It's been a couple weeks since I unveiled my TV Top 10 for 2014 in video and gallery form and I think at the time I promised that a Second 10 and possibly a Third 10 were coming.
Well, here's the start of that.
In case you've forgotten, my Top 10 for 2014:
10. “Game of Thrones”
9. “Shameless”
8. “Hannibal”
7. “The Americans”
6. “Rectify”
5. “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
4. “Mad Men”
3. “Orange Is The New Black”
2. “Review”
1. “Fargo”
A couple thoughts before getting to No.11-20 for 2014.
First, “Key & Peele” isn't in this list and it isn't going to be in my hypothetical Third 10 either. That's my mistake, not the fault of the show. I love “Key & Peele,” but due to issues of schedule and DVR space and forgetfulness, some weeks I only watch a few sketches on YouTube or the Comedy Central website. Other weeks I watch the whole episode. Based just on gut feeling, “Key & Peele” is one of the 10 best shows on TV, in my opinion. Based on practical reality, my viewership isn't complete enough for me to feel comfortable including it in one of these lists. But “Key & Peele” is spectacular.
Second, there's a lot of HBO in this group of 10 favorites. It is, in fact, half-HBO and slightly more than half if you include HBO's corporate sibling Cinemax. And I almost could have included a couple more HBO shows, which will either appear in my Third 10, or be forgotten (or at least unranked) to the world forever if I don't get around to No.21-30.
Third, this group of 10 shows is much “funnier” than my Top 10. My Top 10 included at least four things that I (or Emmy voters) would classify as a comedy, but only two half-hour shows. This grouping contains six half-hours and all six are, by Emmy standards, comedies.
Fourth, My Top 10 contained only one network show (“Hannibal”). And this group of 10 contains only one network show. But my third 10, if I make it? It would currently appear to have THREE network shows.
Isn't that special?
Let's get down to business!