AFT Awards: Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series

This is the eighteenth category of the 9th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2014-2015 season. 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 Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: Episodes, New Girl, Orange is the New Black, Parks and Recreation, Veep

Semi-finalists: Californication, Galavant, Girls, Grace and Frankie, Happyish, House of Lies, iZombie, Married, Modern Family, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Weird Loners, You're the Worst

Finalists: Orange is the New Black unified its inmates and those in their lives with an affecting and entertaining second season of storylines. Episodes got zanier than ever before with a few important cast additions and dependable lunacy from its returning regulars. Silicon Valley embraced its tech setting with hilariously on-key turns from all of its players. Shameless continued to grow in its fifth season with superb turns from the whole extended Gallagher clan. Togetherness was a soft-spoken, often awkward comedy aided tremendously by its actors.

The nominees:

Jane the Virgin was a surprisingly sweet and charming comedy with wonderfully animated and enjoyable performances. Parks and Recreation went off the air with a fantastic final effort from its cast. Veep was on fire with a few amazing additions to its already irresistibly sarcastic ensemble. Transparent wove an involving dramatic story with great comedic elements balanced very well by all of its actors.

The winner:

Babylon was populated by fast-talking people rarely saying what they actually meant, and all performers contributed exceptionally to the banter and fervor.

Next up: Best Cancelled Series