Well, friends, we have survived to (almost) the end of another year of television. TV is great, and also often terrible. But given how much of it there is, simple math tells us that there's still more worth watching than anyone not actually able to insert extra hours into the day can manage.
As is my custom, only shows new this year are included on this annual list of faves, or there would be mention of "Reservation Dogs," "Russian Doll" and "Atlanta." (These are not the Emmys; we believe in turnover.) And once again I have thematically paired some shows in the service of fitting in as many as possible into what is traditionally a 10-item list. (OK, I went to 11, like a Spinal Tap amplifier.) Even so, tough decisions had to be made, and so "Bad Sisters," "The Sandman," "Tokyo Vice," "Wednesday," "Bee and Puppycat" and "Dead End: Paranormal Park" remain semifinalists — which I have nevertheless managed to mention.
The world may be in a mess, but these shows tend to be optimistic and humanistic, even the ones with superheroes, space travelers, time travelers and pirates. Some were relatively little seen (and, not incidentally, poorly promoted), and a couple have already been canceled. But this is not a popularity contest.
