My Top 5 shows of 2013
Here are my 5 (+1) best new shows of 2013.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
It’s that time of year when media begin ranking their best and worst of the year.
In this supposedly “golden age of television” (and I don’t necessarily disagree with that), it’s very hard to choose the best of the best. So I’ll stick with my tradition of choosing from the best new shows of the year.
In no particular order I am giving honourable mentions to: Wentworth, Orange is the New Black, A Place to Call Home,
The Time of our Lives, Borgen and Please Like Me.
But my Top 5 (+1) are as follows:
5. Top of the Lake (UKTV) / The Returned (STUDIO) tie
4. Better Man SBS
3. Broadchurch ABC
2. Ray Donovan Showcase
1. House of Cards Showcase
For my money House of Cards was the most powerful mix of story, performance and direction, but being produced by Netflix it also represents 2013’s legacy -the growing shift to binge television. Hence its top place. Broadcast television is now on notice to find ways of dealing with it.
That said, if I was to award a prize for the best single episode of television this year it would go to Breaking Bad‘s “Ozymandias” S5E14.
Tomorrow voting will open in the annual TV Tonight Awards -your chance to choose the best and worst on screen in 2013.
30 Responses
In no particular order my top 5 are
House of Cards
Game of Thrones
Ray Donovan
Better Man
Breaking Bad
Other great shows were Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Girls, Homeland, Masters of Sex and The Americans
American Horror Story Coven
Better Man
Arrow
Survivor Blood vs Water (Best Survivor season ever for me)
@poshreany
How good is Siberia? Can’t believe that Under The Dome had like triple the ratings, I’m pretty they are making a second season.
1. Breaking Bad
2. Game of Thrones
3. Sons of Anarchy
4. Boardwalk Empire
5. House of Cards
1. American horror story: coven
2. House of cards
3. Bates motel
4. Siberia
5. Hostages
1. Please like me
2. Time of our lives
3. The Crazy Ones
4. Bunheads
5. Wonderland
Honourable mentions – Sean saves the world, Mr & Mrs Murder
My list is not my best new shows of the year but my favourite shows of the year
1. Masters Of Sex
2.Continuum
3.Orphan Black
4. The Americans
5.Vikings
David, you say ‘binge watching’ is on the rise – obviously! 😛
How do you suggest networks deal with this rise?
Running shows on time in a consistent timeslot would be a bloody good start. Viewers are tired of networks stuffing them around, so they record them then watch in their own time, sometimes as binge, and skipping ads as a result. Foxtel and SBS already offered binge experiments this year and ABC is set to do the same. Monetising it is a big challenge for commercial networks. I look to the music industry which answered Napster with iTunes. People will pay for good content that’s readily accessible.
Nagdabbit – I submitted my top 5 for the magazine I write for a couple of weeks ago and clean forgot about Wentworth which should be my #1!
My 5 for 2013.
1: Broadchurch
2: Les Revenants
3: Breaking Bad
4: Southcliffe
5: Orphan Black
Best episode of the year was either ‘Ozymandias’ (Breaking Bad) or ‘The Rains of Castamere’ (Game of Thrones)
and the beauty about this list? no reality programs …..
David, is there a link to previous years articles like this? As i’d be interested to see what the pics were there?
Stevie: http://tvtonight.com.au/2012/12/my-top-5-for-2012.html (note this was for Homeland S1)
http://tvtonight.com.au/2011/12/my-top-5-for-2011.html
ohhh should add also
Borgen and Please like me.
My top five are
Arrow
The Walking Dead
The Originals
Trophy Wife
The Newsroom
Yes I enjoy CW series and genre shows
David’s list is about new shows this year, not just shows that have aired this year.
My new shows list would be
1. House of Cards
2. Ray Donovan
3. The Americans
4. The Returned (would be third if only counting the first half of the season)
5. Mmmmm nothing else stands out
My top 5
1. Orange is the New Black
2. VEEP
3. Elementary
4.Luther
5. Hit and Miss(think this is 2012 but only just watching it on Netflix)
Yay for Broadchurch – superbly directed, written and acted. Incredibly emotional and addictive series.
In no particular order my favourites for 2013 are The Blacklist, The X Factor, A Place to Call Home, Sleepy Hollow, Downton Abbey and Scandal.
Honourable mentions goes to The Newsroom, Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Packed to the Rafters, Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones, Continuum and American Horror Story. Personally i think this year has produced some great shows and has had a lot of standouts but as always there have been a lot of disasters too.
1. The Fall (it’s all about the procedure)
2. Vikings
3. Orange Is The New Black
4. Les Revenants
5. Masters Of Sex
My +1 would be A Place To Call Home, set a new standard for local productions.
My favourite episode was the pilot for The Americans.
Vikings
Breaking Bad
House of Cards
Arrested Development
Arrow
Game of Thrones
Revolution
Walking Dead
House of cards best choice. Amazing.
My top 5 for this year are
A Place to Call Home
Vikings
Time of our Lives
Arrow
Please Like Me.
With special mentions to Young James Herriott,
(from way back at the start of the year), Wonderland and Masters of Sex.
easiest way to deal with it. play tv shows week-by-week same timeslot. less breaks, more tv.
You see, I’m not sure how this is a ‘golden age of television’ (in fact, I didn’t know anyone was claiming that) when the best program in 2013 is a copy of something that was made in 1990.
I’d have to say my 5 favourite new shows from this year would be Elementary, The Blacklist, The Following, Hostages & A Place To Call Home. It is too hard to just pick 5 though. I also loved Time Of Our Lives, Wonderland & Mr & Mrs Murder. Yeah I know a lot of people slagged off at Wonderland & Mr & Mrs Murder & they didn’t rate very well but I enjoyed them. I’ve probably forgotten a few too.