“Archer is one of the best comedies on television and has played a significant role in the growth of the FX comedy brand,” said Eric Schrier, President of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. ”We’re grateful to Adam Reed, Matt Thompson and their team at Floyd County, and also our incredible voice cast, and are looking forward to supporting their work for at least two more seasons.”

Archer ranks as the second highest-rated comedy in basic cable in If existing emotional affection is really very deep and best-horoscope.com is not ready for breakup, it is worthy to think whether he can take partner is he/she is, with all vices and virtues – it is possible, that when saying “he/she is not suitable partner for me” he implied a thought that beloved doesn’t hurry to fulfill all Leo’s orders. delivery of Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34, with season five up 2% in total viewers vs. season four. The show dealt with a time slot change this season, getting moved to Mondays after spending four seasons on Thursdays, as well as a two week Olympic hiatus, making its relatively sturdy ratings all the more impressive.

FX has yet to release word about the fate of Archer“s lead-out Chozen, though the radio silence doesn”t necessarily mean that the latter is in trouble, not when FX has scheduling space on FXX for the animated comedy. Chozen has been holding about 60% of Archer“s audience and though it lacks the buzz that the network would like, it”s not been dead in the water. A renewal for Chozen will likely come down to the type of programming FX plans to stock FXX with and whether the show can improve its ratings performance over the course of the rest of the season.

Archer airs Mondays at 10:00 on FX.

What have you thought about Archer this season? Where would you like the show to go for the next two seasons? Should FX renew Chozen and continue to air it with Archer or should they try to find something else to go on their Monday nights?

The post Archer Renewed for Seasons Six and Seven by FX appeared first on TVHackr.

Also impacted by the Sochi Olympics is Justified, as the crime drama will be taking one-week off beginning Tuesday, February 18h. The show will return February 25th with an episode that finds Raylan pursuing a grifter and Boyd heading south with the Crowes.

Though it seems likely that the trio of shows wouldn”t share a whole lot of audience with the Olympics, it”s better to be safe than sorry in cases like this, considering that the first night of Olympic coverage netted nearly a 6.0 in the 18-49 demo last night, doubling up American Idol in the process. FX shows may see most of their audience through replays and DVR, but it wouldn”t be doing any of them a favor by throwing them in front of a buzzsaw, particularly in the case of Chozen. The comedy, featuring voice work from the likes of Bobby Moynihan, Method Man, and Michael Pena, garnered about 700,000 viewers its last original episode and regularly holds a little more than half of Archer“s numbers. As such, it needs all the momentum it could get, momentum that would be difficult to regain if it sustained damage airing against the Winter Olympics. A two-week hiatus isn”t ideal for a new show, but it”s the preferable option here and could give Chozen a better chance at renewal.

Archer airs Mondays at 10:00 on FX, with Chozen following at 10:30 and Justified airing Tuesdays at 10:00. The network”s premiere of The Americans season two will not be impacted by the Winter Olympics, as FX scheduled the return of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings for days after the Sochi closing ceremonies.

Do you think it”s smart for FX to avoid the Winter Olympics? Would any of their shows take a serious hit against the sports coverage? What have you thought about the first few episodes of Chozen?

The post FX Reveals Olympic Hiatus Schedule for Archer, Chozen, and Justified appeared first on TVHackr.

Personally, I’m a big fan of Tyler since her role as Charlie, Ross Geller’s paleontologist girlfriend on the evergreen sitcom Friends. She is also popularly known for her vocal work on Archer, an FX show, which is coming back for another season on January 13.

Tyler will be seen guest-starring on the 16^th episode “Spring-a-Ding-Fling of Modern Family Season 5, where she will be playing the role of Wendy who is Mitchell’s old classmate during law school. In the episode their old friendship takes a very interesting turn when Wendy becomes his boss and he has to report to her.

Along with Aisha Tyler, the other guest stars of the season 5 of Modern Family include Jane Krakiwski, Nathan Lane, Adam DeVine, Jesse Eisenberg and John Benjamin Hickey. Besides The Talk and Archer, Tyler also hosts Whose Line Is It Anyway on CW, which just got renewed for another season last year. She has also landed up on a role in an HBO Pilot, Open by Ryan Murphy. Tyler’s book Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation got published last summer.

The post ‘Archer’ fame Aisha Tyler to guest star in Modern Family appeared first on TVHackr.

This week on TVHackr, we talked about an important How I Met Your Mother milestone, what to expect on FX come January, and a new Netflix deal with Disney, while the internet touched on sexy newscasters, Facebook TV reminders, and ratings winners and losers.

ABC Picks Up Full Seasons of The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife, Cancels Back in the Game
ABC gave out full seasons to new comedies The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife while extending Super Fun Night and cancelling Back in the Game.

Bob’s Burgers Recap: Breadsticks and Butt Punches
When Linda feels that her date night with Bob has gone stale, she decides to take flying lessons, only to find out that her teacher has other things in mind.

Witches of East End 1.05 “Electric Avenue” Recap
While Ingrid finds her own way of grieving the loss of Adam, Freya is forced to deal with Dash’s ex and Wendy’s spell has adverse effects on Maura.

Community: Vince Gilligan to Guest
Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan is set to appear on an upcoming episode of Community, which returns this January on NBC.

Castle Review: “Like Father, Like Daughter”
When Alexis enlists Castle’s help on a case she’s working with her professor, he and Beckett uncover evidence that local police had previously overlooked.

How I Met Your Mother 9.08 Review – The Lighthouse
While Barney gets caught in the middle of a conflict between Robin and Loretta, Ted and Cassie try to enjoy a trip to a lighthouse.

Treme Season 4 Spoilers and Trailer: Thirty-Eight Months After the Storm
HBO has released a trailer for the final season of Treme, as well as episode descriptions for the final five installments of the David Simon drama.

Helix to Premiere Friday, January 10th on Syfy
Syfy has announced that upcoming scripted drama Helix is set to premiere Friday, January 10th at 10:00, with the first episode to repeat several times the following day.

‘Vegas’ alum Jason O’Mara headed towards USA Network
Jason O’Mara has joined USA pilot Complications, where he’ll be playing an ER doctor. The series was created by Burn Notice‘s Matt Nix.

FX Sets Premiere Dates for Justified, The Americans, Archer, and Chozen
FX has revealed its winter 2014 schedule, which includes the return of Justified, a relocated Archer, and the second season of The Americans being delayed.

Scandal Casts Olivia’s Mom: Khandi Alexander to Play the Part
Treme alum Khandi Alexander has been cast as the mother of Olivia Pope on Scandal. She made her first appearance this past Thursday.

American Horror Story Renewed for Season 4 by FX
FX has renewed American Horror Story for a fourth season, though no details about the season’s focus/theme have been revealed as of yet.

Witches of East End 1.06 Preview: Ingrid Flashes Back to a Past Life
On the next episode of Witches of East End, Freya makes a shocking discovery at Fair Haven and Ingrid flashes back to one of her past lives.

Netflix Partners with Disney for Live-Action Marvel Series
There will be four new Marvel series coming to Netflix in the near future thanks to a deal the streaming service struck with Disney this week.

Boardwalk Empire Season 4: Spoilers for November Episodes
Coming up on Boardwalk Empire, Chalky and Daughter go on the run after a close call, while Nucky gets an important tip from Sally and Richard goes looking for Tommy.

Betrayal 1.07 Preview: Sara and Jack Deal with Their Affair Being Exposed
On the next episode of Betrayal, Sara and Jack must deal with having their affair exposed, while Zarek takes it upon himself to take care of Brandy for Karsten.

Reign 1.04 Sneak Peek: Mary and Her Ladies Prepare for a Costume Ball
This week on Reign, Mary and her ladies prepared for a costume banquet that was to culminate in an execution of an English envoy accused of spying.

Why People in Hong Kong Protest Over Bad Television (The Atlantic)
100,000 Hong Kongers took to the streets to protest the paucity of television channels made available to them, a number low enough to negatively impact the quality of shows they do get to see.

Evicted Greek TV channel goes on air from street (RT)
Despite the government shutting Greece’s former state broadcaster down, the network turned a street into its live audience, at least for a brief time.

12 TV Shows That Are Way Up—or Way Down—in the Ratings (E!Online)
Do you want to know the biggest winners and losers of the fall season? E!Online looks at shows that are either soaring in the ratings or still crashing down to Earth.

The 50 Sexiest in TV News (Mediaite)
Here, look at the pretty people charged with bringing us our news.

Facebook Adds Reminders For Upcoming TV Show Airings To Its Android App (Tech Crunch)
Ever forget to watch your favorite show? Well, you’re in luck, as Facebook has added TV reminders to its Android app.

The post The Week in Television Wrap November 2-8 appeared first on TVHackr.

The fifth season of Justified is set to bow Tuesday, January 7th at 10:00 and will find Raylan confronting the Crowes, a Florida family hell-bent on moving their criminal enterprise into Harlan. Elsewhere on the acclaimed Kentucky-based crime drama, Boyd struggles with having Ava behind bars and teams up with Wynn Duffy. Animated comedy Archer will premiere its fifth season on a new night, as the spy series has moved from Thursday nights, where it spent its first four seasons, to Mondays at 10:00 beginning January 13th. Last season, the show began the highest rated comedy on FX, having grown in the ratings in each successive season.

After spending last season on its own, Archer will get a new lead-out in Chozen, which tells the story of a gay white rapper who gets out of prison and decides to claim his rightful position as the world’s top rap artist. The voice cast for the series, which premieres January 13th at 10:30, includes  Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress, Michael Pena, Nick Swardson, Kathryn Hahn, and Method Man. Moving Chozen over to FX allows for FXX’s recent acquisition Ali G: Rezurrection to air alongside the second season of Legit, a series from Australian comedian Jim Jefferies. Both Ali G: Rezurrection, repackaged episodes of Sacha Baron Cohen’s 2003-2006 HBO comedy Da Ali G Show, and Legit are set to premiere sometime in February, along with the second season of The Americans.

Do you think that FX made the right decision in moving Archer? How long of a delay do you expect for the second season of The Americans? What do you hope to see from the fifth season of Justified?

The post FX Sets Premiere Dates for Justified, The Americans, Archer, and Chozen appeared first on TVHackr.

This week on TVHackr, we talked about the newest judge on The Sing-Off, revealed the rules of Under the Dome, and added to the Comic-Con lineup, while the internet reimagined the American Revolution, paid tribute to King of the Hill, and analyzed big demographic hits.

News Roundup: The Rules of Under the Dome
What exactly are the rules of the dome covering Chester’s Mill? CBS has released a list of dos and don’ts for Under the Dome after its massively rated premiere episode.

Mistresses 1.05 Preview: Joss and Alex’s Friendship Takes a Turn
While Joss has to decide whether she wants to take her friendship with Alex to the next level, Savi investigates paternity tests and April has had enough of her riskless life.

Magic City Marathon to Air Friday, July 5th on Starz
Rather than a new episode, Magic City’s first three installments of its second season will be repeated, beginning tonight at 9:00 on Starz.

Family Tree 1.07 Sneak Peeks: Tom May Be Part Native American
Tom is joined in California by Pete and Bea, just as he receives information about his ancestry possibly being Native American. How will their trip to the reservation go?

Defiance 1.11 Preview: The Election Campaign Heats Up
Datak uses Nolan’s past to boost his election chances, while Irisa is plagued by visions that suggest the time to fulfill her destiny as the chosen one has come.

Twisted 1.04 Sneak Peeks: Danny Tries to Be Civil with Archie
Danny’s time on the soccer team doesn’t go quite as he wanted, Jo and Lacey spend quality time together at a sleepover, and Karen gets ambushed at a charity brunch.

The Fosters 1.05 Sneak Peeks: Is Brandon Jealous of Callie Being with Wyatt?
Brandon expresses concerns about Callie being with Wyatt, but are said concerns founded on fact? Or is he letting his desire to be with her cloud his judgment?

Hit the Floor 1.06 Sneak Peeks: Can German Compete with Derek?
German buys Ahsha a $5,000 bracelet to try and keep up with Derek, while the power goes off in the arena for a mysterious reason and Jelena comes face-to-face with Mia in the Devils parking lot.

Dexter: Watch the Final Season Premiere Here
Showtime has released the eighth and final season premiere of Dexter on its Youtube account. How will the final run of episodes kick off for Dexter, Deb, and the whole of Miami Metro?

Devious Maids 1.03 Preview: Olivia Reveals a Major Secret About Taylor
Olivia lets a damaging secret about Taylor’s past slip to Marisol, Carmen takes a meeting with a record producer, and Spence looks to help Rosie out of a jam.

The Killing 3.07 Preview: Suspicion Turns to Pastor Mike
Now that suspicion has turned to Pastor Mike, should Linden and Holder move on from Joe Mills? Or should they still focus on getting him in for questioning while going after Mike?

FX, Starz Announce 2013 San Diego Comic-Con Lineups
Among the series coming to Comic-Con are Wilfred, Archer, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Black Sails, and Sons of Anarchy.

The Fosters Recap: Don’t Call Me Dude
Brandon and Callie have a conversation that she’s not yet ready for, Jude gets bullied for being different, and Jesus and Lexi encounter a scary situation.

NBC, Showtime Announce Comic-Con Lineups
Among the series coming to Comic-Con are Revolution, Hannibal, Dexter, Community, Grimm, and The Blacklist.

Falling Skies Renewed for Season 4 by TNT
The sci-fi drama, currently in the middle of its third season, will return for a fourth season of 10 episodes, which will premiere next summer.

News Roundup: Jewel Added to NBC’s The Sing-Off
Recording artist, actress, and writer Jewel has joined NBC’s The Sing-Off, replacing Sara Bareilles. The show returns this winter for a week-long run.

Twisted 1.05 Sneak Peeks: Will Danny Go to the Fall Festival?
Danny’s possible presence at the fall festival causes a sizeable uproar in Green Grove, while Lacey goes to Gloria looking for information.

The Fosters 1.06 Sneak Peeks: A Dinner Party to Forget for Jesus and Lexi
Lexi’s parents come over for dinner, Callie goes to group therapy, and Wyatt throws a party at his childhood home, which is currently in foreclosure.

Defiance Season Finale Preview: Who Will Be the One to Die?
The time for the election has come and citizens of Defiance will have to make a choice. Will Datak or Amanda win control of the town?

Hit the Floor 1.07 Sneak Peeks: Why Did Olivia Hook Up with Pete?
Olivia and Pete get time alone in a limo and when talk turns to their history with one another, accusations fly. But who is in the right?

Mistresses 1.06 Preview: Is Harry Cheating on Savi?
While Savi suspects that Harry is cheating with his hostess, someone breaks into Karen’s office and Joss is still being given a hard time by Olivier.

10 episodes that made King Of The Hill one of the most human cartoons ever (The A.V. Club)
The A.V. Club analyzes 10 episodes of Mike Judge’s long-running FOX comedy King Of the Hill and argues that it’s humanity is one of the reasons it resonated so much with audiences.

A tenth of each day spent watching television (The USC US-China Institute)
According to The US US-China Institute, the amount of television that Chinese individuals watch has risen, possibly as a result of a rising standard of living.

A Deeper Dive Into Television’s ‘Difficult Men’ (NPR)
NPR interviewed Brett Martin, author of Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution from The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

TV’s Wallenda Tightrope: Big Ratings, Severe Challenges (Variety)
How will Nik Wallenda’s monster ratings for his Grand Canyon walk impact television going forward? Will we see more death-defying stunts being done as a result?

How Social Media Is Being Used To Amplify TV Advertising (Business Insider)
Business Insider looks at what social television is, analyzes its latest trends, and examines its audience makeup.

Archer and Cable TV’s Other Demographic Dominators (Vulture)
While not every cable series can be a Walking Dead in terms of success and reach, Vulture looked at several shows that dominate their targeted demographics and what kind of hurt they put on their broadcast competition.

Apple Said to Near Time Warner Cable Deal for TV Programs (Bloomberg)
Apple is nearing a deal with Time Warner Cable Inc. to give subscribers of the cable television service access to channels via Apple TV.

10 Popular TV Characters Reimagined as American Revolution Figures (Mashable)
In honor of Independence Day, Mashable took television characters and reimagined them as key American Revolution figures. Who is the most analogous to Breaking Bad‘s Walter White?

The post The Week in Television Wrap June 29-July 5 appeared first on TVHackr.

2013 San Diego Comic-Con begins Wednesday, July 17th with a preview night; the following day kicks off a four-day string of panels, press rooms, and screenings. Among the shows that have been confirmed to attend this year’s convention are Teen Wolf, Sleepy Hollow, Bob’s Burgers, Defiance, and Adventure Time.

Will you be going to Comic-Con this year? Are you surprised at any of the FX series not attending the convention? Is there a show out there that you’re disappointed about not heading to 2013 Comic-Con?

Thursday, July 18th
4:00 p.m. – Wilfred
Who’ll be there: Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann, and Dorian Brow,n as well as showrunners Eli Jorné and Reed Agnew and executive producer David Zuckerman

Black Sails
Who’ll be there: Zach McGowan, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Mark Ryan, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, and series creators Jonathan Steinberg and Robert Levin

Friday, July 19th
5:00 p.m. – Archer
Who’ll be there:  H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Amber Nash, and Lucky Yates, plus series creator Adam Reed and executive producer Matt Thompson

Sunday, July 21st
3:00 p.m. – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Who’ll be there: Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito

3:50 p.m. – Sons of Anarchy
Who’ll be there: Kurt Sutter, Paris Barclay, Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, Maggie Siff, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior,  Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Dayton Callie, and Jimmy Smits

The post FX, Starz Announce 2013 San Diego Comic-Con Lineups appeared first on TVHackr.

“Archer is one the very best comedy series on television. Adam Reed, Matt Thompson and the incredible cast – H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, George Coe, and Lucky Yates – are comedic geniuses.  It is truly rewarding the way in which the audience and fans have embraced their work and that the ratings to continue to grow.  The quality of Archer is undeniable,” said Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Development Nick Gad of the renewal and the state of the show, which is up 128% in the 18-49 demographic compared to its first season.

Tonight’s episode of Archer finds Archer, Cyril, and Lana going undercover in celebrity chef “Lance Casteau’s” kitchen. Upcoming guest stars include Anthony Bourdain, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, and Jon Hamm, with the latter appearing as a possibly deranged commander of an undersea laboratory in the two-part season finale. Last season, Bryan Cranston appeared in the two-part finale as a commander of a spaceship under attack.

Archer airs tonight at 10:00 on FX. The network also recently renewed The Americans for a second season, set to debut in early 2014.

What have you thought about this season thus far? Are you looking forward to hearing Jon Hamm as the possibly deranged commander of an undersea laboratory? Who is your all-time favorite Archer guest star?

The post Archer Renewed for Season 5 by FX appeared first on TVHackr.

In creating my list of the top TV episodes of the calendar year, I decided to institute a one-episode-per-show cap. Doing so would allow for a better variety of programs to be given recognition and frankly, it’s boring seeing the same small group of shows mixed and matched on a list like this.

10. Archer S03E08 “Lo Scandalo” (FX)
Air Date: February 16th
Episode Description: Malory turns to Archer and Lana for help when she finds herself in a compromising situation with the Italian prime minister.
Why?: Archer has managed to successfully lampoon and pay tribute to the spy genre for three seasons, but it was a dip into the world of the closed-room murder mystery that was even more impressive. Taking a cue from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, “Lo Scandalo” finds Malory alone in her apartment with the body of the Italian Prime Minister, who had been shot to death. The only thing is that there were no signs of a break-in and Malory had the only gun in the place, a gun that she said she fired at three intruders before getting hit herself. Although piecing together what happened provided great framework for the episode, it more importantly got every character together in one location and allowed them to bounce their crazy off of one another, climaxing in a wonderfully Archer-ian dinner party and a shrug of an ending is all the funnier for its apathy.

9. Treme S03E10 “Tipitina” (HBO)
Air Date: November 25th
Episode Description: In the Season 3 finale, Janette clashes with Tim over an unauthorized benefit for a local institution. Meanwhile, Davis orchestrates his exit from the music business, but not before one more gig with an old friend; Delmond reconsiders his participation in the jazz center’s plans; Terry vents his frustration over his colleagues’ ostracism; Toni sees a chance for justice in an important case; and Annie’s album gets released.
Why?: The third season finale of Treme could have made for a moving, enormously satisfying series finale. Many of the characters had their stories tied off through departures (Sofia going to college), new beginnings (Sonny getting married), or answers that they had been chasing all season long (Toni and the murder case), and there was enough emotional closure to things like LaDonna’s trial to where it felt like The End. However, on a show like Treme, there’s never really an end; nothing gets wrapped up neatly and tidily, nor will there be any fairy tale conclusions to speak of. Rather, Treme is a story about picking up the pieces following a disaster and surviving, something that will continue no matter how far in the rearview mirror Katrina appears to be.

8. Suburgatory S02E05 “The Wishbone” (ABC)
Air Date: November 14th
Episode Description: Tessa wants to spend Thanksgiving in New York City with her mother, who’s en route from Berlin, and her grandmother, though the holiday doesn’t turn out like she planned. Meanwhile, Dallas recruits George to prepare a feast, but he’s going to need help from a professional.
Why?: Suburgatory has problems deciding if it wants to be a day-glo cartoon satire of the suburban experience or a fairly mellow look at what it means to be an outsider. Its tonal inconsistency can be equally frustrating and exciting, in that you don’t know what shade of the show you’re going to get that week, particularly as it has all the bones to be truly great. The fifth episode of the season was the closest the show’s gotten to greatness and to do so, it had to strip away some of the sheen and amp up the earnestness. While not the funniest episode of the show to date, “The Wishbone” thoughtfully, carefully, and lovingly showcased the first meeting between Tessa and her birth mother, paying mind to the reaction of her father and all the conflicting emotions running in her head. It was sweet, it allowed the supporting cast to feel as real as they’ve ever been (particularly Dallas, whose heart is as big as her closet), and it used the “family holiday” to explore what it means for a family to change shape unexpectedly.

7. Awake S01E01 “Pilot” (NBC)
Air Date: March 1st
Episode Description: In the premiere of this drama, a detective awakens after his family’s car accident to discover he’s living in two parallel worlds. In one, his wife survived the crash and his son perished. In the other, his son continues to live but his wife was killed. While trying to regain footing in his complex double lives, he continues his efforts to crack cases in both worlds.
Why?: The pilot for Awake managed to make a complex premise and the use of two different realities digestible, immediately compelling, and devastatingly beautiful. Through the use of subtle stylistic choices (notably color, but also editing and wardrobe), the episode made both realities distinct places for Detective Michael Britten to try and navigate. The dual therapists, the crossover of tidbits from one world into the next, the grief that Britten has to overcome in order to figure out what’s real – it all should have been convoluted and overly melancholy, but it works outstandingly well in the Awake pilot and made it one of the more exciting shows to debut in 2012. The series as a whole leaned too hard on the cop-drama elements at times, though the cinematic, meditative first episode was as good of a start as they could have hoped for.

6. Californication S05E06 “Love Song” (Showtime)
Air Date: February 12th
Episode Description: Samurai comes down with a case of songwriter’s block and seeks Hank’s help in getting unblocked. So Hank teams with Kali to compose a tune, which harkens back to his first sojourn to Los Angeles with Karen and other happier times with Charlie and Marcy.
Why?: Californication is known for being rude, crude, and unapologetically lewd, a comedy dripping in machismo and reeking of beer and lost opportunity. It can be equal parts offensive and awesome, powerful and pungent, but no episode from the entire run matches “Love Song,” a romantic flashback-heavy installment that actually fleshed out the Karen/Hank dynamic while letting Hank be creative. We’re told that he’s this brilliant writer and that multiple industries (music, film, book) all want to work with the mad scientist, though “Love Song” is one of the few times where the hype and the results have matched one another. Hank is someone who is always capital-O On and doesn’t let down his guard that easily, making the choice to frame a songwriting session bent on producing a love song with the happier times of his marriage all the more poignant.

5. Veep S01E08 “Tears” (HBO)
Air Date: June 10th
Episode Description: In the Season 1 finale, a Ohio gubernatorial candidate balks at Selina’s endorsement due to her current unpopularity, but Mike and Amy try to make the best of the vice president’s emotions during their meeting. Meanwhile, Dan can’t shake the clean-jobs bill debacle, especially when it could be the subject of a Congressional hearing.
Why?: Throughout the cynical first season of Veep, VP Selina Meyer dealt with an onslaught of bad press and poor professional breaks that led her to become frustrated with the position. It’s a wonder that, after going so long without an unqualified win and seeing any political clout she had in this country vanish, she didn’t cry sooner, really. “Tears”, darkly acidic and cleverly plotted, finds the Veep on the campaign trail once again and attempting to turn a bad event into something she can use to her advantage, which shockingly works – for a while, at least. If there’s one lesson to learn from Veep, it’s that nothing ever changes in politics; all people like Selina, Dan, and Amy are faceless cogs in the machine that serve their purpose before being replaced by a newer, fresher model. If Selina can’t halt the inquiry into the Macauley amendment next season, her replacement will be coming sooner rather than later.

4. Justified S03E10 “Guy Walks into a Bar” (FX)
Air Date: March 20th
Episode Description: Raylan struggles to keep Dickie Bennett in prison while also contending with the increasingly violent and unpredictable Quarles. Meanwhile, Boyd’s election in Harlan is approaching.
Why?: No other Justified villain will ever match up to the presence of Mags Bennett, but Robert Quarles was a damn good replacement nonetheless. His friendly persona among the Harlan residents masked a troubled man inside, a man who continued to struggle in moving on from childhood trauma and a man who would stop at nothing to fill the hole within himself with power, land, and money. In addition to a chillingly acted, impressively directed altercation between Quarles and Raylan at a local bar, the episode featured an unpacking of the man Robert Quarles is and the type of demons he had to fight to get this far. It made the man sympathetic for the first time by revealing how disturbed he was, which also raised the stakes for the rest of the season; once you knew what Quarles was capable of, he became more of a threat to Raylan and someone who needed to be put down before he got anyone else hurt.

3. Boardwalk Empire S03E11 “Two Impostors” (HBO)
Air Date: November 25th
Episode Description: Nucky and Eddie hide out with Chalky when Gyp descends on Atlantic City, where his band of thugs takes over the Artemis Club, forcing Gillian to reconsider her business model. Meanwhile, Luciano makes a risky move; and Richard suffers a setback.
Why?: For the past two seasons, Boardwalk Empire has managed to take its dangling plot threads and weave them together seamlessly during the final episodes, bringing enemies crashing against one another and paying off long-standing tension. Like the sublime “Under God’s Power She Flourishes”, “Two Impostors” was a highlight of its respective season, managing to make enthralling action (Nucky escaping his residence with Mr. Kessler after having to gun down three of Masseria’s men), political chess (Eli striking a deal with Capone and Torrio, Chalky backing Nucky rather than defecting to Gyp), and an impending sense of dread (Gillian being boxed in by Gyp, Owen’s ill-fated trip to the baths) coalesce into the sprawling, deeply satisfying hour of television.

2. Homeland S02E04 “Q&A” (Showtime)
Air Date: October 28th
Episode Description: Brody finds himself imprisoned again, only this time it’s in the United States. Meanwhile, Carrie’s rash judgment call at the hotel results in Estes trying to keep Jessica off their trail; and Dana’s relationship with Finn heats up as their date night takes an unexpected turn.
Why?: Once Carrie pulled the trigger on bringing Brody in for interrogation, I figured that Homeland would take a breath and feel out the next move it would make; the show had already executed several major plot twists in a row by this point and, in the interest of not burning through too much story, it seemed likely that they would slow down before revving up again. Not so. While the car accident was jarring and felt out-of-place at the time, it eventually tied in thematically with the rest of the season, casting Walden as a victim and pulling Dana farther from her father, and the nearly 15-minute uninterrupted interrogation of Brody by Carrie might’ve contained the best acting you’ll see in any episode of television from 2012.

1. Spartacus: Vengeance S03E05 “Libertus” (Starz)
Air Date: February 24th
Episode Description: Spartacus undertakes a mission to rescue Crixus from the Romans, but a famous gladiator from the House of Atiatus interferes with the plan; Ilithyia’s scheming begins to affect her marriage to Glaber.
Why?: The arena was the centerpiece of the Spartacus world, the culmination of the gladiators’ training and a source of entertainment to the bored Capuan masses. So much of the drama either took place in the arena or was focused on the different Houses jockeying for position that it seemed likely that it would be a part of the show’s DNA until the series finale, but in one breathtaking sequence Spartacus and his men destroyed the place they once felt most at home in. It was the final symbol of the season-long rebellion, it stirred the pot with Glaber, and it was only the fifth episode of the season.

The Next 10:
11. Childrens Hospital S04E07 “British Hospital”
12. Scandal S01E06 “The Trail”
13. Nashville S01E01 “Pilot”
14. Damages S05E10 “But You Don’t Do That Anymore”
15. The Borgias S02E09 “World of Wonders”
16. The League S04E02 “The Hoodie”
17. Cougar Town S03E05 “A One Story Town”
18. Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 S01E02 “Daddy’s Girl”
19. Parks and Recreation S04E22 “Win, Lose, or Draw”
20. Bob’s Burgers S02E02 “Bob Day Afternoon”

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Which makes compiling a Top 10 list that much harder. With so many shows being thrown against the wall to see what sticks, you’re bound to not be able (either physically or emotionally) unable to watch every Hot New Thing that comes onto the scene, so creating a Best Of can feel a little incomplete. However, I decided to approach it less as a definitive declaration and more of a sampling/appreciation of what the year in TV has been like; the 10 shows that I selected cover a fair amount of bases of 2012 TV, from the best network show you’re not watching to the freshman political comedy that debuted in an election year to several premium cable dramas that either made the leap to greatness or stayed steady after doing so last season. There are impressive creative rebounds, controversial seasons that will have people talking for quite a while, and, most of all, plenty of great episodes just begging to be rewatched.

10. Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
One of the main complaints I hear about the state of television today is that there aren’t any good family shows out anymore, that so much programming anymore is dedicated to people being mean to one another. Anyone who subscribes to that point-of-view should be watching Bob’s Burgers, my pick for best family comedy on TV and a delightfully weird take on a typical sitcom set-up. Proprietors of a struggling burger restaurant, the Belchers are a tight family unit who, while unconventional in everything they do, are obviously crazy about one another and support the other’s ambitions wholeheartedly. While the show derives some of its humor from the family trying to earn the money to pay the rent and keep their restaurant, Bob’s Burgers really shines when it puts the focus on one of the children’s latest issues (i.e. Gene’s first girlfriend, Tina falling in with a bad crowd) and/or when it allows itself to be more than a little absurd (i.e. a homeless window decorator claiming to be a mannequin, a fruit/vegetable skin diet). Never is there comedy in putting one another down – rather, this is a family full of nice, goofy, weird people who feed into one another’s weirdness, even pulling the “long suffering” parent into the madness fairly frequently.
Three Essential Episodes: So2E02 “Bob Day Afternoon”; So2E04 “Burgerboss”; So3E06 “The Deepening”

9. Justified (FX)
The third season of Justified expanded the world of Harlan County upon the death of former mastermind Mags Bennett. With no central figure controlling things anymore, there was a lot up for the taking, including a mysterious fortune, land, crops, and most importantly, power. It might not have had the focus of the previous season, but season three made up for that by stuffing itself with important figures in the battle for Harlan and pushing Marshall Raylan Givens to his personal breaking point. While Boyd was busy trying to buy an election and curry favor with the new sheriff, Raylan’s dealing with problems at home with Winona (and Arlo) and Dickie Bennett has escaped prison only to fall into a snake pit, with every major player in Harlan after the money his mother left behind. The show managed to corral all the smaller stories and minor characters into a bloody, high stakes entanglement that found no big bad coming forth from the mess; was all the pain, all the death, all the destruction worth it in the end? Or did it end up leaving each character so much weaker than they were in the beginning that no one had the resources or the back-up to become the new don of Harlan? But lest you think Justified is a pulpy body farm merely meant to appeal to only our basest urges, the finale ended on a heartbreaking moment for Raylan who realized that to the one man he wanted to mean everything to, he means nothing at all.
Three Essential Episodes: So3E05 “Thick as Mud”; So3E10 “Guy Walks into a Bar”; So1E13 “Slaughterhouse”

8. Veep (HBO)
HBO’s latest political comedy debuted in an election year and perfectly encapsulated what lies behind the political curtain. Vice President Selina Meyer was once excited about being in politics and ready to make the change she wanted to see in the country happen, but following years of embarrassing public gaffes, a President who doesn’t want to associate himself with her, and a political climate that’s grown more sour, she’s been beaten down by the machine. However, she still has three years to go in her first term, three years in which to pull something out of her hat to garner good press and keep herself in the President’s good graces and as much as she hates her job, it’s better to be the Veep than to not be the Veep. Taking a cue from The Thick of It, Armando Iannucci’s recently completed British political comedy, Veep is a deeply cynical look at a world very few get to see, as verbally dexterous as it is tightly plotted and penetratingly real, with the benefit of a raw lead performance and a litany of important supporting characters. Though much of her time is spent trying to clot the latest PR crisis, Selina Meyer is trying to alter the course of a career that has been on rockier ground, but in the world of politics (and Veep itself), nothing really ever changes. And that’s the point.
Three Essential Episodes: So1E03 “Catherine”; So1E04 “Chung”; So1E08 “Tears”

7. Archer (FX)
Structurally, the third season of Archer was the most interesting yet, with two major arcs that bookended multiple standalone episodes and guest appearances from the likes of George Takei and Burt Reynolds. The show managed to keep its plotting very intricate (dead prime ministers! Canadian drug lords! ocelots!) while giving each member of its cast a moment or episode in the sun and continuing to craft distinct, intelligent dialogue with no word wasted. (You could argue that Archer, for all the adventure it depicts, has the deepest knowledge of pop culture/media, including an ability to wrap the most obscure of references in an Archer yell or Malory snark for safe keeping.) It mixed pop culture parodies/homages with spy capers, living dead girls, and drifting race cars, along with trips to Canada, space, and West Virginia. Archer was everything that it can be in the third season, to the point where you have to wonder if the upcoming fourth season can match the creative highs and consistency; of course, the show has been so good since the beginning that it can that it can afford a minor step back and would still be a tremendously fun half hour. But mostly, it remained, in my eyes, the most consistently funny show on television, combining globe-hopping stories with well-worn character beats to produce a great season.
Three Essential Episodes: So3E06 “The Limited”; S03E08 “Lo Scandalo”; S03E10 “Crossing Over”

6. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Upon pulling the trigger on Jimmy, Nucky Thompson became a gangster. He had been involved in criminal activity for quite a while, but he always made an effort not to get his hands dirty, so in fully embracing the lifestyle, the third season of Boardwalk Empire saw a change in its hero. He needed every ounce of his newfound lack of guilt and ability to operate a weapon since arguably his toughest rival, ill-tempered Gyp Rosetti, decided to set his sights on taking Atlantic City from its kingpin once and for all. While early parts of the season were slower and more methodical, depicting everything from Van Alden’s attempts to become another person in Chicago to Margaret’s pet project women’s health clinic, the tension, action, and political intrigue only increased during the back half, with the death of Owen providing the catalyst for Nucky to take the Rosetti threat seriously. The show’s pacing can be unusual, in that its deep supporting cast is sprinkled across the episodes rather than appear for chunks at a time, but when it all comes together in the end, it makes the case that a novelistic approach to storytelling is not dead. In fact, it can make for quite the pay-off to the patient viewer and strengthen everything that came before it, as season three of Boardwalk Empire did.
Three Essential Episodes: S03E07 “Sunday Best”‘ S03E10 “A Man, A Plan…”; S03E11 “Two Impostors”

5. The Borgias (Showtime)
One of the shows to take the leap from good/pretty good to great this year was The Borgias, Showtime’s costume drama about the Borgia family, an Italian dynasty led by Pope Alexander VI, and their desire to stay in power. During the first season, the show seemed to have a good idea of what it wanted to be and how it wanted to tell the story of this rich, controversial family, seen as the bane of the Catholic Church in the eyes of many, but it didn’t quite execute it in the best way. While the acting was top-notch and the cinematography/costuming gorgeous, the pacing was a tad off and it had moments of being content to just sit there rather than move forward. However, the second season improved quite a bit – the story propelled itself more (there was no dead space to speak of and things became delightfully entangled), the action inserted made sense and was never overbearing, and the stakes for the family got much higher. While Rodrigo has been dealing with people trying to take him out of the papacy from the day he assumed the title of Pope, season two of The Borgias ratcheted up the threat level with crazed Friar Savonarola, revenge-seeking Cardinal Della Rovere, and the proud Sforza family all posing threats to his position. In addition, the Borgia children were all dealing with issues of identity that manifested themselves quite differently and profoundly in the family dynamic; while Cesare yearned to be the favored son, Juan self-destructed due to worsening health and Lucrezia struggled with the idea of getting married without losing herself in the process.
Three Essential Episodes: S02E05 “The Choice”; S02E07 “The Siege at Forli”; S02E09 “World of Wonders”

4. Treme (HBO)
Treme is a show whose rhythms you either get or you don’t. It took at least one full season for me to get accustomed to the sprawling cast and (seemingly) small plot stakes, but since then, I’ve been in tune with everything that David Simon and company were putting out. The third season of the New Orleans-set drama focused heavily on the intersection between art and commerce, with several of the characters having to decide how, when, or if they could commodify their talent, to rather mixed results. While Annie’s career skyrocketed, culminating in the release of her album at the end of the season, Davis was burned one too many times from being in the music industry and got to give a profane send-off to his greatest love on a special hidden track; while Janette found that working in a larger restaurant wasn’t her thing, Antoine soul-searched regarding the type of music he chose to play, ultimately becoming okay with the path he took in becoming a musician. It was a moving season of heartbreak and pain (Albert’s lymphoma, LaDonna’s trial), of love and connection (Toni and Terry, Sonny getting married), of the highs and lows that the city of New Orleans has faced since Hurricane Katrina, a season which built to a finale that could have served as a pretty tremendous series ender. Though several character arcs have been more or less wrapped up, Treme has a five-episode coda to play out the final coda in the post-disaster journey of a former cultural haven, which will undoubtedly be the sweetest music of 2013.
Three Essential Episodes: S03E04 “The Greatest Love”; S03E08 “Don’t You Leave Me Here”; S03E10 “Tipitina”

3. Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
The greatest creative rebound of the year had to be Nurse Jackie‘s rebirth in its fourth season. While the show has always been watchable due to a strong supporting cast, interesting central premise, and the lead performance from Edie Falco, it had slipped into a rut where there were no consequences, no danger to anything Jackie was doing. You knew that she’d never get caught nor would she ever have to atone for the things she had done – until this season. During the fourth season, Jackie became the underdog in a sense, battling both her opiate addiction (including a brief stint in rehab where she made one pivotal connection) and a new boss at the hospital who seemed to have her number. Much of the repetitious second and third seasons didn’t give her a feasible challenge to have to overcome, but the fourth season really stacked the deck against Jackie and had her try to wriggle out of trouble as best she could, becoming all the more powerful in the process. After fighting change for so long, she finally wanted to become a better mother, a better nurse, a better friend, and you had to respect the fight that she put into it and the emotional depths it took her (and the show) to. The fourth season of Nurse Jackie, in addition to making better use out of Akalitus and giving Jackie a formidable foe in Mike, showed that while change can be difficult, scary, and intimidating, it can bring a lot of good with it.
Three Essential Episodes: S04E02 “Disneyland Sucks”; S04E05 “One-Armed Jacks”; S04E09 “Are Those Feathers?”

2. Spartacus: Vengeance (Starz)
There was a lot of pressure going into Vengeance, the third season of Spartacus and first without series star Andy Whitfield. The show had managed to craft a very good prequel without the actor, who later succumbed to cancer, but Vengeance would see the debut of Liam McIntyre in the role of the slave-turned-warrior. What worries there were going into things were quickly squelched by McIntyre’s more contemplative performance (juxtaposed against the absolutely delicious return of Lucy Lawless’ Lucretia), a universe that continued to expand away from the confines of the arenas of Capua, and action scenes that ran the gamut from highly emotional to deeply troubling. Spartacus found the rebel army on the run from the Romans, having to dig deep to fight off the increasingly confident Glaber, and stay alive long enough for the other slaves in the area to hear of their quest for freedom and join in; the incredibly bloody finale may have knocked out a good chunk of the supporting cast (in the operatic way that only Spartacus can do), but in doing so, it severed ties between the show and Capua once and for all, leaving the army on their own and waiting on their next opponent.
Three Essential Episodes: S03E05 “Libertus”;  S03E09 “Monsters”;  S03E10 “Wrath of the Gods”

1. Homeland (Showtime)
Very few shows inspired as much chatter in 2012 as Homeland, whether it be for the breakneck pacing that saw game changing plot points pop up as early as the third episode or for the increasingly bigger plausibility issues that became pervasive later in the season. For me, the second season of the critically acclaimed CIA drama was much more hit than miss, thanks to its superb character work and palpably tense atmosphere. The fact that you truly never knew what you’d see every Sunday on Showtime was simultaneously disorienting and thrilling, a way to make sure you paid attention to everything that happened because you never know what could be important at a later date. (Exhibit A: Brody’s suicide tape.) With the finale hinting that the third season will be smaller in scope and focus on the relationship between Carrie and Saul, the second season of Homeland looks like it will be the manic chapter in the show’s saga, an interesting contrast to Carrie’s improved control over her disorder after spiraling in season one. Whether we were watching Carrie screaming into the wind about her latest hunch, Saul exercising fatherly concern for his protege’s increasingly erratic choices, Quinn stretching his moral ambiguity for much of the season, or Brody struggling to figure out who the hell he was and what he stood for, Homeland had a compelling, ambitious season that proved it knows its character better than any show on television.
Three Essential Episodes: S02E03 “State of Independence”;  So2E04 “Q&A”;  S02E12 “The Choice”

The Next 10:
11. Cougar Town (ABC)
12. Shameless (Showtime)
13. Web Therapy (Showtime)
14. Wilfred (FX)
15. Damages (The Audience Network)
16. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
17. Awake (NBC)
18. NTSF: SD: SUV:: (Adult Swim)
19. Childrens Hospital (Adult Swim)
20. Battleground (Hulu)

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