EWB's Top 50 TV Shows of 2011: The Results

[livid]

I couldn't even finish watching the pilot for American Horror Story. Not because Dylan McDermott jerking off but because I found it to utterly boring and fairly dumb. Then again, I'm not really into horror at all so I was bound to be disappointed.

I love, love, love Archer. Should be higher though.

I've been meaning to check Once Upon A Time out but I imagine it'll end up being awhile before I do, if ever.

Happy Endings is awesome and consistently one of the best sitcoms on TV. There isn't much in the way of plot but the cast is superb and they all have really good chemistry.

I've never seen Amazing Race but from commercials, it's looked like one of the better "reality" shows out there. So there's that...

[LL!]

Ugh. Reality shows. Ugh. Amazing Race.

American Horror Story is something I might try and catch up on sometime next year before season 2 begins. Everything I've heard is mixed, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Archer is waaaaay too god damn low on this list. More people need to be exposed to the brilliance that is probably the funniest pure comedy show on TV.

Once Upon A Time I have zero interest in. None.

Refer to American Horror Story when it comes to Happy Endings.

[Your Mom]

I love Archer but I've only seen season 1 so voting for it would be cheating.

[TKz]

Never watched Amazing Race and no real interest in it. Same with American Horror Story, just doesn't sound good enough to warrant the time it'd take to try it out. I enjoyed the episode(s) of Archer I watched, they were okay, but I don't know if I could watch it every week. Once Upon A Time... I kind've want to try it out, but there's just not enough motivation to actually watch it. And Happy Endings I enjoyed the first series, but I don't know, this season has just really not been able to keep my interest. And I really don't like Penny.

[Walker]

The one time I watched Archer I really didn't like it. Unless I watched a really, really bad episode, I think it isn't for me.

I found American Horror Story really boring. I stuck with it for three episodes but couldn't take much more.

[LL!]

There are no bad episodes of Archer. Just bad people who watch them.

[GoGo Yubari]

I love Archer but I've only seen season 1 so voting for it would be cheating.

Yup. If season two were on Netflix I would have watched it by now and it would be on my ballot.

The Amazing Race is fine, I guess. I watched a couple episodes this year and was like "this is fine" and then the team I was watching it for was eliminated so I moved on.

I will probably never give American Horror Story a chance. I don't trust Ryan Murphy anymore and the reviews are too mixed to make me think it's worth my time.

I was surprised that Once Upon a Time got that much points in the short amount of time it's been on. I'm not really interested in it as it is, but it's on the lists of some people whose opinions I respect.

Happy Endings I will probably watch someday. It's sort of a low priority right now, though.

[TGC]

I love Archer but I've only seen season 1 so voting for it would be cheating.

Yup. If season two were on Netflix I would have watched it by now and it would be on my ballot.

The Amazing Race is fine, I guess. I watched a couple episodes this year and was like "this is fine" and then the team I was watching it for was eliminated so I moved on.

I will probably never give American Horror Story a chance. I don't trust Ryan Murphy anymore and the reviews are too mixed to make me think it's worth my time.

I was surprised that Once Upon a Time got that much points in the short amount of time it's been on. I'm not really interested in it as it is, but it's on the lists of some people whose opinions I respect.

Happy Endings I will probably watch someday. It's sort of a low priority right now, though.

It really seems to be a love it or hate it kind of thing with this show, and very few people who were just meh on it, but so much of his work falls into that category. I will say that one of the things that may have worked in his favor was adding people far more talented than he is to the creative team. Two or three episodes were written by Tim Minear (thus ending the "every show Tim Minear writes for is destined to get cancelled and suffer low ratings" curse he has had upon him since Angel) and two by James Wong (and of course these were arguably the best of the 12 episode run). After Glee's descent into shit I would have had no trust in Murphy, or his partner, but for some reason the pure insanity of this show actually worked for me.

And to be fair the lady he saw before he jerked off was diddling herself when he saw her and she was fucking hot (or so he thought).

[Josh]

File Under Fuck Off: Amazing Race.

File Under My Roommate Likes It, So I Merely Tolerate It When I Have To Be In The Room: Once Upon a Time.

File Under If My Roommate Watched This, It Would Be In The Above Category: Happy Endings.

American Horror Story seems to have potential. However, it also looks like a show that could be consumed with artifice and have no real depth. Maybe I'll get around to it one day.

Archer is the only one here I've seen and actually liked. That said, I would have to start from the beginning if I wanted to follow it regularly.

This group at least showed potential for everything after it getting out of Fuck Right Off territory.

[thatblindgeye]

Archer is amazing. I need to watch past season 1 somehow, though.

Once Upon A Time... It isnt great, but I enjoy it. Now that has gotten more into OTHER fairy tales rather than focusing solely on the whole Snow White/Evil Queen stuff (though that is still the main thing, obviously), I think it has gotten more interesting. Obviously not everyones cup of tea, but I find it entertaining for a show taking fairy tale characters and turning them into a less kiddy adaptation. Though the most recent episodes ending has irked me, but that is a post nobody will care to read for another day.

Happy Endings has been gold thus far. Nothing more to really say.

Amazing Race I never gave a shot because honestly, it is hard for me to get into reality tv. The only reality shows I've watched are Hell's Kitchen (despite almost quitting on it I believe two seasons ago) and The Real Gilligan's Island.

American Horror Story... I may check out, but Im really not that into horror at all with very few exceptions.

[TGC]

There is a show out there called The Real Gilligan's Island? Really???

[livid]

Isn't it called Survivor?

[GoGo Yubari]

There is a show out there called The Real Gilligan's Island? Really???

It was yeaaaaaaars ago. I vaguely remember it being a disaster.

[Molly]

So far half these shows ive never heard of (or want hear of)!

TAR & The Mentlist(which I may of seen twice this season) I did vote for but only because I was not allowed to vote for Ncis 15 times

Edited December 27, 2011 by Molly

[thatblindgeye]

Yeah, Real Gilligans Island I believe was on when I was still in high school, so it had to be early to mid 2000's. It wasn't a good show by any means, but at the time I enjoyed it. Probably because I was young, naive, and enjoyed seeing a silly show turned into an even sillier reality show.

[GoGo Yubari]

35. The Simpsons (48 pts, appeared on eleven ballots) (Last Year: #29)

34. Wilfre (49 pts, appeared on six ballots) (Last Year: N/A)

33. Tosh.0 (52 pts, appeared on seven ballots)

32. Psych (59 pts, appeared on eight ballots) (Last Year: #34)

31. Survivor (62 pts, appeared on eight ballots)

Next Time, on EWB's Top 50 TV Shows of 2011: Hitler really ruined that mustache for everybody. It’s really an interesting mustache, but now, no one can wear it.

[Josh]

Shocker of the Year: I like The Simpsons a lot. I'm cool with it not being higher on the list, but I also see that a lot of filler got ranked higher. Boo.

Never seen Wilfred, but it looks very promising.

Tosh.0 I can only watch in VERY limited doses. I can't even get through a full episode. Just overkill.

I rarely find shows that I would call "good, not great." I tend to follow a show religiously or write it off entirely. Psych is a rare middle-ground exception. Fun show, but nothing so compelling that I MUST watch it.

Survivor has always been and always will be a "fuck right off" show. It may be the OG of "fuck right off" shows for me. If I was given 10 wishes, wiping the existence of Survivor from all of history would probably make the list.

[Your Mom]

Why not use the wish to make Survivor an awesome show? You are so negative!

[Roger Sterling]

I've seen 5-6 full episodes of Tosh.0 and he didn't make me laugh once! And I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to comedy...I like The New Girl.

I just don't know what people see in that show. Psych on the other hand, is always good fun.

[GoGo Yubari]

Survivor is an awesome show. Haters to the left.

Okay, on to this five.

The Simpsons had a good episode this year that I watched, which makes me want to watch a couple more episodes from this year. That's pleasantly surprising.

I will probably watch Wilfred soon, especially if it ends up on Netflix Instant like most FX programs do.

I really, really do not find Daniel Tosh funny. It therefore follows that I don't find Tosh.0 funny. I was surprised to see it end up so high.

Psych is pleasant and inoffensive, just like most USA shows. I've only seen the first season, but the second is creeping up on my queue.

Survivor's overall effect on TV isn't so great but to be honest, TV was heading that direction with or without it and Survivor itself is, at its best, a great show because it's an ever-evolving strategy game and usually has at least one or two captivating players per season. It was my TV obsession this year which helped its standing on my ballot, but more importantly South Pacific was by and large a pretty good season. I give no fuck about "GRR REALITY TV IS THE DEVIL" shit.