This year’s television season has been a bit of a mixed bag. With my girls taking so much of my time, I’m able to catch most of what I like (plus Dora the Explorer) on my DVR. I missed out on a lot of good stuff the first half of the season — Weeds and Dexter stand out the most — because of the girls. Now, I watch everything I want to see, just really really slowly.

1. Battlestar Galactica - This show used to be my favorite, but I think it’s run out of steam this year. The New Capcrica story was brilliant, a high water mark for the show, and it looks like they spent the bulk of their effects budget on it. The rest of the season has been dedicated to mostly effects-free stand-alones, many of which utilized only a few of Galactica’s standing sets. Season two dragged after the big Pegasus storyline, too, but season three has been considerably worse in that regard. Couple that with the fact Ronald Moore has lost what the show is about — thinking of it as a character drama, rather than a military scifi character drama — and spent much of the season making our leads (Kara, Lee) unlikable, I’m not sure the writing team really knew what to do after New Caprica. Things are starting to turn around, but Starbucks’ big episode, “Maelstrom,” lost a lot of its emotional impact because the writers made me hate her. The three-part finale is definitely turning things in the right direction, and I hope the lower episode count in season four will make the writers focus more on the story essentials and less on the soap opera.

2. Rome - Sheer balls to the wall brilliance. Knowing that they only have ten episodes to complete the series, the production team is going full tilt, cramming as much amazing stuff as they can into every 60-minute episode. The rise of Augustus Caeser is even better than the fall of Julius Caeser, and Mark Antony is one of the best characters in the history of television, standing toe-to-toe with other HBO favorites such as Al Swearagen on Deadwood. Vorenus and Pullo’s quest to save Vorenus’ children had one of the best pay-offs I’ve seen in a long, long time. I’m sad to see the show go, but what a way to end it. Great stuff.

3. The Office - funnier and more emotionally complicated than any show on television, the Office surpasses the best sitcoms of the past, including its British predecessor. Steve Carrell has made Michael Scott more than just a one-dimensional fool — there’s a whole host of reasons why he is the way he is, and he can be surprisingly kind and sympathetic. David Brent was funny, but Michael Scott seems to be really human. This is my pick for the best show on television — get the DVD’s if you haven’t seen it.

4. Heroes - I didn’t expect to like this one, even with the super hero theme, but it’s quickly become one of my favorites. Drawing from all the best comic book sources — X-Men, Watchmen, Squadron Supreme, even Marvel’s New Universe — Heroes is perhaps the best live-action portrayal of people with special powers. Yes, I know it apes Lost with its host of characters, but the it moves in deliberate arcs, answers questions, and has a lot of excellent plot momentum. This is easily on par with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I’m glad the writers are intent on making each season a finite arc, rather than following the failed open-ended model of Lost and Galactica. People complain about the blatant plagrism and plot holes, but I’m willing to forgive them for the overall experience. HRG, Hiro and Peter Petrelli are three of the best characters on television today.

5. Lost - I think they’ve really righted the ship since the six episode “mini-season” they released in the fall. Last year was a big disappointment, but with the return of most of the season one regulars, I’m glad to see the writers are starting to get a handle on the series. Not as brilliant as the first season, but I don’t feel like I’m going to work when I watch it, now. Jack’s experience with the others, plus Kate, Locke and Sayyid’s quest to save him, has been well-crafted thus far. I’m not sure any answers are coming, but I’m enjoying it, again.

6. 24 - I always lose interest in 24 about a third of the way through, and this season isn’t any exception. Yes, it’s basically recycling seasons past, and I think Manny Coto and Joel Surnow are slacking as they become the darlings of the far right. Still, they are dealing with the fact that Jack Bauer is now the empty husk of a human being, and they are fair about displaying corruption on both the right and the left. But you could have a drinking game centered around the torture sessions alone, and how many times can the terrorists go after LA? Enjoyable as entertainment, but stale in its lack of innovation.