AFI lauds 'Mad Men,' 'Game of Thrones,' 'Veep'

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Netflix's original series "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black" made the American Film Institute's list of the best television programs of 2013.

Also included on the roster the AFI announced Monday are FX's "The Americans," AMC's "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men," HBO's "Game of Thrones" and "Veep," CBS' "The Good Wife," Showtime's "Masters of Sex" and ABC's "Scandal."

"AFI Awards is a moment for the most accomplished storytellers of 2013 to pause and be appreciated -- not as competitors, but as a community," Bob Gazzale, AFI's president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "Acknowledging their collective contributions to America's rich cultural legacy is both AFI's national mandate -- and our honor."