What was the best TV show you discovered in 2011?

[Muffin Top Merkley]

Parks and Recreation After a suggestion from a co-worker, I decided to give Parks and Recreation a chance, and started watching it from the very first episode. Even though I had enough interest to keep progressing through the episodes, I didn't find it to be anything special. I decided to continue with season 2 in hopes that it would improve off, much like The Office did. Currently, I am slightly over half way through season 3, and laughing out loud and nearly every episode. This is a show that gets better with each season.


New Girl is most likely my favorite show to debut in 2011. The four main characters are quirky, and the three male roommate characters are a brilliant complement to Zooey Deschanel's. New girl is very funny as well as extremely charming.

 

[BlueLightning]

There were actually a few but Shameless has been one that I've really taken a liking to and Season 2 has been great.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

In December of 2011 I discovered the best sitcom on television right now, How I Met Your Mother.

I had always heard good things about this show, and as a huge fan of Jason Segal from his work in Freaks and Geeks and his numerous comedy movies always wanted to check this show out. Then I noticed Netflix had uploaded on their instant streaming app and I have been in love ever since. The show is just too damn funny, and its also very heartwarming with an amazing cast. If you haven't checked this show out yet, make your 2012 instantly better and check this show out.

 

[DRP]

Blue Bloods with Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg, cant wait for its return nxt week, also Sons of Anarchy made up its now back on British screens it took an age to get Series 3 but it was worth the wait

 

[Sparky]

Dexter. I mean, I had seen a few episodes before, but I never actually got hooked until january 2011. I guess I have always been a late to the party kind of guy, I just hate watching things with ads. but after watching an episode on Justin tv, I was hooked and I remember spending the next three weeks watching every episode available whenever I got the chance. I don't know what got me hooked, but the cliff hanger at the end of most episodes was what kept me wanting more.

Great show, great characters and great story line. it's by far my favourite tv show and I can't wait until next season (if there is one...) I still have half the latest season to go...

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

I'm a tit for not mentioning it before, but Game of Thrones definitely deserves a mention for me.

When it first came out I just thought it would be a weekly Lord of the Rings kinda deal which put me off, but I was intrigued by Sean Bean and Aidan Gillen. Just not enough.
However, my friend had been talking about it at work with some guys and they were telling him that he HAD to watch it. Doing what he was told, he downloaded the first 3 episodes and watched them back to back only to send me a text at ridiculous o'clock AM telling me I HAD to watch this show.

Eventually I got the entire season off of him as I can never be patient to wait a week between episodes and felt stupid for not watching it sooner. The characters were well drawn out, some of the casting had been inspired, the story arcs were all pretty much perfect and what surprised me most was despite the castles, fighting talk and vast amounts of weapons lying about, the show did not need to rely on violence. Instead it relied on the tension leading up to inevitable violence, with twists and turns aplenty.

Cannot wait for the second season now.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I will have to go with Breaking Bad even though it has been on for a few seasons now. I haven't seen a show quite like it. Every episode is exciting and there is always something to look forward to. I enjoyed Six Feet Under and The Walking Dead too, but those are probably shows I can file under 2010 with Boardwalk Empire. I can't wait for this next and possibly final season of Breaking Bad.

I'm now starting to watch the BBC America show Being Human for 2012. I've heard the British version is better then the American Sci Fi version. What a surprise. Hopefully it won't disappoint but I have heard rave reviews about it.

 

[Police Penis Sucking Goat Fucker]

Workoholics was my favorite show I discovered in 2011. It's just a hilarious show and the show gets better with every episode. I'm so happy that I discovered Workoholics

 

[X]

What season are you on now? If you haven't reached reached five, don't bother. Around the second episode it loses all the charm it once had. The cast isn't anywhere near as good and the story falls rather flat. Honestly, it's getting by on series 1-4's reputation now. I just watched the first episode of the new series, and well, meh. Nothing really clicks, episodes lack continuity and everything seems... rushed. If you are really in love with Skins stop watching after series 4. Series 5 and 6 is like when your grandparents get alzheimer's. It's sometimes painful to watch and you miss the old them.

Warning: spoilers for the latest Skins series follow.

I'm all caught up to the current series. Yeah, Series 5 wasn't anywhere near as good as the first four, but I still really liked bits and pieces of it, mainly because of Rich and Alo and their love of metal. So far I'm not sure what to think of Series 6 though. I liked the first episode when they were all in Morocco, or atleast good chunks of it, but MAN what a downer followed at the end of that episode onto the next one. I mean, I love the show for always being daring and including some kind of terrible, traumatic event to each group of characters, but this one felt almost mean-spirited in comparison. I really enjoyed the second episode though when Rich finally realizes he's been imagining all of the events since the crash and that Grace had actually died, that was pretty heart-breaking and filmed really brilliantly with the hardened David Blood breaking down and sobbing like a child. But then I just watched the most recent episode of the series where they try to introduce a new character named Alex...and I just wasn't feeling it. There were bits and pieces I liked, like the ending and how you could see how much the kid's grandma influenced his entire personality, but all in all it felt really forced.

Okay, enough derailing this thread with Skins talk.

 

[Bad Booking]

Yes I know it's been gone for several years, but my vote goes to The Sopranos.

I know the pitchforks will rise when I say my first exposure was on A&E, but truth be told, it wasn't that bad. While some episodes were butchered better than others, the A&E interpretation told the main stories with little to no "missing angles". Some of the censoring was funny to notice, yet all the violence was there.

I'm only starting to catch up on the uncensored HBO versions, so it might take a little while. However, the main differences I notice are small nonsensical side-stories and blurrings of language/sex.

 

[RyanAn]

I really like the show "Death Valley" on MTV mainly because of how surprisingly funny it was for being a show on MTV. It's got Bryan Callen from the original season of MadTV as a police captain set 1 year in the future after a major global issue has happened. To capitalize on the Twilight fame, the villians are werewolves and vampires. To get some of the gore fans - ZOMBIES are also in it! It's like Cops meets Reno 911 meets Walking Dead. LOVED it!

 

[Mr Ferguson]

Game of Thrones. Easily. Since i loved it. It has to be good. I only like the best. I wanted to hate it after some of the things that happened but couldn't let go. I cant wait for season 2. It looks incredible. The scenery is unreal and the graphics are top notch. The acting is great, each actor made the character their own. So great casting, very believable. Esp the young king, who is very ha-table. Every episode cannot be missed due to the cliffhangers at the end of them. I'm not going to review the show though. That's what reviewers are for. All round, best show I have watched since 24. That is saying alot considering everything i do and touch is greatness.

Thanks in kind, MR Ferguson.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Hawaii Five-0

I absolutely love the remake of this classic series, from the iconic theme music to the guns, the fast cars, the hot women and the beautiful islands. I always make sure I watch it at 9pm every Sunday night on Sky 1.

It is just easy to watch entertainment, not too in depth that you have to concentrate hard to follow it, and enough action and suspense to make it must-see TV for me. I think the interaction between the 2 main characters Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams (Scott Caan from Ready To Rumble fame ) is brilliant, and the rest of the cast are perfect for their roles.

It's great how their are long-running storylines which carried over from the 1st series to to 2nd, as well as each episode having its own individual storyline. If you haven't checked out the new Hawaii Five-0, I really recommend you do.

 

[SorgFamily]

Four pages in and nobody has mentioned "The Walking Dead"? I didn't actually hear about it until January 2011 or so even though it debuted three months prior. I downloaded the first season, loved it and bought it on DVD. I thought it was, if anything, too short at only six episodes. When they announced that the second season would be thirteen episodes I was pretty excited.

I just finished a marathon run through the last eight or so episodes a few nights ago and while the season finale was a little underwhelming the season as a whole was full of surprises, deaths you didn't see coming and an exploration of the human side of this apocalypse as opposed to the "walker" side of it. Needless to say I'm ready for the third season even though I think it's off again until October. Balls.

 

[micheal78]

Okay nice discussion comes out through this thread.

 

[blue_dragon]

On the professional level OP I must say I just hate Psych. I hate everything this show represents and everything in it. Just throwing that one out down the hill from the start.

Anyways 2 shows that I discovered in 2011 and where webshows that I thought there really awesome where Marble Hornets(every horror fan should check this one out) and true long island story which I thought was really funny up until Morrison left. Gone down the hill since.

As far as anime goes I tried a new show and really liked it. It was called steins gate. really good show with some awesome art work. Still waiting for the rest of the manga to be translated.

Also it was suggested to me recently to read Alice in wonderland where this busty feme fatale is chases one giant rabbit. If sex ever sold well it would probably really be now since Alice looks allll grown up. I might check it out if I'm no to lazy.

Ok what do we have next? Oh yes must not forget Spartacus Vengeance. For everyone who loved blood, gore, sex, good story telling and gladiator games of the previous season I might believe would enjoy this season just as much. Even with Andy gone (RIP Andy.... we will always miss your terrific performances) starz knows how to deliver some awesome character developments, twists and turns, storylines left and right and not to mention just phenomenal music score and cinematography. If I gave out 10/10s (and I never do of course since no show is perfect) it would be for this show. By far one of the best shows on television (not for faint hearted of course) along side Dexter. I doubt any other show out there really even come close to this show(no matter what kind of show). So yes a really strong 9,9/10 it gets from me all the way.

A bit of a warning though. It's not a family show so don't try to convince your parents that is the next best thing since at first look at it they won't believe and might not even allow you to watch it (if you are really young that is).

 

[TheHeartbreakPunk]

Tosh.o

This show came on awhile ago, and i never really got around to watching. But one night i was just sitting there at home looking through on demand for some pointless comedy show to laugh at, and i saw tosh.o. I laughed throughout the entire thing, and its now my second favorite show on tv.(survivor ftw)