Top 25 TV Shows: Part 5

My list of the Top 25 TV Shows of All-Time continues with five more entries! If you missed my previous parts, click here for Part 1, here for Part 2, here for Part 3, and here for Part 4.

5: Firefly

Firefly is the definition of shiny (awesome in Firefly lingo). Joss Whedon is the king of making lovable and believable characters, and Firefly is a shining example of his skill in writing an ensemble cast. Almost everything about Firefly is perfect and endlessly quotable. It is one of the few shows that I could re-watch. Unfortunately, (or fortunately for Marvel and The Avengers), Firefly was cancelled after one brilliant season. Despite being cancelled, if you enjoy science fiction or well written characters, Firefly is wholeheartedly recommended to pretty much anyone.

Watch on: Netflix, Amazon Prime

4: Sherlock

With season 4 of Sherlock set to arrive.... whenever Steven Moffat bloody well feels like it, there is no better time than the present to catch up with the modern reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes. Despite the series' relative brevity, basically ten 90 minute TV movies, BBC's Sherlock is an absolute must watch. Benedict Cumberbatch is a brilliant Holmes and Martin Freeman is, by far, my favorite John Watson put to screen. Equally balancing characterization, humor, and each mystery, Sherlock elevates the TV mystery genre to new heights, and being so short, you have absolutely no reason not to watch this brilliant and witty adventure.

Watch on: Netflix

Seasons: 3

Episodes: 9

Runtime: 90 mins

3: Daredevil

Daredevil introduced viewers to Matthew Murdock, a lawyer trying to help the little people in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen along with his friend Foggy Nelson. And during the nights, Matthew tries to clean of the streets of Hell’s Kitchen as Daredevil. Marvel not only proved that they deliver the best comic book films, but also the best comic book television series. Season 1 of Daredevil established the character and presented a darker, more violent side of the Marvel Universe, without losing the core aspects that make Marvel adaptations truly great. Season 2 raised the stakes, introduced riveting new characters, like The Punisher, and continued the character development of Mat and the supporting cast. In many regards, Daredevil stands right next to the MCU’s best films. Every episode is an experience that has me glued to the screen from beginning to end. It is worth $9.99 Netflix subscription fee just for Daredevil, so do yourself a favor and watch it.
Watch on: Netflix

2: Doctor Who

Deciding what should be number one is SO DIFFICULT! On one hand, Breaking Bad is a complete masterpiece of television with the most consistently high quality writing through 62 episodes. On the other, Doctor Who is a continuously changing adventure with some episodes being absolutely brilliant and inventive, while others fail. While Doctor Who might be my “favorite” television series for fueling my love of science fiction for over half my life, Breaking Bad ultimately takes the top spot due to Doctor Who containing entire seasons that are disappointing, despite my love of the series. 

Doctor Who is certainly weird. It’s cheesy sometimes, especially the early seasons. However, if you give the series a chance, Doctor Who is an incredibly inventive series. The time-and-space-traveling aspect produces so many fun adventures, unique creatures, and episodes that standalone as an engrossing experience. “Blink” is a stunning piece of gothic horror and possibly my favorite episode of any television series. Many other episodes fascinated and intrigued me. Doctor Who is a large part of my love for time-travel, and while a few other works execute time-travel better, Doctor Who’s creativity and sheer fun is among the best. If you are up for something different, give Doctor Who a try.

Watch on: Amazon Prime

1: Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is the greatest television series of all-time. Sure, this might be the most clichéd top pick, but hear me out. When watching Breaking Bad for the first time over the course of a month late last year, my expectations were somewhat, albeit cautious. How could something that LITERALLY everyone claims to be the “BEST THING EVER” actually be the BEST THING EVER? 

Season 1 started slow and setup an interesting narrative. Season 2 meandered just a tad in the middle, but still balanced the humor, character development, and plot twists skillfully. Then, Season 3 happened. Each episode left me on the edge-of-my-seat. Plot twists left and right. Would Walter and Jesse get caught? Where could the story go next!? Season 4 capped off Season 3’s exceptional story arc with some of the most exciting twists in television. Season 5 brought things to a riveting conclusion, and while arguably not quite as perfect as the previous two seasons, still surpasses just about any other television series. So yeah, Breaking Bad is the best television series of all-time for so many reasons. Nothing is perfect, especially television series with their wide margin for dips in quality, but Breaking Bad does every single thing right and more than surpassed expectations. Breaking Bad is a once in generation type of experience, and while that sounds like hyperbole, I have yet to see a television that even comes close to its quality. If any television deserves the title of “Best,” Breaking Bad certainly deserves it, so, if you are old enough and can handle mature content, watch Breaking Bad.

Watch on: Netflix

Are any of these your favorites? What do you think of my final list? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 25 TV Shows: Part 4

My list of the Top 25 TV Shows of All-Time continues with five more entries! If you missed my previous parts, click here for Part 1, here for Part 2, and here for Part 3.

10: Seinfeld

If you haven't lived under a rock your entire life, chances are you have at least heard of Seinfeld, if not seen or heard it referenced at some points. Seinfeld, described as "a show about nothing," obviously did a lot of something to become probably the most popular and well known comedy of all-time, and for good reason, it is absolutely hysterical! The series follows a fictionalized version of Jerry Seinfeld and his friends in New York and all of the insane misadventures that the group gets themselves into. If you somehow have not seen Seinfeld, what the heck are you doing!? Watch it! It's beyond a classic!
Watch on: Hulu

9: Psych

Psych is a crime mystery drama with a heavy dose of comedy blended throughout. Often times, it is funnier than the majority of comedies, yet smarter than the majority of drama crimes. The dynamic duo of Shawn and Gus have so much chemistry and witty banter. Psych is just one of the most entertaining TV series ever for me. In the later seasons, the writing is a bit weaker, but my investment in the great cast of characters made it all worth it. If you want a crime drama with a comedic twist and great characters, give Psych a chance.
Watch on: Netflix

8: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

While the first few episodes did lean towards less mature themes, after the episode "Rookies" The Clone Wars turned out to best thing to happen to the Star Wars franchise in years. It gave fans some of the best Star Wars stories since the Original Trilogy. A few story arcs are absolute masterpieces. As with most of my favorite shows, The Clone Wars was cancelled too soon. Fortunately, however, the final story arcs are on Netflix, even if the series never had a chance to end the right way. Also, it should be noted that my ranking of The Clone Wars is incredibly biased. I will admit that some other shows are probably better, but I have a lot of nostalgia for it almost because of how it positively affected my blog and how it has made a lot of new Star Wars fans during its run. 

Watch on: Netflix

7: Frasier

A spinoff of the popular Cheers TV series, Frasier might the most consistently high quality TV comedy ever made. Every TV series is bound to have moments of weak writing, and yet, despite 11 seasons and 264 episodes, Frasier rarely features a truly weak episode. Not every episode is the funniest thing ever, although many episodes are, even the weaker ones make you laugh several times. Honestly, Frasier is the type of comedy that everyone could at least get something out of and that everyone should watch because it is not especially crude, or at least no more so than Seinfeld. The series follows Frasier Crane, his brother Niles, their father, Martin, and the physiotherapist, Daphne Moon as they go about their everyday life, and even though it is a spinoff, having only seen a handful of Cheers episodes, you can watch Frasier without any prior knowledge.

Watch on: Netflix, Hulu

6: Avatar: The Last Airbender / Legend of Korra

After a few years of watching Japanese anime, I never expected an American animated series to ever impress me, to get me involved in the characters and story, and yet, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra did that so well. Following the Avatar, a person born with the ability to wield all four types of Element Bending, The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra tell sprawling fantasy epics. While season one of The Last Airbender is a bit childish, the later seasons develop the characters and really tell a story that is on par with other fantasy epics. Legend of Korra meandered a bit in its seasons, so it ended up being a bit weaker than The Last Airbender, but as an adult, both series truly impressed me. The series hits no matter your age, assuming animation is not a barrier. For me, Avatar: The Last Airbender is the pinnacle of western animation, so give me a chance.
Watch on: Amazon Prime

Are any of these your favorites? What do you think of list? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.