10) Community
I struggled with having to omit several comedies from this 10th spot. Workaholics was excellent in both ten episode seasons and reminds me of the early season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (you know, when it was funny on a regular basis). The League has continued to improve and last moment Michael Scott had on The Office my single favorite moment of television in 2011. That being said, I went with Community because it continues to forge new ground and comes up with creative ways to be funny each week. Some episodes miss the mark a little but it's never generic or repetitive. It has struggled to find an audience and as I type this it may have aired its final episode but it deserves your eyeballs so give it a chance.
9) The Killing
The creative behind The Killing was savaged after most people, myself included, felt cheated after the finale ended. The show was subsequently left off almost every end of the year list that I've read but not mine. While I didn't agree with the way the finale played out, it's not my place to tell the writers and creator how to make their art. The Killing had already delivered enough for me with terrific acting and beautiful cinematography.
8) Friday Night Lights
It's strange to put for Friday Night Lights on this list one last time. Not strange because it wasn't great but strange because the final season actually aired on DirecTV in 2010 but didn't air on NBC until 2011 when it was simultaneously released on DVD. The fifth season wasn't as strong as the earlier seasons but the finale was fantastic and Kyle Chandler delivered a performance that earned him a well deserved Emmy Award.
7) Bored to Death
This was unfortunately the third and final season of Bored to Death as it received some very poor ratings. That didn't mean that the three leads (Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson) didn't continue to improve their chemistry and comedic timing. Bored to Death was one of the HBO's best comedies but because of a bad time slot and poor promotion it ended too soon.
6) Curb Your Enthusiasm
This season was somewhat uneven season of Curb Your Enthusiasm as every single episode wasn't quite as good but the other episodes were as funny as anything on television. It would have been easy to disappoint this season after the seventh season which saw the writers expertly pull off the Seinfeld reunion but "Palestinian Chicken" and "The Bi-Sexual" will go down as two of the funniest episodes of any Larry David related show.
5) Homeland
What is most important to a good television drama isn't generally the storyline but the characters. You won't come back every week if you don't care about the characters no matter how compelling the story. Homeland has three incredible characters played by Damian Lewis, Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin. The story navigates some interesting turns that keep you wondering at times how it will continue on but every week you come back because of well written characters and phenomenal performances that bring them to life.
4) Parks and Recreation
It might not be the very best show on television but I derive a greater amount of pleasure from each episode of Parks and Recreation than any other show. Not only is it consistently hilarious but they've managed to make you care about the characters in an unexpected way. Since Parks and Recreation was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur who were the creative minds behind The Office (US version) they were many comparisons drawn early on. However, I care more about Leslie Knope and the rest of the Pawnee Parks Department than I ever cared about Michael Scott and Dunder Mifflin which is saying a lot.
3) Justified
Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins elevated the first season of Justified from your average police procedural to excellent drama but the additions of Jeremy Davies and Margo Martindale in the second season made it must watch television. I mentioned on twitter while the show was airing that if you're not watching Justified you should throw your television in the trash because you're not using it properly. I stand by that comment.
2) Boardwalk Empire
After a stunning first season, it would have been easy for Terrence Winter and the writing staff for Boardwalk Empire to rest on their laurels (see The Walking Dead). Although the second season took a few episodes to build, it certainly delivered by the time the riveting finale aired. Boardwalk Empire is brutally violent and profane but it is simultaneously beautiful and profound. The creative minds steered the season in a very interesting direction leaving several questions for where the new season will pick up. After the exceptional finale, I'll be waiting eagerly.
1) Breaking Bad
It's nice to not have to worry about what to put at number one on my list. And although I was concerned about the fact that I watched all four seasons of Breaking Bad this year that I would judge the show not just on the quality of the most recent season, it's so far and away the best program on television it didn't matter. There are at least five characters on Breaking Bad that are not only some of the very best characters on TV right now but several will go down as some of the greatest in television history. This show will become a cult phenomenon similar to The Wire so you might as well get on board now so you can watch the final season with the rest of us.
Honorable mention:
The League
Modern Family
The Office
The Walking Dead
Workaholics
Feel free to let me know if there's something I'm missing or if you don't agree.
