Something You Said’s Top TV Shows of 2012

We’ve already brought you our top albums of 2012, next up it’s time to see what’s we’ve been watching on the box. Here is the top 10 TV shows of the year, as voted for by our writers and our readers: 

SOMETHING YOU SAID’S TV SHOW OF 2012: Breaking Bad
Not only did Breaking Bad secure the most votes, it absolutely romped home, which is further proof that it is simply the best drama on television at present. Series Five continued to blur the lines between good and bad and left viewers conflicted as to with whom they are supposed to sympathise. Walter descended further into madness and megalomania, Jesse just wanted out, Saul was forever looking over his shoulder, Hank was back on his feet again and Walt Junior was still banging on interminably about breakfast. Oh, and Mike was totally awesome and Skyler was still unspeakably annoying. The cliffhanger ending means the days until Season Five resumes cannot pass quickly enough. Bobby Townsend

2. GIRLS
The only show to come even remotely close to challenging Breaking Bad for our top spot, Girls delivered punky, sassy, smart, sexy and clever dialogue from an equally cool actor/writer/director Lena Dunham and her very relatable galpals. Golden Lady

3. GAME OF THRONES
Consistently one of the most surprising shows on TV. Who’d have thought a fantasy show set in a mythical middle ages could contain such entertaining and Machiavellian political intrigue and wonderfully written characters? Like Boardwalk Empire, it rips the rug out from under your feet on a regular basis with an emotional and intellectual weight that belies its genre. Neil Martin

4. HOMELAND
This show has set the bar very high for intelligent, multi layered, tense drama. It keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout and leaves you unable to second guess what’s coming next or on which side each of the characters is on. Essential watching. 25ThC

5. MAD MEN
Mad Men does it again. I love this show so much that I found a way to download it from Nicaragua. Was not easy folks, but well worth it! Roger doing acid, Peggy leaving Sterling Cooper, Joan kicking her husband to the curb and then being prostituted out, and so on! What could be better than Mad Men? NOTHING! Tenley Nordstrom

6. BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Season 3 sees Nucky venture so far from any kind of morality that you wonder just how far he will go to protect his interests. Devastating stuff, impeccable in every department. A vicious and uncompromising attack on The American Dream. Neil Martin

7. THE 2012 OLYMPICS/THE PARALYMPICS
Channel 4’s extensive coverage helped make the Paralympics a huge success and Adam Hills’ nightly show presented the best and funniest bits of the games. It has now set the bar very high for future Paralympics coverage. 25ThC
Against my expectations I ended up getting completely entranced by the Olympic diving. A sport for which I have never previously had any inclination. The strength, the skill, the grace and the terror every time a diver made the plunge transformed me into an Olympic judge. Now the Olympics are over, the thrill is gone, but it lays dormant ready to don speedos for the next time. Alice Parsons

8 GOSSIP GIRL
Everyone loves drama and this show is the modern day version of The Bold and The Beautiful. Lola is Serena’s cousin but actually turns out she’s her sister because Carol slept with her sister’s husband, then Dan decides he loves Serena again despite the fact they were siblings by law. Blair wants to be a princess, then is one, then isn’t one, then is with Dan, who loves her, but is turning into a psycho Upper East sider, then Bart comes back from the grave and then there’s more divorce…….You get the idea. Kaya Strehler

9. THE NEWSROOM 
Say what you will about Aaron Sorkin, his writing makes me feel good. The dialogue is fast, the ethical dilemmas are twisted and complex and the relationships are full of tension and awkward. Mac and Will’s frustration in love will annoy you, the moral grandstanding at the end of most episodes will annoy you, and Maggie’s perpetual incompetence will annoy you, but you’ll have to keep watching anyway. The West Wing was once called Democrat porn. This is that, but for journalists. Jess O’Callaghan

10. 24 HOURS IN A&E
This utterly gripping documentary received a much-deserved second series and didn’t disappoint. Heartbreaking tragedy, heartwarming love and a reminder that life is fleeting. Also proof that hospital staff are everyday heroes. Bobby Townsend

If that ace selection isn’t enough for you, then here are some shows that didn’t sneak into the top 10 but that we reckon you should have a look at:

BOSS
To me Boss encapsulated both the deranged and psychopathic intensity of Breaking Bad and the brilliantly turbulent and troubling twists and turns of a political power gone wrong we saw in Boardwalk Empire. Unfortunately while it exists as the greatest television drama of 2012 and, in my opinion, the past decade it is also simultaneously the most under-appreciated show on air, resulting in it being cancelled last month. Nevertheless you still have two seasons of Kelsey Grammer making Walter White and Nucky Thompson look like the rejects from The Brady Bunch. Jemma Cole

TROLLIED
A wonderful comedy set in an English supermarket. Every character is well written and have evolved over the two series’ into characters you have deep affection for. Great comedy with an underlying hint of sadness in the intelligent way The Office and The Royle Family demonstrated. An underrated gem of British television. Gary Page

DAMAGES
Just about one of the most ridiculous but incredibly fantastic shows I’ve ever seen. Now I usually feel like I’ve just been shown the season highlights of Embarrassing Bodies when I hear people mention law, economics, politics and other real life jobs. But, in the case of Damages I find it tackling such subject-matters as nothing but enthralling and intriguing. Each season examines one law case in New York, and this year’s fifth and final season dealt with a wikileaks-esque case. It’s intense, complicated and pretty overwhelming. It also features Rose Byrne. I love her. Marcus Thaine

MATCH OF THE DAY
Action, drama and suspense – Match of the Day is still the best thing on the goggle-box. This month it also overtook the legendary Grandstand to become the UK’s longest-running TV sports show. Andy James

BEAUTY & THE BEAST: THE UGLY FACE OF PREJUDICE
I’m sure I viewed this program this year but for all you naysayers out there, yes it was made and shown LAST YEAR  in the UK. Whatever. Beauty and the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice was a take on Beauty and the Geek, each episode took the viewer along with an individual who was disfigured to be paired with a beauty-obsessed narcissistic (usually female) to compare their daily routines. What was interesting was when the odd bedfellows took a trip to the plastic surgeon, one seeing a specialist for life maintaining procedures, the other looking into further self-modification, trying to become more beautiful in their own eyes. Carol Bowditch

PEEP SHOW
“Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuperhaaaaaaaaaans!”

What do you reckon about the above? Agree? Disagree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…