So Here We Are. The end of the decade. And what better way to end it than with a series of blogs by CJS students. Sure, there’s Fi’s views on food (Fi-Fi-Food-Fum? what a name that would be), or Alex and his ‘popular music’. There’s even a spectacularly late effort on Team of the decade from Nick, no stranger to the late show. But wouldn’t you all rather be reading about the best US TV of 2009? Thought not, but here it is anyway!
Best Actor – Jim Parsons- Dr. Sheldon Cooper – The Big Bang Theory
Jim Parsons
A somewhat easy decision for me this one. Jeremy Davies was brilliant as ‘Daniel Faraday’ in LOST this year, but appeared in too few episodes to make it a fair contest. Hugh Laurie has been tearing up America for years as ‘Dr Gregory House’, and deserves recognition for it, but its time for a new winner. Likewise Steve Carrell and The Office. No, this year, Jim Parsons picks up the award for his consistently funny displays as ‘Sheldon Cooper’. Some may argue that Sheldon is a secondary character, but for me he is one of the three main characters in the show, and has equal billing with Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco. He plays the socially disconnected genius brilliantly, and gets my nod even if the Emmy’s wont give him an award.
Best Actress – Elizabeth Mitchell – Dr. Juliet Burke
Elizabeth Mitchell
Tough. Alyson Hannigan is very good as ‘Lily Aldrin’ on How I Met Your Mother, as is Kaley Cuoco on Big Bang Theory, but they are often outshone by their male costars a little too easily. Julie Bowen has been hilarious on Modern Family, but I’m going to go down the more dramatic route and give it to Elizabeth Mitchell for her turn as Juliet on LOST. She beat off strong competition from LOST co-star Sonya Walger in her new show as ‘Dr Olivia Benford’ in Flashforward, but Juliet was the best female character on LOST this season, and in my view, US TV. Simply a very talented actress in a great role.
Best Supporting Actor -Neil Patrick Harris/Michael Emerson – Barney Stinson/Ben Linus – How I Met Your Mother/LOST
Neil Patrick Harris
Michael Emerson
A tie. I could not choose between them as one is brilliantly funny and the other so chillingly disturbing. Although the field is packed with great supporting actors like Rainn Wilson and Ed Helms as ‘Dwight Schrute’ and ‘Andrew Bernard’ respectively in The Office, Joshua Gomez as ‘Morgan Grimes’ in Chuck, Jack Coleman as ‘Noah Bennet’, the only good thing about Heroes last season, and Robert Sean Leonard as ‘Dr James Wilson’ in House, but there are only two real choices. Neil Patrick Harris is comedy. Everything he did in 2009 was gold, including hosting the Emmy awards. ‘Barney Stinson’ is a masterpiece of a character, and Harris, the best supporting comedy actor around. But to highlight him as overall best supporting actor over Michael Emerson as ‘Ben Linus’ would be unjust. Emerson has convinced the world over the past few years that he is Ben Linus, a character so devious, manipulative, unfathomable and unpredictable. Simply put, he is fantastic, and he will have a hard time avoiding being typecast.
Best Supporting Actress – Lisa Edelstein – Dr Lisa Cuddy – House
Lisa Edelstein with co-star Hugh Laurie
Yvonne Strahovski runs her close as ‘Agent Sarah Walker’ in Chuck, as does Jenna Fischer as ‘Pam Beasley’ in The Office, and Stana Katic as ‘Kate Beckett’ in Castle. But Lisa Edelstein wins for her classy displays as House’s muse. She also brought some surprises to the table this season, albeit some as part of a hallucination. But this season saw Edelstein portray ‘Cuddy’ as a new mother, and it was really believable. Very good actress in a very good role.
Best Show – Chuck – NBC
Zach Levi, Josh Gomez and Yvonne Strahovski - the cast of Chuck
The big one folks. LOST was great this year, but it ended a little bit sloppily and wasnt as good as last year. House was also really good but again the ending was the problem, as it got a bit congealed and too complicated with too many hallucinations, it’s not Dallas you know! Castle had a great first season, but is running out of idea’s in its second, and Heroes should be cancelled immediately. But Chuck was the perfect Dramedy this year. Great storylines, a cast including the best neurotic lead actor around (Zachery Levi) and the hottest lead actress (Strahovski). Great cameos from the likes of John Larroquette, Chevy Chase and Scott Bakula, a great supporting cast. It also featured an episode based around the DELOREAN people!!! A hands down winner, and so glad its been picked up for an extended third season starting Jan 9th!
And Finally… The Top Five Moments of 2009
Number Five – LOST – Season 5 Ep. 11 – ‘Whatever Happened, Happened’
A great scene from two of the funniest LOST characters trying to explain away the complicated time travel element of the show.
Number Four – House- Season 5 Ep. 20 – ‘Simple Explanation’
Very touching episode that features the death and funeral of ‘Dr Lawrence Kutner’ (Kal Penn), and the best use of pop music in a show ever
Number Three – LOST – Season 5 Ep.17 – ‘The Incident’
The climax of the season finale, featuring Juliet’s death that both completely shocked me, and genuinely made me feel sad.
Number Two – South Park – Season 13 Ep. 9 – ‘Butter’s Bottom Bitch’
A genius series of moments where the Chief of Police goes undercover as a prostitute to put a stop to South Park’s recent wave of night-time activity. Unfortunately there is no video available, but go watch the episode as it is well worth it!
Number One – LOST – Season 5 Ep. 17 – ‘The Incident’
This scene is no. 1 this year because not only does it reveal to us the mysterious ‘Jacob’ (Mark Pellegrino) for the first time along with his rival, but it has generated the most hype about the next season of any show i have seen before. And it was brilliant as an opening scene. Pure magic from LOST again.
Well thats your lot for this year, but please check back soon in 2010 for the resumption of my tv blog when America kicks itself back into gear and starts showing TV again!
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