One of my favorite things about media fandom is the experience of watching a TV show within a semi-synchronous distributed collective of fans. You know, when half the pleasure comes from watching the show itself, and the other half comes from rushing to refresh your friendslist to see what everybody else thought of the episode. I've been missing that lately, since I'm mostly out of sync with current fannish favorites, and I'm pretty far behind myself on stuff I've been meaning to watch (Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, Skins, In Treatment, Sons of Anarchy). Apparently this wasn't my year for serious drama?

So here's what I have been watching and enjoying over the past twelve months, in no particular order except when it is:

The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Yes, I'm still bitter about the cancellation of what quickly became my favorite SF show. Smart, stubborn, and subtle, it sometimes faltered -- but only because of its consistent refusal to take the easy route with either the narrative or the characters. It's a difficult tightrope to walk, deferring closure and pay-offs in favor of multiplying the layers of complexity and ambiguity, both philosophical and psychological. But SCC generally managed to strike that balance in compelling, surprising, and genuinely moving ways.

You're Beautiful -- the Korean drama that was so cleverly written and so much fun that I haven't been able to bring myself to watch the final two episodes yet, because then it will be over. The satire of idol bands, the fresh twists on cliches and conventions, and most of all Jang Geun Suk as Tae Kyung made for my most purely entertaining K-drama experience since Coffee Prince.

Sea Patrol -- I've already posted reasons to watch this show about an Australian Navy crew, so I won't repeat them here. Good, satisfying maritime crime and adventure with a solid ensemble of characters. Especially Lisa McCune as XO!

The Thick of It -- A new-to-me British comedy set in the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship. Very sharp and very funny, plus what other show has its own 'swearing consultant'? Peter Capaldi's Malcolm Tucker is wonderfully realized, and the political satire is both bracing and hilarious.

Torchwood: Children of Earth and Doctor Who: Waters of Mars -- Speaking of Peter Capaldi, wasn't he fantastic as John Frobisher in TW: CoE? He and Lindsay Duncan's Adelaide Brooke in Waters of Mars get my votes for most riveting Whoniverse performances of 2009. Each of course had very strong material to work with, and still managed to steal their respective shows. Neither the TW series nor the DW special was perfect, but they were each surprisingly well-executed and memorable, some of RTD's finest work. Unlike last week's offering, which brings me right back to asking if it's Moffatt time yet....

The City: The first half-season of this MTV spin-off of The Hills was so boring I stopped watching, but once they dumped the vapid male & female models that dominated the 'cast' and switched to a Devil Wears Prada-style tale of young women struggling to make it in the fashion industry, they had me hooked. The new additions of Erin as Olivia Palermo's nemesis at ELLE Magazine, and Roxy as Whitney's undermining friend and coworker -- plus Whitney's return to working for Kelly Cutrone -- gave the show a much-needed infusion of conflict and drama.

Wrestling (Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, C.M. Punk): Okay, this one is a dubious inclusion, so I singled out my three favorite WWE heels, who always bring it, both on the mike and in the ring. Sadly, the last few months' of WWE's shows have been increasingly awful, and the main alternative, their aspiring competitor TNA, is even worse. And yet! I love a good wrestling match, one that mixes good action with a strong story (both in the match itself and in the build-up to the match) and great characters. And I'm still getting enough of that to keep watching. Plus, both WWE and TNA are promising to shake things up starting next week, with the return of Bret Hart to WWE and the entrance of Hulk Hogan to TNA. I like Bret Hart, I've never been a fan of Hulk Hogan, but if each company takes this as an opportunity to retool their creative directions, things could get interesting. Especially if it means dropping the misogyny, homophobia, and racism that their products are riddled with -- I'm not holding my breath on the latter, but I'm encouraged and sustained by the fanboy commentators at my favorite wrestling website, Pro Wrestling Torch, consistently calling them (especially WWE) out on that stuff.

The Venture Bros. -- another show that I came late to, this Adult Swim cartoon turns out to be full of stuff I love, in the same way that The Middleman felt like it was written just for me: super-scientists, secret agents, costumed villains, clones, robots, henchmen, secret island headquarters, and wacky adventures. The current season shakes up some of the previous season's formulas in intriguing ways that both refresh and, surprisingly, deepen the show, without losing any of the jokes or satire or clever plotting.

Honorable mention:

LOST (actually a pretty strong season this year, and I seriously can't wait until the final season)
Better Off Ted (loved the first season, but the recent episodes have been funny but mostly disappointing)
Battlestar Galactica (sadly not on my favorites list -- and Ron Moore, you know why)
SYTYCD (the Australia series should probably be listed above, except that my memories of it have faded under the onslaught of more recently aired and decidedly subpar U.S. and Canada versions)

Wow, that's a lot more than I thought I'd watched this year. Now I don't feel so bad about falling behind on the serious drama side.