My Top 25 TV Shows of 2012
Here is how I ranked my top 25 shows of 2012. I know it’s kind of tedious because most people don’t even watch 25 shows in a year but I do so here you go. I tried to make this list more entertaining than my other ones but I didn’t want to give spoilers so a lot of it is just me saying the same things over and over. I hope you enjoy. What were your top shows?
1. Community- It’s no surprise that this show is my number one of 2012. It also happens to be one of my top ten television shows of all time which is quite an achievement. Even though there were only twelve episodes this year, they were great ones with character development and amazing parody. The season finale could have functioned as a series finale.
2. Pretty Little Liars- I know this show is not for everyone. It’s got teen melodrama, romance, suspense, humor, pretty people and general craziness. It’s not a perfect show but it still manages to thrill and excite me every week and I watch it live, with commercials.
3. Game Of Thrones- This was a great season. I love the battle that showed everyone’s true colors. I love Arya fighting to survive. I love the dragons!
4. Parks And Recreation- This season had Leslie accomplishing more of her dreams than even she realized. The group worked together as a team. Everyone had a role. There were amazing guest stars. Nice character development and growth. Most importantly, it was very funny.
5. Suburgatory- This show had a really strong first season. The second season is just as charming, perhaps even more now that we love all the characters, no matter how strange they may be. It might make them even more lovable. There are couples to root for and almost all are already together. The show is a great mix of silly and sweet.
6. Cougar Town- I think I would give this show the exact same review as I gave Surburgatory, except it is already in its later seasons. Also, basically every character is a raging alcoholic and we love them for it.
7. Arrow- I always like the shows I recap more than most shows. So, this obviously was a favorite. The cast isn’t full of well known people but they do their parts well. It’s a great superhero show filled with CW level attractiveness. There’s also the occasional humor, drama and romance.
8. Nashville- I am not a country music fan but this show won me over. There’s high quality acting, a good cast, good soapy drama and music. Everyone handles both roles very well.
9. Teen Wolf- This show was thrilling in its season two. It seemed to step up in every way. There was great action, romance, all the characters had great stuff to do and something happened every episode. Did I mention the ridiculously attractive cast? Also, the show has been rightly praised for its treatment of LGBT characters.
10. The Secret Circle- This was the quintessential CW show. It had lots of attractive teens dealing with compelling drama and romance. They also used magic and faced evil. The show was just heating up when it got cancelled. I still miss it.
11. Psych- I still enjoy this show though I forget about it a lot. It’s one of my favorite procedurals thanks to the comedy and likable leads. I enjoy the parodies and the guest stars.
12. Go On- This was a great surprise of the new season. The shows mixture of sad and happy and heartwarming moments about a group of weirdos slowly healing together works way more than it should.
13. Happy Endings- This show is a little like how How I Met Your Mother was in the beginning without the unfulfilled promises. There’s a group of friends, weirdness and recurring jokes. A lot of the show rests of the comedic talents of the actors.
14. Mad Men- This was another solid season of the drama that had many different events and embraced the changing times of the sixties. It also killed off one of its main and well liked characters without making him a hero, but it was sad all the same. Plus, many characters got their independence this season.
15. Big Bang Theory- I really liked this year of TBBT. The show is consistently funny and all the characters are lovable. The girls all fit in like they were always there. My one complaint is that originally charming Stuart was turned into Raj’s sad sack sidekick and I don’t feel like it completely gels.
16. Raising Hope- This is still a lovable group of weirdos with a still adorable kid. Sabrina is now in with the family and to my surprise fits in with the family and remains just as likable if not more likable.
17. Downton Abbey- A lot of people complained about the show being too soapy but it worked for me because I like soaps. Time moved rather quickly and it was obvious what was going to happen in some cases but the rest was great. Mary/Matthew forever.
18. Awake- This was one of the most unique and thought provoking shows of 2012 and I still miss it. The ending did give some sense of closure. Incredibly well done.
19. Revenge- This show was one of my favorites of last year. I loved the revenge aspect. I found everything really compelling. I loved the whole first season. This show is still really enjoyable but it has hit a sophomore slump. I don’t like the new characters. Emily gets thwarted too often and some things make no sense which is why it’s lower on the list.
20. Parenthood- The show really shined in its new season. The acting was great and almost all the storylines were good. I don’t understand how we are supposed to root for Sarah while she goes after an inappropriate man over and over again. Other than that it was good drama.
21. Homeland- This show had a great sophomore season. The acting and the writing were often great. There was a whole new mystery set up. There were things that bothered me about this season. I feel the writers over-relied on the Carrie/Brody dynamic among other things.
22. Chuck- This show could be very uneven sometimes and not everything always came together in the best way. The last five episodes did what it needed to do. Everyone found love and was happy. There were amazing guest stars. It had a beautiful open ending.
23. Warehouse 13-This is a show that always warms my heart. I like how optimistic and fluffy it is and feel like it should be aired all year for that reason alone. We could use more shows like that. I also liked the high stakes of this season. They even gave Leena stuff to do. My one complaint is that the mysteries were drawn on too long and some of it felt badly done. That is why it’s so low on the list.
24. Suits- The show improved in this year’s episodes. The characters were fleshed out. The good guys got flaws. The bad guys got humanity and sympathy. There were real stakes throughout the season. Couples got together.
25. 30 Rock- This show is always good for entertainment. Now that the series is about to end, it is producing some of its most memorable and fun episodes to date. Just enough to make us miss it when it’s gone.
Honorable Mention: Mockingbird Lane- This show was originally on the top 25 but when the network decided not to move forward with the series, I decided to think of it as a TV special rather than a TV show. I will never tire of Bryan Fuller’s vision which has unique visuals, dark subject matter, lots of humor and light heartedness, and most importantly heart.
1. Community- It’s no surprise that this show is my number one of 2012. It also happens to be one of my top ten television shows of all time which is quite an achievement. Even though there were only twelve episodes this year, they were great ones with character development and amazing parody. The season finale could have functioned as a series finale.
2. Pretty Little Liars- I know this show is not for everyone. It’s got teen melodrama, romance, suspense, humor, pretty people and general craziness. It’s not a perfect show but it still manages to thrill and excite me every week and I watch it live, with commercials.
3. Game Of Thrones- This was a great season. I love the battle that showed everyone’s true colors. I love Arya fighting to survive. I love the dragons!
4. Parks And Recreation- This season had Leslie accomplishing more of her dreams than even she realized. The group worked together as a team. Everyone had a role. There were amazing guest stars. Nice character development and growth. Most importantly, it was very funny.
5. Suburgatory- This show had a really strong first season. The second season is just as charming, perhaps even more now that we love all the characters, no matter how strange they may be. It might make them even more lovable. There are couples to root for and almost all are already together. The show is a great mix of silly and sweet.
6. Cougar Town- I think I would give this show the exact same review as I gave Surburgatory, except it is already in its later seasons. Also, basically every character is a raging alcoholic and we love them for it.
7. Arrow- I always like the shows I recap more than most shows. So, this obviously was a favorite. The cast isn’t full of well known people but they do their parts well. It’s a great superhero show filled with CW level attractiveness. There’s also the occasional humor, drama and romance.
8. Nashville- I am not a country music fan but this show won me over. There’s high quality acting, a good cast, good soapy drama and music. Everyone handles both roles very well.
9. Teen Wolf- This show was thrilling in its season two. It seemed to step up in every way. There was great action, romance, all the characters had great stuff to do and something happened every episode. Did I mention the ridiculously attractive cast? Also, the show has been rightly praised for its treatment of LGBT characters.
10. The Secret Circle- This was the quintessential CW show. It had lots of attractive teens dealing with compelling drama and romance. They also used magic and faced evil. The show was just heating up when it got cancelled. I still miss it.
11. Psych- I still enjoy this show though I forget about it a lot. It’s one of my favorite procedurals thanks to the comedy and likable leads. I enjoy the parodies and the guest stars.
12. Go On- This was a great surprise of the new season. The shows mixture of sad and happy and heartwarming moments about a group of weirdos slowly healing together works way more than it should.
13. Happy Endings- This show is a little like how How I Met Your Mother was in the beginning without the unfulfilled promises. There’s a group of friends, weirdness and recurring jokes. A lot of the show rests of the comedic talents of the actors.
14. Mad Men- This was another solid season of the drama that had many different events and embraced the changing times of the sixties. It also killed off one of its main and well liked characters without making him a hero, but it was sad all the same. Plus, many characters got their independence this season.
15. Big Bang Theory- I really liked this year of TBBT. The show is consistently funny and all the characters are lovable. The girls all fit in like they were always there. My one complaint is that originally charming Stuart was turned into Raj’s sad sack sidekick and I don’t feel like it completely gels.
16. Raising Hope- This is still a lovable group of weirdos with a still adorable kid. Sabrina is now in with the family and to my surprise fits in with the family and remains just as likable if not more likable.
17. Downton Abbey- A lot of people complained about the show being too soapy but it worked for me because I like soaps. Time moved rather quickly and it was obvious what was going to happen in some cases but the rest was great. Mary/Matthew forever.
18. Awake- This was one of the most unique and thought provoking shows of 2012 and I still miss it. The ending did give some sense of closure. Incredibly well done.
19. Revenge- This show was one of my favorites of last year. I loved the revenge aspect. I found everything really compelling. I loved the whole first season. This show is still really enjoyable but it has hit a sophomore slump. I don’t like the new characters. Emily gets thwarted too often and some things make no sense which is why it’s lower on the list.
20. Parenthood- The show really shined in its new season. The acting was great and almost all the storylines were good. I don’t understand how we are supposed to root for Sarah while she goes after an inappropriate man over and over again. Other than that it was good drama.
21. Homeland- This show had a great sophomore season. The acting and the writing were often great. There was a whole new mystery set up. There were things that bothered me about this season. I feel the writers over-relied on the Carrie/Brody dynamic among other things.
22. Chuck- This show could be very uneven sometimes and not everything always came together in the best way. The last five episodes did what it needed to do. Everyone found love and was happy. There were amazing guest stars. It had a beautiful open ending.
23. Warehouse 13-This is a show that always warms my heart. I like how optimistic and fluffy it is and feel like it should be aired all year for that reason alone. We could use more shows like that. I also liked the high stakes of this season. They even gave Leena stuff to do. My one complaint is that the mysteries were drawn on too long and some of it felt badly done. That is why it’s so low on the list.
24. Suits- The show improved in this year’s episodes. The characters were fleshed out. The good guys got flaws. The bad guys got humanity and sympathy. There were real stakes throughout the season. Couples got together.
25. 30 Rock- This show is always good for entertainment. Now that the series is about to end, it is producing some of its most memorable and fun episodes to date. Just enough to make us miss it when it’s gone.
Honorable Mention: Mockingbird Lane- This show was originally on the top 25 but when the network decided not to move forward with the series, I decided to think of it as a TV special rather than a TV show. I will never tire of Bryan Fuller’s vision which has unique visuals, dark subject matter, lots of humor and light heartedness, and most importantly heart.