Okay, here they are , my long-awaited Top 10 list of the best shows in '08:
1. The Wire -- Goodnight, sweet television drama. What more can I say about this show that hasn't already been said? If you watched it, you already know how good it is, and don't need to listen to me. If you didn't watch it, then you're a moron. But a lucky moron -- you still have the chance to see each and every show for the very first time. I advise strongly for you to do so.
2. 30 Rock -- The funniest show of TV got funnier in '08. It features everybody's favorite Emmy winner Tina Fey, and added flashy guest stars just about every week, but it was the regular supporting characters which usually stole the show. Limited to small rules, Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Krakowski are all still among the best comedic performers anywhere on TV.
3. Dexter -- Already a great show, Dexter ramped up it's quality even further in '08. It started with a careless Dexter killing an honest man, ands with him cleaning up the streets from a monster he made. The Addition of Jimmy Smits as Dexter's partner in crime was a master-stroke, and allowed the show to stretch its limits. Dexter found himself playing good cop for once, showing us he does know the difference between the bad guys, and the really bad guys.
4. Breaking Bad -- The best new show on TV in '08. It starts with an almost unbelievable premise -- a husband, father, and high school science teacher becomes a meth cooker -- and explains how believable, and real it can really be. It's also cool, and dramatic, and very, very funny. Also: well-acted -- Bryan Cranston already won an Emmy for lead actor.
5. Mad Men -- The first season showed us it was one of the best shows on TV. The second season showed us it has a chance to be one of the best shows ever. It took until the second season for creator Matthew Weiner to really show that meandering, mysterious storytelling that made his alma mater, The Sopranos', such a masterpiece. I can't wait for season three.
6. The Shield -- For most of the show, it was a sleazy good time, a fun ride through the bad part of town, punctuated by tense, surreal moments of high drama. In its final season, it was all tension. By the end, there wasn't a drop of fun to be had for miles. But that was how it had to be. Laughing and joking while breaking laws and making enemies, as Vic Mackey did, can't last forever. The show opened with Vic enjoying a friendly barbecue with his team before ganging up with one to kill another. We knew then he was bad, but he charmed us -- and everybody else -- for a good while. In the end, there was no more fooling, but Vic, the ultimate survivor, was still around.
7. The Closer -- The best procedural on TV. All others above on this list have to entertain, but are not forced to play by the restrictive rules of having to be framed by a crime -- it starts with a murder, and ends with an arrest almost without fail. But all the characters are so real and entertaining -- especially Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson -- and the dialogue is so well-written, it never feels like a cookie-cutter, as so many others do.
8. House -- The show got back to regular business -- set cast, no more "competition" -- and never missed a beat. The subplot with House's best friend Wilson giving up on their friendship was a welcome change from Wilson usual uber-patience with him. The supporting characters have all taken a back seat as most of the personal storylines revolve around House, but that's probably for the best.
9. Lost -- Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in. There's simply been too much time, energy and attention devoted to this show for me to not care about what happens. I've been doubting they will ever come up with an over-arching story which will explain away everything that's happened so far, but I'm still enjoying the ride.
10. Friday Night Lights -- This season's best episode may have been the first of 2009 -- and there's still next week's season finale to go -- but the groundwork was laid in '08 when the show's third season found the same groove they had in the first. In was major bounce-back year for the show, which went of the tracks in season two by trying to sex up the show too much in an attempt to raise mediocre ratings. In doing so, they lost their positive word-of-mouth from fans and critics, and were essentially cancelled by NBC. But DirecTV swept in to save the day, airing the show on their Channel 101. The season was such a success, NBC wants them back -- they'll be airing all of season three starting in two weeks.
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