2009 TV Yearbook

2009 was quite a year. Our TVs went from analog to digital. We lost some memorable entertainers and also birthed a lot of incredibly famous nobodies. (Can we say balloon hoax and OctoMom?)  Oprah announced the end of her talk show, and Paula’s American Idol contract didn’t get renewed. New Jersey somehow managed to capture our attentions in housewife and shore form. And Lauren Conrad left the Hills to do…something…else?

It seemed like television might not make a comeback after the dreaded 2007-2008 Writers’ Strike, yet here we are at the end of a fantastic year of television. It’s inevitable that some great shows, actors and moments will be left off this list which is part of the reason I wanted to focus on superlatives instead of a top ten. (Much easier to choose.) And of course, not everyone will agree with my opinion, but if we were all attending the Nisi School of TV, this is what the superlatives page in the yearbook would look like.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2009
BEST BOWOUT: Battlestar Galactica
Very rarely does a show come around that can meld intergalactic battle and robots with the quest to understand the true meaning of humanity. BSG could be so nail-bitingly action-packed one moment and then tender and somber the next. Ronald D. Moore was unafraid to confront the oft-tense discussion of religion and science or personal freedom vs. national security. He turned a campy ‘70s show into modern and relevant gold. The final season satisfied by wrapping up unresolved mysteries, mourning the loss of many characters we became fully invested in, revealing all of the cylons and just plain concluding an epic journey.

BIGGEST LETDOWN: FlashForward
Already, the show’s been shelved away until March of 2010. It’s mired with set shutdowns and a show runner shift. For me, working against it is my high opinion of Robert J. Sawyer’s book which is slowly being destroyed with each minute I watch the show. It’s quite possible that their winter hiatus will give the writers a chance to really sort out the story and figure out how to find and covey its voice. Maybe in 2010, FlashForward will begin to live up to its potential. But with an already difficult premise to sustain, a stiff lead in Joseph Fiennes and way too many music montages, I won’t hold my breath.

BEST TRANSPORT: Torchwood: Children of Earth
This miniseries rejuvenated the Torchwood series, ramping up the wit, the action and the death. All this was accomplished while not focusing too much on the show’s heavy backstory and alienating newbies. They also made some tough decisions that were sure to pain many faithful viewers, but I believe the story benefited from this sacrifice. I was scared of the creepy children in Village of the Damned and The Grudge, but CoE brings that fear much closer to reality.

BEST KEPT SECRET: Party Down
Who would have thought that Starz could hide a comedy goldmine? I may not want to continue to designate this show as a secret because before I know it without viewers, Party Down could be gone. (So start watching!) Though 30 Rock continues to be a critical success, very few shows centered around the entertainment industry flourish. At its heart, Party Down is about a group of hapless misfits just waiting for their big break. By working as cater waiters, the writers have ample event fodder to work with, and hopefully I’ll be party hopping with this crew for a long time.

DRAMA KING & QUEEN: Rachel Berry & Cameron Tucker
Glee is arguably the debut show of the year, and its success is in large part due to its lead and her voice. As an unknown to relatively anyone outside of the Broadway world, Lea Michele was given the opportunity to fully mold and embody Rachel, the girl with the undeniable talent who is almost impossible to ignore. And never did TV make dysfunctional families look so good than on Modern Family. Eric Stonestreet steals scenes as Cam with his hilarious flair for the dramatic and his lovable individuality. Whether focusing on his devotion to his partner Mitchell, his love for newly adopted Lily or his enthusiasm as Fizbo the Clown, Cam is always the center of attention.

BEST COMEBACKS: Alicia Florrick & Dexter Morgan
As an Emmy award-winning actress for her work on ER as Nurse Carol Hathaway, there’s no doubt that Julianna Margulies has the chops . But after 2008′s Canterbuy’s Law, I wasn’t so sure that The Good Wife wouldn’t be just another legal drama. Ripped right out of the new headlines of stories like Eliot Spitzer and John Edwards, Alicia returns to work after her politician husband gets caught with his pants down. She’s intelligent and strong yet emotional, and Margulies plays her beautifully. Okay, Michael C. Hall never really went anywhere, but Dexter sort of did. Last season’s Prado (Jimmy Smits) storyline started out well but spiraled into absurdity. Then, there was the question of whether the baby would kill the show? Season four was so prime to bomb that it was relegated from my DVR list to OnDemand viewing. But a season hasn’t been so good since numero uno. With the addition of John Lithgow as Trinity, Dexter was able to confront his life as a husband and father in an interesting, compelling and often comical manner.

VILLAINS YOU LOVE TO HATE: Russell Hantz & Sue Sylvester
There have been a few gripping moments on Survivor this season (ex: Russell Swan‘s collapse), but overall, the one character that made this semi-bland season worthwhile has been evil Russell. He’s found three immunity idols, two without clues, and almost single-handedly runs the game. Glee’s Sue can somehow say the most despicable things and make you love her more with each word. There’s no doubt that certain things should never be uttered, and some things are politically INCORRECT for a reason, but her conviction and ability to speak her mind always results in pure hilarity. Plus, Jane Lynch is an animal. (Also see: Party Down)

WEDDING WE’D MOST LIKE TO CRASH: Niagara Falls Nuptials
With a ton of buildup and heightened expectations, Pam and Jim’s wedding had a lot to live up to. This Office episode managed to be funny, sweet and beautiful all at the same time. Recreating the YouTube sensation “JK Wedding Entrance Dance,” with their Dunder-Mifflin co-workers shimming down the aisle, was priceless. What the show does best is achieve the unexpected. You can’t say you predicted the show to kick off the season with office Parkour, right?

BIGGEST CRAZE RUN AMOK: Fang Frenzy
The Western world has always had a slight obsession with all thing undead, but 2009 was the year things exploded. Vamps moved from the underground and out into the sun, from fantasy to mainstream. True Blood is breaking HBO records and getting nominated for prominent awards. The Vampire Diaries is helping to revitalize the struggling CW and the Twilight series is almost tandem to a living, breathing organism. You’d think we’d almost sucked the life out of the vampire fad, but I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.

BEST ‘OH NO THEY DIDN’T’ MOMENT: The John Deere incident
If someone would have asked me to foretell one of the most surprising TV scenes of the year, I would have leaned more towards reality TV, maybe the soapy Desperate Housewives or Grey’s Anatomy. The molasses-paced Mad Men wouldn’t have even crossed my mind. Now all I think is what can top a show that fit a champagne-laced ad office, an obnoxious Brit, a secretary riding a John Deere tractor and a missing limb into one episode. No one can say, any longer, that nothing happens on Mad Men.

BEST NEVER AIRED EPISODE: “Epitaph One”
I championed Fox’s decision to bring back Dollhouse for another season, especially after seeing this unaired episode. Set in the Dollhouse future, viewers got to see a post-apocalyptic world where the invention of Doll technology had brought the world to its knees. Joss Whedon‘s fans love him so intensely because the worlds he creates seem so whole and believable. Yet, they are unlike anything we’ve ever imagined. It would have served well as a series finale. And though I haven’t been a strong fan of the second season, I think now that an end has been ordered, this episode will help craft and lead the show to an intriguing conclusion.

OTHER WINNERS INCLUDE:
HOTTEST MILF & DILF: Jules (Cougar Town) & Don Draper (Mad Men)
BIGGEST BREAKOUT: Matthew Bomer (White Collar) & Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries)
TIGHTEST CLIQUE: The MacLaren’s Crew (How I Met Your Mother)
CUTEST COUPLE: Coach and Mrs. Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
SWEETEST SUPER SPY: Chuck Bartowski (Chuck)
MOST ANTICIPATED 2010 RETURN: Lost

WRAP IT UP
Only two more weeks until 2009 is history and 2010 starts making a name for itself. Will we still remember V and FlashForward in the spring? Can Glee sustain its forward momentum when it returns next April? Who’s going to be the next American Idol? And the biggest question of all, how does Lost end? TV is one year older, folks, and I couldn’t be more excited!

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Photographs courtesy of HBO, BBC America, Starz, NBC, ABC, and IMDbPro.