TV Series: What I Watched in 2013

So here is my roundup of the TV I watched last year with a top 20 list at the end.

First off, shows I did not like:

• I tried to get into Downton Abbey and couldn’t get past S01E01. I know, loads of friends have encouraged me to get back into it, but there is just SO much TV out there…
• Hell on Wheels S03 I did not watch because I haven’t found the time to catch up on S02 yet. My dad really liked this one so perhaps I’ll get into this on my next long business trip. Oh, that’s like next week…
• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. sucked pretty bad. I mean E01 was awful and I hear that things actually got worse from there.
• Masters of Sex had potential, but I don’t know, the plot seemed a little contrived and the acting – at least for me – was not stellar. Maybe I’ll go back to it. Or not.
• Comic Book Men S03 I did try for a few episodes but I can only take so many dumbass Kevin one-liners in 22 minutes you know? And I always feel so sorry for how they pick on Ming. Whatever.
• The Newsroom I tried as well. Really liked the first episode and the Emmy that they received last year did not escape my notice. Once again, so little time. Perhaps a reader will tell me whether my time is better spent on this one, Downton Abbey or Hell on Wheels…
• I nearly forgot to diss the abysmal Under The Dome. Crock of shit. To be avoided at all costs. Oh please do NOT do a second season.

Now, shows I discovered and loved:

• Star Trek Enterprise because unbelievably enough, I missed this one entirely living in “old” Europe. I watched it up to about the middle of S04 when I got bored with the Augments plots. Guess I have to finish it out.
• Archer is one of the most awesome and hilarious animated shows like ever. The voices are hilarious, the characters outrageous, and the one-lines made me fall off my couch. Totally amazing show!
• Arrested Development I discovered due to the voice of Mrs Archer on Archer who plays, of course, the mom on AD as well. There are just WAY too many episodes for me to entirely catch up so I am not obsessing but just enjoying the more or less chronologically and slowly. Very funny but in small doses.
• Community wasn’t bad. Watched probably half of the first season. Will probably have a slow AD-style diet on this one too.
• Girls I learned about on a webcast for Justified because one of the writers called it out as one of his favorite shows. I do like Lena Durham and respect what she is doing in that show.
• Family Tree was pretty good too. Quirky but not bad.
• I only knew about Family Tree because I discovered the monumental IT Crowd which I devoured and found to be much funnier than its American cousin of sorts for geek humour, The Big Bang Theory which I was not able to get into. The IT Crowd was simply hilarious.
• I liked Bob’s Burgers too which I discovered because the insane voice of Archer is also the voice of Bob. Pretty damn funny show.

Shows that ended forever last year:

• Top of the Lake which I thought would make multiple seasons was only a mini-series it turned out. Amazing though.
• Dexter FINALLY ended. Thank god. This season was pretty disappointing like most have been since the epic S04 with John Lithgow.
• I can’t believe they killed off the beautiful and dark Magic City. Really enjoyed that one.
• Breaking Bad. Nuff said.
• Treme. Sniff.
• This year (2014) the bell tolls for Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Californication, and Sons of Anarchy. That’s gonna be tough!

And now for my top 20:

1. Breaking Bad – need I say more
2. Game of Thrones – the Red Wedding motived me to go back and read the entire 5000+ pages so there is that
3. Justified – I loved the reboot – Boyd is awesome and Raylan rocks.
4. Sherlock – can you believe the career boost this show has given its principal actors? And was Moriarty not the most evil bastard ever? Wow.
5. House of Cards – this show was just so awesome. It just had so much competition!
6. Boardwalk Empire – another masterful portrayal by Buscemi and an incredible cast
7. Homeland – just sad that Brody is gone forever
8. House of Lies – Hilarious sophomore effort
9. The Americans – loved this debut
10. Orange is the New Black – thanks to the creator of Weeds for giving us such an original and entertaining new show
11. Mad Men – I don’t know I mean S06 was interesting and I liked how Don was a bit transformed at the end but I feel like the other shows above were more entertaining
12. Sons of Anarchy – not bad, need to see how Kurt wraps it up this fall
13. Roy Donovan – not sure where to place this one which I liked and found fun but again – so much competition
14. Top of the Lake – gorgeous, incredible but only one season? Jane can you give us another one?
15. The Bridge – wasn’t bad but sort of weak ending – the script wandered quite a bit…will this be back?
16. Girls – as I said before, interesting and fun humour although a bit heavy and uncomfortable too sometimes
17. Episodes – not bad for light humor and jokes about Joey from Friends
18. Treme – as much as I loved this show, 5 episodes was a bit of an ignoble end – left me wanting oh so much more.
19. Walking Dead – I know, it is shocking for me to place this so low but the first half (‘cos we don’t get a second half for another few weeks) was for me just ok. I thought the Governor’s disappearance and reappearance took too long and don’t know where they are going with some of the characters…I might be being unfair but there it is
20. I gotta list a #20 so lets go with the regretted Magic City which had so much potential with The Butcher as a bad guy and so much eye candy – just not enough legs to make the cut for S03

Please let us know what you watched in 2013 and what you are looking forward to in 2014!