The 10 best TV series of the year

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For more than half the year, television struggled to get its groove back.
A writers' strike during the first quarter of 2008 shut down almost all of prime time. The networks made due with quick fixes -- mainly, reality shows -- and then spent the rest of the year trying to get back the creative ground lost.
Looking back on the year, it's hard to think 2008 had 10 solid series to follow -- programs that were artistically risky, commanded the genre or set new heights.
Nonetheless, there were. The year wasn't a total loss, after all.
Here are the 10 best series of the year and why they stood out:
1. "Lost" (ABC). Wildly curious and handsomely played out, this densely scripted adventure series pulled off a miracle. In 2007, "Lost" derailed, succumbing to too many plot avenues. "Lost" lost its way. Now with a fresh take on the action (revealing the puzzling future for the characters), "Lost" has not only showed us the end game, it has traveled beyond at light speed. This is the one series that cannot be missed.
2. "30 Rock" (NBC). If being snarky were a perfume, Tina Fey could smell up a room. "30 Rock" is a delightfully cunning farce, the likes of which proves the sitcom isn't dead. It's merely needs to be smarter, like "30 Rock."
3. "Dexter" (Showtime). Remaining enticingly dark and provocative in its third season, "Dexter" is allowing its namesake character to grow without compromise. This is one thrilling cat-and-mouse game.
4. "Summer Heights High" (HBO). Creator/writer/actor Chris Lilley is the best comedic discovery of the year. His witty comedy set at a high school has all the zing of "The Office."
5. "Mad Men" (AMC). Loving this retro drama is all in the details: the setting, the color, the mannerisms. Beyond its flash is a story that is timeless and wonderfully engaging.
6. "Friday Night Lights" (DirecTV Channel 101). A third season found the small-town drama downsizing in its cast and scope. Nonetheless, "Lights" has retained its emotional center, making this one of the tube's most durable hours.
7. "Entourage" (HBO). Setting the story off into the underbelly of the Hollywood success story, this comedy has grown and matured this season. The smallest details have set this award-winning series into overdrive.
8. "Eli Stone" (ABC). Dancing and singing done in the backdrop of a legal drama, "Eli Stone" is the feel-good series of the year. Unfortunately, ABC didn't stick with it, making this the year's biggest loss.
9. "Pushing Daisies" (ABC). Though the series lacked a real emotional connection with its audience, "Daisies" had everything else going for it -- a splendid cast, a brilliant sense of itself and a truly inspired hour like no other series these days.
10. "The Office" (NBC). The workplace comedy has managed to humanize its insane cast of characters, enriching the stories.

(E-mail Terry Morrow of The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee at morrow2(at)knews.com.)