Doctor Who - If I had to rank this, it would probably fall somewhere in the mid-teens because while Tennant was consistently awesome, the specials themselves varied in quality. And since they were all shown separately and not part of an actual season, I decided not to include it in the rankings.
Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone - It's hard to rank these because they both got canceled and the network just burned off their final episodes when no one was looking. I saw both of their ends and well I suppose it was too much to ask for both of them to continue. Still, brave effort.And now for ranked shows...
30. Robin Hood - The show's final season ended in a bit of a whimper despite the explosions and all of the deaths, but it was consistent and consistent is good nowadays.
29. Skins - Not as good as the original cast, but did anyone really expect that? Some rocky episodes and the cast is a tad unlikable at first, but what can I say, it's a guilty pleasure.
28. The Mentalist - Ranked pretty much the same as last year for me. The show is good enough. Nothing too special. Of course it's a star vehicle for Simon Baker, but at least the cast is getting some more quality air time this year.
27. Brothers & Sisters - It's still the same Walker family dealing with more problems and all of that. Not sure why this show ranked so low, but maybe because I'm a bit tired of all their drama.
26. Drop Dead Diva - A little summer show on Lifetime that was headline by newcomer Brooke Elliot. It was cute and the cast is fun.
25. So You Think You Can Dance - You'd think having two seasons in one year means double the pleasure. Actually it's been the opposite. But it's still a kick-ass show, but hoping it becomes must-see-tv again.
24. The Good Wife - I told myself I wasn't going to get into a lawyer-type show this season, but good reviews sucked me in and glad I did. Julianna Marguillies is awesome in it.
23. V - It's only four episodes, but the packed a wallop didn't they? It could still end up being very bad in the long run (see Heroes), but for now I'm itching for the next episodes.
22. American Idol - One name: Kris Allen. I sort of fell in love with him and he ended up winning and that's pretty much it. Plus with other great talents like Adam Lambert and Alison Iraheta, it was definitely my favorite season since the show's first.
21. Fringe - The standalone episodes are as gory and disgusting as ever, but the show shines when they highlight the main plot arc of parallel universes and all of that good stuff for which I'm a total sucker for.
20. 30 Rock - Hey when a comedy makes you laugh, then it's doing its job. Fey and company know how to do it with aplomb and they seem to be fearless when it comes to the types of things they do.
19. Community - The individual characters are kooky enough, but its the chemistry of this ensemble that really makes the show work. Yes, there's still some tinkering to be done, but for the most part it's really finding its legs right now.
18. Cougar Town - I'm an unabashed fan of Courtney Cox so to see her again on prime time is fantastic enough. I'm glad the show is good too! True, the show is miles away better when it focuses less on her "cougar"-ness and more on the relationship she has with her family and friends, but the good news is I think the writers are starting to realize this as well.
17. Ugly Betty - A lot of people have forgotten about this show, but I didn't. Despite some awkward storylines (Mode no money, Wilhemina's daughter, Daniel's cult), the heart of the show i.e. Betty has continued to flourish and the show is so much better for it. Yay to makeovers!
16. Chuck - It was a close call there for a second with its imminent cancellation, but thank God it's back because this "new" Chuck is going to be so fascinating to watch. Not that the "old" Chuck wasn't, because he was. And I'll shut up now.
15. Amazing Race - Another year and another two wonderful seasons that showed up dozens of exotic places I can only dream about going to someday. While both seasons sort of gave us "expected" winners, the individual legs seemed more brutal and thus refreshing to see.
14. Castle - If Joss Whedon ever were to do a procedural, he'd be hard press to improve on this one. In fact if you didn't tell me who did it, I would've guess it was Whedon with its slick humor and snappy dialogue. The cast is also fantastic.
13. Greek - It was a roller coaster year, not only for the show, but also the characters. The ever-evolving Cappie/Casey/Evan triangle is more palatable now that they're all friends and I don't see Evan as a huge douchebag anymore. Also Rebecca is nice and Dale is no longer a virgin. Both sounds so wrong, but it actually works very well for both characters.
12. 24 - There was nowhere to go but up since it's last disappointing season. And they delivered. The change in scenery (goodbye Los Angeles!) really re-energized the show as well as some new cast members. Of course, Jack is still there with Chloe! Both still kicking some ass, the way I like 'em.
11. Supernatural - This is what happens when I see all 4 (and a half) seasons. I fall in love with it. It helps that this whole angels/apocalypse stuff is really REALLY riveting. Plus Misha Collins? Too great for words.
Here are my Top Ten list...
10. Glee - Inconsistent and insanely manic would be putting it mildly and yet this show is probably the one show this year that was the breakout pop culture hit. How could it not with its solid ratings, its Twitter-ing cast members, and its hit CDs? The songs are hit and miss, but mostly hits. The cast are adorable and Jane Lynch gives an award-worthy performance. If she doesn't win an Emmy next year, it would be a humongous upset.Standout Performance: Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester
Standout Episodes: Pilot, Preggers, Throwdown, Wheels, Hairography, Sectionals
9. Being Human - This little British show's concept seems cheesy, but it works! Basically it's a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost all living as roommates as they deal with their "unhumanness." If Joss were to do a British show, I'd picture him to be doing this. Hm, actually they are making an American version and are in need a a show-runner. Paging Mr. Whedon.Standout Performance: Russell Tovey as "George"
Standout Episodes: Episode 1.1, Episode 1.4, Episode 1.5, Episode 1.6
8. Mad Men - A strong season despite not enough of the ladies. The ladies made Season 2 so absolutely awesome. Still, the show plowed through with the British takeover the main storyline amidst the rapidly degeneration of Don's spheres of lives. One more comment: the finale was perfection.Standout Performance: Jon Hamm as Don Draper
Standout Episodes: My Old Kentucky Home, Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency, The Grown-Ups, Shut The Door. Have A Seat
7. The Big Bang Theory - Jim Parsons continues to amaze and with his ascension, the show is quickly becoming one of my favorite sitcoms. It helps that the rest of the cast is also pretty good, but damn if you just can't take your eyes off Parsons.Standout Performance: Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper
Standout Episodes: The Maternal Capacitance, The Cushion Saturation, The Vegas Renormalization, The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation, The Guitarist Amplification, The Adhesive Duck Deficiency, The Maternal Congruence
6. How I Met Your Mother - Still great even though they had to deal with Colbie and Alyson's pregnancies in the latter half of last season. The cast are still gellin' and the storylines are still fun fun fun!Standout Performance: Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson
Standout Episodes: Three Days of Snow, The Front Porch, Old King Clancy, Right Place Right Time, Double Date, The Sexless Innkeeper, Bagpipes, Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap
5. Battlestar Galactica - There's probably a lot of naysayers out there concerning this final season of BSG and while I was also less than enthused about, oh the last 5-10 minutes of the show, the season itself was more than fine for this die-hard fan. Going to miss that wreck of a ship and that superbly talented and beautiful cast.Standout Performance: Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin
Standout Episodes: The Oath, Blood on the Scales, No Exit, Daybreak
4. Modern Family - The cast is just perfection. Perfection. I think there was one episode (the pilot) where I wasn't sure if I was going to love this show. Since then, they've knocked it out of the park. Every. Time. Who knew you could do a family sitcom nowadays that actually made you laugh instead of cringe?Standout Performance: Eric Stonestreet as Cam Tucker
Standout Episodes: The Bicycle Thief, The Incident, Coal Digger, Fizbo, Undeck the Halls
WINNER: Best Comedy Show
3. Dollhouse - When I made this list earlier this month, it was ranked #10. With each and every new episode this month, it just kept going up and up. Because yes, even without those episodes I still would've ranked this show on my Top 10 because it's a Joss show and I'm nothing but a devoted fan. But this month the show became AMAZING and I'm probably underselling it a bit.Standout Performance: Enver Gjokaj as "Victor"
Standout Episodes: Echoes, Needs, Briar Rose, Epitaph One, Belonging, The Left Hand, A Love Supreme, Stop Loss, The Attic
2. Lost - May not be #1 this year, but it's still a brilliant brilliant show. I feel sorry for those who have stopped watching the show a couple of seasons back, because this is the show that only got better with age. The new element of time traveling could've been cheesy, but it really wasn't and in this crazy ass island, it almost felt natural. Like, of course, they can time travel! Heading into it's final season, I have no doubts this show will satisfy.Standout Performance: Michael Emerson as Ben Linus
Standout Episodes: Because You Left, Jughead LaFleur, Namaste, Dead is Dead, The Variable, The Incident
1. Torchwood - When I heard that the third season would only consist of five episodes to air in one week, I was thinking the worst. Could I have been any more wrong? The third season entitled "Children of Earth" delivered in so many levels. It was epic. It was risky. It was riveting. It was bloody amazing TV. It's so great, that I'm just a little bit reluctant for the next season since how could it possibly live up to what they've already done? They'll try and I pray they succeed.Standout Performance: Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper
Standout Episodes: All five episodes of "Children of Earth."
WINNER: Best Drama Show
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Tally: ABC leads with 7 mentions followed shockingly by FOX with 6. CBS has 5 mentions while BBC America (not including Doctor Who) has 4 mentions.
Here are the rest of the shows that I watched, but didn't make the rankings: Gossip Girl, True Blood, Merlin, Private Practice, White Collar, Family Guy, Accidentally on Purpose, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Project Runway, Desperate Housewives, Design Star, Sanctuary, Models of the Runway
Finally, here are the unlucky few dishonorable mentions: Heroes, FlashForward, Stargate Universe, Life on Mars, Grey's Anatomy, Big Brother, Eastwick
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