Rank: 15
Genre:
Horror/Romance/Drama
Cast: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Michael Trevino, and Matthew Davis
Current Season: Fourth
Channel: The CW
Return Date: October 11,
2012
Plot
Summary: Elena Gilbert, a typical high school girl, finds her life
plunged into a world of monsters when she falls in love with a pair of vampire
brothers who are both drawn to her as she is identical to their long lost sire.
Why
It Made the List: The Vampire Diaries started out as a poorly done
vampire love-triangle teen soap, drenched in fanciful overly dramatic romance
and clunky plotlines about vampires trying to pass as high school students, but
about halfway through season one the tone of the series changed to more of an
action and adventure romance drama and the show has been brilliant and very
compelling ever since. Yes, some of the romance beats are still overly
dramatic, but the whole show is stylized to be that way (at its core, it is
really a show for teenage girls like most stuff on the CW). However, the series
has become very much like a reimagining of Buffy
the Vampire Slayer and has much of the same feel (though, considerably less
silly and funny – this is much more serious tonally, which makes it different).
As a huge fan of Buffy, I have grown to count this among my favorite TV series
right now as each season get better and better thanks to very engrossing
drama/storylines and great characters.
Rank: 14
Genre: Drama/Music
Cast: Khandi Alexander, Lucia Micarelli, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, Rob Brown, Kim Dickens, Michiel Huisman, Melissa Leo, India Ennenga, and Steve Zahn
Current Season: Third
Channel: HBO
Return Date: September
23, 2012
Plot
Summary: Following Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans pick up
their lives and carry on.
Why
It Made the List: Treme is firstly a great drama (from David Simon, who
gave us The
Wire and Generation Kill),
but the show can also be appreciated and loved for its dedication and passionate
enamor for the music of New Orleans. Every episode is full of music and
performances. The characters are also fantastic and drawn across the spectrum
of the city, so viewers really get a sense of the different parts of the city
and separate yet connected lives of its citizens. While not very flashy, it is
consistently very good and well worth checking out for both drama and music
fans.
Rank: 13
Genre: Horror/Drama
Current Season: Eighth
Channel: The CW
Return Date: October 3,
2012
Plot
Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester, trained as hunters by their father,
battle monsters, ghosts and any other supernatural evil that threatens our
world.
Why
It Made the List: Eric Kripke originally had a five-season story arc for
Supernatural, and stepped down as showrunner after season five. I wondered if
the show could continue its excellence when Sera Gamble took over for a
two-season story arc. Seasons six and seven were just as good as the first
five. However having finished the arc, Gamble is stepping down and new
showrunner Jeremy Carver is
taking over for season eight. Carver has written for the show since 2007 and
also brought Being Human to
America. Much like The Vampire
Diaries, Supernatural is sort of the heir apparent to style and genre
championed by Buffy
the Vampire Slayer and Angel
(The Vampire Diaries is like Buffy, and this is like Angel in a way). For fans
of Horror, this is a wonderful action drama that is not afraid to be quirky and
aesthetically interesting and tackle moral and deep questions about humanity,
all while being very entertaining.
Rank: 12
Genre: Crime Drama
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates, Tommy Flanagan, Maggie Stiff, Ron Perlman, Theo Rossi, William Lucking, Ryan Hurst, Dayton Callie, and David Labrava
Current Season: Fifth
Channel: FX
Return Date: September
11, 2012
Plot
Summary: The series follows the exploits of the SAMCRO motorcycle gang
as they try to hold onto their territory and keep the gang together amidst
threats both externally and internally.
Why
It Made the List: Sons of Anarchy, much like The
Shield (which Kurt Sutter also worked on), is a show that one would imagine
being filled with adult language, and yet it is so well written that the viewer
never notices or even questions the way the characters speak (being in a PG-13
or less manner). There are a lot of good crime dramas on TV right now (this, Breaking Bad, Justified, Dexter to name a few) but this
has different, more rugged feel to it. The characters on this series are not
afraid of being complex and having a duality to them, and in many cases being
unlikable at times. A drama about a motorcycle gang may not seem like something
that would appeal to everyone, but I highly recommend it. This series is gritty
and dirty and utter compelling.
Rank: 11
Genre: Crime Drama
Cast: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez, David Zayas, James Remar, C.S. Lee, and Desmond Harrington
Current Season: Seventh
Channel: Showtime
Return Date: September
30, 2012
Plot
Summary: Dexter Morgan is a serial killer, but he only kills criminals
that have slipped through the system and avoided justice. To hide his true
self, Dexter tries to assimilate into normal society with a family and friends,
but his dark secret slowly begins to seep to the surface.
Why
It Made the List: Usually, Dexter would be higher on this list. Seasons
one through three saw it as probably the best show on TV, but with seasons four
and five, while still very good, the show has become reparative with each
season arc sort of being the same. Season six was easily the weakest, and
rumbling started that the show had outstayed its useful life. That said, season
seven will be the second to last, as all involved have stated that the series
will end after season eight in 2013. Season seven looks a lot better than six,
based on the preview trailers I have seen, and I am excited for the guest stars
this season being Ray Stevenson
and Yvonne Stranhovski. Plus,
the story has finally come to a very interesting and different place than the past
seasons.
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