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So I'm glad that "end of the golden age of television" narrative that went around when Breaking Bad was ending turned out to be total bullshit. Honestly, making a Top 20 would've been easier than making a top 10. With that in mind, I'd like to talk about a few honorable mentions: True Detective Most years, this show would easily be in my top 10. Don't let the backlash dissuade you from giving it a try, if you haven't. Rick and Morty Not every episode hit on all cylinders, but this is such a fun show. I'm glad Dan Harmon will have a home somewhere on television after Community finally kicks the bucket. You're the Worst If there's one thing FX does consistently well, it's funny comedies about horrible people. But this show still manages to have a different feel from Always Sunny or The League. The one thing You're the Worst does need is better ratings. So watch it. Trailer Park Boys The time off from TV seemed to help immensely, as the boys came back as strong as ever after a relatively weak S7. Also, bonus points for the Bubbles cat shelter videos. Parks and Recreation Parks has been on a slow decline for some time now, which merely means it's only an amazing show some of the time. Here's hoping that, like with 30 Rock, a short order final season helps them go out with a bang. The 100 One of the more ambitious sc-fi shows in recent memory. Great cast, entertaining, brutal action, and it mostly avoids the bad dialogue problem that plagues even the good CW shows. Like You're the Worst, it needs viewers. Watch it. I could keep going, but I won't. Here's my Top 10:  10.Transparent Any Emmy Nominee list next year that doesn't have Jeffrey Tambor on it is automatically a joke. He alone is worth the price of admission. Though keep in mind you'll probably end up hating a good portion of the rest of the cast if you watch this show. But that's intentional. This is a very delicately crafted show and I look forward to more of it.  9.Silicon Valley Hands down winner of the non-existent "funniest scene on television in 2014" award. Yeah, that scene. If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, go watch Silicon Valley. Please never leave my television again, Mike Judge.  8.Utopia (UK) This dark, compelling, sometimes horrifying, sometimes oddly funny show was too good for this world. I do wish they didn't waste an entire episode of the already short season on a flashback. Still, Fincher and Flynn have their work cut out for them if they want the HBO version to do the original justice. Come watch the original now, so you can say you liked it before it was cool.  7.Brooklyn 99 I'd love to just hang out with the cast of this show for a day. You can't convince me that that wouldn't be a good time.  6.Rectify This is a slow burn; you have to keep that in mind going in. But you're missing out on something special if you don't. This is the prestige show everyone should be talking about but isn't. The finale in particular was probably the best episode of TV I saw this year.  5.Last Week Tonight LWT, to me, is basically a concentrated version of the best parts of The Daily Show. They scrapped the mandatory guest interview, the easy media bashing is mostly confined to short video segments, and they spend so much of their time talking about subjects every American should be thinking about but typically isn't. John Oliver could have made a passable straight TDS knockoff and no one would've complained. Bravo for going that extra mile.  4.Person of Interest So yeah, I'm a tad disappointed they used the new status quo to go back to a somewhat more procedural format after throwing out the playbook in S3. Doesn't mean I don't still love tuning in on this show every week.  3.Arrow The show took its foot off the gas pedal a bit at the start of S3, but that's to be expected after what a wild ride the second half of S2 was. On the plus side, they're finally starting to make Laurel into a workable character!  2.The Flash So from what I've seen of Gotham, they've been trying to make a show that's something of a modern rendition of Adam West's Batman. Not only is The Flash much better about being that kind of show, it actually stars a superhero! So if you're watching Gotham but not the CW DC shows, I don't know what to tell you. Flash gets bonus points over Arrow for being such a strong show out of the gate. Like with Arrow, they're having trouble making their civilian female lead work, but I'm confident they'll find a solution.  1.Fargo The heir to Breaking Bad's throne. This show does everything well. Great writing, great performances both from established vets (Thornton, Freeman) and newcomers (Allison Tolman), and best of all it captures the feel of a Coen Brothers universe so well that you could convince someone that the Coens make the show themselves. A few people felt the finale had a gender problem because they didn't have a late term pregnant woman go Rambo on a highly skilled hitman. But I am not one of those people. Well done, Noah Hawley. I can't wait for the prequel season. hcreight fucked around with this message at 05:55 on Dec 8, 2014 |
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Dec 7, 2014 19:09
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Hello everyone, I am back to be your faithful vote tally-er! A few things: -I'm updated through this point, so if you change your original post please just post about it in here so that I know to go back, otherwise there is a small (read: large) chance I will not notice! -Like always I am doing an analysis by TV network which mostly means I Google everything and hope I get it right. If you are incredibly concerned about this stat, particularly if you like a lot of non-American shows, put the network in your list. If you don't care, don't worry I'm still doing my best! -Not A Twat, you voted for Utopia but did not specify a country. I assumed it was the UK one because that's what other people liked but if it was not please let me know. Ironically I cannot vote in this year's poll because I did not watch enough currently airing TV to do so. My list would be something like Game of Thrones, Psych, Archer (I saw two episodes) and uh... Dragon Age Inquisition? Does that count? Anyway, looking forward to seeing what all shows I will be streaming next year based on TVIV's opinions!
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Dec 7, 2014 20:54
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No-one expects the dragon age inquisition, Sophia, I'm sure it counts
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Dec 7, 2014 21:24
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Watch Fargo now, Sophia.
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Dec 7, 2014 21:55
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It's really hard to rank most of these, but I sort of went by the criteria of if all these were on my DVR which I would watch first. Even then it's difficult to say. The CW had a super strong year, which it seems a lot of us agree on. 10. Black-ish It's hilarious and cute without being saccharine or stupid.I wasn't expecting much from it, but it's been really consistently entertaining every episode. 9. Person of Interest It's POI. I still like what they're doing, and I'm enjoying the direction this season has taken with the new villains, bringing back old friends, etc. Wasn't too keen on the finale for last season but things are on track again. 8. The Flash I could go on and on about how the CW has made a pact with Satan but I think it's been said. The Flash is like Arrow's less grim counterpart and I think the occasional crossovers really work for both shows. A very solid outing from something I didn't expect much from. 7. Bob's Burgers Bob's Burgers continues to be a really hilarious, weird, and charming show. 6. Silicon Valley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-hUV9yhqgY For further reference: http://www.scribd.com/doc/228831637/Optimal-Tip-to-Tip-Efficiency 5. Arrow Arrow continues to be Arrow. I don't know what more there is to say. 4. Z Nation If you had told me The Asylum would make one of my favorite shows of the year I would have called you a crazy person, but here we are. Z Nation is fully an Asylum joint, it's gorey, goofy, 2-dimensional, and dumb, but it knows all of that and strikes the right balance between all of it and the needs of a tv show to have likable and compelling characters and enough of a plot to drive the zombie mayhem along. It takes everything that works about (some of) their movies with the outrageously dumb fun they can be, but does a hell of a lot better job with the characters. 3. The 100 This show really came out of nowhere and by all rights should have been garbage, even by CW "this should suck but actually owns" standards. It has turned out to be one of the most daring sci-fi shows in a long time, and far from being pretty teens on a camping trip it's actually thrown pretty dark at times and while a lot of what goes on plot-wise is not really that innovative, it's all put together really well and the characters are all pretty compelling. 2. Last Week Tonight It's the Daily Show with more teeth, no rules, and all the chaff cut away, with the benefit of a full week to prepare each episode, and it shows. The long segments are very well put together and the extra time for research, composition, the freedom being on HBO offers, etc really let them go in depth to tear apart whatever the target is much more fully than TDS can. That's actually very high praise, since TDS/Colbert are shows I have watched and loved for many many years, I hope hcreight won't mind me stealing this: 1. B99 Andy Samberg is one of those comedians that I don't necessarily like much on his own. He's got that high energy acting goofy all the time thing Adam Sandler used to have, which is something that is liable to rub me the wrong way. But B99 somehow harnesses that and makes it work really well for the character, probably in large part due to how incredibly strong the cast is overall. B99 was pretty much perfect right out of the gate and only gets better as it goes on. Honorable mention: Trailer Park Boys, Shark Tank, Gravity Falls, Louie, Pawn Stars.
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Dec 7, 2014 22:31
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It seems pretty insane to me that True Detective has made like one list so far, has the backlash been that strong?
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Dec 7, 2014 23:34
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I still think it's a great show, but the last 3 eps lessened the impact enough for me to put it behind lots of other things. Also, I totally forgot about Last Week Tonight! poo poo!
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Dec 7, 2014 23:37
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Bown posted:Also, I totally forgot about Last Week Tonight! poo poo! You can edit your picks. Frozen fucklizards, never forget; they died doing what they loved, loving in space. 
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Dec 7, 2014 23:47
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I know you can edit, it was more of a "how the HELL did I forget that?" thing.
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Dec 8, 2014 02:48
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Toxxupation posted:Everyone's Top Ten Lists: Toxx, you didn't add me. I thought I did it right.
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Dec 8, 2014 02:56
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Ravane posted:Toxx, you didn't add me. I thought I did it right. I think your numbers are backwards. 10 should be least favourite, 1 most favourite.
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Dec 8, 2014 02:58
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thexerox123 posted:I think your numbers are backwards. 10 should be least favourite, 1 most favourite. Ah, gotcha, I fixed that now.
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Dec 8, 2014 02:59
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He might have skipped you for your obviously trolling list.
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Dec 8, 2014 06:07
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No accounting for taste, that's why polls work they way they do. Let's try and keep it civil. Irish Joe is fair game though.
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Dec 8, 2014 06:32
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BSam posted:He might have skipped you for your obviously trolling list. Explain how any of my list is trolling. I didn't include Too Many Cooks, which I don't count. Just because you disagree with my opinion doesn't make it trolling, idiot. Rocksicles posted:No accounting for taste, that's why polls work they way they do. Let's try and keep it civil. Irish Joe is fair game though. Shut the gently caress up Rocksicles, nobody cares what you think. 
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Dec 8, 2014 07:12
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Ravane posted:Explain how any of my list is trolling. I didn't include Too Many Cooks, which I don't count. Just because you disagree with my opinion doesn't make it trolling, idiot. I wasn't ragging on you Ravane.
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Dec 8, 2014 07:25
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IRQ posted:I hope hcreight won't mind me stealing this: I stole it from some website, so nope.
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Dec 8, 2014 07:49
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Sophia posted:Not A Twat, you voted for Utopia but did not specify a country. I assumed it was the UK one because that's what other people liked but if it was not please let me know.
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Dec 8, 2014 10:33
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Not a Twat posted:Yes, the UK one. I didn't know there was another show with that name. There have been three, a UK, an Aus, and a US. That's not counting the future US remake of the UK one.
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Dec 8, 2014 10:45
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BSam posted:He might have skipped you for your obviously trolling list. ...isn't your list a troll?
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Dec 8, 2014 10:49
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Bown posted:...isn't your list a troll? Not at all, while the reasonings may be slightly amusing they are all shows I've enjoyed the poo poo out of in the last year. Adjusted slightly because there have been shows I've liked which will be recognised anyway, so I've favoured the others. Also, I was a bit harsh about your list Ravane, I shouldn't comment on things I haven't read just to make a funny quip. Sorry.
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Dec 8, 2014 10:57
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I don't know, when people are posting "serious" lists with stuff like WWF Raw, Parks and Recreation, Agents of SHIELD and anime, there's nothing really left on television to troll people with. You've trolled yourselves with your lovely taste.
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Dec 8, 2014 13:45
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Presumably Agents of SHIELD is this year's Orphan Black.
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Dec 8, 2014 14:11
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Irish Joe posted:I don't know, when people are posting "serious" lists with stuff like WWF Raw, Parks and Recreation, Agents of SHIELD and anime, there's nothing really left on television to troll people with. You've trolled yourselves with your lovely taste. And yet, unlike you, most of those other people knew how to read the thread rules. Toxxupation posted:3) Don't be an annoying shitbird about other people's lists. Obviously discussion about the qualities of specific TV seasons that have aired is accepted and, in fact, encouraged, but don't bring this thread down with an annoying bitchy flamewar about That Show You Hate.
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Dec 8, 2014 15:20
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Yes stop being stupid shitbirds, not only about lists but also about other posters in any capacity
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Dec 8, 2014 16:01
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Never done one of these, so here's my go (Please note, I have pretty bad taste): 10) Parks and Recreation - It's not as great as it once was, but there were a lot of really funny moments and it's still pretty cute. I'm hoping they do something amazing with the time skip. 9) Bojack Horseman - It took a bit to get going, but by the end of the season, I was pretty invested in Bojack's sad little story. 8) Black-ish - I only started watching it because my wife likes Laurence Fishburne, but it's actually pretty good. The two youngest kids are adorable and surprisingly decent actors. 7) Brooklyn 99 - I'm pretty much in love with Andre Braugher. Before this, I'd only seen him in The Mist as the dickhead neighbor, and though there are similarities in the characters, he's very different as Holt, and I love nearly everything about his character. 6) Trailer Park Boys - I only discovered this show about nine months ago, and was very happy to hear new stuff was coming to Netflix, and the season was way better than the previous two or three. 5) Nathan For You - I could watch that weird little dude all day. And that Grandpa who drinks his grandkids' pee. I could probably watch him all day too. 4) Bob's Burgers - I'm pretty sure if my wife and I had kids, they would be Tina, Gene, and Louise. Take that as you will. 3) Fargo - What a great sequel to the movie. I'm always game for more Oliver Platt in my life. 2) Rick and Morty - One of my friends told me for months that this would be my favorite show ever (Mainly due to the "Rixty Minutes" episode), and he would be right if it weren't for the next one on my list. 1) Too Many Cooks - This one is just a masterpiece. I hope they never touch it again. The original Perfect Hair Forever premiere out of nowhere was amazing, and everything that followed it was terrible. I don't need them to repeat that.
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Dec 8, 2014 16:37
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These are presented based on which show I place the priority on watching. Honorable mentions that didn't make the list but were awesome, include Fargo, Brooklyn 99, Louie, and Grimm. 10.Over the Garden Wall Wow, what a perfect animated mini-series. This came out of nowhere and was excellent in every way. 9.The 100 I can't believe how good the CW are doing now. This show should be garbage but they are actually doing some really great things with the setting that I didn't expect. I'm always super eager to find out what will happen next. 8.Gravity Falls This is consistently one of the best shows my family can watch together. 7.Person of Interest I finally caught up and watched all of this show this year. The previous season would have definitely ranked higher, but the current season fell off a bit. Still a great show. 6.Last Week Tonight A great, informative, comedy news show with a focus on stories no one is talking about that they should be? Yes, please. 5.Arrow This has fallen for me a bit relative to other shows because I don't actually like Ollie very much right now. I'm hoping this is leading to him becoming at least a little bit less emo. Having said that, everything else they are doing is still fantastic. The introduction of Ray Palmer was great. 4.The Flash This show is still getting it's feet wet, and I have some nitpicks about their handling of certain characters, but man is this show fun. There is not much on TV that I look forward to watching more than this. 3.Agents of Shield I can't believe how good this show is now. I feel like it is continuing to get better with every episode. This show is finally fulfilling the promise of keeping me excited about the MCU. 2.Continuum Best sci-fi on TV. It better get renewed, although that isn't looking likely. Really crazy ending. 1.Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Wow this was great. I got to sit down and watch something educational with my son that was done in a really good way. I would love it if this got revisited much more often.
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Dec 8, 2014 20:52
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I am refraining from posting my list because the winter finales for Arrow/Flash/AoS could throw the whole list into chaos 
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Dec 8, 2014 21:40
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Rarity posted:I am refraining from posting my list because the winter finales for Arrow/Flash/AoS could throw the whole list into chaos Same here - Arrow usually has a blowout mid-season finale and Flash is done by the same team (plus if the episode lives up to the promo it had it will probably top my list). Think theres an episode of PoI left as well.
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Dec 8, 2014 22:15
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I could be convinced to bump up poi if Elias and Bear team up.
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Dec 8, 2014 22:23
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10. Last Week Tonight - John Oliver and HBO have perfected The Daily Show's formula creating a show that's informative and entertaining. Thankfully they bailed on having an interview segment in every episode which was the weakest part of the early part of the season. 9. Ray Donovan - After a yawnworthy first season I almost gave up on this show but I'm glad I didn't because it finally redeemed itself late in its second season. I still wish the show focused more on Ray being a fixer for degenerate celebrities and less on his family life but if the next season continues as strong as the latter half of the second season I'll be happy. 8. True Detective - A fantastic drama with the worst TV IV thread. The incredible acting from the two leads more than made up for the weak ending. Can't wait for the next season. 7. Shameless - Another strong season from a show that's never really had a weak season. Emmy Rossum, in particular, is doing amazing work and deserves way more recognition than she's getting. 6. The Affair - The best show that nobody else seems to be watching. Fascinating plot device where each episode is broken up into two segments where each part is told from the perspective of one of the two leads (and they don't always remember things the same way so we're never quite sure exactly what's going on). 5. Bob's Burgers - I'm not generally a fan of animated shows but Bob's Burgers is so drat charming and funny that I can't resist. Louise is the best.  4. Manhattan - My biggest surprise of the year. I didn't expect WGN, of all places, to come up with a compelling, well-made drama but they hit it out of the park. There were some missteps (the lesbian subplot and the stuff with the main character's wife's mental illness) but the rest of the show worked so well that they didn't bring the whole show down. 3. Silicon Valley - The funniest show I saw all year. T.J. Miller was amazing but even he was outdone by Christopher Evan Welch. 2. You're the Worst - I expected to absolutely hate this show based on the lovely ads that were promoting it before it premiered. The person in charge of the marketing for this show should be fired. Aya Cash is my new new dream girl.  1. Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey - Sadly, the importance of this show was probably lost on a lot of people who watched it considering the only time I ever heard people (outside of TV IV) talking about it was in relation to controversy with religious fundamentalists who were crying about actual science being shown on prime time broadcast television. The original Cosmos series made a huge impact on me when I was a kid and while the updated series was never quite as good as Sagan's Cosmos I appreciated that there was an attempt being made to get the general populace excited about science again.
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Dec 9, 2014 00:53
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I hate making lists like these because I wind up feeling as if it's unfair because I haven't seen a lot of the great shows of what I know is out there. Full disclosure: I have not seen Utopia, Orphan Black, Fargo, Person of Interest, Arrow/Flash etc 10. Suits - Remains consistently one of the more entertaining shows on TV and almost all of that has to do with how well the cast works together. Psych would have gone in this spot otherwise - but I think Suits overall as a season was better. 9. Orange is the New Black - While I found season 1 a bit of a chore to get through I REALLY enjoyed season 2. I don't like calling it a great show - but it's a good show with GREAT moments. 8. 24: Live Another Day - The shortened season length gave it kick it's needed. It ends on a note where it will DEFINITELY get either a movie or another season. 7. Parks and Rec - While easily it's 'second worst' season it's still one of the best comedies on TV. The ending gives me hope it will end on a high note. 6. Game of Thrones I'm not the biggest Game of Thrones fan - but I really enjoyed this latest season. I haven't read the books so I'm just going solely by the show and it was my favourite season. It's also the only show on the list I've rewatched and the only reason it's 6 is because I liked it less second time around. 5. Silicon Valley - A great debut season and I can't wait to see where they go in Season 2. Although that tip-to-tip scene will be tough to beat. 4. Archer - While some people (I think) found the last season 'not as good' I found it a big improvement over the previous season. By having the gang become (terrible) drug runners gave the season an arc and a sense of motive the show needed. Having said that- I'm also happy to see the show go back to 'normal' next year. 3. Nathan For You - A bit more uneven than last year but the highs were higher. Nathan Fielder has created cringe comedy into an art. Of all the ideas I think Nathan's weight loss solution was my favourite thing on TV this year. 2. Last Week Tonight - Aside from a few times - I don't think any show on TV has catered to the online audience as well as Last Week Tonight (WITHOUT completely pandering to them- looking at you Jimmy Fallon). In just a few months John Oliver has managed to create more memorable viral bits than John Stewart/Stephen Colbert have managed in several years. The biggest challenge is living up to what it's already produced. Watch these clips and remember to include it on your list https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kEpZWGgJks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJEt2KU33I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDylgzybWAw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDPCmmZifE8 1. Hannibal - Everything Dexter should have been and more. RIP - How I Met Your Mother - had a legitimately good final season - but it's ending negated the entire season and show and just really made me hate it. I hadn't gotten so much passion at hating a show since Dexter.
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Dec 9, 2014 01:38
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Still working on my list but news just came down that Continuum S4 is a go - If you enjoy any sort of time travel shennagins then get yourself caught up. All 3 seasons are on netflix. Continuum has all the time travel shennagins. All of them.
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Dec 9, 2014 02:19
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Yeah, I'm waiting to see how the final episode of The Game plays out before I post my list, though as it stands it's probably going to be on my top ten list. If anyone hasn't had a chance to check it out on BBC America, you probably should. It's good stuff.
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Dec 9, 2014 04:53
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10. Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD The sudden shift in quality that occurred at the end of last season has continued. I never had the same level of disdain for the early episodes, but everything this year has had an undeniable energy and sense of forward momentum. 9. Mad Men This may well have been the weakest season of Mad Men to date, but the show still operates at such a high level that it earned a spot on my list. The performances continue to be strong, especially Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss, and I’m looking forward to seeing the second half of the final season next year. 8. The Leftovers Definitely a bleak show, but very compelling and even strangely uplifting at times. Carrie Coon as Nora Durst was probably the breakout performance of the year for me. 7. Brooklyn Nine Nine I struggled to find a comedy that fit on my list, but B99 hits all the right notes. It’s heartwarming without being overly sentimental, goofy without (always) being cartoonish, and most importantly it’s just really funny. Andre Braugher deserves to win the Emmy every year. 6. Arrow This season has been a little less engaging than the previous two, and the flashback structure is starting to become more of a liability than an asset. That being said, Arrow is still a fun, fast-paced show with great action. 5. Rectify Rectify continued its incredible work in its second season. The show did great things with its larger episode order, with the “Daniel goes to Atlanta” episode being one of the best of the series. On top of that, the acting was consistently excellent. 4. Hannibal I was curious how they were going to continue on from the first-season finale, but man did they deliver. Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen are easily my two biggest Emmy snubs of the year, and it remains one of the most visually interesting shows on television. 3. The Americans If the first season of The Americans was a strong first impression, the second was a revelation. Russell and Rhys brought their game to a new level, and the supporting elements of the show (such as the introduction of Oleg and Nina’s triple-agent work) only got stronger as well. 2. Game of Thrones There are few shows I look forward to more each week than GoT, and I’m of the opinion that every season has been better than the ones before. The acting, production design, and writing continue to be amazing. 1. Fargo I had zero expectations for this one going in. I liked the movie but didn’t love it the way others did, and while the cast was intriguing I wasn’t necessarily sold. That all changed pretty much immediately. Simply put, everything about this show worked perfectly. Tollman, Freeman, Thornton, and Hanks were all phenomenal, and the tone was a perfect balance of quirkiness and brutality that was unlike anything else I’d seen. This was a hard list for me to make, but the one thing I knew going was that Fargo was at the top. ShakeZula fucked around with this message at 06:51 on Dec 29, 2014 |
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Dec 9, 2014 09:16
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10) Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD A show that really came around on me after a slow start. It would have been better off launching this year after Winter Solider and being about a rebuilding SHIELD. 9) Person of Interest The slow shift from being a kind of case of the week show to being an all out war between AI's as been amazing. Maybe the only show on TV where the "bad" guys have just as might right to win as the "good" guys. 8) Archer A down season that was maybe a little too full of fan-service, but still the best James Bond show on tv 7) Mad Men The break between the first and second half of the final season is hurting it too much. it will more then likely look better veg. watching it in one good on Netflix. 6) Scandal A crazy show I watch with my wife that I enjoy more then I should. 5) Last Week Tonight The Daily show X the Bugle with no ads. The long form political show we all deserve. 4) The 100 A crazy teen dystopia that realistic and deals with hard choices. 3) The Flash It's the Flash on TV and it doesn't suck, No one could have said this 10 years ago. In some ways it's better then my #2 show but it still has one big CWistis issue that needs to be addressed that I won't talk about here. 2) Arrow Three CW shows in my top 3, what's the world coming too. Arrow is by far the best one now that it's beyond it's growing pains and DC and clamped down on the CWistis more. We live in a world where 4 comic books show are now on the air, nerds have won. 1) [b]You're the Worst Maybe the single best sitcom since the 90's. It's also the first real adult sitcom that tackles the modern world in a modern way because lets be honest, we are all jerks. Dishonorable Mention [b]Gotham I yell at this show every week that's it's on and I hate it. Yet, I have seen every episode and won't stop watching it. I have a problem. sbaldrick fucked around with this message at 17:10 on Dec 9, 2014 |
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Dec 9, 2014 17:06
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2013: 10 Catfish, 9 Futurama, 8 Blacklist, 7 B99, 6 AHS, 5 The League, 4 Modern Family, 3 GoT, 2 BB, 1 Archer Honorable Mentions: Black Sails had me engaged the whole time, despite how slow it seemed to move, I’m really looking forward to season two, as the first season felt really short and left me wanting more. Gotham is the best bad show on TV. It rides this razor edge between ridiculous and hard-boiled that makes me really appreciate it for what I feel it’s trying to be, which is a gritty show based in a cartoon world. I can’t help but like it. Star Wars Rebels is the first show I’ve been able to sit down and watch with my daughter that engages us both on different levels and leaves us both satisfied. I never got into the Clone Wars cartoons (because prequels) – but Rebels is fun and silly at times and feels very much like it fits in the canon of Star Wars. The Newsroom, despite all of its faults, has been one of those shows that I watch the second I see it has recorded on the DVR. It’s Sorkin, so it’s misogynistic, preachy and dumb sometimes… But I can’t help myself, it’s entertaining to a news junkie like me. Community was good this season. It wasn’t great. Seasons one through three are some of my absolute favorite television of all time, but this season was just OK. HIMYM was a show I begrudgingly watched every week with my SO, and though half the time I hated it, I still cared about those idiot characters all the way to their end. I don’t know if I should be proud or disappointed that I called the finale point for point months before, but it is what it is. Shows that should be better than they are: Arrow, I finally caught up with you, only to immediately lose interest in you because you are boring. Flash, you had me hooked from the pilot, but I’m just not that into you. Glee: seriously, what happened? True Blood, I’m glad you’re over. Catfish: you were in my top ten last year, but this last season it seemed like you weren’t even trying, perhaps a victim of the observer effect… Also: Utopia (US Reality Show): you could have been incredible. Shows I stopped Watching: The Walking Dead, I don’t get why everyone loves you. Once Upon a Time: you squandered the best premise on TV with bad writing and horrible acting. Sleepy Hollow, I will likely never catch up on you, but you seem like a good show. Person of Interest* (See Sleepy Hollow). The Blacklist, you were on my top ten last year, but there are only so many hours to watch TV, and you’re just not good enough to make the cut. Supernatural, just call it a day, you did good. Boardwalk Empire, I will catch up on you eventually. American Horror Story Coven: You did an about face on me after I put you in my top ten, for that I will never forgive you. American Horror Story Freak Show: You’re not that good. Archer, you were my #1 Show last year, and then you turned in one of the lamest seasons ever. Boo. Hours I want back: 16.4 Chozen (pilot), I Wanna Marry Harry (the whole thing), The Leftovers (3 eps), Outlander (pilot), Constantine (half of the pilot), Helix (3 eps). My Top Ten for 2014:  #10 Fargo This could have gone horribly awry. Building a sequel television series around one of the most beloved cult films of all time (and one that is considered critically and culturally very important) is the worst idea ever. But look at what happened! From beginning to end, Fargo was incredible. Martin Freeman turned in a stellar performance, as did the rest of the cast. Colin Hanks even made me forget about Orange County. The best thing about Fargo was that it was legitimately uncomfortable to watch. Like the film that precedes it, the show managed to make you pity the protagonist, while hating him at the same time. Not an easy thing to do in fiction, and even harder to do twice in the same style. Well played.  #9 True Detective I watched True Detective long after it had aired, and didn’t see much of the discussion regarding it – I later learned there was some backlash to the way it ended. I binged it in a weekend, and enjoyed every minute of it. It turned my head 180 on McConaughey. Following True Detective, I watched Dallas Buyers Club, and more recently Interstellar. I think he might be one of the most underrated and talented actors of his generation. Rust Cohle is one of the most intriguing television characters ever created. Woody Harrelson also turned in one hell of a performance, and overall, True Detective is only this far down on my list because of all the other amazing shows that came out this year.  #8 Game of Thrones Last year: #3 Game of Thrones is a good show that I can’t talk about with anyone, because I live in constant fear of spoilers. This show is as good as ever, and this season was great, but, as with True Detective, there were a lot of other good shows this year, too…  #7 The Knick This show blindsided me. T-Boned. I hit record on a whim, recognizing Soderbergh as a director who I respect, but don’t always like. Clive Owen is an outstanding actor, and he’s on full-tilt here. There’s nothing not to like about this show. The cinematography is beautiful, the story and dialog are both very sharp, and the music is INCREDIBLE. If you showed me the scenes from this show and the soundtrack from it separately, I would never put the two together. But they fit so well. The music is half the reason I put the Knick as high on my list as I did, because it’s so bold.  #6 Cosmos We need shows like this. I picked up a book as a Christmas gift for my daughter at Barnes and Noble yesterday called “Star Stuff” – it’s a children’s book about Carl Sagan and our solar system and science. I realized when I picked it up that in the Children’s section of the bookstore, there was a whole wall for “Religion & Faith” – in the kids section. But the Science section was only a small freestanding shelf (we live In Kansas). Seeing Star Stuff on the shelf made me smile, because I know that shows like Cosmos are introducing a new generation to science in a way that Sagan would have approved of, and endorsed. Being able to sit and watch this show with my family and talk about the things Neil talks about has been really good for my six year old. Now she’s obsessed with old episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy, and her future looks very bright. This show deserves a slot in everyone’s top ten, because it’s some of the only truth on television.  #5 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Last year: #7 B99 took off at rocket speed, and it hasn’t stopped since. It’s smart, fast paced and has the best comedy ensemble on network television. Andre Braugher’s performance, along with how they’ve treated his character has been one of the most rewarding bits on television in recent memory. Just a few weeks ago, his “HOT drat” elicited so much laughter in our living room, we had to rewind it and watch it again, and again, and again. We don’t do that very often. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a very funny show that knows exactly what it’s doing right.  #4 Agents of SHIELD These forums don’t like Agents of SHIELD because they want Arrow and the Flash to be better shows. That’s fine. Last year, Agents didn’t make my top ten, because it was very slow and plodding. I know this is the thousandth time you’ve heard this, but following Turn, Turn, Turn, this became one of the best dramas on TV, IMHO. The acting is good, the stories are engaging, and the relationships with the characters in season two are intriguing. They introduced a half-dozen new characters this season, and after only a few episodes, they were fully integrated with the cast, and felt like they’d been there all along. Not only is this the show I most look forward to each week, but it’s the best turnaround for a bad show to good that I can recall.  #3 Utopia (UK) We discovered Utopia by accident, when we were trying to acquire episodes of the US reality series that we had missed. Once we learned that it wasn’t what we were looking for, we shelved it in XBMC and marked it for deletion. I was bored one night and flipped on the first episode on a whim, she was in the kitchen. The first 5 minutes of that show had us both holding our breaths. By the end of the first episode, neither of us had said a word to each other, and we were both in panic mode. We binged both seasons over the next two days. When I recommend Utopia to friends, I call it “the British Breaking Bad,” not because of any correlation between the plot of the two, but simply because I think Utopia may be one of the best television dramas of all time, up there with Breaking Bad, The West Wing, the Wire, etc. The cinematography and music set it apart from almost anything else on television. The only reason it isn’t my #1 is because it isn’t getting a final season, and because the two shows above it are incredibly special.  #2 Silicon Valley I’m not going to say anything about this show, because if you’ve seen it, you know why it’s up here. If you haven’t seen it, you need to watch it, and the less you know about it going in, the better. It’s Office Space meets the Social Network, and it is the funniest show on television, aside from…  #1 Rick & Morty Last year, I remarked after only 3 episodes that I thought Rick and Morty would be the best show to premiere last year… I think I was right. Rick and Morty is a phenomenon, and it reminds me of how I felt about Futurama. The pilot was rocky, but the episodes that followed, especially Rick Potion #9 and Rixty Minutes – felt like something that didn’t belong on TV. These were stories that should have never been told. It’s a cartoon that took all my favorite things, Sliders, Futurama, Back to the Future, science fiction tropes, and smattered them with off-color jokes and “things you shouldn’t say…” I don’t know, I don’t even know how to describe why Rick & Morty is as good as it is. It’s a show I can go back and watch endlessly, and a show that I desperately wait for more of. WUBBALUBBADUBDUB MY GLIP GLOPS!
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Dec 10, 2014 04:01
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Tuxedo Jack posted:Catfish: you were in my top ten last year, but this last season it seemed like you weren’t even trying, perhaps a victim of the observer effect… But this season of Catfish had the best moment in the entire series: 
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Dec 10, 2014 04:05
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thexerox123 posted:But this season of Catfish had the best moment in the entire series: I think either the show drastically changed in some undetectable way, or my perspective on the show changed... But this last season did not have me as glued to my television as the last two did. Edit: I thought about it. The problem I had with this season was there was a lot of self-awareness among the show's subjects, and some of them clearly gamed the producers to get on TV. The episode with the Instagram whore and musician was clearly just a guy looking to get on TV, or covering for his brother. Either way, the show didn't feel as "investigative" as it had in seasons prior, even in the basest of forms (I mean, come on, just google poo poo). Also, learning about some of the behind the scenes stuff that happens ruined the show a little bit for me. The Producers talk to everyone involved prior to the boys ever getting involved. It's very produced, which really destroyed its charm for me. Tuxedo Jack fucked around with this message at 16:23 on Dec 11, 2014 |
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Dec 10, 2014 04:11
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So I'm not going to wait for Person of Interests last episode because its the first of a three-parter that doesn't finish til next year and that is not going to do it any favors. Might as well state that i'm a genre guy - I like action and drama that relates to people getting murdered/poisoned/blown up so when I tried true detective it just didn't hook me (although I intend to try again at some point). Aside from my list I have also been watching Gotham (Stupid but watchable, might even be stupid but good but not this year) Sleepy Hollow (good show but I kind of lost interest. I'll pick it back up) Scandal (very good show but kind of relies on being in the moment) and a bunch of clever cop procedurals that I don't enjoy quite as much as Elementary (Castle, Forever, the Mentalist). Gave up on the blacklist, might try that again. I'll get around to watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D at some point, but it won't be before new years. 10. How to get away with murder - I have watched every episode of this aired so far while I am a few episodes behind on Sleepy Hollow. Its not a lack of time so HTGAWM wins tenth place by default. Not that this is a knock against either of the shows HTGAWM is good, gripping tv and the lead actress is fantastic. 9. Brooklyn 99 - The cast of this show works together so well its stunning. A funny comedy show, what more is there to ask for? 8. Rick and Morty - Bizarre and wonderful. Also the pilot, which was the weakest of the 11 episodes, didn't air this year. There is some pretty dark poo poo in the show, don't let the bright colours trick you. 7. Elementary - Better than Sherlock. It burns me that this is still true, what with being a brit and all but it is what is. A procedural show with a female Watson set in america is more entertaining to me than the one that follows the setting better. 6. Game of Thrones - I thought this season was the best the show has been since the first. Really excited to see what they do with the next. 5. Person of Interest - Still a good action show, still exciting to watch week after week, still has a dog in the main crew (its amazing how many shows would be improved with a dog joining the show). 4. Justified - Seems most of the people here were ambivalent towards Justifieds fifth season. The only reason its fourth on my list is because it had so much competition, not because it was any worse than usual. The crowe family made a great season long antagonist and provided plenty of opportunities for Raylan to be Raylan, which is what I watch the show for. The final season of this is going to be some great t.v. 3. Hannibal - Season one was great but it took half the season for me to become truly invested. Mads Hannibal is a mumbly guy thats hard to understand but once it clicked it clicked. Season 2 I wanted each new episode the moment I had finished watching the current one. I have rewatched it once or twice since it finished (except for the beginning of episode 2 which freaks me right the gently caress out). It is beautifully shot and scored and gruseome but not grim. More people should be watching this. 2. The Flash - If Arrow only had the first half of season 3 to go on the Flash would have been my top pick. Its the show i've been most looking forward to all year. Its fun and light and it has men named Leonard Snart and Roy G Bivolo and it doesn't apologize for it. If you tried Arrow and didn't like its moody tone then the Flash is everything you want in a comic book show. 1. Arrow - Season three was a slower start than season 2 (which was consistently awesome) but had an insanely cool mid-season finale which made me want to rewatch everything again. Also this year includes the back half of season 2, which had a bunch of amazing things and dramatic moments that I probably shouldn't spoil.
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Dec 11, 2014 19:52
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