My Top Ten Television Performances of The 2009-2010 Season

As another television season wraps with the conclusion of May sweeps, it's time to reveal my ten favorite television performers from this past season. While some the shows from last year's list were represented again, there has been a change in many of them in terms of who represents them this time around. Without further ado:

10.

Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)

Continues to show fresh comic chops as the show's MVP.

9.

Tina Fey (30 Rock)

Falling in love with Liz Lemon has never been so easy.

8.

Neil Patrick Harris (The 2009 Tony Awards)

As natural of a television host can ever get.

7.

Courteney Cox (Cougar Town)

Making us forget about Monica in one funny swoop.

6.

January Jones (Mad Men)

Diving in head first as her character's plot thickens.

5.

Jane Lynch (Glee)

Makes watching a singing and dancing villain so much fun.

4.

Keir Gilchrist (The United States of Tara)

Taking full advantage of the common coming-of-age movement.

3.

Portia De Rossi (Better Off Ted)

Deadpanning the brilliance of an over zealous character.

2.

Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights)

Letting us believe cheering for teenagers to succeed is more than possible.

1.

Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

As endearing as a lovable goofball can ever be.

My Amazing Race 16 Wrap-Up

So after traveling around five continents around the world, the winners for Season 16 of The Amazing Race is finally crowned. Just in case readers haven't gotten around to watching the thrill ride of a finale just yet, I'll refrain from revealing the winners until the end of this season recap blog. So, on to the awards!

Most Entertaining Team:

Team Cowboys

Every week they've managed to find ways to use their country charms to

turn their adventures in foreign countries into an episode of 'Howdy Doody'.

Runner-Ups: Team Brothers & Team Big Brother

Most Boring Team:

Team Father/Daughter

While likable, they had less charisma than teams that were eliminated

early on to the point their screentime didn't even exceed a minute.

Runner-Ups: Team Lawyers & Team Joe and Heidi

Most Likable Team:

Team Cowboys

Without a doubt, the fan favorites for this season.

Runner-Ups: Team Brothers & Team Big Brother

Least Likable Team:

Team Joe & Heidi

This one is all on Joe. He single-handedly put arrogance to a new level.

Runner-Ups: Team Models & Team Lesbians

Best Team Chemistry:

Team Brothers

No other team showed the kind of support for each other like these two.

They knew what the other was capable and not capable of doing and won't

push the envelope too far.

Runner-Ups: Team Cowboys & Team Detectives

The Luckiest Team:

Team Models

Each week became a head scratcher as fans wonder how these two

managed to fumble and tumble their way to the final three.

Runner-Ups: Team Cowboys & Team Brothers

Best Individual Player:

Steve (Team Father/Daughter)

Making wise decisions (leaving the backpacks) and good moves (ducktaping

that car), Steve seem to know what to do in all the right moments.

Runner-Ups: Jet (Team Cowboys) & Cord (Team Cowboys)

Worst Individual Player:

Jordan (Team Big Brother)

Didn't contribute once to the team and actually dragging the team behind,

forcing teammate Jeff to carry the weight until it became way too much.

Runner-Ups: Jody (Team Grandma/Granddaughter) and Adrian (Team Sweethearts)

Heroes:

Team Cowboys

The apparent frontrunners after 2 episodes, their clean game got them far

in midst of near-eliminations and obstacles.

Runner-Ups: Team Father/Daughter & Team Big Brothers

Villains:

Team Lesbians

They sure were mean, bitchy and judgmental. Brandy's Cruella Deville

impression might as well one of herself.

Runner-Ups: Team Models & Team Detectives

So there ya go. Another globe-trotting season of The Amazing Race. Regarding the finale, I had a strong inkling last week that Dan and Jordan would somehow manage to pull out this win. What I didn't expect was their initial catty-ness and cutthroat method to get there in the beginning, it's the strongest (and right) move and they shouldn't be judged for it. It's a million dollars, afterall! It turns out Brent & Caite were no factor at all and it appears the virtual reality world was too much for Jet & Cord to overcome.

My Amazing Race Rankings (Week 11)

After the first episode of this season of The Amazing Race, my picks to make it to the final three were The Cowboys (Jet & Cord), Father/Daughter team (Steve & Allie) and Team Lesbians (Carol & Brandy). One out of three ain't too bad, and if it wasn't for a non-elimination leg, I would've gone 0-for-3.

Last night, the teams continue their trek around Shanghai, where more cabbie trouble ensued and more cultural insults were made. At the end, it was Michael & Louie, who were the only team this season to win three consecutive legs, that got Phil-iminated. So here we are, three teams with not one racer over the age of 30, racing from Shanghai to San Francisco for a million dollars. In alphabetical order, they are:

Brent & Caite

"Team Models"

# of Times Finished First: Once (Week 11, Shanghai)

Strongest Leg: Week 10, Shanghai. Even though they came in second, they didn't make a single mistake.

Weakest Leg: Week 4, Germany. It was not pretty for the models when they started the leg in a hospital room and ending the day with Caite's bad leg.

Stronger Player: Brent

Strengths: Determination when applied, being at the right place at the right time & good ol' fashion player hating.

Weaknesses: Bickering, counting (Caite) and not reading directions.

Summary: The bickering couple starting the race relatively weak, but as their

annoyance factor raised, so did their game.

Odds To Win It All: 1 to 3

Dan & Jordan

"Team Brothers"

# of Times Finished First: Once (Week 9, Singapore)

Strongest Leg: Week 7, The Seychelles. Even though they came in second, they proved their bond and what they were capable of.

Weakest Leg: Week 2, Chile. Not even remotely close to warmed up and not knowing how to drive a stick shift were nearly fatal.

Stronger Player: Dan

Strengths: Knowing what the other person is capable of, constant encouragement & flying under the radar

Weaknesses: Foreign languages, stick shifts & being caught too laid back

Summary: Not many people gave these two any chance to go this far, but the adorable brothers and their support for each other got them here with some very sporadic results.

Odds To Win It All: 1 to 5

Jet & Cord

"Team Cowboys"

# of Times Finished First: Four (Week 2, Chile; Week 3, Argentina,

Week 8, Malaysia & Week 10, Shanghai)

Strongest Leg: Week 8, Malaysia. Going from last to first with a speed bump, they only saw one team for 30 seconds before dusting them to the pit stop.

Weakest Leg: Week 7, The Seychelles. They made too many mistakes and were spared elimination. The only time these two showed frustration during the race.

Stronger Player: Jet

Strengths: Staying calm under pressure, attention to details, and... well, everything?

Weaknesses: Besides being caught outside of their comfort zone. Street smarts.

Summary: The fan favorites are also the favorites to win them all. Running strong legs after strong legs, minor blips and all haven't slowed them down yet.

Odds To Win It All: 3 to 5

So there you have it, which team do you think will take it all? Will Jet & Cord's dominance continue? Can Brent & Caite actually pull this off with bitterness driving them? Can Dan & Jordan fly under the radar to pull off the upset? My pick? As much as I'd love to see Jet & Cord ride into the sunset as champions, I can't help but shake off the feeling Dan & Jordan are going to win it all.

My Amazing Race Rankings (Week 10)

I so wanted this leg of the race to be an elimination one for many reasons. One, I wanted to knock off Mike and Louie because they're the strongest team outside of the Cowboys and two, I'd love to see the drama at Elimination Station between the cops and Joe, who they U-Turned all those weeks ago in France. But alas, no such luck. Maybe next week. Anyway, here's how I like them:

I'll be forever anxious during each episode until Phil tells them they're safe.

Jordan cries this week, Daniel throws a tantrum next week. These

guys are sure not liking China so far.

Spared elimination. Michael's probably thinking puzzles suck.

How these two remain in the race is beyond me. I'm sure their steady

improvement and dumb luck will get them into the final three.

Best Line of the Night: "Tranquil? What does that mean?" - Cord

Best Move: Jet using that "secret ingredient", flour, to assist with his road block.

Worst Move: Mike & Louie not realizing all they had to do was to go through the doors for their next challenge.

My Spring Premiere of Glee

Quick Analysis: A rather underwhelming episode with all the hype, the FOX promos department felt it was necessary to sneak peek next week's Madonna-themed episode by showing Jane Lynch's cover of 'Vogue'. It's very apparent where the back nine episodes are going to focus on and it doesn't vary much from the front 13.

Broadway enthusiasts like myself were salivating over the reunion of 'Spring Awakening' stars Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff and the addition of Idina Menzel ('Wicked'). While it's still very early and not much can be read from Groff and Menzel's characters from one episode, I was hoping for more and definitely at least one showstopper number besides 'Vogue'.

I'm sure next week's Madonna episode will undoubtedly be fun and hilarious, but just for this week, it appears the hype exceeded the content.

My Amazing Race Rankings (Week 9)

Whoa. Drama came into full force this week. As much as I dislike Brent & Caite and their more than idiotic move this week u-turning Brandy & Carol when the two strongest teams are still behind them, Brandy & Carol has to get over it and blame the game and not the players. It's very apparent now which half the remaining four teams are the stronger ones. Here's how I like 'em:

Love Jet. Love, love, love.

Very fortunate leg this time around. Flying completely under the radar.

The villains for season 16 are finally revealed...

... and they're playing these two dimwits who don't even know it.

Best Line: "The closest thing to an instrument I've ever played is a radio." - Jet

Smartest Move: Dan & Jordan beelining for the Fast Forward.

Dumbest Move: The before-mentioned Brent & Caite U-Turning Brandy & Carol instead of Team Cowboys or Team Detectives.

My Buried Life

Can this be? A show on MTV that I can not only tolerate but also enjoy? The premise of four young guys crossing things off their bucket list while inspiring others to do so is a breath of very fresh air for this network. It's like watching episodes of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' the way these guys manage to tug at heart strings on their course to complete their own adventurous list such as 'play ball with Barack Obama' while helping strangers complete more important tasks such as searching for their birth mother.

It's been awhile since I applaud MTV for their programming decisions but picking up this series for a second season is certainly a giant step away from the trashy side of reality television. Even Oprah was impressed with these guys and invited them to a recent taping of her talk show to share their story. Check out the group's Buried List.

My Liveblog of Julianne Moore's Return

Julianne Moore's episode of 'As The World Turns' aired today so here's my little play-by-play of the episode of the cancelled soap.

:00 “Are we getting married or not?” Wow, some dramatic start. Even I know they’re going to get back together by the end of this episode. They’re not a market for ladies over 50 on soaps.

:02 OMG, it’s Matt Durning from the original 90210! I actually wanted him to end up with Kelly Taylor on that show. Anyway, back to this soap.. where’s Julianne Moore?

:04 Whoa. There’s someone under the age of 30 on this show and of course he’s the rebel who doesn’t believe in marriage since he was jaded by some chick name Alison. So, the name of the couple in jeopardy is Bob and Kim. 25 years, that must be an eternity on soaps.

:13 Flashbacks! What exactly did Bob do to deserve such a cold shoulder from Kim?

:14 Whoa. This stuttering, old lady is hitting on Bob! Skank, go away! So… where’s Julianne Moore!?!

:23 There seems to be a lot of infidelity in this town. This Bob guy sure has gotten around. This black and white decades old clip is a nice touch for what I can only assume is a tribute episode.

:28 We must be halfway through with the show, there’s a montage of characters from the show- most of which look like they fell out of an Abercrombie catalogue and are not on today’s episode.

:30 The jaded young one (Casey) wants his grandpa to tell his grandma she’s hot. The not so young one is telling Bob to “woo” Kim instead.

:31 More clips! This time with tweed jackets!

:34 Awww… Bob is “woo-ing” her with the help of some cliché soap opera writing and a resignation letter. Kim is starting to sound like Meredith Grey with her self-pity whining.

:37 There’s still 20 minutes left to the episode and Bob & Kim are back together. So what now? And more importantly, where the hell is Julianne Moore!?!!?

:42 What is the deal with all these ladies trying to get a piece of Bob? Oh, it’s just some master plan to make sure Bob wants to marry Kim.

:45 Awww, everyone has a happy ending on today’s episode. For a second there, I thought the back of Alison’s head was Julianne Moore’s. So… 15 minutes left, where is she?

:46 It’s a soap opera wedding! That means someone is going to die right?

:50 More cliché and pun-ny writing! Without Bob & Kim, the “world would be spinning off its axis.”

:51 It’s Julianne Moore! Hugging Bob! Yay!

:52 Followed by two very horny people in a bathroom.

:53 Hmm… that was a quickie. Someone’s busted. I must say these two intrigue me.

:54 Bob & Kim are Julianne Moore’s parents! More cliché and pun-ny dialogue with the words ‘World Turns’ in it.

:55 The preview for tomorrow shows nobody from today’s episode. Well, it was cool Julianne returned to the show, even if it’s all for 4 minutes. Hmm.. I hear Parker Posey and Meg Ryan used to be on this show too. Any chance of getting them on?

My Amazing Race Rankings (Week 8)

Cowboy Up! Reigniting my faith in Jet & Cord, they've made all the right moves this week. Also, on a sidenote, does anyone else think Dan and Allie would make a cute couple? No? Just me? Anyway, here's how I like the remaining teams:

Stronger Player: At this point, I'm going to say Cord

Stronger Player: Pretty even, but I'm going to go with Jordan

Stronger Player: Undoubtedly Michael. Undoubtedly.

Stronger Player: Slight edge to Carol.

Stronger Player: Brent would win this battle of the airheads.

Line Of The Night: "She calls them daddies."- Brent referring to how Caite calls Team Detectives

Smartest Move: Jet & Cord going straight for the balance poles.

Dumbest Move: Dan & Jordan, Steve & Allie getting out of their cabs at the first sign of traffic.

My Amazing Race Rankings (Week 7)

You have NO IDEA how much I cheered at the end of this week's episode. The cowboys continue to ride and hopefully we'll get to hear that country song Jet is fixin' to write. If that doesn't resurge my love for that team, I don't know what will. Anyway, here's how I love 'em:

Jet's my favorite player. If only they paid more attention next leg.

Have they ran a subpar race yet? I don't think so.

About time these two brothers came in second place.

Oh, how the equalizer proved the last three races were a fluke.

Lucky, how very lucky.

The first decent race they've completed, even if it's mistake-filled.

Best Line of The Night: "I'm not going until Phil tells us we're eliminated." - Cord

Smartest Move: Steve and Allie decide not to go back for their bags.

Dumbest Move: Jet & Cord forgetting to get the bottle off the boat.