Gone are the days of water-cooler television. While the Oscars or that cranky old Dr. House might get a few jaws working under the fluorescents, there’s so much fragmentation now – especially when you throw the Internet into the mix – that we have less in common in our viewing habits than ever.

So how does one sum up a year such as this? The critics, the blogs and the ratings all have plenty to say, but I submit that the programs this industry’s movers and shakers watch – and the ones they are thinking about when they’re off the clock – say as much about the state of the industry as all of that.

So, through the magical power of the telephone and e-mail, I asked a cross-section of talented and influential TV folk to chip in their two cents’ worth. And now I’ll get out of the way so you can draw your own conclusions.

Alan Goluboff – Directors Guild of Canada president and director on Cold Blood, to air on Global

Intelligence is definitely the best TV show produced in North America. It’s intelligent, it’s timely, it’s beautifully acted, it’s well-directed and interestingly shot.

Fox is probably going to pick it up and turn it into Intelligence San Francisco. It’s 24-esque, it’s got the cache that 24 had when it first aired; it was a hot, hot show, and Fox got behind it. And here CBC has a goldmine on its hands, and [creator Chris] Haddock more than anyone wants to keep making intelligent shows and producing them in this country. It’s frustrating. Here’s a show that’s a goddamn hit…but boy oh boy, you gotta work at getting people to tune in to it. It’s not easy. It’s a thinking person’s show.

I make an effort to see every Canadian show made, and there’s nothing like it. The only other notable show on the U.S. side is Entourage on HBO.

Christina Jennings – producer, chair/co-CEO of Shaftesbury Films, and Playback’s Person of the Year

This year I’m thoroughly enjoying Life. Damian Lewis as Charlie Crew is every bit as compelling as Hugh Laurie is in House. I love the tone of the show, the back-story mystery and the originality of the character dynamics.

One of the most notable shows on air is Heroes. In season one I couldn’t watch it as a weekly TV series since I often missed episodes. It’s a great DVD experience. The characters and the casting are awesome, and the overarching mystery is compelling. Definitely a season-two PVR experience!

Barry Kiefl – president, Canadian Media Research

My favorite program would be Dr. Who. I’ve always been a fan of the long-running series – they’re into their 10th or 11th actor playing Dr. Who now. I remember watching it as a kid. It used to be done with super low-budget sets and effects. Now it’s in high definition. They’ve done quite the excellent job with it. It’s not a ratings blockbuster, but I quite like it.

The other one is Dancing with the Stars. I’ve watched it since the first season. My wife and I watch it together. I’m no expert on reality TV – I generally hate to watch those shows, but there’s just something about it that I’ve always liked. It’s the oddity of these class C celebrities you’ve never heard of before, and they now tour the country.

Sylvain Lafrance – EVP, Radio-Canada

My favorite show is Tout le monde en parle, on Sunday evening on SRC, because of its reach. The show talks about a wide range of subjects from all aspects of our society, and it still attracts a large audience every week. It’s our answer to fragmentation.

Florence Ng – VP broadcast investments, ZenithOptimedia

I don’t really have a favorite show. We need to feel the attachment to a show to be watching it week after week. By that token, I don’t think there’s any TV show that is particularly notable, not as far as I am concerned. We have a very mediocre TV season. Shows that have been around for a year seem to have a tough time maintaining viewers’ interest with their storylines.

Teresa Pavlinek – actor, writer, producer, The Jane Show

I found Pushing Daisies to be really interesting – a mainstream network show that has the feel of a cable show. People break into song in Pushing Daisies. It’s not your typical fat guy/pretty wife sitcom.

I also caught up with the second season of Weeds and Dexter. I found the idea that you can have a lead character that’s not the most likable person around to be compelling. By the end of the season you maybe do like them – a serial killer and a pot-selling mom, how did that happen?

Then there are the guilty pleasures of horrible reality shows like America’s Next Top Model. I’m writing a show about a supermodel. I call it research. Those shows – honestly, it’s genius. It’s long car-accident television; you can’t stop watching.

Andrew Ryan – TV critic, The Globe and Mail

For viewers here, the best news was probably the arrival of Little Mosque on the Prairie. Finally, a homegrown sitcom about life in the middle of Saskatchewan! Or at least another one. Little Mosque wasn’t brilliant TV comedy, but like Corner Gas it was understated and very clearly Canadian, which should count for something.

I hate to sound the snob, but the best television still comes from cable. The Showtime series Brotherhood is probably the most intense drama on broadcast television today, and a worthy successor to The Sopranos. Who knew Irish mobsters were so interesting?

In comedy, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm edges out 30 Rock. The recent sixth season was arguably the best in the series. Larry David is officially the most exasperating character in TV history, and he’s playing himself.