Pop Vultures

In a year full of some dreadful television moments (the cancellation of Veronica Mars, the slow death of scripted programming, the triumph of Eric and Danielle on The Amazing Race), we can at least give thanks for these glowing sparks of light in the broadcast darkness.

5. The Panthers win state! The Panthers win state! Forget the Grinch; I think my heart grew two sizes just from watching the season finale of Friday Night Lights. For a show so steeped in the heart-breaking realism of day-to-day life, it seemed possible that they’d end the series with some sort of poignant statement on the nature of loss. Of course, I forgot how well this show balances moments of loss with glimpses of hope, and oh! That ending! A joyous, vibrant and utterly irony-free conclusion to a beautiful season of television.

4. Flight of the Conchords tells us about “Inner City Pressure.” Trying to pick the best Conchords song is like trying to narrow down the greatest Ben & Jerry’s flavor: there are just so many to choose from (though it’s got to be Cherry Garcia, for real). For my money, “Inner City Pressure” narrowly claims the victory through its lyrical superiority (this is surely the first song to ever rhyme “abuse me” with “muesli”) and spot-on pastiche of Pet Shop Boys-esque Europop.

3. Slapsgiving. Reasons How I Met Your Mother was (wait for it) Awesome this year: 1) the slap countdown on the CBS website; 2) the sheer, unadulterated genius of a slap bet (for those not in the know, the winner can give the loser five good slaps — any time, any place, between now and death); and 3) Neil Patrick Harris. Combining all three into the slaptastic holiday episode (complete with its own theme song!) was plenty of reason to be thankful. Three down, two to go.

2. The first two minutes of the Pushing Daisies premiere. Whether you’re a diehard pie-head or a casual viewer, it’s hard to deny that the beginning of this new series brought us a couple of the most striking minutes of television seen in years. The quirky voiceover, the fairy-tale structure and the gorgeous cinematography all worked together to prove that television still had a few tricks up its sleeves. Now, the narration still bugs, and I definitely wonder how long the show can keep going with its built-in limitations, but none of that mattered at first. At first, all I cared about was the fact that there was something on television more original and fantastic than I ever expected to see.

1. The last two minutes of the Lost season finale. Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. The ending to season 3 managed to wrap up a few plot points that had overstayed their welcome (such as, well, Charlie) while establishing brand new conflicts for next season. All of that was good, but when the final scene was revealed as a flash-forward, giving viewers their very first glimpse of post-island life, jaws dropped and a cry of despair was heard around the nation — despair that we’d have to wait another nine months before the next episode. Season 4 can’t come soon enough.

What about you? What were your favorite moments from 2007?