Best & Worst TV Moments of 2008

Warning: Some of these contain plot elements from shows that aired this year. If you're behind on your DVR or waiting for the DVD set, you may want to avert your eyes.

BEST: Sarah Silverman lands Matt Damon; Jimmy Kimmel retaliates
In late January, Sarah Silverman made a joke video for then-boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel, informing him (in no uncertain terms) that she was having an intimate relationship with actor Matt Damon. Funnyman Kimmel then shot back with a little video valentine of his own, in which he informed Silverman that he too was having an affair. With Ben Affleck.

WORST: All of 'Rosie Live!'
It's not you, Rosie. It was "Rosie Live!" Somewhere between the awkward opening with Liza Minelli, a pie-in-the-face bit with Conan O'Brien and a surprise appearance by Clay Aiken (in "Monty Python" garb), O'Donnell's plans to revive the weekly variety show as a viable format died a quick death.

BEST: The Michael Scott-Holly rap in ‘The Office’
Poor Michael Scott. He’s the boss of Dunder Mifflin, but he gets less than no respect from his inferiors; they don’t even laugh at his jokes. Well, Michael finally met his match in new employee Holly. Not only is she pretty, she also shares Michael’s, er, questionable sense of humor, as evidenced by this rap.

WORST: Denny's (latest) return on 'Grey's Anatomy'
The love story between Dr. Izzie Stevens and patient Denny Duquette was touching in season 2 and when he died it was downright heartbreaking. But now in season 5, seeing him as a figment of Izzie's hallucination is over the top and hard to watch. Times TV critic Mary McNamara says it best: "Even the most dedicated "Grey's" fan has had her ... faith rattled to the point of simple bone weariness." Sad, but true.

BEST: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler put on their best Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton
It was the first time we saw Fey as the Alaska governor who can see Russia from her house. It was kind of scary, to be honest. A little too close to the real thing. (Ditto the pair's later recreation of Palin's interview with Katie Couric.) But nothing on "Saturday Night Live" has made us laugh as hard since.

WORST: The sad demise of Michael on "Lost"
The fourth season of this increasingly complex puzzle box of a series was a triumph in many ways, from its ability to adapt to the strike-shortened schedule to its never-ending ability to surprise with narrative zig-zags. But one element left fans scratching their heads. After e left the island at the end of the second season, many speculated about the fate of Michael (Harold Perrineau). Did he reach the mainland? Did he live happily ever after with his son? The answer came this season, with Michael returning on a freighter as a spy for the series' evil mastermind, Ben. But just when it appeared his fuller role was coming to fruition, he got blown to kingdom come. Why did they bring him back only to kill him again so soon, fans wondered. Perrineau wondered the same thing in a widely distributed interview with TV Guide.

BEST: 'Desperate Housewives' make a five-year leap
It could have been a jump-the-shark moment, but instead, "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry's time jump reinvigorated a show that was already on a Dana Delaney-juiced high. It separated lovebirds Susan and Mike, made Bree into a Martha Stewart-esque mogul, gave Tom and Lynnette some problematic teenagers, and rounded out Gaby literally and figuratively.

WORST: ‘Real’ artists ragging on reality hosts
Things got very tense very fast at this year’s Emmy awards, when a group of reality TV hosts were tapped to emcee the festivities. Howie Mandell, Ryan Seacrest, Jeff Probst, Tom Bergeron and Heidi Klum starred in a flat and awkward opening sketch about having no script to read from. Emmy winner Jeremy Piven said of the bit, "I thought we were being punked." Oh, lighten up, Pivs.

BEST: Sylar sawing Claire’s head open on "Heroes"
In an otherwise meh season, the premiere of "Heroes" gave viewers hope. Gabriel Sylar, the killer, finally found Claire, the cheerleader, alone at home. He stalked her, trapped her, then finally got what he wanted -- her brain. Well, a piece anyway, and yeah, she can heal from anything so she was fine. But now Sylar can't be killed and has a smorgasbord of powered people to choose from. That put a whole new wrinkle in the program.

WORST: Britney Spears attempts Video Music Awards comeback No. 2....and that's it?
No surprise boas or striptease performances. No surprise smooches with fellow pop stars. Instead we got Britney in a lame opening sketch with otherwise funny actor Jonah Hill, and a welcome address that ran less than a minute long. Don't get us wrong, we're loving "Circus," but during the 2008 MTV VMAs we kind of missed crazy Britney.

BEST: David Letterman tears into John McCain for bailing on 'Late Show' appearance
Don't stand Dave up. And don't tell him you're on your way to D.C. to help with the financial bailout plan if you're really just prepping to talk instead to Katie Couric. Dave will bury you: “I was thinking about this – John, John, here’s how it works: You don’t come to see me … you don’t come to see me? Well, we might not see you on Inauguration Day. That’s how it works. You see?”

BEST: Finding Earth on ‘Battlestar Galactica’
It's always good to have a goal, and since the show started and the Cylons bombed the 12 Colonies, this has been the aim of the "Battlestar Galactica" and its surrounding vessels. Yay?Is it Earth? If it is, what the heck happened? What will the humans do about the Cylons? Frak, there's still more to learn.

BEST: Paula Abdul’s moment of confusion on ‘American Idol’
Paula Abdul’s wacky demeanor has long amused “American Idol” fans, but the petite judge outdid herself this season, when assessing dredlocked contestant Jason Castro's performance."First song, I loved hearing your lower register, which we never really hear,” Abdul told Castro. "The second song, I felt like your usual charm was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty."There was just one problem: Castro had only performed one song. "Just on the first song, just the first one," Randy Jackson corrected, as the audience let out a collective “huh?”

WORST: Padma Lakshmi spits out dessert on 'Top Chef'
Look at that face. Do you want to see that face gagging up food? Up close? The producers of Bravo's culinary competition should have known better. Sure, it was priceless to see Ariane's too too sweet dessert trigger the former model's upchuck reflex, but did they really need to zoom in when she reached for the napkin? Probably not.

BEST: The final season of 'The Shield,' start to finish
It was like a 13-hour climax, watching Vic Mackey's world crumble around him, the tragic results of Shane's "family meeting," a shocked Ronnie getting comeuppance after blindly following for so long. And then the series' final moment where Vic's brave front finally relents and four lonesome minutes of guilt set in. Pure TV watching satisfaction.

BEST: The continued evolution of the relationship betwen Eric and Tami Taylor on 'Friday Night Lights.'
"Friday Night Lights" has always nailed the difficulty in maintaining an adult relationship. This season, as the show airs on DirecTV, has been no different. The promotion of Tami to principal has added a new dynamic to the very real marriage, as Eric has been forced to adjust to a new role. "You know who I miss? I miss the coach's wife," he said early in this season. Rather than get angry, Tami does him one better. "You know who I can't wait to meet? The principal's husband."

WORST: Former siblings Justin and Rebecca get romantic on 'Brothers & Sisters'
We know, we know. Rebecca was never technically Justin's sister. And yes, you could see the move coming from a mile away. (Both of them are young and hot. What else is a primetime soap opera to do?) Still, Justin and Rebecca operated as siblings for the better part of an entire season and the weirdness of seeing them jump each other, frankly, has never gone away.

BEST: Nene and Kim throw down during 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' reunion
After would-be country star Kim revealed that her on-and-off mystery man, known on the show as "Big Papa," wasn't exactly single, former best friend Nene took aim: "Close your legs to married men, Kim. Close your legs to married men. Close your legs to married men." It was way, way, way better than anything that ever went down between Lauren and Heidi.

BEST: 'The Wire' says goodbye
For five seasons, you were told that "The Wire" was the best show on TV you weren't watching. Perhaps you caught up with the series on DVD midway through its run or perhaps you shunned it -- too complex, too dark, too heavy. Either way, the series conclusion in March was reason to rejoice. For the fans, it was that rare accomplishment of a great series that was able to go out on its own terms without descending into self-parody. Officer McNulty looking out over the Baltimore skyline while the fates of the diverse cast were played out in montage was stirring, appropriate and a little sad in its unflinching reality. For the non-fans, the burden of guilt had been lifted. Finally, you could TiVo "Rock of Love" without shame.

(from latimes.com)