TOP 10 TV SHOWS OF 2008

2008 was not a strong year for TV. The writer's strike nearly destroyed the spring season and left the fall season with no new shows worth putting on my list. But those shouting that this Golden Age of Television is over are a bit premature, as I've got ten shows right here that prove TV is doing just fine. Here are my top 10 TV shows of 2008 and my 2008 TV awards:

1. Lost
Lost may always top my top 10 list, but rarely has it deserved the spot so much. This season Lost found the perfect balance between mythology and character. For every Ghost Christian in a cabin, there was a heartwarming phone call between Desmond and Penny and a personal tragedy for Ben. Lost also finally figured out how to bring in new characters, teasing Faraday and Co. without letting them take over. Just as last year's finale changed the game with flashforwards, this season's final scene left a freighter full of questions. Who's alive? Who's dead? Who cares! Being confused has never been this exciting, and I can't wait until January 21st.

2. Mad Men
Mad Men's first season was hard to top, bringing us into the world of 1960s advertising and the life of the mysterious Don Draper. Season 2 started slow, with a new copier and the insufferable Barretts. But every story served its purpose by the end. Peggy had a great season, moving up the creative chain while hiding her secret until a heartbreaking scene with Pete. Betty became a whole new person after kicking Don out. Even minor characters like Duck Phillips and Freddy Rumsen got episodes to shine. By the time the Cuban Missile Crisis hit in the explosive finale, it was clear Mad Men is no one season wonder.

3. Dexter
Season 1 was the hunt for the Ice Truck Killer. Season 2 saw Dexter hunted. Season 3 was...the friendship of Dexter and Miguel Prado? Doesn’t sound quite as cool. Yet as their relationship shifted from best friends to student and teacher to enemies, their psychological games created all the suspense needed. It helps that Jimmy Smits was able to play both charismatic and deranged so fantastically. Who cares if the IA girl was annoying or the Skinner plot didn’t satisfy? The Dexter/Miguel face-off, along with Dexter’s shift to family man, made season 3 must-see TV.

4. How I Met Your Mother
It may have seemed like a Friends rip-off at first, but How I Met Your Mother quietly became the best comedy on TV. HIMYM came back from the writer’s strike with nearly a full season of episodes. And good ones, too. Like Ted’s very sweet two-minute date for Stella. And Robin Sparkles’ hilarious break-up ballad “Sandcastles in the Sand.” Plus, Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney Stinson may be the single best character on TV. Season 4 got a bit more serious with everyone looking to the future. But whether the gang is addicted to interventions or singing “Let’s Go to the Mall” karaoke in a Canadian bar, the show is consistently legen – wait for it – dary.

5. Pushing Daisies
The fact that the most innovative comic fantasy on TV has been canceled is sad. But the fact that it got canceled just when it was getting so good makes it tragic. Pushing Daisies has done procedural better than CBS since day 1, with crimes involving a comfort food bake-off, gambling with Chinese food, and magicians. But with the arrival of the mysterious and deadly Dwight Dixon, the serial element kicked in just as strong. The last episode, which saw the gang covering up a murder from Norwegian detectives, was as suspenseful as anything on Dexter. With one hell of a cliffhanger, it will be a long wait until those final three episodes air.

6. The Daily Show/The Colbert Report
The presidential election was the TV event of the year, and Comedy Central was the place to watch it. From the primaries to the transition, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert had more insight than any of the real news networks. On The Daily Show, Stewart brought out all the ridiculousness and hypocrisy of the campaign to hilarious effect. On The Colbert Report, Colbert personified said ridiculousness and hypocrisy. Both of them had their best material since, well, Indecision 2004.

7. Top Chef
Top Chef is my favorite reality show for combining two great things: food and competition. I may not get to taste anything the chefs make, but it all sure looks good. Season 4 had some of the most talented chefs yet, as Richard, Dale, Antonia, and Andrew all had a decent shot. But it was still satisfying to see the very deserving Stephanie become the first female Top Chef. This season has seen a number of early stand-outs while taking full advantage of the New York setting. Top Chef makes it on because unlike in most reality shows, talent wins out over drama.

8. 30 Rock
Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impersonation may have made her the Comedienne of the Year, but she brought the funny just as hard in her day job, as writer/star of 30 Rock. Her Liz Lemon has gone from best straight-man to straight-out funny as the show has gone on. But best is still Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy. From greenlighting "MILF Island" to working for the Bush administration, Jack always gets the funniest stories. Throw in Will Arnett in a hilarious recurring part, and I'm starting to understand why critics love 30 Rock so.

9. Battlestar Galactica
Despite the jaw-dropping reveal of four secret Cylons in season 3's finale, season 4 had a rough start. First there was Crazy Kara yelling, "WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAAAAAAY!" Then there was Chief shaving his head. But somewhere around the midpoint of the season, BSG got awesome again. There was the Cylon civil war (badass), President Roslin's visions (creepy), and finally the landing on Earth (really creepy). I have no idea where this final season is going, but I know it will be frakking amazing.

10. The Office
In 2008, The Office showed its age. It put out a weak slew of episodes after the writer's strike and similarly dropped the ball after Amy Ryan's Holly was transferred back to New Hampshire. But when Amy Ryan was onscreen, The Office was often season 3 level good. The idea of a perfect woman for Michael is so mind-boggling that the joke never got old. From insulting Toby to beatboxing for Michael's lame rap, Holly's presence made everyone around her funnier. The Office needs her to transfer back, stat.

Now for my TV Awards:

Best Drama: Lost
Runners-Up: Mad Men, Dexter

Best Actor, Drama: Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Dexter
Runners-Up: Jon Hamm (Don), Mad Men; Bryan Cranston (Walt), Breaking Bad

Best Actress, Drama: January Jones (Betty), Mad Men
Runner-Up: Mary McDonnell (President Roslin), Battlestar Galactica

Best Supporting Actor, Drama: Michael Emerson (Ben), Lost
Runners-Up: Jimmy Smits (Miguel), Dexter; Vincent Kartheiser (Pete), Mad Men

Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Elisabeth Moss (Peggy), Mad Men
Runners-Up: Christina Hendricks (Joan), Mad Men; Jennifer Carpenter (Deb), Dexter

Best Comedy: How I Met Your Mother
Runners-Up: Pushing Daisies, 30 Rock

Best Actor, Comedy: Alec Baldwin (Jack), 30 Rock
Runners-Up: Lee Pace (Ned), Pushing Daisies; Steve Carell (Michael), The Office

Best Actress, Comedy: Tina Fey (Liz), 30 Rock
Runners-Up: Anna Friel (Chuck), Pushing Daisies; Mary-Louise Parker (Nancy), Weeds

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy: Neil Patrick Harris (Barney), How I Met Your Mother
Runners-Up: Chi McBride (Emerson), Pushing Daisies; Justin Kirk (Andy), Weeds

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy: Amy Ryan (Holly), The Office
Runners-Up: Kristin Chenowith (Olive), Pushing Daisies; Jenna Fischer (Pam), The Office