But bottom line, who's making better shows, broadcast or cable? Come on. There's a gordian-knot solution: list the best shows on TV, and count up who made more of them. By my measure, it's still easily cablefrom my last few year-end best-of lists, it's not even a contest. I like some broadcast shows, but in general, cable's best is better than broadcast's best. (VanDerWerff says, for instance, that Boardwalk Empire was "liked but not loved," not a groundbreaker like The Sopranos. Totally right. Yet it was still far better than anything a broadcast network launched last fall, Lonestar included.) If you hold them to the same standard, no grading on a curve for difficulty or business requirements, cable wins. And from what I've seen so far this year, I don't see that changing much.