Rank: 25
Genre: Period Family Drama/Political
Thriller
Channel: FX
Current Season: Second
Season Premiere Date:
January 2014
Plot Summary: Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings seem
like the typical 1980s American family, but they have a secret. They are
deep-cover Russian spies.
Why It's Worth Watching: The Americans is a
fantastic cold war thriller that explores both its characters as a family drama
and the politics of the 1980s (the tension of the cold war). Keri Russell is
brilliant on the series (and should be up for an Emmy). What is interesting
about the series and what makes its different than Homeland is that it
is about KGB agents – the heroes of this series are really villains. This is a
must-see series for fans of spy dramas.
Rank: 24
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Cast: Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy, Justin Chatwin, Ethan Cutkosky, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan,
and Jeremy Allen
White
Channel: Showtime
Current Season: Fourth
Season Premiere Date:
January 2014
Plot Summary: The Gallagher clan lives in Chicago,
doing whatever they must to stay together even though their mother has left,
their father is an alcoholic, and they are dirt broke. So, they must scheme and
cheat, but family is the most important.
Why It's Worth Watching: Shameless is wonderfully
funny and dramatically engaging due to its superb ensemble cast, lead by Emmy
Rossum and William H. Macy. At its heart, it is a family sitcom, but without
many of the tired troupes that usually infect the genre. Instead, it succeeds
on its great characters and strong writing. And, being that it is on Showtime –
it can take its characters to very raw and outrageous places, which is very fun
to watch.
Rank: 23
Genre: Crime Drama/Horror
Channel: NBC
Current Season: Second
Season Premiere Date: Spring 2014
Plot Summary: Serving as a prequel to the Hannibal
Lecture films, the series explores the relationship between a young FBI
profiler Will Graham and his psychoanalyst Dr. Hannibal Lecter (who begins
helping out on cases, and more).
Why It's Worth Watching: While NBC has yet to
decide whether or not Hannibal will return for a second season, the show is too
brilliant to leave off this list of the twenty-five best series on television
for the 2013/2014 season. Bryan Fuller is one of TV’s most imaginative writers
(with past series including: Dead
Like Me, Wonderfalls,
and Pushing Daisies). He
brings such a rich texture to this crime drama (when it easily could have just been
a slight twist on the boring procedural formula). The cast, especially Hugh
Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, is phenomenal as well. Hannibal is one of the bright
spots for drama on Network television (and the only non-cable drama to make
this list). UPDATE: NBC has picked up Hannibal for a second season.
Rank: 22
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown,
Alison Brie, Ken Jeong, and Jim Rash
Channel: NBC
Current Season: Fifth
Season Premiere Date: 2014
Plot Summary: Six friends (formally seven) make
their way through Greendale Community College – attending odd classes, making
dioramas, and going on adventures.
Why It's Worth Watching: The fourth season of
Community was very disappointing (which is why it has fallen out of the top
five all the way back to twenty-two). It lost its creative soul when Sony/NBC
fired creator Dan Harmon. But, the cast is still the best among any sitcom and
it still has its moments of sheer joyful and hysterical bliss. Somehow, despite
its perpetual low ratings, it is back for a fifth season (and like season four,
it will only have thirteen episodes). Season four showrunners David Guarascio and Moses Port simply tried so hard to copy Dan
Harmon’s version (and failed) instead of making the show their own. Sony and NBC are looking for a new creative head. Surprisingly, there is a rumor Harmon might be
returning. Also, Chevy
Chase has left the series (but if Harmon returns, will Chase return too?!?). UPDATE: Dan Harmon is returning!!!!
Rank: 21
Genre: Horror/Romance/Drama
Cast: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen,
Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Michael Trevino, and
Candice Accola
Channel: The CW
Current Season: Fifth
Season Premiere Date:
October 2013
Plot Summary: Elena Gilbert was seemingly just a
typical high school girl until her life became filled with vampires,
werewolves, and witches. Now she finds herself torn between two vampire
brothers Stefan and Damon, both of whom she loves.
Why It's Worth Watching: The Vampire Diaries is at
times overly melodramatic (after all it is targeted at teenagers and is on The
CW), but mostly it is a very engaging fantasy drama, which often features
wonderful story and character arcs (and to some extent fills the void left by Buffy
the Vampire Slayer). With Klaus and his siblings finally leaving Mystic
Falls (for their own spin-off The
Originals), the series can explore much-needed new stories and villains (I
feel that Klaus narratively overstayed his welcome by about two seasons, which
impaired the storytelling progression).
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