Tragedy and television
The various maladies that befall humanity got some well-known faces this week: the death of the well-liked actor James Avery topped the list, but Michael Schumacher, who is in a coma after a skiing accident, also drew attention. Jordan Belfort, one of the many faces of the economic tragedy unfolding around us, remained in focus as the inspiration for the film The Wolf of Wall Street. And Anderson Silva's failed attempt to reclaim his UFC champion's crown from his nemesis Chris Weidman drew sympathy for the kind of tragedy everyone can relate to. In other news, the return of the TV series Sherlock energised the world, while Breaking Bad, despite being over for two months, continues to be a talking point.
For the week of 29 December to 4 January, here are the ten most popular articles on the English Wikipedia. For the complete top 25 report, see WP:TOP25.
Rank Article Class Views Image Notes 1 James Avery (actor) 
624,917 
The much loved actor who played Will Smith's uncle Philip Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (and voiced the Shredder in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series) died unexpectedly on New Year's Eve, sparking an outpouring of affection. 2 Michael Schumacher 
624,452 
The man whom many regard as the greatest Formula One driver of all time is now in a critical condition and a medically induced coma after an off-piste skiing accident. As of this writing, his condition is described as stable, though naturally fans are desperate for updates. 3 Sherlock (TV series)
607,049 
The contemporary-set revamp of the Sherlock Holmes mythos has become a surprise global hit (and turned its star, Benedict Cumberbatch into an international sex symbol) and is now watched in 200 countries and territories (out of 254), so it's not surprising that its much ballyhooed return from a two-year hiatus was met with feverish anticipation. 4 Jordan Belfort
514,459 Onetime stockbroker who spent 22 months in prison for running a penny stock boiler room, he went on to write the books that the film The Wolf of Wall Street is based on. 5 Facebook 
410,816 
A perennially popular article 6 Breaking Bad
401,159 
People just can't let this show go. The most Wikipedia'd show of the year ended for good two months ago; even so, with its appearance on countless "best of the year" lists, and an unexpected endorsement from US President Barack Obama, it's still drumming interest from the public. On December 27, AMC began a four-day marathon, showing all 62 episodes. 7 The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 film) 
308,837 Martin Scorsese's acclaimed account of one person's contribution to our general economic misery opened to a respectable $34 million on Christmas Day. 8 American Hustle (2013 film)
286,132 David O. Russell's star-studded 70s art-forgery caper is getting strong reviews and decent box office returns, having grossed $90 million domestic in its first 24 days. 9 UFC 168 Unassessed 355,541 
The rematch between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, who took the UFC Middleweight Championship title when he knocked Silva out last July, again went to Weidman. 10 Frozen (2013 film)
321,251 Disney's de facto sequel to Tangled has become something of a sensation. It reclaimed the top spot in the US charts on its sixth weekend (a feat only matched by Avatar and Titanic) and has already outperformed its predecessor at the box office, having grossed nearly $650 million worldwide.
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