The 2006-2007 television season has come to an end, and while many awful shows continued to pull in good ratings this year, a few gems just narrowly avoided cancellation. Sure, audiences turned up in droves to watch well-known, quality programs like “The Sopranos” and “The Office”, but they also neglected the funny and clever “Veronica Mars” in favor of “The Pussycat Dolls”, resulting in the former being pulled off the air. Below are some excellent comedies and dramas that deserved more attention this season, followed by a few that probably deserved less:

Hidden Treasures: 1. How I Met Your Mother (CBS, Mondays at 8): With shows like “Scrubs” hitting it big, it may seem like the standard-format sitcom is dead, but “How I Met Your Mother” is a great example of how canned laughter and stage sets can still translate into smart programming. The show is essentially one long flashback, as Ted (Josh Radnor) explains to his children the story of their parents’ meeting and courtship. 2. MI-5 (A&E, in transition): As season 6 of “24” has turned out to be a big disappointment, fans of high-tension spy thrillers should consider giving this BBC import a try. “MI-5”, while lacking some of its American counterpart’s glitz, provides a much more paranoid, cerebral, and realistic look at how spies operate on a daily basis, told through the eyes of an intelligence team at Britain’s version of the CIA.3. 30 Rock (NBC, Thursdays at 8:30): Often overlooked in favor of “The Office”, “30 Rock” is easily the best-acted show on television, boasting top-notch performances by Tracy Jordan, Alec Baldwin, and Rachel Dratch (in multiple roles). Baldwin, especially, is hilarious as the eccentric, workaholic network executive overseeing the production of a weekly sketch comedy show at the titular studio address.

Also check out: “The Riches” (FX) and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (FX)

Fool’s Gold:1. 24 (Fox, Mondays at 9): Consider it a mercy killing. This show, once one of the most creative on television, has been going downhill since the end of season 4. Forget nuclear bombs and evil terrorists, Jack Bauer’s got bigger problems – namely recycled plotlines, unbelievable scenarios, and lack of overall direction.2. Juvies (MTV, Thursdays at 10) Just when you thought reality TV couldn’t sink any lower, MTV rolled out this morally bankrupt “documentary” about kids in prison. Supposedly a chronicle of the family court system, “Juvies” does little more than exploit the stories of troubled youths for entertainment purposes – and fails even at that.3. CSI Miami(CBS, Mondays at 10): Apparently, audiences have decided that they just weren’t getting their police-procedural fill with only “Law & Order”, “Law & Order SVU”, “Law & Order Criminal Intent”, “Without A Trace”, “Cold Case”, “Criminal Minds”, “The Closer”, “CSI”, and CSI New York” on the air, they needed to see the exact same program with speed boats and discos somehow incorporated. For some reason, 18 million viewers show up each week to watch this clunker in which David Caruso talks like a pedophile and everyone else is just paid to look good.

Also avoid: “Heroes” (NBC) and “Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll” (CW)