Top 10s of 2010: TV Shows

Like most of us, I dig ‘top tens’. It’s a way to look back and reflect on the things we like. It’s also a way to make ourselves feel more important than we really are. I mean, let’s face it—will my list have any bearing your life? Doubt it. But I digress.
Without further ado, I’d like to start off this series by listing my favorite shows of 2010. These are either new shows for the year, or shows that I feel had a very strong year.
Let’s begin:
- Boardwalk Empire
Simply put, this series is everything you’d expect from HBO and more. Producer Martin Scorsese set the tone by directing the first episode, and while the rest of them haven’t quite lived up to the first, it is still in my opinion the best show on TV. The sets, acting, pacing, etc. are second to none. A must watch.
- The Walking Dead
A TV series…about zombies? Say it ain’t so! Oh, but it is. And it delivers. AMC proves that they are more than just the network that owns “Mad Men”. Based on the popular graphic novel series, “The Walking Dead” is everything any zombie fan would want in a TV series. It takes the material seriously, and really gives you the sense of what life would be like in a post-apocalyptic zombie world…without taking itself TOO seriously…
- Friday Night Lights
Not always the most talked about series (which is probably why this year saw the final season) but this show continues to deliver powerful drama. It’s so much more than “just that show about football.” This show has heart, and portrays family better than anything I’ve ever seen on TV. Not many shows can put tears in my eyes, but this show just has a way to do it. As I work through the last season (It’s a Direct TV exclusive…go figure), I find it bittersweet, but almost happy that it ends before the shark gets jumped.
- Louie
Simply the best comedy on TV. Love that FX gave Louis CK the freedom to do the show he wanted to do. It’s an honest comedy with a whole lot of heart. I really, really hope this show goes the distance, because it deserves more than a few Emmys.
- Mad Men
Hard to have a ‘top ten’ list of TV shows without mentioning this Emmy winner. While this year was not the best season IMO, it was an improvement from the previous year. Watching Don Draper battle his own demons week after week continues to be simply good television.
- Southland
Was sad to see NBC give up on this series, but happy that TNT now carries the torch. This series deserves to be seen. With so many cop dramas on TV, it’s easy to understand how this one got buried. This show does a great job of creating this realistic, yet ‘hyper’ realistic world of Los Angeles. Can’t wait for more.
- American Pickers
This was my guilty pleasure of 2010. Seriously? Two guys who drive around the Midwest and look for junk to buy and turn a profit on? But something about it keeps me coming back for more. Yes, in a lot of ways it’s just another half-scripted reality show, but it continues to entertain. In a lot of ways, it chronicles a big piece of America that is slowly dying.
- Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job!
This show in so many ways is just twisted and wrong…which is exactly why I love it. It’s sketch comedy on speed. It’s the only show on TV you can enjoy and yet feel incredibly dirty afterward (that’s not porn, of course).
- The Mentalist
A super intelligent smart-ass on TV who’s not Gregory House? Sign me up! Although the writers IMO are sitting on a goldmine here with their “Red John” storyline and don’t seem to use it enough, this show nevertheless delivers the same formulaic crime drama, but with a new twist in the character Jayne. He’s just interesting enough to keep you coming back. Although sometimes he’s the ONLY thing that keeps you coming back.
- True Blood
Down on my list only because I haven’t seen many of this year’s episodes, but the little I saw was enough. Despite being incredibly cheesy at times, this show just compels me to keep watching. You just never know what they’re going to do next.