NEW YORK — What was TV like in 2012? As with every year, it was a mix of the ridiculous and the sublime, the sacred and the profane....

Year-end lists are a holiday tradition along the lines of mistletoe and eggnog. Some people love it and some people hate it, but like clockwork, every year critics and viewers alike start listing the shows that were naughty and the ones that were nice.

I am 28 and have a serious girlfriend which means I can't watch sports and man programming all the time. Recently I have recently been exposed to what some may call "Lady TV."

Not only are smart, complex series like Homeland, Louie, Breaking Bad and Downton Abbey getting on TV, they're finding sizable audiences. Why, then, does the industry feel compelled to play it safe -- dusting off old titles and recycling old ideas?