Best TV of 2008

1. Mad Men (AMC)

This gorgeously produced, wonderfully acted, and beautifully written drama captured my attention so fully this year that it's a serious contender to be my favorite show of the decade. Regrettably, I didn't pay any attention to this show when it debuted last year, but after watching season 1 on DVD this summer, I awaited every episode of season 2 with baited breath (which I had to buy from iTunes because Comcast canceled our AMC service--with no commensurate reduction in our service rate I might add). There are so many great performances here too, particularly the women--January Jones' quietly unhinged Betty Draper, Elisabeth Moss's pre-feminist pioneer Peggy Olson, Christina Hendricks' "with it" yet downtrodden Joan Halloway. But its Jon Hamm's Don Draper that is the heart of this show's split portrayal of both the changing nature of the workplace and the home during the early 1960s. It's truly masterful television.

2. Lost (ABC)

After a rocky second season, Lost regained a lot of ground this year, with a short, but action-packed season that relied less on the character-driven flashbacks of previous years and more on the continuous suspense-driven arc of how six of the castaways manage to escape back to civilization. Told through present, past, and future segments, the season managed to answer many questions this year while still keeping me on the edge of my seat wanting more. Particularly good this year was Michael Emerson, who gives creepy Ben Linus enough depth to actually make him a sympathetic villian.

3. Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi)

While Lost was on the way up, Battlestar Galactica--generally my favorite TV show--stumbled a bit this year, mired in too many subplots involving rebel Cylons and Baltar's religious sect. Despite this, it's still a cut above most other shows, with actors like Mary McDonnell, Katie Sackhoff, Edward James Olmos, and Michael Hogan who continue to excel in their complex roles.

4. Swingtown (CBS)

CBS is generally the network I never watch, but this summer series that purported to be about "swingers" but was really about the changing nature of gender roles in the 1970s was an underappreciated gem. The three women leads were particularly good, the sets and furnishings were awesome, and the stories, while not always "deep," were enjoyable and sometimes enlightening.

5. 30 Rock (NBC)

Tina Fey became a superstar this year for her portrayal of Sarah Palin on her former show, SNL, threatening to overshadow her successful two-time Emmy Best Comedy-winning series. Fey is the heart of this (almost) always funny show, which also features great performances from Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, and Tracy Morgan.

6. 90210 (CW)

I was a big fan of Beverly Hills 90210 during its high school years, so it's great fun to have a new version of the show back on the air, complete with a few now adult characters from the original show (Kelly and Brenda). Sure it's soapy (more so than the original, which featured stories mostly contained to individual episodes), but it's a lot of fun, which more emphasis on the material comforts of Beverly Hills than the original. While Brandon, Brenda and bunch mostly hung out at each others' houses or the local diner, these kids prefer swanky nightclubs and high-priced shopping trips.

7. Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Speaking of Tina Fey and SNL, with the presidential campaign reaching all-consuming heights this fall, Fey's dead-on portrayal of Palin really revived the relevance of this show, while also featuring great turns from Amy Poehler (sadly now departed from the show), Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg.

8. Project Runway (Bravo)

While it's starting to get a little old, it's still the best reality TV show there is. I didn't connect much with this season's participants, but I still like the creative challenges. And Tim Gunn is still so cool, how could you not love him?

9. True Blood (HBO)

I only saw the pilot for this, which was available from Netflix (Comcast does not allow non-digital customers to subscribe to HBO) but I really enjoyed this modernized vampire story set in rural Lousiana. Similar yet different from the modernized Twilight vampire saga.