My Next 5 TV Shows of 2012

I gave you my top ten the other day and you can check those out here. Since I made a full list, I figured I'd take a look at a few other shows that either surprised or disappointed me this year.

My Next 5 Favorite Shows of 2012 (in no particular order)

Dexter
Fav. Ep. "Are You...?"
A real return to quality after a comically bad sixth season. This year started strong, meandered in the middle, then came through with a big last episode. I'm legitimately excited for the final season although I've excepted what Dexter isn't as well as all the things it is.

Game of Thrones
Fav. Ep. "Blackwater"
I came in late to this show and binged this season in about a week. I am constantly impressed by how epic the scale of the production of this show is. It's hard to believe this show is actually on the air. The second season was a little uneven and it was at times hard to see how all the things going on connected, but my understanding is that that's as much a problem of the text as anything. I can't wait to hear what is in store for season three.

New Girl
Fav. Ep. "Fancyman Part 1"
It's so nice to see a show figure itself out. 2012 saw this show transform from a manic pixie dream girl dominated vehicle for Zooey Deschanel into an outright ensemble, harnessing the comedic chops of Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, and even at times Lamorne Morris while recalibrating Deschanel into a real, human character.

Shameless
Fav. Ep. "Hurricane Monica"
I'm not sure why this is called a comedy so often considering the strongest elements are the dramatic ones, namely the phenomenal Emmy Rossum. Really, the entire cast of Gallagher children is an embarrassment of talent, each one managing to wow me a few times throughout the season.

The Walking Dead
Fav. Ep. "Better Angels"
Since leaving the farm (a phrase I could see as a sister to "jumping the shark", meaning "the change that moves a show to the next level") the show has gotten much better. I don't think the issues with the farm were fixed as much as ignored for what it does right (killing zombies and action in general). While I've never understood the fervor a lot of people have for the show, it is a fun alternative while waiting for new Mad Men or Breaking Bad to come back.

A Few Other Shows That Surprised Me (in a good way)

Ben & Kate - This show came in with fully-formed chemistry in the cast and is still trying to figure out what to do with them. I fear we won't be seeing a second season of this which is a shame because I'd like to see where it could go.

Go On - What started as The Matthew Perry show is finally settling in and figuring out what to do with the unwieldy cast size. This certainly looks to be the best of NBC's next generation of comedies.


Wilfred - This show continues to delve into darker places, relying less of Jason Ganz playing on the human-dressed-as-a-dog conceit. I fully expected the second season to fall off the map, but it got even more engaging than before.

A Few Shows That Disappointed Me

Modern Family - In truth, I don't know what I was expecting. After a first season that looks increasingly like a fluke, it has continued in its downward trajectory relying increasingly on sight gags, convolutions, and sacrificing character growth to get laughs.

The Office - After a weak as ever end to the season in May, the return of Greg Daniels and promise of this being the final season has been massively underwhelming even if it is better than it has been the past could years.

Up All Night - So many people that I like are involved in this show. There were glimmers of improvement even with a complete overhaul going into season two. It still couldn't get better ratings and with the news that it's switching to a multi-cam comedy in the Spring, I simply can't continue with it. If it turns out to improve greatly with the switch and has a long run, I'll happily revisit it, but I doubt that will happen and am getting off this sinking ship.