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SpoilerTV - TV Spoilers

SpoilerTV's Best New and Returning Shows of 2013

Dec 28, 2013

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With 2013 coming to an end, The Spoiler TV team decided to share with you which we feel are the best new and returning shows of the year.

Best New Show
Babar Suhail: The Blacklist
I tend not to watch many procedurals/crime shows, but The Blacklist hooked me from the first episode. The show is suspenseful and thrilling, and is definitely different all the other procedurals on TV right now. The side stories of the characters is an interesting aspect of show. Week after week, the show introduces great villians. The show keeps me coming back for more every week.
Honorable Mentions: The Tomorrow People, The Crazy Ones

Belle333Black:The Originals
I was hooked from the first episode. I already loved the main characters when they were still on The Vampire Diaries and it didn't take me long to like the new characters. The storylines are good. I love the flashbacks. The dialogue goes from hilarious to heartbreaking. I love writing reviews of this show, definitely my new favorite and the best new show of the year for me.
Honorable Mentions: Orphan Black, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Bradley Adams: The Blacklist
Originally this was not a show I was planning to watch. However, I am glad that I have gotten into the show. James Spader is a joy to watch and he is assisted well by Megan Boone who, although not as strong as Spader, plays off of him well. I am really enjoying the deeper levels to the storyline, particularly Tom.
Honorable Mention: The Tomorrow People

Brandon Rowe: The Bridge
FX's remake of The Bridge was extremely suspenseful and a lot of fun this season. Most of the time when I watch a show, the ticking time bomb is boring and the exploding time bomb is fun. This show changed things. The show built up the first 10 episodes with the mystery of "The Bridge Butcher" and managed to portray 2 separate murderers, without ever explicitly stating it. The suspense was unbelievable.
Then, the writers did the unthinkable. SPOILER ALERT You always thinks they will save the poor child of the cop, but they didn't this time. Watching Marco go through the aftermath of his son's death, while saddening, made for excellent TV. The show takes risks and doesn't waste a second. If you watched Breaking Bad, you might want to try this one out.
Honorable Mentions: Sleepy Hollow, The Blacklist

Caitlin Rice Anderson: Sleepy Hollow
On paper, this show should not work. The Revolutionary War as a front for war between good and evil? Ichabod Crane magically transported to our time? The Headless Horseman with a machine gun? This show is definitely insane, but in all the best ways. They have found a great balance between the historical and supernatural elements (and the hilarity that comes from Ichabod being confused by our world). But the real strength of this show comes from Tim Mison and Nichole Beharie. Their chemistry is undeniable and the friendship that has blossomed between Ichabod and Abbie is what keeps me coming back every week.
Honorable Mentions: Hannibal, The Blacklist

Crybaby: Sleepy Hollow
The story is amazing, The chemistry between the main characters is awesome. This show can be scary and funny at the same time.
Honorable Mention: Reign

CJ Allan: Once Upon A Time In Wonderland
This may not be the best acted or the best written show on TV right now but it has a charm that I can not seem to escape.I would not say any new show this year has me hooked as much as this.
Honorable Mentions: The Blacklist, The Crazy Ones

Dahne: Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow is a fast-paced, mytharc-infused supernatural thriller with great characters and the best humor to action ratio around. Not only is it my favorite new show, but it is strongly competing for my favorite show of the year, period, especially since many of my returning shows are starting to disappoint.
Honorable Mentions: The Goldbergs, Graceland

DarkUFO: The Americans
Very rarely do I enjoy shows set in the past, and even more rarely do you root for the "bad" guys. Terrific writing and acting.
Honorable Mentions: Banshee, Orphan Black

diana mack: The Blacklist
Good acting, good screenplay, great plot and one name: James Spader at his best.
Honorable Mention: The Crazy Ones

Genevieve Taylor: Almost Human
Inter-lead chemistry like this doesn't come around often. Karl Urban and Michael Ealy are so much fun to watch, the guest stars have been great so far and every episode is proving to be a hugely entertaining, cinematic spectacle in its own right as well as teasing an intriguing ongoing mystery.
Honorable Mentions: Banshee, Sleepy Hollow

Geo N: The Blacklist
This show is one of the best new shows on NBC and on TV for that matter. It mixes elements as an episodic crime thriller with an overall serialized mythology making this a must watch for a large audience. Anyone who enjoys "crime-of-the-week" type shows will enjoy James Spader's and Megan Boone's characters solving crimes from larger-than-life bad guys while audiences who prefer a more serialized type of format will be treated with a grand mythology involving secret criminal organizations and espionage.
Honorable Mentions: Sleepy Hollow, Almost Human

Jimmy Ryan: House of Cards
House of Cards is a game changer for television in so many ways. The delivery method on board the worlds best internet streaming service, Netflix, which allows you to watch any episode without ads or network schedules to consider is just awesome, and is laying down a hefty challenge to the traditional ways television is consumed.
On top of that is the sheer superiority House of Cards has in terms of storytelling, casting, acting, camera work, cinematography, and enjoyment value over any other traditionally broadcast series. It's numerous awards, nominations, and critical acclaim prove this over and over. House of Cards returns February 14, 2014, for the second and probably final season of the worlds best series. Bring it on
Honorable Mention: The Blacklist

klutzy_girl: Sleepy Hollow
It's pretty awesome and amazing. The cast members are hilarious and the show is fun to watch.
Honorable Mentions: Trophy Wife, The Crazy Ones

LittleDreamer: Masters of Sex
An unusual and intriguing period drama that has captivated and entertained me more than I thought it would. I admire its ability of dealing with the subject matter without stepping into smut territory. It features a terrific cast, nuanced characters, witty dialogue and an astonishingly authentic set. This kind of show isn't my usual cup of tea but I'm glad I decided to watch it despite my initial skepsis because otherwise I would have missed out on this gem of a show.
Honorable Mentions: Orphan Black, Trophy Wife

Max Conte: House of Cards
One of the biggest surprises of the year for me & proof that Netflix can deliver original programming on the level of the major cable competitors (and FAR more engrossing and inventive than anything on network). The cast was incredible without a weak link (Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright & Corey Stoll in particular) and the writing was refreshingly crisp, fast-paced, but with room to breathe and take in the characters.
Honorable Mentions: Bates Motel, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Pablozky: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
I wasn't expecting anything at all from this comedy, and I was utterly surprised by how strong the cast and the scripts were; every episode has made me laugh and it has potential to be not only a great work place sitcom, but a great sitcom overall.
Honorable Mentions: Sleepy Hollow, Almost Human

Robin Smyth: Hannibal
The murder tableaux and the staging of the food were beautiful. The scripts were very tightly produced and the production values were high.
Honorable Mention: Bates Motel

Romain Ossust: Orphan Black
Best new show of 2013 for me, a really great surprise. I've started watching it after reading an article and I instantly fell in love with it. It's smart, funny, well written, great story (I mean it's about clones! That's so cool) and great actors. Tatiana Maslansy deserves every awards, her performance is outstanding. She is the perfect actress.
Honorable Mentions: Orange is the New Black, Banshee

Rucax Miranda: Reign
It surprised me in an excellent way!
Honorable Mentions: Sleepy Hollow, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Sandi: Reign
I wasn't expecting to like this at all, it was only my interest in European medieval history that made me tune in at all. Still rather surprised that I have become hooked, the butchering of history does annoy me a little....I can't understand why they decided to use real people if they are going to completely change what happened....but it's better than The White Queen at least, lol. I prefer the pagans in the woods and Clarissa storylines to the court (love) life in the show, in that respect it's a better replacement for Merlin than Atlantis will ever be in my opinion.
Honorable Mentions: Once Upon A Time In Wonderland

Shirleena Cunningham: The Crazy Ones
I really love Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar, I think they have great chemistry together.

Tessa Marlene: Hannibal
It is an infinitely inventive show with amazing characters and mind blowing storylines. The characters are so iconic you couldn't help but to be invested in them. The storylines are so crazy you wonder if you're watching a show or someone's drug induced dream. Yet midst of that all you find so much heart, affection and emotional conflict you realize you no longer watch for the horror, or the imagery, but because you're worried about your beloved protagonists.
Honorable Mentions: The Originals, Sleepy Hollow

TheSpoilerGirl: Bates Motel
For me it was Bates Motel. I was very skeptical of the re-telling of a familiar story but the writing, acting and stories were so, so good that I completely fell in love with it.
Honorable Mentions: Hannibal, The Americans

Tracie P.: Sleepy Hollow
It has a good mix of everything to keep me entertained each week. I like the supernatural element and also that it is a procedural. The leads have great chemistry. It is also an interesting take on the original story.
Honorable Mentions: Witches of East End, Reign

Trina Rego: Orphan Black
This was a close tie with Hannibal, but Orphan Black won out for it's originality, fast paced plot, and wonderful acting. This show was addictive and never seemed to drag on.
Honorable Mentions: Hannibal, Orange is the New Black

Virginia Mae Fontana: The Originals
The saga of Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah in New Orleans has been nothing short of stunning. It's quick-paced, suspenseful, and emotional in all the right places. Almost all of the other characters are wonderful, especially Marcel, and Hayley has been reinvigorated fabulously from her less-than-likable beginnings on The Vampire Diaries. The show explores themes of family, friendship, and romance through the lens of vampirism, lycanthropy, and witchcraft with exceptional results.
Honorable Mentions: Sleepy Hollow, Reign

Best Returning Show
 
Babar Suhail: How I Met Your Mother
This final season of How I Met Your Mother is different than the previous eight for two reasons; the 3 days timeline and the addition of The Mother. Although the season is progressing slowly and has had episodes which some people might call "filler" (although I don't believe that there are "filler" episodes in sitcoms), the addition of The Mother has been great and the episodes which she has been in are some of the best episodes of the entire series for me.
Honorable Mentions: Arrow, Castle
 
Belle333Black: Castle
Castle has always been great, and I love that they can still keep the quality in season 6. I completely trust the writers, I know they'll do a great job with the rest of the season. I love seeing Castle and Becket as a couple, but I'd like to see more of the other character's personal lives. The return of 3XK was great, can't wait for the wedding episode. I'm sure it will be amazing.
Honorable Mentions: Arrow, Nikita


Bradley Adams: Arrow
This was tough. I went with Arrow over Person of Interest purely because it is so consistently good. The recent Person of Interest mini-arc has been good, but the rest of the season hasn't been as strong. Arrow seems like it cannot put a foot wrong. The midseason finale was the best hour of TV I've seen this year, and the other 8 episodes before it were sublime.
Honorable Mention: Person of Interest

Brandon Rowe: Revolution
Revolution returned from a first season that had mixed reviews. This season, Revolution writers tried something bold. By totally changing the format of the show, Revolution appealed to a different type of audience. While suffering in the ratings, the show was able to display its ability to vary in genres. The show has also been able to speed up the action, while also adding an element to the action with Aaron's spontaneous combustion ability. Hopefully, NBC will see fit to move on to a third season and continue the fantastic story telling.
Honorable Mentions: Person of Interest, The Walking Dead

Caitlin Rice Anderson: American Horror Story
This show is completely off its rocker and I love it for that fact. I appreciate bringing back a lot of the actors from the first two seasons because it's fun to see them play such vastly different characters. But the addition of Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett has really brought a freshness to this season.
Honorable Mention: Breaking Bad

CJ Allan: Person of Interest
No other show has been as consistent for its writing, acting and plot. Every week this show blows the competition out of the water and is possibly the best show on TV since LOST.
Honorable Mentions: How I Met Your Mother, Arrow

Crybaby: Arrow
This show is getting better each and every week. The acting, the action/fight scenes, the story, well everything is improve this season. I'm not a DC fan but I can't wait for more.
Honorable Mention: Supernatural

Dahne: Burn Notice
The final season was rock solid all the way. It moved quickly, wrapping up major plot lines and highlighting each main character appropriately. I liked the new characters they added, but still it was the core team fighting to save their friend that really sold the whole show. Very satisfying conclusion.
Honorable Mentions: Grimm, Teen Wolf

DarkUFO: Person of Interest
Simply one of the most enjoyable shows on TV.
Honorable Mentions: The Walking Dead, Revolution

dianamack: The Mentalist
This show gets better every season. Even without the main enemy of the show, Red John, Patrick Jane can go on his own way.
Honorable Mentions: The Walking Dead, Revolution

Genevieve Taylor: Person of Interest
This is one of a very select few shows where every episode is guaranteed to be great. Shaw has been an excellent addition to the team this year as well as increased Bear appearances and more of the fabulous Amy Acker as Root. Relevance, Mors Praematura and The Devil's Share are comfortably within my list of the best TV episodes of all time. The machine may be watching me but I'm certainly watching Person of Interest, and absolutely loving it.
Honorable Mentions: Game of Thrones, The Mindy Project

Geo N: The Walking Dead
This powerhouse of a show is the best hour on television now and probably the best since LOST. Based on the Eisner Award winning comics of the same name by Robert Kirkman, the show has brought to life so many amazing and memorable moments from the source material leading to unprecedented amounts of viewership. I'm sure I speak for many when I say I can't wait for the second half of season 4 to see where our survivors are after leaving the destruction of their home base and how they will recover from the loss of life they suffered at the hands of one of their villainous rivals, The Governor.
Honorable Mentions: The Walking Dead

Jimmy Ryan: Person of Interest
Person of Interest has demonstrated all year that it is afraid of nothing and no one is safe. The intensity level of the worlds best broadcast series has ramped up tenfold in third season and it's been nothing short of awesome to watch.
The removal of few seasoned recurring characters and a single regular character over the recent 3 part story arc was a daring move by the creative team, but their solid sense of understanding of their series will no doubt ensure continued success for the show. The new regular characters in the form of Root and Shaw have added a new level of intensity and action as well as humor. I can't wait to see what Person of Interest sends our way in the new year.
Honorable Mentions: Scandal, Castle

klutzy_girl: Supernatural
It's my favorite and I love where the storyline is going.
Honorable Mentions: Once Upon A Time, How I Met Your Mother

LittleDreamer: Breaking Bad
It has always been in a league of its own but these eight final episodes elevated everything to a whole new level of awesomeness and incredibility. Season 5B has been nothing short of breathtaking and jaw-dropping, delivering one scene after another so powerful it felt like the tension was oozing out of the screen. Among these episodes is also what is arguably the best episode of the entire show: Ozymandias. That has got to be one of the finest, most suspenseful and intense hour of television I've ever seen.
Honorable Mentions: Scandal, The Walking Dead


Max Conte: Sons of Anarchy
Breaking Bad had a spectacular final 8 episodes, but Sons of Anarchy's 6th season was a true tour-de-force. After having to scramble the story-line when the season's main antagonist was written out due to other obligations, Kurt Sutter used the shows second-to-last season to raise the stakes of this world to unimaginable heights. The performances by Maggie Siff, Charlie Hunnam and Katey Sagal were untouchable and Sutter's karmic-drenched storytelling and writing reached twisted, emotional and devastating new places. I've never seen a stage more perfectly set for a final bow.
Honorable Mentions: Breaking Bad, Mad Men

Pablozky: Revenge
Now on its third season, Revenge has gathered a lot of strength during the summer, returning with an amazing storyline about Emily's lastest plan to take down the Graysons. The development goes nice and smoothly, the cast continue to deliver great acted scenes and the script is strong in emotional moments and plot progression. Overall, Revenge is a real pleasure to watch.
Honorable Mentions: Revolution, How I Met Your Mother

Robin Smyth: Justified
Season four was a welcome mix-up to the well established formula in that the big bad of the season wasn't nearly as intimidating as the men chasing him. There were great twists, some brilliant acting by both the main actors and the guests, and another opportunity to see Jim Beaver after his character's demise on Supernatural the previous year.
Honorable Mentions: Castle, How I Met Your Mother

Romain Ossust: The Walking Dead
Still one of the best show on air. Despite its flows, and after 4 yours, it's always enjoyable to watch Rick and Co killing zombies. They've created an unique universe in TV history.
And it always makes you wonder what you would do if you were in their world... Luckily, walkers are not scratching at my door.
Honorable Mentions: Scandal, True Blood

Rucax Miranda: American Horror Story
It's a show that each year brings innovation to its plot.
Honorable Mentions: Scandal, Castle

Sandi: Doctor Who
OK, Series 7 wasn't the best, but the 50th Anniversary episode was fantastic! Smith, Tennant and Hurt were amazing on screen together and the plot tighter than any other episode in a long time.
Honorable Mentions: Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy

Shirleena Cunningham: How I Met Your Mother
I was really surprised when I found out that the last season was going take place entirely over Barney and Robins wedding weekend. I thought to myself, how are they going to do pull that off? But the writers surprised me, because this season has been the funniest of the series. And how mother meets each of the characters one at a time throughout the season is great, because it gives each of them their own story on how they met the mother. Every episode is truly funnier than the last, I'll be very sad when it ends.
Honorable Mention: Bones

Tessa Marlene: Arrow
The first season of Arrow was a bit uneven. Hard as I tried I couldn't sympathize with Oliver's plight since at the end of the day, he still was a billionaire playboy whose worst trouble in life had been a misadventure on an island. I didn't give a fig about his dad's journal, his sister's drug abuse, or his love triangle involving a woman with no personality.
Season 2 however was leaps and bounds better. They showed us more about the island, making it more of a coherent storyline than random flashes. They toned down the playboy aspect of Oliver's character, and Stephen Amell's improved acting finally made me sit up and care. I thought it was a genius idea to give The Green Arrow a conviction not to kill, so that when he did it would have significance and impact. They also did well in improving Felicity and Diggle's characters and introducing new supporting cast. The mid-season finale was the best I watched this December of any show.
Honorable Mentions: White Collar, Scandal

TheSpoilerGirl: The Walking Dead
The new season has been phenomenal. Great writing that took me from hating the Governor, too almost liking him again and then back again to hating him.
Honorable Mentions: Scandal, Castle

Tracie P.: The Good Wife
Last season the show sort of fell apart in the beginning with storylines that I really disliked. This season it is back with a renewed energy. I love that Alicia has started her old firm which pits her against her former bosses. It has shaken up the storyline and made things fresh again for a show that is in its 5th season.
Honorable Mentions: Arrow, Castle


Trina Rego: Mad Men
Even after 6 seasons Mad Men managed to pull off a season that was not only enjoyable but also something different than the show has previously done. Instead of feeling stale we got to see and experience aspects of these well known characters that we haven't seen before. And the season ended on a note that made you incredible eager to see more.
Honorable Mentions: Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones
 

Virginia Mae Fontana: The Mentalist
I have to give it to The Mentalist for reinventing itself so exquisitely. First there was a crazy-good, serialized first part of Season 5 capping off the Red John Saga while pulling out all the stops. Now that R.J. is gone, a 2 year time jump and change of professional setting from CBI to FBI is giving the show a new breath of fresh air. And Jane and Lisbon keep getting closer. Finally!
Honorable Mentions: Revenge; Arrow





And that's all from the SpoilerTV Team. Share with us which are your Best New and Returning Shows of the year in the comments.


Babar Suhail
Babar Suhail is a university student studying Computer Sciences from Pakistan. Most of his posts are directed towards the "spoiler" part of the site, but he might post the occasional review or recap from time to time. He might not watch as many shows, but is really invested in the ones he does. He is a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother and is the admin of the How I Met Your Mother Wiki.
His other favorite shows are Arrow, Castle, Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, The Blacklist, The Crazy Ones and The Tomorrow People.

65 comments:

  1. Great article Babar! Thanks for taking the time to collate all the responses

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  2. Glad to see some of my favourite shows make the list.

    Great job and thanks for including my picks

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  3. POI for the win, definitely my favorite returning tv show.


    My favorite new tv show: Sleepy Hollow
    Honorable Mention: Brooklyn Nine-Nine

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  4. Cheers for putting this together :)

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  5. Best new shows:

    Rectify - Seriously more people need to watch it. Aden Young is mesmerizing.

    Orphan Black - What an unexpected wonder this was. I was addicted from the very start and it was fun seeing the fandom grow as more people were drawn into it.

    The Americans - Another winner from FX. Even though we know the outcome of the cold war its hard not to root for those Russians.

    Best returning shows:

    Breaking Bad - Yeah all the million articles written about how good it is were truly deserved.

    Justified - Most entertaining drama out there. Loved the mystery plot this season.

    Parks and Recreation - Always manages to brighten my week, so lovely and so funny.

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  6. Best New Show: Bates Motel! (This was one of the only TV shows that hooked me from the pilot, it's such a great show)


    Honorable Mentions: Hannibal, Sleepy Hollow

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  7. I knew there was a show I was forgetting for best new show, that's why I only put one honourable mention in and then forgot to update later. Orphan Black was phenomenal!

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  8. Best new TV show: Sleepy Hollow
    Honorable mentions: The Originals, The Blacklist

    Best returning TV show: Arrow
    Honorable mentions: POI, Once Upon A Time

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  9. Ack, must have put my submissions in too late. Well, here they are:

    Best New Show: Brooklyn Nine-Nine

    Best Returning Show: Arrow

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  10. Great work, Babar! Sorry for not sending my picks, I just couldn't possibly choose just one favorite in those categories ;) So for me, it's:

    Best New Drama Shows: Sleepy Hollow, Agents Of Shield
    SH is my biggest surprise of the season. I definitely didn't expect to like it so much, I don't know which episode was it (hmm, Sin Eater?), but one day I just got really involved in the story and the characters and could not wait until next week. Love it!
    AoS was my most anticipated show of the fall and after a slow-ish start it got really good (FZZT!). It has a way of getting even better each week, so I really can't wait how it's gonna be when the show returns from its break.

    Honorable mentions: OUAT in Wonderland (absolutely charming show!) and Reign (another surprise I did NOT see coming), Orphan Black (Tatiana!)

    Best New Comedy Show: Brooklyn 99
    I wasn't quite sure which one to choose, but in the end, I think B99 is the funniest of the bunch and I really enjoy watching it every week.

    Honorable mentions: The Crazy Ones, Trophy Wife

    Best Returning Drama Shows (and here's my real problem): Person Of Interest, Arrow, Doctor Who, Fringe (even just those few last episodes)...
    I watch quite a lot of shows and if I watch something it usually means I'm really enjoying it. I can't possibly pick the best one. There's something special about each and every single one of them.

    Honorable mentions: Teen Wolf, Psych, Supernatural, The Mentalist, Continuum...



    Best Returning Comedy Show: HIMYM
    Parks and Rec was my favorite last season, but this time I think I'm gonna go with the funny+emotional mix of HIMYM. I love meeting The Mother. She's amazing!


    Honorable mentions: Parks and Recreation, TBBT, Modern Family

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  11. Best New Show: Sleepy Hollow- I can't help but absolutely love it. Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie are both absolutely fantastic and work well together and Orlando Jones is such a great actor. Solid performances from Lydia Greenwood and John Noble really brought everything together, super excited for episode 10 and the 2 hour season finale.

    Honorable Mentions:

    The Blacklist (I'd be a damned liar if I didn't say I have a huge crush on both Megan Boone and James Spader)

    Hannibal (I love horror and gore and to see copious amounts of both done right on this show, along with fantastic acting makes me extremely happy)

    The Following (While there is a need to suspend belief when watching this show, when you do it's awesome. Terrifying, solid acting (especially from James Purefoy), and enough twists to make M. Night Shyamalan ashamed.)

    Best Returning Show: Arrow: I'll be the first to admit I'm a huge superhero fan, especially DC, so I'm a bit biased towards Arrow. However, even without bias, there is no denying how fantastic this second season is. Season 1 had some problems with making both stories each week interesting (in most cases the present story was worse) but they have vastly improved that this season. Stephen Amell has improved, all the supporting characters have improved by leaps and bounds, especially Colton Haynes and Emily Bett Rickards. The midseason finale alone was enough to make this not only the best returning show but the best show of 2013 (that I've watched of course).

    Honorable Mentions:

    Supernatural: (After two average seasons, Supernatural has come back in a big way with Season 9. Yes it still has its problems, but great performances from Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Mark Sheppard (albeit slightly limited), and Misha Collins, a good overarching story and some extremely interesting episodes, Supernatural is having a season on par if not better then season 6.)

    Psych: (I almost made this my best returning show just because I love Psych so much. It's been building up every season and gotten better and better especially in these past 3 seasons. I feel Season 7 has really been the best season so far. It's a bit more gimmicky, but I find those episodes the best. The Blair Witch Project episode, 100 Clues, and the Musical are enough to warrant this as one of the best shows of 2013.)

    Wilfred: (A hidden gem amongst all of FX's other fantastic work, I watched all 3 seasons of Wilfred this past summer. Just based on season 3 alone I feel Wilfred deserves a spot on my list. I love dark humor, I love twists and conspiracy and trippy stuff and Wilfred has it all. Major props to Elijah Wood and Jason Gann for being refreshingly funny every single episode.)

    Haven-: (Another show that I've recently watched all seasons of, Haven's 4th season was great (although not as good as season 3 IMO). One of the few shows I actually ship characters in (Nathan/Audrey forever), Haven kept me on my toes and made me super excited for a fifth season. Loved the performances from Colin Ferguson and Emma Lahana, and super happy to see Edge get a bigger role in this season. Also happy to see Christian Camargo outside his role of the Ice Truck Killer in Dexter)

    Fantastic Year for TV, here's to an even better 2014. Great job on the list Babar and great choices everyone.

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  12. Best New TV Show: Sleepy Hollow
    Honorable Mentions: Hannibal and Bates Motel



    Best Returning Show: Person of Interest
    Honorable Mentions: Once Upon a Time and Game of Thrones

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  13. Yeah, I just noticed your submissions. Sorry.

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  14. Rectify is truely one of the best new shows and I agree Aden Young should have won all the prizes possible for his preformence.
    I also enjoy Justified, Breaking Bad and Orphan Black.

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  15. Best new Drama Shows: Masters of Sex, Rectify, Hannibal and Banshee.

    Best returning Drama: Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and Justified.

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  16. Best New TV Show : The Blacklist
    Honorable Mentions : The Originals, Sleepy Hollow
    Best Returning TV Show : Scandal
    Honorable Mentions : Person of Interest, Once Upon a Time

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  17. Oh no worries, I figured I was cutting it close.

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  18. Best returning TV show: Castle.
    Best new show: Can´t pick one in particular...
    And...great holidays to everyone:)

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  19. New Shows-Reign is my favorite new shows this season


    Returning Show-The Walking Dead

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  20. I would say Revolution for returning and The Blacklist for new show

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  21. New shows: Bates Motel, Orange is the New Black, Hannibal, Orphan Black, Masters of Sex, Sleepy Hollow and Trophy Wife.

    Returning shows: Revenge, Arrow, Parks and Recreation, Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story, Elementary, Breaking Bad and Mad Men.

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  22. Best New TV Show : Orphan Black
    Honorable Mentions : Rectify, The Blacklist, Bates Motel, Banshee, The Blacklist
    Best Returning TV Show : Arrow
    Honorable Mentions: Black Mirror, Game of Thrones, Once Upon a Time

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  23. Arrow comfortably for me with p.o.i is a bit hit and miss for me and the Walking Dead returning to form

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  24. Best New Show:
    Orphan Black - truly phenomenal from the story to the acting, Tatiana is remarkably talented
    Honorable Mention: Masters of Sex

    Best Returning Show:
    Person of Interest - one of the best shows ever to grace TV, solid writing and characters, constantly changing and evolving
    Honorable Mention: Arrow

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  25. Agree with Orphan Black - it's excellent. I've only just began watching it

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  26. Revolution's been ok, but I don't think it has a hope in hell in competing with other returning series

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  27. Best New SHOWS (I can't pick just one)
    - THE BLACKLIST: I wasn't expecting to like it this much, now it has become a must watch every week.
    - SLEEPY HOLLOW: I was wrong to prejudge this show based on the premise and the trailer, it turned out to be one of my favorites shows this year, because of all the reasons already listed in this article.
    - ALMOST HUMAN: Right now, this show is a lot of fun to watch, and being a Fringe fan, I trust that Joel Wyman will take this, for now, procedural show to a whole new level, given the chance.
    - ORPHAN BLACK: Not only is Tatiana Maslany THAT good, but the story is truly compelling.

    Best Returning SHOWS:
    Of all of them, two are the ones that keep me counting the days until the next episode: ARROW and PERSON OF INTEREST. Each one is getting better and better, and I love action shows (like 24), these two definitely have plenty of action.

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  28. Sooo many I agree with. BEST NEW SHOWS....S.H. and T.O....definitely. And I really like TTP. Best Returning shows..I gotta say Arrow, hands down!! But I want to say The Following as well!! I'm not too impressed with this season's SPN. But it's not boring me either. Same with Bones. I loved the last episode. I still love Bones, but i feel it has run it's course. I'm just waiting for it to end now.

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  29. You missed Bones!!! It is the best show on TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  30. Small note, The shows do not match the description. Dianamack describes Person of Interest instead of The Mentalist and Genevieve Taylor described Arrow, not Person of Interest.



    dianamack: The Mentalist

    This is one of a very select few shows where every episode is guaranteed
    to be great. Shaw has been an excellent addition to the team this year
    as well as increased Bear appearances and more of the fabulous Amy Acker
    as Root. Relevance, Mors Praematura and The Devil's Share are
    comfortably within my list of the best TV episodes of all time. The
    machine may be watching me but I'm certainly watching Person of
    Interest, and absolutely loving it.

    Honorable Mentions: The Walking Dead, Revolution

    Genevieve Taylor: Person of Interest

    This show is getting better each and every week. The acting, the
    action/fight scenes, the story, well everything is improve this season.
    I'm not a DC fan but I can't wait for more.

    Honorable Mentions: Game of Thrones, The Mindy Project

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  31. I love me some Arrow, but let's be honest: it isn't even in the same league as Person of Interest.

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  32. Great to see some of my favorite shows on the list (Breaking Bad, Person of Interest, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Revolution, Arrow, The Walking Dead, Hannibal, Almost Human, The Blacklist, The Bridge...)

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  33. I'm in the middle of a Mad Men binge watch. Addictive stuff. I hope to catch up before season 7 starts. I did the same thing with Breaking Bad, binge-watched until I got to the last, amazing, season. The best new show for me is Sleepy Hollow. Fun and light sci-fi with great characters. Best returning show is The Walking Dead. Season 4 is its best so far. American Horror Story is also great this year, but always has been. Grimm has had me as a fan since the pilot, and this year has been its best.

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  34. Best New Show: The Blacklist, hands down. I was so happy so see it selected by so many of the wonderful staff:) The writing is phenomenal, the acting is second to none(i even like Megan Boone, not sure why so many don't. it's just a wig people!!!!), i actually like case-of-the-week shows as well as serials, but i have never seen a show blend the two types together so seamlessly without ditching the COTW all together at some point.


    honorable mention: Hannibal. Visually stunning, heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time. Just wonderful.


    Best returning show: I'll go with Arrow here for many of the same reasons as listed by others. Awesome fight scenes, interesting personal storylines and great foes(still sad they killed off the Count:(.....)


    honorable mention: Grimm. A true Cinderella story as it was added in at the last minute, having already been passed on, this series is actually great fun to watch. Riveting and dark, but with enough light and comedic moments(Thank you Monroe) to stop it from being depressingly dark. Solid series.

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  35. great article! it`s good to see what you guys think!
    For me Best new Shows: The Blacklist... The Americans.. The Goldbergs... The Originals
    Best returning shows: The Big Bang Theory... Revenge... Once Upon a time... Game of thrones

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  36. Best New Shows for me are: Almost Human, Sleepy Hollow, and The Originals


    Best Returning Shows: Person of Interest, Arrow, Grimm, and Nikita.

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  37. Best New TV Show: Masters of Sex
    Honorable Mentions: The Originals, The Blacklist
    Best Returning TV Show: Nikita and Arrow

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  38. Best New Show: Orphan Black, The Blacklist, Originals
    Honorable Mentions: Trophy Wife, Brooklyn 99, The Crazy Ones


    Best Returning: Scandal, The Newsroom, TBBT, POI, Last Man Standing
    Honorable Mentions: Castle, HIMYM, White Collar, OUAT, Modern Family, Suits, Elementary!


    Sorry, impossible to pick just one or two! :P
    Def gonna try Sleepy Hollow & House of Cards next though.

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  39. Best New Show: Vikings...the only one which captured and held my interest.
    Best returning Show: Arrow and Grimm, both getting better and better.
    Honourable mentions: White Collar....again going strong after a disappointing forth season.

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  40. Awesome article!

    My best new show.. : Les Revenants
    Honorable mentions: Hannibal, Broadchurch, Orphan Black

    .. and returning show: Breaking Bad
    Honorable mentions: Sons of Anarchy, Justified, Mad Men

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  41. This was fun to read everyone's reasons for picking a show.
    My favorite new shows are many, Blacklist is my favorite new show and close behind is one I did not think I would like..Originals. I did not like Klaus or Hayley from TVD, but both have won me over in this series. I only started watching because I LOVE Elijah. Also am enjoying Almost Human Tomorrow People and Sleepy Hollow.
    My old list has to start with Supernatural which has been my favorite show on TV since the pilot, I try to to think of the mess they made out of last season. ;)
    Looking forward to POI, Revenge, Scandal, both NCISs, Castle, Mentalist, Arrow, Suits, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Justified, Revolution and so many more. Let me just say I LOVE my Hopper from Dish Network that can record 6 shows at once. lol

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  42. A lot of my favorites in the list, always nice to see.

    This 2013 was certainly a better year for television than 2012!Shows like OUAT, Revolution and HIMYM improved sharply, we had great debuts like Brooklyn 9-9, Almost Human, Sleepy Hollow, Hannibal, among many others. Let's hope the trend continues in 2014

    Great article Babar!

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  43. Best new shows:Reign,The Originals,Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,(it got bett around episode four)Witches of East End
    Best Returning Show: Carrie Diaries,2 Broke Girls(went through a sophomore slump quality wise but after the first couple episodes of season three,it got better).

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  44. This list is amazing. Thank you for putting it together Babar. It's great to read about everyone's favorite shows and notice the ones I missed. I'll probably add The Black List and Orphan Black to my shows-to-watch list.

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  45. Great Job Babar! Good work!

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  46. With p.o.i i still after 3 seasons don't know hardly anything about Finch or Reese i know next to nothing about Root even though she is my favourite character

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  47. I know its better i watch both shows

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  48. Best new TV show: The Blaklist

    Honorable mentions: Bates Motel, The Americans, Orphan Black, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, House of Cards, Hannibal, Masters of Sex


    Best returning TV show: Breaking Bad

    Honorable mentions: Justified, Scandal, Person of Interest, Modern Family, Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreation

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  49. Best new Tv show: Reign,The Originals
    Best returning Tv show: Supernatural&Arrow

    p.s. I'm loving The Cw schedule this year!!

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  50. Back In Black Tricksteress 95December 25, 2013 at 10:53 PM

    I watched 5mins of the originals (I was waiting for another show to come on) and I disliked it. However the best new show for me is Masters of Sex. I didn't plan to watch it but I like it.
    Of course I can't wait for Supernatural and Arrow. I love Revenge aswell but that's on the dvd and a couple of others.
    It was interesting to see from all aspects of shows on this thread.

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  51. I like your taste. :-)

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  52. - Best New Show: Blacklist
    Honorable Mentions: Orphan Black, Sleepy Hollow, Almost Human


    - Best Returning Show: The Mentalist
    Honorable Mentions: Castle, Breaking Bad, Person of Interest

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  53. Best new show: Sleepy Hollow
    Best returning show: The Walking Dead
    Honorable mention: Grimm, just getting better and better

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  54. Best New Show: The Blacklist
    Honorable Mentions: The Originals, Under the Dome, SHIELD

    Best Returning Show: Arrow
    Honorable Mentions: Castle, Person of Interest, HIMYM

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  55. For me:



    Best new TV show: Sleepy Hollow
    Honorable mentions: Almost Human, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

    Best returning TV show: Arrow
    Honorable mentions: Teen Wolf, Grimm

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  56. Don't watch Grimm but agree w/your other choices. My HM would go to AHS. It's been rocking this year!

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  57. AHS has the best cast! And it looks like they're all really having fun.

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  58. A lot of fun! That show is so crazy! It's great!

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