but season 1 stands on its own well enough. I can probably walk away from it now.
5. Homeland ; This would have been number 1, the writing was great, the twists amazing, the characters well drawn, the acting great, Quinn is basically pure awesome... then it had its finale and blew it. Worst finale I have seen.
6. Game of Thrones ; Already read the books so had less impact but good stuff as normal.
7. Peaky Blinders ; Great show and brilliant cast. Basically the British Boardwalk Empire before it turned to shit.
8. The Flash ; This shocked me in how good it is, the actors are for the most part shit, and the look of the show is cheap, plus the writing is soap opera'ish for a fair bit but it clicks on many levels and reaches beyond its limits at times. Great fun.
9. Fargo ; May as well have been called the Billy Bob Experience, just sit back and enjoy his work.
10. Boardwalk Empire ; It is there on the merit of the show as a whole, the season sucked, the ending sucked... but the show was a real contender for a time.
2. Hannibal ; Almost the perfect season, falls flat with some of the silly plot twists but the emotional impact and writing around the silliness elevates it. The acting is crazy good too.
3. True Detective ; The show loses some of its zeal by the end and kind of gets a bit silly, but the character writing and the simply jaw dropping acting from Matt for Russ is perfection.
4. The Leftovers ; The show is such a good bad show, a silly concept with no doubt an awful conclusion but the emotional impact and writing of it and the well drawn out characters keep you tied down to this show. I know I will regret it, as the creative team are the biggest con artists working currently but season 1 stands on its own well enough. I can probably walk away from it now.
5. Homeland ; This would have been number 1, the writing was great, the twists amazing, the characters well drawn, the acting great, Quinn is basically pure awesome... then it had its finale and blew it. Worst finale I have seen.
6. Game of Thrones ; Already read the books so had less impact but good stuff as normal.
7. Peaky Blinders ; Great show and brilliant cast. Basically the British Boardwalk Empire before it turned to shit.
8. The Flash ; This shocked me in how good it is, the actors are for the most part shit, and the look of the show is cheap, plus the writing is soap opera'ish for a fair bit but it clicks on many levels and reaches beyond its limits at times. Great fun.
9. Fargo ; May as well have been called the Billy Bob Experience, just sit back and enjoy his work.
10. Boardwalk Empire ; It is there on the merit of the show as a whole, the season sucked, the ending sucked... but the show was a real contender for a time.
1. Person of Interest
A lot of people were disappointed that the show did not veer off in a different direction coming out of the season 3 finale, but that was never in the books for the show, and I respect the showrunners sticking to the show's formula. Despite wearing a now very thin procedural veneer, the show moves at a fairly quick pace and is one of the few shows that uses its procedural formula to move its serial plotlines forward, rather than reserving them at their bookends, giving the procedural aspect of the show a strong narrative drive rather than feeling like rote filler. Person of Interest also continues to tackle relevant issues such as national security while it also starts to look at the topic of the creation, evolution and fears of self-aware artificial super-intelligences. Person of Interest is wholly deserving of people's attention, and its multiple balancing acts of the procedural-serial format, creating worthwhile and sympathetic protagonists and antagonists, managing of multiple concurrent and significant plot threads, as well as simply having a fantastic mix of action and intelligent storytelling that is always consistent which makes this show some of the best television to you can find right now.
2. Once Upon a Time
This is one show that I absolutely look forward to watching every week. There's a confidence that the show found in the first half of it's third season and hasn't let up on since then. Of particular note is the first half of season four, which introduces the characters from Frozen. It's done particularly deftly, especially considering that the writing staff had to work within the limitations given to them by Disney of having to use characters from Frozen coming out of the events of the movie rather than reinterpreting their origin stories and characterizations, as is the show's typical m.o. The cast of Frozen is particularly well realized, with maybe the only the costume design being just barely questionable, as the straight translation of their costumes occasionally clashes with the show's own aesthetic. Otherwise, the cast of Frozen's characters drive the main plot of the half season but never clash thematically or take over the spotlight from the show's original characters, and the show constantly surprised me at every turn with how well it seemed to incorporate Frozen's characters and themes as part of the show's own. The writers also provided some interesting turns on smaller details from movie through the show, giving both OUAT and Frozen additional texture, almost making Frozen feel like it fit naturally into the mythology of Once Upon a Time, despite being wholly separate ventures. You could very well argue that season 4.1 of Once Upon a Time is as good of a follow-up to Disney's Frozen as you might expect from a possible Frozen sequel.
3. Shameless
Shameless is a show that does not get enough love, and it's fourth season in particular feels like there was even more life breathed into an already consistently amazing show. Not simply content to ever ride on its own success and any winning formula or retread similar ground, the fourth season of Shameless dials up the emotional drama and it never feels misplaced despite being more of a looming presence over previous seasons. Watching previously very strong characters like Fiona fall from grace and having to truly face extremely dramatic and heartbreaking arcs sounds like a recipe for just more misery. And there is, but the show always proves its own DNA true in showing that rather than sulking about it, the characters pick themselves and continue on as best they can, whether they like it or not. Despite a few faltering plot lines, the sheer strength of this season's strongest character and emotional arcs completely offsets any imbalance.
4. Louie
When Louis CK is essentially given a blank cheque, it's amazing to see what he can do. Not content to simply make relatively absurd-at-times and brutally honest comedy, he hones season 4 of Louie into a really focused and serial format, including a six-parter and a two-parter - which deserves its own special mention - nestled in the middle of the former. Louie explores some interesting and often dark places with the longer stories and at times what he's committed to screen borders on controversial, or at least worthy of deeper discussion. The other large story in season four of Louie features a flashback to presumably what is a version of Louis CK's childhood and his reflection on it after discovering his elder daughter's behaviour mirrors his, which was extremely fascinating to watch. There's almost no actual "funny ha ha laugh out loud" comedy in this two-parter but proved to be one of the more affecting episodes of television in 2014 for me.
5. The Americans
After a fantastic first season, The Americans returned with a renewed energy and came out the gate ready with an even more stellar second season, not only ratcheting up the espionage angle, but also continued to probe the troubles of domestic life and the toll that the Cold War takes on its characters. The only arguably dull spot was the resolution to the final act of the season, but it was far enough removed from many other strong plot threads that everything else hitting its mark didn't really seem to mar the second season at all.
6. The 100
The 100 is the show that could, and frankly deserving of more viewers and more attention. It always defies the trappings of the network it's on to provide riveting and thrilling television from week to week. It's not afraid to pull its punches or show us it's not going to sit idly by and play by the same rules most network television. It's also not afraid to let us know their character's actions have real consequences, and then subsequently deliver in ways you would not expect. It may be on The CW, but this show is extremely sure of itself when tackling very real and complex themes through its narrative and characters. The core cast of the show is split fairly evenly but what is fantastic to watch are the women who are constantly large and in charge.
7. Jane the Virgin
In one of the biggest surprises of the year, Jane the Virgin is one of those shows that seems to defy belief until someone watches it and gives it a fair shake. I am thoroughly guilty of writing it off just from the premise alone, but the writing and performances are worth it. There's a certain grace in how the show handles the personal relationships in earnestness but then shift into telenovella-levels of absurdity with relations to its plotting, character relationships and general tone without feeling incongruous at all. Never. This is also wrapped around a fantastically voiced narrator who breathes life into the show by giving him character as well as providing a cheeky way for the writers to play with the audience, one of the many feats I was genuinely surprised by. I'm not a stickler for voice overs, but regardless, Jane the Virgin's narrator puts everyone's to shame.
8. 24: Live Another Day
The revival of the long-lived series under a shorter episode count definitely gave this season a lot of energy coming into it. Perhaps it was the long gap between it's finale and the start of the revival, but Live Another Day is exactly what fans of 24 wanted and loved. The show takes some pages out of more recent events, but the familiar tropes are all there, just packaged into a shorter format and it seems to work better for it. Nothing ever feels stretched out to pad time and your typical 24 tropes are played long enough for them to pay off before moving on. 24: Live Another Day was definitely some of the most fun TV I've had in 2014 and I'm hoping for the revival to return and take to heart the lessons learned from Live Another Day.
9. You're The Worst
This was one of the few rom-coms that survived 2014 - the rest having fallen to the wayside - and its uniqueness shows. Taking on two almost anti-heroes (if not just outright despicable people) as the traditional rom-com couple made the genre feel fresh. Not content with simply making the leads of a romantic comedy utterly terrible people, You're The Worst goes as far as to give their "sidekicks" more material to work with than a traditional rom-com sidekick would get and acting less like a foil to their counterparts and more like real characters beings that have their flaws, vices, and despicable wants all out there. The fact that a show about despicable people finding love with each other while also being one of the funniest shows of the year says a lot about You're the Worst. It never dips into overly saccharine territory and remains brutally honest with their characters, despite everything, which makes You're The Worst absolutely fun to watch.
10. Boardwalk Empire
There's much to say about the final season of Boardwalk Empire; that it was too short, or there was too much of a focus on Nucky, other characters were more fun to watch, but when you're given a shortened season and asked to end it on your own terms, the show pulled it off with as much confidence as anyone could ask of it. It still felt rushed in a few character arcs, but the focus on Nucky became evident as the flashbacks started to elucidate more of Nucky's early life in Atlantic City and giving them purpose. Perhaps the time could've been better spent on the other characters and giving them some more screen time, but I think I saw what they wanted to accomplish with the final season. It's not easy ending any show, because fans will never truly be satisfied, but Boardwalk Empire set out what it seemed to accomplish with having the flashback timeline to help bookend not just the season, but the series. You may not particularly have liked Nucky Thompson, but after the final season, he easily justifies the time spent on him in final season, especially when you see all the pieces start to fall in place, and giving the entire series additional texture for a rewatch.
Runners-up (in no particular order):
Mad Men
Transparent
Orange is the New Black
The Leftovers
Game of Thrones
Penny Dreadful
True Detective
Arrow
The Flash
Hannibal
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
The Firefly Award of 2014 goes to:
Selfie
Canadian TV actually worth a damn in 2014:
19-2
Strange Empire
1. Game of Thrones ; Season 4 was the weakest so far but it's still the best show on television
2. The Flash ; Best comic show at the moment. It really surprised me how fun a show could be and I live the Arrow crossover.
3. 24 ; Love having Jack back after all this time
4. Gotham ; I know GAF hates this show but I think it improved quickly and I love the style. Penguin is great too.
5. The Goldbergs ; The show is funny but it's the the fact that I grew up just a few years later than the main character is what makes this show great for me. The Goonies episode was amazing!
6. Arrow ; Loved the second season but the current one is moving slower than I'm used to with Arrow.
7. Hannibal ; Visuals and characters make this show.
8. How to Get Away with Murder ; It was a "watch with the wife" show but it actually kept me interested
9. The Walking Dead ; Still love zombies
10. Agents of SHIELD. ; Season 2 has been decent but the awful season 1 keeps this show at the bottom of the list.
That's it. I don't really watch much else. Just Amazing Race and Big Bang Theory didn't make the list. I also started watching State of Affairs which is a surprisingly decent spy drama but I haven't watched enough yet to put it on the list.
I need to watch more of the critically acclaimed shows like Fargo and TD at some point. I just find those shows harder to get in to since I prefer fun shows that require less attention when watching week to week. I like to binge watch the "better" shows years later. Speaking of binge watching, it's how I watched most of Breaking Bad. Does the last season of BB count? If so, I need to change my list!
2. The Flash ; Best comic show at the moment. It really surprised me how fun a show could be and I live the Arrow crossover.
3. 24 ; Love having Jack back after all this time
4. Gotham ; I know GAF hates this show but I think it improved quickly and I love the style. Penguin is great too.
5. The Goldbergs ; The show is funny but it's the the fact that I grew up just a few years later than the main character is what makes this show great for me. The Goonies episode was amazing!
6. Arrow ; Loved the second season but the current one is moving slower than I'm used to with Arrow.
7. Hannibal ; Visuals and characters make this show.
8. How to Get Away with Murder ; It was a "watch with the wife" show but it actually kept me interested
9. The Walking Dead ; Still love zombies
10. Agents of SHIELD. ; Season 2 has been decent but the awful season 1 keeps this show at the bottom of the list.
That's it. I don't really watch much else. Just Amazing Race and Big Bang Theory didn't make the list. I also started watching State of Affairs which is a surprisingly decent spy drama but I haven't watched enough yet to put it on the list.
I need to watch more of the critically acclaimed shows like Fargo and TD at some point. I just find those shows harder to get in to since I prefer fun shows that require less attention when watching week to week. I like to binge watch the "better" shows years later. Speaking of binge watching, it's how I watched most of Breaking Bad. Does the last season of BB count? If so, I need to change my list!
Yes I looked it up too. I just couldn't remember as I typed up my post. Makes sense though since no one else was voting for it.
The problem this year was it's a top 10. I could easily squeeze another 5 in and still be good. I had writeups for everything I listed, I didn't really order the list until last night, and it was pretty tough. Great year for TV. Otherwise 2014 was a total shit.Yes, great post sober. Looks like most of my top 10 possibilities ended up in your honorable mentions
It's a divisive (and corny) show, but it's still fun to watch.
Biff
Member
1. Fargo ; I had trouble watching The Hobbit 3 without constantly seeing Lester Nygaard on the screen. I will now always see Martin Freeman in that character. Ah jeez.
2. True Detective ; Probably the most beautifully shot TV series I have ever seen. Great writing, great acting, all around a great show.
3. How to Get Away with Murder ; Surprise of the year for me. Was not expecting such a fresh procedural from a network effort. Viola Davis is perfect in this series.
4. Homeland ; While not as strong as Season 1, I was really impressed with the show's new lease on life after the
5. Game of Thrones ; This is a tough one for me, as I marathoned GoT up to this season. It probably would have had a bigger impact on me after having to wait a year in between seasons.
6. House of Cards ; I'll submit it was a bit on the far-fetched side this season, but still entertaining as hell. It's amazing that Kevin Spacey's defining role has happened so late in his career. But make no mistake, this is it.
7. Rick and Morty ; The funniest show I have seen all year. So fresh and inventive, and the formula for the series allows for even more ridiculousness in the seasons ahead. Really looking forward to what they do with it.
8. Silicon Valley ; Another very funny series. I think the cast is awesome but I am worried this may head in the direction of Entourage as the major arc of "Will they make it?" inevitably gets answered in Season 2.
9. Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories ; While not the best product of T&E, this series certainly had its moments. Lots of new characters I hope to see in more T&E productions.
10. The Eric Andre Show ; Season 3 has not been as good as Season 2, but I've still had my fair share of side-splitting moments.
>>Watched but didn't make the list<<
* Nathan For You -- Honestly, I think this show's popularity may become its own demise. Nathan's stunts have gotten much grander, which I don't think helps the show at all.
* Orange is the New Black -- Quite disappointed with this season. If I had to summarize this season in one word, it would be "Flanderization".
* Suits -- What a mess this show has become. I don't even understand what's going on anymore. It has devolved into pure stupidity. The most entertaining part of the show continues to be spotting my hometown of Toronto in it. I really hope it'll get better after the winter break, but my expectations aren't very high.
* Banshee -- The big Season 2 twist was so incredibly lazy. Season 1 was my surprise of the year in 2013, and to see them undo a lot of that magic in Season 2 was really disappointing. I still think the show can recover with the fresh start it has given itself for Season 3. I hope so, as Job is among the best characters on television right now.
2. True Detective ; Probably the most beautifully shot TV series I have ever seen. Great writing, great acting, all around a great show.
3. How to Get Away with Murder ; Surprise of the year for me. Was not expecting such a fresh procedural from a network effort. Viola Davis is perfect in this series.
4. Homeland ; While not as strong as Season 1, I was really impressed with the show's new lease on life after the
end of Brody in Season 3.
5. Game of Thrones ; This is a tough one for me, as I marathoned GoT up to this season. It probably would have had a bigger impact on me after having to wait a year in between seasons.
6. House of Cards ; I'll submit it was a bit on the far-fetched side this season, but still entertaining as hell. It's amazing that Kevin Spacey's defining role has happened so late in his career. But make no mistake, this is it.
7. Rick and Morty ; The funniest show I have seen all year. So fresh and inventive, and the formula for the series allows for even more ridiculousness in the seasons ahead. Really looking forward to what they do with it.
8. Silicon Valley ; Another very funny series. I think the cast is awesome but I am worried this may head in the direction of Entourage as the major arc of "Will they make it?" inevitably gets answered in Season 2.
9. Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories ; While not the best product of T&E, this series certainly had its moments. Lots of new characters I hope to see in more T&E productions.
10. The Eric Andre Show ; Season 3 has not been as good as Season 2, but I've still had my fair share of side-splitting moments.
>>Watched but didn't make the list<<
* Nathan For You -- Honestly, I think this show's popularity may become its own demise. Nathan's stunts have gotten much grander, which I don't think helps the show at all.
* Orange is the New Black -- Quite disappointed with this season. If I had to summarize this season in one word, it would be "Flanderization".
* Suits -- What a mess this show has become. I don't even understand what's going on anymore. It has devolved into pure stupidity. The most entertaining part of the show continues to be spotting my hometown of Toronto in it. I really hope it'll get better after the winter break, but my expectations aren't very high.
* Banshee -- The big Season 2 twist was so incredibly lazy. Season 1 was my surprise of the year in 2013, and to see them undo a lot of that magic in Season 2 was really disappointing. I still think the show can recover with the fresh start it has given itself for Season 3. I hope so, as Job is among the best characters on television right now.
lazybones18
Banned
1. 24: Live Another Day ; Little bit of bias here. It was my favorite show of all-time and when the show came back, it did not disappoint. Gimme Season 10 or the Movie PLS
2. Fargo
3. Louie
4. Mad Men
5. Space Dandy ; Probably the only one who'll put Dandy on their list
6. Justified
7. Kill la Kill ; Can't believe I almost forgot about this. I'll probably be the only one who'll put this show on their list too lol
8. The Americans
9. The Walking Dead
10. South Park
Sorry Sons of Anarchy, Archer and The Bridge, just missed the list. And True Detective....meh
2. Fargo
3. Louie
4. Mad Men
5. Space Dandy ; Probably the only one who'll put Dandy on their list
6. Justified
7. Kill la Kill ; Can't believe I almost forgot about this. I'll probably be the only one who'll put this show on their list too lol
8. The Americans
9. The Walking Dead
10. South Park
Sorry Sons of Anarchy, Archer and The Bridge, just missed the list. And True Detective....meh
Ragnarsson
Member
1. Game of Thrones Even if you dont like this series, you cant deny its ambition. Its epic in scope and it also has a lot of depth to it. There are not many shows like this one. However, there were occasions in previous seasons where I felt they had too much to handle and they didnt know how to properly do that. I feel this season they found the perfect balance. The pacing was the best it has been, every storyline took interesting turns, every character progressed in a meaningful way. They even managed to make a Jon Snow-centric episode one of the series best. Amazing season of an amazing show.
2. Hannibal One of the most criminally overlooked shows on air. After an incredible first season, I was afraid of the usual sophomore slump. Hannibals second season, however, was even better than the first. Yes, its still incredibly gorgeous to look at and it features some of the best acting on television. On top of that, it was more compelling and even more intriguing than before. Everyone should be watching Hannibal. Because we really need a fourth season and this show deserves it. Also, it deserves a few Emmy nods. And wins.
3. Person of Interest A relentless series that never ceases to surprise me. Its always heading into unexpected territory, it always feels fresh and its just great. Its a genuinely great show.
4. True Detective I never cared for Matthew McConaughey before this. I actually put off watching this show because of him. Boy, was I wrong to do that. True Detective is incredible. Well-written, well-acted, tremendously engaging from top to bottom. Its one of the few shows that I binge-watched this year. All that critical acclaim was totally deserved.
5. Sherlock I know not everyone enjoyed this season, but it was probably my favorite so far. It juggled effortlessly between funny moments, smart moments and emotional moments. It also helps that Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman still have amazing chemistry. I cant wait for Christmas 2015. Or 2016. The wait between seasons kills me.
6. South Park After a couple of meh seasons, I thought its glory days were gone. Im so glad I was wrong. What a great season. The continuity kept things fresh, the social commentary was funny and on point. Just thinking of some of this seasons jokes makes me want to laugh. Welcome back, South Park!
7. House of Cards It wasnt as compelling as the first season, but it was very good, nonetheless. Everyones still raving about Kevin Spacey, but I cant stress enough how much I love Robin Wrights performance. Shes amazing.
8. Downton Abbey I feel so good watching this show. Somehow it makes me feel comfortable. Its well-written, its well-acted, its classy, it makes me feel cozy. I like this show, guys.
9. Arrow I was going to put it higher on this list, but the latest season is being a bit disappointing so far. Still, its the second best superhero show on air. The best is this lists number three.
10. Penny Dreadful Eva. Green. And Im gay.
Honorable mentions:
Homeland Sooooo much better than season 3. I still remember season 3, though.
The Walking Dead A damn entertaining show.
Flash If it keeps this up, itll enter the list next year.
24: Live Another Day I missed you, Jack Bauer.
2. Hannibal One of the most criminally overlooked shows on air. After an incredible first season, I was afraid of the usual sophomore slump. Hannibals second season, however, was even better than the first. Yes, its still incredibly gorgeous to look at and it features some of the best acting on television. On top of that, it was more compelling and even more intriguing than before. Everyone should be watching Hannibal. Because we really need a fourth season and this show deserves it. Also, it deserves a few Emmy nods. And wins.
3. Person of Interest A relentless series that never ceases to surprise me. Its always heading into unexpected territory, it always feels fresh and its just great. Its a genuinely great show.
4. True Detective I never cared for Matthew McConaughey before this. I actually put off watching this show because of him. Boy, was I wrong to do that. True Detective is incredible. Well-written, well-acted, tremendously engaging from top to bottom. Its one of the few shows that I binge-watched this year. All that critical acclaim was totally deserved.
5. Sherlock I know not everyone enjoyed this season, but it was probably my favorite so far. It juggled effortlessly between funny moments, smart moments and emotional moments. It also helps that Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman still have amazing chemistry. I cant wait for Christmas 2015. Or 2016. The wait between seasons kills me.
6. South Park After a couple of meh seasons, I thought its glory days were gone. Im so glad I was wrong. What a great season. The continuity kept things fresh, the social commentary was funny and on point. Just thinking of some of this seasons jokes makes me want to laugh. Welcome back, South Park!
7. House of Cards It wasnt as compelling as the first season, but it was very good, nonetheless. Everyones still raving about Kevin Spacey, but I cant stress enough how much I love Robin Wrights performance. Shes amazing.
8. Downton Abbey I feel so good watching this show. Somehow it makes me feel comfortable. Its well-written, its well-acted, its classy, it makes me feel cozy. I like this show, guys.
9. Arrow I was going to put it higher on this list, but the latest season is being a bit disappointing so far. Still, its the second best superhero show on air. The best is this lists number three.
10. Penny Dreadful Eva. Green. And Im gay.
Honorable mentions:
Homeland Sooooo much better than season 3. I still remember season 3, though.
The Walking Dead A damn entertaining show.
Flash If it keeps this up, itll enter the list next year.
24: Live Another Day I missed you, Jack Bauer.
Hours Left
Member
1. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ; Biggest turnaround I've seen for a show in years. Spring boarding off the sudden leap in quality at the end of S1, SHIELD is now fresh and engaging. It provides a meaningful and exciting glimpse into what the world of the MCU can be when it stops being polite and starts getting real.
2. Game of Thrones ; Firing on (almost) all cylinders, GoT has managed to avoid the pitfalls of many genre shows that tend to putz around in the middle, and still displays an engrossing and engaging look at the ever expanding Westeros.
3. Mad Men ; Despite my ardent dislike for the lead character, Mad Men still manages to ooze style and substance in its seventh season.
4. Outlander ; A huge surprise for me. This show does not pull any punches. (Literally.) With an intelligent but (realistically) flawed main character, and a superb duo of gentleman leads, Outlander is off to a great start. (Which is good because the books this series is based on are extremely ambitious.)
5. Kingdom ; A GAF favorite that GAF doesn't know about yet. With a cast of characters that have been through the wringer, yet all of them ones the audience can relate to, Kingdom deals out emotional payoff in a way that might not seem amiable with its premise set in the world of MMA. Yet it delivers in spades.
6. The Flash ; Cute, exciting and surprisingly emotional, The Flash obviously learned a lot from the early stages of Arrow and has come out of the gate at a much more successful clip. While it has stumbled a few times, The CW has managed to already erect another strong pillar in their temple of DC.
7. Penny Dreadful ; Though the show has some pacing issues, with the stand out performances of the bulk of the cast, particularly the tour de force turn by Eva Green, Penny Dreadful has potential that few other genre shows could hope for this early in their existence. The key will be honing that in.
8. Orphan Black ; It may have lost a bit of its edge and perhaps gone down a few deadend paths in S2, nevertheless Orphan Black still thrives with the all encompassing performance by its stellar star, and a plotline that has lot going for it, even if it doesn't currently seem that way.
9. Revenge ; Building on the momentum gained back in S3, Revenge is out to prove that a primetime soap can pack a punch and leave your jaw agape while still embracing a few outlandish tropes. FYI: Soapiness is not a negative trait.
10. Arrow ; Helped by an extremely fun crossover event, a sensational midseason finale, and a cast that still grabs your attention despite being given less than spectacular material to work off of, this show has a lot of heart. It may have fallen a bit behind the speedy new CW golden child but it should not be counted out by any means.
randomengine
Banned
1. Hannibal - That is the only show that matters to me.
After I watched the finale, I went to the forums here and stole all the non-spoilers comments people made while they watched the finale. I wanted to show my friend how it affected people. For you all, I will do the same...
It is the only show that I watch live. I watched the finale with my wife and I was I sat motionless and erect during the whole thing. My wife sitting on the bed behind me thought if she touched me I might scream. I was ruined for days afterwards. I am rarely surprised by a show, even rarer for a show I actually love, but it surprised me. Everything about it is genius and I feel so lucky to have seen it and been able to appreciate it.
After I watched the finale, I went to the forums here and stole all the non-spoilers comments people made while they watched the finale. I wanted to show my friend how it affected people. For you all, I will do the same...
It is the only show that I watch live. I watched the finale with my wife and I was I sat motionless and erect during the whole thing. My wife sitting on the bed behind me thought if she touched me I might scream. I was ruined for days afterwards. I am rarely surprised by a show, even rarer for a show I actually love, but it surprised me. Everything about it is genius and I feel so lucky to have seen it and been able to appreciate it.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
1. True Detective
2. Over the Garden Wall
3. Game of Thrones
4. Mad Men
5. Steven Universe
6. House of Cards
7. Parks and Recreations
8. Gravity Falls
9. Legend of Korra
10. Constantine
Gotta give credit to the animated shows. They might have been better this year than any other in recent memory just with Over the Garden Wall and Steven Universe.
2. Over the Garden Wall
3. Game of Thrones
4. Mad Men
5. Steven Universe
6. House of Cards
7. Parks and Recreations
8. Gravity Falls
9. Legend of Korra
10. Constantine
Gotta give credit to the animated shows. They might have been better this year than any other in recent memory just with Over the Garden Wall and Steven Universe.
higgsboson1997
Member
1. Game of Thrones ; It is, by far, my favourite show ever made. And this was its best season. It's ambitious, sprawling, has great acting, a spectacular soundtrack, and moments we will never get anywhere else on TV. It's better than the books that it is based on. What more can one want?
2. Silicon Valley ; Funniest show in a while. I hope it gets a longer second season.
2. Silicon Valley ; Funniest show in a while. I hope it gets a longer second season.
Discotheque
Banned
boardwalk empire
nathan for you
the knick
true detective
mad men
vikings
penny dreadful
the flash
silicon valley
fargo
surprised at how low boardwalk is ranking. the capone scenes were so damn entertaining, and all the nucky thompson ones were damn good drama. got godfather 2 vibes from the cuba scenes and flashbacks
nathan for you
the knick
true detective
mad men
vikings
penny dreadful
the flash
silicon valley
fargo
surprised at how low boardwalk is ranking. the capone scenes were so damn entertaining, and all the nucky thompson ones were damn good drama. got godfather 2 vibes from the cuba scenes and flashbacks
1. Transparent - haven't been this into a show since Six Feet Under
2. The Leftovers - a lot of people hate it but I love it, the depressing tone of the show really struck a cord with me
3. Game of Thrones - not as good as the first 3 seasons but still great, the season finale was kind of a letdown though. Not because it's going more high fantasy (I was aware of that beforehand) but something was just not sitting right with me
4. Fargo - great show that really nailed the feel of the original movie
5. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - I only got to see the segments they release on Youtube but I loved those
2. The Leftovers - a lot of people hate it but I love it, the depressing tone of the show really struck a cord with me
3. Game of Thrones - not as good as the first 3 seasons but still great, the season finale was kind of a letdown though. Not because it's going more high fantasy (I was aware of that beforehand) but something was just not sitting right with me
4. Fargo - great show that really nailed the feel of the original movie
5. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - I only got to see the segments they release on Youtube but I loved those
Well, let's just do this. It's not like I'm gonna catch up with any more stuff in the last couple of days before the deadline. Having seen about 40 shows eligible for this list it's quite a tough choice to make. So my honorable mentions list will be somewhat long.
1. - Fargo (FX)
Well this show really caught me by surprise. As much as I loved Fargo (the film), I didn't expect the series to be this damn good. First of all Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton were absolutely brilliant. Then there's the iconic soundtrack which is very recognizable for folks who seen the movie. That opening theme sets the tone every week again. It's got a special atmosphere with it's snowy North Dakota as the backdrop. Inhabited by people with the most awesome accent in the USA probably. Man, I just love the little conversations between the locals. And of course it helps that the rest of the cast also did a great job and that they got a good script to work with. Wonderful stuff from start to end.
2. - Mad Men (AMC)
I was kind of pissed off that AMC decided to split the final season in half. Just as they did with Breaking Bad before. And I still don't like it. But I have to say they managed to make this season '7.1' feel like a complete thing. They've took the story into great directions with a lot of room for Don and Peggy in specific. They gave us another stunning scene of Don and Peggy in a room. And they gave us one of the best episodes of the entire series with the season 'finale'. I absolutely loved it to bits.
3. - True Detective (HBO)
Let's be honest, even before airing we all knew there was no way this was going to be bad. Having McConaughey at the prime of his McConaissance as the lead actor next to the always solid Woody Harrelson in a gritty detective drama made my HBO is in no universe a bad thing. One thing you expect with HBO projects is wonderful direction, and they also delivered on that. With most notable that beautiful six minute one shot of course. It's making you feel like you're part of the story on screen, it's so jaw dropping good. With a good mystery, great acting and direction HBO had a very good little package to start the year with. Those are eight episodes to remember.
4. - The Americans (FX)
Certainly one of the surprise hits from last year, made it directly into my top 10 as the final entry on the list. And well, they improved as did their spot on my list. They managed to continue what made the first season so good and made it even better. This is one of those series that has me on the edge of my seat every week because of the tension running high constantly. The constant spy game going back and forth between the Russians and Americans is great to watch. And it's some achievement the people behind the show make me feel twisted about who to root for. And I love it how they use heavy violence only to strengthen scenes and to allow the characters having some reflection on their deeds. They don't toss around bloody scenes left and right to make it more entertaining in some way. Can't wait for the third season which is about to start soon.
5. - Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
After five years I'm sad to see this show go. There was so much more source material to work with here, but sadly it had to come to an early end. And they even got a cut on the amount of episodes with just eight. But to me they made the most out of this bad situation. By having the focus almost 100% on Nucky they took a chance because most people think Nucky isn't exactly the most interesting character on the show. But within Nucky's story they managed to neatly end other characters story lines too. Well except for one great character who sadly died off screen and was never to be seen in this final season. Have to mention the new cast members they found to play younger versions of prominent characters on the show. Especially Nucky in his twenties was a steller performance. His manners, his way of talking, everything seemed right. It was a great ride Boardwalk, sad to see you go.
6. - Brooklyn Nine Nine (Fox)
I was doubting to put this show on my list last year. But since it was only on for about half a season it seemed a bit early to give them a spot yet. But to my great satisfaction they continued the first season in that same great form, each next episode being funnier than the previous one. And hardly a surprise, season two is still owning. I love all the characters, but I have to especially mention Captain Raymond Holt. What a guy.
7. - Game of Thrones (HBO)
With this show it's rather been the question of where it will end up on my list as opposed to if it will end up in my list. Game of Thrones has been nothing but consistant in it's quality these past four years and this years season was no exception. Not really such a shocker as the famous 'Red Wedding' this time around, but certainly a couple that come close. Some interesting new characters were introduced, of whom some didn't even make the end of the season. And near the end of the season they tossed in a pretty epic grand battle. Another good season for Game of Thrones and I'm ready for more.
8. - Transparent (Amazon Prime)
The latest show I watched before submitting this post. And basically because I've seen it appear in so many lists here. Rightfully so I can add, hence why it made mine too. Transparent is a great series not afraid to dive into sensitive subjects. It's a drama series at heart, but also features a good deal of humour to keep things light. Jeffrey Tambor puts up a great performance, whilst looking like a serious version of his Oscar Bluth character from Arrested Development. On that subject, another parallel that can be easily made is that in both shows he's the head of a dysfunctional family at best. This seems to be the ultimate series about finding your inner self and trying to live a worthwile life following your own rules.
9. - Masters of Sex (Showtime)
Much like The Americans one of last years surprises. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan really carry this show as the sex researchers the story is all about. This season had some powerful scenes between these two, exemplary for their great chemistry. And they've done a good job on covering subjects such as racism and homosexuality. Very compelling show with great acting performances, just give me season three already.
10. - Homeland (Showtime)
The most unexpected entry on my list is saved for the last spot. Homeland had a great first season, a pretty dire second season and an average at best third season. But this year they came back in form. Leaving most of the personal drama from the leading characters behind and focussing on actual terrorist hunting did the show good. Normally I wouldn't mind drama, but the people behind Homeland seem just incapable of doing that in a good way. Giving characters we don't care about a lot of background and brining in annoying kids. With all that in the past they delivered a tense fourth season. Especially around episode 7 to 11 if my memory serves me right there were some thrilling scenes that had me on the edge of my couch. Really curious to see what they will come up with next season. I know I'll be back for it.
Honorable mentions: South Park, Community, The Bridge, Benched, Person of Interest, Hannibal, House of Cards, Silicon Valley, Orange is the New Black, New Girl, You're the Worst and Penny Dreadful.
1. - Fargo (FX)
Well this show really caught me by surprise. As much as I loved Fargo (the film), I didn't expect the series to be this damn good. First of all Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton were absolutely brilliant. Then there's the iconic soundtrack which is very recognizable for folks who seen the movie. That opening theme sets the tone every week again. It's got a special atmosphere with it's snowy North Dakota as the backdrop. Inhabited by people with the most awesome accent in the USA probably. Man, I just love the little conversations between the locals. And of course it helps that the rest of the cast also did a great job and that they got a good script to work with. Wonderful stuff from start to end.
2. - Mad Men (AMC)
I was kind of pissed off that AMC decided to split the final season in half. Just as they did with Breaking Bad before. And I still don't like it. But I have to say they managed to make this season '7.1' feel like a complete thing. They've took the story into great directions with a lot of room for Don and Peggy in specific. They gave us another stunning scene of Don and Peggy in a room. And they gave us one of the best episodes of the entire series with the season 'finale'. I absolutely loved it to bits.
3. - True Detective (HBO)
Let's be honest, even before airing we all knew there was no way this was going to be bad. Having McConaughey at the prime of his McConaissance as the lead actor next to the always solid Woody Harrelson in a gritty detective drama made my HBO is in no universe a bad thing. One thing you expect with HBO projects is wonderful direction, and they also delivered on that. With most notable that beautiful six minute one shot of course. It's making you feel like you're part of the story on screen, it's so jaw dropping good. With a good mystery, great acting and direction HBO had a very good little package to start the year with. Those are eight episodes to remember.
4. - The Americans (FX)
Certainly one of the surprise hits from last year, made it directly into my top 10 as the final entry on the list. And well, they improved as did their spot on my list. They managed to continue what made the first season so good and made it even better. This is one of those series that has me on the edge of my seat every week because of the tension running high constantly. The constant spy game going back and forth between the Russians and Americans is great to watch. And it's some achievement the people behind the show make me feel twisted about who to root for. And I love it how they use heavy violence only to strengthen scenes and to allow the characters having some reflection on their deeds. They don't toss around bloody scenes left and right to make it more entertaining in some way. Can't wait for the third season which is about to start soon.
5. - Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
After five years I'm sad to see this show go. There was so much more source material to work with here, but sadly it had to come to an early end. And they even got a cut on the amount of episodes with just eight. But to me they made the most out of this bad situation. By having the focus almost 100% on Nucky they took a chance because most people think Nucky isn't exactly the most interesting character on the show. But within Nucky's story they managed to neatly end other characters story lines too. Well except for one great character who sadly died off screen and was never to be seen in this final season. Have to mention the new cast members they found to play younger versions of prominent characters on the show. Especially Nucky in his twenties was a steller performance. His manners, his way of talking, everything seemed right. It was a great ride Boardwalk, sad to see you go.
6. - Brooklyn Nine Nine (Fox)
I was doubting to put this show on my list last year. But since it was only on for about half a season it seemed a bit early to give them a spot yet. But to my great satisfaction they continued the first season in that same great form, each next episode being funnier than the previous one. And hardly a surprise, season two is still owning. I love all the characters, but I have to especially mention Captain Raymond Holt. What a guy.
7. - Game of Thrones (HBO)
With this show it's rather been the question of where it will end up on my list as opposed to if it will end up in my list. Game of Thrones has been nothing but consistant in it's quality these past four years and this years season was no exception. Not really such a shocker as the famous 'Red Wedding' this time around, but certainly a couple that come close. Some interesting new characters were introduced, of whom some didn't even make the end of the season. And near the end of the season they tossed in a pretty epic grand battle. Another good season for Game of Thrones and I'm ready for more.
8. - Transparent (Amazon Prime)
The latest show I watched before submitting this post. And basically because I've seen it appear in so many lists here. Rightfully so I can add, hence why it made mine too. Transparent is a great series not afraid to dive into sensitive subjects. It's a drama series at heart, but also features a good deal of humour to keep things light. Jeffrey Tambor puts up a great performance, whilst looking like a serious version of his Oscar Bluth character from Arrested Development. On that subject, another parallel that can be easily made is that in both shows he's the head of a dysfunctional family at best. This seems to be the ultimate series about finding your inner self and trying to live a worthwile life following your own rules.
9. - Masters of Sex (Showtime)
Much like The Americans one of last years surprises. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan really carry this show as the sex researchers the story is all about. This season had some powerful scenes between these two, exemplary for their great chemistry. And they've done a good job on covering subjects such as racism and homosexuality. Very compelling show with great acting performances, just give me season three already.
10. - Homeland (Showtime)
The most unexpected entry on my list is saved for the last spot. Homeland had a great first season, a pretty dire second season and an average at best third season. But this year they came back in form. Leaving most of the personal drama from the leading characters behind and focussing on actual terrorist hunting did the show good. Normally I wouldn't mind drama, but the people behind Homeland seem just incapable of doing that in a good way. Giving characters we don't care about a lot of background and brining in annoying kids. With all that in the past they delivered a tense fourth season. Especially around episode 7 to 11 if my memory serves me right there were some thrilling scenes that had me on the edge of my couch. Really curious to see what they will come up with next season. I know I'll be back for it.
Honorable mentions: South Park, Community, The Bridge, Benched, Person of Interest, Hannibal, House of Cards, Silicon Valley, Orange is the New Black, New Girl, You're the Worst and Penny Dreadful.
- Status