For the life of any struggling young actor, patience isn’t just a virtue, it’s a necessity.

Or at least that’s the number one piece of advice that tonight’s MODERN FAMILY guest star Josh Gad has for anyone wishing to follow in his illustrious footsteps magic foot.

“A few years out I was ready to give up and told my mom that I was going to go to law school because I was sick of being rejected,” said Gad. “And just as I’m thinking to myself — what Jewish mother doesn’t love the fact that their son wants to go to law school — she actually started crying and said to me that I’ve put in too much time and effort and she was right. A month later I booked Spelling Bee.”

What followed was a roller coaster of ups and downs including a featured role in the Kevin Spacey produced hit poker flick 21, a regular series gig on the short-lived Fox comedy BACK TO YOU and tonight’s guest starring role on MODERN FAMILY that sees the multi-talented actor make use of a recent Monday off from his current gig that has him performing eight sold-out shows a week in Broadway’s Book of Mormon to reunite with his former BACK TO YOU creators (Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd) and co-star (Ty Burrell).

“It’s pretty fascinating isn’t it? There basically would be no MODERN FAMILY without the cancelation of that show interestingly enough,” reflected Gad. “BACK TO YOU is something that we all kind of look back at very fondly, but at the same time we’re all so very well aware that it is something that launched a thousand ships for all of us.”

Indeed, it’s that very fondness for their failed Fox comedy that served as the impetus for this little BACK TO YOU reunion. Well, that and his fondness for Phil Dunphy.

“Steve Levitan and Chris Lloyd and I have been tossing around collaborating ever since BACK TO YOU and finally the stars and scheduling aligned for the right character so that I could come in and play with the MODERN FAMILY crew. Which to me is so rewarding not only because of Steve and Chris, but I get to play with Ty Burrell and Jesse Tyler Ferguson who I did Spelling Be with.” explained Gad, who tonight will step in to the shoes of a kid from Phil’s old neighborhood who returns to town as a hugely successful internet billionaire. “My character basically services this existential question in Phil. He always looked up to and idolized Phil, using him to achieve his success and Phil finds himself asking the question why didn’t I ever ask myself, ‘What Would Phil Dunphy Do’?”

Of course, one thing Gad won’t be doing is joining former Spelling Bee co-star Ferguson and singing in the episode. That said the current toast of Broadway was quick to assure fans that there will be a nice shout out to the role that put him, and his magic foot, on Hollywood’s map.

“No singing, but there is dancing. We do a little dancing and I think it’s going to be a very fun moment.”

New episodes of MODERN FAMILY air Wednesdays at 9PM on ABC (CityTV in Canada) and stars Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter. Catch up with past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv.

Rumor has it that tonight’s episode of GREY’S ANATOMY is one of those classic sob-fests. True or false? — Amy
The TV Addict: Short Answer: True. Long Answer: Based on tonight’s tear-jerker of a mid-season finale that features a very unexpected outcome to Meredith and Derek’s adoption woes, multiple character deaths, not to mention an ending that will leave fans on the edge of their seat as they ask themselves what on earth is going to happen next, our working theory is that Showrunner Shonda Rhimes must be some sort of secret investor in a Kleenex company. Which is our not so subtle way of saying that there will be tears… for a variety of different characters.

Having really enjoyed the way in which you broke the news last week that “Belle” would be dropping by ONCE UPON A TIME I’m hoping I might implore you to include some sort of similar tease in this week’s column? — Monica
The TV Addict: Flattery will get you everywhere, including a yes to your request… assuming of course you can decipher the following tease that has the next batch of Fairytale characters scheduled to drop by Storybrooke Maine involved with what many might consider the precursor to Willy Wonka. Read into that what you will.

Now that young Henry has successfully managed to bring Emma Swan back to town, any clue as to when the residents on ONCE UPON A TIME might start to get their memories back? — Bryan
The TV Addict: According to sources, at least one resident of Storybrooke Maine will start to regain his (or her!) memories before the show goes on its holiday hiatus.

Completely didn’t expect the return of the Ice Truck Killer on Sunday’s episode of DEXTER? Anything you can spill about what we can expect next? — Bill
The TV Addict: Much like any episode of DEXTER, there will be blood. Yet unlike just any episode, the blood that will be spilled during Sunday’s fantastic instalment of the hit Showtime series will be of the very familiar variety. Particularly if you’re a fan of the season featuring the Trinity Killer!

The only thing I’m loving more than newcomer Tessa Altman (Jane Levy) on SUBURGATORY is the obvious romance blossoming between parents George (Jeremy Sisto) and Dallas (Cheryl Hines). Am I crazy? Is there any hope for these two? — Mandi
The TV Addict: While we sure as heck aren’t about to dip into the current mental capacity of a reader addicted to television (As if we’re one to judge!), or if Tessa and Dalia will soon be living under one roof akin to some sort of bizarro version of THE BRADY BUNCH, we can tell you that the always ugly “D” word (That’s divorce, in case you were wondering) will soon be knocking on the beautifully renovated door of two unlucky SUBURGATORY residents.

Anything you can tease about tonight’s fall finale of THE SECRET CIRLCE? — Allison
The TV Addict: You mean aside from the fact that November 10th seems a wee bit early for a fall finale? How’s this: Coming to Cassie’s rescue tonight will be two men in shining armor so to speak. And while one of her heroes is somewhat predictable, the other may surprise fans as Jake’s nefarious plan comes to light. Think “black” and you’ll be probably have an inkling of an answer!

Despite the fact that her high school horrors are a little too reminiscent of my own, I love Sue Heck. Which is why I was hoping you might be able to share a detail or two on one is coming up next for my favorite fictional character? — Jessica
The TV Addict: As self-proclaimed president of the Sue Heck fan club, we’ve got some very good news for you. Sue will very-soon become Captain of a cheerleading squad. Unfortunately, in typical Sue Heck fashion, the Wrestlerettes will be a cheerleading squad she’s concocted for the specific purpose of cheering on her latest crush!

Any chance you have some scoop on the comings and goings in my favorite TV town of Pawnee. — David
The TV Addict: Always the giver, PARKS AND RECREATION’s Valentine’s Day-themed episode will find Leslie Knope putting her considerable political muscle behind yet another worthy cause. That cause? Finding best friend Ann Perkins a boyfriend at the first annual Parks Department Single’s Dance. Cue hilarity that may-or-may-not end with Ron Swanson dressed as a real-life Cupid and an unexpected romantic spark between to staffers fans never in a million years would have put together.

Not a question, but more of a statement. This week has been slightly less funny with MODERN FAMILY on hiatus. — Rachel
The TV Addict: Agreed! Which is why we thought we’d try out best to help turn your frown upside-down by offering up a first look at the show’s November 23 episode that will see current Book of Mormon Broadway star Josh Gad drop by as an old friend of Phils. Bonus points for any reader who takes to the comments below to name the show in which Ty Burrell and Josh Gad starred in together prior to their current successes.

Additional Reporting By Tiffany Vogt

After two seasons of stealing scenes on the hit ABC series MODERN FAMILY, Rico Rodriquez knows a thing or two about making an entrance. Which is why it probably shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise that upon a recent visited to Toronto to talk to a handful of reporters he brought along his very own theme music. Suffice it to say, life is good for this 12-year old television star. See for yourself, after the jump.

Is there anything in particular you’d like to see Manny tackle this season?
Rico Rodriguez: I don’t know, he’s done a lot in the past two seasons, I just want him to keep trying new things. I want to zip-line again, that was fun. I’m kind of sort of a sports fan so maybe football, I think Manny would be good at it, just throwing the ball around. There are so many things Manny could do.

Do you enjoy playing up Manny’s romantic side?
It’s funny because I’m not romantic. I’m not into that right about now because I’m just 12, but I mean it’s a little awkward at first, but once you get to know them and just have fun and we’ll be done by this scene by later today.

One of the funniest aspects of the show is how different your character Manny is from Luke. What’s your relationship with Nolan Gould like off screen?
We’re very kiddish from our characters, Nolan who plays Luke is kind of like a dork because he tries new things, but Nolan and I really get a long great. We have the same personalities, we just like to play all the time, run around the set and have Nerg gun wars and prank Ariel WInter who plays Alex. Sometimes we pop behind doors and scare her, also we do Parkour, it’s called “Spunked” a spoof of Punk’d and Scare Tactics, we’re going to try and make that a thing.

Does being one of the stars of a hit TV show preclude you from doing all the stuff regular kids get to do?
Whenever I go back home to Texas I tell my Dad [who works in the tire business], I just want to be a regular kid today, don’t tell anybody I’m on MODERN FAMILY, if they notice me they notice me, but I’ll be working today, I want to get my hands dirty. When I get home I’m a normal kid, once they call cut I’m Rico again and when I get home I still have to take out the trash, clean my room, make my bed. I still hang out with my friends, play video games, watch TV all the time.

Is there anything you can tell us about your role in the upcoming Muppet movie?
It was so much fun because I got to film with Whoopi Goldberg and Selena Gomez. What we did on our downtime was play on our iPads which was fun because they said I had the best apps. I love Angry Birds. Also the puppeteers are so funny, they just crack jokes as their characters.

New episodes of MODERN FAMILY air Wednesdays at 9PM on ABC (CityTV in Canada) and stars Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter. Catch up with past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv.

On September 21st at 9PM on ABC (CityTV in Canada), North America’s first family of funny will follow in a certain TV blogger’s footsteps (Yes, that’s really me on the right!) by partaking in the adventure of a lifetime. And here with your first look at part one of MODERN FAMILY’s two-part season premiere appropriately titled “Dude Ranch” is theTVaddict.com. More of which can be found after the jump.

MODERN FAMILY returns with new episodes on Wednesday September 21st at 9PM on ABC (CityTV in Canada) and stars Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter. Catch up with past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv.

Least Shocking Death: What if a show killed a major character and nobody noticed… because nobody was watching? That’s the question we were left asking after LAW & ORDER: LA killed off Skeet Ulrich’s detective Rex Winters in  the first of two episodes — each of which also featured kids being murdered — as part of a revamp that was about as successful as New Coke.

Most Welcome Return: Despite the fact that Cameron’s direction of Luke and Manny’s middle-school musical was thisclose to giving Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark a run for its money, there was nothing we didn’t love about Wednesday’s MODERN FAMILY. Well, except for the fact that they went with the fake “555″ phone number for Phil’s poorly planned-out advertising campaign rather than take the SCRUBS approach that gave fans the actual opportunity to 916-CALL-TURK!
 
Worst. News. Ever, Primetime Division: Jill Wagner, the gal we’d most like to have laugh at our humiliation, will be leaving WIPEOUT.
 
Worst. News. Ever, Daytime Division: ABC dealt soap fans a double-blow by announcing that by the end of the year, both ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE would be replaced by reality shows.

Classiest Tribute: When Castle got together with Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly for their traditional mystery writers’ poker game during Monday’s episode, a seat at the table was left empty in a incredibly classy nod to the dearly departed TV writer and author Stephen J. Cannell who succumbed to complications associated with melanoma on September 10, 2010.

The Every-Time-You-Think-He-Can’t-Be-A-Worse-Role-Model-He-Proves-You-Wrong Award Goes To: Charlie Sheen, who brought his Toronto show to a halt in order to step outside and quell his nicotine cravings by smoking a cigarette.
 
And the Most Embarrassing Moment in the History of Television Goes To…: Suffice to say, the only one more mortified than PARENTHOOD’s Adam and Kristina upon the realization that daughter Haddie had accidentally rang them up during coitus… was us. Who was so embarrassed that we actually had to fast-forward through the whole scene horror-movie styles.

Silliest Product Placement: Bonnie, you just survived a showdown with Klaus the most powerful “Original” known to man and what are you going to do next? Update you Facebook page courtesy of Jeremy’s Verizon AT&T MiFi! And speaking of cell phone companies…

News We Took Surprisingly Hard: Verizon is taking their ads in a new direction, meaning those annoying “Can You Hear Me Now?” commercials will be a thing of the past. Talk about not knowing what we had until it was (almost) gone. We miss you already, Phone Testing Guy!
 
Most Ridiculous Endorsement: Hugh Hefner tweeted that what he’d seen of the pilot for THE PLAYBOY CLUB “rocks.” Yeah, cause a guy who stands to make a mint off of it is going to say otherwise.
 
The “We Beg To Differ!” Award Goes To… : People magazine, which named Jennifer Lopez the World’s Most Beautiful Woman. Bet she wouldn’t have gotten that award if she weren’t on AMERICAN IDOL. Not that J-Lo’s not hot, clearly she is. But World’s Hottest? Obviously, that title belongs to Sofia Vergara of MODERN FAMILY!
 
The Picking-A-Fight-You-Don’t-Wanna-Pick Award Goes To… : Egomaniacal birther Donald Trump, who had the nerve to slam beloved comedian Bill Cosby for saying what the entire country’s been thinking: Run or shut up. (And frankly, we’re rooting for “shut up.”)
 
Biggest Head Scratcher: After eight episodes of pure unadulterated crazy, Philip showed a glimmer of normalcy during Wednesday’s episode of SURVIVOR. Raising the question: Are we crazy, or is there a tiny smidgen of a chance that Philip is actually in the process of the greatest con reality TV has ever seen?

Do you have any spoilers for us GOSSIP GIRL addicts, specifically of the Chuck and Blair variety? — Leesa
The TV Addict: Having seen the next two episodes of the season we do, but since we were kindly asked by our friends at the CW not to specifically spoil any of the craziness that goes down when GOSSIP GIRL returns next week after far too long a hiatus, we hope you’ll accept a little piece of advice instead: Those of you who take Chuck and Blair’s “will-they-or-won’t-they” seriously should most definitely not watch Monday’s episode within reach of any throwable objects that have the potential to inflict pain on friends, family members — or dare we say that it — that very-pricey-just-purchased flat screen TV when thrown in frustration. You’ve been warned.

Really excited for the return of COUGAR TOWN on Monday, particularly the cul-du-sac crew’s imminent Hawaiian vacation. Which raises the question, what is the reason the gang is travelling to Hawaii? — Blake
The TV Addict: You mean aside from an ingenious way for Bill Lawrence and Co. to get ABC to pony up for an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii? Turns out, the impetus for the gang to head to Hawaii is in an effort to bring Travis back, who ran off after suffering his first-ever broken heart. All together now, “Awwwwww.”

I’m hugely concerned with all this death talk surrounding tonight’s instalment of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. Care to alleviate my fears? — Amber
The TV Addict: Sadly, we here at theTVaddict.com aren’t in the business of alleviating fears as much as we are exasperating them. Which is our cruel and unusual way of teasing that a cast member you’ve come to know and love since season one will pay one helluva price tonight in an effort to stop Klaus’ nefarious plan from kicking into high gear. Scarier still, Klaus promises (through the conduit that is Alaric of course) that “the fun is just beginning.”

Forget Vampires, I’m on Team Werewolf! As such, any word on when fans can expect Tyler to return? — Jasmine
The TV Addict: As luck would have it, after checking out the first few episodes of GAME OF THRONES we’re totally on Team Wolf right there with you too! (But more on that tomorrow) In terms of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, you can expect to a lot more of Tyler Lockwood this April 28th when he returns to Mystic Falls after receiving a very disturbing phone call. Oh, and on the off chance you’re concerned that Tyler is one of the characters who will meet his untimely demise before the season comes to a close, consider the following: Would the budget-conscious CW Network really bother including his portrayer, Michael Trevino, in a new promotional photo shoot if they were simply going to kill him off? We think not! Too bad the same can’t be said for Candice Accola (Caroline), Katerina Graham (Bonnie), Zach Roerig (Matt) and Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy), all of whom are mysteriously M.I.A. from the recently released photo set (Below) Read into that what you will…

Anything exciting to report from 90210′s upcoming jaunt to Mexico? — Samantha
The TV Addict: Despite the fact that our invitation clearly got lost in the mail, we can only report what we saw from the videotaped evidence (read: Screener the CW was kind enough to send us) Evidently, the gang’s impromptu Mexican getaway will serve as a fairly large turning point in the season for Teddy, Ivy and Naomi, each of whom will make some fairly large decisions about the current status of their Facebook friendships with Soccor dude Marco, Raj and Max respectively. That is, if they can stop laughing themselves silly over Silver and Adrianna’s escalating prank war over Navid.

Does Owen’s return on NIKITA this week have any affect on Michael and Nikita’s burgeoning relationship? — Maitland
The TV Addict: Oddly enough, it does. On the positive side, tonight’s adventure with Owen actually brings Michael and Nikita closer together. With the negative being, his timing. Which is to say Owen’s arrival interrupts what is easily the hottest “Mikita” moment of the series to date.

Any word on any big names dropping by MODERN FAMILY? — Ali
The TV Addict: Atencion… Check 1… 2… 3… Breathe… Because joining the club of supremely talented albeit not quite household names who have popped by MODERN FAMILY will be none other than Broadway Impersario Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), who on the May 11th episode will play an overzealous entrepreneur who finds himself on the wrong end of some business advice from Jay with regards to his curious dog training business (Below).

I’m obsessed with THE KILLING, any scoop? — Michael
The TV Addict: Assuming of course you’re talking about the hit AMC show, not the act of well… you know… join the club! And while we’re hesitant to spoil too much seeing as though half the fun of the show is not knowing what’s going to happen next (the other half being the awesomeness that is Michelle Forbes) we’ll only go as far as to say that in the coming weeks Papa Larson will channel the grief over the loss of Rosie by taking matters into his own hands when he decides to step up the search for his daughter’s killer with the help of his friend Belko.

Biggest Time Waster of the Week: Just how painful were Sunday’s 83rd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS? So painful that they made going to movies like I am Number 4 (30% on Rotten Tomatoes), Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (6% on Rotten Tomatoes), Just Go with It (18% on Rotten Tomatoes) and Beastly (18% on Rotten Tomatoes) seem like a good alternative. Well, almost.

Most Unrealistic Plot Twist of the Week: While we’re the first to admit that realism and 90210 don’t exactly go hand in hand (Yup, still smarting over Annie’s two whole months of community service for killing a man!), there is no way that Naomi gets rejected by Max for not being “his type.” Hetro, homo, black, white, guy, girl… AnnaLynne McCord is everybody’s type!

Least Suspenseful Hour of Television Ever: Despite a stellar performance by guest star Adrian Pasdar and one of the funniest bomb deactivations in the history of the small screen, we’re sorry to report that the second half of Monday’s CASTLE’s two-parter was not the page-turner creator Andrew Marlowe was probably hoping for. Simply put, when your show does not include the numbers “2″ and/or “4″ in the title, there is absolutely no way you can put both of your stars, not to mention the entirety of New York City in peril and expect audiences to buy it.

Saddest Reality TV Show: Charlie Sheen. Or, to borrow a classic line from THE SIMPSONS’ Helen Lovejoy “Won’t someone think of the children.”

Best Argument AGAINST Affirmative Action: Political correctness be damned! The successful kicking of Derrick Bond to the curb by THE GOOD WIFE lawyers Lockhart and Gardner was hands down the highlight of our week. With, Eli and Becca’s never-not-entertaining back-and-forth banter a close second.

And the Number One Reason We’re Rooting for THE EVENT’s Cancellation: Is it just us, or does the PARENTHOOD pairing of Jason Ritter’s Mark and Lauren Graham’s Sara bring back all-too-fond memories of that beloved little show that revolved around a loveable mother/daughter duo in a fictional Connecticut town?

Worst Casting Decision Ever? In spite of his recent success with HAVEN, some, okay we, might argue that NO ORDINARY FAMILY’s decision to cast notorious show-killer Eric Balfour in a multi-episode arc is tempting fate just a wee bit. Wouldn’t you say?

Best Argument FOR Affirmative Action: This week’s hilarious and surprisingly poignant installment of MODERN FAMILY was written by former SEINFELD scribe Carol Leifer, who we sincerely hope has already been offered a full-time writing gig based on Wednesday fantastic first offering.

This Week’s Biggest Loser: Your very own TV Addict, who actually took a moment to chuckle over the fact that Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan’s (Lucas Grabeel) Hollywood aspirations as illustrated in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL’s “I Want it All” actually came to fruition this week with both stars playing pivotal roles on HELLCATS (Tisdale) and SMALLVILLE (Grabeel) respectively. And yes, we’re well aware that we have “issues.”

Best unintentional scheduling move of the week: Further evidence that laughter is in fact the best medicine came on Wednesday when ABC helped a nation, okay us, heal following an emotional and gut-wrenching address in Tucson by President Obama with what was hands down the funniest episode of MODERN FAMILY of the season. Seriously. What better way to forget all the horrors of the world by watching Mitchell jump to conclusions that a one night hook-up with special guest star Mary Lynn Rajskub 10 years ago resulted in the child he never knew he had!

Jaw Dropper of the Week (Literal): After over a season of waiting, V fans (and one really unlucky rodent) finally got a front row seat to Anna’s not-so-appetizing appetite. Yum.

Best Argument Against Big-Budget TV: On the same day in which FOX unveiled their bank-breaking new series TERRA NOVA to members of the media at the semi-annual TCA confab, CBS countered with their “what’s budget got to do with it argument” featuring an unbelievably compelling hour of THE GOOD WIFE. Suffice to say, special effects and Steven Spielberg are no match for Christine Baranski and Josh Charles.

Jaw Dropper of the Week (Metaphorical): 7.7 million people turned into the return of THE GAME on BET. Yup, still not over that.

Character Whose Story We’re Finally Digging: Let’s face it, for most of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES’ run, Gabrielle has been written as a woman who shows absolutely no growth despite having dealt with everything from being poor to having a blind husband. And then came the baby switch story, including this week’s sad tale of Princess Valerie. Kudos to Eva Longaria for taking this heartbreaking material and running with it.

Biggest Network Blunder: With the exception of the always-on-the-ball FOX network (Cait H. FTW!), viewers, particularly ABC fans were left scratching their head over a completely up-in-the air schedule as a result of President Obama’s Tucson address. It’s almost as if the Networks had no way to tweet, tumblr, post, or communicate in any way scheduling updates as they happen. Weird.

Biggest Network Blunder (Runner Up): Wondering how outgoing CW President Dawn Ostroff might be feeling this week following the astounding success of THE GAME on BET? Consider the following: If you combine the 7.7 million viewers that tuned into THE GAME with the 3.3 million viewers that stuck around for TOGETHER, you get 12.1 million viewers. Or, about equal to that of the number of viewers that tuned into the entirety of the CW’s primetime schedule this week. Ouch!

Sudsy Moment of the Week: ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s underappreciated, underused Susan Haskell took alter ego Marty’s temporary sanity to a new level of cray cray.

Jaw Dropper of the Week (Hilarious): While we in no way are here to encourage or condone the practice of High Schooler trading sexual favors for tutoring, we’re still laughing over what happened when Karen’s dad chased Lip and Ian out of his house on SHAMELESS.

The “Hopefully It’s Not Too Little, Too Late” Award: Thanks to A&E for the reality show BEYOND SCARED STRAIGHT, on which wanna-be thugs are shown that actions really do have consequences.

MVG of the Week: Our inaugural “Most Valuable Guest Star” of the week goes to Jeremy Irons, who injected some much needed believability into a laughable LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT that saw Stabler go undercover in an almost ridiculous attempt to infiltrate a Sex Addicts Anonymous group.

Most Telling Reaction: As REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA’s Kim prepared to go on tour for her singing “career”, daughter Brielle wasn’t phased a bit… until she learned mom’s assistant, Sweetie, was going. That brought the kid to tears. Guess we know who she’ll miss more!

The Week in Rewind Contributors: Couch Tater, Tiffany Vogt and the TV Addict.

While they may not have been the year’s most critically acclaimed or the country’s most popular, each the following shows made this TV Addict’s Top 10 of ’10 for the simple reason that each week, they left us jonesing another fix. You know those people who say “less is more?” Yeah, they’re totally wrong. As the following programs prove, too much is never enough.

THE GOOD WIFE
You don’t have to have the investigative prowess of Kalinda to figure out THE GOOD WIFE’s recipe for success: Take an astounding array of classically-trained theater vets (Christine Baranski, Josh Charles and Alan Cumming, among others); toss them into a tried-and-true case-of-the-week format; season with more political intrigue than can be found during a combative session of Congress; and have the resulting potboiler simmer under the watchful eyes of husband and wife writing team (Michelle and Robert King) with a knack for tapping into the culture-zeitgeist. Voila! 

MAD MEN
To be honest, past seasons of this show haven’t exactly blown us away. In fact, we’ll admit that our reaction bordered on boredom. (And it was an incredibly friendly border, much like the one between the U.S. and Canada.) But this season, we finally “got” what the rest of you have been seeing. As Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce struggled to remain a relevant player in the game — and its employees tried to prevent their personal lives from either imploding or exploding — we were caught up in the misadventures of the most fascinating ad agency since MELROSE PLACE’s D&D.

MODERN FAMILY
Even in the embarrassment of riches that is ABC’s Wednesday night comedy line-up, this show stands out, mainly because the Dunphy/Pritchett clan has something many other sitcoms forget to include: heart. It’s not just funny, but relatable. Suffice it to say that when every episode requires a minimum of two viewings to catch the multitude of jokes, heartwarming family moments and hilarious “Quote of the Week” candidates that you may have surely missed, you’ve got yourself a winner. 

PARKS AND RECREATION
Oh, NBC, is there nothing you can’t screw up? Just as this diamond-in-the-rough was shaping up to be a gem of a show, you went and pulled it from the line-up. But the little-show-that-could shook off its reputation as a clone of THE OFFICE thanks not only to Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope becoming less of a Michael Scott knock-off and more of a loveable woman with her own set of ideals and idiosyncrasies, but also to an expansion of the canvas. As a result, we got the charming Andy/April romance, Tom became something more than just “that annoying guy” and we began to see the softer — if only slighter — side of Ron Swanson. 

FRINGE
Hey, now that that other J.J Abrams show — you know, that thing about people stuck on some magic island or whatever — is off the airwaves, why not give this intriguing sci-fi drama a try? In its third season, FRINGE has pretty much shaken off the freak-of-the-week gimmick that it used to lure unsuspecting viewers into its parallel-universes-at-war mythology, resulting in a slick, thought-provoking, action-paced series with more twists than can be found in a bag of pretzels.

THE WALKING DEAD
We’re not exactly fans of horror, and yet this show quickly became the thinking-man’s zombie series. Our only complaint? What’s with this six-episode crap! Come on, AMC, who do you think you are… Showtime? Now, we either have to suffer through the eternal wait until fall’s new batch of episodes or read the graphic novels. Read? Never fear, AMC, we’ll sit here waiting patiently. Um, semi-patiently.

 
COMMUNITY
If all this show brought to the table was the funniest and most likeable adult ensemble since that coffee addicted gang from Central Perk, that’d probably be enough. But throw in the fact that the show fearlessly goes where no sitcom has gone before — from an apocalyptic paintball war to stop-motion animation — and this becomes a game-changer. And just when one thinks it’s all gimmick, they go and break out a stunningly heartfelt episode like the one in which Troy’s 21st birthday saw the classmates downing drinks and losing inhibitions at a local watering hole. Belly up to the bar, kids, ’cause this is a weekly shot of good time.

 
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
We’re not sure what executive producers Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson did before they were writers, but professional circus performers would not surprise us in the least. How else to explain the way in which they manage to juggle countless characters, umpteen plots and ever-evolving relationships? And you don’t know cliffhangers until you’ve sat through of the jaw-dropping ones offered up by this series on a weekly basis. Just like with our beloved BUFFY, this show no doubt is ignored by those who believe that it’s nothing but teen-friendly fluff. Trust us, this is no TWILIGHT-light. This is a supernatural show with — forgive us — bite.

 
LOST
Since award shows no longer seem to feel the need to recognize Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse’s remarkable achievement, we thought why not take it upon ourselves. Don’t scoff! We’re well aware that being included on our Top 10 List isn’t quite akin to an Emmy, but frankly, we’ll stack ourselves up against those nimrods who think “The Tourist” is worthy of a Golden Globe nod. No matter how you felt about the show in general or its much-debated ending, there’s no denying that LOST was the kind of show people will be talking about — and studying — for years to come.

 
CONAN
We’re betting that Conan O’Brien didn’t intend to go from the host of a late-night chatfest to the subject of much late-night chatter. But when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade… and hand it out to your rivals so they can wash down the crow your return forces them to eat.