Moments of Joy: The Honor Roll
Sterling Archer – We were a little worried about Adam Reed’s follow-up to Frisky Dingo, since that show was one of our favorite things ever and we weren’t sure that any new project could live up to those standards. And Archer did. With an excellent supporting cast and laugh-out-loud jokes
coming at a furious pace, FX’s animated comedy was one of the best new shows of the year. It was a raunchy office comedy, onlt the office was actually a top-secret espionage unit (located above a dry cleaner). Some of the best one-liners in years came out of Archer’s mouth: “When they’re dead, they’re just called hookers”, or “Karate? The Dane Cook of martial arts?” We’ve taken to shouting “And that’s how you get ants!” whenever somebody leaves food out. Sadly, we rarely get the chance to quote “She’s like the Pele of anal”, but we’re always thinking it.
coming at a furious pace, FX’s animated comedy was one of the best new shows of the year. It was a raunchy office comedy, onlt the office was actually a top-secret espionage unit (located above a dry cleaner). Some of the best one-liners in years came out of Archer’s mouth: “When they’re dead, they’re just called hookers”, or “Karate? The Dane Cook of martial arts?” We’ve taken to shouting “And that’s how you get ants!” whenever somebody leaves food out. Sadly, we rarely get the chance to quote “She’s like the Pele of anal”, but we’re always thinking it.
Neil Patrick Harris–He is a man of many talents, a true triple threat. He hosts a hell of an awards show (any awards show!), does a great job keeping what could be a one-note character fresh and funny on How I Met Your Mother and is in demand for gigs like judging American Idol auditions and playing fallen glee club star Bryan Ryan on Glee. And don’t forget that he showed up to fight Batman in a special musical episode of The Brave and the Bold. We’re pretty sure he can do anything and we’d want a front row seat.Will Forte – Long a favorite around the spunkybean offices, Will’s work on Saturday Night Live this
year was more than just MacGruber. (Granted, we do love us some MacGruber.) His clueless ESPN Classic color commentator is always funny, and his parade of “Weekend Update” contributors are strange and hilarious. His delivery even saves those one-joke “Gilly” sketches. But our favorite Forte moment of the year was the Closet Organizer commercial. Not only was it a great segment, but in another sketch, he’s recognized as “the guy from the Closet Organizer”. Continuity!
year was more than just MacGruber. (Granted, we do love us some MacGruber.) His clueless ESPN Classic color commentator is always funny, and his parade of “Weekend Update” contributors are strange and hilarious. His delivery even saves those one-joke “Gilly” sketches. But our favorite Forte moment of the year was the Closet Organizer commercial. Not only was it a great segment, but in another sketch, he’s recognized as “the guy from the Closet Organizer”. Continuity!Morgan Grimes – The best friend from Chuck really stood out this year. While in the past, he’s served as mainly a plot complication (albeit a hilarious one, as when he revealed his lifelong dream to be a Benihana chef), this season he learned about Chuck’s double life, and even got brought in on a few missions. With Chuck actually getting good at the spy thing, Morgan had to step up as the regular guy who’s in over his head. And his occasional pairings with super-spy Casey? Fantastic!
Sarah Silverman – Sadly, the comedienne’s Sarah Silverman Program was cancelled by Comedy Central this year. They cited poor ratings, but that may be due to the fact that they ran new episodes at 12:30 am on Friday morning, and occasionally aired them at a different time than their schedule indicated and confounded DVR users. Still, we’re not here to be bitter. At least Sarah went out on a creative high, with a season featuring Steve and Brian’s wedding, several neck injuries (it really is a design flaw!), a robot – given life by a prayer to Satan – who fights the FBI in the bloodiest sitcom episode ever, a time-traveling dog, and dueling Holocaust memorials. Consistently creative, often offensive, and always funny, we can’t wait to see what Sarah’s next project is going to be.Jon Hamm – Yes, Don Draper on Mad Men is one of TV’s greatest characters, and in another six
weeks or so, we’re going to be talking a lot about him again. But let’s not forget, dude is funny. He killed in his SNL hosting gigs, including the demented genius of the “Hamm and Buble” sketch, where he kidnapped Michael Buble for a theme restaurant. And he returned to 30 Rock as Liz’ too-good-to-be-true ex for a couple of episodes. We got to see Jon talk in a Jamaican accent and try to bake with pirate hooks for hands. It turns out, Jon Hamm can do anything!
weeks or so, we’re going to be talking a lot about him again. But let’s not forget, dude is funny. He killed in his SNL hosting gigs, including the demented genius of the “Hamm and Buble” sketch, where he kidnapped Michael Buble for a theme restaurant. And he returned to 30 Rock as Liz’ too-good-to-be-true ex for a couple of episodes. We got to see Jon talk in a Jamaican accent and try to bake with pirate hooks for hands. It turns out, Jon Hamm can do anything!Buzz Aldrin – If you’re an 80-year-old American legend, you should be allowed to sit back and rest on your laurels. Not our Buzz! While his run on Dancing with the Stars wasn’t exactly epic, he was funny and he tried hard and he was still better than Kate Gosselin. And then he played himself on 30 Rock, where he told Liz just how hard it is to be Buzz Aldrin. It was absolutely fantastic. “I woke up in the National Air and Space Museum with a handgun tucked into the waistband of my jean shorts.” And then he yelled at the moon! “I walked on your face!”
The Fly – This is going to sound crazy, but bear with us. Last week’s episode of Breaking Bad focused entirely on Walter’s attempts to catch a fly. See, he’s working in a fancy meth lab now with state-of-the-art equipment. But he spots a fly, which means that there’s the potential for contamination. Walt doesn’t have much else in his life, so he gets obsessed with this fly, much to the irritation of partner Jesse. The result is a quirky and fascinating hour of TV, where the two have it out, bare their souls, and injure each other. (There are scenes of Warner Bros. style violence, only happening to somebody who can’t inflate themselves by blowing on their thumb.) Alas, the fly does not survive.
Phil and Lem – Better Off Ted came to a premature end this season, but not before getting us to love its screwball cast. And none are more prominent in our hearts than research scientists Phil and Lem. These two had the kind of chemistry that takes years to develop. They tried to resurrect a beloved cleaning robot, they enjoyed an underground medieval fight club, and they railed against the injustice of motion-sensitive technology that didn’t recognize Black people. Do yourself a favor and watch some Ted on DVD or Hulu – you’ll love these guys just as much as we do.Jordan and Jeff – When it comes to reality TV, you never know who your favorite is going to be. Jeff and Jordan didn’t exactly stand out back when CBS first revealed last Summer’s Big Brother cast. It was maybe a week in before we realized that we loved them. We’ll be honest, they weren’t the sharpest crayons in the box, but they were hilarious. Jeff played a brilliant game that completely shifted the power balance in the House and dropped some classic lines. (Our favorite: “There’s not enough room for your head here, and we’re outside!”) He was freaky accurate at counting change and he tried to win a word game by spelling out “Technotronics”. And there are some who thought that Jordan (who admitted that she didn’t know what “quarter after” means when it comes to telling time) was riding on Jeff’s coattails as their relationship developed. But when it came down to it, she won the final two challenges on her own and took the Big Brother crown. Then they returned on Amazing Race, and though they only made it about halfway, they were still a lot of fun. This coming season of Big Brother has a lot to live up to, unless some last-minute twist brings Jeff back again. (Jessie got to do two seasons in a row! Why not Jeff?)
Pelt Baby – Sure, Claire’s substitute child made of fur, some kind of animal skull, part of a
moccasin, and a couple of knobs for eyes only made two appearances on Lost this season, but he was the Sensational Character Find of 2010. You want to illustrate that a character’s gone crazy? Have her care for a baby she made herself out of fur! Personally, we’re hoping that she managed to get Pelt Baby onto Ajira 316. Because we’re thinking spinoff…
moccasin, and a couple of knobs for eyes only made two appearances on Lost this season, but he was the Sensational Character Find of 2010. You want to illustrate that a character’s gone crazy? Have her care for a baby she made herself out of fur! Personally, we’re hoping that she managed to get Pelt Baby onto Ajira 316. Because we’re thinking spinoff…Joel McHale – Joel did double duty this year. He’s always been great as the host of The Soup, and this year his obsession with Cyndi Lauper’s long-winded stories never failed to delight. And then he added Community to his workload, and after a shaky start, it found its footing and got all awesome on us. The whole cast is great, but it’s hard to top Joel’s naked billiards or his perfect Bruce Willis impression in the paintball episode.
Dr. Venture – Really, almost any Venture Bros. cast member could have made the list, but we have to go with Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture. This season, with his supply of clones exhausted and his bodyguard AWOL, Doc had to step up and try to be a real father. After all, he didn’t have Brock to protect them and he didn’t have any more spares just in case. His attempt to bond with Dean and his clashes with Hank have been sweet and funny, but his greatest moment came in “Self-Medication”. In a support group for former Boy Adventurers, Doc finally realizes that he couldn’t blame his sorry state on anybody else, and he had to take responsibility. – “What the hell am I doing in therapy? I’m no drug addict. I don’t have an eating disorder. And as much as I resented my father, I never wanted to kill him. And most importantly, I grew up. I’m not a boy adventurer – I have my own business, my own family. And if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s high time I got back to them.” It was as close to inspirational as things get in the Venture Universe.
Anna Trebunskaya – We could complain about how the person who won Dancing with the Stars 
this year was an actual professional dancer, but again, this is not the place for bitterness. What we’re here to do is celebrate our favorite pro, Anna. Why is she our favorite? Well, just look at her! She’s adorable! But, you know, there’s plenty of adorable on that show. There’s just something about her – she’s so much fun to watch, her interview answers are usually hilarious, and she has the best “Call and vote” pantomime of any of the pros. (Yes, we pay that much attention.) This season, though, we were reminded of what a fantastic choreographer she is. Since she took Jerry Rice to second place in Season Two, she hasn’t really been partnered with anybody blessed with any sort of natural ability. (Steve Guttenberg? Chuck Liddell?) But with Olympic skater Evan Lysacek as her partner this season, she created some really amazing dances. In particular, we saw a showstopping Argentine Tango, an amazing paso doble, and a Cha Cha that was based on The Fifth Element. Yeah. It was really great to see her partnered with somebody who let her cut loose, and we look forward to voting for her again next season.
this year was an actual professional dancer, but again, this is not the place for bitterness. What we’re here to do is celebrate our favorite pro, Anna. Why is she our favorite? Well, just look at her! She’s adorable! But, you know, there’s plenty of adorable on that show. There’s just something about her – she’s so much fun to watch, her interview answers are usually hilarious, and she has the best “Call and vote” pantomime of any of the pros. (Yes, we pay that much attention.) This season, though, we were reminded of what a fantastic choreographer she is. Since she took Jerry Rice to second place in Season Two, she hasn’t really been partnered with anybody blessed with any sort of natural ability. (Steve Guttenberg? Chuck Liddell?) But with Olympic skater Evan Lysacek as her partner this season, she created some really amazing dances. In particular, we saw a showstopping Argentine Tango, an amazing paso doble, and a Cha Cha that was based on The Fifth Element. Yeah. It was really great to see her partnered with somebody who let her cut loose, and we look forward to voting for her again next season.Ron Swanson – We may have mentioned how much we love Parks and Recreation. It comes up a
lot, actually. And while the whole cast is just amazing, it’s the head of the Parks Department who really stands out. Ron Swanson is one of those rare characters who is always funny. His obsession with food (he brought his own plate of devilled eggs to a dinner party but didn’t wish to share them), his issues with women (he referred to a meeting with his ex-wife as “staring into the eye of Satan’s butthole”), and his hatred of public service (witness his joy at finding out the city budget had to be cut by 32% – “Why not make it an even forty?”) – they’re a potent mixture. Throw in his status as a master caner, his problem with sleep-fighting, and the fact that he got shot in the head this season, and you have a man that we can’t stop watching. We’ve never seen somebody just explode into a comedic force the way that actor Nick Offerman did this season, and he probably gave us more laughs than any other actor this year. Do you think there’s a not-gay way to ask him to go camping with us?
lot, actually. And while the whole cast is just amazing, it’s the head of the Parks Department who really stands out. Ron Swanson is one of those rare characters who is always funny. His obsession with food (he brought his own plate of devilled eggs to a dinner party but didn’t wish to share them), his issues with women (he referred to a meeting with his ex-wife as “staring into the eye of Satan’s butthole”), and his hatred of public service (witness his joy at finding out the city budget had to be cut by 32% – “Why not make it an even forty?”) – they’re a potent mixture. Throw in his status as a master caner, his problem with sleep-fighting, and the fact that he got shot in the head this season, and you have a man that we can’t stop watching. We’ve never seen somebody just explode into a comedic force the way that actor Nick Offerman did this season, and he probably gave us more laughs than any other actor this year. Do you think there’s a not-gay way to ask him to go camping with us?Frank Lapidus – OK, how awesome was it when Frank showed up alive and well in the Lost finale? And since Jeff Fahey spent two weeks telling anybody who’d listen that Frank most definitely died on the sub, it was a real surprise when Miles and Richard found him bobbing amid the wreckage. We’ve always been big fans of Frank, but he raised the bar in the final episode. And keep in mind that this is the man who, when locked in a cage built to hold bears, decided to kick the damn thing open. In the finale, Frank managed to get Ajira Flight 316 in the air and bring several of the Lostaways to safety. That would be pretty cool on its own. But you have to remember that 316 had literally been fixed with duct tape, and that he managed to take off on a runway made of sand while the Island was collapsing around him. Are you ready for it to get even better? Ol’ Frank wasn’t in the big get-together in the afterlife. Why not? Well, they told us that the people there shared the most important time of their lives. So everything we saw Frank do? Those were not even his finest moments! Just imagine what he got up to after leaving the Island! (Alternatively, Frank Lapidus does not need an afterlife. In most religions, if you’re good enough, you get to come back as Frank.)
Bret Michaels–We’ll admit that the few times we checked out the disease-infested trainwreck 
called Rock of Love we couldn’t get a shower fast enough. But when you strip away (pun intended) all the silicone and the skanks you are left with an oddly charming 80’s glam rocker who is also a pretty decent guy. Turns out that while his vocabulary includes non-words like “discombooberated”, he still managed to have some pretty impressive creative visions on many of Trump’s inane tasks. I mean, how brilliant was the Rock Star workout…especially the Tour Bus Thrust? And he even knew just how to play it in the boardroom…Gene Simmons could take few lessons. Throw in a near-fatal brain hemmorhage and stroke, and it’s impossible not to root for the guy. We were delighted to see him win Celebrity Apprentice and unexpectedly pleased when he showed up on the Idol finale – it had to be one of the season’s biggest surprises.
called Rock of Love we couldn’t get a shower fast enough. But when you strip away (pun intended) all the silicone and the skanks you are left with an oddly charming 80’s glam rocker who is also a pretty decent guy. Turns out that while his vocabulary includes non-words like “discombooberated”, he still managed to have some pretty impressive creative visions on many of Trump’s inane tasks. I mean, how brilliant was the Rock Star workout…especially the Tour Bus Thrust? And he even knew just how to play it in the boardroom…Gene Simmons could take few lessons. Throw in a near-fatal brain hemmorhage and stroke, and it’s impossible not to root for the guy. We were delighted to see him win Celebrity Apprentice and unexpectedly pleased when he showed up on the Idol finale – it had to be one of the season’s biggest surprises.Next week, we’ll be taking a look at some of our favorite casts. Because, really, it’s not like we can single out just one person from Modern Family. Enjoy the holiday weekend, and we’ll see you at the barbecue. (Can you bring buns? We’re pretty sure we’re going to run low.)
