Top 10 of 2k10: TV

Let me just say this up front, 2010 was a ridiculous year for television. I tuned in to around 25 different shows throughout the year, and most were great, which made it really hard to whittle that list down to a top 10. Let me just take a second to mention a few shows that didn't make it, one sentence each.

Honorable Mentions: Dramas:
House - This is one of my favorite shows on television, and it didn't make it in to the top 10, too bad it only got good late in the season with the arrival of Masters.

Parenthood - Sentimental dramas aren't really my thing, but the characters in this show are so well written and acted it's hard not to watch.

Dexter - I've been reluctant to finish this season because I don't really like Julia Stiles,  not to mention she has to follow John Lithgow's amazing performance last season.

Weeds - It was nice to see the Botwin family on the run, they returned to the family dynamic that made the first few seasons so great.

Honorable Mentions: Comedies:
The League - This show is ridiculous, some of the best jokes of the year have come from The League, and it's not really about football.

Archer - H. Jon Benjamin is one of my favorite voice actors and he's hilarious as a spy, watch this on Netflix.

East Bound & Down - I was kind of late on watching this show, but Danny McBride is brilliant as Kenny F'in Powers.

Like I said, lot of good shows and that's not even the best of the best. Honestly, isn't having honorable mentions a cop-out? At least I kept them to one sentence...lot of commas though...no semi-colons, so there.



Anyway, Top 10:

10. The Office
The last season with Steve Carell as Michael Scott, and what a note to leave on. This has honestly been one of the funniest seasons since the series started, I live for the cold opens. Oddly enough Erin is becoming my favorite thing about the show, I thought she was annoying at first but now nearly everything she says or does is hilarious.
Favorite Episode: Costume Contest

9. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Most people will admit that Sunny hasn't been the same since season 2, but I feel like season 6 is back to form. Generally the episodes are all one shot storylines so it was weird to see some overarching plots through the season but I think it worked well to develop the characters some. Honestly what really made Sunny great was the writing, it's simple enough but I found most of the jokes funny in every episode.
Favorite Episode: The Gang gets stranded in the woods

8. Lost
THE FINAL SEASON, how many times did you have to see that on ABC? Really, season 1 is the best season of lost ever. Although, It was nice to see the story wrap up and finally have most questions answered. Were they? I don't know, Lost was a complicated show and its hard to wrap up a series like it in a way that satisfies everyone but I liked the ending...mostly.
Favorite Episode: Its hard to pick one because of the story so I'm going to go with Favorite Character: Desmond! (Aye, brotha.)

7. The Walking Dead
AMC, the movie channel mind you, is getting really good at making tv shows. I haven't read the comics so I can't compare the two, but I really like the story in Walking Dead. It might not be the most original thing ever, but its good.
Favorite Episode: Vatos

6. 30 Rock
Can I just express alarm at the fact that at one point 30Rock was my favorite show on television and now its number six for the year. Thank you. As Liz Lemon would say, "What the what?' It was actually a pretty good season too, its just that there were so many good shows.
Favorite Episode: Live Show (I know its not the best of the season, but seriously, they did a live show just because. How awesome is that?)

5. Modern Family
Modern Family is like Parenthood but funny, which sucks for Parenthood because MF is really funny. I still don't love all the characters but most have grown on me. I don't care for the goofball humor of Phil and Luke, but Cam and Mitchell (the gay couple) really make the show great.
Favorite Episode: Unplugged

4. Parks and Recreation
That this show has been on hiatus since early 2010 is a crime, the only bright side to which is that season two is on Netflix. I wasn't really sold on Parks&Rec after season one but I stuck with it and boy am I happy I did. This is one of the funniest shows on tv and thats not hard to believe given the cast.
Favorite Episode: (Limiting myself to ones that just came out in 2010) 94 Meetings

3. Community
There's not too much to say other than, COMMUNITY IS THE FUNNIEST SHOW ON TV AND IF YOU'RE NOT WATCHING IT YOU SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO HAVE CABLE. Also: I'm in love with Alison Brie, I'm in lust with Gillian Jacobs. Donald Glover should have been the new Spiderman.
Favorite Episode: Nope,
Top 5 Episodes of Community:
5.Aerodynamics of Gender
4.Mixology Certification
3.Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas
2.Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design
1.Cooperative Calligraphy - "Well tell your disappointment to suck it! WERE DOING A BOTTLE EPISODE!"


2. Louie
I can only call Community the funniest show on tv because Louie is so complicated I sometimes consider it a drama. Just like Louis C.K.'s stand up Louie will make you laugh out loud or look introspectively at what your beliefs, either way it and he are brilliant. Not to mention the show is remarkably well produced.
Favorite Episodes: Poker/Divorce or Pilot for laughs. God for life changing from an FX show.


1. Mad Men
Mad Men really had me going for a minute, it seemed like the plot had no direction. And yet, this season had some of the most interesting character development of the series, which is astonishing for a character driven show this far along in its series. Of course Don's dilemma of what direction to take his life after his divorce is interesting, but I really enjoyed seeing Peggy and Joan rise among the ranks of Sterling Cooper Draper Price.
Favorite Episode: The Beautiful Girls (whoo! Girl Power!)