2015 Top Ten, Part 2

5. 'Inside Amy Schumer' (Comedy Central)

On the other hand, some times the Emmys gets it just right. This was indisputably the year of Amy Schumer at nearly every level--- movie success, stand up success-- yet let it be said that this season was even more daring than this already groundbreaking series has managed. While some of the best sketches involve satirizing Hollywood's aging women and football's darker edges, one of her greatest episodes barely featured her at all. I can't think of any other series that would dare to spend an entire episode sending up  Twelve Angry Men, featuring some of Hollywood's most gifted character actors, and had one of the more daring punch lines of the year.

4. 'The Americans' (FX)

As the Cold War enters it's critical point, the double lives the Philip and Elizabeth Jennings lead make it harder and harder to tell whether or not they are still on the right side. From having to choose between seducing younger people to deciding- in one of the highpoints of the year- to reveal to their already suspicious daughter what exactly they do- to the struggles of the families that they left behind the Iron Curtain- this is by far and away one of the most thrilling series on TV. And considering how brilliant the cast is- from Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell to the wondrous Frank Langella, one wonders how the Emmys could've let this series pass virtually ignored as well.

3. 'The Good Wife' (CBS)

From the departure of Kalinda to what may be the fourth or fifth reinvention of Alicia to Peter's moves toward the White House and Eli's machinations finally seeming to go to far, this series remains one of the most well put together series in network history. The acting remains at a level that few series ever approach, the guest cast and new actors continue to add new levels, and lest we forget, it's one of the more invigorating courtroom dramas on any source. It's very likely that this year will be the final season for this accomplished show. Let's hope that the Kings have the confidence to bring this marvelous hit to a fitting conclusion.

2. 'American Crime' (ABC)

Just when you think this network has completely abandoned the original drama to the machinations of Shonda Rhimes, along comes one of the most wrenching and timely series to remind us what broadcast TV is capable of. In one of the most grueling stories of the year, we saw the horrors of a murder dealt out and the consequences come down upon both the families of the victim and the accused. Featuring some of the very best performances of the year, starting with Timothy Hutton and Felicity Huffman and going to Lili Taylor and Regina King (who more than deservedly won an Emmy for her performance), this was one of rawest experiences of the 2015 season. The writers plan to bring most of the actors back in completely different roles, but even so, one would be hard-pressed to imagine them doing anything as brilliant as this first year.

1. 'Fargo' (FX)

Then again... Daring to try a completely different situation and cast for what was already one of the great series last year, Noah Hawley and his team went back to 1979 to show how a simple hit-and-run spiral out into an all-out gang war, climaxing in the Sioux Falls massacre (hinted at repeatedly in Season 1). This was, by far, one of the most mesmerizing experiences in television, featuring one of the greatest casts ever put together, with highlights including (but not limited to) Bokeem Woodbine ever calm gangsters, Jean Smart's steely-eyed matriarch, and Ted Danson's ever-calm performance as a sheriff who realizes how big a mess is about to unfold. The first season of this series played as close to a Coen brothers movie as were likely to see on TV. This season demonstrated that the writers of these series have created a whole new world for TV to play in.  Can't wait to see what Season 3 brings.