The Critics List : Best of 2007

I thought I'd just remind you what you're missing out on thanks to the writers strike. This list is compiled from the top ten lists which prominent TV critics put out at the end of every year, and this year there were twenty lists taken into account. Here we go:

1. Mad Men
2. 30 Rock
3. The Sopranos
4. Pushing Daisies
5. Dexter
6. Friday Night Lights
7. Damages
8. Planet Earth
9. House
10. The War
11. Lost
12. The Shield
13. Flight of the Conchords
14. Big Love
15. Ugly Betty
16. Extras
17. Tell Me You Love Me
18. Reaper
19. Rome
20. Burn Notice

This year the shows which critics seemed to pick without exception were Mad Men, 30 Rock and of course the final season of The Sopranos. The first two were a big surprise to me, I haven't even been watching Mad Men and didn't really how insanely popular it was with critics, although I should have known that the brain child of a "Sopranos" writer would be worth watching. I've never been a massive fan of 30 Rock but it seems it's very much won the critics over in its second year. House has also had a popular year, performing almost as well as it did in its first season.

Aside from 30 Rock its also been a good year from brand new comedies, with the brilliant Pushing Daisies up at number four, as well as the clever Flight of the Conchords and the charming Reaper which both sneaked their way onto the list. The only new dramas to make the list were Damages and Tell Me You Love Me, although Californication and Gossip Girl came close. It's also great to see two documentaries, Planet Earth and The War, both make the top ten.

Two of my favourite shows, Dexter and Friday Night Lights, continue to perform extremely well but there are also some notable absences from this list. The Office didn't quite make the top twenty, and bizarrely Battlestar Galactica appeared on hardly any lists. Heroes didn't even get a single vote, which surprised me to be honest. I know it's gone downhill, but you'd expect at least SOMEbody to pick it.

Otherwise it's really nothing too surprising this year ... well done Lost for somehow hanging on there in mid-table, and well done the critics for giving the brilliant UK comedy show Extras a place on their lists.