It was a strange and shape-shifting year for television — the screen went flat, in more ways than one.
The writers strike ended, but not before disemboweling the Golden Globes, throwing late night into an uproar and scattering way too many “Law & Order” reruns around the grid. And although the settlement was good news for those out of work, for viewers the nightmare was just beginning.
Many of the weaker new shows were given the cost-containment ax, while others, including “Chuck” and “Pushing Daisies,” retreated in the hopes of a fall relaunch.
Because its format demands an entire season, “24” decided to just start over again next month, while “Big Love” vanished entirely (it’s back in January also).
The spring was a mishmash of new and old, with networks touting “a brand-new episode” of old favorites as if they had landed the Super Bowl.
Summer brought us the Olympics in Beijing, where commentators hacked through weeks of life in a non-EPA world, Michael Phelps seemed to win every medal but the javelin throw.
The presidential primaries and conventions brought new meaning to the term “partisan politics.” MSNBC “liberated” Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann to wage a war of political blather with Bill O’Reilly and the conservatives at Fox News. Viewers lost, 2-0. Still, there were bright spots amid the chaos, including:
“Life” (NBC):
I am going to beat the drum for Rand Ravich’s show — about a cop wrongfully convicted of murder who is now, Zen-like, stalking his adversaries — until it becomes a hit or is canceled. Stars Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi are the hottest cop duo since … well, ever.
“In Treatment” (HBO):
This five- day-a-week series stars Gabriel Byrne as a wise but troubled therapist — each day is a new patient, and on the fifth day he sees his own therapist, who is played, because there is a God, by Dianne Wiest. It is dark and funny and altogether wonderful.
“Dexter” (Showtime):
Especially Jimmy Smits. The show about a serial killer turns out to be the smartest, most human story on TV. This season followed Dexter (Michael C. Hall) as he tried to find a friend in crime (Smits). Fabulous.
Peter Jacobson on “House”:
The Fox drama has had its ups and downs, but as philandering former plastic surgeon Dr. Chris Taub, Jacobson is human, life-tempered and increasingly indispensable.
Dr. Walter Bishop on Fox’s “Fringe”:
The role of modern-day mad scientist could so easily have been a disaster, but “Fringe” writers and the masterful John Noble have conspired to create a character that seems more Shakespearean than sci-fi.
The ladies of “The View” (ABC):
Taken as individuals, they are often incredibly annoying, but together they managed to embody, for better and worse, the emotional upheaval this presidential election caused among Americans.
“Lost” (ABC):
Not only was this its best season ever, but its writers also proved you can take a big, fat, slippery mess of a show and turn it back into a must-watch-in-real-time hit.
