TV Cast of the Year

For a show to be successful, it must have great writing, great production, and a great cast. I’ve seen shows plunge because of poor casting (I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here or when they replaced the mother on Fresh Prince) so this award means of a lot. Seriously.

• 30 Rock
When Emmy time comes around, 30 Rock will almost always sweep (unless Toni Collette’s United States of Tara continues to wow the Actress award away from Tina Fey). It’s hard to find a great cast. It’s even harder to find a cast willing to throw their balls to the wall and not just poke fun, but merciless stab themselves to get the crowds laughing.

• NCIS
So I ignored this show for the first couple of years it was on because I assumed it was a CSI knock-off, but thanks to the magic of USA and their relentless advertising for their re-runs, I watched it and haven’t stopped watching it. Mark Harmon heads a cast that surprises with the fact that they haven’t been nominated for anything. Well, that ends today. This cast deserves recognition because they’re like a dysfunctional family worth cheering for. Plus, Michael Weatherly was on Dark Angel with all-time hottie, Jessica Alba. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

• The Office
The Office is what ensemble shows should be like. You’ve got a handful of headliners (Steve Carrell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer) supported by a stellar roll call of zany personalities worth remembering. I’ve never seen the British version of the show, but it didn’t have Ed Helms or Rainn Wilson. So I bet is sucked.

• Modern Family
What can I say about this cast that hasn’t been said already?

1) Ed O’Neil = God. Check.
2) Funny children. Check.
3) Hotties (Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet). Check. Check. And triple check!

• Glee
This group of no-names (except for Jane Lynch) showed that you don’t need to rely on a headliner to be talented. They sing. They dance. And they internal monologue… a lot.

And the Winner is…

Modern Family!

Oh snap! Upset! Eat that 30 Rock! That’s what you get for messing with Ed O’Neil! Burned!