@Zack

Three years ago I would have said 30 Rock for sure. At least stylistically (cut-aways, absurdist sensibility with tons of internal references), it seemed like the closest live-action heir to AD on TV at the time. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was as funny, but it came damned close in Season 2.

I agree. Even with the David E. Kelley-ish commercials and the presence of Eric Balfour, I would still rank this as one of the three or four best (drama) pilots I've ever seen (Deadwood, LOST, and Twin Peaks are the others that come immediately to mind). Few shows have grounded the viewer so successfully in both the…