TVSquad

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ... and a lot of it happened right on our TV screens. As we look forward to 2009, here's one more glimpse back at what was good and what was really NOT in the year gone by.

Overall, it seems like the Writer's Strike really hurt the business. Shows that might have survived, didn't. New shows have been stuck in development longer than usual. But despite all that, there were moments that were thrilling, shows that are terrific ... and those that weren't.

Best shows
• Breaking Bad - Bryan Cranston is amazing in this drama, the AMC hit that's not Mad Men.

• House - The most interesting character on television. Hugh Laurie make House must-see TV.

• NCIS - After all these years, it's better now than ever. The chemistry of the team, the un-military military milieu ... it all works seamlessly.

• Friday Night Lights - Please watch this when it comes back to NBC in January! These characters are so real, the situations so compelling ... it needs more viewers.

• Pushing Daisies - Brilliant writing, great performances, whimsy, humor, music ... everything but ratings.

• Burn Notice - Fun, fun, fun, with just enough tension and drama to keep you on your toes.

• The Office - Comedy comfort food. I can watch the antics of Michael, Pam, Tobey and Dwight again and again.

• Big Bang Theory - A comic geekfest with a breakout star turn by Jim Parsons. In its second season, it's taken off.

• Psych - Charming and goofy in the best sense of the word.

• Mad Men - The best show on TV. There's nothing more to say.

Worst shows (no explanation necessary): Kath & Kim, My Own Worst Enemy, The Rachel Zoe Project, Wife Swap, Greatest American Dog, Crusoe

Worst change of format
Guiding Light, the oldest soap opera on the air -- going on 71 years on radio and TV -- reinvented itself for 2008 with a new style of filming on location in a small New Jersey town that became Springfield. Instead of being innovative and interesting, it just looked cheap and slipshod, like a low-budget, independent production. CBS and Procter & Gamble turned a profit with this new business model, but the fans hate it, and it hasn't helped the ratings one iota.

Worst idea for the Emmys ... Reality TV hosts
What were they thinking by asking five hosts from reality TV shows to anchor the Primetime Emmys and then give them nothing to say? DOH! But then again these were the same brains that put Heidi Klum in a tuxedo.

Worst decision by a network
ABC for letting Pushing Daisies die. This charming, wonderful, whimsical comedy is destined to be a great show that couldn't make it on commercial TV. If it had been on HBO or Showtime or even AMC (like Mad Men), it would still be in production.

Worst success story
Ryan Seacrest. He's everywhere, hosting, producing, guesting ... why? He's not talented or particularly attractive, yet Ryan Seacrest is a star and he's not slowing down.

Best success story
Kathy Griffin. She's taken a ho-hum TV career and turned it around thanks to her Bravo reality show, My Life on the D-List, which is the best of the celebrity genre because it never takes itself seriously. Seriously, the Kardashians could learn a thing or two from Kathy.

Best network
Turner Classic Movies (TCM). It remains true to its mission, honoring and presenting great movies from the history of cinema.