TVSquad

Welcome back from your humongous hangover. I just wanted to let you know that you are now in 2009 -- a fresh new year that we should look forward to. However, since you are a common citizen of Earth, you don't look ahead to a future. Instead, you look to the bleak and bloated year that has now passed.

That's why they invented "Best and Worst" lists for the previous year. It gives you a chance to remember last year's crap, get angry, proceed to get drunk, pass out, wake up, and forget it's a new year again. At that point, you get angry again. It's a vicious cycle and we love it! With that, here's my "Best and Worst" list for 2008.

The Best F*%$in Election Coverage Ever: The Daily Show and Colbert Report, of course. If Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert did not hit their peak of popularity this election year I will be surprised.

Worst Use of Star Trek Technology During Election Coverage: CNN's use of "holographs" during its Election Night coverage. I've seen better special effects on science fiction movies from the 1950s. Stick to magical moving maps and leave the holographic technology to United Planets' engineers.

Smartest Move by Stupid Network Executives: Moving NBC's Life from Friday to Wednesday nights. This wonderful crime procedural did not deserve a Friday night placement. Moving the show to Wednesdays showed that the network had faith in the program. It also allowed it to gain enough momentum to receive a full season order.

Dumb Move by Stupid Network Executives: ABC's cancellation of Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money and, especially, Eli Stone. How they could cancel a series with as much heart and faith as Eli is beyond me. At least the show will have some form of closure when it ends sometimes later this season.

Dumber Move by Stupid Network Executives: An hour's worth of According to Jim? Come on! I'm sure that this sitcom, which is now in its -- are you sitting -- eighth season, is popular with someone, but do you have to subject the rest of the television viewers to 60 minutes' worth? No offense, but I think test patterns would be more popular.

Dumbest Move by Stupid Network Executives: If you were thinking about NBC's elimination of scripted programs at 10:00 pm in favor of Jay Leno, you would be correct. What makes it even worse is that the bigwigs just gave up and decided to go the cheapest route possible.

The "Walking Tall" Award for Most Persistent Performer: Despite the fact NBC made a bad programming decision, you have to give credit to Jay Leno for fighting for what he believed in. Since he was unceremoniously "fired" from The Tonight Show years ago, Jay has been plugging away to stay on television in one capacity or another. I'm glad that he got to stay at the network that he has invested a few decades of his life into.

The "Why Am I Here?" Award for the Personality Who Should Just Go Away: Why is Ryan Seacrest still on the air in so many venues? It has to be luck because it can't be good business sense. Between American Idol, E! News, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest and the horrible Mommas' Boys, Seacrest is just stinking up the joint.

Best New Show That I Watched From Episode One: Life on Mars. What a fantastic program! Everything comes together so nicely on this show that I want it to last forever. Unfortunately, I know that Sam Tyler's journey to 1973 will end at some point.

Best New Show That I Began Watching Regularly This Season: Big Bang Theory. There aren't too many traditional sitcoms on the air anymore that are as funny as BBT. Just take a look at Sheldon's reaction to receiving a napkin from Penny that was autographed by Leonard Nimoy and you'll realize how funny the show is.

Worst Season Premiere of The New Season: The season four premiere of Bones. Man, it was just bad. Please, please, please do not start any other seasons abroad ever again.

Have a Happy New Year, everyone!