It might seem a little early to kiss off the television season - but it really does wrap, officially, at the end of this month. There may have been cynical mention in some, ahem, circles of late about how the networks are already punting and looking toward next season (which they are). But there's something satisfying in honoring endings. We might be heading into a broadcasting future filled with a 52-week, never-ending “season” - and cable channels may have already reprogrammed our brains to think they keep the lights on in the summer - but there has to be an endgame. For our purposes, let's blow the whistle on Thursday night. It's the season finale of “30 Rock,” which is the best sitcom on television and one of the few shows that had such a luminous (if shortened) season that you never thought about the damages of the strike. “30 Rock” is that good - a salve for the mess that is the industry. A searingly funny show every week. A sitcom hitting, impressively, on all cylinders. Best of all, “30 Rock” gives optimism to criticism, because it makes jaded minds think positively about what can be accomplished in television. So, with that, and to send off the season before it limps dispassionately, its promise unfulfilled, into the books, let's flash back to the random glimpses of excellence in its network and cable programming. For guideline purposes, let's choose anything that started in September 2007, the traditional fall launch. Note: If it was already in progress by September, like “Mad Men” on AMC, which started in July, or “Weeds” and “Californication” on Showtime, which started in August, it doesn't count. Also, given the gift of hindsight, it's easier to leave out series that may have been reviewed favorably but lost momentum because of the strike or, worse, dipped in quality or lost relevance and never managed to pull people back again with quite the same enthusiasm. “The War” (September), PBS. Ken Burns. Well, now - all this talk of a bad season seems altered with the inclusion of this gem, does it not? A magnificent piece of work (many people said they finally watched it belatedly during the strike). “Dexter” (September), Showtime. Season 2 kicked off in fine form and eventually wound up, slightly edited, on the CBS schedule - again, thanks to the strike. Still, more people got to see the nuanced work of Michael C. Hall. “The Office” (September), NBC. This was the season where we were going to get, what, 68 episodes? Ambition ran high - and the strike cut it low. Still, a sitcom that almost always delivers in unconventional ways. A joy to watch. “Pushing Daisies” (October), ABC. If ever a series spread optimism and glee, it was this one. Quirky, colorful and buoyantly happy, the strike would soon foul up the schedule. This series returns in the fall and, with luck, may duplicate its refreshing beginnings. “Top Gear” (October), BBC America. Having given reality - or in this case “unscripted” - fare a good beating most of the time, it was rewarding to soak in the car culture and quick-witted brilliance of this British original. All right, while we're on a roll with our fond recollections, how about a pause here? In came November and the start of the writers strike. Also known as - the beginning of the end. “Extras”: The Extra Special Series Finale” (December), HBO. A touching, hilarious, surprisingly ambitious send-off to a show that deserved more fans than it had. Ricky Gervais striking comedic gold twice in a row was impressive, and this ranks with the all-time best endings. “Life on Mars” ( December), BBC America. Merry Christmas from the Brits. They saved us here, with Season 2 of the 1970s cop flashback series. “The Wire” (January), HBO. A new year ushered in by the best series on television. A late (and crowded) bandwagon - and journalism as a major theme - led to the show being overanalyzed, but it maintained its standards and didn't flinch going out forever. “Lost” (January), ABC. If you're keeping track at home, this is only the fourth broadcast network series to make the list. Originally slated for January so that it could run without interruption, the strike changed all of that. A month's lull annoyed loyalists but still didn't diminish a superbly re-energized series. In February, the strike ended, but no fresh shows from that month made this list. “The Riches” (March), FX. Two elements of note here: First, this series came back as audacious as ever (a blessing and a curse, it turns out), but in a pivotal year managed to complete only seven of 13 episodes because of the strike. FX opted not to make the final six and though the quality was strong this season, it couldn't help ending prematurely. Will that damage its chances of renewal? “The Tudors” (March), Showtime. Filmed before the strike, “The Tudors” did something truly impressive - it got better in its second season, movie from guilty-pleasure costume drama to riveting history. It has been renewed for a third season. “Battlestar Galactica” (April), Sci-Fi. A perfect series to end on because it, too, is wrapping up. Ultimately, the full season may really solidify this drama as the best series you never watched for no good reason. Seriously - one never needed to be a sci-fi geek to follow it (or fall for it). Now, an optimist might say, 13 series in nine months isn't so bad (an educated guess is that nothing of merit will appear in May before the end of the season). But think about this: One was a Ken Burns documentary; three were Brit imports (counting the “Extras” finale); only four were on a broadcast network; four were on premium channels a lot of people don't pay for; two were on a channel people can't seem to find (BBC America) and only one came from the freshman ranks. Not stellar, but in a truncated season, acceptable. Besides, this was supposed to be a happy, appreciative article on what was salvaged from the strike. So be it. Here's to the lucky 13. - San Francisco Chronicle __
