Oscar Predictions

Oscar night is quite possibly my favorite night of the year. Some are confused by my intense love for the Oscars, but I guess you could blame it on my upbringing. The Academy Awards were always an event in my house, and now I treat Oscar season with even more reverence than I do the college football season. For one night, I am completely swept away by the glamour, the emotions and the inevitable frustrations. The Oscars may not get everything right, but they’re a celebration of Hollywood, and boy, do I love Hollywood.

So I leave you with my predictions. They’re influenced both by my own experiences with the films and by what experts and bloggers are saying. Come Oscar night, I’ll probably change a few selections, but as of Friday, this is what I think. I haven’t included the categories for shorts since I haven’t seen them and I haven’t read enough about them.

Feel free to comment! Let me know if you agree/disagree/think I’m completely brilliant. And whatever you do, please watch the Oscars on Sunday on ABC at 8 ET/7 Central. Bill Condon, the director of Dreamgirls, is producing the telecast, so it’s guaranteed to have some pizzazz. And Hugh Jackman is hosting! Jackman is a brilliant Tonys host, so I have every confidence that he will do a spectacular job on Sunday night. Enjoy the awards and make your own predictions below in the comments section!

For more information and a full list of nominees go to http://www.oscars.com.

Picture: Slumdog Millionaire


This is the easiest prediction of the year. Do I really have to go into detail?

Director, Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire


Hollywood’s love affair with Slumdog will earn Danny Boyle a Best Director win. Best Picture and Best Director winners usually come from the same film, except for the Crash debacle of 2005. I would say, “Poor Ang Lee,” but he still ended up with an Oscar on his mantle.

Actor: Sean Penn, Milk


This race is between Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), and it’s honestly a toss-up right now. Experts are giving the edge to Penn, but it could easily go to Rourke, one of the many comeback kids of 2008. On a personal note, I was thrilled about Richard Jenkins’ nomination for The Visitor. He had some early Oscar buzz when the film was released this summer, but the earlier in the year a film is released, the more difficult it is to get nominated. So congrats to Jenkins! He’s my sentimental favorite.

Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader


I desperately want this to happen, and it really looks like it will. At age 33, Winslet is the youngest person to receive six Oscar nominations, but she hasn’t won yet. A loss this year would be the most painful and frustrating one yet since she is closer than ever. Her double win at the Golden Globes certainly helped. At the SAG Awards, she took home the trophy for her Oscar-nominated role in The Reader but not for her role in Revolutionary Road, which bodes well for Oscar night. Her biggest competition is Meryl Streep (Doubt), who won best actress at the SAG Awards. Actors make up the largest voting branch of the Academy, so they’ll be split with Winslet and Streep competing in the same category.

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight


It looks like my darling Patrick Verona from 10 Things I Hate About You will actually win a posthumous award for his chilling turn as the Joker inThe Dark Knight. Right after Ledger’s death, it seemed unlikely that this win was even possible. After all, Peter Finch (Network) is the only person to ever win a posthumous acting award. But once the world saw The Dark Knight, we knew Ledger would at least garner a nomination. Now he has swept award season, and it is all but guaranteed that we will see his family accepting the Oscar on his behalf at Sunday’s ceremony. It’s a fitting tribute to my teenage crush and a fine actor that we lost too soon.

Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt

Most experts are going with Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona) in this category, but I’m going to stick by Viola Davis. She’s Cruz’s fiercest competition, but Davis could suffer from vote splitting since Doubt co-star Amy Adams is also nominated in this category. Davis may only appear in about 10 minutes of Doubt, but hers is the most memorable performance of the film. She actually managed to make me forget that Meryl Streep was in the scene. Cruz has an Oscar coming her way someday, especially after 2006’s Volver, but for now I just can’t shake off Davis’ performance.

Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk


Potential Upset: Wall-E

Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire


Slumdog dominance…

Animated Film: Wall-E


Interestingly enough, Kung Fu Panda beat out Wall-E for Best Animated Feature at the Annie Awards. But even if actual animators prefer Panda, the rest of the Academy is in love with those adorable robots.

Foreign-Language Film: Waltz with Bashir

Potential Upset: The Class

Documentary: Trouble the Water

The favorite in this category is Man on Wire, but Trouble the Water is close behind. I’ll pick the underdog just for the sake of wanting a few upsets at the Oscars.

Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire


No stopping the momentum…

Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire


I’m a sucker for amazing cinematography, and I truly believe this belongs to Slumdog this year. I wasn’t as fascinated by the cinematography as I was with last year’s winner, There Will Be Blood, but still add this category to Slumdog’s Oscar count.

Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


From all this talk about Slumdog Millionaire, you wouldn’t know that Benjamin Button actually garnered the most Oscar nods at 13. The slightly overrated but visually stunning film will win in the art categories.

Costume Design: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I’m going to foolishly break tradition and go against the period piece in this category—The Duchess. Button’s 13 nominations could influence voters to choose it in the categories it’s not competing against Slumdog.

Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This film is extremely reliant on the makeup department, and they do a stunning job.

Score: Slumdog Millionaire


I’m starting to get tired of choosing Slumdog…

Song: "Jai Ho," Slumdog Millionaire

Although I’m completely unsatisfied by this list of only three nominees, I’ll go with “Jai Ho” because it’s fun to dance to, and it’s the signature song from the film. In a perfect world, I would be choosing The Boss, but confusing voting rules that I don’t understand stopped that from happening.

Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


Um…did you see Benjamin Button? It’s 11½ hours of visual effects.

Sound Editing: The Dark Knight


This category should be renamed “The Action Movie Award.”

Sound Mixing: The Dark Knight

Since no musical is nominated in this category, the win will certainly go to The Dark Knight. Notably absent is 20-time nominee and 20-time loser Kevin O’Connell. But since his only films in 2008 were The Ruins and Space Chimps, his odds for a nomination weren’t high. Better luck with Public Enemies in 2009, Kevin. I’m sure you also did an admirable job in Hotel for Dogs.

"Thanks for the Memory"...of your glorious strike beard

In case you missed it, tonight is Conan O’Brien’s last night hosting Late Night. Jimmy Fallon, the guy who could never keep it together in a sketch on SNL, will take over for the show starting on March 2. Meanwhile, we won’t see Conan again until he takes over for Jay Leno on the Tonight Show on June 1. Leno signs off just a few days before on May 29, but he’ll be back in the fall in prime time.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I’ll desperately miss Conan on Late Night. I know I can still see him an hour earlier, but his show won’t be the same. His comedy will have to be acceptable to a wider audience. A masturbating bear won’t convince my parents to switch over from Letterman to Conan as they fall asleep. So Conan will have to clean up his comedy a bit. I’m not saying that clean comedy can’t be good comedy, but Conan has gained a following by pushing the envelope and just being plain silly. I started watching Late Night in grade school (only in the summers when I had no bedtime of course) because I was drawn to his more absurd brand of comedy. Everyone has a favorite television anchor (Tom Brokaw), and everyone has a favorite late-night host. Conan is mine.

However, I’m being more negative than I should be. I’m optimistic that Conan will be able to successfully adapt his style of comedy for the earlier timeslot. Plus, I’m so proud of him for this amazing accomplishment that I can’t help but be hopeful. Conan went from relative obscurity as a Simpsons and SNL writer to taking over for David Letterman on Late Night after a controversial battle between Letterman and Leno over Carson’s spot. Sixteen years later, Conan O’Brien will be stepping into Johnny Carson’s shoes. It’s a comedian’s dream.

So I’ll stop with my dire predictions and wait until Conan actually starts the Tonight Show in June. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to Craig Ferguson reaping the benefits of Conan’s absence. I’m not planning on watching Jimmy Fallon on Late Night. I may have had a crush on him in junior high, but he was still my least favorite SNL cast member. Good job on “Weekend Update” Jimmy, but that doesn’t mean you can carry a talk show. Again, I should reserve my judgment until I actually see the show, but Fever Pitch is still too fresh in my mind.

Now I’ll have to choose between Conan and David Letterman, which is a much more difficult choice than Leno and Letterman. Even though it was a smart move for NBC, I’m not looking forward to Leno still being on the air every night. People who like Jay Leno are the same people who like Two and a Half Men. Although, that group includes my mother, so I shouldn’t be too critical.

So goodbye Late Night with Conan O’Brien! I’ll miss you and your Walker, Texas Ranger lever. See you an hour earlier in June!

Wait, I just remembered that I won’t have a TV this summer.

Why is Aaron Sorkin smiling? Because I'm a freakin' expert!

I’m just going to put this out there: I love Googling myself. I don’t do it out of vanity. I do it because I always come across a new surprise. For example, a Google search from about a year ago revealed that articles I wrote for The Observer in college were referenced in the 30 Rock and the Aaron Sorkin Wikipedia articles.

Unfortunately, the Aaron Sorkin article has been updated, and I’ve been cut. But the old article can now be found here. Here’s the info about The West Wing scribe that I am cited for writing:

His storytelling strengths lie in exploring the behind-the-scenes situations of workplace settings, such as the JAG Corps., a sports show, the White House, and lately a sketch comedy show.^[71]

Did I just blow your mind? I hope so. Should I admit that I used Wikipedia for background in the first place? Yes.

Want more of my insight? Just look at what the 30 Rock article referenced me for:

30 Rock is a five-time Golden Globe Award-winning and a nine-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that currently airs on NBC. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name "30 Rock" refers to the GE Building where NBC Studios is located and which has the address "30 Rockefeller Plaza".[1]

Check that out! I’m the first source! Too bad I didn’t actually say all those things in my article. Way to be sloppy, Wikipedia.

After reliving my Wikipedia fame, I decided to Google myself again and see if anything new popped up. I leave you with this treat. Apparently http://www.jesus-is-savior.com is using an opinion piece I wrote about celebrity marriages to advance its own agenda. It’s good to know that someone out there values my opinion. I am honored to be included on a web site that thinks evolution is a hoax, calls the Virgin Mary a whore, and argues that the U.S. and Israeli governments were behind 9/11.

So go ahead and Google yourself. As you can see, you really never know what you'll find.

Look at what I'm finally watching: The Big Bang Theory edition

On the advice of some friends, I bought Season 1 of The Big Bang Theory and started watching it. I had seen the pilot when the series premiered in the fall of 2007, but I don’t remember being particularly impressed. Leading lady Kaley Cuoco annoyed me too much, so I never gave the show a second chance.

Now I wish I would have stuck with the series because it’s actually a pleasantly funny comedy. I wouldn’t put it on the same level as How I Met Your Mother or 30 Rock, but it’s enjoyable, and the ensemble works well together.

The show centers around genius roommates Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons). Their world changes when beautiful blonde Penny (Cuoco) moves in across the hall. Well, really only Leonard’s world changes since he instantly falls for her. Sheldon is more perturbed than anything that Penny is interfering with his ordered world. Leonard and Sheldon’s best friends are the wannabe-womanizer Howard (Simon Helberg) and the timid Raj (Kunal Nayyar).

Despite the onslaught of math and science jokes, it’s an accessible show. If you made it past high school, chances are you’ll even find some of the physics jokes funny. And by the end of the first season, Cuoco started growing on me. I have to admit that she’s got some comedic chops, and I like that they haven’t turned her character into some glamorized version of a young woman living in Los Angeles. Penny is a struggling actress from Nebraska who scrapes by with her earnings from the Cheesecake Factory. The wardrobe department actually dresses her like someone who doesn’t have that much money. Let’s just say that Penny is nothing like a young Rachel Green from Friends.

I’m impressed with The Big Bang Theory because it not only managed to survive last year’s writers’ strike but also, unlike other sophomore series, its ratings get higher and higher with each passing week. Maybe I was biased at first because it’s executive produced by Chuck Lorre, the man behind the wretched and overly sexist Two and a Half Men. I guess I should have given Lorre more credit since he did do Cybill.

So if you’re looking for something to watch before How I Met Your Mother starts on Monday evenings, make sure to check out The Big Bang Theory. It’s one of the better comedies on TV right now. Thanks go out to Rachel and John for getting me to finally watch it!

Oh, and check out Chuck Lorre's vanity cards that appear at the end of every episode of Two and Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. 

My New Favorite Hat

What was my favorite non-Obama part of the inauguration? Aretha Franklin's hat. It's bold and it works. My new goal in life is to be able to pull this off someday. 

Current Obsessions, Vol. 1

Kelly Clarkson's newest single, "My Life Would Suck Without You" 

I haven't wanted to dance this much to a Kelly Clarkson single since "Since You've Been Gone." Clarkson's My December wasn't the greatest (although I did love "Never Again") so if "My Life Would Suck Without You" is any indication about the quality of the rest of her album, then I can't wait until All I Ever Wanted drops on March 17. 

Listen to "My Life Would Suck Without You":

Kate Winslet

So I'm actually always obsessed with Kate Winslet, but her incredible double-win at the Golden Globes has me so happy for her, that I couldn't leave her off this list. Moments like hers on Sunday are why I watch awards shows in the first place. She managed to have me in tears twice, and she forgot Angelina Jolie's name!

Watch her acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Drama:

*Hulu videos don't entirely fit on this site. I'm trying to figure this out, but they work fine for now.

"Senor Macho Solo," 30 Rock

Last Thursday's 30 Rock made me realize how much I had missed it over Christmas Break. There was a lot to love in this episode, especially guest star Peter Dinklage, whose character Liz asked on a date to make up for the fact that she first mistook him for a child. But my favorite moment came late in the show when Kenneth was warming up the TGS studio audience. The last thing I expected in this episode was a throwaway Teen Witch reference. Top that! And watch the clip below:

"Benefits," How I Met Your Mother

Season 3's finale hinted at Barney having feelings for Robin, and the first episode of Season 4 confirmed that Barney was, in fact, in love with her. But then we didn't hear much about it throughout the season...until now. Monday's episode gave us our heaviest dose ever of Barney's unrequited love, and Neil Patrick Harris delivered both a comedic and heartbreaking performance. Watch the episode here, and pay special attention to Robin and Barney's scene toward the end of the episode. Then sigh with me.

My Long Absence a.k.a. The Week of Twilight

As excited as I was to start this blog, I've already abandoned it for over a week! Don't blame me, blame Twilight. Since I had a lengthy Christmas Break, I decided that I would finally see what every teenage girl and a good number of my peers were obsessing over. I guess the final straw came during Thanksgiving Break, when I noticed that even the 55-year-old man sitting next to me on the airplane was reading Twilight. Clearly, I was behind.

So after a whirlwind week, I am finished with all four books in the series. I hated the first book, and if it wasn't for my friends convincing me that the books got better, I would have stopped there. Thank you everyone for encouraging me to continue because New Moon was much better, and it prominently featured my favorite character, Jacob Black (that's right, I was

 totally on Team Jacob). I'm still not entirely impressed with the books, but I can see where the hype comes from. And although Edward didn't win me over until the fourth book, I can also see how a 14-year-old girl would think he's the greatest guy ever. It's probably similar to the way I felt about Shane West's character in A Walk to Remember when I was 16 (Mandy Moore made him promise not to fall in love with her, but he just didn't listen!).

That's probably enough about Twilight since I could go on and on about what I like and dislike. I also saw the movie, though, and I have to say that the only redeeming quality of that train wreck was the hotness of Robert Pattinson. 

That said, I guarantee you I will still see New Moon when it hits theaters.

New Year, New Shows

The new year means Oscar season for the film industry, but for the television industry it means mid-season replacements. It’s a chance for networks to reshuffle their schedules, get rid of shows that didn’t work, and risk a lot on even more shows that probably won’t work. But I hold out hope for some series, especially Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse.” Below is my list of new and returning shows that I plan on watching. Note the absence of pop culture powerhouses “Lost,” “24,” and “Battlestar Galactica.” Believe me when I say I have an expansive list of good TV that I need to catch up on. The fact that I have allowed myself to evade all three of these dramas is unforgiveable. Someday I’ll make up for it. But for now, here are the shows that I plan to watch in 2009.

New Shows:

“Trust Me”

Premieres: Monday, Jan. 26, TNT

There’s really only one reason why I’ll be watching “Trust Me,” and that reason is Tom Cavanaugh (“Ed”). I’ll watch anything he’s in, even “Snow 2: Brain Freeze.” This new series stars Cavanaugh as Conner and Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”) as Mason, two best friends who work together at an advertising firm in Chicago. Their personal and professional relationship is tested when Conner gets promoted to creative director, leaving Mason behind. “Trust Me” is advertised as a drama, but with two comedic actors in the leading roles, I’m sure it will incorporate some buddy comedy elements.

“Dollhouse”

Premieres: Friday, Feb. 13, FOX

Summer of 2008 was my own personal “Summer of Joss Whedon.” I devoured “Firefly,” “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” “Buffy,” and “Angel,” and then began the patient wait for Whedon’s “Dollhouse,” starring Eliza Dushku. The series follows Echo (Dushku), an “Active” or “Doll” who carries out missions and then has her memory wiped clean after her mission is complete. The operation runs smoothly, until Echo begins to become self-aware. FOX stuck the series in a Friday night timeslot due to an already jam-packed schedule so expect Whedonites to fight viciously for the series’ survival. The pain of the network’s mishandling of “Firefly” is not forgotten.

“Castle”

Premieres: Monday, March 9, ABC

Nathan Fillion stars as mystery writer Richard Castle. When someone starts mimicking the crimes described in his novels, he must join forces with the NYPD to help them catch the copycat killer. I feel like this has been done before (like on “One Life to Live,” Fillion’s former soap), but I’ll watch it for Fillion. I wasn’t really a fan until “Waitress,” but then I watched “Firefly” and I was completely hooked.

“Sit Down, Shut Up”

Premieres: April, FOX

The animated series has something to do with high school teachers, but who really cares about the plot when you have these names behind the project: Mitch Hurwitz, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Henry Winkler, Will Forte, Kristin Chenoweth, and Cheri Oteri to name a few. I’ll watch anything that the “Arrested Development” creator brings my way.

 

Returning Shows:

“Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels”

Premieres: Sunday, Jan. 4, VH1

I never watched the first “Rock of Love,” but I was deeply entrenched in “Rock of Love 2.” Let’s just say I kind of know Season 2 winner Ambre, which means I closely followed all of the second season (and maybe went to a viewing party at a bar in Chicago on Easter Sunday). Sadly, Ambre and Bret broke up, but that just means that Bret can continue his quest for true love and sex with bimbos. This time he puts his groupies on tour buses! I’m taking bets on how many episodes it takes for him to sing “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”

“Scrubs”

Premieres: Tuesday, Jan. 6, ABC

So “Scrubs” isn’t as good as it used to be, but I’m still a devoted fan. I’m amazed it lasted as long as it did on NBC. Now the series is trying its luck on ABC. The eighth season premieres on Tuesday and it’s going to be Zach Braff’s last. It’s been hinted that the series will continue even after Braff leaves, but it will be interesting to see how Bill Lawrence handles that change since the series is narrated by Braff’s character J.D.

“Real World: Brooklyn”

Premieres: Wednesday, Jan. 7, MTV

“Real World” goes to Brooklyn! Is the long-time reality show really running out of locales? But I don’t really care where the “Real World” films. I keep watching because I keep hoping that something “real” will actually come out of the series, like in the earlier seasons. Chances are I’ll lose interest after a few episodes, but I still like to give every season a shot.

“Big Love”

Premieres: Sunday, Jan. 18, HBO

It’s been a long time since we last checked in with the Henrickson clan, and I personally can’t wait to see what’s new. I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of patriarch Bill. The real reason I watch is for the women, including Amanda Seyfried who plays Sarah, the oldest daughter of Bill and Barb. Watching Sarah rebel against the polygamist lifestyle as her brother Ben embraces it is a fascinating look at how the decisions of the parents in this untraditional household are affecting their children.

Television: Favorites of 2008

Happy New Year everyone! My retrospective on TV in 2008 is a few days late, but I was out of town for New Year's Eve. I decided to only focus on the good in 2008 since I like to stay positive and I find it difficult to narrow down all the crap sometimes. And since I surprisingly don't watch enough TV to make a thoughtful "Best of" list, I focused on my favorites of the year in the series that I actually do watch. You'll notice that I tend to gravitate more toward comedies. You'll also notice that those comedies tend to be either "30 Rock" or "How I Met Your Mother." I wanted to include so much more than I did, like the Olympics and the Election. And reading over this list again, I am shocked that I found no place for "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" so please note that Joss Whedon's Internet musical sensation was the entertainment highlight of my summer. In the coming days I'll be writing about the mid-season replacements that I am most looking forward to. But for now, let's reflect on 2008.

SPOILER ALERT: Important plot developments may be discussed below. Read at your own risk.

Favorite Comedy:

“30 Rock”

“30 Rock” successfully filled the void that was left in my heart after “Arrested Development” was cancelled. It’s the best comedy on television, and thanks to Tina Fey’s stint as Sarah Palin on “Saturday Night Live,” it’s finally getting more viewers than just the friends I have forced to watch it and me. 2008 was a good year for “30 Rock” for obvious reasons. It garnered as many awards as it did critical acclaim. But beyond critical and industry recognition, “30 Rock” continued to excel creatively. Not even the 100-day writes’ strike could stop the series’ momentum. Season 3 got off to a solid start, but the series has become too trigger happy with stunt casting. As funny as Jennifer Aniston and Oprah Winfrey were, “30 Rock” has a talented supporting cast fully capable of carrying an episode.

Runner-Up:

“How I Met Your Mother”

If “30 Rock” is the best comedy on television, then “How I Met Your Mother” is one of the most underrated ones. However, 2008 brought critical acclaim and higher ratings. “HIMYM” even snagged two guest appearances from Comeback Kid of 2008 Britney Spears.  And it’s okay that we haven’t met the mother even in Season 4 because the real reason we watch is for Ted, Marshall, Lily, Robin, Barney, and the slap bets. The real pleasure in watching “HIMYM” is seeing the ensemble cast interact. Their scenes at their regular booth in their regular bar are some of the funniest. We can tell that the actors are not only trying to make us laugh, but they’re trying to make each other laugh as well.

Favorite Drama:

“Mad Men”

While I appreciate the men of “Mad Men,” Season 2 belonged to the women. Don Draper and his glorious suits may have dominated each episode but Betty Draper, Peggy Olson, and Joan Holloway took control in 2008. Betty finally kicked Don out of the house, Peggy got her own office and switched from “Mr. Draper” to “Don,” and Joan…well our Joanie didn’t have a very good year after all. Not only did her former lover, Roger Sterling, leave his wife for someone besides her, but then her unworthy fiancé raped her in the offices of Sterling Cooper—the very place she has the most power. Kudos to Christina Hendricks for her fine acting during that scene and every other. Hendricks, January Jones and Elizabeth Moss all deserve recognition for a fine year.

Runner-Up:

“Bones”

I’m usually not a fan of crime procedurals, but “Bones” is the exception. It differs from other procedurals with its emphasis on character development. The crime-of-the-week often takes a back seat to the relationship and flirtation between FBI Agent Seeley Booth and forensic anthropologist Temperance “Bones” Brennan. I tune in for the humor of their partnership and their chemistry. Even by Season 4, the two have only shared one kiss, but that only means audiences keep watching.

Favorite Late-night Program:

“The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”

In 2008, I often found myself tuning into Craig Ferguson rather than Conan O’Brien. I still love Conan and I fear what changes his shows will undergo when he takes over for Jay Leno, but Ferguson won me over this year with the storytelling-style of his monologues and his kooky sketches. Ferguson also knows how to reach hearts when he needs to, such as when he encouraged people to vote or when his mother passed away late in the year.

Favorite Actor:

Zachary Levi, “Chuck”

 “Chuck” is a show I always love, but am terrible about watching consistently. I only recently started watching Season 2, which could explain how Zachary Levi beat out Alec Baldwin for my favorite actor spot in the 11^th hour. “Chuck” is one of the most entertaining shows on television, and it wouldn’t work without Levi. In 2008, he brought more confidence to Chuck the spy without sacrificing his vulnerability as Chuck the everyday, average guy. He’s a geek with sex appeal, and he’s currently a candidate for my Great TV Crush of 2009.

Favorite Actress:

Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

Perhaps the only person who had a better year than Tina Fey was Barack Obama. As Liz Lemon on “30 Rock,” Fey has turned herself into a modern-day Mary Tyler Moore. Fey injects so much of her real life into the series that you never know where Tina Fey ends and Liz Lemon begins. After a rocky start in the beginning of the series, Fey has more than managed to keep up with acting juggernaut Alec Baldwin. Together they are one of the funniest duos on television. When she won her SAG award in early 2008, she said: “If you’ve seen me on the show with Alec Baldwin, then you know it’s sort of like watching Fred Astaire dance with a hat rack. After a while, you’re like, ‘Oh, that hat rack is pretty good too.’ So you’ve given an award to the hat rack, and I thank you.” Hopefully by the end of 2008, Fey gave herself some more credit. It was truly her year.

Favorite Supporting Actor:

Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”

It’s a crime against the Emmy gods that Neil Patrick Harris doesn’t yet have an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, but Jeremy Piven has turned out to be the Tony Shalhoub of that category. Harris portrays Barney Stinson, the male chauvinist with the heart of gold on “HIMYM.” Barney could have easily gone the way of Charlie Sheen’s character on “Two and a Half Men,” but it’s a credit to both Harris and the writers that we love Barney even with his sexist ways. This season, Harris has been able to brilliantly balance Barney’s secret love for Robin with his not-so-secret love for bimbos. He has made Barney the standout character of the show without upstaging anyone in the ensemble.

Favorite Supporting Actress:

Cobie Smulders, “How I Met Your Mother”

2008 was the year that I began to truly appreciate Cobie Smulders on “HIMYM.” I should have made her my favorite after her Season 2 Robin Sparkles reveal, but I think I was distracted by Jenna Fischer on “The Office” and her MySpace blog. As Robin Scherbatsky (best last name ever?), Smulders has made Robin a little goofier in recent seasons and it works well for the character. There’s no reason that Smulders shouldn’t already be a star. She’s a romantic comedy lead waiting to be plucked from prime time, but I would only support that if she remained on the show as our favorite Canadian ex-pop princess.

Favorite Couple:

Chuck and Blair, Gossip Girl

“Gossip Girl” has its critics and rightfully so. Although I am quite addicted to the soap, I agree that it offers a superficial and extremely false depiction of teen life. And if it weren’t for one steamy couple, I probably wouldn’t watch it. But Chuck and Blair have sucked me in. The series is supposed to center around the life of Serena, but her quest for goodness quickly took a back seat to Chuck facilitating Blair’s decent into badness. What Chuck and Blair now have goes beyond lust. But Blair is proud and Chuck doesn’t think he deserves love so these two continue to play games with each other’s feelings. But then again, those games are half the fun.

Least Favorite Couple:

Jim and Pam, The Office

I’ll admit that Jim and Pam have become more tolerable in Season 5, but could the writers have made these two any more boring once they finally got together? It breaks my heart that I have started disliking them so much. I was a JAM fanatic leading up to the Season 3 finale, but they became a little too syrupy sweet for my taste. I much prefer the dorkiness of Michael and Holly or the twistedness of Dwight and Angela.

Great TV Crush of 2008:

David Boreanaz, “Bones”

2008 was the year of my massive crush on David Boreanaz. I never watched “Buffy” or “Angel” when they originally aired so Boreanaz was never really on my radar. But this is the year I decided to catch up with the two seasons of “Bones” I had missed, and it is the year I decided to finally start watching “Buffy” and “Angel.” Let’s just say it was a crazy summer filled with me pining after him, cursing the fact that his beautiful wife seemed super cool, and wishing I loved the NHL so that we would have something to talk about when we finally met. By the end of 2008, I was doing much better, especially since Jon Hamm finally entered my life. But that doesn’t mean my heart didn’t break for him when he was forced to present an Emmy award with Lauren Conrad at that atrocious ceremony this year.

Favorite Strike Beard:

Conan O’Brien’s

There weren’t many good things to come out of the writers’ strike except for a well-deserved new deal for the writers (for the record, I was 100% for the strike). But one trend I became a fan of was the strike beard. Apparently, when writers and actors stop working, they stop shaving too. And no one’s facial hair was more glorious than Conan O’Brien’s flaming red beard. It worked well for him, and the day he shaved it was a sad day indeed.

Favorite Series to Get Killed by the Writers’ Strike:

“Pushing Daisies”

The consequences of the writers’ strike are still being felt, and one of its devastating casualties is the television fairytale “Pushing Daisies.” The networks mishandled the return of series after the strike and decided not to resume production on many of their freshmen series. “Pushing Daisies” didn’t necessarily garner huge audiences in its first season, but any progress it had made was lost when it disappeared from the airwaves for 10 months. When it returned this fall, the show and many other second-year series struggled for audiences. Add “Pushing Daisies” to the ever-growing list of quality television that we lost too soon. 

First Post

Hello! Welcome to my first post! This is a blog for my thoughts on television and the entertainment industry in general. My name is Cassie, and I am a graduate student studying journalism. After writing about entertainment for my college newspaper, I found myself missing having an outlet to express my oh-so-important thoughts. Since everyone else already has a blog, I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. So let's see how long my journey into the blogosphere lasts. I plan on mostly writing about television, my one true love in life (after Tom Hanks), but I don't want to limit myself. If I find something interesting or see a good (or bad) movie, I'll share it with you. Maybe I'll even blog about my love for "General Hospital." Actually, I probably will do that. In the end, I just want this to be a place where I can put my thoughts down for anyone or no one to read. Hope you enjoy.