6. Undeclared
From the mind of Judd Apatow, and following the cancellation of his other show, Freaks and Geeks, came Undeclared. Seemingly an average and normal show with no distinguishing features, if the synopses are to be trusted. However, Apatow and the cast sidestepped the cliches and pitfalls of college fiction with aplomb, bringing us a single season of brilliant humor and endearing characters with a pathos that is lacking in Apatow's recent work. Taking a more realistic look at college life through the interactions of four room-mates, it followed Steven Karp as one of the room-mates in his coming of age. That may sound like a whole lot of jumble, but I ask you to view but a few episodes of the show and not be won over. The central four room-mates, Steven, Lloyd, Marshall and Ron, were all played and utilized perfectly, and certainly knew how to churn out the laughs. Their female friends from across the hall, played by Carla Gallo and Monica Keena, were also used in a way that is rare in college fiction: realistically. While they were mature and rounded as characters, they were flawed and it made them, and the rest of the cast, all the more endearing. A brilliant show, and a sad reminder of Judd Apatow at his comedic height.