Best Of 2012 Awards: Top 10 Best Television Series

Counting down the biggest and best shows, old and new, that we've seen broadcast on television in 2012!
The television industry remains one of the most diverse and exciting in entertainment in the year 2012, having brought us a plentitude of captivating fictitious and facutal events like the Olympics, the Reicenbach Fall and so many more over the course of the past twelve months. Here, we're looking at the best TV Series we've seen broadcast in 2012 from January to December, with individual TV Episodes getting their own Top 10 list later this month once the final episodes and Christmas Specials of a number of dramas have aired on their respective channels. First, though, let's see what the Top 10 Best Television Series of 2012 really are...
10. THREESOME- Comedy Central's budding new show displayed real promise with its debut back in 2011, and now Threesome has gone on to become one of the most compelling British comedies around. Its leads are lesser-known stars, yet they're brilliant throughout the second season, and warrant a watch from comedy fans on the basis of their performance talents alone!
9. AN IDIOT ABROAD 3- The concept of Karl Pilkington teaming up with Warwick Davis to travel across the route of Marco Polo through Italy and China seemed like TV gold waiting to happen. Thankfully, the team at Sky1 didn't disappoint with the final season of An Idiot Abroad, also re-enlisting Ricky Gervais to ensure that the comedy-documentary series got the send-off it deserved.
8. LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES- I'm not a huge sports fan, but witnessing the glory of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the London 2012 Olympic Games themselves was something of an eye-opener even for me. Britain scored inspiring victories, wholly showcasing their greatness to the rest of the world in a series of uplifting events that won't ever be forgotten...
7. GAME OF THRONES- As someone who only caught the first season of Game Of Thrones late this year as a result of a Sky1 re-run, I can't comment on the quality of Season Two. That said, the original run was incredibly engaging, especially with Sean Bean at the helm for the first nine episodes, so I have no doubt that the show as a whole is more than worth its place on this list of 2012's greatest telly!
6. ARROW- Well, who could possibly have expected this one to work? Hot on the heels of hit CW drama Smallville, Arrow's fortunes seemed doomed from the beginning with yet another gritty take on a DC hero. What a pleasant surprise, then, it's been to see this strong drama develop into its own innovative modern epic, full of shocking plot twists that really put a new spin on the legend of the Green Arrow. I'd be happy to see this version of the character incorporated to the 2015 Justice League film at this rate.
5. MERLIN- We're entering into the final two-parter of this climactic season of Merlin, and it's been one helluva ride so far. Between the icy battles of the opener to Mordred's turn to the dark side, we've had various elements of the Arthurian legends play out in style, and now it merely remains to be seen whether this successful BBC1 fantasy drama can go out with the bang it truly deserves in six days' time!
4. HOUSE- Hugh Laurie has been perfect in the role of Dr Gregory House for the past nine years, but all good things must come to an end. Fox ensured House left on a brilliant note, giving us a number of surprising revelations as to the fates of its various characters in the final weeks, and ultimately leaving the finale with an ending that (while divisive) provided much-needed and satisfying closure for House and Wilson.
3. THE NEWSROOM- Again, who could quite have seen this coming? Aaron Sorkin gave us the brilliant Social Network in 2010, and yet it was with new HBO drama The Newsroom that his writing and direction skills came into their own fully, providing realistic characterisations and modern real-world situations that gave gravity and depth to the entire affair. Seriously, is it Summer 2013 yet, because we want Season Two now!
2. DOCTOR WHO- The seventh season of Doctor Who's first half took us racing towards the 50th Anniversary, providing five blockbuster adventures to give the Ponds the perfect send-off. Asylum Of The Daleks, Dinosaurs On A Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power Of Three and The Angels Take Manhattan were all fantastic, and The Snowmen is already looking like the perfect introduction for Jenna-Louise Coleman as Clara Oswin before the 2013 anniversary run of Series Seven Part Two begins.
1. SHERLOCK- You may recall early in the year, when I reviewed each of the three masterful episodes of Sherlock provided by Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and Stephen Thompson, that I predicted this to be the Best TV Show Of 2012 before the year's television offerings even started to gain momentum. Well, it's safe to say that that prediction remained correct, as nothing we've seen this year has managed to topple the staggering finale achievement of The Reicenbach Fall from its throne. When a drama can inspire such speculation, such outcry and such critical applause, it has to top this list, and in spite of my worries for the Moriarty-less Season Three, right now Sherlock is at the absolute top of its game, and I can't wait to see where the production team take it next Autumn!