I was catching up on this week’s Parenthood (pretty good!), and in between being jealous of Lauren Graham’s hair and marveling at how much natural Read the full post.
Oct 28
2010
09:00 AM ET
Who is the most under-appreciated TV star of 2010?
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Everyone on The Big Bang Theory who isn’t named Jim Parsons.
Leighton Meester on Gossip Girl is excellent. She helps make the ridiculous story-lines believable. And the entire cast of Community has great comedic timing, way better than the cast of Modern Family, in my opinion.
Agreed–Blair Waldorf is the ONLY reason I watch Gossip Girl.
I happen to enjoy both Community and Modern Family. I definitely disagree about Community cast better than Modern Family. They are both always on their A game.
Meester is not under-appreciated in the slightest.
Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick are the only reason I still watch that show.
Katy Segal in Son’s of Anarchy. She should have SOOO been nominated for an emmy this year!
100% agree with you on Katey. Also, the whole supporting cast – especially Ryan Hurst, Kim Coates and Tommy Flanagan – also are wildly underrated and underappreciated by the critics.
I was just about to bring up SOA! The entire cast is fantastic, and Katey Segal is just crushing it as Gemma. This show needs much more recognition than it gets!
100% are too
100% agree too
I actually interviewed Dax six years ago when he starred in that dopey “Without a Paddle” movie, and was impressed at how bright and articulate he came across. (And yes, his mom named him after the lead character in Harold Robbins’ “The Adventurers.”) I do wish that he’d cut his hair, though
I don’t think the cast of Glee gets enough attention, especially on this site.
Heart you.
LOL!
Yes! So overlooked.
Pretty much the entire Community cast especially Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Donald Glover. Also pretty much anybody on Parenthood or Cougar Town.
Paget Brewster on Criminal Minds
so amazing and completely under rated
you never hear about her but she is just so fantastic
Misha Collins on Supernatural. To me, Misha has the hardest job. Jared & Jensen are able to freely emote & work a broad spectrum of characterization. Misha has to work with a character who has a limited emotional range (no blinking, flat cadence, etc). Yet, he is able to wrench out an outstanding performance with what he has to work with and make an impression when his screen time is barely five minutes sometimes. Love or hate the character, Misha’s performance doesn’t go unnoticed.
Agreed
He had the best line ever when he was trying to leave a voice message. I LOVE him on this show!
Cas + cell phone=Guaranteed Hilarity!!:)
I like that you bring up Misha, since he’s really the only one on the show who’s able to act. Jensen’s been “Johnny One Note” from Day One. But at least he displays a personality, albeit a one-dimensional one. More than can be said for the wooden Jared Padelecki. Someone previously said they’re “wasted on the CW.” It says a lot that the CW is the best either’s been able to accomplish (unless you count Jensen’s guest star spots on Fox’s “Dark Angel” a decade or so ago).
It’s disappointing that people are grouping Community, Cougartown, and The Big Bang Theory together. Community is actually funny (and is getting better all the time); Cougartown was funny for awhile, but like all Bill Lawerence comedies they run all of their jokes into the ground; The Big Bang Theory has never been funny and just goes for lowest common denominator jokes. It’s painfully formulaic.
What is disappointing about people having a different opinion than you? Are you saying that you have never watched or enjoyed anything “formulaic”?
I just think that TBBT is a really terrible formula filled with obvious jokes and Cougartown is filled with the same jokes each time… but you’re right, having a different opinion is fine, and I have loved a lot of things with good formulas. I’ll watch my language next time.
TBBT is crap for sheeple that cannot resist a laugh track.
Live Studio Audience/Laugh Track….yeah same thing. I have to refer to Matt Roush (TV GUIDE)’s 10/12 Q&A when he answered someone about “canned laughter” on BBT and how it is somehow inferior to single camera comedies. Take it away Matt “Matt Roush: There is a live audience laughing at Big Bang every week, and that’s not a lie. How is that manipulation if you’re laughing along with them? Which, if you’ve been watching Big Bang this season — loved the Shel-bot! — I assume you’re still getting your laugh-out-loud jollies. I know I am. I don’t and have never agreed with the notion that single-camera filmed sitcoms are somehow inherently preferable to sitcoms filmed in front of a live audience — the TV equivalent of live theater. Funny is funny, and has been since I Love Lucy. Can you imagine a classic like Cheers, Frasier or Raymond being done without an audience roaring their love for these characters? I can’t. I agree if a comedy is filmed without an audience, there shouldn’t be piped-in laughs. And while it’s pretty clear some laugh tracks are often noticeably sweetened and heightened, the YouTube clips do a disservice by airing those scenes in a vacuum. These scenes are written, performed and directed with an audible audience reaction in mind. When it’s absent, it’s deadly. Of course, all of this is a matter of taste. Thankfully, I like all kinds of comedy — as long as it amuses me.”
It has nothing to do with how the show is shot (I love lots of single-cam shows). It has to do with how the material is always the same and that material has never been that funny (I get it, you’re nerds!). Clearly I’m a minority, so don’t get too bent out of shape.
I love both Single Cam and Live Audience Shows (4 cam)…but Gill, sorry to burst your ego. I was responding to Dina’s “TBBT is crap for sheeple that cannot resist a laugh track.” not you. And I’m not bent out of shape. Just sharing information.
well i guess it’s really “burst your bubble” but I wanted to get something in there about ego. No offense meant! lol
Apologies for not knowing their real names, but Axle and Sue from The Middle – the teenage son and daughter.
Oh, definitely! I’d say the whole show and its cast are underappreciated. It’s easily as funny as “Modern Family.”
I agree “The Middle” is a very good family show and is just as funny as MF and CT Wednesday nights on abc are my “must see tv” (excluding 8:30 block. I dont watch BWY)
Its 90 minutes of full bliss
Okay,I looked up their names. Charlie McDermott plays Axl and Eden Sher is Sue. (just to give them some much-needed appreciation)
I like “The Middle” so much more than I expected to, because I hated the Deb character on “Everybody loves Raymond,” but I love how accepting of their oddball kids Mike and Frankie are.
Ha, yes, I was going to suggest the same! Axl’s over-the-top exasperation makes me laugh every time, and it’s so awesome to see a teenage girl who isn’t pretty-but-dim or smart-and-snarky. Love Sue’s dorky optimism, and the actress plays it perfectly!
You beat me to it! I was going to add the whole cast of The Middle. The actor who plays Mike and the kid who plays the youngest one are also amazing. I actually like this show better than Modern Family.
LOVE this show! I never got into the Modern Family hype, but I LOVE the middle. It’s a real family. I don’t feel like it’s really much different than an average middle-class family. They deal with real issues (from layoffs, to how difficult it is for 2 working parents to raise 3 kids).
Anyway, glad to see other people appreciate it!
I wholeheartedly agree with Eden Sher, Sue, from The Middle. She is truly perfect at that role. All the kids have their moments, but she takes the cake for me.
Kaley Cuoco! Love her to death and she does a superb job as Penny on TBBT.
Aside from Zac Levi and Adam Baldwin I would say Yvonne Strahovski and Joshua Gomez on Chuck. Yvonne is usually given the more dramatic stuff (the girl can convey so many emotions just with looks) but when given lighter material she’s pulls it off with just as much grace. Joshua totally made Morgan into the ultimate sidekick. He took a character so annoying and grating in the first season to one where you actually look forward to scenes he is in.
Actually the rest of the cast isn’t too shabby either. Sarah Lancaster and Ryan Mcpartlin also rock as the Awesomes.
Gabrielle Anwar as Fiona on BURN NOTICE. Nobody – man or woman – kicks*ss like that character. And she owns it.
She has gotten pretty great on Burn Notice, I agree.
Yes!!!! Burn Notice is one of my favorites shows. Fiona, Michael and especially Sam make a great team!!!
Anna Torv on Fringe. I can’t believe I ever thought she was a bad actress.
Ditto this. She’s been practically perfect this season playing both Olivias. There are so many subtle, crazy things she does to differentiate between them. Freaking Fringe…
Couldn’t agree more. Her performance this season is simply unbelievable. I wasn’t sure about her in Season 1, either, but she is phenomenal this year.
Luke Dunphy from Modern Family. Kid is genius and his delivery of his lines is gold.