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Forums - Movies & TV - Critics Pick Top 10 Shows of 2013

Jaywood2010 on 10 December 2013

2013 Television Critic Top Ten Lists

Below, we collect every year-end Top Ten list published by major TV critics and publications. This page will be updated throughout December and January whenever new lists are published; be sure to check back frequently.

Critics pick the best TV shows of 2013

Below is our updated running tally of the TV shows most frequently mentioned by individual critics in their year-end Top Ten lists. Note that if a critic ranks more than the standard 10 shows, we will not include titles ranked 11th or worse. In case of a tie for first or second, each show will receive the full points for that position. Our points system works as follows:

  • 3 points for each 1st place ranking
  • 2 points for each 2nd place ranking
  • 1 point for being ranked 3rd - 10th, or for being included on an unranked list
 TV Show / Network# 1st Place# 2nd Place# OtherPoints
1 Breaking Bad (AMC) 7 1 3 26
2 Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) 0 3 7 13
3 Game of Thrones (HBO) 0 1 7 9
4 Mad Men (AMC) 0 0 7 7
  Enlightened (HBO) 1 1 2 7
6 Hannibal (NBC) 0 2 2 6
  The Americans (FX) 0 0 6 6
8 American Horror Story (FX) 1 0 2 5
  Arrested Development (Netflix) 1 0 2 5
  Top of the Lake (Sundance) 0 1 3 5
11 House of Cards (Netflix) 0 0 4 4
  The Returned (Sundance) 0 0 4 4
  Boardwalk Empire (HBO) 0 0 4 4
  The Good Wife (CBS) 0 0 4 4
15 Borgen (various) 1 0 0 3
  Parks and Recreation (NBC) 0 1 1 3
  Orphan Black (BBC America) 0 0 3 3
  Time of Death (Showtime) 0 1 1 3

Individual critic top ten lists

Below are the 11 individual top ten lists used to calculate the standings above. Some critics may list ten shows without ranking them in order; such lists are displayed below, without numbers, in alphabetical order.

Complex View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  3. American Horror Story (FX)
  4. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  5. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  6. New Girl (Fox)
  7. Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta (VH1)
  8. Veep (HBO)
  9. Eastbound & Down (HBO)
  10. Orphan Black (BBC America)
Entertainment Weekly Jeff Jensen
  1. American Horror Story (FX)
  2. Time of Death (Showtime)
  3. Orphan Black (BBC America)
  4. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  5. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  6. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  7. Mad Men (AMC)
  8. House of Cards (Netflix)
  9. The Fall (BBC2)
  10. Arrested Development (Netflix)
Entertainment Weekly Melissa Maerz
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Enlightened (HBO)
  3. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  4. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  5. Please Like Me (Pivot)
  6. Mad Men (AMC)
  7. Top of the Lake (Sundance)
  8. The Good Wife (CBS)
  9. House of Cards (Netflix)
  10. The Returned (Sundance)
HitFix Alan Sepinwall View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  3. Enlightened (HBO)
  4. Top of the Lake (Sundance)
  5. Masters of Sex (Showtime)
  6. Mad Men (AMC)
  7. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  8. Southland (TNT)
  9. Hannibal (NBC)
  10. The Good Wife (CBS)
Indiewire Alison Willmore
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  3. Top of the Lake (Sundance)
  4. Enlightened (HBO)
  5. Scandal (ABC)
  6. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  7. The Americans (FX)
  8. Hannibal (NBC)
  9. Bob's Burgers (Fox)
  10. The Returned (Sundance)
New York (Vulture) Matt Zoller Seitz View article
  1. Arrested Development (Netflix)
  2. Hannibal (NBC)
  3. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  4. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  5. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  6. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  7. Girls (HBO)
  8. Justified (FX)
  9. Scandal (ABC)
  10. The Americans (FX)
Paste Josh Jackson View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  3. Mad Men (AMC)
  4. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  5. Arrested Development (Netflix)
  6. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  7. House of Cards (Netflix)
  8. New Girl (Fox)
  9. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)
  10. Eastbound & Down (HBO)
Slant View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Hannibal (NBC)
  3. Justified (FX)
  4. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  5. The Americans (FX)
  6. Girls (HBO)
  7. Archer (FX)
  8. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  9. Mad Men (AMC)
  10. House of Cards (Netflix)
Slate Willa Paskin View article
  1. Borgen (various)
  2. Top of the Lake (Sundance)
  3. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  4. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  5. The Good Wife (CBS)
  6. The Americans (FX)
  7. The Returned (Sundance)
  8. Bunheads (ABC Family)
  9. American Horror Story (FX)
  10. Mad Men (AMC)
Time James Poniewozik View article
  1. Enlightened (HBO)
  2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  3. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  4. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  5. The Good Wife (CBS)
  6. Bob's Burgers (Fox)
  7. Rectify (Sundance)
  8. The Americans (FX)
  9. Mad Men (AMC)
  10. Orphan Black (BBC America)
Washington Post Hank Stuever View article
  1. Breaking Bad (specifically, Walter White's exit strategy)
  2. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
  3. Masters of Sex (Showtime)
  4. "The Red Wedding" episode of Game of Thrones
  5. Time of Death (Showtime)
  6. Broadchurch (BBC America)
  7. The Americans (FX)
  8. Vikings (History)
  9. The Returned (Sundance)
  10. Veep (HBO)

 




       

Around the Network
ps3-sales! on 10 December 2013

In related news: Breaking Bad kicks ass.



Currently own:

 

  • Ps4

 

Currently playing: Witcher 3, Walking Dead S1/2, GTA5, Dying Light, Tomb Raider Remaster, MGS Ground Zeros

pokoko on 10 December 2013

The only one I've seen even a single episode of is Arrested Development :D



mushroomboy5 on 10 December 2013

I gotta check out ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Only heard about it a few days ago..
Hurray for Breaking Bad and thank god TWD did not seem to make the cut (it was once my favourite show but dropped off my list. Same with HOMELAND).



Jaywood2010 on 10 December 2013
mushroomboy5 said:
I gotta check out ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Only heard about it a few days ago..
Hurray for Breaking Bad and thank god TWD did not seem to make the cut (it was once my favourite show but dropped off my list. Same with HOMELAND).


Season 3 TWD sucked -_-  Season 4 on the other hand xD




       

Around the Network
PullusPardus on 10 December 2013
mushroomboy5 said:
I gotta check out ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Only heard about it a few days ago..
Hurray for Breaking Bad and thank god TWD did not seem to make the cut (it was once my favourite show but dropped off my list. Same with HOMELAND).

What's wrong with twd? 

No spoilers I only started watching it yesterday



Fusioncode on 10 December 2013
PullusPardus said:
mushroomboy5 said:
I gotta check out ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Only heard about it a few days ago..
Hurray for Breaking Bad and thank god TWD did not seem to make the cut (it was once my favourite show but dropped off my list. Same with HOMELAND).

What's wrong with twd? 

No spoilers I only started watching it yesterday

The first season is pretty good, but the second one was godawful. I can't explain without spoiling it, but trust me it sucks. Season 3 sucks too, season 4 is an improvement but not that great either. 



Sigs are dumb. And so are you!

Jaywood2010 on 10 December 2013
Fusioncode said:
PullusPardus said:

The first season is pretty good, but the second one was godawful. I can't explain without spoiling it, but trust me it sucks. Season 3 sucks too, season 4 is an improvement but not that great either. 


I personally thought season 2 was the best story wise.  So does many people.  Season 1 was more action wher as season 2 was story.  Season 3 was just horrible writing from the new writer and season 4's new writer brought it back.




       

Attoyou on 10 December 2013

Breaking bad is of course well deserved. Glad to see boardwalk Empire at least made the list, best season of any show this year.

Mad Men, Game Of thrones and House of Cards were all great too. Haven't seen Hannibal or The Americans yet.



Atto Suggests...:

Book - Malazan Book of the Fallen series 

Game - Metro Last Light

TV - Deadwood

Music - Forest Swords 

Fusioncode on 10 December 2013
JayWood2010 said:
Fusioncode said:
PullusPardus said:

The first season is pretty good, but the second one was godawful. I can't explain without spoiling it, but trust me it sucks. Season 3 sucks too, season 4 is an improvement but not that great either. 


I personally thought season 2 was the best story wise.  So does many people.  Season 1 was more action wher as season 2 was story.  Season 3 was just horrible writing from the new writer and season 4's new writer brought it back.

Hmm most people despised season 2. It completeley failed pacing-wise. I'll explain why but I need to know how to add spoiler tags first. 



Sigs are dumb. And so are you!