The first season of this sleek spy series mixes plenty of action with sex appeal and a dose of wry humor. While on a covert mission in Nigeria, spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) discovers he's been burned, which equates to being fired in the world of espionage. After escaping the immediate danger of his assignment, he wakes up in Miami with no memory of how he got there and discovers his accounts have been frozen and his contacts cut off. Forced to fend for himself, Michael recruits the help of the only friends he has: Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell), a former intelligence contact whom the FBI has tapped to gain intel on Michael; Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar), a spunky ex-IRA operative looking for closure after being dumped by Michael several years earlier; and Michael's meddling mother Madeline (Sharon Gless), who's thrilled to have her son back in her life. Despite the often uneasy state of these alliances, Sam, Fiona and Madeline each bring their own skills to the table to help Michael find out who burned him and why. In order to fund his investigation-not to mention more mundane expenses like rent-Michael picks up a side job as a private investigator helping Miami citizens obtain justice. Each episode chronicles a different case, opening the way for notable guest stars like Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) and Richard Schiff (West Wing). But Michael's main goal throughout the season is following the convoluted trail of betrayals and double-dealings that led to his burn notice.

The debut season of Matthew Weiner's intense and stylish drama follows the lives of Madison Avenue advertising executives (so-called "Mad Men") in 1960. The series centers on Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the dashing and brilliant creative director for ad agency Sterling Cooper (Season 1 accounts include Richard Nixon's presidential campaign and, appropriately, Lucky Strike, given the cigarettes are smoked in nearly every scene). Don's charms extend well outside of the boardroom and into the bedroom: The married man has a free-spirited lover, Midge Daniels (Rosemarie DeWitt), who's his polar opposite, and a second mistress, Rachel Menken (Maggie Siff), a client whose independence challenges Don's views on women. Don's wife, Betty (January Jones), meanwhile, dutifully fulfills her role as housewife. But when she develops a mysterious ailment that causes her to lose feeling in her hands, she's sent to a psychiatrist to work through her problems. Over at Sterling Cooper, new secretary Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) tries to adjust to life in the boys club with guidance from seen-it-all bombshell secretary Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks). Young account exec Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) also has his eyes on Peggy and quickly begins pursuing her, despite his upcoming nuptials. There's even more bad behavior at the office from skirt chasers Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) and Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis), loving but imperfect Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) and stuck-in-the-closet art director Sal Romano (Bryan Batt). Partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery) does little to set an example for his employees as he happily indulges in an array of vices and an affair with Joan. Senior partner Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) is mostly out of touch with the staff, preferring to remain within the sanctuary of his giant office. In the midst of this workplace frivolity, Don learns that the picture-perfect life he's created for himself could be threatened by a secret from his past.