The Big Ten: TV

The Big Ten continues with a look at the ten television shows I considered appointment viewing over the last year. These are the series I watched religiously, the episodes I talked about obsessively and the moments that left a lasting impression. The grand total amounts to two reality shows, three comedies, and five dramas (NBC wins the network showdown with three entries). Some of the omissions surprised me (old favorites The Hills, Glee and True Blood are no where to be found), and I have a feeling some of the year's late entries (The Vampire Diaries, for instance) will have a strong case for inclusion come the end of 2011. Until then . . .

#10. The Real Housewives of New York City: Despite the unending bitterness, bitchiness and hurt feelings that resulted from the great case of Zarin vs. Frankel, the New York City Housewives actually managed to deliver an entertaining, funny and fun third season. New housewife Sonja Morgan proved a welcome breath of fresh air - she drank a lot, talked about sex a lot, poked fun at the other women and never seemed to take the proceedings too seriously (ahem, Jill). The season didn't achieve greatness, however, until the majority of the cast headed south to a tropical oasis known as Scary Island (or St. John's). There, Kelly proceeded to lose her sanity (a tote bag Bethenny gave her as a gift made her cry from fear). She declared she didn't eat high fructose corn syrup (except gummy bears), insisted that making "lemons into lemonade" was when you "took a small thing and made it bigger," and failed to operate a sliding glass door. Bethenny, never one to miss an opportunity for a witty aside, thoroughly skewered her. It was excellent (until it wasn't and producers had to remove Kelly from the premises, but before that, it was excellent).

#9. Grey's Anatomy: I rediscovered Grey's Anatomy this year after the strong buzz generated by last season's gunman-loose-in-the-hospital finale. I had been away from the show since season three (when Meredith fake died), and found myself pleasantly surprised by its progress. Sandra Oh as Cristina continues to be the best thing about the series, even when playing a Cristina suffering from crippling post traumatic stress disorder and doubting her career as a surgeon. I have a soft spot for new addition Sarah Drew; while some find her character, April, incredibly annoying, I find her sweet. The show's biggest improvement can be found in its title character; after years of "dark and twisty" angst, Meredith Grey has finally become a reasonable, mature adult. It's incredibly refreshing and has made all the difference (that, and Ellen Pompeo's hair has never looked better).

#8. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: Survivor is another series I revisited after a long hiatus (I stopped watching after the incredible season Yul won). All star seasons of competitive reality shows always appeal to me (you already know the players, so you don't have to waste time figuring out who's an asshole), so I gave this a shot. While noted douche Russell Hantz dominated the majority of the airtime, stealth superheroes Parvati Shallow and Sandra Diaz-Twine dominated the game. I have never seen a Tribal Council as thrilling as the one in which Parvati played two hidden immunity idols, thereby saving her five person alliance and securing the upper hand post merge. She played a smart, aggressive game that only earned her second place (Sandra won), which goes to show the strength of the competition. Also, Jerri Manthey was likeable! Hell has frozen over!

#7. Gossip Girl: I don't regularly watch Gossip Girl, I prefer instead to visit from time to time. This season, I stuck around longer than usual due to the terrific Katie Cassidy's Juliet Sharp calling Serena a "stupid bitch," and the overall strength/ridiculousness of Serena's most recent storyline (Serena saw a picture online of Juliet impersonating her while doing coke, and decided to check herself into rehab because, hey, stranger things have happened). The best part of any Gossip Girl season is the third of the episodes devoted to Serena; season four proves that point (it's also the part of the season when Serena, Blair, Chuck and Nate join forces to destroy the evil socialite of the hour). In case that's not enough to hook you again, Dan and Blair are totally going to do it in the season's second half.

#6. Lone Star: The best new show of the 2010-2011 season was also the first canceled. While Lone Star only aired two episodes, it created an entire world filled to the brim with Texas drama. James Wolk gave a fine (and adorable) performance as con artist Bob/Robert Allen, caught between two worlds, two wives, and two father figures. Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights' Tyra) didn't get quite enough to do as Bob's wife, Cat, but she made the most of the time allotted to her. Ultimately, this promising series never got a chance to hit its stride, but that didn't stop me from falling for it.

#5. Community: I fell hard for Community after last season's paintball episode, "Modern Warfare." With Greendale Community College transformed into an apocalyptic war-zone, our trusty study group got the chance to parody a host of science fiction cliches. Jeff and Britta did it as though as the world was ending, Chang unleashed his inner gangster, Shirley got a noble exit and Abed accessed his inner Neo. Season two hasn't exactly reached those heights (there's been a little too much genre parody, and the last two episodes were rather sad for no discernible reason at the expense of a good laugh), but I still love the show for moments like Troy, Abed, and Annie chloroforming the janitor at Jeff's old law office (twice).

#4. Cougar Town: Do you like drinking wine with your friends? Do you like pulling pranks on people? Do you and your friends name inanimate objects (such as your biggest wine glass)? Do you and your friends seemingly do nothing except drink wine, pull pranks on people, and name inanimate objects? If you said "yes" to any of the previous questions, you will love Cougar Town. It's true that the characters don't do regular things like work, or care for their babies, and it's true that Courtney Cox and Christa Miller have done some unfortunate things to their faces, but it's also true that this show offers up heaping servings of hilarity and heart on a weekly basis. Watching this show is like being in on an excellent inside joke. It's light and breezy and carefree, until Jules and her ex-husband, Bobby, are having a sweet conversation about his low self-esteem while OneRepublic's "Good Life" plays, and suddenly you have a lump in your throat.

#3. Friday Night Lights: Friday Night Lights' motto might as well be "clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose - unless your name is Matt Saracen." Zach Gilford wasn't even a series regular during the show's fourth season, yet his storyline impacted me the most. Sure, Tim Riggins is dark and dreamy, and Luke Cafferty is wholesome and cute, but Matt Saracen will forever have my heart. At this point, what hasn't that kid gone through? Last season's "The Son," in which Matt buried his father, was the most emotional hour of television I saw this year. Everything from the way the Taylor family supported him (Eric and Tami are always at their best in the midst of somebody else's crisis), to Lyla making a surprise appearance at the funeral, grabbed a hold of my heart and didn't let go. Friday Night Lights will be known by many as "that football show," but to its fans, it will be known as one of the most honest and bracing depictions of young adulthood on television.

#2. Parks and Recreation: Parks and Recreation began as an uninspired imitation of The Office. Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope was every bit the unaware dope Michael Scott had already been for the last six years, except she lacked a support system as intriguing as Jim and Pam. Things changed when the show returned for its second season, starting with Leslie. Leslie still cared too much and tried too hard, but her coworkers started to openly wonder and awe at her stamina and conviction, instead of chastise her for them. The writers began to couple Leslie's work ethic with a self-awareness that made her admirable as opposed to pathetic. They also began to cultivate a hilarious supporting team out of the likes of Ron, Tom, April and Andy. To my welcome surprise, Parks and Recreation has come to replace the Office-sized hole in my DVR (er, if I had one); it's warm, kind, occasionally depressing, funny, and ultimately, full of hope.

#1. Mad Men: Some people minded that the season finale zigged when they thought it would zag in regards to Don's love life. Would he choose the successful, progressive Faye, a woman who knows his deepest secrets and loves him anyway, or the demure, intelligent Megan, a blank canvas onto whom he can project the image of his choosing? To the outrage of many, Don chose Megan, a choice that in hindsight makes perfect sense. Don has always struggled to live life openly and confidently. Instead, he constantly changes shape in order to fit the ideal he desires for himself - even if Betty already taught him that his ideals are often nothing more than a fantasy. Regardless of Don's romantic entanglements, season four proved once and for all that the woman with whom he shares the deepest connection will always be Peggy. Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss' lovely duet, "The Suitcase," stands as the most exquisitely crafted episode of TV I watched last year. Over the course of 45 minutes, the pair engage the myriad complications of Don and Peggy's relationship. Neither of them emerge from the evening unscathed, just as the series leaves its mark upon its viewers. While Mad Men's characters struggle to define themselves in a changing world, the show strides forward with a clear, confident vision - even if that vision doesn't always match the one we have imagined.