Best writing on HDTV programs?

Studio 60.

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In my opinion, "House" is the smartest, best written show in HD. The Office is also a well-written show.

I'd have to go with "The Office" on this one. The show is clearly written by people who love TV and appreciate good TV. They don't go for the obvious story lines most of the time and don't cheap out. For instance with Pam's art show in a recent episode, 99% of shows out there would have had Jim show up at the last minute to save the night, instead they have Mike show up and Jim nowhere to be found.

i concur...The Office...and for very similar reasons as well.

i also think the writing on Grey's Anatomy is pretty good too.

The writing in latest two episodes of Heroes has to be considered some of the best of any show this season. As far as consistently good writing, House would get a strong nod. But my vote for the show with the crispest, most sparkling writing overall goes to a show that often seems to fly under the radar. That would be Bones.

The OFFICE!

AVSer opinion, of course, supercedes Emmy nominations and awards, but a quick Googling yesterday suggested that HBO, etc. wins writing awards more often than the major OTA networks. Didn't reseach it very deeply, though. -- John

Friday Night Lights

Another vote for The Office.

The Office.

Tie in my book between Heroes (the 17th episode, "Company Man," was one of the most riveting hours of network TV drama I've ever seen in my life; X-Men 3 wishes it were half-as-good as this 'Heroes' episode) and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip ("The Friday Night Slaughter" episode was classic). Monday nights on NBC aren't the same since NBC put Sorkin's latest masterpiece on hiatus.

Another vote for Friday Night Lights. It's a great HDTV program!

I'll give my vote to Friday Night Lights. As a physician I can't stand "House". If you know anything about medicine the show is beyond ridiculous.

Of the networks, I can't pick a favorite, but here's the short list:

Lost
Heroes
The Office

Non network, I'll extend that list to include:

Battlestar Galactica
Rome

As another physician, I hadn't watched the series in a year or two for the same reasons and wondered if it had gotten more believable, since it's so universally praised. Flamboyance trumps substance with too much of the American public.

Agree on Friday Night Lights. Also like the writing on Studio 60. Rome of course is by far the best but is on HBO. Also in the mix are The Shield, Rescue Me, Dexter, The Sopranos, and Deadwood, when they return. Some of the most brilliantly funny writing was on some episodes of HBO's Extras, written by and starring Ricky Gervais, creator the The Office in Britain.

Friday Night Lights
The Office

It's on UHD, but Battlestar Galactica is right up there at the top of my list.

I am not a doctor, but I do love HOUSE. Realistic? NO!!! Besides, wouldn't many of these patients with crazy afflictions get bounced due to lack of insurance anyway?

Still Hugh Laurie is fun to watch and his character is a hoot.

I can forgive "realism" on that show far more than I could on something like the CSI shows (MIAMI being the biggest, albeit prettiest looking, offender).

I'm no cop, either. But folks, those crime scene unit people do not pull guns on perps (or chase them around), question suspects, make arrests, etc. They collect evidence after the fact and analyze it for the "real" cops. And no crime lab can have DNA results ready in minutes (or hours or days), solve crimes in an afternoon or have access to computer systems that rival the ones Tom Cruise's future cop used in MINORITY REPORT.

Wanna see what real crime unit officers do on a TV crime drama? They're the background characters on LAW & ORDER (and it's progeny).

End of rant.

And yes, EXTRAS is brilliant. But I've never seen it broadcast in HD (even on HBOHD). Only "letterboxed" SD.