4th Annual Josh's Choice For the Best New Choice of the Season Award

It's that time of year again, time to award the coveted Josh's Choice for Best New Show of the Season Award, the 2007-2008 edition.

In preparation, lets go over the past winners.

2006-2007  Friday Night Lights

2005-2006  Invasion

2004-2005  LOST

This season was especially difficult to narrow down to the five finalists.  There were a lot of great new shows this season.  Here are some that I really liked, but that didn't make the Final Five (don't sue me BSG, didn't mean to steal your Cylon bit, totally a coincidence, I swear).  In alphabetical order

Bionic Woman (if only because Katee Sackoff, aka Starbuck on BSG, gave the best performance of anyone on any show this season)

Dirty, Sexy, Money (funny and smart, any other year this probably would have made the top five)

Life is Wild (I'm really sad to see this one go, it got better every week, and this type of show is so rare on television these days and I really think there is a place for it.)

Reaper (if there was a stronger female presence on the show earlier, it would have definitely made the top five)

The Sarah Connor Chronicles (I just really love Terminator, and the fact that Summer Glau is in it doesn't hurt at all)

Normally I wouldn't mention any runners up, but like I said this was a strong season, and each of the above shows did deserve some mention.  Now, counting down to the winner, because life is so much more fun that way....

5. Pushing Daisies

Makes the cut despite a ridiculous episode in the batch.  The other episodes were strong enough to make up for it.  It had heart and quirky humor, two things Josh Man loves in his tv.  It took a concept that was genius, but that it looked like it would be difficult to sustain, and then was able to sustain it.  Towards the end of the strike shortened season it really began to hit its stride.

4. Eli Stone

The season isn't fully over for this show yet, but I feel confident in placing it here on the strength of the episodes thus far.  It hasn't hit a note wrong all season (and I'm not just talking about the occasional music numbers).  It is a very smart show that makes you think and it has some of the best supporting characters on tv.  Every week it has the potential to come off preachy, and yet every week it finds the exact right balance.  It makes you laugh and if it doesn't make you tear up just a little you're probably a Cylon.

3. Life

And I thought that the cop show was a tired genre.  This show matches great characters with interesting weekly mysteries but adds in a mystery story that is sustained throughout the season.  Sure it was done just as well (or even better) in Veronica Mars, but these are different characters and our stories are more serious then the ones Veronica tackled weekly in Neptune.  Plus the overall mystery is brilliant.  The main character was a detective who was charged and convicted for murdering another cop.  He served twelve years in prison until he was cleared by DNA.  He won a huge settlement from the LA police department but decided to return as a Detective for them anyway, partly so he could investigate who it was that framed him.  All episodes are available on NBC.com and Hulu.com.  Check them out and get into this show for next season.

2. Chuck

Alias for the nerd crowd is what I called this in my review of the pilot.  It stayed at a high level the entire season and Adam Baldwin is brilliant as Casey.  This show has potential to be great for a long, long time.  Plus, Cake does the intro music and they are my favorite band.

and the winner of Josh's Choice for the Best New Show of the Season is....

JOURNEYMAN

Of course, the show that wins won't be returning, and that's a shame.  This show was incredibly well done.  It had the potential to just be a Quantum Leap redo, but it was so much more.  I really wish that this show had found an audience as I love anything related to time travel and I liked where this show appeared to be headed.

Congratulations to NBC for its strong showing this season, although I am upset that they canceled Journeyman.  If only this award could convince them to change their mind.

Until Next Time, let me know what your choice was for the best new show of the season.