Metacritic - Best of 2011: Television Critic Top Ten Lists


This is an exact copy/paste of Metacritic's old aggregate year end list. Since being under new management, they have taken down these lists and discontinued the process. This is here purely for archival reasons  

Below, we collect every year-end Top Ten list published by major TV critics and publications. This page will be updated throughout December and January whenever new lists are published; be sure to check back frequently.

Critics pick the best TV shows of 2011

Added in last update (Jan. 11): PopMatters

Below is our updated running tally of the TV shows most frequently mentioned by individual critics in their year-end Top Ten lists. Note that if a critic ranks more than the standard 10 shows, we will not include titles ranked 11th or worse. In case of a tie for first or second, each show will receive the full points for that position. Our points system works as follows:

  • 3 points for each 1st place ranking
  • 2 points for each 2nd place ranking
  • 1 point for being ranked 3rd - 10th, or for being included on an unranked list
 TV Show / Network# 1st Place# 2nd Place# OtherPoints
1Breaking Bad (AMC)962059
2Homeland (Showtime)752354
3Downton Abbey (PBS)251632
4Parks and Recreation (NBC)161429
5Game of Thrones (HBO)102528
 Louie (FX)301928
7Justified (FX)102124
8Community (NBC)021519
9The Good Wife (CBS)001818
 Modern Family (ABC)101518
11Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)201117
12Boardwalk Empire (HBO)01911
 The Walking Dead (AMC)001111
14American Horror Story (FX)001010
 Enlightened (HBO)02610
16Revenge (ABC)0099
17Awkward. (MTV)0055
 The Big Bang Theory (CBS)0055
 Happy Endings (ABC)0055
 The Middle (ABC)0055

Individual critic top ten lists

Below are the individual top ten lists used to calculate the standings above. Some critics may list ten shows without ranking them in order; such lists are displayed below, without numbers, in alphabetical order.

Associated Press Frazier Moore View article
  • Boomtown (Planet Green)
    •  
  • Boss (Starz)
    •  
  • Breaking Bad (AMC)
    •  
  • Enlightened (HBO)
    •  
  • The Golden Globes (NBC)
    •  
  • Happy Endings (ABC)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • Lights Out (FX)
    •  
  • Skins (MTV)
    •  
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX)
The Atlantic Richard Lawson View article
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
    •  
  • Breaking Bad (AMC)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • Game of Thrones (HBO)
    •  
  • The Good Wife (CBS)
    •  
  • It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
    •  
  • Louie (FX)
    •  
  • Portlandia (IFC)
    •  
  • Revenge (ABC)
    •  
  • Top Chef: All Stars (Bravo)
A.V. Club Staff Consensus View article
  1. Louie (FX)
  2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  3. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  4. Community (NBC)
  5. Justified (FX)
  6. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  7. Homeland (Showtime)
  8. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  9. The Good Wife (CBS)
  10. Enlightened (HBO)
Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Homeland (Showtime)
  3. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  4. Shameless (Showtime)
  5. (tie) Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  6. (tie) 30 Rock (NBC)
  7. (tie) Community (NBC)
  8. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  9. Louie (FX)
  10. Justified (FX)
  11. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  12. Enlightened (HBO)
Cinema Blend Staff Consensus View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  3. Revenge (ABC)
  4. Portlandia (IFC)
  5. The Chicago Code (Fox)
  6. Community (NBC)
  7. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Starz)
  8. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  9. Louie (FX)
  10. Homeland (Showtime)
Cleveland Plain Dealer Mark Dawidziak View article
  1. Justified (FX)
  2. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  3. (tie) The Middle (ABC)
  4. (tie) Modern Family (ABC)
  5. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  6. Damages (DirecTV)
  7. Community (NBC)
  8. (tie) American Horror Story (FX)
  9. (tie) True Blood (HBO)
  10. (tie) The Walking Dead (AMC)
  11. Homeland (Showtime)
  12. Rescue Me (FX)
  13. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Collider Adam Chitwood View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  3. Homeland (Showtime)
  4. Community (NBC)
  5. Louie (FX)
  6. Game of Thrones (HBO)
Contra Costa Times Chuck Barney View article
  1. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  2. Homeland (Showtime)
  3. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  4. (tie) Modern Family (ABC)
  5. (tie) The Middle (ABC)
  6. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  7. American Horror Story (FX)
  8. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  9. The Good Wife (CBS)
  10. Justified (FX)
  11. New Girl (Fox)
The Daily Beast Maria Elena Fernandez View article
  • American Horror Story (FX)
    •  
  • Awkward. (MTV)
    •  
  • Breaking Bad (AMC)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • Game of Thrones (HBO)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • Justified (FX)
    •  
  • Modern Family (ABC)
    •  
  • Raising Hope (Fox)
    •  
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX)
The Daily Beast Jace Lacob View article
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
    •  
  • Community (NBC)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
    •  
  • Game of Thrones (HBO)
    •  
  • The Good Wife (CBS)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • Justified (FX)
    •  
  • Parenthood (NBC)
    •  
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Entertainment Weekly Ken Tucker
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  3. Fringe (Fox)
  4. Homeland (Showtime)
  5. Louie (FX)
  6. Justified (FX)
  7. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  8. The Good Wife (CBS)
  9. Enlightened (HBO)
  10. The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
HitFix Daniel Fienberg View article
  1. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  3. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  4. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  5. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  6. Louie (FX)
  7. Justified (FX)
  8. Homeland (Showtime)
  9. The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
  10. The Hour (BBC America)
HitFix Alan Sepinwall View article
  1. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  3. Louie (FX)
  4. Justified (FX)
  5. Community (NBC)
  6. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  7. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  8. Homeland (Showtime)
  9. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  10. (tie) Men of a Certain Age (TNT)
  11. (tie) The United States of Tara (Showtime)
Houston Chronicle Therese Odell View article
  1. Homeland (Showtime)
  2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  3. Louie (FX)
  4. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  5. American Horror Story (FX)
  6. Fringe (Fox)
  7. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
  8. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  9. Big Love (HBO)
  10. 30 Rock (NBC)
The Huffington Post (formerly AOL TV) Maureen Ryan View article
  • Awkward. (MTV)
    •  
  • Breaking Bad (AMC)
    •  
  • Community (NBC)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
    •  
  • Game of Thrones (HBO)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • Justified (FX)
    •  
  • Louie (FX)
    •  
  • Men of a Certain Age (TNT)
    •  
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC)
IMDb Melanie McFarland View article
  • Awkward. (MTV)
    •  
  • Breaking Bad (AMC)
    •  
  • Community (NBC)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • Game of Thrones (HBO)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • Justified (FX)
    •  
  • Louie (FX)
    •  
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC)
    •  
  • Revenge (ABC)
Lincoln Journal Star Jeff Korbelik View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Homeland (Showtime)
  3. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  4. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  5. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
  6. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  7. The Good Wife (CBS)
  8. Modern Family (ABC)
  9. Boss (Starz)
  10. Revenge (ABC)
New York Willa Paskin View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  3. Louie (FX)
  4. Homeland (Showtime)
  5. The Good Wife (CBS)
  6. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  7. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  8. Community (NBC)
  9. Justified (FX)
  10. Happy Endings (ABC)
New York Daily News David Hinckley View article
  1. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  2. Homeland (Showtime)
  3. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  4. 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
  5. Justified (FX)
  6. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  7. Awkward. (MTV)
  8. Boss (Starz)
  9. The Good Wife (CBS)
  10. Rizzoli and Isles (TNT)
The New York Times Mike Hale View article
  • Awkward. (MTV)
    •  
  • Community (NBC)
    •  
  • Freedom Riders (PBS)
    •  
  • Fringe (Fox)
    •  
  • Frontline (PBS)
    •  
  • The Good Wife (CBS)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • Louie (FX)
    •  
  • There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane (HBO)
    •  
  • The Walking Dead (AMC)
The New York Times Alessandra Stanley View article
  1. Homeland (Showtime)
  2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  3. The Hour (BBC America)
  4. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  5. Revenge (ABC)
  6. The Voice (NBC)
  7. Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
  8. Bob Costas interviewing Jerry Sandusky (NBC)
  9. Republican primary debates (various)
  10. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
NPR/Television Worth Watching David Bianculli View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Homeland (Showtime)
  3. The Good Wife (CBS)
  4. Modern Family (ABC)
  5. Justified (FX)
  6. Dexter (Showtime)
  7. American Horror Story (FX)
  8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
  9. Louie (FX)
  10. True Blood (HBO)
Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker View article
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
    •  
  • Breaking Bad (AMC)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • The Good Wife (CBS)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • The Killing (AMC)
    •  
  • The Middle (ABC)
    •  
  • Modern Family (ABC)
    •  
  • Once Upon a Time (ABC)
    •  
  • The Walking Dead (AMC)
Paste Josh Jackson View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Community (NBC)
  3. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  4. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  5. Homeland (Showtime)
  6. 30 Rock (NBC)
  7. The Walking Dead (AMC)
  8. Louie (FX)
  9. Modern Family (ABC)
  10. Dexter (Showtime)
People Tom Gliatto
  1. Homeland (Showtime)
  2. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  3. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  4. American Horror Story (FX)
  5. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  6. Louie (FX)
  7. New Girl (Fox)
  8. Revenge (ABC)
  9. American Idol (Fox)
  10. Happy Endings (ABC)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen View article
  1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  2. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  3. Modern Family (ABC)
  4. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  5. Happy Endings (ABC)
  6. Homeland (Showtime)
  7. The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
  8. The Good Wife (CBS)
  9. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  10. Southland (TNT)
PopMatters View article
  1. Treme (HBO)
  2. Community (NBC)
  3. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  4. Justified (FX)
  5. Being Human (BBC America)
  6. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  7. Louie (FX)
  8. The Walking Dead (AMC)
  9. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  10. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Salon Matt Zoller Seitz View article
  1. Mildred Pierce (HBO)
  2. Enlightened (HBO)
  3. Louie (FX)
  4. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  5. Community (NBC)
  6. Homeland (Showtime)
  7. Justified (FX)
  8. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  9. American Horror Story (FX)
  10. Men of a Certain Age (TNT)
The Salt Lake Tribune Scott D. Pierce View article
  1. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  3. The Good Wife (CBS)
  4. The Walking Dead (AMC)
  5. (tie) The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
  6. (tie) Modern Family (ABC)
  7. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  8. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  9. Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz)
  10. Rescue Me (FX)
  11. Revenge (ABC)
Slant View article
  1. Louie (FX)
  2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  3. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  4. Enlightened (HBO)
  5. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  6. Justified (FX)
  7. Bored to Death (HBO)
  8. Portlandia (IFC)
  9. The Walking Dead (AMC)
  10. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Gail Pennington View article
  • Breaking Bad (AMC)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • Game of Thrones (HBO)
    •  
  • The Good Wife (CBS)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • Justified (FX)
    •  
  • Modern Family (ABC)
    •  
  • Parenthood (NBC)
    •  
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC)
    •  
  • The Walking Dead (AMC)
St. Petersburg Times Eric Deggans View article
  1. Homeland (Showtime)
  2. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
  3. Louie (FX)
  4. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  5. Justified (FX)
  6. Modern Family (ABC)
  7. The Walking Dead (AMC)
  8. Luther (BBC America)
  9. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  10. The Good Wife (CBS)
Time James Poniewozik View article ...and even more
  1. Louie (FX)
  2. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  3. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  4. Justified (FX)
  5. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  6. Homeland (Showtime)
  7. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
  8. Community (NBC)
  9. The Good Wife (CBS)
  10. Enlightened (HBO)
TV Guide Matt Roush View article
  1. Homeland (Showtime)
  2. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  3. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  4. (tie) The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
  5. (tie) Community (NBC)
  6. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  7. Justified (FX)
  8. (tie) The Middle (ABC)
  9. (tie) Modern Family (ABC)
  10. Fringe (Fox)
  11. The Good Wife (CBS)
  12. New Girl (Fox)
TV Guide Staff View article
  1. Homeland (Showtime)
  2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  3. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  4. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  5. Modern Family (ABC)
  6. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
  7. Revenge (ABC)
  8. American Horror Story (FX)
  9. The Walking Dead (AMC)
  10. Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
USA Today Robert Bianco View article
  1. (tie) Homeland (Showtime)
  2. (tie) Modern Family (ABC)
  3. Justified (FX)
  4. The Good Wife (CBS)
  5. True Blood (HBO)
  6. The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
  7. Community (NBC)
  8. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  9. The Middle (ABC)
  10. Rescue Me (FX)
Wall Street Journal Dorothy Rabinowitz View article
  • 9/11: The Day That Changed the World (Smithsonian)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals (PBS)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • The Kennedys (Reelz)
    •  
  • Lights Out (FX)
    •  
  • Modern Family (ABC)
    •  
  • Prohibition (PBS)
    •  
  • Republican primary debates (various)
    •  
  • Revenge (ABC)
Washington Post Hank Stuever View article
  1. Downton Abbey (PBS)
  2. Enlightened (HBO)
  3. Homeland (Showtime)
  4. Storage Wars (A&E;)
  5. Breaking Bad (AMC)
  6. The Walking Dead (AMC)
  7. American Horror Story (FX)
  8. Game of Thrones (HBO)
  9. Modern Family (ABC)
  10. The Office (NBC)
Yahoo! TV Staff Consensus View article
  • American Horror Story (FX)
    •  
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
    •  
  • Breaking Bad (AMC)
    •  
  • Downton Abbey (PBS)
    •  
  • Game of Thrones (HBO)
    •  
  • Happy Endings (ABC)
    •  
  • Homeland (Showtime)
    •  
  • Louie (FX)
    •  
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC)
    •  
  • Shameless (Showtime)

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