Television of 2014

[Freestyling buck wilding Stijn Stijnen]

I wanted to contribute to the '2014 albums' thread, but I'm a disorganised music listener, preferring to pluck musical nuggets out of the ether, whereas I've been positively regimented with my television viewing habits this year.

So here's my best of 2014.

Review with Forrest Macneil - A premise for a comedy hasn't grabbed me this much since peep show started. The space travel segment was my favourite comedy scene of the year. Or was irt the cocaine segment? Or the orgy segment? I can't decide. Seriously recommended - 5 stars.

Childrens hospital - 11 minute epiodes, some amazing, some not so, but when its good its as funny as funny gets.

Louie - just deserves its own special place, for me the most recent season was the strongest so far, which is praise and then some, as it has always been a very strong show. The verbal smackdown he gets from the comedy club waitress was one of the most effective bits of tv I've seen in this or any year.

Toast of London - Hi, it's Clem Fandango, can you hear me? I've liked Matt Berry in his previous roles (the IT crowd, Snuff box), and this, along with the other comedies I've enjoyed has gotten stronger with each episode. The characters and stories are absurd, but that's a style of comedy I have plenty of time for.

Special mention goes to Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse for the BBC 2 anniversary stuff and fast show reunion episodes, both of which were properly funny.

Would like to have watched but didn't get around to it:

The detectorists.

Discovered for the first time in 2014:

Archer - gets better and better, can't wait for season six.

The wire - woah, don't think I've ever enjoyed a tv series as much. Breaking bad or this.

Trailer park boys - let the liquor do the thinking. A tour de force of hideous, hilarious caricatures, with some genuinely sweet, funny, stupid moments. Made with love. Special mention goes to John Farnsworth AKA Jim Lahey, a truly superb exponent in the art of drunkard acting.

Looking forward to watching in 2015:

BETTER CALL SAUL! (My caps)

new series of it's always sunny in philadelphia

new series of Review with forrest macneil

the concluding half-season of the walking dead

possible new curb your enthusiasm

I think I've forgotten a few.

[Haddock]

Television of 2014

I may be going out on a limb here, but I thought True Detective and Fargo were the best things on TV this year.

[Beatle Simon]

Television of 2014

Andy Townsends Tactics Truck wrote:

Toast of London - Hi, it's Clem Fandango, can you hear me?

YES I CAN HEAR YOU, CLEM FANDANGO!

[Freestyling buck wilding Stijn Stijnen]

Television of 2014

Haddock wrote: I may be going out on a limb here, but I thought True Detective and Fargo were the best things on TV this year.

Not seen true detective, but when I've spoken to people who've recommended it, it's been in a bit of an intense manner, as though it's something special.

Definitely going to watch it.

And Fargo is the first show I forgot to put on the list, I found it to be a very enjoyable piece of television...Billy Bob Thornton was superb as usual, but Martin Freeman deserves special mention, as do all of the cast in fairness.

[Freestyling buck wilding Stijn Stijnen]

Television of 2014

Without wanting to labour the point, here's that space travel scene from 'review with Forrest Macneil', featuring a cameo from Fred Willard as Forrest Macneil's father in law. This isn't how you win back the affection of your ex-wife.

The journey goes on

[Sean of the Shed]

Television of 2014

Fargo was excellent, and I'm currently enjoying The Missing, which has well exceeded the expectation I had of it.
Best one off presentation would probably be Marvellous.

[Jon]

Television of 2014

"Not seen true detective, but when I've spoken to people who've recommended it, it's been in a bit of an intense manner, as though it's something special."

I bloody loved it. It's not perfect and had quite a few flaws but that only seemed to add to its charm. I did watch most of the episodes through a gin haze so I could have got it completely wrong though. I thought the 2 central performances were brilliant. Woody Harrelson I've loved for ever. He seemed to be playing a similar role to the one he played in Rampart. Matthew McConaughey was new to me, although checking his filmography I see that I did see a couple of his films way back when they first came out - Dazed and Confused and Lone Star. As I think I said on the original thread, the protagonists for the second series will have big shoes to fill.

More things I'm looking forward to next year: The Returned, which was the French zombie thing. I'm not sure how well they'll keep up the premise though. It did tail off a bit towards the end of the last series. Also, whenever Daredevil is coming out is probably when I take the plunge and get Netflix.

[San Bernardhinault]

Television of 2014

For 2014:

House of Cards Season 2 - unlike UK House of Cards, which went downhill rapidly after the first miniseries, the Netflix one may have actually improved. Waiting desperately for Season 3.

Fargo - As mentioned above, thoroughly wonderful

Manhattan - I'm a little surprised this hasn't had any love on OTF yet. It was on a weird channel (I think WGN which is normally a Chicago news channel), so perhaps it wasn't that high profile. But I loved it. Think of a slightly soapier Mad Men set in Los Alamos in 1942. I have no idea how they'll play the next season, or even how they get to it, but the end of Season 1 was great.

And I've only watched one episode so far, but I think on the basis of that one episode, Happy Valley may deserve a place on the list.

Sadly, I don't have HBO so haven't seen True Detective.

[hobbes]

Television of 2014

More props for True Detective and Fargo.
Also, Gotham is shaping up nicely and season 2 of Orphan Black was marvelously bat shit and worth it for the lead's many faces.
Find of the year though, was Sarah and Duck.
Perfect toddler TV.

[G-Man]

Television of 2014

True Detective was great, but not as great as its reputation would suggest. The denouement was disappointing, I thought, and the ending even more so.

Fargo, on the other hand was fantastic.

I did enjoy The Bridge very much.

Alas, we'll not see any of the protagonists of any of these three series again.

[Satchmo Distel]

Television of 2014

Another vote for Fargo from me.

I enjoyed the schlock blood and gore of Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones but they don't stand up to analysis as drama in the way that Fargo does.

US House of Cards was OK but not quite there for me. Acting was awesome but it didn't always cohere as a plot.

[Jon]

Television of 2014

I really must go and seek out Fargo, after all the positive comments on this thread.

Yes, I'd forgotten the second series of the bridge was on this year. It seems so long ago. Are you sure, g-man, that the 2 protagonists aren't coming back for a third series? Such a shame if they're not both in it. Their relationship takes the programme to another level.

Talking of crime dramas, Line of duty series 2 was very good although I still might just prefer the first series.

[Ginger Yellow]

Television of 2014

True Detective, at least the first half of the season.

Fargo

Archer

Orphan Black

@Midnight

Drunk History

Life Story

Black Mirror (in anticipation of the Christmas special)

[Freestyling buck wilding Stijn Stijnen]

Television of 2014

I'd like to second drunk history.

As somebody else mentioned on OTF (evilC?), I hope they make a British version.

[Come along, Min]

Television of 2014

@AT3

Your wish is (someone's) command. Looking at the line-up though, I'm not convinced.

http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2014/12/02/21418/cheers_to_that%21

[Squarewheelbike]

Television of 2014

Looking forward to conclusion of Remember Me tonight, top stuff. Also pleasently surprised by The Missing, James Nesbitt in something watchable!

[Amor de Cosmos]

Television of 2014

Masters of Sex

A series that could have gone pear shaped in so many ways turns out to be sensitive, witty, and — at times — soul-crushingly sad. Lizzy Caplan is a revelation, to me at any rate.

The return of Homeland

Season three was a train-wreck of mega proportions but Clare Danes grabbed this one by the thrusters and turned her character into a breathing metaphor for the USA's psychopathic foreign policy. An absolutely stunning performance.

[E10 Rifle]

Television of 2014

Happy Valley was extraordinary. Don't think I saw anything better than that this year.

[G-Man]

Television of 2014

Jon wrote: Yes, I'd forgotten the second series of the bridge was on this year. It seems so long ago. Are you sure, g-man, that the 2 protagonists aren't coming back for a third series? Such a shame if they're not both in it. Their relationship takes the programme to another level.

There won't be a third season. The show has been cancelled.

[stereojet]

Television of 2014

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Football Focus

[Patrick Thistle]

Television of 2014

Elementary is still my favourite show.

Sarah and Duck (mentioned upthread) a close second.

[E10 Rifle]

Television of 2014

I'd be up for a separate thread discussing favourite CBeebies programmes, since I've watched that channel more than any others this year, and in which Sarah and Duck would be right up there.

[hobbes]

Television of 2014

I also like Abney and Teal, but annoyingly the cub doesn't.

[Jon]

Television of 2014

G-Man wrote:

Yes, I'd forgotten the second series of the bridge was on this year. It seems so long ago. Are you sure, g-man, that the 2 protagonists aren't coming back for a third series? Such a shame if they're not both in it. Their relationship takes the programme to another level.

There won't be a third season. The show has been cancelled.

I think we're talking at cross purposes here, gman. I'd be very surprised if they cancelled it. Are you talking maybe about the US remake?

(Have just checked wikipedia and it seems that Martin won't be returning for the third series. A real shame.)

[Satchmo Distel]

Television of 2014

Happy Valley seconded; it was the best UK show I saw on Netflix

The last Swedish Wallander was very moving, but doesn't qualify as it was made in 2012.