Signs of Life 2008: Best TV Shows

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5. 30 Rock [Tina Fey, NBC]
Smartly deadpan, but not cynical; deeply silly, but not absurdist, 30 Rock proves Tina Fey is the smartest woman on television—and that there’s a reason we thought we liked Alec Baldwin all this time.

4. The Office [Ricky Gervais, Greg Daniels and Stephen Merchant, NBC]
No longer able to rely on the romantic tension of Jim and Pam’s courtship, The Office smartly tapped the potential of its rich supporting characters, whipping up equally hilarious—and gorgeously awkward—explorations of Dwight, Angela, Kevin and the rest of the Dunder Mifflin staff. This first-rate comedy, already a classic, is now showing its depth.

3. The Colbert Report [Ben Karlin and Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central]
Stephen Colbert’s rapier wit and superhuman ability to muster a straight face while unleashing gut-busting irony makes his political commentary the finest on television. If you’re going to laugh to keep from crying (which is very important while following American politics), the laughs oughtta be this satisfying.

2. Mad Men [Matthew Weiner, AMC]
Matthew Weiner’s Emmy-winning drama centers on Don Draper, a love-him-and-hate-him New York advertising executive in the 1960s. From its understated acting and plotlines to its meticulous costume and set design, Mad Men feels more like a series of hour-long movies than a TV show.

1. Battlestar Galactica [Ronald D. Moore, Sci-Fi]
At its best, sci-fi provides a new perspective on the most earthly human endeavors—politics, religion, family, war, betrayal, sacrifice—and Battlestar Galactica sets the bar. The grittiness of the last remaining fleet chugging its way across the galaxy conveys the desperation of a people struggling to survive.