The Critics List

At the end of every year, prominent TV critics in the US have a tradition of putting out a list of their top ten shows of that year. It would actually make more sense for them to do this at the end of each season, which falls around May of every year, but never mind.

The following rankings are based on how prominently the shows featured in the critics top ten lists in recent years (2005 & 2006). If a show only aired for one of these years then that's been taken into account. Basically it will give you some idea of which shows critics have been going ga-ga over lately ... I'll compile another one when the top ten lists come out at the end of this year, so you'll also know what good TV you missed in 2007.

1. The Wire (2002 - present)
2. Friday Night Lights (2006 - present)
3. Lost (2004 - present)
4. Arrested Development (2003 - 2006)
5. Dexter (2006 - present)
6. Ugly Betty (2006 - present)
7. Battlestar Galactica (2004 - present)
8. Heroes (2006 - present)
9. 24 (2001 - present)
10. The Daily Show & The Colbert Report (1996/2005 - present)
11. The Office (2005 - present)
12. The Sopranos (1999 - 2007)
13. Veronica Mars (2004 - 2007)
14. Rome (2005 - 2007)
15. Rescue Me (2004 - present)
16. 30 Rock (2006 - present)
17. Deadwood (2004 - 2006)
18. House (2004 - present)
19. My Name is Earl (2005 - present)
20. Greys Anatomy (2005 - present)

See Also: The Shield, Weeds, The Comeback, Entourage, Six Feet Under, The West Wing