Many people have declared the art of TV to be in a “Golden Age” — a high point of creative freedom and excellence that will be envied for generations to come.  Rather than being seen as a “lesser” format to film, television is finally being appreciated as a platform for unique storytelling that couldn’t be done anywhere else. 2014 was a great year for TV. Here are some of my personal favorites.
5. Bojack Horseman (Netflix)
Netflix has gotten plenty of praise for their live-action series, but its best creation this year has to be the animated dramedy Bojack Horseman. An adult take on an Adult Swim-style show, this is a heartfelt and personal comedy about the half-life of fame – in which half of the characters just happen to be anthropomorphic animals. This hysterical and honest show boasts one of the best casts working in comedy today, including Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, Paul F. Tompkins and Alison Brie, making the most of every member.
4. The Leftovers (HBO)
Many television shows in the past decade have tried to recapture the magic of LOST, with big central conspiracies, and endless trails of clues. The Leftovers starts with a standard mystery-TV premise (a sudden rapture), but analyzes it from a refreshing angle. Rather than teasing viewers with the ever-moving promise of answers, The Leftovers doesn’t concern itself with explaining the disappearance. Rather, it observes the fallout of a small-town society in the final stages of the grieving process. Christopher Eccleston, Carrie Coon and Justin Theroux drive the show forward and make it the most compelling new drama of the year.
3. Black Mirror (Channel 4, Netflix)
Sure, it’s entirely possible that one could have been watching this bleak sci-fi anthology series years ago during its original run on Britain’s Channel 4. But for us law-abiding Americans, Black Mirror is the best Netflix addition of 2014. It’s a modern Twilight Zone with a focus on technology, both existing and futuristic. It’s sharply relevant, and absolutely captivating in even its most bleak depictions of humanity. Officially, it did release one new episode this year (which has yet to hit Netflix) – the Jon Hamm-starring holiday special, “Black Mirror/White Christmas.” It’s sure to be a new seasonal standard, assuming you always ask Santa to bring you an existential crisis.
2. Hannibal (NBC, Amazon Prime)
There’s no greater injustice on television than the low ratings for NBC’s Hannibal. Gorgeous cinematography and award-worthy performances put it at fighting weight with TV’s greatest achievements. The overall atmosphere is unlike anything seen on network television. For the second season, Bryan Fuller’s macabre masterpiece brought us beautifully horrific imagery in spades and an ending for the ages. Cannibalism is just the tip of the psychological horror iceberg that is Hannibal, and you owe it to yourself to dive in.
1. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
2014 has been huge for late night TV with the rise of Fallon, the end of Colbert and best of all – the solo debut of John Oliver. Last Week Tonight sprinted out of the gate this season, with comedy and news segments making even its most established competitors seem irrelevant. Oliver is a master of integrating just the right amount of comedy with even the darkest of news stories, allowing him to hold an audience’s attention when they may usually choose to lose focus. HBO’s unique place on TV permits Oliver to hold no allegiances to advertisers, have no filter on content and run a piece as long as it needs to. The result is a new standard in comedy news.
Check out Chris’ Top 10 List on dailyemerald.com, as well as other Arts and Culture staffers’ lists.