The year 2006, when all was said and done and televised, was a great one for TV. Here’s a tally of the year’s very best – and worst – with a lot of deserving contenders just missing the cut.
BEST SERIES: “Deadwood” (HBO), “Dexter” (Showtime), “Entourage” (HBO), “Heroes” (NBC), “Lost” (ABC), “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (NBC), “30 Rock” (NBC), “24” (Fox), “The West Wing” (NBC), “The Wire” (HBO).
Broadcast TV delivered six of the 10 most outstanding series this year – which, given the different economic models and censorial standards, is quite an achievement. “The West Wing” went out with an unexpectedly strong final season, while both NBC series about “Saturday Night Live”-type programs found their own entertaining voices.
BEST NEW SERIES: “Dexter,” “Heroes,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Thief” (FX), “30 Rock.”
Only “Thief,” at this point, is dead, and only “Heroes” is a solid hit – but all these freshmen series brought something new, and welcome, to the table.