Saturday, January 7, 2012

Year End Wrap Up: Keven's Top 10 TV Shows of 2011

best of tv 2011 banner.JPGThis could be my Top TV list this year if you's add Sherlock PBS, Downton Abbey PBS and Being Human UK !!

What did you like best ?
Last year was groundbreaking for me because I came to the conclusion that TV was starting to truly kick the theater's ass in almost every way possible. 2011 has been even better. With HBO pulling all the stops with a strong season of True Blood, a better season of Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones - was it enough to conquer the airwaves?

It was a powerful year for TV and I'd have to say it was also HBO's strongest year since The Sopranos came to a close. With Game of Thrones shocking audiences worldwide with it's blatant disregard for human life and Boardwalk Empire's amazing sophomore season – it still wasn’t enough to conquer my top 10. That honor belongs to AMC's Breaking Bad, which delivered not only it's best season yet, but one of the best seasons of TV ever made.

2. Game of Thrones

Adapted from George R.R. Martin's series of dark fantasy novels, this show came to slaughter expectations and in the process blew this guy's mind by essentially killing it's main character in one of the most brutal and heart-breaking scenes ever filmed. The ensemble cast is mesmerizing, even if none of them last too long in this beautifully grim world.
Peter Dinklage's performance is one of a kind but don't forget that this show also saw Jason Momoa turn out the kind of show that Conan should have reflected on the big screen. Game of Thrones is easily the best 'new' show of 2011 by leaps and bounds.

3. Boardwalk Empire

HBO must have had a meeting with it's showrunners this year and came up with a masterplan to kill it's main characters left and right. As the finale came to a close, viewers were once again treated to another shocking exit, this time involving Boardwalk Empire's most colorful and intriguing character. Steve Buscemi's Nucky was once told that he can't be "half a gangster anymore" – well, he must have taken notes.
After getting looked over at the Primetime Emmys, it will be a shock if this show is passed over in 2012. The second season was 10 times stronger and loaded with so many amazing scenes it's hard to pick a favorite. PS: Always pay your butcher – for the love of god, if you owe him money, pay that man…

4. American Horror Story

Take True Blood, make it scary and then amp up the crazy factor a hundred times and you have what is no doubt the best 'horror' series of the year. It's been compared to Twin Peaks, but FX's American Horror Story is something else entirely – bats*** nuts. The show is bizarre, disturbing, gross, frightening and most importantly – it's gripping as hell.
It's hard to comprehend how the show will continue forth after a first season that killed as many characters as it could, but rest assured that 2011's most insane show will be back to mess with our heads even more. Jessica Lange has never been better and deserves any award recognition that is

7. Being Human

This series is the biggest surprise of the year for me. What at first seems like a SyFy True Blood knockoff, is actually very, very far from just that. Think Friends with murder, gore and brilliant writing. Based on the UK show of the same name, we're taken inside the lives of three roommates, a vampire, werewolf and ghost. It sounds absolutely terrible, but it works. The acting is all on point, the writing, the plot, it flows beautifully. Sam Witwer and Sam Huntington's on-screen chemistry is believable and the two work so well off of each other.
The series utilizes music very effectively as well, turning out one of the year's best soundtracks for a television show. Give this one a shot and you will not be sorry, I promise you. It's a brave shot in the arm and welcome addition to US audiences who are tiring of True Blood's zaniness.

8. True Blood

Despite what I can only describe as one of the worst season openers ever in which fans were treated to a demon fairy laser fight, True Blood ended on a high note. The first half of the fourth season may have struggled at times, trying to 're-invent' itself with the whole 'time moved forward' plot, but after the show caught up with itself, it became damn good once again.
Alexander Skarsgard finally took over the reigns from Stephen Moyer and became the 'fan favorite', which was a long time coming in my opinion. The witches vs. vampires angle was tremendously heated and the rivalry was built up as much as it possibly could have been before getting settled in one of the most satisfying climactic episode arcs the show has had yet. Main characters finally died – which is nuts since nobody

see whole list here

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