1. Michael Johns heats up the stage on American Idol's Dolly Parton night. I wonder what ever became of him?
2. Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. A pop culture phenomenon who was worthy of that mantle. While she was consistently funny in her subsequent appearances as Palin on SNL, nothing quite lived up to that first cold opening:
"I can see Russia from my house" was the shot heard round the world in the 2008 election.
3. Speaking of the election, number 3 on this list would have to be election night, and in particular watching Barack Obama's acceptance speech. What an amazing moment in our national history, with television allowing us all to participate in the shared experience. Here's the full speech from Grant Park in Chicago, November 4, 2008:
4. The Writers' Strike, without which we would never have been blessed with Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog, Joss Whedon's brilliant internet-only musical/comic book mash-up.
5. Pushing Daisies. I love Ned, Chuck, Olive, Emerson, the Aunts, the pies, the clowns, the bees, the corpses, the colors, the music...I love it all and I will miss it very much.
6. HBO's vampire series True Blood, and most especially the sexy Civil War-era vampire Bill Compton. In this clip from Episode 2, Bill and Sookie get to know each other:
Sigh. The way he says her name, he makes me wish I was called Sookie.
7. The next two items on the list are both from Battlestar Galactica, of course! In this clip from Season 4's "The Hub", Laura Roslin and Bill Adama, my two favorite characters on the show, FINALLY get together:
It's about time, indeed.
8. The other BSG moment on this list, and one that surpasses all other 2008 notable TV moments for me (except for #9), is the very last scene of "Revelations", the finale of the first half of season 4. It is technically brilliant and it packs an emotional wallop that has been 5 years in the making. Unfortunately, there are no intact clips of that scene online, so I'll post this "edited" version, which is essentially the same:
9. And finally, "The Constant" was possibly the finest hour on TV last year. It is the jewel in the crown of LOST's comeback 4th season, and it delivered the best payoff of 2008. In a series known for its memorable moments, this is the one most universally praised:
And it's so romantic!
Whew, I think that just about covers it! How about you? What were your TV favorites?
Posts
2 comments:
Great list, Gina :)
I don't have anything much to add on True Blood, Pushing Daisies, BSG and Lost except, "What she said!" Those shows made my TV worth turning on this season ;) I will mourn privately for Pushing Daisies and celebrate the ife of a wonderful show that ultimately proved too clever to continue to exist on network TV.
The only other mention I have is that (for the first time in a very long time...perhaps ever) in the reality TV world, the stars were aligned and the right people won! These finales were all within about a week and a half of each other, creating a Reality Show Nirvana the likes of which we will probably never see again.
1. The Amazing Race - Brother and sister Nick and Starr Spangler (heck, her name alone was enough to get me to root for her) claimed victory in one of the strongest and most consistent showings ever...at the same time treating each other with kindness and support week after week. "Must-see TV"? For me, it was. I have to admit I was SO afraid they would lose to the terminally dysfunctional couple, Ken and Tina, at the last minute but they came through! Bravo, Nick and Starr!
2. Survivor - The winner, Bob Crowley, a 57-year old physics teacher from Maine, proved that not only can a nice guy finish first, but that life doesn't end at 50! Bob Crowley, you're my hero!
3. The Biggest Loser - to round out the trifecta, Michelle's victory (the second woman to win in two seasons) gave me something to smile about. Granted, I couldn't stomach the show if I didn't record it and watch most of it on fast forward...but it was still worth watching and I don't think I will ever get used to the amazing transformations of the contestants. When Michelle won, I was grinning like a fool!
BSG, BSG, BSG. Pushing Daisies. I have also loved discovering True Blood (better late than never;). Dexter was exciting this season. I love the Big Bang Theory - especially when I see some of us in it. Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert (especially when the political stuff made me want to scream, lol).
I know I watch more tv than that. But those are some reasons I enjoy tuning in.
Post a Comment