So, who was the best of 2005?

Funny you should ask. Let me break it down for you:

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT – I never get tired of typing this: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT is the funniest show on television. What I do getting tired of typing is the show is on the verge of cancellation due to low ratings. Barring some kind of divine intervention (or Showtime or ABC), Fox will give this TV rarity (a funny sitcom) the boot and you have no one to blame but yourself for not watching ... Idiot!

DEADWOOD – This f$#@%& ! foul-mouthed, Shakespearean western f@#!$%& ropes you in.

THE SHIELD – Best. Darn. Cop show. Period.

VERONICA MARS – The heir apparent to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER is worthy of` such devotion. VERONICA MARS succeeded where TWIN PEAKS failed. It has only gotten better after wrapping up its original mystery. Plus, I heart Logan.

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART – I refer to this show as "The News." As in "Yeah, I saw that on the news last night." Now, either that is cool or very,very sad.

LOST – With its weekly cliffhanger endings and blink-and-you'll-miss-'em clues, this ABC drama has become positively interactive, driving fans to the Internet to learn everything they can. There isn't a series on the air right now that is watched more closely and analyzed more the next day then LOST. .And any show that results in long-ass debates among co-workers is OK in my book. It beats listening to them talk about sports.

THE STAIRCASE – This eight-part documentary series on the Sundance Channel about the murder of a North Carolina woman and the eventual conviction of her husband turned out to be the most haunting thing on TV all year and you probably didn't even watch it. It's on DVD right now!

MY NAME IS EARL – I had almost completely written off NBC until this season. This sitcom -- about a flawed, but well-intentioned petty thief (a perfectly cast Jason Lee) who just wants to set his karma straight after learning about it from Carson Daly -- has got smart writing and a strong ensemble cast (who knew Jamie Pressly was this funny?). Earl is proof that NBC can still make a sitcom if it puts its mind to it. Also, big ups to NBC for THE OFFICE and SCRUBS (even if it took the network half a season and a Best Comedy Emmy nomination to finally put the latter back on the air).

THE CLOSER – The rare, well-written cop drama featuring a woman in the lead. You could call THE CLOSER the anti-CROSSING JORDAN. Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (the captivating Kyra Sedgwick), an Atlanta cop transplanted in Los Angeles, is neurotic and imperfect, but she's great at her job. Watching Johnson catch the bad guys while battling her male co-workers for respect proved to be a highlight of the summer TV season.

EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS – Hilariously narrated by Chris Rock and featuring a winning performance by Tyler James Williams as the young Chris, this UPN hit proves the networks can make a sitcom about a family that isn't mean-spirited and/or stupid (do you hear that War at Home?)

Honorable mentions: OVER THERE, 24, ROME, PROJECT RUNWAY, ENTOURAGE, GILMORE GIRLS, AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, PRISON BREAK, AMERICAN IDOL, RESCUE ME, THE COLBERT REPORT and the final season of SIX FEET UNDER.