Gallery: The 10 Best TV Shows of 2014

  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Coat Overcoat Suit and Jacket
    HBO
    01

    Game-of-Thrones

    You'd think we were on to *Game of Thrones* by now, and the sadistic sport of keep-away it likes to play with its viewers. Nope. (Expand gallery to full screen to find out why we loved each show.)
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Sleeve Long Sleeve Footwear Abbi Jacobson Shoe Coat and Urban
    Comedy Central
    02

    Broad City

    Whatever *Broad City*'s Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson are smoking, it's working. The debut season of their stoner duo Comedy Central show was faster, funnier, and funkier than anything we'd ever seen from the pair in their online offerings. And every minute was gold.
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Hat and Cap
    Comedy Central
    03

    Inside-Amy-Schumer

    For its second season, Amy Schumer took her promising eponymous show from LOL-worthy to essential viewing. She used her platform to provide belly laughs and blue humor alongside staggeringly bold social commentary.
  • Image may contain Tie Accessories Accessory Glasses Human Person Coat Clothing Overcoat Apparel Suit and Necktie
    HBO
    04

    Last-Week-Tonight-with-John-Oliver

    When John Oliver left *The Daily Show* to front his own weekly program on HBO, it wasn't immediately obvious what to expect. What could he bring to differentiate the HBO series from his old show? The answer, it turned out, was a sense of perspective.
  • Image may contain Jake Johnson Lamorne Morris Max Greenfield Human Person Damon Wayans Jr. Clothing Apparel and Wood
    Fox
    05

    New Girl

    *New Girl* was in dire straits this year. The end of Season 3 wasn’t handled well, and it was received even worse. It was starting to look like the show had always just been a serialized romantic comedy that was potentially overstaying its welcome. It reset and rebounded in a big way this fall.
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Wedding Gown Gown Wedding Apparel Robe and Fashion
    Cinemax
    06

    The Knick

    Full Disclosure: We're suckers for historical fiction. But *The Knick* added *science* (specifically early 20th century medicine) and that pretty much secured it a place in our hearts forever.
  • Image may contain Christine Baranski Julianna Margulies Human Person Food Court Food Restaurant Drink and Beer
    CBS
    07

    The Good Wife

    *The Good Wife* started as a legal drama about the beleaguered wife of a philandering politician, but quietly transformed not only into one of the most technologically savvy shows on television, but the best drama on network TV.
  • Image may contain Human and Person
    Amazon
    08

    Transparent

  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Maialen Chourraut Cell Phone Electronics Mobile Phone and Phone
    HBO
    09

    True-Detective

    A southern gothic murder mystery noted for its grandiloquent writing and eye-popping direction, *True Detective* wowed everyone this year, especially us.
  • Image may contain Tie Accessories Accessory Human Person Indoors Room Book Library Suit Coat and Clothing
    HBO
    10

    Veep

    Calling comedy "smart" is as backhanded a compliment as it gets. It's code for airless, for rarefied, for prizing gentility over blood and bone and pain. Then came *Veep*, and "smart comedy" became "fucking smart comedy."
Read More
Ebay Has to Pay $55.7 Million in Settlement for Its Unhinged Harassment Campaign
For months on end, eBay employees and contractors made life hell for a couple that had criticized the company. Six years later, the company is finally paying up.
Lauren Goode
Laura Loomer's Reversal on Ukraine Stirs Up the MAGA Civil War
Donald Trump's base has been increasingly spilt. Laura Loomer's sudden embrace of Ukraine has only widened that divide.
David Gilbert
Is the Electric Trike the Next Big Thing in Shared Micromobility?
Veo is launching accessibility-focused electric tricycles in Denver, with plans to put its e-trikes on the streets nationwide.
Boone Ashworth
What WIRED Writers Would Actually Give Their Moms
Your mom never gets you a thoughtless gift, so you shouldn’t get her one, either. Here’s every cool gift WIRED writers would give their mothers.
Nena Farrell
Which Apple Watch Should You Buy?
Should you splurge on the new Series 11, or will the SE 3 do? Let us help you figure out which version to get (and which to avoid).
Boutayna Chokrane
12 Adventurous Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, and Outdoorsy People
Let them pick out their own hiking boots. Instead, try gifting a useful blade or a nature journal to delight your outdoorsy friend.
Scott Gilbertson
A Two-Person Startup Has Fixed One of the Most Hated Sounds in Modern Life
Beeeep. Beeeep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Jeremy White
Can the New York Times Save Journalism From Our AI Overlords?
In 2023, the Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. They’ve since spent more than $20 million on the case, and publisher A.G. Sulzberger has no plans to stop fighting it.
Katie Drummond
Silicon Valley’s Next IPO Billionaires Are Coming. Nonprofits Are Ready for Them
Anthropic and OpenAI employees are expected to give generously after their companies go public. “It’s going to be a wild ride,” says one nonprofit leader.
Paresh Dave
The Dyson V16 Piston Animal Can Do It All
Dyson’s new stick vacuum can vacuum and mop in a single cordless device—if you’re willing to really splurge.
Nena Farrell
‘They’re Fucking a Lot of People’: 7-OH Users Brace for DEA Ban
The opioid-like compound, which is found in kratom, can cause brutal withdrawal symptoms and will soon be a controlled substance. Some users tell WIRED it has relieved their pain and anxiety.
Manisha Krishnan
An Extreme Solar Storm May Be Even More Devastating Than Previously Imagined
Scientists have long assumed that there’s an upper limit to the intensity of the solar winds that reach Earth. New research suggests there’s not—and the implications are alarming.
Javier Carbajal