The BEST Shows of 2014
The top 50 shows of 2014
#1 - Cosmos (2014)
Hosted by renowned astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos continues from its 1980 predecessor, exploring how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. It brings to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge and transports viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale. The most profound scientific concepts are presented with stunning clarity, uniting skepticism and wonder, weaving rigorous science with emotion and spirituality to form a single, united, transcendent experience.
8.51 
#2 - Sherlock
Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson's adventures in 21st Century London. A thrilling, funny, fast-paced contemporary reimagining of the Arthur Conan Doyle classic
8.33 
#3 - Gravity Falls
Twin brother and sister Dipper and Mabel Pines are in for an unexpected adventure when they spend the summer helping their Great Uncle Stan run a tourist trap in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon.
8.30 
#4 - Fairy Tail
In the land of Fiore, magic is everywhere. Sorcerers are like skilled tradesmen who band together in "guilds" and take on paying assignments for non-magic wielders, like hunting monsters, retrieving lost items or running odd errands. Lucy is an aspiring wizard who wants to hook up with the coolest guild around, Fairy Tail. One day, she meets a red-headed boy who saves her from a unscrupulous wizard, and before she knows it, she's introduced to the wild and wacky band of wizards of Fairy Tail and begins the adventure of a lifetime.
8.26 
#5 - Steven Universe
The Crystal Gems are a team of magical beings who are the self-appointed guardians of the universe. Half-human, half-Gem hero Steven is the "little brother" of the group. The goofball is learning to save the world using the magical powers that come from his bellybutton and he goes on magical adventures with the rest of the Crystal Gems, even though he's not as powerful -- or smart -- as fellow group members Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. Despite his shortcomings, Steven usually finds a surprising way to save the day.
8.16 
#6 - Game of Thrones
Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and the icy horrors beyond.
8.15 
#7 - Rick and Morty
An animated series that follows the misadventures of an alcoholic scientist Rick and his overly nervous grandson Morty, who split their time between domestic family life and intergalactic travel. Often finding themselves in a heap of trouble that more often than not is created through their own actions.
8.12 
#8 - The Newsroom (2012)
The Newsroom is an American drama television series created and primarily written by Aaron Sorkin. The series chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel. It features an ensemble cast including Jeff Daniels as anchor Will McAvoy, who, together with his staff set out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements."
8.09 
#9 - Call the Midwife
Call the Midwife is a drama series adapted for television by Heidi Thomas from Jennifer Worth's best selling memoir of the same name. The series is a colourful look at the world of midwifery and family life in 1950s East End London. Jenny joins an eccentric community of nursing nuns having just qualified.
8.07 
#10 - Peaky Blinders
A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England and centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby, who means to move up in the world.
8.06 
#11 - Teen Wolf
The series revolves around social outcast Scott McCall, a high school student living in the town of Beacon Hills. Scott's life drastically changes when he is bitten by a werewolf, becoming one himself. He must henceforth learn to balance his problematic new identity with his day-to-day teenage life. The following characters are instrumental to his struggle: Stiles, his best friend; Allison, his love interest who comes from a family of werewolf hunters; and Derek, a mysterious werewolf with a dark past. Throughout the series, he strives to keep his loved ones safe while maintaining normal relationships with them.
8.05 
#12 - Hunter x Hunter (2011)
Remake of the 1999 TV series of Hunter x Hunter based on the manga by Togashi Yoshihiro. A Hunter is one who travels the world doing all sorts of dangerous tasks. From capturing criminals to searching deep within uncharted lands for any lost treasures. Gon is a young boy whose father disappeared long ago, being a Hunter. He believes if he could also follow his father’s path, he could one day reunite with him. After becoming 12, Gon leaves his home and takes on the task of entering the Hunter exam, notorious for its low success rate and high probability of death to become an official Hunter. He befriends the revenge-driven Kurapica, the doctor-to-be Leorio and the rebellious ex-assassin Killua in the exam, with their friendship prevailing throughout the many trials and threats they come upon taking on the dangerous career of a Hunter.
8.04 
#13 - Rectify
Rectify follows the life of Daniel Holden upon his release from jail after serving nineteen years on Georgia's Death Row before DNA evidence disputed the State's original case. Holden, who was only eighteen years of age when convicted and sentenced to die for the brutal rape and murder of a sixteen year old girl, returns to his family and to his hometown where the murder occurred and where many still believe he is guilty. Daniel spent all of his adult life waiting to die. Now he must learn how to live again or decide if he even wants to while others choose whether or not he will have that chance.
8.04 
#14 - Girl Meets World
Based on ABC's hugely popular 1993-2000 sitcom, this new comedy, set in New York City, will tell the wonderfully funny, heartfelt stories that "Boy Meets World" is renowned for – only this time from a tween girl's perspective – as the curious and bright 7th grader Riley Matthews and her quick-witted friend Maya Hart embark on an unforgettable middle school experience. But their plans for a carefree year will be adjusted slightly under the watchful eyes of Riley's parents – dad Cory, who's also a faculty member (and their new History teacher), and mom Topanga, who owns a trendy afterschool hangout that specializes in pudding.
8.02 
#15 - Hannibal
Both a gift and a curse, Will Graham has the extraordinary ability to think like his prey—he sees what they see, feels what they feel. But while Graham is pursuing an especially troubling, cannibalistic murderer, Special Agent Jack Crawford teams him with a highly respected psychiatrist – a man with a taste for the criminal minded – Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
8.02 
#16 - Wentworth
Fans of the iconic Prisoner series which pushed boundaries over three decades ago and still today boasts a loyal following worldwide, will remember Bea Smith as gutsy and fearless, ruling Wentworth Correctional Center with an iron fist. But who was Bea Smith before prison? How did a wife and mother from the suburbs become a top dog without rival? Wentworth is a dynamic, often confronting, drama series that begins with Bea’s early days in prison. Set in the present day, it is a modern adaptation of Prisoner contemporising legendary characters and their stories for today’s audience. This ten-part series takes the viewer inside to an uncompromising environment exploring the politics of women in a world without men, and how such a threatening experience both challenges and often changes those confined and working behind the razor wire.
8.02 
#17 - Line of Duty
A drama about the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit.
8.02 
#18 - Power
James "Ghost" St. Patrick has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York. His club, Truth, caters to the elite: the famous and infamous boldface names that run the city that never sleeps. As its success grows, so do Ghost’s plans to build an empire. However, Truth hides an ugly reality. It’s a front for Ghost’s criminal underworld; a lucrative drug network, serving only the wealthy and powerful. As Ghost is seduced by the prospect of a legitimate life, everything precious to him becomes unknowingly threatened. Once you’re in, can you ever get out?
8.02 
#19 - Dragons
Taking place between How to Train Your Dragon and HTTYD 2, DreamWorks Dragons follows Hiccup as he tries to keep balance within the new cohabitation of Dragons and Vikings. Alongside keeping up with Berk's newest installment—A Dragon Training Academy—Hiccup, Toothless, and the rest of the Viking Teens are put to the test when they are faced with new worlds harsher than Berk, new dragons that can't all be trained, and new enemies who are looking for every reason to destroy the harmony between Vikings and Dragons altogether.
8.01 
#20 - Almost Human
In the year 2048 the police have a new tool in their arsenal- Synthetics, robots who are tasked with assuring the safety of the humans who created them. Not everyone is pleased with the changes. Detective John Kennex, who has been wounded in action, returns to the force and learns that his new partner is a Synthetic named Dorian. Dorian's programming is very different than that of the normal Synthetic, with a capability to experience emotions making him seem almost human, but John still mistrusts the machine at his side. Can they work together as a team?
8.01 
#21 - Fargo
An american black comedy–crime drama anthology television series created and primarily written by Noah Hawley. The show is inspired by the 1996 film of the same name written and directed by the Coen brothers, who serve as executive producers on the series. Each season follows an anthology format, being set in a different era along with a different story, cast and set of characters.
7.99 
#22 - BoJack Horseman
A humanoid horse, BoJack Horseman -- lost in a sea of self-loathing and booze -- decides it's time for a comeback.
7.98 
#23 - Person of Interest
John Reese, a presumed dead former CIA agent, is approached by a mysterious billionaire named Harold Finch to prevent violent crimes before they happen by using an advanced surveillance system dubbed "The Machine". Their unique brand of vigilante justice attracts the attention of two NYPD officers, Joss Carter and Lionel Fusco, whom Reese uses to his advantage as he investigates persons of interest.
7.98 
#24 - The Originals
A spin-off from The Vampire Diaries, The Originals centers on the Mikaelson siblings, otherwise known as the world's original vampires: Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah. Following a tip-off informing him there's a plot brewing against him, Klaus goes back to New Orleans only to find his former protégé, Marcel, ruling the city. Having originally built it but been forced to flee from their vengeful father, Klaus resolves that they must take down Marcel and get back the city that once belonged to them. While doing that, they must also protect their city from a war brewing between vampires, werewolves and witches.
7.98 
#25 - Louie (2010)
Louis C.K. stars as a fictionalized version of himself; a comedian and newly divorced father raising his two daughters in New York City.
7.97 
#26 - Parks and Recreation
The series follows Leslie Knope, the deputy head of the Parks and Recreation department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Knope takes on a project with a nurse named Ann to turn a construction pit into a park, while trying to mentor a bored college-aged intern. However, Leslie must fight through the bureaucrats, problem neighbors, and developers in order to make her dream a reality, all while with a camera crew recording her every gaff and mishap.
7.97 
#27 - The Legend of Korra
Avatar Korra, a headstrong, rebellious, feisty young woman who continually challenges and breaks with tradition, is on her quest to become a fully realized Avatar. In this story, the Avatar struggles to find balance within herself.
7.97 
#28 - Duck Dynasty
Series introduces the Robertsons, a Louisiana bayou family living the American dream as they operate a thriving business while staying true to their family values and lifestyle. Ask anyone in Louisiana and they'll tell you that the bayou state's favorite first family doesn't live in the governor's mansion but in the backwoods, where the Robertsons' rags-to-riches story is still unfolding. A homegrown mom-and-pop operation, Duck Commander has become a sporting empire by fabricating top-of-the-line duck calls and decoys out of salvaged swamp wood. This newly minted multimillionaire family is kept in line by business-savvy Willie, who runs Duck Commander with the help of his brother Jase, their respective wives Korie and Missy, patriarch and founder of the company, Phil, and uncle Si. Together they run a booming business that employs half their neighborhood, but at the end of the day, you can find the whole family around matriarch Miss Kay's dinner table.
7.97 
#29 - The Leftovers
Three years after the disappearance of 2% of the global population, a group of people from New York struggle to continue their lives, while they cope with the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event.
7.96 
#30 - Halt and Catch Fire
In the early 1980s a visionary, an engineer and a prodigy combine to confront the corporate behemoths of the time. Their personal and professional lives will be challenged by greed and ego while charting the changing culture in Texas' Silicon Prairie.
7.96 
#31 - Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era—with great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy.
7.94 
#32 - Orphan Black
A streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her.
7.94 
#33 - Outlander
The story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
7.92 
#34 - Penny Dreadful
Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together the monsters of classic stories. The explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, Miss Vanessa Ives and others unite to combat supernatural threats in Victorian London. They encounter some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, the Wolfman and iconic figures from the novel Dracula.
7.92 
#35 - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is an American late-night talk and news satire television program. L.W.T draws its comedy and satire from recent news stories, political figures, media organizations, pop culture and often aspects of the show itself.
7.92 
#36 - Chicago Fire
The firefighters, Rescue Squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51 risk their lives week in and week out to save and protect the citizens of their incredible city. This is an extended family and everyone inside Firehouse 51 knows no other way than to lay it all on the line for each other.
7.92 
#37 - Banshee
An unnamed ex-convict assumes the identity of Lucas Hood the sheriff of Banshee, Pennsylvania, where he, behind a badge, continues his criminal activities, even as he’s hunted by the shadowy gangsters he betrayed years earlier.
7.92 
#38 - Kingdom (2014)
A retired MMA fighter turned trainer juggles keeping his mixed martial arts gym running and keeping his family united.
7.92 
#39 - The Knick
Set in downtown New York in 1900, 'The Knick' is a new Cinemax drama series from Academy Award and Emmy-winning director Steven Soderbergh. It is centered on the Knickerbocker Hospital and the groundbreaking surgeons, nurses and staff who work there, pushing the bounds of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and zero antibiotics.
7.91 
#40 - True Detective
An anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.
7.91 
#41 - One Piece
It was a time when pirates ruled the seas. Several bands of pirates were battling over the great hidden treasure, One Piece, which was left by the now legendary pirate captain, Gold Roger. There was a young boy who admired the pirates, his name was Monkey D. Luffy. One day, he mistakenly eats the devil's fruit and turns himself into a rubber human being. Ten years have passed since that incident. Luffy sets out to sail all alone. He sets out to become a great pirate captain and that's when his great adventure begins. "I'm going to be the Pirate King! I'm going to get One Piece!".
7.91 
#42 - White Collar
A white collar criminal agrees to help the FBI catch other white collar criminals using his expertise as an art and securities thief, counterfeiter, and conman.
7.91 
#43 - The Missing
“The Missing” centers on the psychological fallout and ensuing years-long manhunt resulting from the sudden disappearance of five-year-old Oliver Hughes while on holiday with his parents in France in 2006. A gripping dramatic thriller that goes inside the mind of a father, Tony Hughes, desperate to locate his lost son. With help from local police detective, Julien Baptiste, Tony embarks on an obsessive quest to find his son and those responsible for his disappearance. A gripping puzzle with twists and turns at every stage, Tony’s exhaustive search fractures his relationship with his wife, Emily and threatens to destroy his life. Told through a delicate and complex narrative, “The Missing” unfolds over two time frames simultaneously.
7.91 
#44 - Forever (2014)
Dr. Henry Morgan is New York City's star medical examiner, but what no one knows is Henry studies the dead for a reason: He is immortal. With the help of detective Jo Martinez, the show peels back the layers of Henry's colorful and long life through their cases.
7.91 
#45 - Gomorrah
Based on Robert Saviano's bestselling book, this gritty Italian crime drama paints a portrait of the brutal Neapolitan crime organisation the Camorra.
7.90 
#46 - Heartland (2007) (CA)
Life is hard on the Flemings' ranch in the Alberta foothills where abused or neglected horses find refuge with a kind, hard-working family. Debts abound and the bank is about to foreclose. Can they keep the ranch running?
7.90 
#47 - How to Get Away with Murder
A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.
7.90 
#48 - Impractical Jokers
Four comedians and lifelong friends compete to embarrass each other out amongst the general public with a series of hilarious and outrageous dares. When Sal, Joe, Q, and Murr challenge each other to say or do something, they have to do it. And if they refuse, they lose. At the end of every episode, the biggest loser must endure a punishment of epic proportions.
7.90 
#49 - Sword Art Online
In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars with their bodies using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game creator is holding them captive unless they reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if they die in the game, they die in real life. Their struggle for survival starts now...
7.90 
#50 - Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man will be a unique journey exploring our favorite web-slinger as he teams up with other fan favorite Marvel Super Heroes in never before seen stories with a new life filled with great challenges, new friends, intense action and character growth. Ultimate Spider-Man will tell a coming of age story, where hapless Peter Parker evolves from a naive teen hotshot to a true hero who comes to terms with his origins and abilities. As the storyline begins, Peter Parker has been Spider-Man for just one year. Hes fought villains, saved lives, but still has much to learn about being a super-hero. Now, Nick Fury gives Peter the chance to go to the next level to train to be a real super-hero and become The Ultimate Spider-Man. But before he can do that, Peter will have to learn how to work with a team of fellow teenage super-heroes. Along the way, he will have to navigate challenging relationships with mentors and super-colleagues, and emerge with a better understanding of his parents' legacy and his own destiny.
7.89