The 25 Best TV Shows Of 2011
By Matt Barone | Dec 22, 2011 | 12:23 pm | Permalink
Once again, the storytellers and performers working in television outdid their big-screen, moviemaking counterparts. No longer Hollywood’s bastardized little sibling, TV has evolved into both a breeding ground for immensely talented newcomers and a limitless outlet for A-list film veterans eager to flesh out characters beyond mere two-hour timeframes. The last few years have seen the shift in visual fiction veer in the direction of television screens, courtesy of A-list veterans like Martin Scorsese and Frank Darabont. But in 2011, the change became indisputable.
There were so many exceptional options on TV this year, in fact, that narrowing 12 months’ worth of kick-ass programming into a truncated, ranked list wasn’t easy. Between already great shows exceeding previous levels of quality (Breaking Bad, Parks And Recreation) and a multitude of outstanding first-season debuts (Game Of Thrones, Homeland), DVR memory banks were stretched absurdly thin.
Which programs took top priority over those taped episodes of Kardashian family reality shows, though? Yes, we know you watch those, but as long you can also appreciate The 25 Best TV Shows Of 2011, we’re not mad at you.
Written by Matt Barone (@MBarone)
Follow ComplexPopCult
Related Articles:
Trending Articles:
Most Popular in Pop Culture
Most Popular in Complex.com
Friends of Complex
Contests
Rich December 29th, 2011 at 10:38 AM
If Breaking Bad didn't get number one, I would have punched somebody nearby. It's the best show on television and possibly the best show ever (And yes, I've watched both The Sopranos and The Wire down to their very last episode). This is this show's year. It better win best show at the EMMY's. Mad Men isn't in contention.
J December 29th, 2011 at 05:01 PM
so.. how to make it is number 25?? respectfully, I disagree. It definitely should have been much higher up on the list in my opinion. It really sucks that it got cancelled. HBO really dropped the ball. It would be cool if the good people at Complex could be a bit more active in this whole campaign/petition to get this show picked up again. possibly the "10 reasons why HBO should revive How to Make It" . after all it is the 25th best tv show of 2011! Oh and on another note Breaking Bad is so good that it makes ALL the movies of 2011 look like absolute shit.