[tps_title]Allyson Johnson’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2013[/tps_title]
1. Breaking Bad – This show took the television world by storm allowing for actors to deliver stunning performances week in and week out and no more so than the last few of the series. Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul and of course Bryan Cranston had series best work as we watched the end of Heisenberg and where his decisions left his wife and partner. I’ve never been as emotionally invested in a show or characters’ lives and this show is an example of a pinnacle of what TV should strive to be. This show is going down in the history books.
2. Shameless – Oh my poor underrated gem of a show. The show’s third season was better than ever showing the Gallagher’s in new positions in their lives as they wrestled with life, work, health and love in their typical anarchistic manner. They have some of the best raw talent on television with Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White and William H. Macy as main examples and know how to balance humor and drama better than most. The end of season three was an emotional punch that served up a great hour of conflict and resolution and left us fans desperately wanting more. We’re in luck as the show returns January-make sure to tune in or catch up.
3. Orphan Black – So this is a show about clones, where one actress, Tatiana Maslany, plays all of them and it’s outstanding. It’s campy, it’s science fiction in all its wonder and it has one of the best actresses currently leading the show. It’s a hell of a lot of fun and sometimes that’s all that matters when it comes to TV and the want of escapism. Come for the premise, stay for the acting as the shows twists and turns in countless ways.
4. Orange is the New Black – Netflix was on a role this year with putting out quality television and none demonstrated this as much as Orange is the New Black the story of a woman sentenced to 15 months in prison after being convicted of a decade old crime and once in she runs into her old girlfriend. Taylor Schilling is getting much of the awards praise but anyone from the wonderfully diverse cast-including Kate Mulgrew, Natalie Lyonne, Uzo Aduba and Laverne Cox-is deserving of the praise.
5. Hannibal – Another show that hasn’t received anywhere near the praise it deserves it’s a chilling look at the serial killer and the man who profiles them for a living and their relationship. Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy share an incredible acting chemistry and watching Dancy’s turn as Will Graham and his progressing decay of mental stability was one of the most troubling character arcs to watch on this season of television. Bryan Fuller has an eye for making the horrific and traumatic an expression of beauty and wonder and he has never been better.
6. Brooklyn 99 – Arguably the best new show of the season, it’s quickly built a rapport with all of its actors and went above and beyond the expectations. Andy Samberg leads a hilarious cast consisting of top notch performers Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero and Andrew Braugher. It’s police station comedy and the characters already seem fully realized and the show has a confidence that most new TV shows need time to develop.
7. Elementary – Shaky new start to season two aside, the end of season one was such a highlight that I’d feel wrong to leave it off my list. Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu brought new personalities to the Holmes and Watson dynamic and over the year built a relationship that was worth sticking with. Miller’s Sherlock may be my favorite Sherlock yet and the character work done on the show is wonderful and now that season two has struck its stride we can only expect more great things.
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8. New Girl – Like Elementary a less than stellar start to their newest season doesn’t mean that what they’ve done in the past year should be looked over. The end of the fantastic season two had Jess and Nick getting together (Jake Johnson and Zooey Deschanel have fantastic chemistry) and ended as one the year’s best seasons. The group has some of the best chemistry and it isn’t hard to believe they’re friendship and odd codependence.
9. Family Tree – I wish more people had watched this show-it was sweet, improv oriented and hosted by a wonderful leading performance in Chris O’Dowd (who I swear is an actor who will spend his career making interesting decisions). It was a sentimental and honest look at family which had its absurdities as well as its tender moments. It’s one of the best examples of “feel good” TV.
10. My Mad Fat Diary – This show came out of nowhere for me. This show tells the story of Rae who has just left a psychiatric hospital where she had spent four months in after attempting suicide. The realistic take on mental and body issues and the friendship that builds our youth is what makes this show so special-along with a breakout performance by actress Sharon Rooney.
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