One more for now...

 

#11 - The Borgias

 

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Sadly Showtime decided that S3 should be the last for this glorious show. It cost a lot to make and never rated very highly, so not he most surprising choice, but still not one I was pleased about. S3 had the show firing on all creative cylinders and you could see the endgame appearing in the distance, the show was built on family and what one would do to protect that, but the family was falling apart. In that sense the third season felt like a somewhat fitting ending, certainly the final scene leaves just enough open for us to fill in the blanks of where they went next and answers just enough to make it fulfilling for those of us who watched the whole thing. There's nothing else quite like it on TV, which is a great shame as period drama and all the plotting and scheming and general excess is always great fun to watch.

 

Any ideas on what might be top 10?

OitNB not making a top twenty? Absurd. Actually absurd. Did you dislike it, or just not like it enough? Does not compute.

 

NTSF:SD::SUV sounds fascinating though, and Kate Mulgrew PLUS Karen Gillan is very tempting. Still feel foolish that I missed The Fall, will have to catch up on that.

 

Love Masters of Sex, though as it's progressed I definitely agree with your final point. Caplan and Sheen are just superb, though.

 

Expecting to see SHIELD in the top ten. That's all I got.

HA, I knew when I saw you had posted it would be about OTINB not making the top 20. I really liked it, but it felt a little slow to get going and I didn't warm to all the characters. It didn't quite GRAB me as I had hoped it would, Red is amazing though. Probably in for a big climb with the next season though as the last 3/4 episodes were great.

 

Just realised the top 10 is actually a top 11 as I totally forgot about a certain show.

#10a - Continuum

 

http://www.scifinow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ContinuumLAUNCH1min10secs.640x480.jpg

 

Continuum is one of the few shows to have climbed from my 2012 year end TV list. The first season was a great mix of procedural and sci-fi as was, but the second season, which aired this year, was so much more. It took a few pages from the JJ Abrams book of 'tell them something, but in doing so pose 3 more questions', however unlike many of his latter day shows, I actually CARE about what happens. That's what happens when you flesh out characters well before introducing stuff that only matters IF you care about them. It's still flitting between the 2070's and 2012/13 but now we see that events in the 2 timeframes are inextricably linked, as opposed to the random event it had been painted as in S1. The final episode raised the emotional stakes very high too, which Kiera looking like she might fail in her mission, or did she? Or didn't she? I don't know and I'm very excited to find out in S3!

#10b - Archer

 

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Not quite the ultimate comedy on TV (that is yet to come), but definitely the best animated comedy. I didn't mention this in the American Dad review, because really they are nothing alike. Archer isn't really like any other animated show I've ever seen. It owes a lot to Arrested Development (in fact, 4/5 of the actors were IN it, which is something the show played upon rather often in the first 2 seasons) and various other live comedies. There's something about the comedy of Archer, which is often as crude as it gets, that really appeals to me. Something as simple as the posing a question at the end of a scene and having it answered (often by Mallory, with a 'NO') at the start of the next is absolute genius, yet so simple too. S4 wasn't the best the show has to offer, S3 takes that accolade for me, but it did show the creative team trying to change things up a little. The 2 part finale was a near remake of the S3 finale though, which is a large part of the reason it was so funny. The same gags were used, but in a different setting and it highlights perfectly the almost breaking the fourth wall aspect of the humour within the show.

#9 - House of Cards

 

http://kenningtonrunoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/HouseOfCards.jpg

 

So often US remakes of British TV shows (or indeed any non-US show) end up being awful. In no small part due to this being a Netflix production this avoids that curse. It's perhaps not quite as well realised as the original, but the production values are fantastic. It LOOKS amazing, it's brilliantly scripted and such attention has been paid to the look and feel of the sets and the show itself. That would of course be fairly meaningless if not for the great acting too, especially from Robin Wright, who I don't think got quite enough praise for her work on the show. Kevin Spacey was, as every, great too and after being underwhelmed (and actually pretty irked by her) in AHS S1 Kate Mara also put in a very solid performance too. The only real criticism I have of it is that is took rather too long to get to the point and then when it did, it felt like it rushed a little to get it all in prior to the end of the series.

#8 - Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

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My favourite new show of the 2013/14 season! I've seen a lot of criticism thrown at this show, some of it is probably true; it is a procedural at heart and I can see why it would be annoying to have such frequent mentions of the movie characters only to be continually reminded that they won't be on the show (bar Samuel L Jackson). On the other hand I think it sits very comfortably within the universe, unlike a lot of people who have been very disappointed with the content/style/storylines of the show. One thing that most people agree on though is that the characters are pretty well done. That's often a big selling point of Whedon shows and he's done a great job here. From episode 2 onwards we've had actual character development, which for most network drama's is something to be feared until at least mid S2. It's not a show without its faults, some of the dialogue is a little too sharp and soulless and the heavy use of gadgetry to solve almost every single problem is almost as bad as latter day Doctor Who and his magic fix all sonic screwdriver. It has tremendous potential though and I hope that the ratings stabilise between now and May so that we don't end up with the dreaded ''CHNAGE OF DIRECTION'' renewal blurb, which almost always ends up in the show having its soul ripped out and replaced with ratings winning crap.

#7 - Hannibal

 

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If one show on this list could be watched on mute it's this. The colour palette is exquisite, yet also very bleak and austere, matching the tone of the show perfectly. Then there's the food porn presented every time Hannibal cooks a meal. The food looks incredible, I don't even care that it's made from people. I want it! Hugh Dancy may be the heart of the show, but Mads Mikkelsen is absolutely incredible in the titular role. His face, looking as it does like it was carved from granite, seems like it was MADE to play this role. I just cannot imagine him doing anything else other than this now, he really understands the characters and that makes the show all the richer. There are also glorious turns from Gillian Anderson, including some truly glorious scenes where she and Hannibal 'chat' over a meal and glass of wine and both are so perfectly matched in their detachment that it's equally icy and mesmerising all at once. The final episode too provided a chance for everyone to shine and in particular the final scene, set at the mental institution we know Hannibal will one day inhabit, is truly brilliant TV.

#6a - Dallas

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Dallas_cast2011.jpg

 

From the sublime to the ridiculous now. The first season of the revamped Dallas was a fine affair, gently updating what was known for a modern audience. The second season however decided that what the show needed was a good old dose of ludicrous! THIS is what I want from a high end soap, who cares about real emotional connections when you've got back stabbing and scheming and plotting galore. In the midst of all this, however, WAS some real emotion. If not for the character but Larry Hagman himself, J.R.'s funeral was truly sad affair. The opening credits were redone in his honour and I have to admit, it did get me a little teary eyed. The speeches the characters gave were as much the actors saying goodbye to a good friend and it added a real poignancy to the scene, which would no doubt have been melodrama without that long connection. However, once that was over it was back to the plotting and scheming once again!

I SO want to watch 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D' because it looks amazing, but I haven't found the time yet :(

 

'Dallas' is... err... I don't even know. There's something about it I HATE, but I love the ~drama~ in it. Jesse Metcalfe is a massive tit though.

#6b - The Americans

 

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Set in the 80's, it follows 2 Russian spies sent to live in the US in the late 60's as a married couple, whose job was basically to spy on the US. That in itself is quite an interesting show really, but where The Americans really wins out is that it managed to carve out a real sense of drama, peril and genuine feeling for the characters. It follows the FBI, and in particular their neighbour - who just happens to be an FBI agent, as unbeknownst to him he is actually trying to find his new neighbours and friends. It also makes wonderful use of period music, film and TV to add to the realism. Complex characters are one thing, but to craft a series of genuinely believable characters is a very difficult thing to do and this show managed to do it with almost all of the main cast, which is very impressive.

'Dallas' is... err... I don't even know. There's something about it I HATE, but I love the ~drama~ in it. Jesse Metcalfe is a massive tit though.

 

Oh he is indeed, in particular his inability to KNOW HIS EMOTIONS does my head in. Plus neither Rebecca or Elena are really that special, so he might as well just move on.

Righteo then, some CLOOS before I reveal the top 5:

 

TWO of the shows air on CBS

TWO of the shows air on HBO

ONE of the shows airs on ABC

01 The Good Wife

02 PoI

03 Game of Thrones

04 Veep

05 Scandal

 

yawwwwn

40% bbz

#5 - Veep

 

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Season 1 of Veep was one of the funniest comedies I had seen in a long time, however S2 wasn't as funny, yet I ended up liking it MORE. It's interesting to see a show like this, whilst still very funny, striking a much more serious note, or at least send the show in that direction. It felt much more like a dramedy, which is obviously not a bad thing at all. The show now seems to have a very strong sense of direction which is also quite rare among comedies, which are very much episodic for the most part. Part of me really wants her to win when she runs for the presidency, but then that would pretty much be the end of the show, but I just want to see her overcome the SHIT that's been sent her way by the useless president she works with. Whilst it wasn't AS funny, it was still funnier than about 90% of other comedies on TV and glorious guest turns from Allison Janney and Sally Phillips brought many laughs with Selena once again faced with awful situations of her own making. The best example being a frankly HILARIOUS, yet utterly misjudged song Selena performed basically slagging off EVERYBODY, albeit in jest, coming back to bite her on the arse in the most glorious fashion possible. Oh and special mention to Amy's c**t family and sister for the many laughs derived from their scenes.

Veep *.* Julia Louis-Dreyfus is an angel sent from Heaven.

#4 - Scandal

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/thumbnail_570x321/2012/09/scandal_season_2.jpg

 

Scandal started life in the 2011/12 season and it looked like it might be curtains after those first 7 episodes, but this is proof that a great show can thrive if given a push (and some great storylines). I've been a BIG critic of Shonda in the past for making pretty hateful characters and rubbish shows, but Scandal really is quite special. It's now one of the biggest drama's on network TV and rightly so. However a lot of people seem to love the show for the Fitz/Olivia relationship, which is fairly central to the show, but personally I find the other aspects much more interesting. They are NOT GOOD for each other, at all, and whether they love each other until the end of time it won't stop them destroying each other, sadly. The destruction also spread further than this though and the much hated Mellie has born the brunt of it and ended up being one of my favourite characters in the whole show. She acts like a bitch a lot of the time, but only because she's treated so awfully by most of the other characters!

 

Then there's the Defiance arc, which totally transformed the show. It's been replicated to less success with Albatross and now Remington, the highlight of which is Olivia's mother being brought into the show (and given the chance to eat her own wrists - literally!). Olivia's dad, the head of B613, needs to die, quickly. Not least because it feels like they are dragging out his storyline, but because he is a grade a c**t. The problem Scandal now finds itself with is that it built itself up so quickly based on a truly glorious back half to its second season that the expectation for this time round is even higher. I'm now sure how long the show can hold up, but if it manages another couple of great seasons then it'll be better than most!

#3 - Person Of Interest

 

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/person-of-interest-season-3-preview.jpg

 

DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW CALUM

 

Taking a page out of the Game Of Thrones book, Person Of Interest made an incredibly bold move in the 9th episode of its third season, to kill off one of the main cast. this is rarely done on network TV, for obvious reasons. When it is, it is often because the actor has been fired and is common knowledge in advance. In this case the producers made it clear SOMEONE would die, but the show itself made it look like it would be at least 2 of the other main cast members, and not until the last second did I realise who it would be. It was brilliantly handled though and felt believable and also felt like it had purpose. The followup episode is easily in my top 5 of the year, serving both as a tribute to that character but also as a means of closing off stories, providing us with some great character background and also setting the path for the future of the show. This third season and indeed much of S2 has been a masterclass in how to balance the procedural nature of a show with a truly gripping and interesting mythology and high concept. What was once a case of the week show has now transformed itself into truly must watch TV for me, with some of the strongest characters of any show on TV. It's the perfect mix of serious, funny, and dramatic, truly a joy to watch.

Both 'Scandal' and 'Person of Interest' are things I started watching but didn't continue. I've got Season 1 of 'Scandal' on my Christmas list though, so I'll get that watched! Need to return to 'Person of Interest' soon because the last episode of it I watched was sensational :wub: