TV.com's Top 100 of Everything of 2014, Vol. 1: Items 100–91

Wow! 2014 is almost over. It seems just like yesterday we were marveling over a new season of Justified and visiting a place called Broad City for the first time. And now here we are, staring 2015 in the shoes and shopping for calendars. What have we been doing for the last 12 months? Spending every waking moment in front of the TV, that's what!

As is our wont here at TV.com, we're saying goodbye to the year that was by counting down the 100 things we loved most about television. Maybe they're special moments from our favorite episodes, maybe they're bits of news that will affect us for years to come, maybe they're someone's hair. We're covering the whole spectrum of TV-related goodies. Keep an eye out for a new installment of 10 items every few days from now until the end of the year, with the Top 10 dropping on New Year's Eve. ON TO THE TOP 100 EVERYTHING OF 2014!!!


100. Bachelor in Paradise edits devious passion with devious passion


Filling the No. 100 spot on our Top 100 Everything list is a special privilege. The honor traditionally goes to something we were too embarrassed to rank any higher, yet couldn't bear to leave out. Bachelor in Paradise gets the glory this year because it was the best possible type of summer rubbish TV. The producers behind the reality dating series were genius sadists, concocting a torture experiment full of vapid subjects by incorporating a beefcake-and-T&A carousel of endless meat: When one contestant was eliminated, another one came sauntering down the beach toward the hedonistic compound, ready to fulfill the desires of someone who'd just hooked up with someone else. But the real fun was in the presentation. Whether it was Claire sharing her frustrations with a raccoon or a game of H–O-R-S-E cleverly hitting H-O-R while a jealous ex boiled over, Bachelor in Paradise knew exactly what it was, and how to be the best damn version of it.


99. Tara Lipinski and Jonny Weir were broadcasting gold at the Sochi Olympics

Controversy, stray dogs, and tattered hotel rooms dominated the early headlines out of the 2014 Winter Olympics, but shining through the muck were America's real sweethearts, former Olympic figure-skaters and newbie broadcasters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir. The pair brought their bravado from their days on the rink right into the booth, consistently being the most entertaining aspect of the Games. In fact, they were so good together that NBC handed them a promotion, naming them its lead figure-skating commentators going forward, and sidelining the the older regime.


98. Kids these days!


In the past, it wasn't just acceptable but expected that viewers would feel compelled to throw their TVs out the the window whenever a child actor creeped onto the screen. Kids were the worst! But lately, they've become stars of their shows as producers realize that munchkins can be more than adorable one-liner factories (ahem, Olsen twins). Trophy Wife (BERT!), Black-ish, and The Americans are just a few series that've allowed their young-uns to leave the kids' table in 2014.


97. Parenthood's long-awaited reunion

When Joel moved out of his and Julia's house in Season 5, it felt like the NBC drama's writers had committed total character assassination. The move was basically the Parenthood equivalent of the infamous Murder Plot from Friday Night Lights' second season. Luckily, Joel finally pulled his head out of his ass in Season 6—with some help from his father-in-law, of course—and Julia eventually did the same. Once she finally remembered all the good things she (and we) loved about Joel, the couple finally reconciled in the show's fall finale. Now, will somebody pour us some wine so we can move on to fretting about Zeek?


96. Song-and-dance routines ranging from silly to sexy to sweet

Hey television, let your hair down and get your party on more often! Surprise musical numbers were totally a thing in 2014, with several shows featuring spontaneous bouts of frivolity. Mad Men said goodbye to Bert Cooper with a lovely showcase for the talented Robert Morse, American Horror Story covered both David Bowie and Fiona Apple, Orphan Black held its famous clone dance party, and Dr. Danny strutted his stuff as Diamond Dan on The Mindy Project.


95. Odd ads


Those annoying commercials that interrupted your television-viewing weren't all awful in 2014! In fact, many campaigns ditched the typical routine of hawking a product with smarmy salesmanship in favor of aiming to be flat-out bizarre. The most noteworthy ones? Rob Lowe schilling for DirecTV and Old Spice embracing its status as a wizard of the weird.


94. Saturday Night Live's The Dudleys


The long-running hit-or-miss sketch show hit a high note when when it examined the relationship between TV networks looking to appeal to the mass market with watered-down comedy and self-righteous viewers who want their favorite shows to cater to their every whim.


93. TOO MANY COOKS!!!


Writing a blurb for this Adult Swim masterpiece wouldn't do it justice. Instead, we ask that you simply watch it again and revel in its excellence.


92. The Strain spends an hour at the gas station

The freshman season of the FX vampire drama had its up and downs and its everything in betweens, but the highlight had to be the filler episode that focused on a convenience-store stand-off between our heroes and the bloodthirsty undead. Out went the boring family conversations and flat attempts at character development, and in came tension, violence, and one shocking death we didn't see coming. That's The Strain we want to see.

PREVIOUSLY: The Strain "Creatures of the Night" Review: Filler Up


91. The art of the opening credit sequence lives on

Intricate TV intros are vestiges of an era when DVRs and digital cable guides didn't exist, but some series still take them seriously, and 2014 saw the debut of some gorgeous ones. Halt and Catch Fire's electro jam, The Leftovers' religious motif and strong score, True Detective's sinister line between good and evil, and Manhattan's diagrams of dual lives accounted for some of the very best.