From 'Survivor' to 'The Wire' TV's Top 10

Jon Hamm of 'Mad Men'

Credit: AMC

Nielsen ratings show that the most popular programs for 2008 included a singing duel between The Davids, Cloris Leachman pretending to dance, various teams of crime scene investigators investigating crime scenes and a group of doctors who are willing to have sex with ghosts when they can't bang each other. 

None of those shows made my Top 10 list.

But this isn't some snobby list of cable shows that nobody but critics watch. Confession time: I just didn't have the time and patience for "In Treatment," so even though I have trusted friends who tell me it's the best thing going, it didn't make my list.

I also didn't include shows like "House," "The Office," "Dexter" and "Weeds," which have had featured places in my Top 10 in previous years.

No network has more than two shows on my list, but ABC, NBC and HBO all have two apiece.

Without any further ado... My Top 10...

10)"Survivor: Micronesia Fans vs. Favorites" (CBS)

9)"The Life and Times of Tim" (HBO)

8)"Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog"

7)"Lost" (ABC)

6)"Pushing Daisies"(ABC)

5)"Chuck" (NBC)

4)"30 Rock" (NBC)

3)"Mad Men" (AMC)

2)"The Wire" (HBO)

For TV's very best of 2008 and complete explanations and analysis of the list, Check The Fien Print.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.