Top 20 New Shows of 2012: #2

My annual TV Awards, the AFT Television Awards, are given out during the summer. But this year, during both the spring and the fall, produced many impressive new television series. As 2012 closes out and 2013 begins, here’s a look back at the best new shows of the year.

#2: House of Lies
Only Don Cheadle earned awards love for Showtime’s best new series, an appropriately crude and energetic companion to “Shameless” and “Californication,” but the whole ensemble, particularly Kristen Bell, deserves enormous commendation for contributing to a smart, brutal comedy with an enjoyable format and a surprisingly effective dark side.

Best Episode: Pilot
Pilot Review | Episode Reviews