After months
of pondering over which of the following TV series offered us the best in different
departments, I have finally made my choice. So as you’ve already begun to enjoy
the new seasons of new and returning network shows, take a look back at what
really stood out last year in TV drama and comedy. Readers’ choices are
indicated.
Best Series – Drama
THE AMERICANS
BREAKING BAD
BREAKING BAD
DOWNTON ABBEY
THE GOOD WIFE (Readers' choice, TIE)
HOMELAND
HOUSE OF CARDS
MAD MEN
MASTERS OF SEX
THE NEWSROOM
PARENTHOOD
Season five was arguably the best season of THE
GOOD WIFE, as the showrunners and writers didn’t let the departure of a main actor
affect the brilliance of the storytelling. They, in fact, seized the
opportunity to take the characters and storylines to a place where we’ve never
seen them before. The economy in conveying the changes through compelling
moments was nothing short of excellent over the last twenty-two episodes.
Best Series – Comedy/Musical
THE BIG BANG THEORY
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
EPISODES
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
MODERN FAMILY
VEEP
No comedy has been as consistent in quality of writing and performances
in recent times as MODERN FAMILY has been. The last season especially had some
golden moments as the characters prepare for a wedding in the family, move
towards bigger things in their lives, and embrace their differences at a whole
other level. The one liners and subtle reactions to situations continue to
engage and entertain as the show continues to be one of the best on television.
Performance By An Actress In A
Leading Role – Drama
Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings in THE AMERICANS
Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates in BATES MOTEL
Julianna Margulies
as Alicia Florrick in THE GOOD WIFE
Claire Danes as Agent Carrie Matthison in HOMELAND
Robin Wright as Claire Underwood in HOUSE OF CARDS
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olsen in MAD MEN
Lizzie Caplan as Virginia Johnson in MASTERS OF SEX
Julia Margulies’ restraint portraying Alicia
Florrick’s composure through desperate moments and then the unimaginable pain
of losing the person who was possibly the love of her life, was simply
outstanding. She shows brilliant shades even when Alicia’s dealing with being
accused of betrayal, and struggling to keep it all together while trying to not
fail, taking forward what was possibly the best season of THE GOOD WIFE.
Performance By An Actor In A Leading
Role – Drama
Matthew Rhys as Philip Jennings in THE AMERICANS
Bryan Cranston as
Walter White in BREAKING BAD
Kevin Spacey as Vice/President Frank Underwood in
HOUSE OF CARDS
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in MAD MEN
Michael Sheen as Dr. William Masters in MASTERS OF
SEX
Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy in THE NEWSROOM
Matthew McConaughey as (Detective) Rust Cohle in
TRUE DETECTIVE
Bryan Cranston was a powerhouse of intense and nuanced
performance through every moment of BREAKING BAD, and in the show’s final
episodes, he somehow managed to top everything he’d done on the show prior to
that, and Walter White admits defeat and struggles to do the right thing before
succumbing to his impending death.
Performance By An Actress In A
Leading Role – Comedy/Musical
Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting as Penny in THE BIG BANG
THEORY
Wendy McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg in THE
GOLDBERGS
Margo Martindale as Carol Miller in THE MILLERS
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
as Vice/President Selina Meyer in VEEP
Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice in WEB THERAPY
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is nothing if not consistent
with her performance. In the last season of VEEP, as Selina Meyer begins her
presidential campaign and becomes president sooner than expected, there are
different sides to her that we see, as the pressure she feels are hilariously
apparent. Her suppressed reactions to irritants such as her squeaky shoes or attending
a book-signing are put forward with comic brilliance.
Performance By An Actor In A Leading
Role – Comedy/Musical
Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper in THE BIG BANG
THEORY
Johnny Galecki as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter in THE BIG
BANG THEORY
Andy Samberg as Detective Jake Peralta in BROOKLYN
NINE-NINE
Matt LeBlanc as
Matt LeBlanc in EPISODES
Will Arnett as Nathan Miller in THE MILLERS
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in TWO AND A HALF MEN
Matt LeBlanc’s brilliance is seen in the most
subtle and effective ways on EPISODES, as Matt’s callous ways, and less-than-effective
and infrequent attempts at showing compassion, become a strong part of his and
the Lincolns’ story. In the last season in particular, LeBlanc was especially effective
in storylines where he finds out that he’s slept with his colleague’s daughter,
or in the season finale as he’s saying goodbye to his writer friends heading
back to England.
Performance By An Actress In A
Supporting Role – Drama
Anna Gunn as Skyler
White in BREAKING BAD
Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of
Grantham in DOWNTON ABBEY
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart in THE GOOD
WIFE
Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang in GREY’S ANATOMY
Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris in MAD MEN
Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes in NASHVILLE
Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes in NASHVILLE
Monica Potter as Kristina Braverman in PARENTHOOD
Finally taking a stand against her husband, who had
dragged her into a life of crime, to protect her children and family, Anna Gunn’s
Skyler White brought out the character’s struggle to move past it all with outstanding
delivery at every level.
Performance By An Actor In A
Supporting Role – Drama
Aaron Paul as Jesse
Pinkman in BREAKING BAD
Dean Norris as Agent Hank Schrader in BREAKING BAD
Jim Carter as Mr. Carson in DOWNTON ABBEY
Josh Charles as Will Gardner in THE GOOD WIFE
Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson in HOMELAND
John Slattery as Roger Sterling in MAD MEN
Vincent Kartheiser as Pete Campbell in MAD MEN
BREAKING BAD would not have been the same without
Jesse Pinkman, especially the last few episodes. After a falling-out with Walter
White, Pinkman is forced to work for the enemy, after being trapped. His
frustration, angst and desperation could not have been brought to life better than
anyone as well as Paul did, as he wrapped up Pinkman’s heart-wrenching story.
Performance By An Actress In A
Supporting Role – Comedy/Musical
Mayim Bialik as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler in THE BIG
BANG THEORY
Stephanie Beatriz as Detective Rosa Diaz in
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
Alyson Hannigan as
Lily Aldrin in HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in MODERN FAMILY
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Pritchett in MODERN FAMILY
Marcia Gay Harden as Dr. Diane Buckley in TROPHY
WIFE
Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer in VEEP
Alyson Hannigan brought out several sides to her
character in HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER’s final season, as Lily and Marshall’s marriage
is tested through them wanting different things. At the same time, she’s as
brilliant comically as a confidante to Ted, who’s preparing to see the love of
his life marrying his best friend. Hannigan did more than justice to her last
outing as Lily Aldrin.
Performance By An Actor In A
Supporting Role – Comedy/Musical
Simon Helberg as
Howard Wolowitz in THE BIG BANG THEORY
Andre Braugher as Capt. Ray Holt in BROOKLYN
NINE-NINE
Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson in HOW I MET
YOUR MOTHER
Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker in MODERN FAMILY
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in
MODERN FAMILY
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in MODERN FAMILY
Tony Hale as Gary Walsh in VEEP
Simon Helberg has always been a dark horse among
the comedy actors in popular and critically acclaimed shows. In the last season
of THE BIG BANG THEORY, he made a particularly strong impression through his
physical comedy, his musically-driven performances (remember Howard’s song to
Bernadette?), and his character’s attempts at bonding with his father-in-law.
Performance By A Guest Actress –
Drama
Shirley MacLaine as Martha Levinson in DOWNTON
ABBEY
Gillian Anderson as Bedelia Du Maurier in HANNIBAL
Allison Janney as
Margaret Scully in MASTERS OF SEX
Julianne Nicholson as Dr. Lillian DePaul in MASTERS
OF SEX
Jane Fonda as Leona Lansing in THE NEWSROOM
Kate Burton as Vice President Sally Langston in
SCANDAL
Allison Janney plays a woman whose husband doesn’t
see her as a woman and more like a platonic companion of years. Her desperation
through an extramarital affair, while searching for something to soothe her
bruised self-esteem is brought to life brilliantly by Janney, who conveys such
beauty through despair.
Performance By A Guest Actor – Drama
Matthew Goode as Finn Polmar in THE GOOD WIFE
Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning in THE GOOD WIFE
Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper in MAD MEN
Beau Bridges as
Barton Scully in MASTERS OF SEX
Ray Romano as Hank Rizzoli in PARENTHOOD
As a respectable man of society and a provost of a
university, Beau Bridges portrayed the conflict and struggle of dealing with suppressed
homosexuality, while trying desperately to be a good husband to his wife, was
exceptional. There were such poignant moments of guilt and desperation that he infused
into his character, lending a beautiful richness to the story being told.
Performance By A Guest Actress –
Comedy/Musical
June Squibb as Maggie Banks in GLEE
Frances Conroy as
Loretta Stinson in HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Sherri Shepherd as Daphne in HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Meg Ryan as Karen Sharpe in WEB THERAPY
Megan Mullally as Franny Marshall in WEB THERAPY
Frances Conroy played an important role in the
final season of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, as mother of the groom, who has trouble getting
along with Robin, her daughter-in-law-to-be. Their moments when in disagreement
and challenging each others’ guts, and then her coming through to be a mother
to Robin were pulled off by Conroy with a hilarious and endearing sincerity.
Performance By A Guest Actor –
Comedy/Musical
Bob Newhart as Arthur Jeffries in THE BIG BANG
THEORY
Patton Oswalt as Fire Marshall Boone in BROOKLYN
NINE-NINE
Jesse Eisenberg as Asher in MODERN FAMILY
Nathan Lane as
Pepper Saltzman in MODERN FAMILY
Matt LeBlanc as Nick Jericho in WEB THERAPY
Nathan Lane was hilarious as always on MODERN
FAMILY. However, last season, with Pepper as Mitch and Cam’s wedding planner
with very standards, Lane was given the opportunity to shine all the more, and
he did it with flying colors!
Writing
DOWNTON ABBEY
EPISODES
THE GOOD WIFE
MAD MEN
MASTERS OF SEX
MODERN FAMILY
The first half of MAD MEN’s final season shows us everything
in the show in very different light, and the storytelling opportunities in the
scenarios that the writers grabbed and very effectively executed is what made
it such an exciting set of episodes. The subtleties in action and economy in
dialogue, which are typical of the show, played an even more crucial role last
year.
Character Development
THE AMERICANS
BATES MOTEL
DOWNTON ABBEY
THE GOOD WIFE
THE GOOD WIFE
MAD MEN
PARENTHOOD
Will and Alicia, Alicia and Cary, Alicia and Peter,
Diane and Alicia, Cary and Kalinda…season five of THE GOOD WIFE had such
richness in its character building and the dynamics of the relationships thereof.
From love to betrayal, rivalry to strengthened partnerships, from shared pain
to general disgust, it was a tumultuous time for everyone on the show, and the development
of the characters through the tumultuous time was what made it the best season
the show has had.
Cinematography
BREAKING BAD
HANNIBAL
HOUSE OF CARDS
MASTERS OF SEX
SHERLOCK
TRUE DETECTIVE
Visually stunning in every frame, saying more than a
thousand words in every silent moment, BREAKING BAD’s camerawork is
extraordinary, whether it’s a depiction of the desert, the snowy hideaway, the
suburbs or abandoned buildings where shady dealings are carried out.
Art Direction
THE AMERICANS
BREAKING BAD
HANNIBAL
MAD MEN
MASTERS OF SEX
TRUE DETECTIVE
The fifties were an interesting time in design, and
things were somewhere in between as far as décor was concerned, as people were recovering from their war hangover and looking forward to even happier times. In MASTERS OF SEX, all the sets, especially those used for the hospital scenes, show a very different view of
medical establishments and various premises in the era, all thanks to the excellent art direction.
Costume Design
THE AMERICANS
DOWNTON ABBEY
THE GOLDBERGS
MAD MEN
MASTERS OF SEX
SCANDAL
As we saw the Crawleys embracing the twenties even
more in series four of the hit British drama, the transition towards a more relaxed
way of dressing, while portraying the hesitation of some characters in doing
so, is seen with such effectiveness on DOWNTON ABBEY. The constume designers continue
to excel in bringing out the visual best in the characters.
Make-Up And Hairstyling – Prosthetic
And Non-Prosthetic
THE AMERICANS
DOWNTON ABBEY
GREY’S ANATOMY
MAD MEN
MASTERS OF SEX
TRUE DETECTIVE
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson were made
to look vastly different in different parts of the show, between the
flashback-filled first half and the present-day-set second half, and it achieved
so much in giving the final touch to their brilliant performances.
Music – Background Score
THE AMERICANS
DOWNTON ABBEY
DOWNTON ABBEY
THE GOOD WIFE
HOMELAND
SHERLOCK
TRUE DETECTIVE
THE GOOD WIFE team’s classical music approach to scoring
dramatic scenes, while also throwing in contemporary bits in those quiet scenes
that need to arouse curiosity have become such a significant part of the show’s
storytelling. In fact movement and music go hand-in-hand beautifully to
accomplish wonders as backdrops to the characters’ actions.
GLEE
GREY’S ANATOMY
HOW I MET YOUR
MOTHER
MAD MEN
MASTERS OF SEX
NASHVILLE
In the reflective final season of HOW I MET YOUR
MOTHER, where we saw all the characters through one long weekend and then for
over a decade later, music became a big part of the storytelling, and montages
were brought to life beautifully with the music that was used.
Titles – Opening And Closing
Credits
THE AMERICANS
ELEMENTARY
HOUSE OF CARDS
THE NEWSROOM
SHERLOCK
TRUE DETECTIVE
The haunting track that plays (The Haunting as we
see the shadows and silhouettes in the opening credits of HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE sets the tone perfectly each episode of the mystery
drama. Along with it, the imagery makes gruesome look artistic, while rural
parts where the show is set are depicted with apt eeriness.
Do you agree with the choices above? Do share your comments below...
