Top TV shows of 2010

It isn't easy to devise a Top 10 TV list anymore, because there are just too many quality shows out there.

With basic cable networks venturing more and more into scripted series, there's more filmed entertainment available, which means there's more bad stuff but also more high-quality programming.

As it is, I had to cheat a little this year to squeeze more than 10 worthy shows into the Top 10.

So the next time you want to hurl a brick at the TV, either turn it off or maybe consider giving one of these series a try:

1. "The Good Wife" (CBS): It's not as edgy as a scripted cable show but this legal drama offers TV's most potent mix of procedural legal stories, character drama, family drama and even political intrigue as it chronicles the lives of lawyer Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), her politician husband (Chris Noth) and a cast of fully-formed secondary characters, including the alluring, mysterious Kalinda (Emmy winner Archie Panjabi). Well written and terrifically acted by a talented cast whose members understand the value of nuance and underplaying a scene, "The Good Wife" lives up to its title.

2. "Mad Men" (AMC): As much a psychological thriller as it is a period drama, this series continues to uncover new facets of its characters, particularly in this season that had such a strong focus on Don's daughter Sally (Kiernan Shipka), who is growing up and developing a more complex, interesting personality than most of the bland kids we see on TV.

3. "Community" (NBC): Last year at this time this NBC Thursday night comedy was still trying to find its way. But this season the show has grown into its own, relying more on comedy that originates with viewers' knowledge of the characters than on situations.

4. "Modern Family" (ABC): While it's indisputably true that television's broadcast era is over, this comedy series proves that casting a wide net and hauling back specific minutiae from three different types of families still resonates with a wide swath of American viewers. We relate to the characters in this series because for many it's like looking in a mirror, we see ourselves and our foibles in their misadventures and we have no choice but to laugh.

5. "The Middle" (ABC): One of the only shows on TV that attempts to portray a relatable, middle-class lifestyle, "The Middle" does so with recognizable humor, mostly stemming from the Heck family's three children: slacker Axel (Charlie McDermott); optimistic, failure-prone Sue (Eden Sher) and bookworm Brick (Atticus Shaffer). Sure, the parents are played by bigger name stars (Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn), but it's the kids who make "The Middle" worth watching.