TV Awards: 05-06

And here are my picks for the best performances and episodes of last season. Winners in bold.

Tomorrow, I'll start writing my thoughts on the new shows that have debuted the past two weeks. And soon? Political Rants!

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Thomas Cavanaugh as Tom Farrell, Love Monkey
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, The Sopranos
Michael C. Hall as David Fisher, Six Feet Under
Peter Krause as Nate Fisher, Six Feet Under
Edward James Olmos as Commander William Adama, Battlestar: Galactica

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Lauren Ambrose as Claire Fisher, Six Feet Under
Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars, Veronica Mars
Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher, Six Feet Under
Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano, The Sopranos
Mary McDonnell as Laura Roslin, Battlestar: Galactica

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Naveen Andrews as Sayid Jarrah, Lost
Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars, Veronica Mars
Jason Dohring as Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars
Terry O' Quinn as John Locke, Lost
Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman, The West Wing

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Ginnifer Goodwin as Margene Henrickson, Big Love
Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki, The L Word
Parminder Nagra as Dr. Neela Rasgotra, ER
Julianne Nicholson as Sara Finn, Conviction
Katee Sackhoff as Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, Battlestar: Galactica

Writing in a Drama Series

Alan Ball, Six Feet Under - "Everybody's Waiting"
David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, Battlestar: Galactica - "Downloaded"
Dayna North, Veronica Mars - "Plan B"
Rob Thomas and John Enbom, Veronica Mars - "Not Pictured"
Mark Verheiden and Anne Cofell, Battlestar: Galactica - "Lay Down Your Burdens"

Directing in a Drama Series

Alan Ball, Six Feet Under - "Everybody's Waiting"
John T. Kretchmer, Veronica Mars - "Plan B"
Martha Mitchell, Veronica Mars - "I Am God"
Kimberly Pierce, The L Word - "Lifeline"
Michael Rymer, Battlestar: Galactica - "Lay Down Your Burdens"

Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Sharif Atkins as Dr. Michael Gallant, ER
Michael Cera as Dean, Veronica Mars
Michael Emerson as Henry Gale, Lost
Richard Jenkins as Nathaniel Fisher, Six Feet Under
Chris Messina as Ted, Six Feet Under

Guest Actress in a Drama Series

L. Scott Caldwell as Rose, Lost
Charisma Carpenter as Kendall Casablancas, Veronica Mars
Tina Majorino as Mac, Veronica Mars
Katey Sagal as Helen, Lost
Alia Shawkat as Stacy, Veronica Mars

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, Arrested Development
Zach Braff as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian, Scrubs
Steve Carell as Michael Scott, The Office
Fred Goss as Cameron Walker, Sons & Daughters
Tyler Williams as Chris Rock, Everybody Hates Chris

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp, Desperate Housewives
Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls
Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Desperate Housewives
Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Desperate Housewives
Mary Louise-Parker as Nancy Botwin, Weeds

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Will Arnett as George "Gob" Bluth II, Arrested Development
Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth, Arrested Development
John Krasinski as Jim Halpert, The Office
John C. McGinley as Dr. Perry Cox, Scrubs
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, The Office

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Tichina Arnold as Rochelle Rock, Everybody Hates Chris
Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesley, The Office
Paula Marshall as Regina Barnes, Out of Practice
Judy Reyes as Nurse Carla Espinosa, Scrubs
Alia Shawkat as Mae "Maeby" Fünke, Arrested Development

Writing in a Comedy Series

Bill Callahan, Scrubs - "My Fallen Idol"
Steve Carell, The Office - "Casino Night"
Greg Daniels, The Office - "Conflict Resolution"
Dean Lorey and Chuck Tatham, Arrested Development - "Fakin It"
Aaron McGruder, The Boondocks - "Return of the King"

Directing in a Comedy Series

Zach Braff, Scrubs - "My Way Home"
Ken Kwapis, The Office - "Booze Cruise"
Charles McDougall, The Office - "Conflict Resolution"
Lev L. Spiro, Arrested Development - "Fakin It"
Richard Alexander Wells, Scrubs - "My Urologist"

Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Thomas Cavanaugh as Dan Dorian, Scrubs
Paul Dooley as Addison Prudy, Desperate Housewives
David Koechner as Todd Packer, The Office
John Larroquette as Chef Gerard, Kitchen Confidential
Michael Vartan as Michel, Kitchen Confidential

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Elizabeth Banks as Dr. Kim Briggs, Scrubs
Loretta Devine as Maxine, Everybody Hates Chris
Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson, The Office
Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey, Desperate Housewices
Charlize Theron as Rita, Arredted Development

Finally: TV Top 10 2005-06

It's about time, isn't it?

Honorable Mentions

Big Love - HBO's highly publicized polygamy drama had it's ups and downs, mostly suffering from the weak central performance from Bill Paxton. The show was helped by the strong supporting performances from Ginnifer Goodwin and Jeanne Tripplehorn and it offered a very interesting look into an rare family dynamic.

Out of Practice - Few shows were treated worse by a network than Out of Practice, which was pulled, yanked, and put on hiatus over and over again. This traditional farcical sitcom had a strong ensemble cast (particularly the awesome Paula Marshall) and a smart writing staff that set up classic situations that let the cast shine. There is no reason this should still not be on the air.

The Sopranos - The high quality mob drama was never one of my favorites, but I could never deny that it was an extremely well made television show. This season was no different. After dispensing with a silly dream thread, the series occassionally transcended itself with several excellent storylines and set itself up for a grand finale.

The West Wing - The 7th season of this once great show displayed continued improvement after the disaster of the 5th season. This allowed the show to go out on a graceful note. There was even time for one more superb episode, "Here Today", a superbly dark theatrical episode which featured some of the best acting of the year. Sadly, John Spencer died before the conclusion, but even in the final episodes without him, his enduring presence was definitely felt.

10. Love Monkey

This short-lived dramedy probably never had a chance, but I'm glad they gave it a try. This charming show followed A&R rep Tom Novak (Tom Cavanaugh), one of the few good guys in the music industry. As Tom moves to an indie label and battles the big name hacks (personified wonderfully by Eric Bogosian), his friends deal with their own careers and love lives. Best of the bunch was Judy Greer as a News Producer and Tom's platonic best friend. Cavanaugh did his usual schtick, which was fine with me, and the entire ensemble had terrific chemistry. This show only lasted 8 episodes but I smiled through all 8.

9. The L Word

This drama centered around a group of lesbian friends has been one of my favorite ongoing shows. Now in it's third season, it probably had one it's weakest season to date. After a dynamite start to the year, culminating in a standout episode from director Kimberly Pierce, the show seemed to lose it's way. Creator Ilene Chaiken took a daring creative choice by killing off a beloved character, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the awful material given to two of the show's best actresses, Jennifer Beals and Laurel Holloman. Beals in particular suffered and quickly became my least favorite character (after an amazing 2nd season). The season finale was extremely problematic as well. Still, this show was still consistently compelling even at it's worst and the great Leisha Hailey had an amazing year.

8. Sons & Daughters

This is a case of a show where the ads didn't do justice for the finished product. The network ads for this show made it look like a smug and mean comedy filled with unlikeable characters. The actual show was so much different. Following a dysfunctional extended family with ad-libbed dialogue, this show was one of the wittiest comedies of the year. At the center of the show was the wonderful Fred Goss, excelling at the sort of nebbish character that Woody Allen made famous. The surrounding ensemble was also superb, most notably Alison Quinn as Goss's sister, trapped in a loveless marriage. Shows like this require you to be able to laugh at the numerous problems that these characters while rooting them on at the same time. On this count, Sons & Daughters was more than successful.

7. Arrested Development

And now we have THE dysfunctional family sitcom. Arrested Development may have been killed before it's time, but it did get a three year run, finishing with it's best season ever. The over the top screwball moments were mostly reined in this season (goodbye Ben Stiller and Martin Short) and the season mostly focused on the nutty habits of the various characters. The main thing that really worked this season was the father-son dynamic between Jason Bateman and Michael Cera. The two had their strongest season yet. Alia Shawkat also had a great running storyline as a studio executive, and the great Will Arnett provided most of the laughs once again. By the end I was rooting for all of the character, but mostly Bateman and Cera as they sailed away for good.

6. Scrubs

It's hard to believe that Scrubs has now been on for five seasons. Despite strong critical support the ratings have always been a disappointment (even when put in good timeslots) and the last two seasons have been downright awful. This was partly due to NBC's inability to find hits to replace their aging shows. Well NBC's struggles provided a great treat for the fans of this wonderful comedy. While this last season did show some age at certain parts, there were still plenty of inspired moments to keep it going. The show particularly had a fantastic 2nd half, with some of John C. McGinley's most brilliant work as the cantankerous Dr. Cox and a superb guest starring performance from Elizabeth Banks. Scrubs once again proved that you can mix oddball comedy with genuine pathos and the stunning cliffhanger has me looking forward to season 6.

5. Battlestar: Galactica

Proving that not all remakes are a bad idea, Battlestar: Galactica took the premise of the 80s version and turned it into a fascinating political drama. After a solid first half which built on last season's fantastic cliffhanger, the show lost its way for a few episodes in the 2nd half. The worst was an attempt to do film noir with Apollo as the central character. All this did was prove how weak Jamie Bamber was. Another episode focusing on a hostage situation, which provided great material for guest star Dana Delany but did nothing for the overall story arc. Thankfully, the producers got things together for a tremendous finish. The season finale was a sensational hour of television, featuring one of the gutsiest moves I've ever seen on a show.

4. Six Feet Under

The final season for this brilliant series certainly wasn't perfect. Some of the arcs for the characters, particularly Peter Krause's Nate, could have been better handled. Still, Six Feet Under had one of the most talented casts in all of television and they all turned in great performances this year, including an expanded recurring performances from Tina Holmes. Six Feet Under was a show that had a distinct vision, and through all 5 seasons, it stayed true to that style thanks to it's talented creator Alan Ball. The lovely series finale, which featured a stunning closing montage depicting the final deaths of everyone in the ensemble, ended the series on a perfect note.

3. The Boondocks

The Boondocks has been the very best comic strip for the past few years, mixing hilarious character moments with biting political satire. After hearing of an animated series being planned, I was certainly worried. There were so many ways it could go wrong, especially if they decided to water down the politics and focus on the zany characters. There were a few episodes that definitely felt that way, but for the most part the 1st season of The Boondocks proved to be one of the best shows of the year. The controversial "Return of the King" episode, which depicted what might happen if Martin Luther King awoke from a coma today and saw what was going on, was a bold and insightful look at modern racial issues. It was the single best episode of any show on television during the 2005-06 season.

2. Veronica Mars

One of the most baffling mysteries of the past two television seasons is why people seem to stubbornly refuse to watch this show. This is not a situation where the network can be blamed. UPN was extremely faithful to the show, promoing it heavily and keeping it on the air even during crucial sweeps periods. People really don't know what their missing. Going into it's second season, the major question was whether or not Veronica MArs could come up with a mystery nearly as compelling as the central premise fromt he 1st season. Desperate Housewives faced a similar challenge and failed miserably. Veronica Mars passed this test after the 1st episode, which effortlessly set up two new season long mysteries. The show also displayed continued growth for it's varied ensemble, particularly Jason Dohring as the troubled Logan Echolls. Veronica Mars once again proved to be the true heir to Buffy, being the only show to match the mix of comedy, drama, and suspense of that great show. Now that it moves to the CW, maybe people will start watching.

1. The Office

This was the show that nobody that would work. After the disaster of the Coupling remake, everyone thought the US remake of legendary Bitcom The Office was doomed to failure. After a weak series premiere, which copied the pilot of the UK version scene for scene, things didn't look up. Even after a strong 2nd episode, things weren't much better because the ratings started to fall apart. Surprisingly, NBC (especially Kevin Reilly) had faith that this show could be successful. It's one of the best decision the struggling network has made in a long time. The Office debuted season 2 with an episode called "The Dundies", which completely set a new tone for the show (much brighter, more focus on Jim and Pam), and the show never looked back. Steve Carell continued to show why he is one of the funniest comic actors in Hollywood, Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski created the best sexual tension in a comedy since Cheers, and the expanded focus on the supporting cast allowed each of them to shine. The Office is a show that has the screwball moments that people love, but it wraps them around a completely human setting. The humor may sometimes be painful, but that's just because it's so real.

Blogging Plans

Apologies to my reader(s) for the long delay. Work/school commitments have made it difficult to update this blog in a while. Now I have a little bit more free time, and plenty of stuff to blab about, you should see a few more updates. Also, I will be changing the direction of the blog a bit. There will be some political/current events posts mixed in with the entertainment. I figured this would be easier than starting a whole new blog for politics.

First things first, I will complete last season's TV top 10 and update my Last 10 lists.