"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)

Can a show that's been showered with awards really be underrated? It can if it's HBO's intoxicating gangster drama, which continued to unfold like a rich, rewarding novel in Season 3. We were a little concerned when "Empire" snuffed out its most compelling character, Michael Pitt's conflicted hustler, Jimmy Darmody, at the end of last season. But Bobby Cannavale stepped in ably this year as short-fused crime boss Gyp ... more 

"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)

Can a show that's been showered with awards really be underrated? It can if it's HBO's intoxicating gangster drama, which continued to unfold like a rich, rewarding novel in Season 3. We were a little concerned when "Empire" snuffed out its most compelling character, Michael Pitt's conflicted hustler, Jimmy Darmody, at the end of last season. But Bobby Cannavale stepped in ably this year as short-fused crime boss Gyp Rosetti, adding a new element of danger to Nucky's domain. And we even began to sympathize with Nucky again a little this season, after his romance with showgirl Billie Kent ended in tragedy. It feels like "Empire" gets thrown into the Emmy race every year almost out of habit, but it deserves to be mentioned right alongside "Homeland," "Mad Men," and "Breaking Bad" as one of TV's best dramas. less