Why 8?

I was recently asked what my 8 favorite shows are. My response was The Office, My Name is Earl, Heroes, Friday Night Lights, How I Met Your Mother, 24, ER and Smallville.

Actually my first thought was "why only 8 shows?" but then I was just glad that I didn't have to think of 2 more shows on the spot to make it a top 10 list. I am not very good with best of lists, I always forget some of my favorites or panic and pick the first thing that comes to mind. With this list Smallville(while an excellent show) made my list as my number 8 pick, if I really thought about it I could have picked several other shows(Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars or The Black Donnelys) that could have filled that spot just as easily.
But the ingenious thing about a top 8 is that I don't really have to stretch to get 8 quality shows that I can highly recommend to everyone. My hope is that of my top 8 you are at least watching 3 of them. I also hope that by only giving everyone 5 shows that I think you should be watching, my knowledge and love for TV can be spread a little quicker.

So my official Top 8 list of the moment is:

1. The Office(Thursday NBC 7:30) This is the best show on TV. This show keeps getting better, if you aren't watching you need to start immediately.
2. My Name is Earl(Thursday NBC 7) This combined with "The Office" makes for the best hour of TV currently on, which is a pretty big statement. Earl at times this season has been perfect, and while still somewhat inconsistent, I think it is the second best comedy on TV.
3. Friday Night Lights(Wednesday NBC 7) This show is now going against American Idol, and the already low ratings will surely take a hit. Tell everyone you know about this show, spread the word, watch it online.
4. Heroes(Monday NBC 8) Honestly, I really don't work for NBC, they have just finally had some good luck with new shows. This show has a great ensemble cast and has endless possibilities with new heroes and villains.Plus it has already been picked up for a second season.
5. How I Met Your Mother(Monday CBS 7) Another example of a great cast with perfect characters. From time to time this show makes me question if it is better than Earl, especially the Super Bowl episode (After missing the game because of a funeral, they all try to avoid hearing anything about the game so that they can watch it Monday night. Ted and Marshall's prayer to TiVo to not mess up the recording of the game was hilarious and I think I may have said the exact same thing a time or two.)
6. 24(Monday Fox 8) I am still in shock over what has happened already this season, and I can't wait to see more of James Cromwell(Babe) acting evil as Jack's dad.
7. ER(Thursday NBC 9) It takes a great cast to be able to give up the spotlight to guest actors on a regular basis, yet never seem like supporting characters to the guests. Although ER still uses the crutch of a "big event" episode every now and then, the show has found much more subtle ways for us to learn about the characters on a personal level. I actually think the show will improve over the next year and half as the current cast(easily the best since Eric La Salle/Dr. Benton left, possibly the best this century) continues to define their characters.
8. Lost(Wednesday ABC 9) The new Desmond episode reminded me of how easily the show can tell a great story that completely pulls you in for an hour, while all the time playing with your mind. In one of the Lost recaps, it was said that the show could be watched on many levels(from the casual watcher who just enjoys the main story to the obsessive fan who hunts down every clue or easter egg in the show) but I think the show got too clever for their own good with multiple complex mysteries that were never fully explained. For awhile I thought Lost had lost its way, but this episode reminded me of just how great it can be on multiple levels.

Why not 8?