Top American TV Shows of 2011

LAUNCHED IN 2011: For fans of George R. R. Martin's epic "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series, no 2011 premiere is even close to as anticipated as the launch of HBO's "Game of Thrones." Series creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss have a daunting task in tackling the sheer narrative reach of Martin's series, which takes an almost "Godfather"-esque struggle for dynastic power and situates it within the pseudo-medieval kingdom of Westeros. HBO has done a terrific job of constantly reassuring fans that the franchise's complex tapestry will remain intact in the series, which features Mark Addy, Sean Bean, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage. In terms of cast-size, budget and scope, "Game of Thrones" may be almost without recent precedent, so the challenge will be seeing how far the show's reach extends beyond the genre faithful. [REMINDER: We're also anticipating HBO's "Luck" and "Enlightened" and "Mildred Pierce," but even though all three are slated for 2011 premieres, HBO has no available pictures for any of them, which prevents their inclusion in a photo gallery.]

Ever since the start, Modern Family has received mostly positive reviews but the series took a giant leap with its second season, resulting in an overabundance of positive reviews. The witty and lovable characters and the sarcastic, dry humor is what characterizes "Modern Family". All the characters are lovable and always able to surprise us with a brilliant piece of comedy. A well deserved first spot if you ask me. Let's hope that "Modern Family" will stay with us for a long, long time. This cast should be in the Smithsonian as one of the best comedy troupes ever assembled. Bolstered by breakout stars Ferguson, Stonestreet, and Burrell, who've finally been given a chance to show us what they can do, Modern Family has a great mix of vets and new faces who display great chemistry no matter who is on screen.