Best Of 2008: Top 20 Shows (6-10)

6. How I Met Your Mother

Gifted with exceptional comedic timing, tangible humanity, and the rare twinkle of likability that allows some actors to work for decades, Neil Patrick Harris has helped this ensemble comedy develop into one of TV’s most dependable and enjoyable half hours. Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan and the rest of the cast is terrific.

Watch a full episode of “Pushing Daisies” right now.

7. Pushing Daisies

This show is about a shy pie-maker who can bring things back from dead – everything that is except this enjoyable show, which ABC, despite 12 Emmy nominations in July, pulled the plug on in a November massacre that also included ‘Eli Stone’ and ‘Dirty Sexy Money.’ The best left to say about ‘Daisies’ is that its cancellation has freed creator-writer, Bryan Fuller, to rejoin NBC’s struggling ‘Heroes.’

8. 30 Rock

Last month, Fancast columnist and ‘30 Rock’ star Judah Friedlander (he plays writer Frank Rossitano) was asked by a user what Tina Fey smelled like. He replied, “She smells like success.” An understatement this year. She made Liz Lemon, Jack Donaghy, Tracy Jordan and Kenneth Parcell household names that had nothing to do with Sarah Palin and the behind-the-scenes action at a TV show interesting – and that’s pretty cool.

9. CSI: New York

Once the step-child of CSI, the four-year-old series reached a peak this year in terms of ratings and storyline. Now there’s no question of its independence or individuality. Kudos to executive producers Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, and Anthony Zuiker, along with Melina Kanakaredes and Gary Sinise, who continue to shine, especially as viewers are offers glimpses into their characters’ personal lives.

10. Fringe

Science fiction. J.J. Abrams. It’s as sure of a bet as you get on TV, and fortunately for Fox and viewers, this show about smart and hot (or hot and smart) investigators sticking their noses into fringe areas of science to explain weird things happening all over the world is really solid stuff. It seems to be building a fan base, which should only get bigger when it begins airing after ‘American Idol’ starting in January.