Narrow it down to 12 “best” TV series and movies for 2012? Forget it. The Only TV Column That Matters™ goes the extra mile—76 extra miles, to be exact. If you missed any of my favorites of the year below (premiere month helpfully included), 1. Thanks for not reading, and 2. Catch up on ’em over the couple of weeks, because there’s not a damned thing else on.
Shameless: Season 2 (Showtime, January) ^
Californication: Season 5 (Showtime, January)
House of Lies: Season 1 (Showtime, January)
Justified: Season 3 (FX, January)
Archer: Season 4 (FX, January)
Spartacus: Vengeance: Season 3 (Starz, January)
Being Human: Season 4 (BBC America, January)
Being Human: Season 2 (Syfy, January)
Lost Girl: Season 2 (Syfy, January)
Portlandia: Season 2 (IFC, January)
Metal Evolution: Miniseries (VH1 Classic, January)
The Life & Times of Tim: Season 3 (HBO, February) ^
Eastbound & Down: Season 3 (HBO, February)
Mad Men: Season 5 (AMC, March)
Game Change: Movie (HBO, March)
Game of Thrones: Season 2 (HBO, April) ^
Girls: Season 1 (HBO, April)
Veep: Season 1 (HBO, April)
Metalocalypse: Season 4 (Adult Swim, April)
Eagleheart: Season 2 (Adult Swim, April)
Magic City: Season 1 (Starz, April)
The Client List: Season 1 (Lifetime, April)
Louie: Season 3 (FX, June) ^
Wilfred: Season 2 (FX, June)
The Newsroom: Season 1 (HBO, June)
Burn Notice: Season 5 (USA, June/ November)
Bunheads: Season 1 (ABC Family, June)
The Cycle: Debut (MSNBC, June)
Breaking Bad: Season 5 (AMC, July) ^
Weeds: Season 8 (Showtime, July)
Burning Love: Season 1 (BurningLove.com, July)
Leverage: Season 5 (TNT, July/November)
Bullet in the Face: Miniseries (IFC, August) ^
Childrens Hospital: Season 4 (Adult Swim, August)
NTSF:SD:SUV: Season 2 (Adult Swim, August)
Boss: Season 2 (Starz, August)
Strike Back: Season 2 (Cinemax, August)
Sons of Anarchy: Season 5 (FX, September) ^
Dexter: Season 7 (Showtime, September)
Homeland: Season 2 (Showtime, September)
Boardwalk Empire: Season 3 (HBO, September)
The Walking Dead: Season 3 (AMC, October) ^
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 8 (FX, October)
The League: Season 4 (FX, October)
American Horror Story: Asylum: Season 2 (FX, October)
Hunted: Season 1 (Cinemax, October)
Underemployed: Season 1 (MTV, October)
Wedding Band: Season 1 (TBS, November) ^
The Rolling Stones: Crossfire Hurricane: Documentary (HBO, November)
Liz & Dick: Best/Worst Move Ever (Lifetime, November)
And the ol’ broadcast nets: Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23 ^, Happy Endings, Nashville, Revenge, Suburgatory (ABC); Criminal Minds, Elementary (CBS); 30 Rock, Community, Grimm, Mockingbird Lane, The Office, Parenthood, Parks & Recreation, Revolution (NBC); American Dad, Ben & Kate, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, Fringe, The Mindy Project, New Girl, Raising Hope, The Simpsons (Fox); Arrow, Supernatural (The CW)