2010 Lists: Best TV Series of 2010

After listing my Best 5 New TV Series Of 2010, it’s time to check how the older and wiser series are doing. Of course it’s a tough call to make, as there are many good shows that are still on, and in some cases the more they’re here the harder it gets to really appreciate them. Any series that is around for more than a couple of seasons had its good and not-so-good seasons. Glee, Weeds, Mad Men – they all are excellent shows that went up and down. In this list I was trying to look at 2010 only, and list the very best shows that 2010 brought us. Here it is.

Community –
Community showed that some TV series can be all-in-one. The episodes of Community share the same wonderful cast, but vary in tone and structure. The versatility of this show just proves how, in some cases, TV can be just like life. Sometimes foolish, sometimes melancholic, and always original.
With its second season currently airing, it looks like this non-formula TV series may stick around for a few more seasons. Let’s hope the Spanish class of Community will not finish their studies too soon.

Mad Men-
In the beginning it was the spectacle of the 1960s, the cigarettes and the cheating. Then it was all about the cast, and especially the women of Mad Men. With its fourth season behind us and half a year before the beginning of season 5, Mad Men simply delivers good original drama, with an inspiring set design (see: Boardwalk Empire) and characters that never cease to grow.
There were rumors that Mad Men will have 3 more seasons, and that season 7 will be the last season of the show, but those were not yet officially confirmed by AMC.

Breaking Bad –
Where should I begin here? Breaking Bad is first of all its premise – a chemistry teacher turnes meth chef. But here is a demonstration on just how a premise is only the first step, and not the last. This series is a master in character, and this is true to almost every one in it, even the stats. And when the plot takes the front it is never a waste. Every plot twist is unpredictible and isrelated directly to the reality of the characters. They even treat the baby (Holly) like a person, and not like a prop (see: Sons Of Anarchy). The performances are awards-worthy, and the shooting takes part in the drama. I’ve mentioned on my reviews of the show the excellent pre-title sequences, and the use of flash-forward in theseries. The different cinematography motifs create another level in the drama, making Breaking Bad a true masterpiece where form is always another layer in the rich content.

Boardwalk Empire
Although it appears also on my Best-New-TV-Series-Of-2010 list, Boardwalk Empire is good enough for two lists. I’ve missed some real gangsters on my screen ever since Tony and Carmela were left in the dark, and here HBO has done it again. The feel of the time and place – the dresses, the quietness, the awakening of 1920′s Atlantic City – is what makes Boardwalk Empire feel like a lesson in history. Not at all about the origins of Tony and his fellas, but of us. Margaret, Angela and the rest of the women are so interesting to watch simply because it was one of the most significant times for women. And of course, the performances, and the camera work, and the sins. All those sins.

Almost best: Bored to Death, Terriers, Eastbound & Down.