Top Television Series Of 2008

Each year, the staff at SyFy Portal and Rabid Doll are asked to share what they felt were the best television shows of the year.

In the past, we had to scrape the bottom of the barrel simply to fill out the list, which probably would've included "Knight Rider" if it had been out in the past.

But science-fiction and fantasy has become a very popular trend in mainstream television, so the list of possible shows to choose from was quite extensive ... and I mean that. I think the list we had to pare down had at least 30 different programs on it.

But we did pare it down, and present to you this list, in reverse order, of what we thought were the best genre television episodes of 2008.

This is just our word for it. If you want to have your own say, then don't hesitate ... jump over to our message boards right now.

10. "Torchwood," BBC -- It's hard to tell if this "Doctor Who" spinoff will be a part of our list next year, since it has been reduced to a five-episode season with half the cast killed off. On top of that, the adult elements that made it appeal to an audience different from "Doctor Who" and especially the "Sarah Jane Adventures," appear to be on the way out. A lot of the language and such was toned down in the second season of the show, and there's word that the third season will be at a "family" level.

But "Torchwood" had a great second season. It picked up the rhythm it first established midway through the first season, only to shake it all up in the end. And while it might not be the best thing for the future of the show ... at least in the moment, the overall story arc was absolutely fantastic.

9. "Heroes," NBC -- Here is a show that almost didn't make this list ... this year. Creator Tim Kring promised us that the mistakes of the second season had been corrected, but coming into the third season, more issues arose, and many fans are now questioning whether "Heroes" was just a flash in the pan, or if there is still some sort of relevance to our every day lives.

There are only so many ways you can have Peter and Nathan fight, their mother scheme, and Hiro screw it all up ... and hopefully we'll get something new now that Bryan Fuller is back from his short time with "Pushing Daisies."

8. "Fringe," Fox -- I had hoped this show would end up higher on the list, but alas, this is the top shows as chosen by the SyFy Portal staff, not Michael Hinman. But at least it made the list.

Despite coming from J.J. Abrams and the writers of "Star Trek XI," there was a lot of doubt about how "Fringe" would be received. Early characterizations described the show as an "X-Files" clone, but actually seeing episodes revealed that it was nothing like that popular early series for Fox.

Instead, fans have received the perfect recipe of spot-on writing, theater-worthy acting and a head-scratching mythology that has everyone coming back for more.

7. "Jericho," CBS -- Sadly, this show is as dead as they come, and anyone who tries to say otherwise is just trying to milk the last drops of this phenomenon. But "Jericho," while it lasted, was an amazing piece of work not only from a story perspective, but from a fan perspective.

It's not like fans haven't tried to save shows before. It's just that few of them were worth saving like "Jericho" was. We'll miss it, but it always will have a place in history for us.

6. "Smallville," The CW -- I'll admit, I was one of those people who left this show for dead when its original creators departed and Warner Bros. decided that showrunning by committee was the way to go. I mean, think about it ... your big bad guy -- Lex Luthor -- is gone, the creative force is gone, and the show is getting up there in years. Hell, does it even take place in Smallville anymore?

Yet, it seems like all these changes were the kick in the pants "Smallville" needed, and that boost of energy may be enough to extend its life even longer on The CW.

5. "Moonlight," CBS -- All of us are still trying to figure out why, exactly, CBS cancelled this show. Sure, it didn't pull in the same numbers as "Ghost Whisperer" or "Numbers," but it did better than any other show they've had in that slot before and since, and "Moonlight" proved that networks are just as capable of making smart, stylish drama as the premium cable channels.

Too bad CBS is actually having a banner year compared to the struggle of the other networks ... it might've been enough to convince the network to think about bringing that vampire drama back to the air.

4. "Doctor Who," BBC -- I personally was pleasantly surprised by this season, as I really felt bringing in Catherine Tate was the worst idea since, well, since bringing Kool-Aid to cult gatherings. But Tate surprised many of us Americans who had only known her as Donna Noble from the Christmas special and showed how great of an actress she was. By the time her brief run was over, many of us -- including some of her biggest early critics like me -- was putting her right up there with Rose Tyler and Sarah Jane as one of the best companions ever.

"Doctor Who" is known for its ability to change ... and if it can get through a major change over the next two years will show how viable this program is long-term.

3. "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," Fox -- Despite what people may think about how I feel about this show, I am very happy to have it in the top three, because despite some of its second season growing pains, I really do look forward to "Sarah Connor" each week, and want to see it live a long life.

I don't know why audiences haven't discovered it, which has had the show on the bubble (it's said that George Bush will be thanked at some point, and "Sarah Connor" fans may do that since their show was saved by the bad economy), but maybe they will when it returns on a new night and coupled with another Fox show that makes sense ... "Dollhouse."

Shirley Manson is a tremendous addition to the show, but I am biased there because I worship her. And she scares the crap out of me when she's on screen, which is awesome. I look at pictures I took sitting two feet from her at Comic-Con, and I try to figure out where I drew up the courage. If that's not acting, then what is?

2. "Lost," ABC -- Say what you want about a long, drawn-out mystery ... "Lost" has kept its answers pretty close to the vest, and that rocks. This most recent season has made it clear that the writers have an endgame under way, and it's exciting seeing all this unfold.

It was probably the best decision ABC could make in giving a finite order of episodes for the show, and giving the creative team the number of episodes they need to tell the story.

It's a rare gift to get from the network, and one that has given me a lot of respect of ABC.

1. "Battlestar Galactica," SciFi Channel -- Ummm, did you expect to see another show at the top of this list?

There is no question in any of our minds here at SyFy Portal that when it's all said and done, Ronald D. Moore's reimagining will be hailed as one of the greatest science-fiction series of all time. And it deserves to be there.

Like "Lost," it also has been given a chance to plot out its endgame by SciFi Channel, yet another rare gift that is making me wonder how rare it really is.

Either way, there is an ending to "Battlestar Galactica," and fans won't be cheated by some early cancellation or other crap we've seen before.

There were a lot of shows we wish we could've included, and I'm sure we'll hear from you on why we should and that's fine. But before you put on the mean face and open up the word processor, let me share with you some of our key runners up that just missed the list.

They include SciFi Channel's "Stargate: Atlantis"; one of my favorites, "Life On Mars" on ABC; another once popular ABC show "Pushing Daisies"; SciFi Channel's new series "Sanctuary"; NBC's popular "Chuck"; SyFy Genre Award winner "Supernatural" on The CW; "Reaper" on The CW; and the Internet-only production from Joss Whedon, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog."

So what do you think about these?? Well i know that Neo would vote for Moonlight!! :)
So i did liked. GTO
What do you think???

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