Tuesday, October 21, 2014

AFT Awards: Best Ensemble in a Drama Series

This is the seventeenth category of the 8th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2013-2014 seasons. Finalists and semi-finalists are included to recognize more of the impressive work done on television today. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Ensemble in a Drama Series


Last year’s nominees: Boardwalk Empire, Boss, Downton Abbey, Mad Men, The Newsroom

Semi-finalists: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Bridge, Burn Notice, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Hell on Wheels, The Killing, Longmire, Masters of Sex, The Newsroom, The Walking Dead

Finalists: Banshee amped up its performances and matched its gritty drama with strong turns all around. Shameless took a more dramatic turn and still got the best from its wild cadre of actors. Sons of Anarchy battled its toughest year yet with a firmly committed ensemble. Parenthood gave its characters obstacle after obstacle, and its cast responded strongly. Mad Men stepped into its swan song with its eclectic cast ready to face the future.

The nominees:

Breaking Bad went out with a bang thanks in large part to its superb stars. Ray Donovan was had everything to do with being connected, and the many parts of its large cast definitely were. Person of Interest rallied for its best season yet, employing its diverse talent to perfection. House of Cards added to its repertoire of morally questionable politicians and their associates with a fine commitment to quality.

The winner:

Justified introduced a new mischievous family and brought with it a fantastic new slate of actors and still solid performances from the rest of the cast.

Next up: Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series

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