Once again, all done by hand.

Top Ten

For the second year in a row, Breaking Bad claims the #1 spot!

upJTboogie said:

It's Breaking Bad.

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And for the second year in a row, Game of Thrones claims the #2 spot!

DerZuhälter said:

Though a lot weaker than S1, Game of Thrones still manages to land on top in terms of drama series. The production values, acting and direction still easily elevate it above any other series in this genre.

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Mad Men

Raxus said:

Perhaps the weakest season of the strongest show on television with some new beginnings and some sour endings being highlights. Still great television.

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Boardwalk Empire

Scullibundo said:

Continues everything that I love about Boardwalk, but finished with the biggest bang of any season thus far. Head and shoulders above every other television show still airing.

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The Walking Dead

~Devil Trigger~ said:

This show doesn't stop, things keep moving, portrays great sense of urgency, its great drama, great action.

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Sherlock

Kabouter said:

Sherlock in its second season did what seemed almost impossible, they improved on the first. A Scandal in Belgravia was one of the finest episodes of any scripted TV series I have seen in a very, very long time. Of course the basis for the success of the show is still in the excellent writing and the fine acting of and chemistry between Cumberbatch and Freeman. On top of that it is wonderfully shot and directed, and the closest thing you will find to motion picture quality on television today. It is not going to be easy waiting another full year before we see any new episodes.

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Parks and Recreation

Hobbestetrician said:

Simply the most enjoyable show on TV. I know others lament that it isn't as funny as it used to be and I would probably agree, on a joke-per-minute analysis, but it has grown more enjoyable to watch as the characters all genuinely like each other and the comedy is derived from their positive relationships.

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Dexter

TDLink said:

Great return to quality for a show I thought was done and dusted.

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Louie

Empty said:

Hilarious but I love it for the dramatic stuff really. His honest, heartfelt portrayal of dealing with life's challenges resonates with me so much. In awe of what he does in twenty minutes of tv and the places he's willing to take his show.

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Homeland

NotTheGuyYouKill said:

Still a good show, but that's because the actors seem to be trying really, really hard.

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11-20

Justified

TDLink said:

Just pure fun while staying high quality.

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Luck

I thought this was super effective at immersing me into a world of horse racing and gambling that's completely alien to me and making me feel like I understand it by the end. The horse racing scenes are shot in a magical way that almost makes me want to start following the sport irl and the deliberate pacing slowly reveals rich characters. Shame it was cancelled.

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American Horror Story: Asylum

ecierif said:

It always leaves me feeling intrigued, humored and waiting for the next episode. The story is still incredibly random and crazy, but that's part of its appeal. It reminds me of True Blood but with less soap opera-like subplots and more satisfying story arcs (though it's surely easier to achieve that with self-contained seasons). Several characters are well acted and have satisfying arcs despite the madness surrounding them.

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Archer

ZimbAdam said:

Best grown-up cartoon by miles.

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Fringe

TripOpt55 said:

This is my favorite show ever, so I might be a bit biased. Mostly because I’m such a sucker for these characters at this point, but Season 5 has been a real return to form in my opinion. Not sure about all the plot moves so far and it’s not quite on the level of the show at its best in late Season 2 and Season 3, but they seem to be doing things right by these characters I love so much. And the mythology is (seemingly) being handled really well despite some of the mistakes they made in Season 4. I’m just enjoying watching this final season so much.

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Treme



Girls

Stumpokapow said:

Everyone was so focused on either criticizing how narrow the show's focus was (a Millennial white girl and her yuppie 20-something friends in Manhattan) or lampooning it for its aspirations ("voice of a generation? A generation of losers!") that they didn't realize how authentic it is. Hannah is the voice of a generation. Is it a generation that navel-gazes too much and contributes nothing? Maybe, probably, but they still have a voice. Lush cinematography, and the way Hannah's relationship with Adam turns from us thinking he's borderline abusive to us realizing that she's a flake is wonderful. Well shot, excellent music. Episode highlight would probably be "The Return", where Hannah leaves New York to visit her parents and has a strange relationship with being put in a small town setting again.

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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

DerZuhälter said:

Although being on place No.4, make no mistake. Archer, Community and Sunny are all equally funny. And without a doubt season 8 brought sunny back stronger than ever.

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30 Rock

Jitters said:

I thought this show had been that great last season, but this one has been great. They are really going out with a bang.

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Person of Interest

NotTheGuyYouKill said:

Still the best show on television for me, period. Following the Season 1 cliffhanger, it hit the ground running in Season 2 and has kept up the quality consistently to the mid-season finale which aired a few days ago. Fantastic show. Great narrative arc, great actors, writing, premise, and action. Perfect blend of the serial drama and the procedural drama. Constantly keeps you hooked. This is my crack.

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FORMAT: Rank, Name, # of votes, # of points

01. Breaking Bad - 118 - 1025
02. Game of Thrones - 102 - 674
03. Mad Men - 68 - 517
04. Boardwalk Empire - 51 - 382
05. The Walking Dead - 60 - 360
06. Sherlock - 43 - 303
07. Parks and Recreation - 48 - 272
08. Dexter - 47 - 248
09. Louie - 41 - 233
10. Homeland - 46 - 226
11. Justified - 39 - 203
12. Luck - 24 - 168
13. American Horror Story: Asylum - 23 - 157
14. Archer - 28 - 148
15. Fringe - 21 - 130
16. Treme - 16 - 113
17. Girls - 22 - 107
18. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - 18 - 99
19. 30 Rock - 19 - 91
20. Person of Interest - 12 - 89
21. Doctor Who - 13 - 88
22. Adventure Time - 12 - 78
23. The Newsroom - 13 - 70
24. Happy Endings - 15 - 64
25. Sons of Anarchy - 14 - 64
26. Gravity Falls - 9 - 64
27. Suits - 10 - 58
28. Southland - 12 - 56
29. Downton Abbey - 8 - 51
30. The Good Wife - 8 - 50
31. The Colbert Report - 7 - 48
32. Veep - 9 - 47
33. Arrow - 9 - 46
34. Strike Back: Vengeance - 8 - 44
35. Young Justice - 8 - 43
36. True Blood - 12 - 42
37. Modern Family - 9 - 36
38. The Vampire Diaries - 7 - 35
38. Supernatural - 7 - 35
38. New Girl - 7 - 35
39. Once Upon a Time - 6 - 35
40. Legend of Korra - 7 - 34
41. South Park - 6 - 34
42. The Daily Show with John Stewart - 6 - 31
43. Parenthood - 4 - 31
44. Spartacus: Vengeance - 4 - 29
45. Awake - 6 - 27
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 5 - 27
46. Workaholics - 5 - 27
47. The League - 8 - 25
48. Peep Show - 4 - 24
49. The Borgias - 5 - 23
49. Revenge - 5 - 23
50. Alphas - 4 - 22
69. Castle - 3 - 22
70. Go On - 5 - 21
71. Last Resort - 4 - 20
72. Bob's Burgers - 6 - 18
73. QI - 3 - 17
74. Regular Show - 4 - 16
75. The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret - 2 - 16
75. Wallander - 2 - 16
76. The Thick of It - 2 - 15
76. Survivor - 2 - 15
76. Frontline - 2 - 15
76. Nova - 2 - 15
76. The Hour - 2 - 15
77. Psych - 3 - 13
77. The Killing - 3 - 13
78. Raising Hope - 2 - 13
79. Children's Hospital - 3 - 12
80. Bunheads - 2 - 12
80. Teen Wolf - 2 - 12
81. Shameless - 3 - 11
82. Boss - 2 - 11
82. The Late Show with Craig Ferguson - 2 - 11
83. Eastbound and Down - 3 - 10
84. Nature - 2 - 10
85. The Obama Show (not sure what this is) - 1 - 10
85. 2 Broke Girls - 1 - 10
85. Andere Tijden (Other/Different Times - 1 - 10
85. Frozen Planet - 1 - 10
86. Hunted - 2 - 9
86. Glee - 2 - 9
87. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - 1 - 9
87. Borgen - 1 - 9
87. PBS News Hour - 1 - 9
87. Malibu Country - 1 - 9
87. An Idiot Abroad - 1 - 9
87. Tegenlicht (Backlight) - 1 - 9
88. Damages - 2 - 8
88. The Big Bang Theory - 2 - 8
88. Limmy's Show - 2 - 8
89. Top Chef - 1 - 8
89. NCIS - 1 - 8
89. Real Time with Bill Maher - 1 - 8
89. Homepage (???) - 1 - 8
89. LA Complex - 1 - 8
89. Being Human (UK) - 1 - 8
90. Suburgatory - 3 - 7
91. Falling Skies - 2 - 7
91. Nashville - 2 - 7
92. Rizzoli & Isles - 1 - 7
92. Political Animals - 1 - 7
92. Arthur - 1 - 7
92. A Touch of Cloth - 1 - 7
92. Pawn Stars - 1 - 7
93. Merlin - 2 - 6
93. American Dad - 2 - 6
94. The Middle - 1 - 6
94. Project Runway - 1 - 6
94. Superjail - 1 - 6
94. Tron: Uprising - 1 - 6
94. Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - 1 - 6
94. Grimm - 1 - 6
95. Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23 - 2 - 5
95. House - 2 - 5
96. Gossip Girl - 1 - 5
96. Leverage - 1 - 5
96. The Dust Bowl - 1 - 5
96. The Eric and Andre Show - 1 - 5
96. Californication - 1 - 5
96. Fresh Meat - 1 - 5
96. Charlie Rose - 1 - 5
96. Witness - 1 - 5
97. The Amazing Race - 2 - 4
97. Futurama - 2 - 4
97. Pan Am - 2 - 4 (this shouldn't count but a mod voted for it so I'll play along
97. Longmire - 2 - 4
98. White Collar - 1 - 4
98. Nikita - 1 - 4
98. Wilfred - 1 - 4
98. Falcon - 1 - 4
98. Ask This Old House - 1 - 4
98. Voetbal International - 1 - 4
98. Redfern Now - 1 - 4
99. How I Met Your Mother - 1 - 3
99. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - 1 - 3
99. Law and Order: SVU - 1 - 3
99. Drew Carey's Improv-a-Ganza - 1 - 3
99. NTSF:SD:SUV:: - 1 - 3
99. Lidia's Italy in America - 1 - 3
100. Eureka - 2 - 2
101. Key and Peele - 1 - 2
101. Simply Ming - 1 - 2
101. Haven - 1 - 2
101. Episodes - 1 - 2
101. Call the Midwife - 1 - 2
101. Layover - 1 - 2
102. Scandal - 1 - 1
102. Unsupervised - 1 - 1
102. Market Warriors - 1 - 1
102. Life's Too Short - 1 - 1
102. Grey's Anatomy - 1 - 1
102. Antiques Roadshow - 1 - 1
102. The Ultimate Fighter - 1 - 1
102. Zembla - 1 - 1

Here's a link to the 2011 results thread, and links to the 2012 and 2011 voting threads.

So happy to see my favorite drama at #2 and my favorite comedy at #7. Good job GAF.

Sherlock representing makes me happy.

I haven't paid attention to anything involving Sherlock. Why is it great again? It looks like your standard crime procedural.

very safe list; it's basically a who's who of premium cable and critical favourites. only it's always sunny, 30 rock, and person of interest would be at all "controversial" choices, and the latter 2 only because they're long in the tooth.

also pan am did air in 2012, at least the back half

Eidan said:

I haven't paid attention to anything involving Sherlock. Why is it great again? It looks like your standard crime procedural.

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quick, witty scripting, excellent acting, very modern production, no filler because it only gets 3 episodes a year, and the long run-time is very unique among today's tv shows... target audience is intelligent slightly geeky viewers (it's a huge hit with all the graphic t-shirt websites, the tumblr crew, etc.)--no surprise that it placed where it did.

Pretty good list overall. Thanks for doing the legwork, Ratsky.

Wow, surprised to see Dexter on the list. I skipped this season because I expected more of the same. Breaking Bad on top is no surprise though. #TeamSkyler

Top two is on spot, on the contrary to the gaming side where the top two was shit. OT wins I guess.

The fact that Downton Abbey is down at #29 is so, so disappointing.

GAF needs to get their shit together TV wise.

02. Game of Thrones - 102 - 674

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I don't see Community anywhere but I think people voted for it?

Eidan said:

I haven't paid attention to anything involving Sherlock. Why is it great again? It looks like your standard crime procedural.

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You might be confusing Elementary (modern day Sherlock Holmes with Lucy Liu as Watson; crime procedural on CBS) with the Sherlock in the OP. Each season of Sherlock consists of three episodes which are each 90 minutes long - basically three movies a season. It's extremely well acted and written and very well made. You should check it out.

This is a wake up call people.

Go to Amazon and buy S1 of Person of Interest now. Catch up. Join the rest of us in the show thread.

That is all.

upJTboogie said:

It's Breaking Bad.

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Stumpokapow said:

also pan am did air in 2012, at least the back half

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Bladenic said:

I don't see Community anywhere but I think people voted for it?

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Yes - about 3 people voted for it - but the season didn't start in 2012 so it was ineligible. I haven't decided whether or not to do the next TV Show of the Year thread, but if I do, ideally it would be held in Spring/Summer 2014 so we could avoid this problem.

Is Sherlock really that good of a show? Is it pretty serious in tone?

RatskyWatsky said:

Once again, all done by hand.

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BTW Nice work Raysky!

Nice list. My only bone of contention is that Parenthood should be much higher. But it's not a show in GAF's wheelhouse at all, so I'm not surprised it ranks so low. It is a great show though.

RatskyWatsky said:

Yes - about 3 people voted for it - but the season didn't start in 2012 so it was ineligible. I haven't decided whether or not to do the next TV Show of the Year thread, but if I do, ideally it would be held in Spring/Summer 2014 so we could avoid this problem.

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Here's the problem: People want to reflect on the end of the year at the end of the calendar year, but TV shows don't line up with any annual schedule (April/May being the best match, but still not a good one, especially in a post-cable world). Anyway you slice it, something is being eliminated.

i was wondering what happened to this vote after the gaming side ones were released, but given you were counting them by hand uh holy shit. thanks for the effort ratsky.

people on gaf sure love breaking bad. wow. not only is it miles ahead in votes from all but game of thrones but the average point per vote is huge too

edit: you should have quoted stump's big post in full for louie!

FantasticMrFoxdie said:

Is Sherlock really that good of a show? Is it pretty serious in tone?

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....yes! Why are people so skeptical???

FantasticMrFoxdie said:

Is Sherlock really that good of a show? Is it pretty serious in tone?



BTW Nice work Raysky!

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Sherlock is indeed really that good, and I totally share the sentiments about the episode mentioned in the OP. Best ep of any series I've ever seen, truly outstanding in every way. I wouldn't exactly say it has a serious tone. It's very intelligently written, hilarious and fairly lighthearted at times. Check it ou~t!

I'm happy to see that Person of Interest at least placed on the list. It definitely deserves more love.

You counted by hand? Jesus. Wow.

GO PARKS AND REC!

Stumpokapow said:

very safe list; it's basically a who's who of premium cable and critical favourites. only it's always sunny, 30 rock, and person of interest would be at all "controversial" choices, and the latter 2 only because they're long in the tooth.

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RatskyWatsky said:

You might be confusing Elementary (modern day Sherlock Holmes with Lucy Liu as Watson; crime procedural on CBS) with the Sherlock in the OP. Each season of Sherlock consists of three episodes which are each 90 minutes long - basically three movies a season. It's extremely well acted and written and very well made. You should check it out.

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Ah, I didn't know about the reduced number of episodes. It sounds a lot like Luther (which I do enjoy). I'll check it out.

so happy to see dexter back on form

Haven't started the second season of Homeland, but has it dropped that much from the first season?

Nice, the only one i can fault is Louie... I just think it sucks, maybe I should give it another go...

Surprised Game of Thrones and Dexter are so high (and Louie is so low?), but then again... not really. Good list though.

Results said:

88. Damages - 2 - 8

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High five to the other person who voted for Damages.

Predictable list for TV-GAF's taste. Good job, Stump.

Tashbrooke said:

Nice, the only one i can fault is Louie... I just think it sucks, maybe I should give it another go...

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I don't understand the praise Louie gets at all. I've never even cracked a smile watching it. It's also really preachy.

Breaking Bad and Mad Men get their deserving spots. Nothing is coming close to Breaking Bad right now. Can't wait for the second half of season 5.



Solid list(though The Vampire Diaries should be in the top 10, last season was fantastic guilty pleasure TV)

Can't wait until NBC's Girlfriend in a Coma is on here next year!

American Horror Story should have been higher up. This season was some of the wildest, most entertaining shit I've seen this past year

That said, it could have used me vote (forgot to vote)

I dunno if Breaking Bad deserves to be so high considering the last season.

Oblivion said:

I dunno if Breaking Bad deserves to be so high considering the last season.

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what

Stumpokapow said:

...quick, witty scripting, excellent acting, very modern production, no filler because it only gets 3 episodes a year, and the long run-time is very unique among today's tv shows... target audience is intelligent slightly geeky viewers (it's a huge hit with all the graphic t-shirt websites, the tumblr crew, etc.)--no surprise that it placed where it did.

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How long are the episodes? Saw that it was on netflix here in Canada but I haven't watched it yet.

Luck is far too low and GoT at 2? You done goofed, GAF!

Oblivion said:

I dunno if Breaking Bad deserves to be so high considering the last season.

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Care to elaborate. I hated the way the dispatched *spoiler* but it still had great moments especially with Skylar. Plus that 'mid season' ending. Mmmph. So good.

Great work RatskyWatsky.

oneils said:

How long are the episodes? Saw that it was on netflix here in Canada but I haven't watched it yet.

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An hour and a halfish IIRC.

Nice list, yet I disagree with the selected quote for 'Thrones'... It's not "a lot weaker" than Season 1. In fact, I found it to be an improvement in every area. The fact they took some liberties with the source material doesn't mean it lessens the quality of the drama.

Great list, there are just so many damn good shows it's hard to keep up

Nice job with the thread, Ratsky.

Wow, Breaking Bad won by a landslide. It was close between BB and Game of Thrones last year.

Solo said:

Luck is far too low and GoT at 2? You done goofed, GAF!

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Not enough people watched Luck. Just like not enough people watched Boardwalk. I know I did my part on both fronts.

The amount of top tier television that exists today is astonishing.

ivysaur12 said:

Can't wait until NBC's Girlfriend in a Coma is on here next year!

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I know you are kidding but I wanted to take the opportunity to say that I legit cannot wait until freakin' Arrested Development is on this list next year!

Mad Men was very meh this year.

gutshot said:

I know you are kidding but I wanted to take the opportunity to say that I legit cannot wait until freakin' Arrested Development is on this list next year!

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Be wary the curse that stains shows brought back from the dead. Almost as bad as the third movie curse. I hope AD can escape it.

Pretty good list. Breaking Bad deserves its spot. So does Parks and Rec, the happiest show on TV. It's Always Sunny also had a great season. Still need to see Justified, BE and Homeland. I also missed the most recent seasons of Archer and Louie.

Also, I quit watching Dexter during the awful season 6. Would I need to watch the rest of it to start season 7? It was painful enough to watch the first thee episodes of season 6, I don't know if I can stomach the rest.

That's a great top five

Scullibundo said:

Be wary the curse that stains shows brought back from the dead. Almost as bad as the third movie curse. I hope AD can escape it.

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In Mitch I Trust