Best TV of 2010

There's a lot of people who consider television the younger sibling of movies, but recently, I can't see why that's so. There are some shows on TV now that are consistently better than most movies try to be. With more and more excellent movie stars, writers, directors, and producers being attracted to television, a lot of shows are achieving the "cinematic-ness" and quality that was once reserved for movies. 2010 was another excellent year for TV and below are my favorites from this past year.

Honorable Mention: 24

Everyone who knows me well enough knows that 24 was my favorite television show through most of high school. The first few seasons of the show were excellent, but somewhere along the way 24 lost its way. It went from "must-watch" television where I literally could not wait to see what Jack would do next to "it's okay if I miss an episode" television. Season 6 was just plain bad, but 24 rebounded with a pretty excellent Season 7 and this past year, Season 8. The inclusion of President Hassan and his untimely death and the epic return of Gregory Itzin as Charles Logan in the third act was somewhat of a return to form. While I was left somewhat disappointed with how the series ended on television, the idea of a 24 movie gets me very excited.

6. DAMAGES

Damages remains one of the most underrated TV shows currently on TV. The fact that FX was forced to cancel the show after its third season this past year because of low viewership is a travesty. Fortunately, Damages will live on after DirecTV picked up the show for two additional seasons this past July. So what did I like about this past season? How about some of the best acting on television? From series stars Glenn Close and Rose Byrne to supporting stars Ted Danson, Lily Tomlin, and Martin Short, the acting on this show this past season was phenomenal. The above five people were even all nominated for Emmys this year. There is no show more criminally underrated than this one.

5. DEXTER

Last year's season four of Dexter was arguably one of its best yet. John Lithgow was AMAZING as the villainous Trinity Killer, Michael C. Hall really upped his game, and the last episode of the season provided the most intense hour of television I've ever seen. So what could the cast and crew behind Dexter possibly do to top Season 4? Well, they weren't really able to unfortunately, but Season 5 was still pretty damn good. I was initially turned off by Julia Stiles' character Lumen, but in the end was impressed with the turn the revenge story took. Add in some really badass performances by "Robocop" Peter Weller and Jonny Lee Miller and you've got a pretty good season. My advice for next year? Ditch the boring Laguerta-Batista romance subplots and finally let Deb find out about Dexter. They've been teasing us long enough.

4. BOARDWALK EMPIRE

I don't think there was a series premiere of a show I was more excited for than Boardwalk Empire. Considering it's executive-produced by Martin Scorsese and Sopranos showrunner Terence Winter and stars Steve Buscemi, I don't think my anticipation was unjust. While some of the season didn't sit well with me (Paz de la Huerta's character and Jimmy's wife subplots come to mind), this show was a really entertaining portrayal of 1920's Atlantic City. Everything, from the sets to the extras to the wardrobe, was just perfect. The show also boasts one of the most impressive supporting casts I've ever seen, including brilliant performances by Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Stephen Graham as Al Capone. I'm definitely excited for Season 2 and the prospect of seeing more of this world that Martin Scorsese, Terence Winter, and their incredibly talented writers has created.

3. LOST

Whether you liked how Lost ended or not, the series finale of Lost this past May was THE television event of the year. People who had never even seen an episode sat in front of their TV because they were curious to see how one of the best television shows would end. Many would end up disappointed, but there's no denying that it was a wild ride. I'm still on the fence as to how I feel about the end, but for me a sour ending can not ruin the intrigue and curiosity the show provided me. This last season especially had me dying to see what the next episode would bring and how those damned flash-forwards/flash-sideways/flash-wtfs? would fit in with everything. Just the pure fact that I was THAT excited when previously deceased characters Charlie, Faraday, Libby, and others returned for the finale is a testament to the fine writing and character development behind Lost.

2. THE WALKING DEAD

I think The Walking Dead really came out of nowhere for most people. Of course I was interested in the show because Frank Darabont was executive-producing and writing, but I hadn't really heard of the graphic novels the series was based on nor had I heard of nearly any of the actors in the show before. I had no idea that the show would completely blow my mind the way it did. Despite having the handicap of only being six episodes, I became very invested in the characters and their outcomes. The action and suspense the zombies provided really got you nervous for these characters. The Walking Dead is also the goriest, most brutal TV show I've ever seen (intestines scarf anyone?). Although the zombie genre is very overdone, it's hardly ever done as good as this.

1. BREAKING BAD

I only recently discovered Breaking Bad, but I'm so glad I did. Who knew the dad from Malcolm in the Middle would become one of the greatest anti-heroes in television history? Everything on Breaking Bad- the writing, the directing, the acting, and the action- is perfect. This past season the show's writers made one of the greatest decisions they could possibly make when Walt's wife finally found out about his meth-dealing. Instead of teasing us with this possibility like Dexter constantly teases us about Deb finding out about Dexter's killings, the writers behind Breaking Bad made a bold step by actually letting this happen. They made an even bolder step in making Sky go along with Walt's plans instead of abandoning him. Every step these characters make seems crazy, until the next episode when it gets more intense and crazier. Breaking Bad is THE boldest, most entertaining show on television and if you're not watching it already, you owe it to yourself to do so.

So there ya go...my favorite TV from 2010! Coming up in the next few days I'll attempt my Top 10 Movies of 2010 list! I still have a lot I need to check out first though.

-Jared