I changed up the total rating formula to try to more accurately portray what shows I consider my “favorites.” The total rating number is supposed to measure where I would rank a show in my all-time favorites, and the average episode rating is a pure measure of quality without taking into account quantity.
For example, I really enjoyed Eastbound and Down‘s first season (9.67 average episode rating), but because of the small number of episodes I’ve seen so far I wouldn’t consider it one of my all-time favorites. On the other hand, South Park‘s episode average is much lower (7.78), but I do consider it a favorite because of its longevity and how it’s still a show I find myself watching, despite its occasional bad episodes.
Total rating formula:
- each episode rated on 1-10 scale
- average episode score * (number of episodes / 4)
Example: The Simpsons (8.98 avg episode rating, 13.05 total rating)
- average episode rating: 8.98
- 181 episodes rated
- 181 / 4 = 45.25
- 8.98 * 1.4525 = 13.05
Top 10 Comedies:
- The Simpsons: 13.05 (9+ seasons)
- The Office (NBC): 12.93 (9 seasons)
- South Park: 11.30 (12+ seasons)
- Modern Family: 11.15 (4+ seasons)
- Parks and Recreation: 11.11 (5+ seasons)
- Futurama: 11.04 (8+ seasons)
- King of the Hill: 10.89 (5 seasons)
- Arrested Development: 10.81 (4 seasons)
- Community: 10.28 (4 seasons)
- The Office (BBC): 10.20 (2 seasons)
Top 10 Dramas:
- Lost: 12.51 (6 seasons)
- Friday Night Lights: 11.13 (5 seasons)
- Breaking Bad: 11.06 (5 seasons)
- Dexter: 10.99 (7 seasons)
- Chuck: 10.64 (3+ seasons)
- Battlestar Galactica: 10.61 (3 seasons)
- Dollhouse: 10.20 (2 seasons)
- Heroes: 10.07 (3 seasons)
- Veronica Mars: 10.00 (1+ seasons)
- 24: 9.89 (1 season)
I’m surprised how high Modern Family is in the comedies list. I forget how much I like that show when I actually choose to watch it on DVR. I haven’t come close to finishing ratings for The Simpsons‘ and King of the Hill‘s entire runs. I imagine King of the Hill will approach the #2 or #3 spot after I’ve finish rating every season. Home Movies (8.85 average episode rating in 2+ seasons) is another comedy I could see ending up in the total rating list.
In the dramas, Breaking Bad feels like it should be closer to the top, but that’s probably due to its impact of just now finishing its final season. I haven’t rated (or seen) Dexter‘s final season, and from what I’ve heard that season probably won’t help its standing. Same for Heroes, a show I stopped watching regularly after the third season. I imagine once I watch more of Game of Thrones (9.50 average episode rating in 1 season) and Mad Men (9.31 average episode rating in 1 season), those shows will have more of a presence in the total rating list.
And the more simple ranking of average episode rating:
Top 10 Comedies:
- The Office (BBC): 9.86 (2 seasons)
- Eastbound and Down: 9.67 (1 season)
- Arrested Development: 9.24 (4 seasons)
- Parks and Recreation: 9.03 (5+ seasons)
- The Simpsons: 8.98 (9+ seasons)
- Modern Family: 8.96 (4+ seasons)
- Party Down: 8.95 (2 seasons)
- Extras: 8.93 (2 seasons)
- Home Movies: 8.85 (2+ seasons)
- The Office (NBC): 8.84 (9 seasons)
Top 10 Dramas:
- Lost: 9.70 (6 seasons)
- Dollhouse: 9.58 (2 seasons)
- Breaking Bad: 9.53 (5 seasons)
- Firefly: 9.50 (1 season)
- Game of Thrones: 9.50 (1 season)
- Hannibal: 9.42 (1 season)
- Friday Night Lights: 9.36 (5 seasons)
- Battlestar Galactica: 9.33 (3 seasons)
- 24: 9.33 (1 season)
- Pushing Daisies: 9.33 (1+ seasons)
I really liked Party Down, but it only had two seasons and 20 total episodes. It just didn’t leave that big an impact on me, despite really enjoying what I did see. The Office (BBC) is the rare short-lived series that does have that kind of impact for me.
Firefly‘s only season was excellent. If there’s any positive to its cancellation after one year, it’s that it eventually led to Joss Whedon creating Dollhouse, a show that surprised me with how much I liked it.