best tv shows of 2004...the nominees are...

1.) DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. I'll be truthful here, I don't like the show...BUT EVERY OTHER AMERICAN LOVES IT! So, I'm outnumbered and thus, DH must be included on this year's best list. Hot little wives doinking the gardners and FedEx guys...yawn. Storyline bores me to tears but, hey, doing it on the kitchen table is the American way, isn't it? Doesn't have the class of "Dynasty" or "Knot's Landing" but most of DH's fans weren't even born then. Odds on favorite to win this category.

2.) LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN. Finally, FINALLY, some big shot producer has noticed the comic brilliance of Conan and given him his big break. When Leno retires (the quicker the better!) Conan takes over and WILL DISPLACE LETTERMAN as the most watched of the night owls. Conan is funnier, flat out, than the others. It took awhile, but he finally made it. Conan's show is original and most of the time on-target. Letterman's humor is running dry, Leno was never really any more than a stand-up with a show. Conan's humble approach with guests and wildly more creative mind will entertain us well into the 2025's...if we all live that long.

3.) EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND. You know, I keep saying that this show has got to run out of material...but it never does. It's always funny. The cast is perfect for that show. I want to NOT LAUGH sometimes because Ray has been on for what seems forever, but damnit, the guy's funny. The wife and I smile for the entire half hour when this show's on. We aren't faithful tv watchers, but, the ultimate compliment is that when we do have a choice...Raymond has our attention over all the others in that competitive time slot.

4.) EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION. I can get worn out watching home after home get made over, week after week. There's only so many "OH MY GOD"s I can hear, room after room. But really folks, the concept and product delivered is quite remarkable. The good that show does for honest, hard-work'in American people is so worthy of applause. The construction crew bickering behind the scenes add to the drama, but the families chosen and their specific hard-luck stories make you cheer for their success. And a show that delivers that kind of kindness deserves to make the list of 2004's best!

5.) CSI: MIAMI. As solid as it gets in crime drama. Always well-written, always well-acted. No flaws. Never boring. What more can I say about an "A+" show? In the "Law & Order" category of quality.

HONORABLE MENTION: Law & Order, Cold Case Tweet