TV power rankings - Fall 2008 wrap up

on this list: i wrap up the shows that made my Fall 2008. if you read my last power rankings, you'll have a pretty good idea where shows ended up, but there was SOME movement.

without further ado, the TV power rankings wrapping up Fall 2008.

1) The Shield
last ranked: 1

a great show that had an excellent ending. seriously. when the curtain fell on the series i was like "there was no other way they could have ended the show." almost brought a tear to my eye. it was so, so good. even though seasons 3 and 5 weren't really my cup of tea, The Shield stands as one of my favorite shows OF ALL TIME. godspeed Vic Mackey.

2) Sons of Anarchy
last ranked: 3

i said last time that this show kept creeping up and up the rankings, that it almost deserved to be #2 behind The Shield. well, with the season finale, it jumped to #2. with this show around next year (hopefully), i won't miss The Shield as much. WATCH IT.

3) House
last ranked: 2

fell to #3 for two reasons. first, i needed to make room for Sons of Anarchy. second, the whole concept is wearing a little (just a little) thin after almost 2 years straight of watching House. that said, i'm still interested enough in House and his supporting cast as characters to keep this show at #3.

4) Life
last ranked: 4

still too many relationships, but it's getting better. take out the relationships and this would be #3. still, it's one of the only things i still watch on my once-favorite network (oh NBC, how you have fallen).

5) Chuck
last ranked: 6

this is a show like House - very formulaic in the layout of their single episodes. and the only reason i haven't tired of the formula yet is because of the overarching story, the character arcs. they throw me for a loop every few episodes and introduce a new dynamic to the Chuck/Sara story and it's like "wow, where did that come from?" it's a funny show, sure, but it's also got some good writing going on behind the scenes.

6) 90210
last ranked: 7

i should NOT like this show. that said, i LOVE it. it's my guilty pleasure. moving on.

7) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
last ranked: 5

fell down the list because Chuck and 90210 have been doing better in my opinion. i'm not really liking how crazy Sarah is getting looking for the pattern of the 3 dots, how stupid John is being about Reilly, etc. that said, i still like the show - i just wish it would go in a different direction sometimes.

8) South Park
last ranked: 8

had a good half-season. not a great half-season, but a good half-season. i patiently await its return this March.

9) Fringe
last ranked: 9

still bugged by all the overarching stuff. you know, it's weird. i like shows like House and Chuck for the overarching stories, their character arcs, but then Fringe all i want is the single episodes. i could care less about her family or The Pattern. give me single episodes about weird stuff that remind me of what i REALLY want to be watching, The X-Files. hmm, maybe i should just watch The X-Files if i want to watch The X-Files.

10) Law & Order
last ranked: new

it's Law & Order. i've been watching it on and off my entire life. it has no right being as high as it is on the list, but hey, it's actually been pretty good this season. maybe i like the new cast.

11) Law & Order: SVU
last ranked: 12

funny enough SVU is showing its age more than the original is (maybe because they have mostly the same cast and can only do shows about special cases?), but i still look forward to SVU almost as much as the original every week.

12) Life on Mars
last ranked: 10

well, after several episodes i'm taking the American version of Life on Mars on its own merits - the only problem is, it's not very good on its own merits. ABC extended its life through the Spring, so i'm going to keep watching to see if it comes into its own. i mean there's some good acting, and the stories are ok. but it just doesn't have the LIFE that the original did, the charm, the reality. like i said above about Fringe, if i want to watch Life on Mars, maybe i should just watch the original. we'll see.

13) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
last ranked: 11

a good comedy that used to be great. still hope there's another season or two for these guys. see you next fall?

14) Heroes
last ranked: 11

so if you've been following the power rankings, you'll know that Heroes has been a roller coaster for me this year. i mean it's always pretty much been at the bottom of the list, but it's been up and down like "should i keep watching or not?" well after watching the majority of the fall season (i still haven't seen the final 2 episodes), i think i've settled on "not." i saw some previews during the Super Bowl and at first i muted the TV because i didn't want anything ruined for me - and then i was like "you know what? i really don't care." so i don't know, if i find myself some Sunday afternoon with nothing to watch and some time to kill, maybe i'll catch up on Heroes. otherwise this is goodbye. never did a show show so much promise and fall so hard. godspeed Heroes.

well that's it for the Fall 2008 wrap up. stay tuned for the first power rankings of 2009. will anything be better than The Shield's final season? hint: probably not. but there are a few contenders to overtake House and Life.

-k