1. "Breaking Bad": It's a true testament to "Breaking Bad" that it can keep pushing its main character into darker and more irredeemable places yet keep the audience rooting for him. After Walt's (the continually amazing Bryan Cranston) actions in season two caused his separation from his wife and indirectly led to a two-jet collision over Albuquerque, N.M., it was hard to imagine creator Vince Gilligan and company topping themselves. Yet in its third season, "Breaking Bad" ratcheted up the tension, as Walt and Jesse (Aaron Paul) gained employment from drug lord Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) and caught the attention of the Mexican drug cartel. As the duo was pushed to increasingly great lengths, we were left on the edge of our seats. Season four can't come soon enough.
2. "Parks and Recreation": What began as a good-not-great "The Office" clone quickly became TV's best comedy in its second season. Even when we only count the episodes that aired in 2010, "Parks and Rec" consistently had more laughs, better stories and more heart than any of its competitors. Any show that features breakfast-buffet-loving Ron Swanson's (Nick Offerman) chair caning during a local telethon immediately deserves a slot on this list, but it's Leslie's (Amy Poehler) continual optimism, the sweetly evolving relationship between April (Aubrey Plaza) and Andy (Chris Pratt) and the ever-expanding world of Pawnee, Ind., that places this show at number two.
3. "Terriers": Unfortunately, it was announced on Monday that "Terriers" will not be returning for a second season due to low ratings. Although it isn't surprising — the ratings were very, very low — it's disappointing that we must bid farewell to buddies Hank (Donal Logue) and Britt (Michael Raymond-James) as they unravel cases in Ocean Beach, Calif. The two leads had such an easygoing chemistry that the show could have been about nothing but them hanging out around town, but instead we got a rich supporting cast, clever banter and rising stakes that were perfectly paid off. Ultimately, we are left with 13 episodes that audiences should be sorry they missed.
4. "Community": Seven people sit around a table in a community college study room — some pornos have more complicated premises than that. Yet "Community" has rapidly become television's most daring, versatile comedy. Week to week, it's like a show with multiple personality disorder: a zombie movie pastiche, then a comedic conspiracy thriller, then a downbeat examination of the characters' relationships and so on. But the show plays every note with gusto and stays funny. What may seem too wacky sails far on clever writing and perhaps the best ensemble on TV, including Joel McHale, Chevy Chase, Alison Brie and future superstar Donald Glover. As the lead-off for NBC's Thursday line-up, the show's ratings are criminally low; "Community" needs to be rewarded for its ambition and sheer funniness.
5. "Mad Men": At the close of its fourth season, "Mad Men" has proven that it still deserves a spot at the top of the heap. One of the foundations of AMC's reputation for beautifully shot, cerebral series, "Mad Men" follows the trials and travails of the brilliant and womanizing adman Don Draper (Jon Hamm). The perfect blend of tantalizing aesthetic and shocking voyeurism is accented by genuinely interesting psychological drama. Not to mention, the writers' near-obsessive attention to historical detail make the show ripe for rewatching and escaping into the completely foreign world of 1960s Madison Avenue.
6. "Party Down": There's nothing funny about catering, per se, but Adam Scott, Ken Marino and the rest of "Party Down's" stellar cast made food service a must-see comedy event in it's second season. There was never a dull moment, as the gang catered events from an awkward funeral, to a bizarre company picnic and a confusing orgy — there was no event too small or weird for Party Down to cater. By the second season the show had found firm footing even as cast members came and went. "Party Down" was canceled due to low ratings — a fate foreseeable for an original show on Starz — and it will be sorely missed.
7. "Louie": "Louie" is not your standard comedy series. Ignoring carefully plotted arcs, episodes tend to be strings of short vignettes, book-ended by segments of Louis C.K.'s stand-up comedy. The unconventional structure is the show's blessing, though, as it allows C.K. — who writes, directs and stars in every episode — to explore a variety of topics, ranging from airport hassles to religion and homosexuality, in whatever way he wants. The tone could shift from laugh-out-loud hilarious to deeply introspective within a single episode, but that was part of the genius — we never knew what to expect. Funny and thought-provoking, "Louie" was the most pleasant surprise of the year.
8. "Boardwalk Empire": The fact that "Boardwalk Empire" has lived up to the hype is already impressive. This colossal effort from HBO, Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter has been generating buzz since it was first announced, and it hasn't disappointed. The show channels Prohibition-era Atlantic City, providing audiences with a unique lens into the past. "Boardwalk Empire" wisely refrains from stepping on the toes of HBO's previous organized-crime Goliath, "The Sopranos," by keeping its characters from being stereotypical and focusing on the show's historical setting. Steve Buscemi's intense performance as the hopelessly corrupt treasurer "Nucky" Thompson is leaving audiences wondering how dramatic season two will be.
9. "Friday Night Lights": After losing nearly their entire original cast, most shows would be lucky to maintain even a fraction of its initial storytelling rhythm and overall audience goodwill. Good thing "Friday Night Lights" isn't most shows. The small-town Texas football drama has gracefully handled the loss of several beloved characters while simultaneously introducing new characters, a new town and a new school. By now, it feels like they've been there all along. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton continue to have the best marriage on TV and they provide the backbone to a show that has miraculously lasted five seasons. When the fifth and final season ends its run on DirecTV's 101 Network, we will be sad to see it go.
10. "Doctor Who": Since 1963, "Who" has been the BBC's flagship sci-fi family series, following a centuries-old alien, simply called The Doctor, who travels through time and space in a vessel shaped like a phone booth. This year, 28-year-old Matt Smith became the 11th actor to take on the lead role — the Doctor "regenerates" instead of dying — accompanied by Karen Gillan as his latest human companion, Amy Pond. Smith, with new head writer Steven Moffat, offers a fresh interpretation of the character, at times whimsical, fierce and wise. The taut 13-episode season, which culminated with a whiz-bang two-part finale, managed to be smart, funny, scary and poignant. Much like the Doctor, there's no sign of the series showing its age.
