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

[hot rod]

I have never been so addicted to as I am to Breaking Bad, watched the first three seasons in two days, and only have four episodes left of season 4. It's definitely the best show I have seen this year. Always Sunny I thought was excellent this year, the episode where Dee Gets Audited, Frank's Little Beauties, Storm of the Century, CharDee MacDennis, ThuderGun, The Gang Gets Trapped, and the two Highschool Reunion episodes were some of the funniest stuff this year.

[GoGo Yubari]

Closing time.

3. The Walking Dead (236 pts, appeared on twenty-three ballots) (Last Year: #3)

2. Parks and Recreation (289 pts, appeared on twenty-six ballots) (Last Year: #32)

1. Community (447 pts, appeared on thirty-three ballots) (Last Year: #2)

Yup. It actually wasn't a foregone conclusion for a pretty long while; at different points Parks and Rec, Breaking Bad, and Sons of Anarchy all had the lead with Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Dexter on their tails. But as time progressed the tide quickly started turning in favor of Community and the end result was by far the most dominant victory this list has ever seen. And a well-deserved one, too; Parks and Rec was my favorite show of the year but Community was a solid second (with Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad not being far behind at all). Thanks to everyone for voting, the turnout was huge and I love the discussion this list has sparked! See you next year (or at the next countdown thread I run).

Next Time, on EWB's Top 50 TV Shows of 2012:

[Josh]

I have not seen The Walking Dead. I have heard mixed reviews. I can't say I'm in a hurry to watch it.

PARKS AND GODDAMN REC. Very glad to see this show not only gaining critical success, but mainstream acceptance as well.

The flipside here is Community. This show most definitely deserves its number one slot. Very few shows even come close (Parks and Rec and Louie come to mind.) However, while Parks and Rec is deservedly getting the mainstream credit it deserves, Community has gotten the shaft. I'm not a praying man, but I'll offer up a burning goat to any deity I can if it means keeping Community on the air.

Meanwhile, NCIS is in no danger of cancellation or even going on hiatus.

In summary, the current state of television can F-

Well, you know.

[apsham]

It's Always Sunny should've been in the top three - really great stuff coming out of this year. I am shocked by the consistent quality of that damn show, it just picks up steam year after year after year.

[Benjamin]

To be fair, Josh, I don't think a goat that's already on fire is gonna' do anything to please any deity.

[Josh]

To be fair, Josh, I don't think a goat that's already on fire is gonna' do anything to please any deity.

Your theology is fucked, man.

[TKz]

It's Always Sunny should've been in the top three - really great stuff coming out of this year. I am shocked by the consistent quality of that damn show, it just picks up steam year after year after year.

It's Always Sunny hasn't been anywhere near the level of Community and Parks and Rec for me in a long time. I like the show, but it's definitely starting to suffer from being a show that's kind of supposed to be shock humor. Like, "Oh my god, these people are so awful, it's hilarious!"

[Guest mr. potato head]

Haven't seen much of The Walking Dead and don't really care to.

The other two are easily the two best comedies on TV, but in the wrong order, especially considering Community's had an off season this fall while Parks and Rec somehow just keeps getting better.

[LittleDaniel]

I completely disagree with MPH. I've loved the half season from Community so far, and while Parks and Rec definitely deserves to be near the top, it hasn't topped Community for me. I really don't understand this "off season" mentality that I've seen a few posters talk about; I think this season has brought us some of the best episodes of Community. We've got "Remedial Chaos Theory," the best Halloween and Christmas episodes from any season, "Studies in Modern Movement," frankly, looking at the episode list I don't see a single episode I didn't like. Parks has also had a great season so far, and their Model UN episode was probably a bit better overall (although I love the ending to Community's Model UN episode), but I haven't enjoyed it nearly as much as I have Community. With Community, I generally leave an episode thinking, "wow, I want to watch that again. Right now, preferably." That's never happened with Parks and Rec.

[Guest mr. potato head]

I don't see how anyone can say, at the VERY least, that this year's Halloween and Christmas episodes were better than last year's.

[TKz]

Nah, MPH is right on this, Parks and Rec has been superior to Community this season by far. Parks and Rec hasn't had a single episode that's been anything less than hilarious, whilst Community at it's best this season has only been pretty good. It's like Zero said once, a good episode of Community is still better than a great episode of most other shows, but Parks and Rec has definitely topped it this year.

[Jimmy]

I'm happy with the top three to this list, though the result was pretty obvious from the voting threads. I haven't loved any television show as much as Community since I finished Buffy. All the way through, it's been fantastic and it's nice to see it top the list. Parks and Rec is worthy runner-up, I've got one episode left of season 3 to watch and it probably equals Community in terms of quality - they are both fantastic and constantly have me laughing out loud.

Good list GoGo (Y)

[LittleDaniel]

I don't see how anyone can say, at the VERY least, that this year's Halloween and Christmas episodes were better than last year's.

Halloween was a great character-driven story as opposed to last year's action vibe. The action episodes of Community do the least for me. The only ailment this episode suffered from, in my opinion, was being placed after the timelines episode which had a very similar structure. If the timeline and "Competitive Ecology" episode were reversed (as it was supposed to be, there's at least one callback to the timeline episode in "Competitive Ecology") I don't think it would be so looked down on.

"Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" was cute, in a dark, depressing way, but this year's episode surpassed it in fun. Not only did we get a fun episode, but also some great commentary on the infantilization of women, the perceived persecution of the religious, and of course how much Glee sucks.

[Slogger]

Community!

Such a deserving champion, It literally (Perhaps figuratively) brightens my day when I get the chance to watch Community, I won't taint this post by talking about those other two quite fine shows that are runners up.

Thanks for doing this list GoGo, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. (Y)

[zero]

I'd say last season's Parks & Rec was better than this season's Community, but Parks & Rec this year, while still one of my fave five is veering dangerously close to cutesy Andy Bernard manages The Office territory. Not that Community hasn't always had that too, but that's kinda the point of the show. Still, it's pretty much splitting hairs since we're talking about the best and second best comedies on TV. They're both phenomenal, but I think Community won out this year due to all the cancellation talk. P&R is safe (for the most part), but we could lose Community, so we have to hug it just a bit harder.

The only episode of Community that I thought was a little off this season was Chang's noir episode. I think it went over a lot of heads, though not the fault of the viewer. And they missed the mark on Britta trying to recapture her anarchist roots, there was a ton of potential there that didn't really get explored.

As for the Halloween/Christmas debate, last year's Halloween special was better, this year's Christmas special was better. The claymation episode was fantastic and it's amazing they were even able to do it, but nothing in that episodes competes with "boop be doop be doop boop... sex."

[C-MIL]

The success or failure of a Top 50 list of anything really comes down to #1 and #2. Everything beyond that is debate-fodder, but if it gets the top two right it is a good list.

This is a good list.

[NIN Horror]

Can someone please explain the appeal of Parks and Rec to me? I watched the model UN episode and two or three others but I just never really found it funny.

[Stormshadow]

The appeal is that it is hilarious.

From your comment I can deduce one of two things, either humour is subjective or you have no soul. I'd stake my house on it being the first one.

[Jimmy]

Can someone please explain the appeal of Parks and Rec to me? I watched the model UN episode and two or three others but I just never really found it funny.

Watch it from the start, it's a show that gets funnier and funnier the more you know the characters.

[LittleDaniel]

And the less Amy Poehler tries to be Lady Michael Scott.