Thrills, chills, kills

It was a strange and shape-shifting year for television -- the screen went flat, in more ways the one. The writers strike ended, but not before disemboweling the Golden Globes, throwing late night into an uproar and scattering way too many "Law & Order" reruns around the grid. And although the settlement was good news for those out of work, for viewers the nightmare was just beginning. Many of the weaker new shows were given the cost-containment ax, while others, including "Chuck" and "Pushing Daisies," retreated in the hopes of a fall relaunch. Because its format demands an entire season, "24" decided to just start over again next month, while "Big Love" vanished entirely, which is a crime against man and nature (it's back in January also). The spring was a weird mishmash of new and old, with networks touting "a brand-new episode" of old favorites as if they had landed the Super Bowl.

Summer brought us the Olympics in Beijing, where commentators hacked through weeks of life in a non-EPA world, Michael Phelps seemed to win every medal but the javelin throw and Matt Lauer simply refused to wear socks. The presidential primaries and conventions brought new meaning to the term "partisan politics." MSNBC "liberated" Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann to wage a war of political blather with Bill O'Reilly and the conservatives at Fox News. Viewers lost, 2-0.

Still, there were bright spots amid the chaos, and it's worth making a list just to remind ourselves of them.

"Life" (NBC). I am going to beat the drum for Rand Ravich's show -- about a cop wrongfully convicted of murder who is now, Zen-like, stalking his adversaries -- until it becomes a hit or is canceled. And since it was recently moved from the dead air of Friday night to the balmier climes of Wednesday, I'll take the former. Stars Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi are the hottest cop duo since ... well, ever. Throw them some magazine covers already.

"In Treatment" (HBO). This five-day-a-week series stars Gabriel Byrne as a wise but troubled therapist -- each day is a new patient, and on the fifth day he sees his own therapist, who is played, because there is a God, by Dianne Wiest. It is dark and funny and altogether wonderful. HBO renewed it despite its dismal ratings, and for this reason alone I will never stop subscribing.

"Dexter" (Showtime). Especially Jimmy Smits. The show about a serial killer turns out to be the smartest, most human story on TV. This season followed Dexter (Michael C. Hall) as he tried to find a friend in crime (Smits). Fabulous.