It’s always fun to take a look back at the year in TV, and this one had a lot of quality shows in the top 5, which it made it hard to choose between them. Honestly, I could (and did) change my mind a dozen times over, depending on what I’m in the mood to watch that day. But below are my top 10 favorite shows from 2008:
[b]1. Mad Men[/b] – Bleak as all get out, but I just can’t turn away. The characters are so layered, so full of pain and angst, that it’s almost hard to believe they’re not rIt’s always fun to take a look back at the year in TV, and this one had a lot of quality shows in the top 5, which it made it hard to choose between them. Honestly, I could (and did) change my mind a dozen times over, depending on what I’m in the mood to watch that day. But below are my top 10 favorite shows from 2008:
[b]1. Mad Men[/b] – Bleak as all get out, but I just can’t turn away. The characters are so layered, so full of pain and angst, that it’s almost hard to believe they’re not real. Other shows are more fun, but none are better.
[b]2. The Wire [/b]- The only shame is that this brilliant show–maybe the best ever–has run it’s course. Season 5 didn’t quite hit the ultimate high-water mark of the season before it, but that’s only because the mark was that high. Not just a great crime show, but a great, great show of any kind. The series came to its close with some shocking conclusions and characters–and a city–you will simply never forget.
[b]3. Lost [/b]- Talk about a comeback. It had a few off moments, but I can rarely remember having this much fun watching TV, and can’t wait for Season 5 to start. It’s a wild, outrageous sci/fi fantasy romp that you have to just jump in and go with the ride.
[b]4. Battlestar Galactica [/b]- Space sagas can be difficult to maintain, but I can watch this show forever. Horrible to believe it’s coming to an end this season, but if the final episodes are as good as the ones that have come before it, it’ll be one for the ages. Another brilliant show coming to its conclusion.
[b]5. The Office[/b] – Cringe-inducing laughter. Addictive, hilarious.
[b]6. Dexter[/b] – I’m a little late to the party on this one, but it’s such a bizarrely addictive show I can’t believe it took me so long to find it. CSI/blood splatter guy by day, serial killer by night. Who only kills really, really bad people. I’m so in.
[b]7. Entourage[/b] – Not nearly the thrill a minute it show it used to be, but it’s still entertaining. This most recent season started slow, then got better and better as it went along. The finale was almost great, but then fell a little flat at the end. I’m still in, but it’s not the champ of it’s earliest seasons.
[b]8. In Treatment[/b] – It’s an unusual set-up: one episode a night, each night, for nine straight weeks, for 45 episodes total. A remake of an Israeli show, In Treatment follows Gabriel Byrne as a shrink who treats four patients on their regular night each week, and then sees his own shrink for his weekly session. Totally addictive, very intense. It’s love it or hate it. You have to invest in the whole series for the final payoff. Worth it.
[b]9. The Shield[/b] – Again, I’m way late to the party on this one, but it’s a gritty cop show that’s powerful and shocking. I’m only at the beginning of the series (I know it just wrapped), but I’m psyched to see where it takes me.
[b]10. Life[/b] – Not real high on the believability scale, even for a cop show, but the characters are likeable and the mythology of the show still keeps me wanting to know more. Slipped a bit for me this season, but I’m hoping it’ll straighten out.
Biggest Disappointments:
[b]Heroes[/b] – went from a fun, promising popcorn show with fun characters into one of the most unwatchable shows on TV. What the heck happened?
[b]Grey’s Anatomy[/b] – This was never more than pretty people looking good and doing fun, ridiculous things we just loved to watch. A pure guilty pleasure. Now, it’s almost in the realm of stupidest. Show. Ever.
[b]Life on Mars[/b] – I’m not saying this a bad show; its OK. It’s just that, for the hype and the premise, I wanted more. Too cheesy when it doesnt’ need to be.
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/01/13 11:18
