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The ten best new TV shows of 2008
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In a year that was dominated by a writer's strike and a lackluster fall season, it might seem like an impossible task to come up with ten great new TV shows that premiered in 2008.
But while the broadcast networks stumbled through a year filled with missed opportunities and bad ideas, the rest of the TV world managed to do quite nicely. In fact, while only two broadcast network shows made my top ten list, I could have easily added another ten from the ranks of cable.
1) "In Plain Sight" (USA)
One of the great things about cable television is that you'll often see veteran actors being cast in roles that would never make it past a broadcast network executive's desk. This series about a troubled U.S. Marshall working in the witness protection program is not just a well-written show, it's crammed full of actors working at the top of their game. From lead actress Mary McCormack to ensemble cast members Frederick Weller, Nichole Hiltz, Paul Ben-Victor and Cristian de la Fuente, everyone is playing at the top of their game. A special nod goes to Lesley Ann Warren, who plays a smaller role as McCormack's offbeat (and hard-drinking) mom.
2) "The Middleman" (ABC Family)
Satire is tough to carry off on television, and doing a show which is not only satiric but smart and youthful is even tougher. Yet "The Middleman" managed to do all of those things, resulting in a show that was pop-culture heavy and yet also very literate and funny. Based on a comic book series, the show was part "X-Files" and part "Get Smart" and it starred two actors who despite their age difference had a real platonic boss-employee chemistry. Matt Keeslar's Middleman offers up the best deadpan delivery since Bruce Campbell. And Natalie Morales successfully manages to combine that arrogance and confusion you see in just about every college-age person. It's a shame that the show probably isn't returning for a second season.
3) "Leverage" (TNT)
TNT was on a creative roll this season, and this Timothy Hutton drama was my favorite new series from the network. Hutton plays an insurance investigator who turns Robin Hood after the company he works for fails to pay for his son's expensive medical care. He's surrounded by a fabulous cast, and the show has a crackling energy that is often missing in modern-day dramas. For those of you who can remember that far back, the show reminds me a lot of the great 1960s action drama "It Takes A Thief."
Click here to read an interview with "Leverage" star Timothy Hutton
Click here to read an interview with "Leverage" star Timothy Hutton
4) "Flashpoint" (CBS)
It may sound dismissive to describe "Flashpoint" as an "old school cop show," but I mean it as a real compliment. When you're creating a show, the temptation is often to try and put some wild new spin on the genre, even if the result is a show that makes no sense (i.e. "My Own Worst Enemy). "Flashpoint" is a pretty traditional show about a highly trained tactical team of cops that are trained in everything hostage negotiations to bomb defusion. But while the premise may not offer any surprises, the scripts are tautly written and the cast uniformly compelling. It's a good, solid, police drama and it's not at all surprising to me that it was one of the few hits to emerge in 2008.
5) "Imagination Movers" (Disney)
I have a nearly four-year old son, and one of the challenges is finding kids TV shows that are at least somewhat educational without being either creepy ("The Wiggles") or insanely irritating ("Wow Wow Wubbzy"). This new Disney show features a quartet who are a cross between "The Monkees" and a kids-oriented rock band. The group run a business where they offer to use their imagination to solve anyone's problems. As you might imagine, most of the problems are pretty simple, but the comedy is fast-paced, the music is catchy and there's even a very cute lady friend (played by Wendy Calio) for the dads in the audience.
6) "Fringe" (Fox)
This sci-fi drama made my list primarily because of what it could be rather than what we've seen so far this year. The plot is a bit too convuluted to fully explain here, but it involves a government task force tracking down "extra-science" activity, much of it committed by some mysterious group which may or may not be evil or trying to overthrow life as we know it. Producers
J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are trying to juggle the requirements of both a conspiracy-driven plot and the need for episodes that reasonably work as stand-alone shows. That creative tension has made the show a bit frantic and jarring so far, and while I'm not quite in love with it, it shows enough promise to make the list of this year's best.
Click here to read an interview with "Fringe" star Joshua Jackson
Click here to read an interview with "Fringe" star Joshua Jackson
7) "Z-Rock" (IFC)
One of the odder premises offered up by any television show in 2008 was this docu-reality series about a trio of musicians who have a rock band at night, but make their living during the day as a kids party band. Roughly based on the band's true life story, "Z-Rock" alternated between the surreal life of a kids rock band and the hedonistic tale of struggling rock and rollers. The series was funny, wildly original and featured some truly inspired guest stars, including an evil John Popper and a clingy, eager to please father played by Gilbert Gottfried.
8) "Survivor: Micronesia - Fan Vs. Favorites" (CBS)
Sure, this 16th edition of the long-running reality series had a horrible name, and a pool of "favorites" that was a bit thin (especially given the number of former contestants to choose from). But it also delivered some of the best moments of the franchise, from the blindsiding of Ozzie and Johnny Fairplay's unexpected exit to Erik's move to make the dumbest decision in the history of the series.
9) "The Paper" (MTV)
While I could have easily picked MTV's "Legally Blonde: The Search For Elle Woods," for this spot, this "docu-drama" which followed the staff of a high school student newspaper in Florida was my favorite primarily because of the amazing Amanda. Her takeover of the paper's top editor position was the core of the show, and the pettiness and hurt feelings that resulted from the move reminded viewers why they were happy to get out of high school. On a network that's entirely too happy to play to stereotypes, it was refreshing to see such a real life story played out over two months worth of episodes.
10) "Redemption Song" (Fuse)
If you like reality shows featuring a lot of troubled, alcohol-dependent women, then this is the ultimate show for you. "Redemption Song" was in theory designed to give some hopeful singer a "second chance," but it mostly just managed to highlight the insane number of trashy and often scary women who think they could be stars. Still, it was my guilty pleasure of the year, and the eventual winner did turn out to be a genuinely talented singer.
Click here to read a longer review of "Redemption Song"
Click here to read a longer review of "Redemption Song"
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