20 SHOWS YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED IN 2014
I'm back again, for another best shows series (check out last years here)! Three years ago I did a top 10, last year I did a top 15, but with so many great shows out now, it only seemed fitting to add five more to the pile. It truely is the golden age of television.
I try to find a good mix of drama, comedy, action, and suspense while drawing from both network tv and cable.......and of course my own personal preferances.
Hope you can agree with at least a couple of them.
20) Happy Valley- season 1
When most people make their list of top networks for quality productions, the BBC gets left off far more than is deserved. One of the many things they know how to make right is a great crime or detective drama. From the Luther and Sherlock show, to last years Broadchurch (which made my top 15), Happy Valley is just another addition to the ever-growing list. It follows a single grandmother who works the daytime as a beat cop and ends up caught in a kidnapping case involving her dead daughter's rapist. It’s dramatic with plenty of moments of high tension. This show got little buzz and as a result few saw it, but it’s definitely worth checking out.
19) The Flash- season 1
I had huge reservations about this show before it came out, but was quickly proven wrong. Arrow (in my top 15 last year) might have slipped this season, but the slack was quickly picked up by its spin off piece. Though it occasionally falls into many of the CW's common issues (such as tweeny melodrama) the Flash makes up for it with an improved “Villain of the Week” format compared to Smallville and some great action effects. Grant Gustin- which sounds like a comic book name unto itself- makes a solid lead for the series and unlike Arrow, it fills the rest of the cast out with a much more likable set of secondary characters. This is one to watch for any Comic Book fan.
18) The Blacklist- season 2
Continuing off of the stellar first season, the Blacklist is a great mix of crime procedural, crime drama, and mystery. Once again James Spader carries the series as the charismatic and cutthroat criminal, Red Reddington. The show meandered a bit in the first few episodes, and could have benefited from tighter writing, but it quickly returned to the quality of the opening season as Reddington and Berlin wage war against one another, while agent Keen is stuck in the middle.
17) Agents of SHIELD- season 2
It had a rocky first season to say the least. Most found the first half to be hit and miss and the “Scooby gang” stories were not working as the show runners had hoped. However the second half of the season picked up and it delivered a particularly strong third act. The second season carries through with that momentum. The characters seem better rounded, the story had more drive, and overall the show delivered more intensity. Most off all though, it stopped relying on the movies and dived head first into areas of the MCU yet untouched. Agents of SHIELD may have taken a few wobbly steps, but it’s now running with confident strides.
16) Peaky Blinders- season 2
A show I hadn’t picked up until this year, and WOW, I didn’t know what I was missing. Fear not, fans of Boardwalk Empire! There is a ready made, replacement right here and waiting. Peaky Blinders has great production value and a talented cast, which shouldn’t be surprising when you’ve got Batman alumni’s Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy as part of the main cast. Both seasons tell a complete story and have plenty of blood, sex, and drugs to satisfy all needs of a period gang show.
15) Brooklyn Nine-Nine- season 2
I usually have a hard time deciding what comedies to put on my lists (as I typically don’t care for comedies as much as dramas or adventure series). However, Brooklyn Nine-Nine remains one of my few weekly series that I tune in for a couple chuckles. The cast is still great and they have a natural chemistry between them. Best of all the show retains the the off the wall, rapid-fire comedy established by Miller and Lord, who directed the pilot episode.
14) The Walking Dead- season 5
While season 4 was a bit of a bore that dragged on forever and never really went anywhere, season five manages to re-inject some much needed life into this zombie apocalypse. The first half of the season shot off like a cork from a bottle with a huge action set piece. After that, the series settled down into a more small-scale survivalist storyline. As always the show features some of the best production design for a science fiction series and plenty of gore. The actors all do a great job, as usual, and the writing is a huge step up from last season. The Walking Dead has once again become a show to pay attention to.
13) Doctor Who- series 8
This is a show that has been on my top list for the last few years, and this is no exception! Doctor Who is hardily the most consistent of shows and every season has its ups and downs. But when it gets it, it REALLY gets it. And even the lesser episodes are still fun to watch if only for the off the wall stories and fun characters. This year we saw a new Doctor with Peter Capaldi, who nailed the role as a polar opposite to Matt Smith’s version of the character and proved himself a worthy replacement. The writing is also a bit better than season 7, with Steven Moffat giving his best episode since, Blink. With so much history behind it, this science fiction powerhouse won’t be stopping anytime soon.
12) Orange is the New Black- season 2
I didn’t watch this show last year, and that’s the only reason it didn’t end up on my top 15 of last year. The subject matter didn’t really appeal to me, but after many recommendations, I finally checked it out and Orange is the New Black is a fantastic dramedy that hits just the right balance of laughs and narrative tension. It’s almost entirely made up of a female cast but can easily appeal to both male and female viewers.
11) Justified- season 5
A show that seriously lacks in recognition and respect! Justified is a modern day re-interpretation of western stories. You’ll find many archetypical plotlines and genre bound characters. That’s just part of what makes the show fun. It’s also got great writing, a fantastic lead in Timmothy Olifant, and characters that play off one another well. Season 5, like most of the other seasons tells a complete story while at the same time building to the final season. Season six will not be one to miss.
10) Outlander- season 1
A new show that I was hesitant to check out given that the source material was primarily written for a female audience. But there is no deny the quality of production on Outlander. Shot entirely in Scotland, where the story takes place, the show is drop dead gorgeous with it’s authentic land, accents, and music. The acting is top notch and the dialogue smart. The series also strikes the right balance between romance, adventure, and graphic sex and violence. Outlander is only halfway through it’s first season (with a frustratingly long midseason break) and it’s easily one of the top shows of the year.
9) Hannibal- season 2
Another show that gets so little recognition that it's a sin! Hannibal is a re-imagining of the classic character and covers an area not touched by other media. The series takes place before the events of Red Dragon, where Will Gramme first meets Dr. Hannibal Lector and advises the homicide division. Season 2 ups the stakes from last season and by the end of it, leaves all the characters sitting in one big bloody mess. Brutal at time, but gorgeous in the visuals, Hannibal is easily the best network television has to offer.
8) Silicon Valley- season 1
I almost placed this lower on the list for one simple reason. Considering that each episode is only twenty minutes long, it is WAY too short of a series. But then I realized, that the reason I was mad about that is because this show is SO good. It doesn’t beat you over the head with the jokes, it's got a talented cast, and the writing team is top notch. The entire context of the series is very smart both in terms of the characters and environments they occupy. Silicon Valley is easily the best new comedy this year and another win for HBO.
7) Legend of Korra- season 3 & 4 final
As I’ve stated before (in last years article), I am a major animation fan. When it comes to modern day American produced animation, you can’t ask for anything with better writing or production value than the Legend of Korra series. This year, sadly, saw the end of the show, but we were lucky to get two full seasons between January and December. The show peaked in season 3 and ended on a high note in season 4. Legend of Korra lived up to the legacy of it’s predecessor, The Last Airbender, and we can only hope that Nickelodeon chooses to return to this fascinating world sometime in the near future.
6) House of Cards- season 2
Netflix has been on a role with their original production. With Orange is the New Black, and this years Marco Polo (which was good but not good enough for this list), not too mention their upcoming Marvel properties, they are quickly making themselves a top competitor with Showtime and HBO. House of Cards continues where the last season left off with Kevin Spacy’s ruthless Frank Underwood pushing his political revenge even further. With a faster pace than last year, and higher stakes, House of Cards now ranks among some of the best political and crime dramas ever made.
5) Sherlock- season 3
It might not be as strong as the previous two season (as it sorely lacked the presence of a certain crazy professor) but that’s not saying much as Sherlock is so much damned fun anyways. Honestly, this show could be about Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch eating breakfast for three episodes and it would STILL make my top ten. That being said, the episodes are far from bad or even mediocre. They still cleverly draw from the source material and feature sharp writing, even if it gets a little contrived at points. Sherlock is still on the best family shows on television with timeless characters that prove once again they even in the 21st century, they're far from showing their age.
4) Boardwalk Empire- season 5 final
Another show I was sad to say goodbye too. Boardwalk Empire has easily been one of HBO’s finest shows (in my top 10 the last three years), and it’s a shame that they have given it the axe. With a great team of show runners, writers, actors, and production designers- this was a show where each episode felt like as produced as a theatrical movie. It is in a way fitting that the last season should tell the origin of how Nucky Thompson became the man that he is while at the same time giving every character arc a satisfying conclusion.
3) True Detective- season 1
Another major win for HBO this year. Matthew McConaughey continues his hot streak from Mud and Dallas Buyers Club, following it up with True Detectives, a new anthology series where he shares the screen with Woody Harrelson. With talent like that, do you really need to hear anything else?! The show is nothing short of brilliant…..don’t take my word for it. Go watch it…NOW!
2) Fargo- season 1
As a huge Coen Brother’s fan, I was dreading this series. Fargo is a fantastic film and I wasn’t ready to watch some hack showrunner screw up a series based on it. My fears were unfounded and FX’s Fargo ended up being my second favorite show of the year. The cast is great but it is really the presence of Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thorton as the villains that make this season shine. Like Orange is the New Black they strike the right balance between dark comedy and drama to deliver eight episodes of genius that does the original proud.
1) Game of Thrones- season 4
But the real winner of this year is Game of Thrones. I’ve placed this show at number 2, behind Breaking Bad, for the last three years and this year it’s finally taken the top spot in what is EASILY the best season of the show. Game of Thrones impossibly upped the stakes even more and provided some huge action set pieces and likable characters in peril. The shows production is still blockbuster worthy and the lack of a main character makes you fear than any character could fall under George R.R Martin’s bloodthirsty pen. And frankly, that’s just good entertainment.
So what do you think? Agree with me? Do you hate these choices? Let me know in the comments below!