The Wire Award - Action Series

The Wire Award for Best Action Series
2009: Chuck (NBC)
2010: Lost (ABC)
2011: Justified (FX)
2012: Breaking Bad (AMC)
2013: Breaking Bad (AMC)
2014: Breaking Bad (AMC)

2015 Results

10. Outlander (Starz) 0 points

9. The Walking Dead (AMC) 3 points
1st by Jack

8. Boardwalk Empire (HBO) 8 points
1st by Brady

7. Banshee (Cinemax) 10 points
1st by Loose, T-time

6. Ray Donovan (Showtime) 11 points
2nd by Bonz

5. Daredevil (Netflix) 12 points
2nd by Lenny

4. The Americans (FX) 13 points
1st by Jaydon

3. Homeland (Showtime) 14 points
1st by Bonz

2. Justified (FX) 37 points
1st by Lenny

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Game of Thrones (HBO) 39 points
1st by Larry, Mags, Tyson, Cecil, Rizzo, Tippy, Marsh

With Breaking Bad no longer on the air, Game of Thrones edged out Justified for its first best action series win ever.  The show has been nominated all five years it has been on the air, finishing as high as second for its first season back in 2011.

Winner's Breakdown
1st: Larry, Mags, Tyson, Cecil, Rizzo, Tippy, Marsh
3rd: Loose, Jack, Jaydon, Lenny
4th: T-time, Brady
No Vote: Bonz

The Wire Award - Action Series

Named For: The Wire (HBO)
Awarded To: The best action series of the season
2009 Winner: Chuck (NBC)
2010 Winner: Lost (ABC)
2011 Winner: Justified (FX)
2012 Winner: Breaking Bad (AMC)

And here are this year's honorees...

10th. The Following (FOX) 0 points

9th. Orphan Black (BBC America) 5 points
4th by Jack; 3rd by me

8th. Dexter (Showtime) 6 points
3rd by Rizzo, Lenny; 5th by me

7th. Fringe (FOX) 7 points
3rd by Jack; 4th by me

6th. Sons of Anarchy (FX) 11 points
2nd by Matt

5th. Boardwalk Empire (HBO) 12 points
1st by Jaydon

4th. Homeland (Showtime) 23 points
1st by Matt

3rd. Game of Thrones (HBO) 23 points
1st by Tyson, Cecil

2nd. Justified (FX) 35 points
1st by Larry; 2nd by me

and the Poolie goes to...

1st. Breaking Bad (AMC) 47 points
1st by T-time, Jack, Mags, Rizzo, Bonz, Braids, Lenny; 1st by me

The Sopranos Award- Action Series

Named For: The Sopranos (HBO)
Awarded To: The best action series of the season
2009 Winner: Chuck (NBC)
2010 Winner: Lost (ABC)
2011 Winner: Justified (FX)

10. The River (ABC) 0 points

9. Sherlock (PBS) 1 point
5th by Matt

8. Chuck (NBC) 3 points
3rd by Jack

7. Boardwalk Empire (HBO) 8 points
2nd by Jaydon

6. Fringe (FOX) 9 points
2nd by Jack, 4th by Me

5. Sons of Anarchy (FX) 14 points
3rd by Tyson, Rizzo, Larry, and Matt

4. Game of Thrones (HBO) 26 points
1st by Tyson, Cecil, and Larry

3. Homeland (Showtime) 29 points
1st by Mags, 2nd by Me

2. Justified (FX) 29 points
1st by T-time and Jack, 1st by Me

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Breaking Bad (AMC) 34 points
1st by Jaydon, Rizzo, Matt, and Bonz, 3rd by Me

This is Breaking Bad's third overall nomination, second for best action series, and first ever win.  Here with a discussion on why the show is so great is Poolie voter Jaydon.

__________________

Breaking Bad is the story of one man’s journey from milquetoast beta male to amoral, pathologically self-serving demon. It tells this story through a series of increasingly narrow escapes from increasingly perilous webs of entanglement. One of the reasons it’s in the pantheon of great shows is that the escapes always lead to deeper, more insurmountably suffocating situations to be navigated. At the end of season 3, Gale had learned how to prepare Walt’s premium meth, rendering Walt and Jesse expendable. Walt makes Jesse kill Gale which keeps them alive but sets Walt and Gus at odds and sends Jesse into existential crisis. It also largely severs the partnership between Walt and Jesse, giving Gus an opening to foster a relationship with the lost soul.

Season 4 can be seen as the main event matchup between the long reigning champion drug lord and the wild and scrappy upstart. It’s an incredible showdown because both men are highly intelligent and evenly matched.

Gus is depicted as an indestructible genius. He reinstates his position of power over Walt and Jesse by brutally slicing the throat of an enforcer dumb enough to have been seen at the scene of Gale’s murder by eye-witnesses. This shows us two things: that Gus is capable of direct murder, and that he’ll unflinchingly end problems with immediacy. This action is a statement, “I own you until you prove no longer useful at which point you’re dead”. There’s the great moment when Gus walks determinedly into cartel gunfire and throws up his hands in a godlike gesture of infallibility. We see an avenging Gus seize power in an incredibly risky but brilliant poison plot that wipes out cartel boss Don Eladio and his men. Gus is calculating, ballsy and seemingly perfect.

Walt doesn’t buy it. In a memorable showcase of his turgid ego, Walt lets a newly ride or die Skyler know that he is the “one who knocks”. He puts his play in motion by encouraging Jesse to poison Gus with ricin hidden in a cigarette. Jesse balks, unsure of where his allegiance lies in the face of Walt’s continued under-appreciation and disrespect and Gus’s savvy self-esteem building efforts. The long boiling animosity between Walt and Jesse comes to a head in a sad fight that apparently cements the end of their partnership and derails Walt’s strategy.

The implied threat of the box cutter incident seems to kick in when Gus fires Walt. Jesse has learned the meth formula well enough to render Walt unnecessary, sending Walt into a mad scramble of attempted escape. This leads to my favorite scene of the entire show where Walt discovers that his money has been seriously depleted by Skyler paying off Ted’s IRS tab. The soundtrack thumps like a heartbeat as Walt lets out an animalistic shriek of desperation. He starts laughing maniacally and the camera eventually pans up evoking a grave to the sound of disturbing distortion. This encapsulates perfectly the idea of Walt as an unstable dead man walking who happens to be perversely enjoying the downfall of his world. It’s humbling to behold.

Walt’s laughter in that grave signified his final transition to the underworld. The move he pulls to get out of this mess crosses any person’s threshold of acceptable anti-hero activity into certain villainy. He poisons Jesse’s lady friend’s kid and convinces him when confronted that Gus is to blame. In doing so he gets Jesse back on his side and collaborates with him to lure Gus into a vehicle equipped with explosives. Gus’s supernatural drug lord senses lead him to evade the trap at the last moment.

Walt finally vanquishes his most formidable opponent by exploiting Gus’s well-earned hubris. Walt convinces Hector “Tio” Salamanca to gain revenge against Gus for his eradication of the cartel and grandson. They make it appear as if Tio is snitching to the DEA in order to get Gus to kill him at the nursing home. When Gus is about to give Tio a lethal injection, Tio lets loose one of his trademark sneers of disgust and rings his communicative bell furiously for the last time. The bell triggers a bomb that gives us one of the coolest death scenesin TV history. We see Gus walk out post explosion seeming for a second to be actually unkillable. He straightens his tie and the camera pans to the right so that we can see all of his face, half of which no longer exists. He collapses.

Walt and Jesse destroy the lab and have a talk later at the hospital garage. Jesse lets Walt know that the poisoned kid will make it and that it wasn’t ricin but Lily of the Valley that was used. Walt calls Skyler telling her “I won”. It’s here that we learn that Walt was behind the poisoning of the child as the camera pans to the Lily of the Valley plant in Walt’s garden. It’s a final shock that resonates deeply.

Walt has won but what has he won and at what cost? He has won the spot of drug lord and he’ll presumably become the new Gus.  He’s lost his soul completely and will likely continue on an evil path that will claim more victims. Will Jesse, Hank, Skyler, Walt Jr or his baby die? Will Walt kill Jesse? Will Jesse kill Walt? As we approach the final (unfortunately split into two) season, it seems like Walt’s made his finale escape. Walt overcame his greatest enemy and will now transition into becoming an even greater evil. It seems his destiny is to become the new force from which others must escape.

The Poolie Action category is consistently the most competitive. There were some very good and some great seasons put forth by competing nominees. It’s my position that Breaking Bad blew them away like Tio.

by Jonathan Stuart

The Sopranos Award- Action Series

Named For: The Sopranos (HBO)
Awarded To: The best action series of the year
2009 Winner: Chuck (NBC)
2010 Winner: Lost (ABC)

Place. Series (Network) Points (My Vote)

10. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) 2 points

9. The Chicago Code (FOX) 5 points

8. Chuck (NBC) 5 points (4th)

7. Boardwalk Empire (HBO) 6 points

6. Dexter (Showtime) 8 points

5. Sons of Anarchy (FX) 10 points

4. Terriers (FX) 10 points (2nd)

3. The Walking Dead (AMC) 11 points (5th)

2. Game of Thrones (HBO) 25 points (3rd)

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Justified (FX) 27 points (1st)

This is the second Poolie nomination, and first ever win for Justified for best action series.

Justified is sure to get no respect when the Emmy nominations are announced later this month, but here at the Quiet Pool Perspective, we give credit to excellence and excellence only.  Justified's second season was hands down my favorite of the year, drama, comedy, or action.  It is definitely one of my favorite seasons of any show in history.  It was that good.  Olyphant is a stud, we know that.  Goggins was great last year, but his journey through the good and the bad this season made him that much more interesting.  And the slew of new characters that came in to shake things up?  I almost couldn't handle how much joy I had reviewing this show on a weekly basis this spring.  The only negative thing that comes from this massive success story is that - just like Sons of Anarchy before it - season three will pretty much have no chance at stacking up.

Spring Poolies Watch- Action

With only two months left in the Poolies season, it's time to take another look at how things are shaking out before the final ballots are released on June 1st. Here's your chance to agree or disagree with the chairman in order to give whatever show or character tickled your fancy this year a shot at glory. Next up are the action awards, let's take a look around the pool...

The Sopranos Award For Best Action Series

Definites
Justified, Chuck, Dexter, Terriers, Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, and Boardwalk Empire. As we get closer to the end of the judging period, less spots will be available. These guys all are going to have a spot, so that puts three more up for grabs.

In For Now
Hawaii Five-0, The Mentalist, and Spartacus. What the first two shows lack in serialization, they make up for in good characters and in the case of Hawaii Five-0…fantastic scenery. Spartacus was only six episodes long this time around, but it improved greatly in quality from its first run. With some new show beginning in April, none of these guys are safe.

Outside Looking In
True Blood, Human Target, The Event, Sherlock, Nikita, Persons Unknown, The Chicago Code, V, and No Ordinary Family. Oh how the mighty has fallen. Just last year, True Blood finished in sixth place and received a fifth place vote from yours truly. Now the only reason I still have it on the list is in case other voters find that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was this past summer.

The Frank Pembleton Award For Best Lead Character in an Action Series

Definites
Raylan Givens (Justified), Jackson Teller (Sons of Anarchy), Morgan Grimes (Chuck), Chuck Bartowski (Chuck), and Britt Pollack (Terriers). We are not as top heavy in this category, as I worried to even label Chuck and Britt as definitely in. Although Sons was off its game this past season, that is no slight to Jackson, who I have grown even more fond of after watching a whole bunch of Undeclared as of late.

In For Now
Patrick Jane (The Mentalist), Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock), Hank Dolworth (Terriers), Steve McGarrett (Hawaii Five-0), and Dexter Morgan (Dexter). For all of the rave reviews Scott Caan received early in Hawaii Five-0’s run, it really has been Alex O’Loughlin’s Steve McGarrett that has made that show so watchable in its first season. Sherlock didn’t have much screen time, but what it did was showcase the creativity of Sherlock, which puts him in mix here.

Outside Looking In
Nucky Thompson (Boardwalk Empire), Danny Williams (Hawaii Five-0), Eric Northman (True Blood), Christopher Chance (Human Target), Rick Grimes (Walking Dead), and Jimmy Darmody (Boardwalk Empire). The Boardwalk cast was too large, and Buscemi too dull at times to warrant any of them a nomination at this point. Similarly, six episodes and not much characterization makes it a slim chance of Rick Grimes getting a nod.

The Desmond Hume Award For Best Supporting Character in an Action Series

Definites
Boyd Crowder (Justified), John Casey (Chuck), Opie Winston (Sons of Anarchy), Dickie Bennett (Justified), Gannicus (Spartacus). Those first three do not even need to be talked about. Dickie Bennett, on the other hand, has been a joyful addition to the Justified crew. Although his voice sometimes reminds me of Daniel Faraday, he act so extremely different that it’s been fantastic so far. And one of the main problems with the first season of Spartacus, other than bad acting and writing of course, was that there weren’t any likable characters. Gannicus changed that this year.

In For Now
Auggie Anderson (Covert Affairs), Kimbal Cho (The Mentalist), Joey Quinn (Dexter), Jimmy O’Phelan (Sons of Anarchy), and Devon Woodcomb (Chuck). Slim pickings down at the end of this category. If anyone shows much promise to start the season in some of the new shows, look for them to easily slide ride in.

Outside Looking In
Guerero (Human Target), Billy Blackham (Persons Unknown), Art Mullen (Justified), Al Capone (Boardwalk Empire), Jeff Barnes (Chuck), Crixus (Spartacus), and Alexei Volkoff (Chuck). A couple of these guys, most notably Jeff Barnes and Art Mullen, suffer from the fact that I’d rather not nominate three characters from a single show. Then there is the case of Al Capone, who I may have loved mostly because he was AL CAPONE. I did enjoy him, but again he was the product of lack of screen time.

The Samantha Marquez Award For Best Female Character in an Action Series

Definites
Sarah Walker (Chuck), Deb Morgan (Dexter), Katie Nichols (Terriers), Teresa Lisbon (The Mentalist), and Ames (Human Target). Is there really a chance that Sarah doesn’t win this award for the third straight year? Not much competition by the looks of it.

In For Now
Ava Crowder (Justified), Annie Walker (Covert Affairs), Tara Knowles (Sons of Anarchy), Jessica Hamby (True Blood), and Lumen Pierce (Dexter). Only half way through this season of Justified, I’m hesitant to put any of the ladies in the mix. Ava has been absent for most of the season, while Winona has been more prominent, but kind of the worst. The rest of these girls are nothing to write home about.

Outside Looking In
Mags Bennett (Justified), Ellie Bartowski (Chuck), Alex (Nikita), Winona Hawkins (Justified), and Kona Kalkua (Hawaii Five-0). I’m still torn on what to think of Margo Martindale’s Mags Bennett. I either really like her, or I think she’s a great character but I don’t like her. The latter being the way I feel about Gemma Teller of Sons of Anarchy.

The Teri Bauer Award For the Character You Love to Hate in an Action Series

Definites
Tara Thornton (True Blood), Erika Taylor (Persons Unknown), Tyler Evans (V), Nelson Van Alden (Boardwalk Empire), Ilsa Pucci (Human Target), and Moira (Persons Unknown). What’s funny is that I’ve only watched like two out of the ten episodes of V that have aired, but I know I am going to hate Tyler as much as ever, so he is definitely in. Erika and Moira from Persons Unknown made up one of my most hated combos of all time, so they are safe. And there were so many awful characters on True Blood this season, but Tara took the cake.

In For Now
Franklin Mott (True Blood), Angel Batista (Dexter), Liam O’Neill (Sons of Anarchy), and Miles Fiedler (Rubicon). Before he was the weird bad guy on The Cape, and after he was Audrey Raines’s husband on 24, he was a crazy terrible vampire on True Blood. The worst. I really don’t think Rubicon deserves any nominations, but they had so many detestable characters, that one of them should receive a nod.

Outside Looking In
Jesus Velasquez (True Blood), Maria Laguerta (Dexter), Lucy Danziger (Boardwalk Empire), Lucretia (Spartacus), Kale Ingram (Rubicon), and Oenomaus (Spartacus). Wow do I hate Lucy Lawless as Lucretia on Spartacus. How is she still on the outside? That may or may not change by the time June rolls around. The rest of these guys should be safe from a nom as we head down the final stretch.

The “Through the Looking Glass” Award For Best Action Episode of the Year

In For Now
Breaking Bad 313 – “Full Measure”
The Walking Dead 101 – “Days Gone By”
Justified 113 – “Bulletville”
Sherlock 101 – “A Study in Pink”
Terriers 113 – “Hail Mary”

Outside Looking In
Boardwalk Empire 112 – “A Return to Normalcy”
Chuck 413 – “Chuck Versus the Push Mix”
Sons of Anarchy 313 – “NS”
Dexter 508 – “Take It!”
Persons Unknown 112 – “And Then There Was One”
Spartacus 006 – “The Bitter End”

So many great Justified eps have occurred this season, that I’m having trouble picking one over last year’s finale at this point. As for the Walking Dead, I also have the finale “TS-19” in the mix. Plenty of more finales to go at this point.

Fall Poolies Watch- Action

I have grown accustomed to reviewing television here at the Quiet Pool Perspective as of late, but my first love in regards to tv has always been ranking, voting and listing. So as we get closer to the Third Annual Quiet Pool Television Awards, we will continue to take a look at how things are shaping up. With some of our favorites gone, and plenty of new competition, the 2010 Poolies should once again be quite the event. As always, I'm looking for input from both Poolie voters and non-voters in order to make the nomination process of a more democratic nature. Sound off in the comments, email me at d4cella@gmail.com or hit me on twitter @quietpool.

Now to the action. We begin with The Sopranos Award for Best Action Series.

The Definites

Chuck
Sons of Anarchy

In For Now
Justified
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Mentalist
True Blood
Terriers
The Event
Persons Unknown

Outside Looking In
No Ordinary Family
Undercovers
Hawaii Five-0
Covert Affairs
Nikita
Rubicon
The Good Guys

Here are your character awards. The Frank Pembleton Award for Best Lead Character in an Action Series.

The Definites

Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens

Jackson Teller- Sons of Anarchy
Raylan Givens- Justified
Morgan Grimes- Chuck

In For Now
Chuck Bartowski- Chuck
Patrick Jane- The Mentalist
Eric Northman- True Blood
Danny Williams- Hawaii Five-0
Hank Dolworth- Terriers
Nucky Thompson- Boardwalk Empire
Dexter Morgan- Dexter

Outside Looking In
Joe Tucker- Persons Unknown
Dan Stark- The Good Guys
Jim Powell- No Ordinary Family
Steven Bloom- Undercovers
Britt Pollack- Terriers
Sean Walker- The Event
Will Travers- Rubicon
Steve McGarrett- Hawaii Five-0

And your supporting players. The Desmond Hume Award for Best Supporting Character in an Action Series.

The Definites

Adam Baldwin as John Casey

John Casey- Chuck

In For Now
Boyd Crowder- Justified
Auggie Anderson- Covert Affairs
Devon Woodcomb- Chuck
Opie Winston- Sons of Anarchy
Kimbal Cho- The Mentalist
Billy Blackham- Persons Unknown
Joey Quinn- Dexter
Russell Edgington- True Blood
Bobby Munson- Sons of Anarchy

Outside Looking In
Andy Bellefleur- True Blood
George St. Cloud- No Ordinary Family
Chin Ho Kelly- Hawaii Five-0
Al Capone- Boardwalk Empire
Bill Hoyt- Undercovers
Wayne Rigsby- The Mentalist
Chibs Telford- Sons of Anarchy
Vince Masuka- Dexter

Oh the ladies. The Samantha Marquez Award for Best Female Character in an Action Series.

The Definites

Yvonne Strahovski as Sarah Walker

Sarah Walker- Chuck

In For Now
Ava Crowder- Justified
Deb Morgan- Dexter
Annie Walker- Covert Affairs
Tara Knowles- Sons of Anarchy
Teresa Lisbon- The Mentalist
Winona Hawkins- Justified
Jessica Hamby- True Blood
Ellie Bartowski- Chuck
Sookie Stackhouse- True Blood

Outside Looking In
Leila Buchanan- The Event
Gemma Teller- Sons of Anarchy
Samantha Bloom- The Undercovers
Kona Kalkua- Hawaii Five-0
Grace Van Pelt- The Mentalist
Stephanie Powell- No Ordinary Family
Alex- Nikita

Hate 'em. The Teri Bauer Award for the Character You Love to Hate in an Action Series.

The Definites

Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton

Tara Thornton- True Blood
Moira- Persons Unknown

In For Now
Franklin Mott- True Blood
Jesus Velasquez- True Blood
Angel Batista- Dexter
Miles Fiedler- Rubicon
Liam Ulrich- Persons Unknown
Clay Morrow- Sons of Anarchy
Talbot- True Blood
Jack Bailey- The Good Guys

Outside Looking In
Bill Compton- True Blood
Maria Laguerta- Dexter
Kale Ingram- Rubicon
Jai Wilcox- Covert Affairs
Hoyt Fortenberry- True Blood
Grant Test- Rubicon

Which episodes have you enjoyed thus far? The "Through the Looking Glass" Award for best episode in an Action Series.

Breaking Bad- "Full Measure" - 313
Justified- "Bulletville" - 113
Sons of Anarchy- "So" - 301
Persons Unknown- "And Then There Was One" - 112
The Event- "Pilot" - 101

What and who do you like fellow Poolies?

The Sopranos Award- Best Action Series

Named For: Sopranos (HBO) 1999-2007
Awarded To: Best action series from June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
Last Year's Winner: Chuck (NBC)

Place. Show (Network) Points (My Vote)

10. Dexter (Showtime) 0 points

9. The Mentalist (CBS) 1 point

8. Justified (FX) 4 points

7. 24 (FOX) 6 points

6. True Blood (HBO) 12 points (5th)

5. Flash Forward (ABC) 16 points

4. Sons of Anarchy (FX) 18 points (3rd)

3. Chuck (NBC) 20 points (2nd)

Runner-Up
2. Breaking Bad (AMC) 23 points (4th)

and the Poolie goes to...
1. Lost (ABC) 36 points (1st)

Here with his thoughts on Lost is Poolie voter, Larry...

There has been so much literature written about LOST it’s kind of annoying to put something together here.  I haven’t read everything out there, but it seems like there is an obligation in every write-up to give your thoughts on the final season/season finale (down on the season, loved the finale). Everyone knows what happened, so that’s all I really want to say about the actual show. I’d rather talk about what LOST did outside its time slot.

To say the show had a cult following would be misleading, because it was actually more intense. With LOST, more than any other show, you were either in or out. I love that. Outsiders hated when a LOST conversation broke out because it seemed like people were speaking a different language. If you found a random stranger who watched the show, you immediately had material to fill up an hour long conversation. Honestly, it’s one of the only ways I could ever enjoy a conversation with a stranger. The show would not have become a phenomenon without this passion. On the internet, the craze spilled over into what seemed like a thousand online forums and even its own wiki-like site.  The resources never seemed to end. You can’t help but appreciate that kind of devotion. Even a contributor to this site found inspiration from the show for his Twitter wallpaper.

So although I was down on the season as a whole, no show came close to entertaining me as much on and off the air. That’s why I voted for it and that’s why I think it is the best network television show ever. I have always said I am jealous of people who still haven’t seen it, because they have 120+ hours of entertainment sitting there, completely new to them. I can’t say that about any other show up for the award, so while this category is stacked, it really wasn’t that close.

by Larry Avitabile

Poolies Watch- Sopranos Award

For this week's Poolies Watch we have the action series' that will attempt to win this year's Sopranos Award. Last year it was a three show race and in a surprise to me, Chuck took home the inaugural trophy. This year I have the same three series' at the top of the heap; Lost, Chuck and 24 (in that order), but have added True Blood following a terrific sophomore season. None of the first three have started their seasons yet and True Blood has already finished so there is currently anything going on at the top of the category.

Top of the Heap
24
Chuck
Lost
True Blood

Now in the middle of the current nominees we have a transfer, a sophomore procedural and a new budding star. Last year House was the runner-up for the Dynasty Award and now in what is a tougher category should struggle to remain at the top. The Mentalist is the only procedural cop show that I can watch every week and there is a good reason for that...the characters are fantastic. Early on in its second season, Jane, Cho and the rest have yet to disappoint and The Mentalist looks like a lock for a nomination. Flash Forward is only three eps in, but the fact that it has grabbed me and many others so quickly is a good sign. I've been reading plenty reviews with complaints about the show, but those complaints are buzz and I think any show that can create as much buzz as Flash has been, it's a good sign.

Middle of the Pack
Flash Forward
House
The Mentalist

The final three shows currently holding nominations are pretty funny. First we have the Michael Clayton (Bucs wide receiver) of television barely sticking around in Heroes. Like Heroes, Clayton wowed audiences with a fantastic first season in Tampa Bay. He got everyone's hopes up, including mine which led to me drafting him in round five of my 2005 fantasy draft, and then let everyone down with a disappointing sophomore season. Oh he's still a starter for the Bucs, but there's nothing you can do with him now, just like the super hero series that is Heroes. It's still there, and it gets the job done, but more often then not it disappoints the audience. I have high hopes for ABC's new series V and Starz's Spartacus, but if something else deserves the spot, one of these three will probably get cut.

Hanging On
Heroes
Spartacus
V

Next I'll give a nod to a few shows that may or may not be knocking on the door. Criminal Minds and CSI: Miami are the only other procedural cop shows that I can watch every once in a while. Fringe I liked somewhat, but had to give up half way through last year's first season. I know Mags and Rizzo enjoy it so it gets some love here. Dexter and The Tudors are two Showtime shows that I feel I would enjoy if I ever got a chance to watch, but sadly I haven't.

Knocking on the Door
Criminal Minds
CSI: Miami
Dexter
Fringe
The Tudors