David Bianculli

There was a lot of great television this year, but the winning moment came from HBO's special, The Howard Stern Interview: Bruce Springsteen, an extended two-plus hour conversation between two icons.

The look and tone are perfect — and the characters, settings and subplots are just what you hoped they'd be — in this new Netflix series starring former Disney Channel star Jenna Ortega.

There was a time when stars like Kevin Costner and Sylvester Stallone wouldn't stoop to appear on TV. But the landscape has changed, and now it's where they're finding some of their career-best roles.