Terriers
The title confused people. Was Terriers about show dogs? A sports team? In fact, FX's witty shaggy-noir detective series was about two small-time detectives, former cop Hank (Donal Logue) and former crook Britt (Michael Raymond-James), scraping by in Southern California when they — like the dog that caught the car — sank their teeth into a land-grab case much bigger than them. The weekly investigations were peppered with sharp dialogue, and Logue and Raymond-James shared the best screen chemistry of 2010. But the show really gained depth as it explored their personal demons, asking variations on the question, How much do you really want to know about those around you? Title aside, Terriers was a detective show tailor-made for recessionary times and a great exploration of a classic breed: the underdog. (FX)