EWB's Top 51 TV Shows of 2013: The Results

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Dexter made it because JohnnyPerfect had it as #2 on his ballot. On one hand, I was really hoping it wouldn't make it in at all, but on the other at least I got to openly mock a show on this list for the first and probably last time because oh my god, what an astoundingly incompetent season of TV. So unbelievably awful.

I fully expect this to be the reason behind any other awful placements.

This coming from the guy that's still fucking calling it THE New Girl. For fuke sake, TKz.

[TKz]

Dexter made it because JohnnyPerfect had it as #2 on his ballot. On one hand, I was really hoping it wouldn't make it in at all, but on the other at least I got to openly mock a show on this list for the first and probably last time because oh my god, what an astoundingly incompetent season of TV. So unbelievably awful.

I fully expect this to be the reason behind any other awful placements.

This coming from the guy that's still fucking calling it THE New Girl. For fuke sake, TKz.

I'm well aware of the actual name of the show, I continue to call it The New Girl because it kind of bugs GoGo.

[Skummy]

I love QI, and voted for it, but more because I don't watch much else than because I find it genuinely all that entertaining any more. I hate that it's fallen into booking the same comedians as everything else - it was always at its best when booking someone like John Sessions, or people you don't see on TV all that much any more. At least Sue Perkins and Sandi Toksvig still pop up from time to time, though. Some comedians are fine on it, but only when they turn out to have some expert knowledge on something - like when Vic Reeves turned out to be full of knowledge about pirates - but the likes of Jason Manford using it to spout the same jokes as they would on anything else really drag it down.

I hate Dexter, always have.

Colbert Report is great fun, and Black Mirror was superb, though I'll admit I didn't even see the second series, so didn't vote for it.

[Benji]

Unsurprised Black Mirror is on, I like the show a lot largely because it's a good thing in small doses (only 3/4 episodesa series) and it tends to be quite interesting. I think this year was the show's weakest year, but it's well worth checking out because it's not like you're going to waste that much time with it.

New Girl I once tried to watch and thought it was dumb. It apparently got a lot better but I've yet to give it it's second chance, and don't really have an urge to do so any time soon.

Colbert I don't watch because it doesn't air with any regularity over here and I'm too lazy to hunt it out.

Dexter placing on this list - whoever voted for it has lost leave of their senses (FIVE people, seriously?!). That series was the most insulted that I've ever felt as a fan of any franchise. If you check Dexter out - just finish at season four. The previous three seasons dipped in quality from the amazing season four (which also could've served as a great book end to the series as a whole), but season eight was beyond horrendous.

QI is what it is, quaint British quiz show that it's hard not to love.

[GoGo Yubari]

Sorry about the delay, dudes! I was off napping in a sunbeam.

35. Kill la Kill (31 pts, appeared on three ballots) (Last Year: N/A)

34. Survivor (34 pts, appeared on five ballots) (Last Year: N/A)

32. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (35 pts, appeared on five ballots) (Last Year: N/A)

32. The Office (35 pts, appeared on five ballots) (Last Year: #39)

31. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (36 pts, appeared on six ballots) (Last Year: #18)

Next Time, on EWB's Top 51 TV Shows of 2013: Buckle up, boys, this jump leads to space. And that's really high.

[livid]

Not a particularly exciting group but nothing to complain about too much.

I have very little interest in anime so I can't say that Kill la Kill is something in my wheelhouse but it beats Duck Dynasty.

Survivor has the privilege of being on my (incredibly) short list of reality shows that aren't just the absolute worst. Can you guess the other(s)!?

It's amusing to me that Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D made the list given that pretty much everybody else on the internet hates it. I think it's still finding its footing but is definitely improving. Marvel has done too many things right for me to give up early on anything of their's, even a show on network TV.

My interest in The Office waned awhile ago but this is a decent spot for it.

The Daily Show has been great this year, especially when Oliver was hosting because of how fresh it felt. It's sad to see him go but I can't wait to see what his show on HBO will be like.

[ndqw]

Next Time, on EWB's Top 51 TV Shows of 2013: Buckle up, boys, this jump leads to space. And that's really high.

Oh shit.

[Benjamin]

Finally! A show I watch! SHIELD's alright, as Livid said it's definitely improving, but it has a ways to go (basically it needs to find a way to kill it's lead character because she's the worst part of it).

Also, excellent picture choice for the final time The Office is going to be on this.

[Josh]

Meh to all but The Daily Show, which should have been much higher.

[GoGo Yubari]

Next Time, on EWB's Top 51 TV Shows of 2013: Buckle up, boys, this jump leads to space. And that's really high.

Oh shit.

YOU DID IT

But yeah, I actually think this is a perfectly fine five. The EWB anime voting bloc finds success after not getting anything on the board in 2012, but I haven't seen Kill la Kill or really any anime from the last couple years so no comment.

Survivor had a good year, really. Caramoan had an exciting post-merge portion of the season after a pre-merge that was completely overrun by crazy people (Philip! Shamar! Brandon!), and Blood vs. Water took a concept and cast that on paper didn't look great but in practice offered some very interesting shifts in the way the game was played.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is mostly just okay. It's had some good episodes, some really good scenes, but also some really bad episodes and on the whole has underwhelmed. I hope it gets better or at least gets more fun.

The Office's final season wasn't that great, but the series finale was absolutely wonderful. If I were making a ballot based solely on each show's best episode, The Office probably would have made the top five.

The Daily Show wasn't on fire this year but John Oliver's period behind the desk was a much-needed breath of fresh air. Stewart's great but he's been hosting the show and doing a lot of the same basic bits for within a month of fifteen years now.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Not seen any of them.

[Benji]

Never heard of Kill la Kill, but judging by a brief Google search (literally just Googled the show name and the Google image on site search wasn't really something I wanted to see on a work computer) it has too much T&A for me to even give it a chance.

Never watched Survivor and never will.

Agents of SHIELD was a big let down for me. I'm going to try marathoning when the season is over, but my hopes aren't high for what could've been an amazing show.

The US Office has never particularly appealed to me. I've tried watching it a few times and just like the UK Office I barely chuckled. Not generally a big fan of awkward comedies, so I doubt I'll ever get around to giving it another solid go.

Daily Show I watched with John Oliver, but Jon Stewart isn't nearly as amusing to me (not to say he's unfunny, I just much prefer Oliver). Good show, but I'm more likely to watch Oliver's new show than Stewart's Daily Show.

[TKz]

After rewatching it for a third time, I'd say The Office might be my personal pick for all time best TV comedy. Even at it's weakest, it's had some fantastic moments and I'm not sure any show has reached quite the height of humor that The Office delivered for me. Parks and Rec gets close at it's best and Community has had tons of funny moments that could hold it's own, but I've yet to see another scene on television that quite compares to stuff like Dwights Fire Drill.

Saying that, despite enjoying it still post-Michael Scott, it didn't deserve a higher place for the last few seasons it produced. So it's cool to have placed for 2013, but I don't think it needed to be any higher.

Agents of SHIELD feels like it needs to take more risks. So far it's hurting the show how much it's trying to tie in to the films, it'd be much better off developing some of it's own stories and villains and characters to deal with than it would chucking the odd Asgardian at the screen and hoping to bring in some views. But it's the first season and these type of shows never have a clear vision of what they want to be in the first season. It placed at a perfectly okay place for how it's done. I like SHIELD, but I don't eagerly anticipate it or anything each week - and I think the Netflix shows are going to hurt it a lot if it can't get some steam going by then. The big complaint most people have is "why aren't there any heroes or villains I recognize?", so when a show comes out with Daredevil, Luke Cage, Kingpin, Bullseye, Iron Fist and all the rest, I doubt they'll stick around.

It's a shame really, in theory, once the Netflix series have aired, there'll be a lot more room to play around with those characters and maybe feature a few cameos here and there.

[gunnar hendershow]

*High five anime guys*

[Benjamin]

You're an awesome person, Benji but I disagree with almost everything in his last post.

[livid]

After rewatching it for a third time, I'd say The Office might be my personal pick for all time best TV comedy. Even at it's weakest, it's had some fantastic moments and I'm not sure any show has reached quite the height of humor that The Office delivered for me. Parks and Rec gets close at it's best and Community has had tons of funny moments that could hold it's own, but I've yet to see another scene on television that quite compares to stuff like Dwights Fire Drill.

Saying that, despite enjoying it still post-Michael Scott, it didn't deserve a higher place for the last few seasons it produced. So it's cool to have placed for 2013, but I don't think it needed to be any higher.

Agents of SHIELD feels like it needs to take more risks. So far it's hurting the show how much it's trying to tie in to the films, it'd be much better off developing some of it's own stories and villains and characters to deal with than it would chucking the odd Asgardian at the screen and hoping to bring in some views. But it's the first season and these type of shows never have a clear vision of what they want to be in the first season. It placed at a perfectly okay place for how it's done. I like SHIELD, but I don't eagerly anticipate it or anything each week - and I think the Netflix shows are going to hurt it a lot if it can't get some steam going by then. The big complaint most people have is "why aren't there any heroes or villains I recognize?", so when a show comes out with Daredevil, Luke Cage, Kingpin, Bullseye, Iron Fist and all the rest, I doubt they'll stick around.

It's a shame really, in theory, once the Netflix series have aired, there'll be a lot more room to play around with those characters and maybe feature a few cameos here and there.

I very much doubt it'll still be on the air if it hasn't figured that stuff out by 2015, when those Netflix shows are going to star airing.

[Ruki]

*High five anime guys*

We did it! We got Kill la Kill on the list

Such a wonderful show. While the T&A can be a bit overbearing at times, the show itself is a fast paced action fest that is just lovely. If anyone has interest in anime, I suggest checking it out.

[GoGo Yubari]

Man, I can't believe this made it. Awesome.

30. Axe Cop (38 pts, appeared on three ballots) (Last Year: N/A)

29. Shameless (US) (39 pts, appeared on five ballots) (Last Year: #42)

28. Modern Family (39 pts, appeared on six ballots) (Lat Year: #28)

27. Supernatural (40 pts, appeared on five ballots) (Last Year: #15)

26. Treme (45 pts, appeared on five ballots) (Last Year: #37)

Next Time, on EWB's Top 51 TV Shows of 2013: Its not a rose, its a brose. And this is a broposal.

[ndqw]

If only Axe Cop had a better time slot and Fox didn't try to bundle it with that shitty show....

[Josh]

WE DID IT, CLOUDY.

You guys know what I think of Treme by now. Very pleased to see it get a significant bump in its final year of eligibility.

I really need to watch Axe Cop.

No comment on the rest.