Everwood

Ok, so this isn't necessarily fair. Everwood had the advantage of bombarding me with every day showings and squeezed in all four of its seasons against all the other's one. However, even if I had to rank only one season against the other contenders, Everwood may still come out on top. However, thanks to ABC Family, I don't have to. Like most other Favorite TV Shows of the Year, Everwood's strength revolves around its characters and relationships. There's drama. There's humor. There's teen angst. And I guess Amy Abbott doesn't hurt either.

Superman Returns

Nineteen years. I had been waiting for Superman to return to the silver screen since 1987. Sure, he's been around in one form or another in the media since then, Lois & Clark, Smallville, Justice League and the like. However, nothing really beats seeing the man fly on the big screen and hearing the trumpets blare in the darkness of the theater. That's why I saw it thirteen times. Four times on opening day. No other movie was as eagerly anticipated. No other movie had a bigger build up and expectation. No other movie had a chance this year.

Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars - "Veronica Mars"

Sadly, this will be the last we see of Kristen Bell's plucky and sassy teen PI, Veronica Mars. She's always been good to us and this will be the second year in a row that she picks up this award. While we mourn the loss of Veronica, we celebrate Kristen Bell's move to NBC's Heroes and can't wait to see whether her superpower involves a razor sharp wit.

Margot Kidder - "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut"

A battle of two Lois Lanes between Kidder and Bosworth goes to the classic lovelorn, clueless, pain in the ass Margot Kidder version of the intrepid reported. Her added scenes to the Richard Donner cut of Superman II were fantastic and seeing her and Christopher Reeve on screen together again was nothing short of magic.

David Boreanaz as Special Agent Seeley Booth - "Bones"

Since Angel went off the air in 2004, I have very much missed the presence of David Boreanaz on television. Winner of this award way back in 2000, Boreanaz was an annual nominee through all the years that Angel was on. I have long held that he is one of the coolest actors around and I couldn't be happier that he has found a new home on Bones where he shares great onscreen chemistry with Emily Deschanel. As semi-rebellious FBI agent Seeley Booth, Boreanaz reminds me of old Hollywood cool everytime I see him.

Christopher Reeve - "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut"

I never thought I'd be able to award a Favorite Actor award to Christopher Reeve so this makes me pretty happy. So much more than Superman in the movies, Christopher Reeve continues to be an inspiration to me and scores of others even after his passing. Check out the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II to see never before seen scenes from one of the most admirable men to have ever lived.

Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery - "Grey's Anatomy

Addison would have been a really easy character to hate on Grey's Anatomy. She came in, all leggy and fabulous, and acted as the perfect foil to Meredith and Derek's seemingly bump-less ride. And yet she stuck around. And then she grew on us. She grew on us so much so that people root for her and against Meredith. She grew on us so much that Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes has put the fantastic Kate Walsh in her own spin-off, Private Practice, this fall on ABC. Supporting Actress no more, Dr. Addison Montgomery + lead in her own show + the Santa Monica sunshine - the depressing, down-trodden gang at Seattle Grace = A sunnier, happier time for everyone.

Jenna Fischer - "Blades of Glory"

This is not only a win for Jenna Fischer as put upon sibling of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler but also a win for Blades of Glory which was pretty easily the funniest movie of the year. Fischer plays the frumpy girl that nobody notices well but should soon be coming into her own as her movie career seems to be taking off.

Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson - "How I Met Your Mother"

Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson is nothing short of legen...wait for it...dary. Legendary. Though every single one of the main players on How I Met Your Mother is solid, Harris is the stand out simply because they let him be the crazy one with a buttload of catchphrases. To see Barney at his best from the last year would probable mean a viewing of his turn on The Price is Right or his fake one-man play in order to spite Lily. In any case, as long as Barney keeps on truckin', he'll inspire those around him to suit up.

Terrence Stamp - "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut"

I discovered this year that there are more people in the world who have a strong loyalty to General Zod than I would have ever guessed. Upon several viewings of Superman II this year, I re-realized how awesome the General is. Megalomaniacal. Egotistical. And a snappy dresser to boot. He's also surprisingly quotable. "The son of Jor-El will be my slave...forever." "Silennnnnce!" "Kneel before Zod!" Classic.

Robert Knepper as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell - "Prison Break"

Ok, is there a creepier character on TV? T-Bag comes chockful of creepy nicknames for others, creepy Southern accent, creepy tongue, creepy music, and creepy stump for a hand. In Prison Break, he's the ultimate opportunist and someone you certainly cannot trust, yet the rest of the cast ends up having to rely on him much more than they would like. He's a great character but whenever Prison Break reaches its end, I highly doubt T-Bag will be riding off into the sunset. Instead, he'll probably be taken down in some equally creepy and horrible way. Looking forward to it.

The Kryptonians (Terrence Stamp, Sarah Douglas, & Jack O'Halloran) - "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut"

And I would be remiss to leave out Ursa and Non from the Year End Awards. As pretty much the most formidable enemies that Superman has ever faced in the movies (Nuclear Man? Please.) the Kryptonian trio put a massive hurt on East Houston, the White House, and Metropolis. The major change between the original Superman II and the Donner cut is that the villains are played much more ruthless in Donner's version which gives the need for Superman to save the day that much more urgent.

Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Kyle Gallner as Bart Allen/Impulse, Alan Ritchson as AC/Aquaman, and Lee Thompson Young as Victor Stone/Cyborg - "Smallville"

Again, another cheat. Really its four Favorite Guest Stars of the Year but how do you choose between Green Arrow, Aquaman, Impulse, and Cyborg? After years of setting this one up, Smallville finally paid off the fans this year in the episode "Justice". An up and coming Justice League is just what the show needed to get fanboys all crazy, myself included. Plus, me and Matt got to come up with this awesome haiku, inspired by the pictured scene:

"Explosion Walk"

Slow motion walking.

Shit exploding behind them.

Too cool to look back.

How I Met Your Mother - Josh Radnour, Jason Segal, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, & Alyson Hannigan

I finally nailed why I like this show so much. Not only is it about searching for The One and having faith that she's out there somewhere. Not only is it about loyal friends and the wacky misadventures they all have. But basically, the set up of the show is that it's basically an old guy (Future Ted) telling his kids all the greatest stories of his life. I would like one day to tell my kids the epic story of how I met their mother and have as much fun telling it as the show does.

This small cast for HIMYM is perfect because it can keep the stories intimate and everyone always has a role. Whenever you see the cast together you get the sense that at any given time any one of them could pair off and have a plot together that wouldn't be forced. The cast's chemistry is the backbone to this show and I hope that it is able to maintain the quality it has already shown throughout the next several years.

George is Jones - "Ruins"

You can't find an album by George is Jones. You can't find this song on iTunes. Hell, George is Jones doesn't even exist anymore. Placed perfectly in the series finale of Everwood, I was surprised to find out that George is Jones is fronted by Inara George, an excellent solo artist in her own right and now one half of the up and coming duo, The Bird and The Bee. It's hard to explain how good this song is without hearing it so feel free to email me and I'll send it your way.

How I Met Your Mother - "Let's Go To the Mall"

Another year and another How I Met Your Mother win for Favorite Episode. The thing about this episode is that every single one of the jokes landed. Robin's hatred for malls. Marshall and Barney engaging in Slapbet. Lily acting as Slapbet Commissioner. Ted digging for the truth. And finally, when the truth was revealed...absolute hilarity. And unexpected hilarity at that. It's hard to explain how perfect this episode is but it joins the ranks of perfect TV show episodes like Friends' "The One with the Embryos", Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "The Body", HIMYM's "Drumroll, Please", and the two-hour pilot of "Lost".

Inara George

Now I figure this win is pretty impressive. Against Sarah McLachlan, most others don't stand a chance. She's like the Shawn Michaels of my music world. And with the Dixie Chicks returning to top form and returning Favorite Musical Artist Mindy Smith in the running, Inara George takes it this year in a shocker. Discovering Ruins helps but the body of work that she produced this year both solo and with The Bird and The Bee makes her my Favorite Musical Artist of the Year. Hopefully she can keep going strong in 2007-2008.

Shawn Michaels

2006-2007 saw the return of my favorite wrestling stable of all time, D-Generation X. With HBK and HHH causing all sorts of adolescent havoc in WWE, it made for a very entertaining ride. Unfortunately, HHH went down with a knee injury in late 2006 and Shawn Michaels was left to carry the load on his own. Naturally, as he is the Showstopper, he adjusted quickly and rose to the occasion. A monster performance at the Royal Rumble and yet another main event slot at WrestleMania, HBK had a great year and continued to be the gold standard that any WWE superstar should aspire to be.

Emily VanCamp

Everwood was very good to me this year and vaulted Emily VanCamp to the top of the Top 25. Throughout Everwood's original run, it always ran up against Monday Night RAW and I never got around to watching it. I knew that Emily was there and that she was awesome but I never could give up my Monday wrestling fix. Thanks to ABC Family, Emily came to my TiVo every weekday and now, thanks to Greg Berlanti (creator of Everwood and Brothers and Sisters), Emily has joined the cast of Brothers and Sisters and she returns to the TiVo every Sunday night.

Edge

John Cena has been a bloody bore as WWE Champion this year. ECW World Champion barely counts. The only man who has provided consistent entertainment as a champion is the Rated R Superstar, Edge. Not only did he take the WWE title off of disgraced WWE/ECW Champion Rob Van Dam, but he also surprised the wrestling world by cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase one night after taking it from Mr. Kennedy to pick the bones of an already wiped out Undertaker to steal the World Heavyweight Champion. That was a bit of genius by the SmackDown! creative team. Unfortunately, Edge got injured and had to give up the title. Soon he'll be back though and in the title hunt yet again.

Kristen Bell

It actually seems odd that Veronica Mars made it three seasons and that Kristen Bell is only just now breaking into the Top 25. Currently standing strong at Number 4, I've already said plenty about her but it's worth saying again: Sassy. Witty. Awesome.

Mr. Kennedy

Both the Intercontinental and US titles have been out of the spotlight for awhile. None of this year's nominees really stand out but Mr. Kennedy deserves recognition for a very strong year. Winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania is a pretty big pat on the back by WWE and it looks like he's ready to ascend to the next level. If he can keep his nose clean, he looks to be the next big loudmouth heel for WWE.

Los Angeles , California

It really does grow on you. After you look past the traffic, the pollution, and the occasional odd person(s), this town has everything I need right now. I don't think you can beat this town for food, there's always something entertaining to do, and the weather is perpetual springtime. I'll make my way back to my one true love in America's Finest City, but right now, the City of Angels has all the right answers.

Rated RKO

This was also a pretty smart move by WWE creative. Pairing Orton and Edge as a tag team/stable against D-Generation X finally put DX against opponents that they weren't completely dominating. Before Rated RKO, Orton was floundering and Edge was in desperate need of a feud after dropping the title back to Cena. With Edge and Orton together, we found that the two biggest heels on RAW could make for a very believable team. It's unfortunate that they didn't get to feud against each other as Edge jumped to SmackDown! to take the World title, but maybe we'll get to see it one day down the road.

Merkato

Yes indeed Merkato is the best meal and best deal in town. Who would have guessed that this little Ethiopian place in Little Ethiopia would become the place that almost everyone is excited to meet up at and have a huge plate of chicken tibbs, sizzling beef strips, pan fried trout, and assorted vegetables? Just thinking about it right now makes me want to go right now. I think I might just...

D-Generation X

They planted the seeds at WrestleMania 22. They teased it for months afterwards. A glance when passing on the entrance ramp. A solo crotch chop during a match. But on June 12th, 2006, Shawn Michaels and Triple H reformed one of the greatest stables in the history of professional wrestling, D-Generation X. And it was good.

They buzzed through the Spirit Squad, the McMahons, the Big Show, and Team Rated RKO at Survivor Series. They brought back their juvenile behavior. And it was awesome. And if you're not down with them, they've got two words for ya.

King Booker

A very surprising character change to previously stale Booker T turned into one of the most entertaining characters in WWE, King Booker. Former member of Harlem Heat suddenly became an aristocratic ass. Complete with Queen Sharmell and a royal court (Sir William Regal and Sir Finlay) King Booker took the World Heavyweight Championship off of completely unconvincing champion Rey Mysterio. He also managed to win a Champion of Champions match at Cyber Sunday against John Cena and the Big Show. However the best part of King Booker's schtick is that when he gets really upset, the old Booker T attitude and voice comes back and it's pretty damned funny.

Mickie James

Though this past year saw the retirement of WWE Diva legends Trish Stratus and Lita, my Favorite Diva of the Year is definitely Mickie James. Someone had to carry the torch after Trish and Lita retired and Mickie has definitely shouldered a lot of the load. Clearly one of the most technically sound female wrestlers on the roster, Mickie also has the charisma and pep that makes her the most popular diva WWE has. Sooner or later the Women's Championship will make it way back around Mickie's waist.