Danny's BEST OF 2008: The Year In Television

- Is it true? Is the great TV golden age of the early 00's officially over and done with? Is TV on the verge of becoming a vast wasteland devoid of great scripted series, instead overrun by endless hours of vapid reality TV, lowest-common-denominator game shows, and hour upon hour of prime-time Jay Leno? To the doomsayers, it sure looks that way. 2008 was definitely the year that saw quality TV go on life-support.

I mean, a lot of shows were conspicuous by their absence this year. A lot of this was due to the effects of the crippling Writers' Strike, which saw seasons end prematurely, huge shows like 24 disappear off of the '08 schedule completely, and sophomore series like CHUCK and PUSHING DAISIES return to vastly diminished ratings. But it wasn't just the Writers' Strike that left a gaping hole in primetime, because you can't deny that with so many modern classics going off the air in the last couple of years - I'm talking about shows like Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Arrested Development - there simply was not an abundance of new series that stepped up and picked up the ball. At this point, top TV franchises like LOST and 24 are aging, and yet few new shows emerged to carry their torch. At one point, it was thought that HEROES would be the show to take up that mantle, but in what has to be one of the year's biggest disappointments, Heroes had a dismal second season that left viewers weary and ready to jump ship. For me, as it was with many, I suspect, the Season 3 premiere of Heroes was the chance for the show to come back and impress us - one last shot at greatness. In fact, the show's Fall premiere landed with a thud, and may have been the final nail in the show's creative coffin. A show like PUSHING DAISIES, meanwhile, which was among TV's best and most imaginative, was also one of its lowest rated. This is nothing new in TV land - great shows often fail to attract the audiences they need to survive. But more than ever, it felt like people simply tuned out. The Strike had a numbing effect on viewers, I think. And TV execs still don't quite get the extent that their shows are competing with videogames and home video. TV audiences are getting smaller, older, and more niche than ever. It's why NBC is banking on stripping Leno at 10 pm every weeknight next year - it's cheap programming that will attract the baby boomer crowd who still comprise a large chunk of the primetime audience.

And yet ... you can't deny things like Hulu, like iTunes, like the XBOX Live Video Marketplace. A new generation is finding great TV via these digital portals - but where is the programming that actually appeals to people under 40? Look on iTunes right now, the top-sellers are almost entirely things with distinct youth appeal: Family Guy, Gossip Girl, and The Office. It's why Seth McFarlane is now the highest paid man in TV -- his show isn't just an on-air smash, it's a multimedia franchise that is huge on home video, digital, merchandising, etc.

And therein lies the choice that media entities now face. Do you risk money on a bigtime blockbuster show and hope it becomes the next Lost or Family Guy, or do you simply program me-too reality shows or fill primetime with talk and news, emphasizing cost efficiency over creative risk.

I honestly hope that the latter does not become standard practice. If TV simply stops trying to be a creative / artistic medium, then I think that, ultimately, people like me will just tune out altogether and simply go where the good stuff is - and that might mean to the movies, to a book, to the internet, or to a game console. Was it really only a couple of years ago that everyone was writing about how TV had eclipsed the movies as the go-to place for great scripted storytelling? Looking at the primetime lineups in '08, it was hard to believe that that was once the conventional wisdom.

But I remain optimistic. How can I not be, when in a few short weeks we'll be getting new episodes of LOST and TWENTY-BY-GOD-FOUR? How can I give up hope when shows like 30 ROCK continue to make me laugh harder with each new episode? Sure, it was SNL that got much of the hype this year thanks to the charged political season we experienced, but SNL was a one-trick Palin pony, whereas 30 Rock innovates and surprises each week. I think that it's inevitable that some great new shows are on the horizon, and I think that there is always a place for great entertainment, even if I end up watching it on my computer or on a blu-ray disc. I am optimistic about TV overall, but still, I can't help but look at the year and see one where TV seemed on a very visible downturn. From the Writers' Strike to the unwelcome return of Knight Rider, things at times got downright ugly.

This post, however, is here to celebrate what was good, what was great, and what just plain kicked my ass in '08. Of course, keep in mind - I don't get HBO so only occasionally see their series (like Flight of the Conchords) on DVD, and don't watch some shows like Mad Men, The Shield, How I Met Your Mother, or a number of others that you won't find on my lists ... So, without further ado ...


DANNY'S TOP 10 TV SHOWS OF 2008:


1. LOST

- No other show blew my mind like Lost did in 2008. I was a defender of the merits of Season 3, but Season 4 took things to a whole new level of awesome. And the key wasn't just huge plot revelations or crazy sci-fi shenanigans - it was *character*. Lost simply has the best and most fascinating cast of characters of any show on television, and at this point most fans are ready to follow their adventures for as long as they are told. Aside from that, Lost is really the only show on TV that delivers big, huge, epic adventure week in and week out. There's a sense of wonder, of imagination at work here, there's great writing and stunning direction. I can't wait to see what happens in '09, brotha.

2. 30 ROCK

- The funniest comedy in '08 just kept getting better and better, with a core cast that brings the funny each and every week. The best thing about 30 Rock may be that its writing fully embracesthe random, the absurd, and the just-plain weird. What other show would reunite the cast of Night Court, just because? What other show would have a subplot about Tracy Morgan convinced that his kids are trying to kill him? What other show would have Oprah Winfrey guest star, only for her to play a mere figment of Liz Lemon's imagination? 30 Rock right now has the same mix of craziness and authenticity that distinguished classic episodes of THE SIMPSONS back in the day. There are few shows I look forward to more.

3. PRISON BREAK

- Despite faltering a bit in the last couple of weeks, any reader of this blog knows that there was no other show in '08 that got my adrenaline pumping like PB. In the past I've said that PB is like a weekly John Carpenter movie, and this year that was the case more so than ever. From the gripping final leg of Season 3, which saw a daring escape from a Panamian prison, to the height of Season 4, when the show began firing on all cylinders and presenting awesomely pulpy dirty dozen-style action on a weekly basis, Prison Break has been TV's #1 source for GRAVITAS for the last several months. Few protagonists are more fun to watch than Michael Scofield, and few supporting characters more badass than William Fichter's Alex Mahone.

4. PUSHING DASIES

- This one is painful to write, because inexplicably, the great Pushing Daisies is now cancelled after being one of primetime's most consistently low-rated shows. But since Episode 1, PD brought a level of imagination and visual splendor to TV the likes of which has rarely been seen before. It features absolutely great performances from the likes of Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, and Kristen Chenoweth. It has mystery, fantasy, humor, and romance. It has rapid-fire dialogue on par with Gilmore Girls and a look on par with the best of Tim Burton. The facts are these: Pushing Daisies was one of TV's biggest bright spots in '08.

5. THE OFFICE

- Some have criticized The Office's recent embrace of off-the-wall humor, but personally, I've been loving the show's theater-of-the-absurd style so far this season. The show has gone for pitch black humor at times ("The Dinner Party" episode, anyone?), but the great thing about The Office is that it derives its humor from the bleakest and darkest places. But to me, The Office has simply been funnier of late than it's been in a long while. When the show becomes a soap opera, it loses me. But when it does what it does best - mocking the human condition - it succeeds in carrying on the spirit of the brilliant British original.

6. GOSSIP GIRL

- Laugh if you wish, but Gossip Girl is the best soap on TV and the current king of TV melodrama. The show has been remarkably consistent at being OMG-worthy, and I also think that it's self-aware sense of humor is often overlooked. Like The OC before it, GG isn't afraid to poke fun at itself, and it delivers its big twists and turns with a wink and a smile. In fact, Chuck Bass is often the most laugh-out-loud hilarious character on TV. He's one of the best villains of primetime, and one of the characters whose exploits you can't help but be entertained by.

7. CHUCK

- My opinion of Chuck sometimes fluctuates from episode to episode, but overall I'd have to say that NBC's underdog cult-fave hit it's stride in its second season and in '08. I love everything Chuck stands for - geeky humor, aw-shucks sentimentality, and over-the-top espionage action. It's a great formula, but even better was that in '08, Chuck dared to get a little experimental and shake things up a bit. One such experimental episode was "Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer," that was one of my absolute favorites of '08 - a caper that involved a deadly game of Missle Command, a washed-up videogame champion, and the glorious music of Rush. When it's firing on all cylinders, you can't help but love this show - it aims right for the hearts of fanboys everywhere.

8. SWINGTOWN

- I began watching this show merely out of curiousity - how would such a salacious script make it onto network primetime? - but it turned out to be the best show of the Summer and one of my overall favorites of the year. The show simply had great characters, and it constantly surprised me by making me root for characters who were initially annoying, and making me hate characters who I originally thought were the heroes of the series. Swingtown was all about defying convention, and I give it a ton of credit - episodes didn't merely get by on scandal and sex - there was a lot of intriguing political and social subtext at play here, and as a whole the show was an interesting look at suburban life in the 70's. Of course, a unique show like this got completely lost in the CBS schedule - figures, it's the first series I've EVER committed to watching on the network in all of my 26 years. You've got to give it up for Swingtown.

9. FRINGE

- The best new show of the '08 Fall season, it took me a little while to warm up to Fringe, but soon enough I found myself sucked into the world of pseudo-science, corporate conspiracy, and "The Pattern." The show is still kind of hoverin right on the verge of greatness, but what gives it its best shot of getting to that A-level is John Noble as the off-his-rocker mad scientist Walter Bishop. Noble has simply knocked this one out of the park, transforming himself each week into one of TV's strangest, funniest, and most intriguing characters.

10. ALIENS IN AMERICA

- This show finished out its brief run on the CW early in '08, but I have to mention it here because the show was hilarious, poignant, and one of the few comedies to mix its humor with intelligent social commentary. The story of a Pakistani teen living with an American family was an old-school sitcom with new-school humor, great characters, and a quirky comedic sensibilty that reminded me of Malcolm in the Middle at its best. I'd recommend that anyone who missed out go and check this one out online - it's one of the real overlooked comedy gems of the last few years.

SPECIAL MENTIONS:

1. The Late Show With David Letterman - In a landmark political year, a lot of mainstream news outlets had to dance around the obvious idiocy of the McCain-Palin campaign in the name of evenhandedness. But Letterman knew no such boundaries. Letterman brought a real everyman's perspective to the table, and asked all the right questions in his interviews with John McCain. Obama needed every little bit of help he could get to overcome the many obstacles that potentially stood in the way of his winning the presidency, and I think Letterman gave him that extra push with conviction and humor.

2. Strike-Beard Conan - Conan O'Brien has always been a guy who is at hsi absolute best when he can simply go out there and do his own thing. His natural forte isn't monologues or interviews, it's simply random, crazy humor in whatever form best suits the material. And man, one of the few benefits of the Writer's Strike was that it gave Conan a perfect forum to just let loose. Some of the show's funniest moments in years came when Conan was just riffing, wandering around his office, or spinning his wedding ring.

3. Chris Matthews, Chuck Todd, Keith Olbermann, and Rachel Maddow at MSNBC - Sure, Olbermann got a little insane over the last year or so, but his righteous anger was an important part of the ongoing process of rallying America against the Conservative juggernaut. But give MSNBC credit - when Olbermann simply got too over-the-top to be a political anchor, he was removed. MSNBC, unlike FOX News, managed to maintain an evenhanded level of news reporting side by side with a liberal-slanted editorial crew. The distinction between the two was important, and MSNBC deserves credit for what amounted to the best political broadcasts of '08.

4. Tina Fey on SNL - Saturday Night Live was not particularly great in '08. But man, did it get a lot of attention, and I'd say about 95% of that was thanks to Tina Fey's stellar bits as Sarah Palin. The spot-on satire was a much-needed commentary on Palin's joke of a candidacy - the biggest joke being how close Fey's dialogue was to Palin's actual words. It pains me that the rest of SNL never really lived up to the quality of those handful of Palin sketches - here's hoping that in '09 the show can get attention simply for being *funny*.

5. The NBA on TNT Crew - I usually make mention of these guys every year, and that's because every year I find myself looking forward to TNT's basketball coverage as much for the pre and post-game entertainment as I do for the games themselves. Charles Barkely continues to be one of the funniest men on TV, truly one-of-a-kind. There's just something about the fun, friendly, party-like atmosphere of every edition of Inside the NBA that makes it infinitely more enjoyable and appealling than the competition on ESPN and ABC.


DANNY'S BEST NEW SHOW OF 2008:

1. Swingtown

- I know some might object to hailing an already-cancelled show as the best new series of the year, but the fact is, I loved Swingtown. From an awesome theme-song to great characters to a number of increasingly absorbing subplots, this really was an underrated show that deserved to find an audience. It got stuck in a less-than-ideal Summer timeslot on CBS, but I'd urge you to check out Swingtown if you can - good stuff.

Runner-Up: Fringe


DANNY'S MOST-IMPROVED SHOW OF 2008:

1. Smallville

- Smallville was still nowhere near *great* in 2008, but compared to its previous, abysmal season, this year's Fall premiere was a huge and welcome surprise. Even without Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor, this season of Smallville has just felt sharper, more cohesive, and smarter than the show's been in a long time. It disappointed with its much-hyped Doomsday episode, but other than that, Smallville has been consistently enjoyable over the last few months, which is much more than I could say for it for most of the last few years.

Runner-Up: The Simpsons


DANNY'S BEST TV EPISODES OF 2008:

1. Lost - "The Constant"

- This fairly self-contained episode of Lost was simply one of the all-time classic episodes of the series and one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen. An epic time-travelling adventure, a star-crossed romance, and a mind-bending puzzle all at once, this episode made me want to stand up and cheer. It single-handedly made Desmond Hume my favorite character on Lost, brother.

2. Chuck - "Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer"

- This episode really surprised me, as it was, I think, the first truly "A" quality episode of Chuck, but what an episode it was. Like a fictionalized version of The King of Kong, this episode was all heart and soul. And it featured the best use of Rush's "Tom Sawyer" ever on television.

3. Fear Itself - "Skin and Bones"

- Here's my left-field pick. I say that because the horror anthology Fear Itself, as a whole, was mostly pretty awful. But whoa-mamma, this one was the exception to the rule, featuring an amazing turn from Doug Jones as a ravenous cannibal who returns home to terrorize his family. Mmm-mmm good.

4. 30 Rock - "Reunion"

- It was hard to pick a single episode of 30 Rock to hold up over any other, but Reunion is the one I keep coming back to - a hilarious ep that saw once-nerdy Liz Lemon attend her high school reunion. Could be standard fare for most TV shows, but in a brilliant twist, Liz was actually hated and feared by her old classmates to hilarious effect.

5. Pushing Daisies - "Comfort Food"

- My favorite episode of Pushing Daisies of '08, Comfort Food exemplified the show's flair for quirky characters, meaty mysteries, and incredible set and art design. As Ned and Olive enter their pies in a comfort-food-cookoff, a murder of a Colonel Sanders-like chicken king sets off a strange series of events. Kristen Chenoweth has never been better in this episode - even though Ned and Chuck are star-crossed lovers, in this ep, Kristen makes you wonder ...

6. Prison Break - "Quiet Riot"

- This one was PB at its best - a last-ditch break-in at the Company's underground bunker to retrieve the mysterious Scylla device finally happened after weeks of build-up, and the result was one of the most intense, nail-biting hours of TV I've ever seen. The choice to have portions of the ep occur in almost complete silence only added to the fun.

7. The Office - "Business Ethics"

- Probably my fave episode of The Office so far this season, this one is a showcase for the hilarious chemistry that Steve Carell and Amy Ryan brought to the table this year. Michael's attempts to teach the office about ethics were drop-dead hilarious, and seemingly every cast member, from Dwight to Andy to Pam to Creed, had a moment to shine.

8. The Simpsons - "MyPods and Boomsticks"

- I listed The Simpsons as my runner-up for Most-Improved Show of '08, and it was modern classic episodes like this one that were the reason why. A hilarious look at how Muslim-Americans can be mistreated was coupled with a spot-on satire of Apple and Steve Jobs to make for one of the best episodes of the show in several years.

9. Aliens In America - "Raja at Sixteen"

- I was always impressed at how deftly this show handled its Pakistani protagonist, and this ep exemplifed that great mix of social commentary and humor, revolving around Raja's interest in a Muslim girl, and the awkwardness that comes from him trying to date her in the traditional Islamic manner. Again, check out this show if you haven't already!

10. Smallville - "Abyss"

- Every so often an episode of a show gets me so amped-up that I immediately call one or two fellow fans after watching. This usually happens with Lost, Prison Break, or 24, but lo and behold, this episode of Smallville, featuring an intense story about Chloe's quickly deteriorating memories thanks to some scheming by Braniac, was right up there with the year's best. It reiterated why Chloe has long been the heart and soul of the show, and had a level of drama and urgency rarely seen on the CW's flagship series. It's eps like this that make you believe a show can fly!

SPECIAL MENTION - FUNNIEST MOMENT OF '08:

1. Family Guy - "I Dream of Jesus"

- The Surfin' Bird song sung over and over in the show's first half = random hilarity at its finest! Family Guy has been pretty up and down this year for me, but holy lord, the first half of "I Dream of Jesus" was pure comedic bliss.


DANNY'S BEST TV HEROES OF 2008:

1. Michael Scofield - Prison Break
2. Chuck Bartowski - Chuck
3. Desmond Hume - Lost
4. Cameron - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
5. Jack Bauer - 24: Resistance


DANNY'S BEST TV VILLAINS OF 2008:

1. Gretchen - Prison Break
2. Chuck Bass - Gossip Girl
3. Ben Linus - Lost
4. T-Bag - Prison Break
5. Keamy - Lost

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY:

1. Tina Fey - 30 Rock


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY:

1. Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock

Runner-Up: Amy Ryan - The Office


BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY:

1. Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock

Runners-Up: Steve Carell - The Office, Adhir Kalyan - Aliens In America


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY:

1. Adam Baldwin - Chuck

Runners-Up: Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock, Ed Helms - The Office


BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA:

1. Miriam Shor - Swingtown

Runners-Up: Molly Parker - Swingtown, Anna Friel - Pushing Daisies


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA:

1. Kristen Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies

Runners-Up: Elizabeth Mitchell - Lost, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe - Prison Break


BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA:

1. John Noble - Fringe

Runner-Up: Matthew Fox - Lost, Grant Show - Swingtown


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA:

1. Henry Ian Cusick - Lost

Runners-Up: William Fichtner - Prison Break, Michael Emerson - Lost


Special Mention: Doug Jones' incredible and scary turn as a murderous cannibal in FEAR ITSELF - in what was the miniseries' sole standout episode.


DANNY'S SERIES TO WATCH IN 2008:

1. 24 - Bauer is back!
2. Lost - They're going back to the island!
3. Fringe- Are there two Walter Bishops?!
4. Flight of the Conchords - Back for Season 2 - the premiere is already online, and it's hilarious!
5. Smallville - Will the Clark vs. Doomsday rematch finally deliver?

Also: I have to give a shout-out / plug to the upcoming KINGS series set to launch on NBC in March. I'm extremely curious how this one will pan out, but I can say that I have read the pilot script and Kings indeed has the potential to be the next big thing in epic TV drama. A story about an alternate reality in which medieval monarchies continued into modern times, this one could be badass. Look for it in March.

- And that about sums it up as far as TV in '08 goes. Up next: The Best Films of 2008!