The Lepers of Primetime Television: What you should've been watching when you were too busy watching 'Glee'

MANILA, Philippines - Glee is a relatively new comedy series, wrapping up its first season just a few months ago. It is one of the most celebrated TV shows running currently, and has had some of the most illustrious guest stars, a stunning repertoire of songs sung by a mostly talented cast, and a slew of award nominations and wins under its belt. For a show that’s been on air for only a year, and despite it being raw and underdeveloped, Glee has been doing well for itself.

Expected to sweep the Emmys this year, Glee actually only got away with four wins out of its 19 nominations, bowing over to underdog, Modern Family, for Outstanding Comedy Series. But there are more underdoggy, more oft-overlooked television series that have never been under the Emmy spotlight. And these shows are actually good. So, this is something of an ode to the snubbed shows and performances. A dedication to the lepers of primetime television, if you will. There is a lot of trash on television these days — MTV is enough proof of that — but there are a lot of great shows that you need to watch, for your own good.

While you were busy watching Glee, a highly-intelligent, self-aware meta-comedy about a really odd group of community college attendees (and I do mean, really odd), Community, was also being aired. It received a total of zero nominations. Despite the excellent ensemble cast, snappy writing, and, exceptionally smart humor, Community was pretty much ignored. (They’re opening the second season with a special guest, though: Betty White. So, stay tuned for that.)

For four years, the Emmys have also turned a blind eye to Friday Night Lights, a critically-acclaimed drama, but a ratings flop. After their phenomenal pilot episode dropped in 2006, the show finally received well-deserved nominations for the two leads, Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. But true to underdog form, they lost to Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, who’s won three times in a row, and Kyra Sedgwick forThe Closer.

Another comedic gem that ran away with scant nominations is NBC’s Parks & Recreation, whose only Emmy recognition was for the performance of Saturday Night Live alum Amy Poehler. The now-canceled drama series, FlashForward, which was at one point considered to be a suitable replacement for Lost-withdrawal, only won a single Emmy, for Outstanding Stunt Coordination. Speaking of Lost, the cult favorite which wrapped up this year received a handful of Primetime Emmy nominations for 2010, heading home with no wins.

If there is anything to be learned from watching the Emmy Awards, it’s that these aren’t really a measure of what a good show is.Veronica Mars, one of the most brilliant pieces of television in existence, ever, never got recognized by The Academy. Gilmore Girls, an excellent series exploring a mother-daughter dynamic, ran for seven years and was only ever nominated once: for Outstanding Makeup in a Series in 2004. HBO drama The Wire, which ran from 2002 to 2008, is a mainstay on best television lists, but never once won an Emmy. Another HBO series that received a snub this year is Bored to Death, a comedy involving substance abuse, amateur sleuthing, and stuffed unicorns.

Award wins and nominations aren’t surefire indications of a good television series. Sometimes, good shows slip past the notice of these awards shows. Sometimes, not-so-good ones get all the attention. The point is to look for programs that are worth your time, no matter what the awards or the hype from the media show. What makes good television? It’s hard to say. But there are definitely much better shows than Glee, awards or no.