Sadly, as soon as it starts the Don Awards go back into the vault for another 11 months.... However, to get you threw these trouble times I am starting a weekly television column at http://donstelevision.blogspot.com/ (I know, all I seem to do is advertise for myself) and that will be weekly on Thursdays nights/Friday mornings (unless I am on one of my million vacations). But anyway, I'll explain that better tomorrow on the column. So I hope you have all enjoyed this years Don Awards, and I hope you plan on continuing to read my content.
Best Male Television Character
The Winner Is: Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan on Dexter)
~It has to be tricky to make a serial killer so likable, but Michael C. Hall makes it seem so easy. He has an amount of charm that is unmatched and he steals nearly every scene. Desmond was also a good choice here, but he does not carry his show nearly as much as Dexter has. Dexter has already made himself one of the greatest television characters ever, and done so in only two seasons.
Best Female Television Character
The Winner Is: Sarah Lancaster (Ellie Bartowski on Chuck)
~This was close and probably the hardest decision I had to make this year. Blair was antagonistic genius on Gossip Girl and in some ways carried that show, and Sun brought her character on Lost to a whole new level and one cannot wait to see where she is going next. With that said, however, Ellie had a different advantage going for her. She was a very caring and simplistic character, someone that you can feel is a real person. She is a comforting part of the show and gives it a sense of normalcy. She may not be the most exciting or intriguing character, but she is the best female character on television this season... even if we haven't seen her sense January.
Best Reoccurring Television Character
The Winner Is: Tristan Wilds (Michael Lee on The Wire)
~It is interesting how Michael got to this point. Last season, Michael Lee was a regular as The Wire centered on how the school system worked and Michael was part of the school. However, his role got scaled back in season five, as the schools were no longer a focal point. Despite that, Michael still had a role in the drug world and his scenes of falling out and his making it one his own put things in its own perspective. Michael was unable to get out of the drug world, but that just made him a more realistic character. Everything doesn't end perfectly, no matter what you think. The biggest competitor for this award had to be Penny Widmore, but she didn't have enough scenes to really steal away this award, although I'd definitely keep an eye on here in the future as the two main scenes she had were absolutely stupendous.
Best Episode
The Winner is: The Constant
~Sometimes by reading the other awards and topics you can get an idea of who the winner will be. Throughout these awards I have referred to great scenes in the Constant, and how it was an emotional roller coaster. The interesting thing about it getting this award, is it wasn't an important episode, nor did it really move Lost forward that much as a show. It just shows how television is also for enjoyment, not just thought provoking insanity. While Shape of Things To Come was more of a traditional Lost episode, it was the Constant that deservingly stood out. Wilson's Heart had a similar result as it gave us an emotional response and may have pushed House to a new level... However, the Constant was still slightly better.
Best Television Show
The Winner is: Lost
~Four years in a row Lost has taken this award, and it may take three more years until we see a new Don Award winner the way this has gone. Dexter was amazing at bringing intense moments and great character. The Wire was as thought provoking as a show can be, while bringing us to a fulfilling conclusion to a great show. Chuck was probably the funniest show on tv this season, and it did so by also bringing in intriguing characters and intense situations. Gossip Girl filled the teen soap genre that was lacking and did so in such a way that one almost didn't notice that OC was missing this season (almost). But despite all that Lost was once again heads and heels above all of them. Putting on its arguably best season in only a 14 episode season we saw amazing moments, the development of characters such as Desmond and Sun to the next level, and who was really after this island. However, the thing that guaranteed this award the most was the brilliant flash forwards. What initially was seen as almost a gimmick, took everything to a new level and fixing season threes one weakness, the repetitive flashbacks. With only two more seasons to go, you wonder what also Team Darlton has up their sleeves, but I for one trust them completely that it will be mind numbing.
~I hope you have enjoyed reading my award show. It was an interesting television year, but now with the 2007-2008 season complete it is now time to move on. There is a lot to look forward to, and hopefully the strike did not ruin that. With that said, I am glad that you have taken the time to read this and think about my opinions on one of the topics I love best: great television.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Individual Awards
With only five major awards, there are still alot of other mini awards I want to give out, so here is the second year or the individual awards. You'll notice a few have been cut from last year, but there was no one deserving of them or they were just a waste of space.
Best Acting for the entire season: Michael Emerson (Ben on Lost)
~Back to back years Michael Emerson has taken this award, and who knows until when he actually lets up his strangle hold. His acting is amazing as he can play this evil horrible enemy, or this guy you feel might actually be "one of the good guys"
Runners-up: Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Clarke Peters (Lester Freaman)
Best Acting in a single episode: Hugh Laurie (House on House in "Wilson's Heart")
~This is an interesting decision, because this one episode alone had two deserving winners, but I am giving the edge to House just because of the increase depth of his character. The pain in his face at the end of the episode is something that pulls at your heart every time you watch.
Runners-up: Michael Emerson (Lost: Shape of Things to Come), Robert Leonard (House: Wilson's Heart)
Most Improved Actor Throughout the Season: Rebecca Mader (Charlotte on Lost)
~This was not nearly as easy as it was last year. Initially I loved three of the four new Losties, and Charlotte was the one exception. However, in the post strike episodes Charlotte actually became a stronger character (through the help of Faraday) and its hard not to be excited about her upcoming season.
Runners-up: None
Most Disappointing Character: Kristen Bell (Ellie Bishop on Heroes)
~I wanted to love her, I really did. Kristen Bell was the actress behind one of my all time favorite characters in Veronica Mars, and she is an adorable and talented actress. When I heard she was picked up for Heroes I was a little upset, because I knew that the show wouldn't exhibit her talent. Needless to say, that is exactly what happened. Now, I am not saying Ellie Bishop was a bad character, but I expected alot more.
Runners-up: Aimee Teegarden (Julie Taylor on FNL), Olivia Wilde (Thirteen on House)
Best Newcomer: Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl)
~Fairly easy choice, seeing Gossip Girl was the main show that really brought unknown actors to the field besides a few exceptions. Ed Westwick tiptoes the tightrope between being despicable and lovable oh so well, and with the influx of british actors in important roles he is no exception. Definitely a strong acting talent, although you have to wonder if he is only a one type of character actor or if he does have variety (he is part of the upcoming Donnie Darko sequel).
Runners-up: Benny Ciaramello (Santiago Herrera on FNL)
Best "villain": Martin Keamy (Lost)
~The only brand new award, Villian is in parenthesis mainly because sometimes the best villains are characters who are not really bad at all. However, Martin Keamy is not an example of this, as he is basically pure evil. You loved to hate this guy, as he would do anything in his power to kill everyone on the island, and even shot Alex in one of the most stunning moments. The other close competitor was much more of a gray area, being Marlo Stanfield, as he really isn't a villain at all, but rather a person in a business and will do anything to survive. But in pure antagonist goodness, the edge has to be Keamy.
Runner-up: Marlo Stanfield (The Wire)
Best Couple Within a TV-Show: Penelope Widmore and Desmond Hume (Lost)
~I don't overly care about couples in television, unless they push the story before. It seems alot of fans need couples to cheer for, yet really most of the time they might even bring down the much better other storylines. However, there is one huge exception, and that is my love for Desmond and Penny. They are true loves, who would do anything to be with each other. Penny has searched for the island just to get him back, and if you don't have a tear in your eye during their phone reunion and the boat, then you are cold cold soul. In television romance can sometimes hurt a show, but there is one in a great while where it pushes it to the next level... Penny and Desmond do that.
Runner-ups: Chuck and Blair (GG), Dexter Morgan and Rita Bennit (Dexter)
The Kirsten Cohen Award {Best Television mom}: Lily van der Woodson (Gossip Girl)
~This is the second award of mine to have its own special name after an all-time great. The first ever best television mom award to not go to Kirsten is passed onto Josh Schwartz' next great creation, Lily. I may hate her daughter, but you get that thoughtful mother thing going where everything she does is whats best for her children, even if it initially doesn't seem so. Her marriage to Bart while still having feelings for Rufus also was an interesting journey. In the end she may not be near the mother Kirsten was, she does put up a good fight.
Runner-Ups: Rita Bennit (Dexter)
Best Television Father: Eric Taylor (FNL)
~Some times these awards are tricky, but Eric Taylor deserved it. This season he had to balance football and his rebellious daughter Julie. It was an interesting journey as he kept FNL the high class television it has been all along. While he may have his faults he is a good father.
Runner-up: Rufus Humphrey (Gossip Girl)
Best Kid Actor: Thuliso Dingwall (Kenard on The Wire)
~The kid is not in that many scenes, but when he does appear he is amazing. In many ways he represents how early kids join the drug world, and how quickly they become hardened to the ways of it. His scene with Omar is something of power for its suddenness, and his final montage shows how quick things can go bad for the drug kids. Kenard is not one of the most important characters on The Wire, but he is definitely a good one.
Runner-Up: Cody and Astor Bennit (Dexter)
Show I Wished I Watched Before this Award Show: Mad Men
~I always get on some shows bandwagons way too late, similar to why last year there were no Shield, Wire, or Dexter nominees. However, through critical reviews and word of mouth I always find something new that is spectacular, and while I performed better this year, I still missed out on the ingenious that is Mad Men. Definitely deserving of its accolades its a smart and interesting show. Do yourself a favor and give it a chance, even if it takes place in the 60's (I know, that initially is what turned me off)
Runner-Up: Burn Notice
Most Disappointing Show: Heroes
~In no way does that mean Heroes was bad this year, its just that there was definitely a drop off in quality. At times it was flying around having no idea where it was going. I think the most telling sign as that a show that was so good in season 1 never even had a single best television episode of any given week. Hopefully season 3 fixes that problem
Runners-up: Prison Break, Battlestar Galactica
Best Music Within a Show: Chuck
~I love Josh Schwartz' use of actual music to change the mood. I mean, I am not even a big fan of the bands used by Shwartz (for example, he loves Bloc Party) but it just fits it all so well.
Runner-Up: Lost
Show I am Saddest to See Go: The Wire
~Initially I didn't know if I'd give this award to The Wire, just because it got to end its run the way it should have. It was a smart show who followed its plotline to its fitting conclusion and I could not see it end any other way. However, that doesn't mean I am sad to know that HBO's season will be much weaker that is the beauty of David Simon's Wire.
Runner-Up: None
Best Entire Cast on a Show: The Wire
~This show has an absolutely mammoth cast, bigger than any other show I can think of. The thing is though that sometimes its the smaller roles like Snoop or Kenard who steal the scenes just as easily as the major characters of Marlo and Bunk. But from top to bottom they have built up this cast right, and even without its greatest character (Detective Colvin limited to one appearance) the cast does not have many weaknesses and is strong throughout.
Runners-Up: Chuck, Lost
Best Network: NBC
~NBC absolutely ran away with this award in the second straight year, only strengthening its hold by bringing in Chuck to join FNL, and the less interesting shows of 30 Rock and Heroes. All in all though, this year is mostly about the variety of networks, as I basically had 1 shows for every possible network and nothing more. That left me with no legit runnerup, and made it easy for NBC to win.
Runners-up: None
Best Television Night: Thursday
~This was a two night race between Monday and Thursday, but there is nothing I loved more than Island Thursday Post-strike. It is the nicknamed I penned for the duo of Survivor and Lost, both island based shows. Monday was no slacker with Gossip Girl, Chuck, Greek and even some House, but in the end Lost pushed it to the top deservingly. Just for note, I didn't watch The Wire or Dexter live, so they were not included to any given night of the week.
Runner-up: Monday
Best Thirty-Minute Comedy: 30 Rock
~Everyone knows I am not a fan of the thirty minute comedy, as I partially believe that the sitcom is one of the fastest dieing genres. I used to watch The Office, but then last year it was just too over the top for me and I lost interest, and found 30 Rock, a show I felt was more true to form. This year my interest in 30 Rock actually fell, just not completely yet. Seeing 30 Rock was the only comedy I actually stuck with, I guess it has to win the award. However, don't be surprised if this award vanishes soon, because thirty minute comedies may be something that just isn't for me.
Runner-up: Aliens in America
Best Reality Television Show: Survivor: Fans vs Favorites
~In some ways, this is the most purposeless award ever. It's basically just whatever of the two miniseasons of Survivor I preferred. I mean, I am not a big reality fan, and besides a few exceptions (most notably The Mole this summer) I don't watch much that isn't Survivor, but hey, it deserves this award anyway.
Runner-up: Survivor: China, Moment of Truth
Best Reality Show Contestant: James (Survivor)
~Ironically, James was actually in both Survivor Fans vs Favorites and Survivor China, and I loved him in both. James was a grave digger, who isn't one of the most sociable people, but watching him on television makes him seem so much stronger and in the end you feel like you have been watching a powerful character. James never had a chance to win Survivor, the first time around because he didn't know how to use his two immunity idols and the second time because an injury forced him out. He got his two seasons, but I hope for the best in the remainder of James' life.
Runner-up: Eric (Survivor: Fans vs Favorites)
Best Scene of the Season: Ending Montage in "-30-" (The Wire)
~I have to give it to the closing montage, a Wire season ending tradition. The thing about is it just gave you so much closure and watching the montage you realize how it is. The most telling part of this montage was watching Bubbles being allowed upstairs, just a weirdly fulfilling moment, a perfect closure. However, while this clearly was the best scene, my favorite has to be the moment between Penny and Desmond on the phone in The Constant; that scene just makes you happy to be alive.
Runner-Up: Penny and Desmond (The Constant)
The Boone Memorial Award {Best TV Death}: Amber (House)
~I almost gave this to Omar, just because of the fittingness of it all. But then I remembered the final scene of the brilliant season finale of House and how a character I once despised and loathed made me feel sad as she took her final breaths. See, Amber was boring the first half of the season, just another competitor for a position... then she was kinda boring as Wilson's girlfriend, a sub-storyline that didn't always mesh. Then suddenly she is part of a vicious accident that leads to one of the most monumental moments in House history. See, for pure happiness this season Penny and Desmond were the highest, but Ambers death in House and Wilson's sadness was the most downer (but in a good way) of the season. A fitting recepient of the Boone Memorial Award, seeing it really was true to my personal favorite television death, where watching it you feel like you actually know these people, and that their deaths will change you forever.
Runner-Up: Omar Little (The Wire), Alex Rousseau (Lost)
Best Acting for the entire season: Michael Emerson (Ben on Lost)
~Back to back years Michael Emerson has taken this award, and who knows until when he actually lets up his strangle hold. His acting is amazing as he can play this evil horrible enemy, or this guy you feel might actually be "one of the good guys"
Runners-up: Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Clarke Peters (Lester Freaman)
Best Acting in a single episode: Hugh Laurie (House on House in "Wilson's Heart")
~This is an interesting decision, because this one episode alone had two deserving winners, but I am giving the edge to House just because of the increase depth of his character. The pain in his face at the end of the episode is something that pulls at your heart every time you watch.
Runners-up: Michael Emerson (Lost: Shape of Things to Come), Robert Leonard (House: Wilson's Heart)
Most Improved Actor Throughout the Season: Rebecca Mader (Charlotte on Lost)
~This was not nearly as easy as it was last year. Initially I loved three of the four new Losties, and Charlotte was the one exception. However, in the post strike episodes Charlotte actually became a stronger character (through the help of Faraday) and its hard not to be excited about her upcoming season.
Runners-up: None
Most Disappointing Character: Kristen Bell (Ellie Bishop on Heroes)
~I wanted to love her, I really did. Kristen Bell was the actress behind one of my all time favorite characters in Veronica Mars, and she is an adorable and talented actress. When I heard she was picked up for Heroes I was a little upset, because I knew that the show wouldn't exhibit her talent. Needless to say, that is exactly what happened. Now, I am not saying Ellie Bishop was a bad character, but I expected alot more.
Runners-up: Aimee Teegarden (Julie Taylor on FNL), Olivia Wilde (Thirteen on House)
Best Newcomer: Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl)
~Fairly easy choice, seeing Gossip Girl was the main show that really brought unknown actors to the field besides a few exceptions. Ed Westwick tiptoes the tightrope between being despicable and lovable oh so well, and with the influx of british actors in important roles he is no exception. Definitely a strong acting talent, although you have to wonder if he is only a one type of character actor or if he does have variety (he is part of the upcoming Donnie Darko sequel).
Runners-up: Benny Ciaramello (Santiago Herrera on FNL)
Best "villain": Martin Keamy (Lost)
~The only brand new award, Villian is in parenthesis mainly because sometimes the best villains are characters who are not really bad at all. However, Martin Keamy is not an example of this, as he is basically pure evil. You loved to hate this guy, as he would do anything in his power to kill everyone on the island, and even shot Alex in one of the most stunning moments. The other close competitor was much more of a gray area, being Marlo Stanfield, as he really isn't a villain at all, but rather a person in a business and will do anything to survive. But in pure antagonist goodness, the edge has to be Keamy.
Runner-up: Marlo Stanfield (The Wire)
Best Couple Within a TV-Show: Penelope Widmore and Desmond Hume (Lost)
~I don't overly care about couples in television, unless they push the story before. It seems alot of fans need couples to cheer for, yet really most of the time they might even bring down the much better other storylines. However, there is one huge exception, and that is my love for Desmond and Penny. They are true loves, who would do anything to be with each other. Penny has searched for the island just to get him back, and if you don't have a tear in your eye during their phone reunion and the boat, then you are cold cold soul. In television romance can sometimes hurt a show, but there is one in a great while where it pushes it to the next level... Penny and Desmond do that.
Runner-ups: Chuck and Blair (GG), Dexter Morgan and Rita Bennit (Dexter)
The Kirsten Cohen Award {Best Television mom}: Lily van der Woodson (Gossip Girl)
~This is the second award of mine to have its own special name after an all-time great. The first ever best television mom award to not go to Kirsten is passed onto Josh Schwartz' next great creation, Lily. I may hate her daughter, but you get that thoughtful mother thing going where everything she does is whats best for her children, even if it initially doesn't seem so. Her marriage to Bart while still having feelings for Rufus also was an interesting journey. In the end she may not be near the mother Kirsten was, she does put up a good fight.
Runner-Ups: Rita Bennit (Dexter)
Best Television Father: Eric Taylor (FNL)
~Some times these awards are tricky, but Eric Taylor deserved it. This season he had to balance football and his rebellious daughter Julie. It was an interesting journey as he kept FNL the high class television it has been all along. While he may have his faults he is a good father.
Runner-up: Rufus Humphrey (Gossip Girl)
Best Kid Actor: Thuliso Dingwall (Kenard on The Wire)
~The kid is not in that many scenes, but when he does appear he is amazing. In many ways he represents how early kids join the drug world, and how quickly they become hardened to the ways of it. His scene with Omar is something of power for its suddenness, and his final montage shows how quick things can go bad for the drug kids. Kenard is not one of the most important characters on The Wire, but he is definitely a good one.
Runner-Up: Cody and Astor Bennit (Dexter)
Show I Wished I Watched Before this Award Show: Mad Men
~I always get on some shows bandwagons way too late, similar to why last year there were no Shield, Wire, or Dexter nominees. However, through critical reviews and word of mouth I always find something new that is spectacular, and while I performed better this year, I still missed out on the ingenious that is Mad Men. Definitely deserving of its accolades its a smart and interesting show. Do yourself a favor and give it a chance, even if it takes place in the 60's (I know, that initially is what turned me off)
Runner-Up: Burn Notice
Most Disappointing Show: Heroes
~In no way does that mean Heroes was bad this year, its just that there was definitely a drop off in quality. At times it was flying around having no idea where it was going. I think the most telling sign as that a show that was so good in season 1 never even had a single best television episode of any given week. Hopefully season 3 fixes that problem
Runners-up: Prison Break, Battlestar Galactica
Best Music Within a Show: Chuck
~I love Josh Schwartz' use of actual music to change the mood. I mean, I am not even a big fan of the bands used by Shwartz (for example, he loves Bloc Party) but it just fits it all so well.
Runner-Up: Lost
Show I am Saddest to See Go: The Wire
~Initially I didn't know if I'd give this award to The Wire, just because it got to end its run the way it should have. It was a smart show who followed its plotline to its fitting conclusion and I could not see it end any other way. However, that doesn't mean I am sad to know that HBO's season will be much weaker that is the beauty of David Simon's Wire.
Runner-Up: None
Best Entire Cast on a Show: The Wire
~This show has an absolutely mammoth cast, bigger than any other show I can think of. The thing is though that sometimes its the smaller roles like Snoop or Kenard who steal the scenes just as easily as the major characters of Marlo and Bunk. But from top to bottom they have built up this cast right, and even without its greatest character (Detective Colvin limited to one appearance) the cast does not have many weaknesses and is strong throughout.
Runners-Up: Chuck, Lost
Best Network: NBC
~NBC absolutely ran away with this award in the second straight year, only strengthening its hold by bringing in Chuck to join FNL, and the less interesting shows of 30 Rock and Heroes. All in all though, this year is mostly about the variety of networks, as I basically had 1 shows for every possible network and nothing more. That left me with no legit runnerup, and made it easy for NBC to win.
Runners-up: None
Best Television Night: Thursday
~This was a two night race between Monday and Thursday, but there is nothing I loved more than Island Thursday Post-strike. It is the nicknamed I penned for the duo of Survivor and Lost, both island based shows. Monday was no slacker with Gossip Girl, Chuck, Greek and even some House, but in the end Lost pushed it to the top deservingly. Just for note, I didn't watch The Wire or Dexter live, so they were not included to any given night of the week.
Runner-up: Monday
Best Thirty-Minute Comedy: 30 Rock
~Everyone knows I am not a fan of the thirty minute comedy, as I partially believe that the sitcom is one of the fastest dieing genres. I used to watch The Office, but then last year it was just too over the top for me and I lost interest, and found 30 Rock, a show I felt was more true to form. This year my interest in 30 Rock actually fell, just not completely yet. Seeing 30 Rock was the only comedy I actually stuck with, I guess it has to win the award. However, don't be surprised if this award vanishes soon, because thirty minute comedies may be something that just isn't for me.
Runner-up: Aliens in America
Best Reality Television Show: Survivor: Fans vs Favorites
~In some ways, this is the most purposeless award ever. It's basically just whatever of the two miniseasons of Survivor I preferred. I mean, I am not a big reality fan, and besides a few exceptions (most notably The Mole this summer) I don't watch much that isn't Survivor, but hey, it deserves this award anyway.
Runner-up: Survivor: China, Moment of Truth
Best Reality Show Contestant: James (Survivor)
~Ironically, James was actually in both Survivor Fans vs Favorites and Survivor China, and I loved him in both. James was a grave digger, who isn't one of the most sociable people, but watching him on television makes him seem so much stronger and in the end you feel like you have been watching a powerful character. James never had a chance to win Survivor, the first time around because he didn't know how to use his two immunity idols and the second time because an injury forced him out. He got his two seasons, but I hope for the best in the remainder of James' life.
Runner-up: Eric (Survivor: Fans vs Favorites)
Best Scene of the Season: Ending Montage in "-30-" (The Wire)
~I have to give it to the closing montage, a Wire season ending tradition. The thing about is it just gave you so much closure and watching the montage you realize how it is. The most telling part of this montage was watching Bubbles being allowed upstairs, just a weirdly fulfilling moment, a perfect closure. However, while this clearly was the best scene, my favorite has to be the moment between Penny and Desmond on the phone in The Constant; that scene just makes you happy to be alive.
Runner-Up: Penny and Desmond (The Constant)
The Boone Memorial Award {Best TV Death}: Amber (House)
~I almost gave this to Omar, just because of the fittingness of it all. But then I remembered the final scene of the brilliant season finale of House and how a character I once despised and loathed made me feel sad as she took her final breaths. See, Amber was boring the first half of the season, just another competitor for a position... then she was kinda boring as Wilson's girlfriend, a sub-storyline that didn't always mesh. Then suddenly she is part of a vicious accident that leads to one of the most monumental moments in House history. See, for pure happiness this season Penny and Desmond were the highest, but Ambers death in House and Wilson's sadness was the most downer (but in a good way) of the season. A fitting recepient of the Boone Memorial Award, seeing it really was true to my personal favorite television death, where watching it you feel like you actually know these people, and that their deaths will change you forever.
Runner-Up: Omar Little (The Wire), Alex Rousseau (Lost)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Brief Update Summary
For the few fans my fledgling awards have, I am sorry for the delay. There are only two things left to do, my minor awards and then the major awards winners. I plan on doing the minor awards on Monday, and then the major awards on Wednesday, and then the following day starting up my new blog, "Don's Weekly Television" update where I will talk about nearly anything, although the first week probably will be an emmy finalists update and critique, seeing I believe next Thursday is the official release date (the semifinalists have been released, and in the most important department, Drama, I am hoping that Lost, Wire, Dexter, Mad Men, and Damages are the final five, they are the most deserving). Anyway, there is not too much other news. Finished watching all six seasons of Shield, and am planning to run through Burn Notice and Mad Men before their seasons start this month. Summer television is tough at times, but at least it will pick up a bit thanks to cable. Anyway, I hope this delay hasn't turned you off to the "popular" Don Awards.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Ten Major Stories of the TV season
1) The WGA Strike: The biggest television story of this decade is easily the Writers Guild Strike. Initially most people didn't believe it would happen, that some how it would all work out in the end. However, the closer and closer the industry got to the deadline, it all became more foreboding. Then before we knew it, it happened, the Writers Strike. Lasting for over 3 months it made the normally strong television month of January non-existant, and not until February was it resolved. However, what people haven't really discussed was how much of a failure the strike was for the Writers side. In the end, the writers gained nothing more in the deals then the initial offers. In the end they completely caved in to the demands, because the longer they waited the worse it will get. As a television writer, you are already scared of the industry because of the increase in reality shows, but to basically kill a season of scripted shows makes it even more likely for television networks to pick up reality shows so they don't have to work with writers anymore. Also, the strike is still affecting tv to this day, as this upcoming season has less new shows then in the past, because writers weren't able to produce quality new shows during that 3+ month span and that the new shows remaining were either rushed or in production over a year ago. The last main effect of the strike may be the most unpredictable part, how it affects the new shows that did not return post-strike like Chuck, Pushing Daisies, or even Dirty Sexy Money. These were shows that never really had the chance to get a consistent audience, and it is definitely worrisome whether they can come back after 8 months off and keep the same ratings.
2) Fox Domination: For the first time ever, Fox was the number 1 television network this season in total ratings. Not only did they win the year, but they were the only network to actually increase ratings during this strike filled year, as they had over 14% more viewers this season then last season. Initially it seems surprising, because Fox is overall void of any scripted hits. However, they had one of the five highest rated tv shows this season in House (which had no rating droppage unlike other medical shows like Greys) Prison Break (which does just enough to somehow survive) and Bones, along with a few comedies that pick up decent ratings. What helped them get the increase is that they are a dominant force in the reality department. Hells Kitchen gets better ratings then you would expect (I was surprised), sadly Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader is one of the most popular gameshows right now, and then there is American Idol (*sigh). It also got huge rating boosts by the Superbowl and in the end it did enough to have a great year. If you told anyone in the mid 90's that Fox would be the top network they would've laughed at you. Maybe there is still hope for the current fledgling network...
3) CW's utter failure: CW would give anything to just be around in ten years, let alone successful like Fox became. There are already rumors floating about the network going under, and while there does not seem to be urgent merit in them, it definitely isn't great news for CW either. They are unable to pick up the ratings they desire, particularly in the areas they want. CW is trying to go after the 14-20 year old female range, and besides Gossip Girl they have struggled to get it. They hope the 90210 sequel can gather that fanbase as well. There are a few good things going for CW... Supernatural has become a cult hit with actually a decent rating-base for the channel and the critics thought they did a good job with their 3 new shows (Reaper, GG, and Aliens in America) although Reaper won't return til January because of ratings problems and Aliens in America was canceled. It may not be panic time yet, but CW has got to get moving quick towards their goals.
4) Year 2 of a Lack of Big Name Finales: I though last year was a bad year for series finales with basically only Sopranos, but this year was even worse. The biggest finale of the year was likely The Wire, and that was definitely a great series finale but I expected nothing less from the genius that is David Simon. However, besides The Wire, no other major finales occurred. Scrubs was supposed to end this season, but ABC picked it up to give it one more year and The Shield was supposed to finish up its 7 year run this summer, but it was postponed to the Fall Season. And that was it. However, cancellations there were a lot of, as more than half of the new shows that came about in the Fall have been canceled. The high cancel rate is likely the reason for so few series finales nowadays, because odds are you are going to be canceled way before you get to your end date.
5) Televised Sports Triumphant Comeback: Last year I talked about how poor Sports ratings were in everything that wasn't Football. Well, this year things are looking a lot more positive. To begin with if I thought the NFL ratings were through the roof last year, the Patriots helped create one of the highest rated Superbowls ever (once again) and throughout the playoffs and even regular season brought insane ratings. However, it doesn't end there. Both College Football and College Basketball brought ratings pleasing to the NCAA, and the NBA finally got to where they want to be rating-wise, thanks to a Lakers-Celtics finals. The other sport that actually experienced a rating increase was surprisingly the NHL. Experiencing some of their highest ratings sense the early 2000's in the finals on NBC is something the sport needed. This could be their ticket to be picked up on ESPN at least a game a week, but we will see on that. Golf was up in ratings for the US Open, but those will probably decline greatly from here on out with Woods' injury. All in all sports ratings are up, and that could be both a good and bad thing for television.
6) Cable Networks Rivaling Regular: Cable networks are getting noticed more and more as the place to go for quality (no longer just the paid channels like HBO and Showtime). To begin with the Emmy favorite comes from little known cable network AMC in Mad Men (surprisingly also the first season-long scripted show for them). You also have Closer, which absolutely dominates in the rating department, and in the summer even rivals the major networks in ratings. Battlestar Galactica continues to be a popular television show on the SciFi network in its forth critically acclaimed season. But the quality doesn't even end there with Burn Notice earning a second season. The only issue for cable networks this season, was one of the major networks, FX, had to hold over their major summer shows because of the Strike, so no Shield or Rescue Me coming up. And the quality doesn't end there, as critics love both Greek and Middle Man both ABC Family shows (although The Secret Life of an American Teenager supposedly is horrible). All in all, its time to start paying attention to whats on cable as much as mainstream networks. All of this is not mentioning the Disney Network which is a force itself in the child's department, plus High School Musical 2 was less than a year ago, and the records that created won't likely be matched (until HSM 3 probably).
7) Reinventing of Major TV Shows: Some would complain prior to this season, that television was beginning to become repetitive, whether it was original ideas or procedural. This year numerous shows tried to reinvent themselves to get that originality, some better than others. One example of this was House, who tried to create an entirely new supporting cast. This was not greeted very postively, because many fans were upset with the lack of appearances for Chase and Cameron. However, this idea does seem to be reappearing in other shows, as it seems NCIS is doing something similar with bringing in a new team to support the old. Lost reinvented itself with the predominantly flashforwards, something that people loved and it completely changed the dynamic of the show. At the end of the Desperate Housewives season, the show jumped 5 years into the future so it could create better storylines. Shows no longer wanted to be as stale and it can only be a good thing if this theme of reinvention continues.
8) Major Cancellations: As a mentioned before, while not a lot of shows had planned series enders, there was definitely a lot of cancellations this season, by far the most notable being Moonlight. Moonlight had decent Friday night ratings that consistently helped CBS win the night. Despite that, it was surprisingly canceled at the end of the Spring, only because the show was too original for the CBS mold (similar to Jericho, last year). There were a lot of save the show sites, however as of yesterday it seems that none of these shows besides Friday Night Lights was actually successful. Other notable fan favorite shows that were canceled were Aliens in America, Shark, and Journeyman. I guess not even ratings are everything now-a-days.
9) Show Shopping: The idea of picking up already established shows has become a lot more common this year, as channels are constantly making plans to pick up shows if the other network cancels them. The most common network doing this is ABC as they made a move to pick up Scrubs so it could get an actual final season and they had a plan already set up to pick up CBS' Christine if it was canceled (although sadly for ABC, CBS picked it up for another season). Other situations this year was how Direct TV made a deal with NBC to be able to air all new episodes of Friday Night Lights first in October with them, and then NBC would reshow them in February for people who don't have Direct TV. This was after extensive show shopping and that was the best offer for NBC. However, it hasn't gotten to the point of complete likelihood as previously mentioned Moonlight spent a lot of time trying to get picked up by SciFi, USA, and Direct TV which all failed. Don't be surprised, however, in the upcoming years as more canceled shows get picked up by other networks, cause it isn't nearly as difficult as it was in the past.
10) The Whimpering Fall Season: What better way to end this then a look towards the future. The Don Awards are about respecting the past year and looking at each show objectively AND the industry as a whole. Last year there was a lot of excitement coming into the Fall season with two new Schwartz shows in Chuck and Gossip Girl, and the amazingly promising Pushing Daisies. This year there is a lot less hope. To begin with, there is one tv show that the critics seem to like and looks extremely interesting from what I've seen and that is Fox's The Fringe. It seems like it is a more serious and serial version of the X-Files with the great acting talent of Lance Reddick (although sadly, Joshua Jackson is also in it). Besides The Fringe, you almost have to take a wait and see attitude, because every other show looks weak. CBS is bringing in the most new shows with two new comedies Project Gary and Worst Week, both of which seem to have nothing on last years big addition Big Bang Theory along with a group of new procedurals (although The Mentalist looks kinda interesting). ABC is barely bringing in any new shows, as their major move was bringing in a British show in Life on Mars. Similar to ABC there is few completely original shows on NBC, as their big move was to remake Knight Rider. Fox isn't bringing in any new shows besides The Fringe until January and CW is mainly bringing in the 90210 sequel (featuring Darcy from Degrassi and Tristan Wilds from The Wire, so I'll be watching that) . So at this moment, I only plan on watching 90210 and The Fringe with a floating eye on The Mentalist. Ah well, we knew the Strikes effects would last for awhile, huh.
2) Fox Domination: For the first time ever, Fox was the number 1 television network this season in total ratings. Not only did they win the year, but they were the only network to actually increase ratings during this strike filled year, as they had over 14% more viewers this season then last season. Initially it seems surprising, because Fox is overall void of any scripted hits. However, they had one of the five highest rated tv shows this season in House (which had no rating droppage unlike other medical shows like Greys) Prison Break (which does just enough to somehow survive) and Bones, along with a few comedies that pick up decent ratings. What helped them get the increase is that they are a dominant force in the reality department. Hells Kitchen gets better ratings then you would expect (I was surprised), sadly Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader is one of the most popular gameshows right now, and then there is American Idol (*sigh). It also got huge rating boosts by the Superbowl and in the end it did enough to have a great year. If you told anyone in the mid 90's that Fox would be the top network they would've laughed at you. Maybe there is still hope for the current fledgling network...
3) CW's utter failure: CW would give anything to just be around in ten years, let alone successful like Fox became. There are already rumors floating about the network going under, and while there does not seem to be urgent merit in them, it definitely isn't great news for CW either. They are unable to pick up the ratings they desire, particularly in the areas they want. CW is trying to go after the 14-20 year old female range, and besides Gossip Girl they have struggled to get it. They hope the 90210 sequel can gather that fanbase as well. There are a few good things going for CW... Supernatural has become a cult hit with actually a decent rating-base for the channel and the critics thought they did a good job with their 3 new shows (Reaper, GG, and Aliens in America) although Reaper won't return til January because of ratings problems and Aliens in America was canceled. It may not be panic time yet, but CW has got to get moving quick towards their goals.
4) Year 2 of a Lack of Big Name Finales: I though last year was a bad year for series finales with basically only Sopranos, but this year was even worse. The biggest finale of the year was likely The Wire, and that was definitely a great series finale but I expected nothing less from the genius that is David Simon. However, besides The Wire, no other major finales occurred. Scrubs was supposed to end this season, but ABC picked it up to give it one more year and The Shield was supposed to finish up its 7 year run this summer, but it was postponed to the Fall Season. And that was it. However, cancellations there were a lot of, as more than half of the new shows that came about in the Fall have been canceled. The high cancel rate is likely the reason for so few series finales nowadays, because odds are you are going to be canceled way before you get to your end date.
5) Televised Sports Triumphant Comeback: Last year I talked about how poor Sports ratings were in everything that wasn't Football. Well, this year things are looking a lot more positive. To begin with if I thought the NFL ratings were through the roof last year, the Patriots helped create one of the highest rated Superbowls ever (once again) and throughout the playoffs and even regular season brought insane ratings. However, it doesn't end there. Both College Football and College Basketball brought ratings pleasing to the NCAA, and the NBA finally got to where they want to be rating-wise, thanks to a Lakers-Celtics finals. The other sport that actually experienced a rating increase was surprisingly the NHL. Experiencing some of their highest ratings sense the early 2000's in the finals on NBC is something the sport needed. This could be their ticket to be picked up on ESPN at least a game a week, but we will see on that. Golf was up in ratings for the US Open, but those will probably decline greatly from here on out with Woods' injury. All in all sports ratings are up, and that could be both a good and bad thing for television.
6) Cable Networks Rivaling Regular: Cable networks are getting noticed more and more as the place to go for quality (no longer just the paid channels like HBO and Showtime). To begin with the Emmy favorite comes from little known cable network AMC in Mad Men (surprisingly also the first season-long scripted show for them). You also have Closer, which absolutely dominates in the rating department, and in the summer even rivals the major networks in ratings. Battlestar Galactica continues to be a popular television show on the SciFi network in its forth critically acclaimed season. But the quality doesn't even end there with Burn Notice earning a second season. The only issue for cable networks this season, was one of the major networks, FX, had to hold over their major summer shows because of the Strike, so no Shield or Rescue Me coming up. And the quality doesn't end there, as critics love both Greek and Middle Man both ABC Family shows (although The Secret Life of an American Teenager supposedly is horrible). All in all, its time to start paying attention to whats on cable as much as mainstream networks. All of this is not mentioning the Disney Network which is a force itself in the child's department, plus High School Musical 2 was less than a year ago, and the records that created won't likely be matched (until HSM 3 probably).
7) Reinventing of Major TV Shows: Some would complain prior to this season, that television was beginning to become repetitive, whether it was original ideas or procedural. This year numerous shows tried to reinvent themselves to get that originality, some better than others. One example of this was House, who tried to create an entirely new supporting cast. This was not greeted very postively, because many fans were upset with the lack of appearances for Chase and Cameron. However, this idea does seem to be reappearing in other shows, as it seems NCIS is doing something similar with bringing in a new team to support the old. Lost reinvented itself with the predominantly flashforwards, something that people loved and it completely changed the dynamic of the show. At the end of the Desperate Housewives season, the show jumped 5 years into the future so it could create better storylines. Shows no longer wanted to be as stale and it can only be a good thing if this theme of reinvention continues.
8) Major Cancellations: As a mentioned before, while not a lot of shows had planned series enders, there was definitely a lot of cancellations this season, by far the most notable being Moonlight. Moonlight had decent Friday night ratings that consistently helped CBS win the night. Despite that, it was surprisingly canceled at the end of the Spring, only because the show was too original for the CBS mold (similar to Jericho, last year). There were a lot of save the show sites, however as of yesterday it seems that none of these shows besides Friday Night Lights was actually successful. Other notable fan favorite shows that were canceled were Aliens in America, Shark, and Journeyman. I guess not even ratings are everything now-a-days.
9) Show Shopping: The idea of picking up already established shows has become a lot more common this year, as channels are constantly making plans to pick up shows if the other network cancels them. The most common network doing this is ABC as they made a move to pick up Scrubs so it could get an actual final season and they had a plan already set up to pick up CBS' Christine if it was canceled (although sadly for ABC, CBS picked it up for another season). Other situations this year was how Direct TV made a deal with NBC to be able to air all new episodes of Friday Night Lights first in October with them, and then NBC would reshow them in February for people who don't have Direct TV. This was after extensive show shopping and that was the best offer for NBC. However, it hasn't gotten to the point of complete likelihood as previously mentioned Moonlight spent a lot of time trying to get picked up by SciFi, USA, and Direct TV which all failed. Don't be surprised, however, in the upcoming years as more canceled shows get picked up by other networks, cause it isn't nearly as difficult as it was in the past.
10) The Whimpering Fall Season: What better way to end this then a look towards the future. The Don Awards are about respecting the past year and looking at each show objectively AND the industry as a whole. Last year there was a lot of excitement coming into the Fall season with two new Schwartz shows in Chuck and Gossip Girl, and the amazingly promising Pushing Daisies. This year there is a lot less hope. To begin with, there is one tv show that the critics seem to like and looks extremely interesting from what I've seen and that is Fox's The Fringe. It seems like it is a more serious and serial version of the X-Files with the great acting talent of Lance Reddick (although sadly, Joshua Jackson is also in it). Besides The Fringe, you almost have to take a wait and see attitude, because every other show looks weak. CBS is bringing in the most new shows with two new comedies Project Gary and Worst Week, both of which seem to have nothing on last years big addition Big Bang Theory along with a group of new procedurals (although The Mentalist looks kinda interesting). ABC is barely bringing in any new shows, as their major move was bringing in a British show in Life on Mars. Similar to ABC there is few completely original shows on NBC, as their big move was to remake Knight Rider. Fox isn't bringing in any new shows besides The Fringe until January and CW is mainly bringing in the 90210 sequel (featuring Darcy from Degrassi and Tristan Wilds from The Wire, so I'll be watching that) . So at this moment, I only plan on watching 90210 and The Fringe with a floating eye on The Mentalist. Ah well, we knew the Strikes effects would last for awhile, huh.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
2007-2008 Best Television Show
Best Television Show
Chuck: first nomination
~What is there to say about Chuck. I am a huge Josh Schwartz fan as you know, so I was into this show before it ever even aired. The pilot was absolutely superb as while the show is anything but realistic, it was extremely humorous for a dramady. We saw the introductions of numerous great and quirky characters, something very few shows have accurately done. Chuck is not a show to be taken seriously, so its almost surprising that I am such a big fan of it. One of the main reasons may be that the writing as far as dialogue and human go is so similar to The O.C, and it is endearing and funny at the same time. My only hope is that next season we see alot more advancement of the main plot, but we did only get 13 episodes this season.
Dexter: first nomination
~Needless to say, if I watched Dexter live last season, this would be its second nomination because the first season was also amazing. However, I didn't start watching it until late this summer, but there was no doubt that I could not wait nearly as long for the second season, so over Christmas break I watched every episode. What surprised me is that unlike most shows, there was not any type of drop in quality in the second season. It was suspenseful, intriguing, and most importantly it allowed Dexter to really delve into himself and why he is a serial killer. It all concluded fairly well, and the build up to it was absolutely beautiful. All in all, the season leads to one big question... how can they keep this up for the upcoming third season?
Gossip Girl: first nomination
~The shows I watched are such juxtapositions of one another. First we have a comedy, then a serious drama, and now a teen primetime soap. However, if there is one thing I love about television it is the great variety and Gossip Girl is a great part of that variety. The show is a good blend of humor and drama, all in a rich kid society. The center relationships are all somewhat strong, although some development could've been used. Also it came back post-strike and put up some amazing episodes, keeping me looking forward to every Monday. Alot of people feel they are "too good" for shows like this, but Gossip Girl has great writing and similar to Chuck a good follow up to the absence that is O.C.
Lost: fourth nomination (three wins)
~I am one to say some crazy things. Such as, at this moment, I believe Lost is the most complete tv show ever made. Unlike many shows that at some point experience a drop off, Lost reinvents itself to keep it intriguing. The flashforwards are the biggest example of that. While the third season was amazing, the one weakness may have been the pointlessness and occasional boringness of flashbacks. However, all of a sudden these flashes are extremely interesting and exciting. Look at Sayid's flashforward where he is suddenly working for Ben. Totally off guard, exciting, but also pivotal. Lost season four was shortened to only 14 hours, but each of those was essential and exciting. Lost has only two more seasons left, and unless something catastrophic happens, I just don't see a show having as great a run as Lost has.
The Wire: first nomination
~First off, similar to Dexter, this would not be Wire's first nomination if I had been watching it before the previous Don Awards (as season 3 & 4 would've been shoe-ins for nominations). This was the Wire's final season, the end of David Simon's masterpiece. You got an idea of where all the major characters ended up, whether it be positive or negative. You also got to see the inner works of both the mayors office with Carcetti and the newspaper room, which showed how easy a person can create false sources just to keep himself afloat in a competitive area. The false serial killer was something I didn't overly love, but it was true that this needed to happen for the police force to get any money. In many ways you just feel smarter for watching the Wire, and while at times there may be certain groups of people you care about, there always be those you do.
Chuck: first nomination
~What is there to say about Chuck. I am a huge Josh Schwartz fan as you know, so I was into this show before it ever even aired. The pilot was absolutely superb as while the show is anything but realistic, it was extremely humorous for a dramady. We saw the introductions of numerous great and quirky characters, something very few shows have accurately done. Chuck is not a show to be taken seriously, so its almost surprising that I am such a big fan of it. One of the main reasons may be that the writing as far as dialogue and human go is so similar to The O.C, and it is endearing and funny at the same time. My only hope is that next season we see alot more advancement of the main plot, but we did only get 13 episodes this season.
Dexter: first nomination
~Needless to say, if I watched Dexter live last season, this would be its second nomination because the first season was also amazing. However, I didn't start watching it until late this summer, but there was no doubt that I could not wait nearly as long for the second season, so over Christmas break I watched every episode. What surprised me is that unlike most shows, there was not any type of drop in quality in the second season. It was suspenseful, intriguing, and most importantly it allowed Dexter to really delve into himself and why he is a serial killer. It all concluded fairly well, and the build up to it was absolutely beautiful. All in all, the season leads to one big question... how can they keep this up for the upcoming third season?
Gossip Girl: first nomination
~The shows I watched are such juxtapositions of one another. First we have a comedy, then a serious drama, and now a teen primetime soap. However, if there is one thing I love about television it is the great variety and Gossip Girl is a great part of that variety. The show is a good blend of humor and drama, all in a rich kid society. The center relationships are all somewhat strong, although some development could've been used. Also it came back post-strike and put up some amazing episodes, keeping me looking forward to every Monday. Alot of people feel they are "too good" for shows like this, but Gossip Girl has great writing and similar to Chuck a good follow up to the absence that is O.C.
Lost: fourth nomination (three wins)
~I am one to say some crazy things. Such as, at this moment, I believe Lost is the most complete tv show ever made. Unlike many shows that at some point experience a drop off, Lost reinvents itself to keep it intriguing. The flashforwards are the biggest example of that. While the third season was amazing, the one weakness may have been the pointlessness and occasional boringness of flashbacks. However, all of a sudden these flashes are extremely interesting and exciting. Look at Sayid's flashforward where he is suddenly working for Ben. Totally off guard, exciting, but also pivotal. Lost season four was shortened to only 14 hours, but each of those was essential and exciting. Lost has only two more seasons left, and unless something catastrophic happens, I just don't see a show having as great a run as Lost has.
The Wire: first nomination
~First off, similar to Dexter, this would not be Wire's first nomination if I had been watching it before the previous Don Awards (as season 3 & 4 would've been shoe-ins for nominations). This was the Wire's final season, the end of David Simon's masterpiece. You got an idea of where all the major characters ended up, whether it be positive or negative. You also got to see the inner works of both the mayors office with Carcetti and the newspaper room, which showed how easy a person can create false sources just to keep himself afloat in a competitive area. The false serial killer was something I didn't overly love, but it was true that this needed to happen for the police force to get any money. In many ways you just feel smarter for watching the Wire, and while at times there may be certain groups of people you care about, there always be those you do.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
2007-2008 Best Television Episode
Best Television Episode
The Constant (Lost): seventh episode nomination for Lost
~In some ways this may have been the most insignificant episode of Lost this season. It wasn't overly important to the main storyline, and most of it was spent towards something many Lost fans do not truly accept in time travel. However, that is looking at this episode in a very blunt way, similar to looking at a painting and just seeing what is in front of you and not the hidden view. The Constant was emotional, culminating in the perfect scene of Desmond and Penny's phone reunion and Faraday's epic words "Desmond is my constant". Just thinking about it gives me the chills
Resistance is Futile (Dexter): first episode nomination for Dexter
~Dexter was magnificent this season, no doubt about that. The thing about Dexter (and really Showtime shows in general) is that the season finale is usually not the most epic but rather the episodes previously that build up everything. Resistance is Futile is the perfect example of that. As Dexter gets more ensnared and the case gets closer to him, his relationship with Rita falls apart. Then his slides go missing, and now you know... things aren't going to work out for him. In this case the build up is way more important than the resolution
Revelations (Battlestar Galactica): first episode nomination for Battlestar Galactica
~I am a harsh critic of Battlestar, as I think overall it is a very flawed show. There are too many episodes that are completely pointless and most of the characters aren't worth a grain of salt. The finale of Battlestar however impressed me and actually earned this nomination. The outing of the four cylons was definitely a highlight, and how it all came together. However, that doesn't mean this half season of BSG was a success, because it was not... just this episode.
The Shape of Things To Come (Lost) : eighth episode nomination for Lost
~Lost is really racking up the nominations, but that is no surprise as I am one of the biggest Lost fans ever. While the Constant was relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things, The Shape of Things to Come was HUGE. Without the rest of this episode nothing of importance would ever come to play. Keamy's murder of Alex was nothing short of stunning and Ben's reaction as he plans to kill Penny as his revenge. This episode is what will propel the final two seasons of Lost, and may be one of the most important episodes to date.
Wilson's Heart (House): second episode nomination for House
~Similar to BSG I have been a harsh critic of House this season. When I heard there was a two part finale I was not overly hopeful, and then when I saw the first part I thought I was doomed it was so weak. Then part II happened, and it was nothing short of stunning. They finally let Wilson be the center point he has always deserved to be and put his relationship with House under a microscope. The last twenty minutes were absolutely amazing and you knew putting up with the season was so definitely worth it. House cares very little about people, but he cares for Wilson. To hurt him was his worst nightmare, and the repercussions will be dire, no doubt about that.
The Constant (Lost): seventh episode nomination for Lost
~In some ways this may have been the most insignificant episode of Lost this season. It wasn't overly important to the main storyline, and most of it was spent towards something many Lost fans do not truly accept in time travel. However, that is looking at this episode in a very blunt way, similar to looking at a painting and just seeing what is in front of you and not the hidden view. The Constant was emotional, culminating in the perfect scene of Desmond and Penny's phone reunion and Faraday's epic words "Desmond is my constant". Just thinking about it gives me the chills
Resistance is Futile (Dexter): first episode nomination for Dexter
~Dexter was magnificent this season, no doubt about that. The thing about Dexter (and really Showtime shows in general) is that the season finale is usually not the most epic but rather the episodes previously that build up everything. Resistance is Futile is the perfect example of that. As Dexter gets more ensnared and the case gets closer to him, his relationship with Rita falls apart. Then his slides go missing, and now you know... things aren't going to work out for him. In this case the build up is way more important than the resolution
Revelations (Battlestar Galactica): first episode nomination for Battlestar Galactica
~I am a harsh critic of Battlestar, as I think overall it is a very flawed show. There are too many episodes that are completely pointless and most of the characters aren't worth a grain of salt. The finale of Battlestar however impressed me and actually earned this nomination. The outing of the four cylons was definitely a highlight, and how it all came together. However, that doesn't mean this half season of BSG was a success, because it was not... just this episode.
The Shape of Things To Come (Lost) : eighth episode nomination for Lost
~Lost is really racking up the nominations, but that is no surprise as I am one of the biggest Lost fans ever. While the Constant was relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things, The Shape of Things to Come was HUGE. Without the rest of this episode nothing of importance would ever come to play. Keamy's murder of Alex was nothing short of stunning and Ben's reaction as he plans to kill Penny as his revenge. This episode is what will propel the final two seasons of Lost, and may be one of the most important episodes to date.
Wilson's Heart (House): second episode nomination for House
~Similar to BSG I have been a harsh critic of House this season. When I heard there was a two part finale I was not overly hopeful, and then when I saw the first part I thought I was doomed it was so weak. Then part II happened, and it was nothing short of stunning. They finally let Wilson be the center point he has always deserved to be and put his relationship with House under a microscope. The last twenty minutes were absolutely amazing and you knew putting up with the season was so definitely worth it. House cares very little about people, but he cares for Wilson. To hurt him was his worst nightmare, and the repercussions will be dire, no doubt about that.
Friday, June 20, 2008
2007-2008 Best Reoccuring Character
Best Reoccuring Character
Captain Awesome (Chuck): first nomination
~Well, his actual name is Devon, but we all know him best as Captain Awesome, Ellie's super "awesome" boyfriend. Similar to Ellie, Awesome is down to earth and has a normal job as a a doctor. However, the advice he gives to Chuck can be awesome at times and the unintentional humor at times makes him a complete hit. All I can say is that the awesome in his name is completely deserved.
Santiago Herrera (Friday Night Lights): first nomination
~If there is one thing I love on television it is cons and ex-cons. Santiago is part of that second group, an ex-con who is trying to find his new life... with a little help from Buddy Garrity. Of course, this is a show that is somewhat about football, and Santiago will find his place on the team, along with the hearts of the viewers.
Michael Lee (The Wire): first nomination
~What is there to say about Tristan Wilds acting job as Michael Lee. Such a complicated young character as the ruthless city of Baltimore has taken him into the cruel drug world. However, something happens that forces Michael to change his way of life, but instead of a happy show which would have Michael finding happiness, we instead have Michael with a shotgun trying to survive each day. His scene with Snoop may have been the best scene of Season 5 to show how he is smart, but stuck in this drug world.
Charles Widmore (Lost): first nomination
~The growth have Lost has showed us alot about the island mythology, the off island scientists, but also the war between two individuals for this island (something eerily similar to the wars for Jerusalem). One of them is Benjamin Linus, the person who was originally introduced as a bad guy, and then later as possibly even a good guy. Charles is the father of Penny Widmore, but also has an obsession with the island, and he will do anything to get it. Needless to say, his role in Lost is anything over and one of the most anticipated parts of the next two seasons will be the confrontation between Charles and Ben.
Penny Widmore (Lost): first nomination.
~It is weird to have two members of the same family on this award list, but it had to occur. Penny is the exact opposite of everything that makes her father who he is. While Charles is evil and conniving, Penny is loving and will do everything to find Desmond. It's no coincidence that the two people who have gotten boats near the island have been Penny and her father, and she was part of the two most emotional reunions in tv this season (one by phone, and the other by boat).
Captain Awesome (Chuck): first nomination
~Well, his actual name is Devon, but we all know him best as Captain Awesome, Ellie's super "awesome" boyfriend. Similar to Ellie, Awesome is down to earth and has a normal job as a a doctor. However, the advice he gives to Chuck can be awesome at times and the unintentional humor at times makes him a complete hit. All I can say is that the awesome in his name is completely deserved.
Santiago Herrera (Friday Night Lights): first nomination
~If there is one thing I love on television it is cons and ex-cons. Santiago is part of that second group, an ex-con who is trying to find his new life... with a little help from Buddy Garrity. Of course, this is a show that is somewhat about football, and Santiago will find his place on the team, along with the hearts of the viewers.
Michael Lee (The Wire): first nomination
~What is there to say about Tristan Wilds acting job as Michael Lee. Such a complicated young character as the ruthless city of Baltimore has taken him into the cruel drug world. However, something happens that forces Michael to change his way of life, but instead of a happy show which would have Michael finding happiness, we instead have Michael with a shotgun trying to survive each day. His scene with Snoop may have been the best scene of Season 5 to show how he is smart, but stuck in this drug world.
Charles Widmore (Lost): first nomination
~The growth have Lost has showed us alot about the island mythology, the off island scientists, but also the war between two individuals for this island (something eerily similar to the wars for Jerusalem). One of them is Benjamin Linus, the person who was originally introduced as a bad guy, and then later as possibly even a good guy. Charles is the father of Penny Widmore, but also has an obsession with the island, and he will do anything to get it. Needless to say, his role in Lost is anything over and one of the most anticipated parts of the next two seasons will be the confrontation between Charles and Ben.
Penny Widmore (Lost): first nomination.
~It is weird to have two members of the same family on this award list, but it had to occur. Penny is the exact opposite of everything that makes her father who he is. While Charles is evil and conniving, Penny is loving and will do everything to find Desmond. It's no coincidence that the two people who have gotten boats near the island have been Penny and her father, and she was part of the two most emotional reunions in tv this season (one by phone, and the other by boat).
Thursday, June 19, 2008
2007-2008 Best Female Character
Best Female Character
Ellie Bartowski (Chuck): first nomination
~Chuck was a show about spies and all that, but Chuck also had his sister that he cared so greatly for. Ellie was adorable, and loved his brother when not many people cared for him. While not only a beautiful actress and talented, she also is the stabilizing force for an otherwise crazy show.
Rita Bennit (Dexter): first nomination
~the quiet girlfriend of Dexter Morgan shined in the first season, and continued to do so in the second. The way she has recovered after having two children with Paul and handled what she believed to be Dexter's big secret helped her grow a little bit. It'll be interesting what the third season will have in store for her and her relationship with Dexter.
Casey Cartright (Greek): first nomination
~Who would have thought a little known ABC Family channel drama would actually earn a nominee. However, Casey as the lead actress has done a great job as a fickle college student who is witty and interesting. For a first season on a no name channel, Greek was actually pretty good, and more of Casey in the fall is definitely a good thing.
Sun Paik Kwon (Lost): second nomination
~Out of ALL of the acting nominees this year, Sun is the only person to have ever been nominated in the past, and she did that three years ago in the first season of Lost. It's a rarity to not have repeat nominees, but not in this year. Sun shined at the end of the Lost season in both the emotional island present, and even more so in the flashforwards. Sun has clearly been hardened and become a much better character because of it. Where she goes because of Jin's "death" is something we will have to wait and see.
Blair Woldorf (Gossip Girl): first nomination
~If you have noticed, alot of the acting nominees have been in pairs. Dexter and Rita, Casey and Ellie, etc. Blair is every bit the pair to Chuck Bass. She can be conniving and do anything to get her way. If you betray her, she will pay you back as painfully as possible. However, she also can be loyal to her friends (if it suits her) and help them out of their jams. Blair is not a good person, but she isn't a bad person either, and is completely deserving of this nomination.
Ellie Bartowski (Chuck): first nomination
~Chuck was a show about spies and all that, but Chuck also had his sister that he cared so greatly for. Ellie was adorable, and loved his brother when not many people cared for him. While not only a beautiful actress and talented, she also is the stabilizing force for an otherwise crazy show.
Rita Bennit (Dexter): first nomination
~the quiet girlfriend of Dexter Morgan shined in the first season, and continued to do so in the second. The way she has recovered after having two children with Paul and handled what she believed to be Dexter's big secret helped her grow a little bit. It'll be interesting what the third season will have in store for her and her relationship with Dexter.
Casey Cartright (Greek): first nomination
~Who would have thought a little known ABC Family channel drama would actually earn a nominee. However, Casey as the lead actress has done a great job as a fickle college student who is witty and interesting. For a first season on a no name channel, Greek was actually pretty good, and more of Casey in the fall is definitely a good thing.
Sun Paik Kwon (Lost): second nomination
~Out of ALL of the acting nominees this year, Sun is the only person to have ever been nominated in the past, and she did that three years ago in the first season of Lost. It's a rarity to not have repeat nominees, but not in this year. Sun shined at the end of the Lost season in both the emotional island present, and even more so in the flashforwards. Sun has clearly been hardened and become a much better character because of it. Where she goes because of Jin's "death" is something we will have to wait and see.
Blair Woldorf (Gossip Girl): first nomination
~If you have noticed, alot of the acting nominees have been in pairs. Dexter and Rita, Casey and Ellie, etc. Blair is every bit the pair to Chuck Bass. She can be conniving and do anything to get her way. If you betray her, she will pay you back as painfully as possible. However, she also can be loyal to her friends (if it suits her) and help them out of their jams. Blair is not a good person, but she isn't a bad person either, and is completely deserving of this nomination.
2007-2008 Best Male Character
Best Male Character
Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl): first nomination
~Some would consider Chuck the bad guy on Gossip Girl, but throughout the season he grew into one of the funniest characters and really carried the show at key moments. Plus his perpetual attitude and yet loyalty (at times) makes him a lot more complex then he initially seemed.
John Casey (Chuck): first nomination
~We haven't seen an episode of Chuck sense January, but that doesn't mean John Casey has been forgotten. Probably the funniest character of the show, as he pretends to not care for Chuck at all (although he does have Chuck's entire house bugged) yet you know he does feel some type of comaraderie. I just wish we had a full season of Major Casey, instead of only 13 episodes.
Desmond Hume (Lost): first nomination
~Desmond was never one to be overshadowed on Lost, but this was the season where he really took over. His scenes with Penny may have been the most memorable parts of the season, and hopefully next season he returns to the show in an equally amazing way.
Dexter Morgan (Dexter): first nomination
~Dexter would've earned a nomination last season too if I only had watched Dexter before the Don Awards. This year that problem didn't exist as while I don't have Showtime, I did spend the time during the winter to watch it, and Dexter once again made you love his complicated murderous personality.
Dr. James Wilson (House): first nomination
~It's true that one episode can really propel you to stardom, and for a long time Wilson has been the underused star of House, sometimes sadly for only a few lines an episode. However, when they finally revolved an entire episode around Wilson's feelings in the season finale, they had not just the best House episode of the season, but the best House episode ever. The emotion was amazing, and Wilson carried it. Its time he finally gets the recognition he deserves.
Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl): first nomination
~Some would consider Chuck the bad guy on Gossip Girl, but throughout the season he grew into one of the funniest characters and really carried the show at key moments. Plus his perpetual attitude and yet loyalty (at times) makes him a lot more complex then he initially seemed.
John Casey (Chuck): first nomination
~We haven't seen an episode of Chuck sense January, but that doesn't mean John Casey has been forgotten. Probably the funniest character of the show, as he pretends to not care for Chuck at all (although he does have Chuck's entire house bugged) yet you know he does feel some type of comaraderie. I just wish we had a full season of Major Casey, instead of only 13 episodes.
Desmond Hume (Lost): first nomination
~Desmond was never one to be overshadowed on Lost, but this was the season where he really took over. His scenes with Penny may have been the most memorable parts of the season, and hopefully next season he returns to the show in an equally amazing way.
Dexter Morgan (Dexter): first nomination
~Dexter would've earned a nomination last season too if I only had watched Dexter before the Don Awards. This year that problem didn't exist as while I don't have Showtime, I did spend the time during the winter to watch it, and Dexter once again made you love his complicated murderous personality.
Dr. James Wilson (House): first nomination
~It's true that one episode can really propel you to stardom, and for a long time Wilson has been the underused star of House, sometimes sadly for only a few lines an episode. However, when they finally revolved an entire episode around Wilson's feelings in the season finale, they had not just the best House episode of the season, but the best House episode ever. The emotion was amazing, and Wilson carried it. Its time he finally gets the recognition he deserves.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Television Awards Introduction
~Hello loyal fanbase! I know there has been alot of talk about how the Don Awards would be affected this season by the tragedy known as the writers strike, and while it may make it a bit harder to iron out, the awards will go forth as expected with the same fanfare as in the past. Before I go into the schedule and all that, I have some big news for my few loyal readers. I have decided to start up a weekly television blog (starting post Emmy introduction) to cover the big news, the best shows, and what I think works and doesn't. Now, who knows how well in date I will keep it going, but there definitely needs to be more of a build up to the biggest award show of the year... the Don Awards. Anyway, there will be five important updates for the Don Awards; four that appeared last year, and one completely new event. First will be major award nominations, followed by minor awards and major stories of the year. Then I will induct the first three members of what will be the newly created Don Television Hall of Fame. Lastly I will say the winner of the 5 major awards. That is the plan anyway. I hope you all enjoy
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