FaN Cheers: Best TV of 2008

After a harrowing writers’ strike we renewed our vows with TV this year. And for some of us, the love is stronger than ever.

30 Rock.  Always.  The funniest show around!  And if I’m allowed a second favorite…Skins!  Incredible. — Delia Hauser from “Chic Geek”

I always love 30 Rock… just so smart and funny.  And I have a great spec for it – so I don’t want it to get canceled! — Jessica Glassberg from “Musings on the Amusing”

As much fun as I’ve had watching the shenanigans of the namesake character on Pastor Greg, I think I’m gonna’ have to go with 30 Rock as my favorite TV show of the year. How can anyone NOT love it? In addition to being a serious fox, Tina Fey has got to be one of the best comedic writers of the last ten years, and the whole cast just burns shit up – Tracy Morgan? Unparalleled. “Kenneth The Page?” Brilliant. And Baldwin is killing it every episode. This show already deserves to be in the TV Hall of Fame solely on the merit of Baldwin’s line from the Carrie Fisher episode, “Never go with a hippie to a second location.” ??– Jordan Weeks from “Enough Already”

Battlestar Galatica. The best show on TV just kept on getting better. When future generations look for art that reflects our post-9/11 world, BSG will be their cultural, spiritual and political touchstone. One of the best end-of-season cliffhangers ever. — Clark Perry from “Nerd Date”

The Big Bang Theory

Even though I’m not a fan of reality TV, I have to admit that Kitchen Nightmares is a wonderful guilty pleasure. As far as scripted TV goes, it doesn’t get much better than The Big Bang Theory. And The Tudors was fun (even if it is revisionist history for Generation Y – I like to refer to it as “Henry 8.0”) — Charles Cron from “Thought Chuck”

The Big Bang Theory. I owe this to etc. The show has grown on me. It’s smart and a funny old-school sitcom. — CH from “Buy Your Geek This”

Oh, this was hard! I adored Skins, with it’s diverse mix of teenage grittiness and English humor, but in the end, The Big Bang Theory wins out b/c it was such a pleasant surprise and Sheldon is a complete gift. Also, most of the nerds I know aren’t watching Skins, but I can go on and on with my chemical engineer sister in St. Louis about how good The Big Bang Theory is. — etc

Thanks to TV on DVD, I have discovered the joy that is Dexter. It’s dark, funny and sharply written. And I can’t believe this is the same Michael C. Hall from Six Feet Under. He’s *that* good. If I end up getting Showtime in 2009, this is why. — Robin Rosenzweig from “Wonderfully Awful”

This was the year that I discovered Doctor Who and I am OBSESSED.  I joined Netflix specifically to get my Who fix.  (Wouldn’t you think that Doctor Who DVDs would be easy to come by in New York City?  So did I.  And I was wrong.)  It’s silly, smart, wildly entertaining and completely satisfying. — Redheaded Stepchild

Flight of the Conchords..or was that 2007? does not matter as it will win for me every year it is on! So terribly hilarious that nothing will stop me to watch it. — Kelli Bielema from “Fierce in Seattle”

My favorite new show of the year was Fringe.  The crazy scientist character is hilarious and it puts forward concepts that make you go…Hmm.  My favorite canceled show is tied between Boston Legal and Pushing Daisies.  I am going to miss all that clever writing.  Please don’t make me watch more reality TV!!! — Amy Robinson from “Tall Drink of Nerd”

John Adams. Freakin’ loved it. On the edge of my seat every minute. It captured the true life and death drama of politics as movies and TV never have (prescient of the most exciting election in generations). Giamatti’s balls-out portrayal of the total political nerd, who thought and fought so hard that his thoughts carried force in the world; a charismatic statesman-troll. Linney was perfect too but in a less showy though vital role that rounded out a downright inspiring portrait of a marriage as partnership of loving and contending true friends.  Honorable mentions: SNL, smart and funny again finally; got to where I couldn’t tell Fey from Palin (Feylin?). The anarchic 30 Rock. True Blood: a swampy, lurid, addictive potboiler. — Jeff Rogers from “Hippie Squared”

Old (NCIS) and new (The Mentalist & Sons of Anarchy).  I just love the characters and story line on NCIS.  Why The Mentalist, even though the premise is a complete rip off of Psych.  Two words, Simon Baker!  if you need further explanation, see Something New.  And Sons of Anarchy is like a train wreck.  It is so wrong…..you feel guilty for watching but you cannot turn away.  It is way over the top and unbelievable, but “Peggy Bundy” is incredible, Ron Perlman is stellar and the guy who plays Jax is amazing (and hot)!  It is my favorite guilty pleasure. — Monique King-Viehland from “Political Physics”

True Blood. Sex and vampires… though Bill could be hotter. I might say The Shield too, but I fell behind on my viewing and I’m still in Season 6. And of course BSG, but did that even air in 2008?  — Gudrun Cram-Drach from “Secret Life of a Nerd Girl”

And jump for a dose of reality:

American Iron Chef won me over. I didn’t want to like it because of my love for Japan Iron Chef. Kat Cora and Morimoto are my favorite. I harbor ill will for Mario Batallie (will somebody beat him already!?!?) and Bobby Flay, but I set my hatred of them aside for an hour of sweaty, red-faced entertainment. — Tabitha Esther from “Fierce Science”

Charm School both Rock of Love and Flavor of Love versions. I’m so not lying here. I DVR them. It’s sad. Sick and twisted. I feel so dirty, but I just have to watch it. It all started with Flavor of Love and now I can’t get enough of that shit. Ok, I can get enough I refuse to watch A Shot at Love or a Real Chance at Love. I wanted to say something cool like Flight of the Concords, which I do love, but I never DVR it. So there a dirty secret out in the open. BTW-I think Destiny should have won. — Kelly Kaboom from “Venice Flytrap”

Hardball with Chris Matthews. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Matthews’ is a political savant and his MSNBC show, outside of C-Span, is the single best place for politics on TV. Also, the 2008 U.S. Open – There was no way anyone watching the 109th U.S. Open this past June could not have been mesmerized as a severely injured Tiger Woods won perhaps the most amazingly exciting and gripping major in golf history (his 14th) over the course of 91 epic holes against my fellow Western Pennsylvanian expatriate, the Falstaffian Rocco Mediate. — Ryan Dixon from “Fierce Anticipation

Hands down, Project Runway! I am so happy Leanne Marshall won this season! She is a true artist and an inspiration. — Missy Kulik from “Dork Lifestyle”