The 10 Best Shows of 2010

When it comes to TV, 2010 was really a mixed bag, wasn't it? Yes, it was the year that gave us "The Glades," "Bridalplasty" and scads of fairly worthless freshmen series on the broadcast networks. It was a year when one of the few promising network series, "LoneStar," died a quick death, and when one of the more promising cable series, "Terriers," died a slightly longer death.
It was year when some dear old friends left us, including "Lost" and "24," creating a bit of a gap in the TV landscape.
Yet this was also the year that gave us the best season yet of AMC's "Breaking Bad." It was the year that gave us perhaps the best "Mad Men" episode to date, "The Suitcase." It was a year in which we were introduced to some fine new cable shows, including the nifty "Justified" and the elegant "Boardwalk Empire."
It was, as I said, a mixed bag. But there was plenty to be happy about. Below is my list of the 10 best shows of 2010. Some are what you would expect. Some aren't (I'm as surprised by my number 10 choice as you are). But all represent some of my best TV watching experiences of the year.

The Best TV Lines of 2010

We all know the end of the year is a prime time of "Best of" lists. And yes, I am prepping a "Best Shows of 2010" list (hopefully coming next week -- stay tuned).
But this year, I thought I'd mix it up and do a best quotes of 2010 list. I asked for suggestions and got almost nothing from you people. So, I was left to my own devices to come up with a list of the verbal highlights of 2010. I tried my best, but I know there are many things I forgot (my failure to come up with a single memorable line from either "The League" or "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" shames me to no end).
Still, here is my sure-to-be-imperfect-but-complete-to-the-best-of-my-abilities list of the best quotes of 2010.

"Terriers" season finale recap: "Hail Mary"

Recap of the season (and hopefully not series) finale of FX's "Terriers" below. Don't click through if you don't want to know.

Best bet for tonight

As you likely know, a bunch of new series are making their debuts this evening, including NBC's "The Event" (premiering at 9 p.m.), Fox's much-hyped "Lone Star" (8 p.m.) and CBS's "Hawaii Five-O" (10 p.m.). Though I've not seen the official review version of any of these shows, my tentative favorite of the bunch is "Hawaii," a lively reinvention of the classic series. Alex O'Loughlin is a touch wooden in the Jack Lord role, but Scott Caan is hilarious scene-stealer as sidekick Dano. Plus, "Lost" fans will be thrilled to see the return of Daniel Dae Kim, sporting his natural (and very American) accent. It's not a great show, but it's a solid cop drama, which I much preferred to the soap opera antics of "Lone Star" or the serial sci-fi nonsense of "The Event."
By the way, I'm going to try to review as many new shows as possible (I've already offered my takes on the odious Jimmy Smits vehicle "Outlaw" and the excellent new cable shows "Terriers" and "Boardwalk Empire"), but I haven't gotten a chance to see them all, which is why you haven't seen any "10 best" or "10 worst" lists. So far, I have been underwhelmed by many of the broadcast offerings, but hope springs eternal. Anyway, if you're interested in reading my early impressions on some of the new shows (including "The Event" and "Lone Star") check out my "Not For Review" pieces on the site.
And happy viewing!

Good dogs: Reviewing the new FX series "Terriers"

When NBC proposed a remake of the classic series "The Rockford Files," many balked, but I thought it could be interesting. After all, what better hero for these down-trodden times than Jim Rockford, a scruffy yet resourceful private investigator, who plugs along against foes who are often stronger and better funded? The original attempt to remake that show faltered, though a new one is in the works.
However, if the remake never happens, that's now just fine with me. After seeing FX's new series "Terriers" (premiering tonight at 10 p.m.), I've decided that the show's protagonist, Hank Dolworth (Donal Logue), fills this generation's need for a scruffy but scrappy P.I. better than any revamped Rockford ever could.