I watch a lot of TV. Probably, more TV than I should. I watch TV instead of sleeping some times. Why do I tell you what you probably already know? To explain the difficulty that I’m having in narrowing down my (few days late) favorite shows list. It’s pained me to have to leave off old favorites (I’m sorry, Heroes, but you just aren’t cutting it…) and I was so excited to have a fabulously gorgeous new show to add to the list this year (welcome Piemaker and friends). I’m sure I’m leaving your favorites off of my top 11 shows of 2007, but keep reading – there’s a ridiculously long list of honorable mentions at the bottom!
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Say what you will about the Landry/Tyra plot (a plot that I enjoyed), there is no show like this on TV. Family dynamics at their best and sometimes worst, a whole town coming together, pain, angst, hatred, disgust, love, lust, Christianity, depraved hedonism, this show has it all. Amazing. If you don’t believe that you can get caught up and love the show just as much as I do, take my sister as a prime example. Starting the weekend after Christmas, Mary tucked into bed, laid around for hours upon hours, smitten with the show after 2 minutes of the pilot. She’s now all caught up, just like me, and now she’s going through withdrawal as she tries to make the wait until Friday Night go super fast!
PUSHING DAISIES
Never was I so smitten with a first episode, and the characters in the first episode, as I was with this show. I know there are folks out there who think this one is too sugary-sweet, but I love the escape from the real world that this show never fails to give me. The Piemaker and his sweetheart, A Girl named Chuck, make me root for love. Olive Snook is the perfect character for Kristen Chenowith, and we all know how much I love Chi McBride. Oh and can I mention the greatest Aunts (mothers?) ever on screen and the best emoting-dog in the world? The stories are wacky, the colors are gorgeous, and I just can’t wait for the horrid strike to end (I support the writers, I promise) so that I can see new stories unfold!
VERONICA MARS
Until the end of time, this show will rank as one of my all time favorite shows. Is that a big promise to make to a television series? Come on! The lead character had spunk and style, and charm, and class, and sass and she just made it fun to watch! Did I mention my love for Logan Echolls? Sure, he’s a jackass, and yes, he made some pretty frakked up decisions, but he was always my favorite. I love Wallace (though he was painfully underutilized in the final season) and I love Veronica’s solid relationship with Papa Keith. Mac was a great best friend, Parker wasn’t terrible (except for the whole loving Logan thing) and Piz was an adorable new friend (I hated the relationships between Piz and Veronica, but I loved the friendship!). Dick Casablancas always made it hilarious. It was a big shame to see my pal Michael Muhney’s character kick the bucket, but it was done with Veronica Mars flair, and I couldn’t ask for anything better. I only wish that Dawn Ostroff hadn’t over promised and had put us VM fans out of our misery way sooner than she did.
DEXTER
I didn’t think that Season 2 would be able to top the suspense, the excitement, the all out craziness of Season 1. But it did. I loved a serial killer more than I thought possible. The idea to have Season 2 focus on the crimes that our lead character committed was a stroke of genius and the way it played out, so deftly, was true dramatic perfection. My only gripe? What will I do without Doakes??
LOST
I wasn’t a fan of the first six episodes last season (thankfully they were in 2006), but when Lost came back in 2007 with their new episodes, I was hooked again. I like the addition of Elizabeth Mitchell’s Juliet. I think Michael Emerson’s Ben Linus is the creepiest of all creepy villains. I understand why Charlie had to kick it, and I think the show has an amazingly fresh momentum (coming off of that flash-forward finale) going into season 4!
MAD MEN
The 1960s. They’re truly fantastic. The cinematography of this series is down right phenomenal. Thank heavens that I caught up in a Labor Day marathon on this gorgeous, well-acted, smoke-filled hour long drama. Jon Hamm is amazing. He’s my newest of all TV boyfriends. And the supporting cast is all equally as impressive. I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us in Season 2. Rumor has it we’re jumping a few years into the future, and I for one, am thrilled at the idea!
THE OFFICE
I think this show is one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. There were a lot of hard to deal with hour long episodes in the beginning of this season, but who can forget the sheer joy we JAM fans felt at the end of the season finale when Jim finally invited Pam on a date? I love the whole ensemble, every person on the show makes me laugh!
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
Bret, Jemaine, and Murray are some of my favorite TV characters. Bret is so un-assuming, Jemaine is clingy and unaware of his not-cool-ness, and Murray just doesn’t fit in. Anywhere. Their super fan Mel is more than hilarious, and Dave their “best friend” is just the worst idea for a guru on all things America. Oh, and their music? Their music is addicting. I sing it all the time. It was very nice to be pulled into their world each week. I cannot wait for new episodes!
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
I really can’t say enough about this show. I wish it would get the nomination recognition that it needs. The whole cast (I mean, except maybe Nicki Clyne, sorry Mrs. Tyrol) just blows me away. It makes me cry, it makes me laugh, it makes me want to go out and find my own army of Viper pilots to fight the Cylons. Yes, there were a few uneven episodes here and there, but they really pulled out all the stops in the final few episodes of last season, and their Razor? Phenomenal. The final season promises to be the best one yet!
BONES
Every week, this show delights me. Bones and Booth have a fabulous chemistry that has been there since day one. I love Angela and Hodgins. I love how Zack doesn’t fit in. I originally wanted to hate Cam, but I just can’t do it. This entire cast is fun, hilarious, whip-smart, and they just seem so relatable. And that kiss that Booth and Bones shared under the mistletoe? Perfection.
WEEDS
This show is so full of drama and comedy and craziness and drive by shootings and drug deals gone sour, and drunken neighbor ladies who get involved in the family business, and sassy ladies like Heylia and awesome relationships like that of Conrad and Nancy’s. Nancy Botwin is one of the most flawed characters to ever exist. Yet somehow, she always makes her decisions seem to come from the best of places. It’s fabulous, and I can’t wait to see what happens now the Agrestic/Majestic world is under drug-field-arson-fire!
Honorable mentions (and there are a lot of them for various reasons, in no particular):
Damages – great acting, insane story telling, it just blew me away each and every episode
House – I love the way that Season 3 ended and Season 4 has been playing out. Hugh Laurie is so intriguing!
30 Rock – this was a great second season. Fabulous! Tina Fey, Jack McBrayer, and Alec Baldwin are fantastic.
Burn Notice – I wish I had spy-world coolness. Jeffrey Donovan is great and Michael Westin is one of my favorite TV characters.
Psych – I love Gus and Shawn. So much!!
Monk – I know the premise might get old, but I still love it!!
The 4400 – Damn you USA for canceling one of my quickest growing obsessions!
Greek – because I love Scott Michael Foster and my pal Clark Duke!
Dirty Sexy Money – Donald Sutherland is fabulous, Peter Krause is fabulous. This whole show is fabulous, and I’m so glad I get to watch it!
Chuck – This is a great concept, and a great cast of people playing it.
Gossip Girl – I did not think I would fall so madly for this show. But I’m seriously hooked.
The OC – I loved the Taylor/Ryan pairing. Truly, I did. I thought that the show just ended so perfectly!
How I Met Your Mother – one gripe, I wish they gave Colbie Smulders more to do, but I love this show so much, otherwise.
Grey’s Anatomy – I really liked the end of Season 3. I’m not a huge fan of Season 4, but the end of Season 3 was great!
Moonlight – another new Friday Night obsession!!
Desperate Housewives – this show is absolutely back on track!
Women’s Murder Club – I’m addicted, what about you guys?
Men in Trees – I love me some Elmo, Alaska!
Gilmore Girls – I hated the Christopher/Lorelai quicky marriage. And I hated the Luke/Lorelai quicky reconciliation, but this show will always be one of my favorites!
Jericho – I didn’t think I’d like it, but as soon as the spring portion of the series began, I was hooked, and so glad that Nuts brought it back to CBS!
Brothers and Sisters – the Walkers are one of my favorite TV families.
Ugly Betty – Ditto, the Suarezes. I love this show, and every crazy outlandish character.
The Closer – I love this entire cast. And Kyra Sedgwick is so great! Every episode makes me think.
Project Runway – I love the idea behind this show. It makes me think I could be a designer. I always wonder if I could recreate the challenges that Heidi and Co. come up with. Oh and I would love to hang out with Tim Gunn!
The Amazing Race – this is one of the most beautifully shot reality shows ever. I’m so incredibly hooked on it!
Big Love – never saw my obsession with this show coming. I love it!
Planet Earth – breathtaking and beautiful, it’s so great to see what the world around is really like. Oh and that Caves episode? I couldn’t sleep after all those horrible creepy crawlers!
Side Order of Life – I am hooked on this show, and wish Lifetime would hurry up and renew it!
My Boys – didn’t want to like this show, but now I’m hooked. Brando is one of my new obsessions!
SVU – my favorite Law and Order. I love Chris Meloni!
Apologies to 24, Nip/Tuck, and Rescue Me – your seasons were/are not good enough to rank as favorites this year! Step it up and you can make it next year!!
What about you all? What did I forget? I’m sure with a list this long, I’m definitely missing something important!
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