Best shows of 2011

7. Fringe

Let’s be honest here — I would watch Josh Jackson eat spaghetti for an hour a week. But watching him on Fringe is even better. What began as an X-Files-type, serialized, Sci-fi crime fighting show, has turned into a lot more. Its main romance has you on the edge of your seat not because of the typical will-they-or-won’t-they push and pull, but a much more intriguing can-they-or-can’t-they. But the more interesting love story here is between a father and his son. Seeing the always impressive John Noble (LOTR shout-out!) do his thing as Walter, a bereaved, mentally unstable (but fiercely protective) father, leaves you nothing short of breathless. And this year, Fringe did something amazing. It played out an alternate universe storyline in such a way that made us forget about the over-trodden premise and concentrate on the moral and emotional implications of its storyline. Plus 100 points for introducing the term “Walternate” into my repertoire.

 

8. Friday Night Lights

It’s not easy to deliver on the promise that comes with seasons of some of the most solid work ever to grace our TV sets. But FNL (perhaps the only show on TV to be given the greenlight season after season based solely upon the quality of its content rather than the fans that it can bring) managed to do just that. This season saw the action move into East Dillon, as Coach Taylor had to wrestle with a less-storied program, a less-trained group of kids and all of the personal drama that career upheaval brings. We also got to see the stalwart go through something that every high school show dreads — bringing in a crop of new students — and come out better than ever on the other side. Throughout, the show never strayed from its roots: We got to see what happens to real (good) people when life simply gets in the way.

 

9. Modern Family

The Pritchett family is a return to classic television form. For years, the only comedies about home life that received ratings or critical success were quirky or sardonic or just plain weird. But Modern Family is unabashedly genuine. Its extended family, while representative of the kind of blending that’s become the norm in the 21^st century, is wholesome and dedicated to one another. And its that dedication that pays off: There’s really is something to be said for a show that you can sit down and watch with the whole family.