Television: So far, so good?

I'm tempted to pretend that the first half of this year never happened. A convenient case of amnesia would wipe away the memory of the writers' strike, the 5,623 presidential debates and the agony of "Babyface" Archuleta killing me softly with his love songs. But such a lapse would also rob me of remembering some critical milestones -- both grand and horrendous. At the halfway point of 2008, we present 10 moments that mattered: Heeeeeeeeeere's Mikey! The most popular destination for presidential candidates this season wasn't "Meet the Press." It was Jay Leno's couch. Mike Huckabee flew out of the heartland on the eve of the Iowa caucus to appear on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," where he spent more time displaying Jack Benny-like comic timing than revealing economic policies. The strategy appeared to work. Huckabee won Iowa and all the politicians began making late-night TV a more frequent campaign stop. (Jan. 2)

The moment of trash. Just when you thought reality TV couldn't stoop any lower came the debut of Fox's "A Moment of Truth," a "gamey" game show in which contestants reveal disgusting facts about themselves and their loved ones to score disgusting buckets of money. The only thing that could make this slimier is if Joe McCarthy's ghost handled the hosting duties. Hey, there's always sweeps! (Jan. 23)

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck go to war. ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the most unpredictable and often the most side-splitting hour of late-night TV, hit a new high both on the air and on the Internet with Sarah Silverman's perfectly irreverent video, "I'm &%$#ing Matt Damon" (pictured). Boyfriend Kimmel retaliated with his ode to Affleck, recruiting everyone from Harrison Ford to Josh Groban to play along. Not for children -- and not to be missed by anyone else. (Jan. 31 and Feb. 24)

The strike ends, the pain lingers. Producers and writers finally settled their differences in mid-February, but by then viewers had learned that life without their favorite network shows wasn't so dreary after all. If the actors hit the picket line this summer, there's a good chance that Americans will chuck their TV sets out the window and rediscover their love for Monopoly. (Feb. 12)

A return of biblical proportions. TV critics silently chuckle at fans who wage campaigns to resurrect canceled shows. For once, the laugh was on us -- at least for a spell. A "peanut" drive persuaded CBS to give "Jericho" another chance. Despite the buzz, the show never gained more than a cult following and was killed all over again. Still, it proved that network executives are more willing than ever to listen to their audiences, especially if they're sent snack food. (Feb. 12) (Shown are Ashley Scott and Skeet Ulrich.)

WCCO says goodbye -- twice. Bill Carlson's death triggered a wave of moving tributes, most notably during a star-studded memorial service featuring a who's-who of local stalwarts. If only Paul Douglas' departure had been as graceful. Granted, the meteorologist is alive and well-off, but his abrupt goodbye was not only a slight to loyal viewers, but a reminder that corporate slashes and bruised egos rarely lead to sentimental sendoffs. (Feb. 29 and April 4)

Great TV goes down to the wire. Critics heaped praise on HBO's "The Wire" when it went after the bureaucracy of schools, cop shops and City Hall. But many cringed when creator David Simon dedicated much of his final, brilliant season to the endless red tape wrapped around newspapers. All I can say to my peers is: Suck it up and take it. We may have suffered a few nicks, but it came courtesy of a sharp, smart penknife that put an indelible punctuation mark on one of TV's finest series ever. (March 9) (Shown is Wendell Pierce.)

Desperate times lead to desperate measures. The last two minutes of the "Desperate Housewives"' season finale was one of the boldest moves I've ever seen on network TV. It was also one of the stupidest. Creator Marc Cherry flung his characters five years into the future, suggesting that he needed a dramatic, and rather unpromising, flash-forward to conjure up new ideas. Cue the shark. (May 18) (Shown are Felicity Huffman, left, Eva Longoria Parker and Marcia Cross.)

House breaks Wilson's heart. "House" can be as routine as a chest exam -- Doc misdiagnoses patient, Doc breaks rules, Doc saves patient -- but the Fox drama occasionally gives us a real jolt, as it did in the season finale in which our hero (Hugh Laurie) screws up, losing the life of a former intern and, quite possibly, the respect of his only friend, played by Robert Sean Leonard (pictured). It was one of the year's most moving hours and a reminder that Leonard is one of our finest actors. Encourage Emmy voters to remember him come ballot time. Send them some peanuts. (May 19)