Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Best of TV - The 2007 - 2008 TV Season

With the upcoming Emmy Award announcements coming Thursday morning (July 17th), and the fact they get it wrong a LOT, here is (finally) my Top 20 list for the Best of Television for the 2007-2008 TV Season which this year I'm encapsulating from the summer of 2007 to June of 2008. (With the ranking from the three previous lists (Best of TV 2007, Best of TV - Fall 2006/Winter 2007 Season, and Best of TV 2006) in parenthesis.)

Best of Television - Summer, Fall 2007/Winter 2008 TV Season:

1. Lost - ABC - (4, 2, 6) Has totally found its way again and boy is it amazing!


2. Pushing Daisies - ABC - (2, New) Marvelously odd and romantic with a twisted deadly sense of humour all against bright and luscious colours.


3. Friday Night Lights - NBC - (1, 1, 3) An imperfect season that takes a close look at the imperfect lives of the people of Dillon, Texas as the real human dramas surrounding the regular daily routines in this small town sucks us in with its emotional attachment.


4. 30 Rock - NBC - (5, 10, Not Ranked) A rock solid comedy that is beyond bizarre and quirky.


5. Mad Men - AMC - (10, New) Seductively sleek in its fascinating look at the men who ran Manhattan in the 60's, and the women who stood behind them.


6. Weeds - Showtime - (6, 7, 8) Mary Louise Parker. Enough said.


7. Burn Notice - USA - (New) Jeffrey Donovan. Enough said.


8. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX - (11, Not Eligible, 16) Yes, we think they can dance!


9. Ugly Betty - ABC - (3, 4, 9) It may have faltered post writers strike but the first 2/3rds of the second season was bang on hilarious and ridiculous in its plotting.


10. Damages - F/X - (New) At times it may have repeated itself a little too often to get the confusing point across but when it did, it was gaspworthy.


11. Aliens in America - The CW - (9, New) Soft on the outside, biting and sharp on the inside.


12. Chuck - NBC - (9, New) A fun spy show with a heart of gold.

13. Project Runway / Project Runway Canada - Bravo/Slice Canada - (14, 13, 14/ 14, New) I'm not sure who is more fierce, Christian Siriano or Iman.

14. The Office - NBC - (10, 2, 2) Faltered a LOT but redeemed itself with a stellar finale that redeemed some of the previous season.

15. Bones - FOX - (15, 14, 20) I still wish the ending was flushed out more but until the twist end, the show made a procedural funny, romantic and humane.


16. How I Met Your Mother - CBS - (12, 6, 10) It had a hot and cold season but when it was hot, the show was HOT!

17. Gossip Girl/ Greek - The CW/abcFamily - (18, New/ New) Young people flirting, flirting and flirting. And other things young horny attractive people do. Addictively watchable and smarter than their glossy sheen let them on to be (not smart. Just smarter...).


18. Desperate Housewives/ House - ABC/FOX - (20, Not Ranked) Home is where the heart is and both these shows rebounded with stellar seasons that got to the emotional truths (with a lot of sarcasm along the way).

19. Brothers & Sisters/ Grey's Anatomy/ Men In Trees - ABC - (13, 9, 18/ Not Ranked, 18, 4/19, 16, Not Ranked) The large ensemble dramedies made for addictively fluff TV.

20. Entourage - HBO - (16, Not Eligible, 15) Always a good time hanging with the boys, no matter how stupid it could get.

Always A Bridesmaid, Shows that are consistently good that never get its due respects: The New Adventures of Old Christine, Everybody Hates Chris, My Boys, The Big Bang Theory, Corner Gas, Degrassi: TNG, Top Chef, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Supernatural, Eli Stone

Reality Shows That I Still Watch Because Like the Mafia, They Suck Me Back In Everytime: The Amazing Race, Survivor, American Idol

Huge Disappointments: Heroes, Bionic Woman, Big Brother, Lipstick Jungle, Private Practice, Welcome to the Captain, Big Shots, Life

Not As Bad As You Think They Were. For Real: Carpoolers, Back To You, Samantha Who?, My Name Is Earl, The Return of Jezebel James, Miss/Guided

Should have been better than it was, though it was showing some signs of life by the end: Reaper, Cashmere Mafia, Dirty Sexy Money, Journeyman

Yah Yah, Shows That Are Still On My List That I Know I Must See and Catch Up With To Join The Rest of the Club: Battlestar Galactica, Dexter, The Wire

Shows I Just Didn't Get, That I Just Don't See Why They Have Cult Hits: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Moonlight

Shows I'm Glad I Gave Up In Previous Seasons (Finally!): ER, Prison Break, Law & Order, Law & Order: CI, CSI

Shows I Gave Up But I'll Occasionally Watch And Realize That They Are Still Quite Good: Law & Order: SVU, Cold Case, Without A Trace


My Previous Best of Television Lists:

Best of Television 2007
Best of Television Fall '06 - Winter '07 List
Best of Television 2006
Best of Television Fall '05 - Winter '06 List
Best of Television 2005

2 comments:

fields123 said...

Big Love was the best television of last summer. entourage was quite possibly on the level as cave men

Elisabeth said...

Have put a link to ur blog on my blog (In Norwegian only)..elisabethnormann.blogspot.com

Covering some of my fav TV-series, so I stumbled upon your blog when searching for a picture!:)

**elisabeth**