10 Best (and 5 Worst) TV Shows of 2012: Ken Tucker's Picks

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BEST 10. Nashville

Chris Hollo/ABC

The best new show of the fall season, boldly soapy, seamlessly musical.

Read Ken’s review of the series premiere.

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BEST 9. The Good Wife

Jeffrey Neira/CBS

Even with the frustrating Kalinda’s-husband subplot (we’re irritated because we care!), this is network drama’s best show, with the best use of guest stars.

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BEST 8. Justified

Prashant Gupta/FX

The most hardboiled season yet, with an out-of-town hit-man giving Raylan his most formidable villain.

Read Ken’s review of the season 3 premiere.

Continued on next slide.

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BEST 7. Parks and Recreation

Tyler Golden/NBC

Beautifully unironic, carefully avoiding undue meanness, yet still gut-punchingly funny.

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BEST 6. The Colbert Report

Comedy Central

The funniest and most devastating political humor in an election year.

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BEST 5. Mad Men

Ron Jaffe/AMC

Unbuttoning in the 1960s, with characters taking trips both geographical and chemical, making risky business and personal decisions.

Read Ken’s essay on Roger Sterling.

Continued on next slide.

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BEST 4. Girls

HBO

The year’s most impressive debut, and one of its most original sitcoms.

Read Ken’s review of season 1.

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BEST 3. Louie

Expanding sitcom conventions with storylines that allowed for dramatic moments, quiet moments, crazy moments, sometimes all in one episode (see: Parker Posey).

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BEST 2. Breaking Bad

Lewis Jacobs/AMC

The half-season that paid off on Vince Gilligan’s original conceit: ”Mr. Chips will turn into Scarface.”

Read Ken’s review of season 5.

Continued on next slide.

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BEST 1. Homeland

Kent Smith/Showtime

Super-tense, conventional-narrative-shattering, great acting from both Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

Read Ken’s review of the season 2 premiere.

NEXT: Ken picks the worst TV of 2012…

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WORST 5. Phillip Phillips wins American Idol

Michael Becker/Fox

A fitting end to a lousy season; tedious judging, little suspense, a fine-grade sandpaper-voiced but unfortunately bland winner.

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WORST 4. House of Lies

Jordin Althaus/Showtime

How could a show with such a talented cast be so boring?

Continued on next slide.

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WORST 3. Anger Management

Greg Gayne/FX

Charlie Sheen makes a triumphant return to TV! Well, no, let’s just make that a ”return to TV.”

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WORST 2. Animal Practice

Neil Jacobs/NBC

Justin Kirk and Joanna Garcia-Swisher didn’t deserve to be stuck in these tedious monkeyshines.

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WORST 1. Work It

Michael Ansell/ABC

Bosom Buddies without the fun — the year’s most pointless new show.

Replay gallery

10 Best (and 5 Worst) TV Shows of 2012: Ken Tucker's Picks

1 of 16

BEST 10. Nashville

2 of 16

BEST 9. The Good Wife

3 of 16

BEST 8. Justified

4 of 16

BEST 7. Parks and Recreation

5 of 16

BEST 6. The Colbert Report

6 of 16

BEST 5. Mad Men

7 of 16

BEST 4. Girls

8 of 16

BEST 3. Louie

9 of 16

BEST 2. Breaking Bad

10 of 16

BEST 1. Homeland

11 of 16

WORST 5. Phillip Phillips wins American Idol

12 of 16

WORST 4. House of Lies

13 of 16

WORST 3. Anger Management

14 of 16

WORST 2. Animal Practice

15 of 16

WORST 1. Work It

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10 Best (and 5 Worst) TV Shows of 2012: Ken Tucker's Picks

1 of 16

BEST 10. Nashville

2 of 16

BEST 9. The Good Wife

3 of 16

BEST 8. Justified

4 of 16

BEST 7. Parks and Recreation

5 of 16

BEST 6. The Colbert Report

6 of 16

BEST 5. Mad Men

7 of 16

BEST 4. Girls

8 of 16

BEST 3. Louie

9 of 16

BEST 2. Breaking Bad

10 of 16

BEST 1. Homeland

11 of 16

WORST 5. Phillip Phillips wins American Idol

12 of 16

WORST 4. House of Lies

13 of 16

WORST 3. Anger Management

14 of 16

WORST 2. Animal Practice

15 of 16

WORST 1. Work It

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