The Best TV Shows of 2012

Honorable Mention: Glee

Graduation can be the kiss of death for any high school-set series. (Just ask the students of Beverly Hills, 90210's California University!) So when it became clear that nine series regulars were scheduled to graduate from William McKinley High School last season, it sent a ripple of panic through the show's fans. But fear not: Rachel and Kurt's move to New York was seamless, other graduates have made periodic appearances, and a just-as-talented bunch of high schoolers (including the charming Melissa Benoist as "new Rachel" Marley) has filled the graduates' big shoes, making us much rosier about the show's continued success. The shift in focus was a risky proposition, and thus no small feat that they pulled it off.