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)