The 25 Best TV Shows of 2012

Sad fact: Millions of people voluntarily watch TLC's questionably exploitative reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, and, yes, will admit to such viewing habits in public. Yet, will anyone who watches the pint-sized beauty pageant contestant and her human thumb of a mother ever call it a "good" show? Or, heaven forbid, one of the year's best? Not unless they're delusional.

When it comes to ranking the television's top programs from the last 12 months, there has to be a distinction between actual quality and shameless, surface-level enjoyment. That's why you're not about to see any Kardashians or Real World/Road Rules Challenge contestants on our list of The 25 Best TV Shows of 2012, even though we're guilty of reserving space for those programs in our DVR queues. The following intelligent dramas and witty sitcoms are more than just "good."

Written by Matt Barone (@MBarone)

Follow @ComplexPopCult

RELATED: Best TV Shows of 2016

Related: The Best TV Shows of 2017

Stars: Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant

Life's Too Short, a Curb Your Enthusiasm-styled show about "showbiz dwarf" Warwick Davis' delusional hope for a mainstream comeback, was, yes, a one-joke affair: Davis thinks he's a bigger deal than he actually is, and everyone calls him out on that. But when that sole punch line is so regularly well riffed upon, as it was in this uncomfortably funny series, overseen by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, that's not a drawback.

Wisely, Gervais and Merchant kept Davis' arrogance fresh through having him play off of several spot-on celebrity guest stars, most notably Liam Neeson (playing up his tough guy reputation) and Johnny Depp (tapping into his eccentric qualities).

By the end of its limited seven-episode season, Life's Too Short didn't necessarily show much progression in Davis' faux life, nor did it introduce any second or third thematic jokes. Considering how much we laughed each time, we're perfectly fine with that.

Stars: Wendell Pierce, Khandi Alexander, Steve Zahn, Melissa Leo, Kim Dickens, Rob Brown, David Morse, Michiel Huisman, Lucia Micarelli, Clarke Peters

It didn't take long for many fans of The Wire to abandon creator David Simon's Treme after its April 2010 premiere. Looking for more of the Baltimore crime drama's brand of white-knuckle thrills, viewers quickly realized that Simon's latest HBO property operates on an entirely different wavelength: It's slow-moving, conversational, and, most antithetical to The Wire, upbeat.

Those who've stuck with Treme into its third, and all-around best, season have been rewarded with a tapestry of colorful, fascinating, and diverse New Orleans folks living in a post-Katrina society. Boldly, Simon continued to focus on multiple characters rather than anchor things to one central figure, meaning that LaDonna's (Khandi Alexander) rape trial was just as prescient as Sonny's (Michiel Huisman) drug relapse.

Similar to HBO's Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones, Treme patiently lays all of its narrative pieces out over a season's 10-episode duration in order to tell a complete, well-crafted story. That Simon's calmly paced series doesn't have any gangster shootouts or gruesome sword fights shouldn't be considered a disadvantage.

Stars: Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Kristen Hager, Dichen Lachman, Natalie Brown, Dusan Dukic, Deena Aziz

On the surface, Being Human, the SyFy channel's crown jewel of original programming, resembles one of those teenybopper-friendly shows on ABC Family, albeit with a horror twist. It's the story of a vampire (Sam Witwer), a werewolf (Sam Huntington), and a ghost (Meaghan Rath) living in a house together, and they're all Tiger Beat attractive. But that's where the lameness stops; in every other way, shape, and form, Being Human is a complicated, entertaining, and slept-on study of well-drawn characters.

And in the show's triumphant second season, things got really real. Aidan, the resident bloodsucker, ran across a governing class of ruthless vamps in an undead story line strong enough to pump much-needed blood into pop culture's current abuses of vampire mythology. Josh watched his monstrous lycanthrope ways bring death and sadness to loved ones. Sally, the very sexy spirit, met the darkest sides of the afterlife head on, with mostly undesirable results.

Real talk: Being Human, with its mixture of supernatural elements and intimate drama, is the show that True Blood's least content fans wish it could be; meaning, there aren't any were-panthers, questionable acting, or ridiculous developments in sight.

Stars: Hayden Panettiere, Connie Britton, Powers Boothe, Charles Esten, Eric Close, Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson

Go ahead, tease us all you want—Nashville, ABC's freshman country music soap, is the year's ultimate guilty pleasure, and we're not afraid to say it.

Admittedly, the initial attraction came from the proposition of watching dueling diva-beauties Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere try to outwit and out-sexy each other as an aging country superstar and a chart-topping newbie, respectively. Color us pleasantly surprised, then, that Nashville is much more than a two-hander. Britton and Panettiere are both top-notch, but co-stars like Clare Bowen (as a lovesick poet/songwriter) and Charles Esten (as a veteran guitarist with a contemptuous past) are just as solid.

Covering the city's shady political dealings, the music industry's ability to corrupt, and the pitfalls of infidelity, Nashville is a multi-layered drama that's infinitely better than its wannabe-Dallas veneer would lead you to believe.

Stars: Melissa George, Stephen Dillane, Adam Raymer, Stephen Campbell Moore, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Morven Christie, Lex Shrapnel, Indira Varma, Dermot Crowley

Yes, Cinemax does air its own original TV shows—in fact, the cable network's limited but impressive lineup is one of the small-screen's best kept secrets. For action movie heads, there's Strike Back, a series that melds Michael Bay-like excess with strong characters and sheer unpredictability. Cinemax's crowning achievement, however, is Hunted, an eight-episode transplant from England's BBC One about an espionage agent named Samantha (Melissa George) who's on a one-woman mission to crush the people who tried to kill her.

In other words, it's the TV show version of Steven Soderbergh's Haywire, replacing the physically commanding but hardly emotive Gina Carano with the far more expressive and sympathetic George. The Australian actress (previously seen in 30 Days of Night and HBO's In Treatment) upgrades what could've been a run-of-the-mill thriller program into a kinetic and endearing she-against-the-world diversion.

Star: Louis C.K.

More so than either of its previous two seasons, the one-of-a-kind FX comedy Louie's third year was marked by its exceptional guest stars. Series creator/star Louis C.K. is, of course, perfectly capable of bringing the wry hilarity all by himself, but the show's best moments in 2012 revolved around his combustibly hilarious interactions with Parker Posey and Melissa Leo, the latter killing it as a forceful blind dater with a dirty mouth and a knack for physical abuse.

Guests aside, Louie's dynamite third season ended with a dreamlike finale that cemented the show's reputable standing as TV's most progressive and unclassifiable sitcom.

Stars: Ty Burrell, Julia Bowen, Sofia Vergara, Ed O’Neill, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons

If not for NBC's Parks and Recreation, Modern Family would own the title of "TV's Funniest Sitcom." As it stands, the Emmy-winning ABC series might be second-best, but it's still an incredibly reliable source for laugh-out-loud hilarity.

With such a large ensemble cast of funny actors, it's no small accomplishment that Modern Family continues to afford each of its stars well-developed story arcs and copious amounts of memorable one-liners and high-concept situations. The funniest ones of all this year were, in no particular order, Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) cluelessly bonding with a gay man (guest star Matthew Broderick), Cam's (Eric Stonestreet) costumed attempt to save an old tree, and Manny (Rico Rodriguez) and Luke (Nolan Gould) bar-mitzvah-hopping to locate a teenage cutie.

Stars: Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Columbus Short, Darby Stanchfield, Katie Lowes, Guillermo Diaz, Joshua Malina, Jeff Perry

One can't be blamed for sleeping on ABC's highly addictive political soap opera Scandal. After all, it's the brainchild of Shonda Rhimes, the creator of such guy-repelling programs as Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. But this year, during Scandal's provocative second season, resistance proved futile, especially if you happened to sign onto Twitter while the show aired. The social media site was a venerable, constantly updated Scandal message board on Thursday nights.

Much of the credit goes to star Kerry Washington, whose work as political problem-fixer Olivia Pope slickly merges vulnerability (seen through her hush-hush dalliances with top-ranking government shotcallers) with imposing tenacity.

Stars: Kelsey Grammar, Connie Nielsen, Hannah Wire, Jeff Hephner, Troy Garity, Kathleen Robertson, Jonathan Groff, Tip "T.I." Harris, Sanaa Lathan, Rotimi

Last month's announcement that Starz cancelled its most critically acclaimed series, Boss, surprised nobody—television is a ratings-driven business, and, despite all of its glowingly positive reviews, the psychological/political drama could never find an audience big enough to justify its existence. Now that it's done, though, expect plenty of DVD/Netflix latecomers to kick themselves for not tuning in while Boss was on the air.

Previously known mostly for comedy, Kelsey Grammer defied expectations, embodied the morally corrupt and dementia-stricken Mayor of Chicago Tom Kane with a dark pathos, and won a Golden Globe for Best Actor after the show's first season. This time around, Grammer became even more devious, maneuvering around Chicago's construction plans (the decision to redevelop Lennox Gardens or bring in a casino and a shopping center) with a self-serving drive that left his wife (Connie Nielsen) and newly introduced chief of staff (Sanaa Lathan) emotionally devastated.

Stars: Liam McIntyre, Peter Mensah, Lucy Lawless, Viva Bianca, Craig Parker, Manu Bennett, Katrina Law, Dustin Clare, Dan Fuerriegel, Brooke Williams

Entering the season premiere of Spartacus: Vengeance, the Starz network's first stab at furthering the Roman gladiator's story after the death of first season star Andy Whitfield, the question on every fan's mind was: Does this Liam McIntyre fella have what it takes? The answer: A less than ecstatic yes, as it turns out.

Although the new Spartacus wasn't able to fully thrive in Whitfield's huge shadow, the show surrounding him carried on quite dutifully. Because, in the end, the Spartacus brain trust knows what brings viewers back every Friday night, and that's the promise of excessive violence, gore, and copious T&A, all of which Spartacus: Vengeance had in abundance.

The series' upcoming season, Spartacus: War of the Damned, will be the franchise's last one. We can't say we're devastated, though: The tale of Spartacus has a known end-game, and there's only so much obligatory debauchery viewers can take before "never enough" becomes "too much." For now, though, bring on the carnage.

Stars: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, James Remar, Desmond Harrington, David Zayas, Lauren Velez, C.S. Lee, Ray Stevenson, Yvonne Strahovski, Jason Gedrick

Finally, after two years of aimless storytelling following its magnificent fourth season in 2009, Showtime's Dexter regained its pulse. See what actually giving a series some legitimate dramatic stakes can do for its entertainment value.

With the sixth season finale's long-awaited closing moment, that of Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) discovering her bro Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) serial killer secret, the once-great program truly revived itself. Capitalizing on that development, Dexter's seventh batch of fresh episodes has given both Carpenter and Hall ample room to add newfound layers to their formidable chemistry.

Outside of Dexter's old reliables, a couple of new faces have bucked the show's negative trend of wasting good actors in throwaway, seemingly pointless roles (see: Julia Stiles, Jonny Lee Miller, Edward James Olmos). Though he was somewhat underused, Ray Stevenson's work as Ukrainian crime boss Isaak Sirko gave Hall's Dexter his best antagonist since John Lithgow's Arthur Mitchell. Most impressive of all, however, is love interest Hannah McKay—played wonderfully by the stunning Yvonne Strahovski, she's the perfect antidote to Dexter's harmfully internalized "dark passenger."

Stars: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Sufe Bradshaw

Even if you couldn't give a shit less about politics, HBO's joke-per-second success Veep had the kind of breathless humor and snappy writing that could make those who know Santigold better than Rick Santorum laugh. Which came as no surprise, since the show's creator, Armando Iannucci, is the same guy who wrote and directed the razor-sharp 2009 political satire In the Loop.

Hot and hilarious Julia Louis-Dreyfus gave Girls star Lena Dunham serious comp for "the year's best female comedic performance" as Vice President Selina Meyer, an easily annoyed chief amongst a group of problematic underlings. The gist of Veep is, frankly, that most people working in her field are morons, or at least sympathetically incompetent. More importantly, though, in Veep's case, they also come equipped with rapid-fire senses of humor.

Stars: Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin, Mandy Patinkin, David Harewood, Morgan Saylor, Jackson Pace, Diego Klattenhoff, Rupert Friend, Navid Negahban, David Marciano, Jamey Sheridan

Often throughout Homeland's daringly breathless second season, viewers' abilities to suspend disbelief and manage patience have been tested, and, frankly, overcome by implausibilities and extreme moments of almost cartoonish action. Which—as anyone who gnawed on their cuticles while watching Homeland's brilliant, airtight debut season last year could tell you—goes against nearly everything that the Emmy-winning Showtime series had previously established (i.e., realistic storytelling powered by believable characters handling dangerous situations in natural ways).

So it's a huge testament to the tremendous acting chops exhibited by stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis that Homeland is still one of modern television's most invigorating and tense hours. Lewis, in particular, had been tasked with selling ridiculous scenes (talking on a cell phone while killing a man; breaking into high-ranking officials' offices with ease) and his Nicholas Brody character's internalized mania, and he's done so with real panache.

Always thrilling yet at times frustratingly uneven, Homeland's sophomore season has been a tightrope walk for all involved. Whether the upcoming finale keeps things balanced or sends them crashing downward, it'll definitely be enthralling to watch.

Stars: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky, Kathryn Hahn

Only 26-years-old, New York native Lena Dunham is a one-woman powerhouse, and HBO's Girls, easily the year's most polarizing new TV show, is her call to eminence.

Guided by comedy superproducer Judd Apatow, Dunham's uncomprising look at the modern-day lives of young women coming of age in NYC is unlike any other television program, both past and present. In addition to its emphasis on flawed yet sympathetic female characters, Girls also approches sex with an unusual fearlessness, depicting Dunham's bedroom experimentation without cutting away from un-Hollywood bodies bumping and grinding.

More than a brave provocateur, Dunham is a vastly interesting writer. The dialogue is sharp, the comedic set-ups are never obvious, and, as displayed by her character Hannah's complex relationship with oddball Adam (Adam Driver), the story lines all took unexpected turns.

Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Kim Coates, Tommy Flanagan, Maggie Siff, Ryan Hurst, Theo Rossi, Mark Boone Junior, Dayton Callie, Rockmond Dunbar, Danny Trejo, Jimmy Smits, Harold Perrineau

As Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) learned every stretch of the way during Sons of Anarchy's taut and unpredictable fifth season, a bossman's stresses never end. Seriously, dude had the worst year ever, from watching his best friend Opie (Ryan Hurst) get beaten to death in prison to seeing his wife, Tara (Maggie Siff), get escorted out of their house in handcuffs.

The driving force behind creator Kurt Sutter's engrossing motorcycle drama this year was Jax's handling of the simultaneous corruption and entitlement that comes with being the head biker in charge. And with the (sadly) too often overlooked Hunnam at the top of his game, as well as co-stars Ron Perlman (as the morose yet still backhanded Clay Morrow) and newcomer Jimmy Smits, Sons of Anarchy flourished with its best season since the show's second one in 2009.

Stars: Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann

One of these days, the dark FX comedy Wilfred will receive its just due. Perennially underrated since its June 2011 debut, the delightfully twisted series—about the disturbed companionship between a troubled guy named Ryan (Elijah Wood) and big neighbor's dog (Jason Gann), the latter manifested in Ryan's warped mind as a dude in a raggedy canine suit—balances psychological complexities with hilarious raunch, a delicate tonal marriage that's not easy to execute and deserves its props.

Leading man Wood's acting throughout the 13-episode season maintained Ryan's standing as one of TV's most fascinating characters, the mentally tormented straight-man to Gann's showy, outlandish wisecracker. Together, they're the closest thing present-day television has to the chemistry of The Odd Couple.

Stars: Edie Falco, Eve Best, Peter Facinelli, Merritt Wever, Paul Schulze, Dominic Fumusa, Anna Deavere Smith, Stephen Wallem, Bobby Cannavale, Ruby Jerins

Nurse Jackie might be the most unfairly misconceived show on television, mainly amongst the dude sect. Ask nine guys on the street if they've ever watched the dark Showtime comedy and you're likely to be met with blank stares and fuck-outta-here indifference. What's to blame? Perhaps a certain close-mindedness about a show centered on a middle-aged woman (the always stellar Edie Falco) and her mixture of workplace drama and domestic headaches.

Well, fellas in question, you're missing out on one of TV's best written, intriguingly complicated, and scathingly funny characters. As the titular pill-popper, Falco leads an eclectic cast of comedic talents, an ensemble that grew in strength during the half-hour show's fourth season, its greatest one yet. Bolstered by the addition of the underrated Bobby Cannavale as NYC's All Saints' Hospital tyrannical new leader, Nurse Jackie's wicked support team all brilliantly conveyed the hospital's eroding sense of order.

Yet it's always Falco who pushes Nurse Jackie into that upper echelon of cable television superiority. With Jackie's life in a tailspin, due to an erratic stint in drug rehab and a bitter divorce, the four-time Emmy-winning actress showed viewers why she's a foolproof lock for a nomination year in and year out. Per usual, she has our vote.

Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham, Michael Stuhlbarg, Stephen Graham, Jack Huston, Vincent Piazza, Gretchen Mol, Michael Kenneth Williams, Bobby Cannavale, Anatol Yusef, Charlie Cox, Stephen Root

The tagline for Boardwalk Empire's third season was an attention-grabber: "You can't be half a gangster." And with that take-no-prisoners attitude, the Prohibition-era HBO drama really upped the body count this year, replacing last season's overarching what-to-do-with-Jimmy (Michael Pitt) tension with bootlegger warfare.

The resulting story lines weren't all successful, most notably Margaret's (Kelly Macdonald) meandering involvement with women's pregnancy issues. Elsewhere, though, series creator Terence Winter and his writing staff methodically, and quite impressively, developed plots for tragic war veteran Richard Harrow (Jack Huston, more deserving of some Emmy and/or Golden Globe love than ever before), explosive newcomer Gyp Rosetti (underrated character actor Bobby Cannavale), and hot-tempered Al Capone (Stephen Graham) that all satisfyingly paid off.

Stars: Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Rob Lowe

What's the funniest sitcom on TV? It's not even a competition, folks: NBC's Parks and Recreation has it all, namely a spotless ensemble cast, intelligent and hilarious writing, and a subersive streak that never feels forced or distracting.

In its fourth season, Parks and Rec used the central story arc of Leslie Knope's (Amy Poehler) campaign for city council as an entry point to bring in a slew of first-class guests stars. All making the most of their brief playtime, Patricia Clarkson, Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn, Christie Brinkley, and returning champ Louis C.K. kept regulars like Nick Offerman and Adam Scott on their A-games.

The show's biggest achievement, though, is its staggering consistency. Over a whopping 22-episode span, the normal non-cable sitcom length that typically results in several underwhelming filler eps for other programs, Parks and Rec never fails to supply several genuinely uproarious moments. Credit the presence of scene-stealers like Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, and Aziz Ansari, but also acknowledge the exemplary work of a writing staff that's second to none in the comedy world.

Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt, Jonathan Banks, Bob Odenkirk, RJ Mitte, Jesse Plemons, Laura Fraser

Since Breaking Bad's fifth and final season won't completely end until next summer, it's a bit unfair to evaluate half of creator Vince Gilligan's swan song against others shows' full seasons.

Then again, eight episodes' worth of seeing Walter White's (Bryan Cranston, giving more Emmy-worthy performances) makeshift drug empire steadily crumble is better than most programs' entire 13-episode seasons. From the opening episode's wonderfully out-there magnet heist to the midseason finale's game-changing Hank (Dean Norris) development, Breaking Bad did a fine job of amplifying the dread.

Giving grizzled, scene-stealing co-star Jonathan Banks more screen-time was a masters' stroke executed by both Banks and Gilligan's creative team, and adding newcomer Jesse Plemons cleverly drove a seemingly unfixable wedge between Walt and Jesse (Aaron Paul). Not to mention, Plemons delivered one of Breaking Bad's most shocking, emotionally paralyzing moments—involving a handgun and a doomed little kid—at the end of the season's best hour, "Dead Freight."

Stars: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Emilia Clarke, Alfie Allen, Aiden Gillen, Kit Harrington, Charles Dance, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Sophie Turner, Richard Madden, Maisie Williams, Jack Gleeson, Stephen Dillane, Carice van Houten

Someone should time how long the opening credits sequence for HBO's Game of Thrones runs—it has to be the longest on all of television. And that's because the gruesome, captivating sword-and-sorcery series, based on author George R.R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Fire and Ice book series, seems to average at least one new character introduced per episode. Somehow, perhaps through the kind of magic seen on the show, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss consistently weave a multifaceted and endlessly compelling yarn around Game of Throne's stacked cast.

During the show's debut season, breakouts like Peter Dinklage (as pint-sized shotcaller and ladies man Tyrion Lannister) and Emilia Clarke (the golden-haired dragon lady Daenerys Targaryen) received most of the attention, but season two saw a few previously limited performers step to the forefront in major ways.

Of special note were Alfie Allen, who gave the suddenly megalomaniacal Theon Greyjoy's violent quest for power a stark (no pun intended) vulnerability; Sophie Turner, the brave young actress who shares most scenes with that sniveling bastard Joffrey (Jack Glesson) and continually manages to hold her own; and Maisie Williams, the 15-year-old wonder who played little Arya's undercover survival within the Lannister family's guarded walls with a sympathetic toughness.

How Game of Thrones balances so many rich characters while delivering eye-grabbing moments of wild carnage and pricey visual effects is one of the show's many selling points. That just goes to show you the paramount importance of substance over style.

Stars: Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Jessica Pare, Vincent Kartheiser, Jared Harris, Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Aaron Staton, Rich Sommer, Kiernan Shipka

As expected, AMC's critically adored drama returned from its 17-month hiatus in tip-top shape. Starting off in 1966, Mad Men's superb fifth season brought with it a host of challenges for Don Draper (Jon Hamm, as great as ever). At home, his marriage to his loving, anti-Betty Draper spouse, Megan (the breakout Jessica Paré), inspired the known lothario to settle down and remain faithful; at work, the ever-changing times signaled his elder statesmanship, seen by his out-of-touch chat with a teenage Rolling Stones fan.

None of this hurt Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce as a whole, though, with the show's central ad agency scoring a few big deals. Beneath the company's surface, however, brewed discontent and self-hatred. Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) finally reached her Don-doesn't-respect-me-enough breaking point, while Lane (Jared Harris) let past mistakes and a lack of support from Don motivate him to commit suicide.

With Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) also going through his own self-evaluation, thanks to a tryst with an unstable married gal (Alexis Bledel), Mad Men's latest run tackled the series' usual brand of subtle psychosis and inter-office positioning (see: Christina Hendricks' excellent work handling Joan's promotion via sexual favor) with an increased level of elegance.

The flack that show creator Matthew Weiner catches for his closed-door dealing with AMC isn't quietly addressed; some say his demands for higher budgets ultimately led to original The Walking Dead showrunner Frank Darabont's animosity toward the network. But as Mad Men reaffirmed this year, Weiner and his staff tell mature and provocative stories with a singular grace.

Stars: Jessica Lange, James Cromwell, Zachary Quinto, Lily Rabe, Chloe Sevigny, Joseph Fiennes, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Adam Levine, Jenna Dewan, Franka Potente, Clea DuVall, Lizzie Brochere

Last year's inaugural season of American Horror Story was so over the top in its forcible craziness that, while endlessly enjoyable, it left cynical fans wondering if co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk didn't just unleash a badass one-year fluke. How in the hell could they top the Murder House's large gang of horny ghosts, S&M demons, and deformed monsters?

The answer: Throw every horror trope imaginable at the screen and hope it all congeals. Fortunately, those hopes have been realized in American Horror Story: Asylum, a 1960s-set freak show filled with aliens, mad Nazi doctors, devil-possessed nuns, monstrous patients running around with syphilis and countless other diseases, and a serial killer named Bloody Face. And, to think, the season isn't even over yet.

On a weekly basis, it's an absurdist blast, never succumbing to pretentiousness and consistently finding new ways to shock, awe, and delight folks who'll gladly bodily dismemberment in prime time.

Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, Neal McDonough, Mykelti Williamson, Demetrius Grosse, Jeremy Davies, Natalie Zea, Joelle Carter, Raymond J. Barry, Jere Burns

One of these days, the privileged few who vote on Emmy nominations will wake up, acknowledge the cowboy hat, and give Timothy Olyphant a statue. This year, throughout Justified's thrilling third season, Olyphant, as US Marshal Raylan Givens, continued his small-screen reign of excellence. Charming, imposing, and able to crack wise better than most of his TV peers, Olyphant holds the Kentucky-set series down without falling behind his equally proficient co-stars. That's no small accomplishment, either, since, once again, Justified benefited from a remarkable supporting cast.

Last year, the show's flawless second season introduced us to an incredible antagonist, Mags Bennett (Emmy winner Margo Martindale), thus setting the bar sky-high for season three baddie Robert Quarles (Neal McDonough). Fortunately, McDonough nailed it, giving the unstable yet icy-cool Quarles a fascinating lunacy that grew all the more riveting as the season progressed.

Kudos to Justified's creative team for also amplifying the violence and gore without overshadowing the season's twisty narrative, a combination of various subplots that all congealed, explosively, at that.

Stars: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Sarah Wayne Collies, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Laurie Holden, Lauren Cohan, Scott Wilson, Dvaid Morrissey, Danai Gurira, Michael Rooker, Dallas Roberts, IronE Singleton, Melissa McBride

Under original showrunner Frank Darabont, The Walking Dead was a damn good but flawed show with tons of unfulfilled potential. Thanks to Glen Mazzara, who stepped in to fill Darabont's role after AMC's behind-the-scenes drama, the network's adaptation of Robert Kirkman's wildly popular comic book series is now exactly what optimistic fans thought it could be all along: bold, fearless storytelling that, frankly, is ballsier and more satisfying than anything else on the tube.

Wisely, Mazzara and his Walking Dead team abandoned the slower, languishing pace established by Darabont in favor of breakneck urgency. With its numerous zombie kills, bountiful gore, several major characters' terminations, and a heightened sense of danger supplied by bringing deadly comic book favorites (Michonne, the Governor) into Rick Grimes' (the excellent Andrew Lincoln) ever-threatening world, The Walking Dead was on fire all throughout 2012.

Furthermore, it's the people's show, breaking cable ratings records and dominating social media conversations every Sunday night while never registering with Emmy voters and making many stuffed-shirt pundits resist its genre sensibilities. Mad Men and Breaking Bad can keep those highbrow accolades—AMC programmers, open-minded viewers, and zombie lovers know what's up.