2012 - 2013 Season: TV Shows to Watch
by LeeshaVay | created - 19 Jul 2012 | updated - 15 Mar 2015 | PublicIn no particular order...
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1. Grey's Anatomy (2005– )
TV-14 | 41 min | Drama, Romance
A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.
Stars: Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Justin Chambers
Votes: 341,477
Premieres Thursday September 27th, 2012 on ABC at 9:00 PST.
2. American Horror Story (2011– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, showcasing different aspects of horror.
Stars: Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson
Votes: 343,316
Premieres October 17th, 2012 on FX at 10:00 PST.
3. Parks and Recreation (2009–2015)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
The absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.
Stars: Amy Poehler, Jim O'Heir, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt
Votes: 287,778
Premieres Thursday September 20th, 2012 on NBC at 9:30 PST.
4. New Girl (2011–2018)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men. Although they find her behavior very unusual, the men support her - most of the time.
Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone
Votes: 245,375
Premieres Tuesday September 25th, 2012 on FOX at 8:00 PST & 9:00 PST.
5. Modern Family (2009–2020)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.
Stars: Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell
Votes: 483,011
Premieres Wednesday September 26th, 2012 on ABC at 9:00 PST.
6. Weeds (2005–2012)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
When a suburban mother turns to dealing marijuana in order to maintain her privileged lifestyle after her husband dies, she finds out just how addicted her entire neighborhood already is.
Stars: Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Kevin Nealon
Votes: 117,331
Premiered Sunday July 1st, 2012 on Showtime at 10:00 PST.
7. Up All Night (2011–2012)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
Takes an irreverent look at parenthood through the point of view of an acerbic working mother, along with her stay-at-home husband and opinionated parents.
Stars: Christina Applegate, Maya Rudolph, Will Arnett, Jennifer Hall
Votes: 9,540
Premieres Thursday September 20th, 2012 on NBC at 8:30 PST.
8. Glee (2009–2015)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A group of ambitious misfits try to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a glee club headed by a passionate Spanish teacher.
Stars: Lea Michele, Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison, Cory Monteith
Votes: 155,423
Premieres Thursday September 13th, 2012 on FOX at 9:00 PST.
9. The Big C (2010–2013)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A suburban mother faces her cancer diagnosis while trying to find humor and happiness as well.
Stars: Laura Linney, Oliver Platt, Gabriel Basso, John Benjamin Hickey
Votes: 15,723
Premiered Sunday April 8th, 2012 on Showtime.
10. The Client List (2011–2013)
TV-14 | 42 min | Crime, Drama
Riley is a single mother living in a small Texas town and leading a shocking double life.
Stars: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Loretta Devine, Colin Egglesfield, Cybill Shepherd
Votes: 12,544
Premiered Sunday April 8th, 2012 on Lifetime at 9:00 PST.
11. Smash (2012–2013)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Musical
More drama occurs behind the scenes than on stage, as the team prepares an ambitious Broadway musical on the life of Marilyn Monroe.
Stars: Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Katharine McPhee, Christian Borle
Votes: 18,067
Premieres 2013 on NBC
12. Nurse Jackie (2009–2015)
TV-MA | 27 min | Comedy, Drama
A drug-addicted nurse struggles to find a balance between the demands of her frenetic job at a New York City hospital and an array of personal dramas.
Stars: Edie Falco, Merritt Wever, Paul Schulze, Dominic Fumusa
Votes: 29,312
Premieres 2013 on Showtime
13. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
This series follows the Special Victims Unit, a specially trained squad of detectives in the New York City Police Department that investigate sexually related crimes.
Stars: Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T, Dann Florek
Votes: 124,732
Premieres Wednesday September 26th, 2012 on NBC at 9:00 PST.
14. Grimm (2011–2017)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A homicide detective discovers he is a descendant of hunters who fight supernatural forces.
Stars: David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Silas Weir Mitchell, Sasha Roiz
Votes: 130,633
Premieres Monday August 13th, 2012 on NBC at 10:00 PST.
15. Workaholics (2011–2017)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
A single-camera comedy featuring three friends who work together as telemarketers from 9 to 5, and live together from 5 to 9.
Stars: Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm, Maribeth Monroe
Votes: 56,202
Premiered Tuesday May 29th, 2012 on Comedy Central.
16. Wilfred (2011–2014)
TV-MA | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
The story of a depressed man who inexplicably is the only one who can see his neighbor's dog as a full-grown man in a dog suit.
Stars: Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann, Dorian Brown Pham
Votes: 44,374
Premiered Thursday June 21st, 2012 on FX at 10:00 PST.
17. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In Las Vegas, a squad of forensic investigators are trained to solve crimes by meticulously examining the evidence. They employ advanced technology and their rationality to detect the perpetrators.
Stars: William Petersen, Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson, George Eads
Votes: 89,065
Premieres Wednesday September 26th, 2012 on CBS at 10:00 PST.
18. Girls (2012–2017)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama
A comedy about the experiences of a group of girls in their early 20s.
Stars: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Adam Driver
Votes: 77,809
Premieres January 2013 on HBO.
19. Mad Men (2007–2015)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama
A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.
Stars: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones
Votes: 260,373
Premiered Sunday March 25th, 2012 on AMC.
20. Enlightened (2011–2013)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama
A self-destructive woman who has a spiritual awakening becomes determined to live an enlightened life, creating havoc at home and work.
Stars: Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Sarah Burns, Luke Wilson
Votes: 10,199
Premieres January 2013 on HBO.
21. Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.
Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt
Votes: 2,133,777
Premiered Sunday July 15th, 2012 on AMC at 10:00 PST.
22. Animal Practice (2012–2013)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
An animal loving veterinarian despises pet owners.
Stars: Justin Kirk, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Bobby Lee, Kym Whitley
Votes: 2,946
Premieres Wednesday September 12th, 2012 on NBC at 8:00 PST.
23. Dexter (2006–2013)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
He's smart. He's lovable. He's Dexter Morgan, America's favorite serial killer, who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.
Stars: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar
Votes: 765,139
Premieres Sunday September 30th, 2012 on Showtime at 9:00 PST.
24. Revenge (2011–2015)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
An emotionally troubled young woman sets out to exact revenge against the people who wronged her father.
Stars: Madeleine Stowe, Emily VanCamp, Gabriel Mann, Nick Wechsler
Votes: 125,051
Premieres Sunday September 30th, 2012 on ABC at 9:00 PST.
25. CSI: NY (2004–2013)
TV-14 | 43 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Forensic scientists and investigators of the New York City Police Department unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths.
Stars: Gary Sinise, Carmine Giovinazzo, Hill Harper, Eddie Cahill
Votes: 49,571
Premieres Friday September 28th, 2012 on CBS at 8:00 PST.
26. True Blood (2008–2014)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill Compton, a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.
Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten
Votes: 260,007
Premiered Sunday June 10th, 2012 on HBO.
27. Californication (2007–2014)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A writer tries to juggle his career, his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend, as well as his appetite for beautiful women.
Stars: David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Evan Handler, Pamela Adlon
Votes: 188,364
Premieres January 2013 on Showtime.
28. Once Upon a Time (2011–2018)
TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
A young woman with a troubled past is drawn to a small town in Maine where fairy tales are to be believed.
Stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle
Votes: 236,955
Premieres Sunday September 30th, 2012 on ABC at 8:00 PST.
29. The X Factor (2011–2013)
TV-PG | Game-Show, Music, Reality-TV
In this American version of the hit UK show, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges search for a singer who has the "X factor".
Stars: Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid, Mario Lopez
Votes: 6,041
Premieres Wednesday September 12, 2012 on FOX.
30. 20/20 (1978– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, News
ABC's original hour-long news magazine.
Stars: David Muir, Amy Robach, Elizabeth Vargas, Deborah Roberts
Votes: 2,733
Fridays on ABC at 9:00 PST.
31. 48 Hours (1988– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
One of television's most popular true-crime series, investigating shocking cases and compelling real-life dramas with journalistic integrity and cutting-edge style.
Stars: Peter Van Sant, Erin Moriarty, Maureen Maher, Richard Schlesinger
Votes: 2,344
Saturdays on CBS at 10 PST.
32. The New Normal (2012–2013)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Romance
A single mother's life after she accepts the offer to be a surrogate mother for a gay couple.
Stars: Justin Bartha, Andrew Rannells, Georgia King, Bebe Wood
Votes: 11,495
Premieres Tuesday September 11th, 2012 on NBC at 9:30 PST.
33. Guys with Kids (2012–2013)
22 min | Comedy
Three 30-something dads struggle as parents because they are still children at heart.
Stars: Anthony Anderson, Jesse Bradford, Zach Cregger, Tempestt Bledsoe
Votes: 4,436
Premieres Wednesday September 26th, 2012 on NBC at 8:30 PST.
34. Family Guy (1999– )
TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
In a wacky Rhode Island town, a dysfunctional family strives to cope with everyday life as they are thrown from one crazy scenario to another.
Stars: Alex Borstein, Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, Mila Kunis
Votes: 363,920
Premieres Sunday September 30th, 2012 on FOX at 9:00 PST.
35. Ben and Kate (2012–2013)
22 min | Comedy
A free-spirited young guy moves in with his tightly-wound Type-A sister under the guise of being his niece's caregiver.
Stars: Dakota Johnson, Nat Faxon, Lucy Punch, Maggie Elizabeth Jones
Votes: 5,283
Premieres Tuesday September 25th, 2012 on FOX at 8:30 PST.
36. The Mindy Project (2012–2017)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
A young Ob/Gyn doctor balances her personal and professional life, surrounded by quirky co-workers in a small office.
Stars: Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, Ed Weeks, Chris Messina
Votes: 34,930
Premieres Tuesday September 25th, 2012 on FOX at 9:30 PST.
37. The Mob Doctor (2012–2013)
60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A young thoracic surgeon becomes indebted to the South Chicago mafia and is forced to moonlight as a mob doctor, while also working full time at Chicago's most prominent hospital.
Stars: Jordana Spiro, William Forsythe, James Carpinello, Zach Gilford
Votes: 4,473
Premieres Monday September 17th, 2012 on FOX at 9:00 PST.
38. The Walking Dead (2010–2022)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.
Stars: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan
Votes: 1,081,094
Premieres Sunday October 14th, 2012 on AMC.
39. The Killing (2011–2014)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car.
Stars: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell, Liam James
Votes: 123,291
Premiered Sunday April 1st, 2012 on AMC.
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