Best of the Web 2008

1. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Joss Whedon’s fantastic 43-minute, three-part musical (drhorrible.com) showcased Neil Patrick Harris’s pipes—and the potential for Web-based entertainment to capture the pop imagination.

2. Hulu
NBC’s pet project (hulu.com) changed the way we watch TV online, namely by making legal avenues as useful and accessible as less savory ones. Hulu’s glorious design, continuously expanding selection of current and classic shows (and a smattering of movies) and, most important, its smooth playback have made it as essential as YouTube this year.

3. Twitter
Who knew I wanted to publish 140-character blog posts from my cell phone? The strangely addictive Twitter did.

For more of the best of 2008, visit timeoutchicago.com/2008lists.