The Annual TV Awards, THE REGGIES

First, A Couple of Random Riffs

From the Worst Kept Secrets Department, Part 1: Today the Los Angeles Lakers rehired Phil Jackson to coach their team for the next three years at an estimated $10 million per year. Since the last season Without Phil chewed up two coaches and ended a disastrous 34-48 with the Lakers out of the playoffs, the Lakers braintrust has really only talked to Jackson about taking over the helm, which is why the news was no big surprise. Even though I am an avowed Laker Hater, it will be interesting next year to see Phil and Kobe try to make up and pretend that they get along and it could be fascinating watching Phil try to keep that phony Zen calm while trying to coach a team that should struggle to reach .500. That is, if the NBA even plays next year, which seems to be boneheaded risk they are willing to take. But that's a topic for another blog...

From the Worst Kept Secrets Department, Part 2: Also today Destiny's Child sent out a press release stating that after their current tour the group will disband, wanting to "go out on a high note." I can't wait for the reunion tour, after Beyonce has sold seventy kajillion records while the other two have had to resort to singing background jingles to Tommy Hilfilger ads.

The Reggie's, More Prestigious Than A People's Choice Award

Has it really been a year since the last Reggie Awards, my definitive, entertaining and oh so humble recap of the year in television? I guess time flies when you're watching reality TV while injesting massive amounts of methadone or whatever it is I've been doing.

To recap, the Reggie's are my personal awards for the best from the previous television year, in this case, 2004-05. Since the awards are personal, they reflect my own weird, decidedly non-mainstream tastes, although I do try to be openminded to shows that have obvious quality or undeniable appeal outside of my usual viewing schedule. And, as an added bonus, through means I'd rather not discuss, I am an actual Emmy voter, which means that my "Reggie Award" choices have a small chance of influencing the Emmy nominations which are due out in about three weeks. (Nyah nah nah nah!)

Since the main problem of any award process (besides general irrelevance) is that there are too many award categories, I've limited my nominations and choices to ten categories that most average TV viewers might conceivably have an opinion on. As always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions, especially when it comes to recommending "Reality" programs, an area where I am especially weak. So, without further adieu, the Awards:

(FICTIONAL) COMEDY SHOW OF THE YEAR: Arrested Development, FOX
My Other Nominees
Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS
The Office, NBC
King of Queens, CBS
Comments: I'm not madly in love with Arrested Development, but as the only scripted sitcom on TV that consistently makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it, it's the clear winner. Raymond went out while still funny (especially some of the early season episodes) and the American version of The Office showed off-kilter potential (especially in the "Diversity" episode) even if they made some disastrous choices in their supporting casting. Still, it was a struggle coming up with even four sitcoms that I really like and it wasn't that long ago that it seemed like comedy ruled the airwaves. Is it cyclical? Or is Hollywood just out of ideas?

DRAMA SHOW OF THE YEAR: Deadwood, HBO
My Other Nominees
The Shield, FX
House, FOX
Lost, ABC
The Wire, HBO
The West Wing, NBC
Comments: On the other hand, drama has never been better on the boob tube. I could make an argument for why every show on the above list could be the best drama on TV--and maybe I could make a case for three or four more dramas as well. But Deadwood was head and shoulders above the crowd last season because no show had a richer palette, better performances or livelier (or more profane) dialogue. Honorable mentions to The Shield, which proved that adding Glenn Close to the cast was more than just a gimmick as it responded with it's most compelling season since it's first one and Lost, which helped reinvent the sci-fi/adventure drama with a believable and highly cinematic series.

REALITY SHOW OF THE YEAR - Competition Division: The Amazing Race, CBS
My Other Contenders
America's Next Top Model, UPN
American Idol, FOX
The Apprentice, NBC
Comments: My girlfriend is much more of an expert on reality programming than I am since frankly, I can barely tolerate the genre. And I confess that I've never watched a single episode of The Apprentice and only a few episodes of American Idol (Carrie Underwood?! America, are you kidding me?) I just know that no show is more difficult to pull off every week than the globetrotting Amazing Race. And you know what? It's pretty damn entertaining--and it doesn't have the preachy histrionics of Tyra Banks from the last season of Top Model.

Before the end of the week, the rest of The Reggies. Wear your black tie and put on your dancing shoes...how about that, a blog cliffhanger!