2008: A Year in Television

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Similar to my earlier post this week about memorable movies for the year, I'll also do a segment on television, again like EW did. However, their focus on The Colbert Report, 30 Rock, and Lost will not be echoed here. (Note that the order means nothing)

1. The Moment of Truth : Although EW listed it on their "Worst Series of the Year" list, I find the concept absolutely amusing. The premise: get strapped to a polygraph machine and be asked personal questions. You lie, you lose, bottomline. So here's my question... if you know they're going to try and ask you something that will crush a loved one, and you're not willing to answer, what's the point? You tell the truth, they get mad at you; you lie, they find out anyway. So grow some balls and be honest.

2. Dexter : A show I love to hate. I had no idea it was in its third season, I had thought it was a new show when I caught part of it on DVR this year. It was an episode with a fire, and there was a guy trapped in a cage inside. Weird.

3. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog : I'm going to go ahead and count this as a television show. This might be the best thing to have come out of the WGA strikes. I have the videos on my Zune (it's in three Acts), and often listen to them at the gym. Perhaps it's because I have a special place in my heart for Neil Patrick Harris, but I find the music and lyrics very interesting.

4. How I Met Your Mother : I was introduced to this show in its second season, so I have been following it for a little while now. While most of this season has been bad (seriously, I now fear for its future, even on CBS), there were some great moments. Back when Ted was first starting to court Stella, he takes her on a two-minute date along the sidewalk outside her office, something to remember. :)

5. Beverly Hills, 90210 : not a new show at all. And while a spin-off began this past fall, I have not seen it, nor do I have plans to. When the show was in its original run, I was too young to appreciate it. However, this year I discovered it on hulu.com, and then on SOAPnet. It's now part of my daily routine when I'm home. I've seen about 70% of the episodes up until the Valentine's Day when Cliff surprises Donna (today's episode). Too bad Andrea's character has peaced out already.

6. ER : While many people (critics and fans alike) have been criticizing this season's use of guest stars (past stars of the show), I love it. Carter and Green will always be well-remembered in my book. I cried at Abby's last episode, and am anticipating a full waterworks for the finale this spring.

7. House, MD : well, last season's idea of using half of the episodes to "pick" a new team to work with Dr. House was pretty interesting. And, like any good person, I hated Amber (better known as "cut-throat b!tch"), but couldn't handle her surprising death without shedding a tear or two. As Cuddy is one of my favorite characters, her struggle with having a child has been rough, and I am excited that it looks as if she will have a daughter come next week's episode.

8. The Simpsons : as I mentioned in a recent blog, I am not a huge fan. Still, I have caught episodes over the years, and because the Sunday night FOX line-up has been pretty good as of late (my then-regular crew watches all those shows), I've seen this season's episodes. This year's "Treehouse of Horror" episode was really good, probably because I love parodies and I love Peanuts.

9. The Secret Life of the American Teenager : This ABCFamily sitcom centers on a fifteen-year-old girl who finds out she is pregnant in the pilot. I am a little partial to her because we share the same first name, but I think that the relationship dynamics in the show are very true-to-life, and worth exploring and learning from. And with the new season starting, I look forward to more episodes focused on Grace's family as well.

10. Jon and Kate Plus Eight : they've been doing specials on the Gosselin family since the sextuplets were born, and they've had a television show for a couple years now. This year I've really gotten into it, and adore the family. I can tell the kids apart (although Cara and Mady are a bit difficult for me), and admire each of their personalities. While they remain mum about how long they will film the family, I do hope that they at least continue doing specials, as I would truly love to see how these kids grow up.