5 ways in which TV (and the Internet) made 2009 somewhat bearable

I think it's safe to say that this year sucked. Sure, there were glimmers of hope here and there, but for the most part, with the economy in the cesspool, everything seemed to lose a bit of luster. Those tiny rays of light that kept me going this year were mostly TV-related—or TV-via-the-Internet-related, as I cut costs and ditched my cable bill several months ago. So, here's a list of five things that helped get me through 2009:

1. Fox's Fringe free on Hulu. I remember thinking that this show was just a knockoff of one of my all-time favorites, The X-Files. But then it really grew on me. There is real chemistry between Olivia (Anna Torv) and Peter (Joshua Jackson); between Peter and his father Walter (John Noble); and between Walter and his assistant Astrid (Jasika Nicole). With an ensemble cast that works so well together, it makes the sometimes X-derivative plots seem even better the second time around. And of course, Leonard Nimoy guest stars. How can you knock the Spock?

2. Knowing that the last season of Lost is right around the corner. Sure, I've watched and rewatched 2009's episodes, and realize I'm never going to get all the answers to satisfy all my creepy theories. But I know there's going to be closure. And that's what I think a lot of people are looking for these days. Foreclosure, on the other hand, has not been as popular.

3. The Programming Insider podcast. How I weaseled my way into this daily podcast series is beyond me. I believe it was because there was no support group for people like me who didn't understand what had happened the night before on Lost and needed answers. (You see, No. 2 is a pipe dream.) Anyhow, thanks to my colleagues Marc Berman and Michael Bürgi, I had somewhere to turn.

4. Mad Men seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix. My girlfriend and I blew through the first two seasons of the show, mainly because I had a crush on January Jones (Betty Draper) and she had a crush on Jon Hamm (Don Draper). Actually, we just enjoyed the great acting, the "period piece" quality to the show and the fantastic plot twists and turns. Elisabeth Moss in her pregnant-lady fat suit? Not so much.

5. Dexter screeners. One perk of working in this industry is that you get to see a lot of the shows before they air on TV. My colleagues heard of my budding addiction to the serial-killer drama and showered me with screeners. Everybody should just get over their fear of blood and gore and watch this fantastic show. It's nothing short of brilliant—and I've got my fingers crossed for Emmys for my boys Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow.

—Posted by Will Levith