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2006 Readers' Poll:
The best and worst in television and pop culture...
BEST TV SHOW
Meredith and McDreamy swoon at the prospect of being voted Best TV Show.
"Grey's Anatomy," ABC 46.1%
"24," FOX / "Lost," ABC 15.4%
"Dancing With The Stars," ABC / "The Office," NBC / "The Simpsons," FOX 7.7%Michelle's Pick: "24"
Christine's Pick: "The Office"2004 Winner: "The Simpsons"
2004 Winner: "CSI"
2003 Winner: "Alias" and "The Simpsons" (tie)
Etc.: After an illustrious run, "The Simpons" bows out to welcome first-time winner, "Grey's Anatomy," to the winner's circle. This time last year, "Grey's Anatomy" only managed 12% of votes to land in fourth place, but gets a boost this year with an overwhelming 46%. A far second is "24" and "Lost," which only placed third for Best New TV Show in its debut year. And the poor "The Simpsons" falls from grace to tie for last place. Even poorer is "House," which, despite being an option every year, never gets a break.BEST NEW TV SHOW
"Ugly Betty" (with America Ferrera, Eric Mabius, and Vanessa L. Williams), ABC 53.8%
"30 Rock" (with Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan), NBC 23.1%
"Heroes" (with Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka, and Ali Larter), NBC 15.4%
"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (with Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, and Amanda Peet), NBC 7.7%Michelle's Pick: "30 Rock"
Christine's Pick: "Heroes"2005 Winner: "Prison Break"
2004 Winner: "Desperate Housewives"
2003 Winner: "The O.C."
Etc.: Our readers have spoken, and the charming "Ugly Betty" is the overwhelming winner for Best New TV Show. The shaky "30 Rock" also earns a respectable 23% to land in a distant second, while the overexposed and overwrought "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" clings to last place with less than 10% of votes. That's still better than the shows that no one is tuning into: "Brothers & Sisters," "Friday Night Lights," and "The Class," which received 0 votes.BEST TV ACTOR
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty" 54.5%
Hugh Laurie, "House" 18.2%
Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives" / Jason Lee, "My Name Is Earl" / Steve Carell, "The Office" 9.1%Michelle's Pick: Jason Lee, "My Name Is Earl"
Christine's Pick: Steve Carell, "The Office"2005 Winner: Donald Trump's toupee, "The Apprentice"
2004 Winner: Marcia "Is It Me Or Is It Jumping The Shark?" Cross, "Desperate Housewives"
2003 Winner: Jennifer "You Still Love Me Despite Affleck, Right?" Garner, "Alias"
Etc.: Now that Donald Trump's toupee is not an option, we can make room for bright-eyed and sweet-faced America Ferrera, who finally caught a break after starring in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. And eating her dust is Hugh Laurie, whose show, "House," was shut out of the Best TV Show category. A three-way tie for third place means that FOX leading men Kiefer Sutherland and Wentworth Miller (from 2005's Best New TV Show, "Prison Break") will have to be consoled by their hotness, as they failed to place on the list.WORST TV SHOW
"Show Me The Money" (with William Shatner and slutty dancing girls), ABC 33.3%
"The View" (with Rosie O'Donnell, Joy Behar, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck), ABC 25.0%
"American Dad" (with Seth MacFarlane and Scott Grimes), FOX / "Men In Trees" (with Anne Heche and James Tupper), ABC 16.7%
"Two and a Half Men" (with Charlie Sheen and John Cryer), CBS 8.3%Michelle's Pick: "The View," ABC. Ain’t Rosie O’Donnell the most annoying woman ever? You know she won’t be sitting in that chair for too long.
Christine's Pick: "The View"2004 Winner: "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart"
2004 Winner: "The Swan"
2003 Winner: "Paradise Hotel"
Etc.: Poll results indicate that no one like slutty dancing girls, at least on prime time television. The abysmal "Show Me The Money," a strange hybrid between "Deal or No Deal" and "The William Shatner Show," makes a strong case for its cancellation by landing in top spot. Not far behind is the yakkety "The View," while Worst TV Show staples "American Dad" and "Two and a Half Men" also pull in a collective 25%. "Smith" and "The War At Home" failed to garner any votes, possibly because no one has ever watched them.TV SHOW THEY SHOULD JUST END NOW
"The O.C.," FOX 38.5%
"According to Jim," ABC 23.1%
"Smallville," CW 15.4%
"E.R.," NBC / "Survivor," CBS / "The Apprentice," NBC 9.1%Michelle's Pick: "The O.C."
Christine's Pick: "According to Jim"2004 Winner: "Survivor"
2004 Winner: "Survivor"
2003 Winner: "Joe Millionaire"
Etc.: Despite our protests, "Survivor" is still around, and so is "According to Jim." Luckily, "Joe Millionaire" and "The Swan" seem set in retirement, and "The O.C.," which topped this list, will end its run this spring. "Smallville" is also wearing out its welcome, and "The Apprentice" and Donald Trump's hair is getting tired. What isn't getting tedious is "Deal or No Deal" and all its game show reincarnations, which received 0% of votes.
BEST REAL LIFE COUPLE
Ryan and Rachel prove that on-set chemistry can very well spill over into real life.
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams 38.4%
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie / Jay-Z and Beyoncé 23.1%
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner / Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson 7.6%Michelle's Pick: Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Every year I choose Jay and Bey as my couple of the year. The reason being is that they never speak about their relationship. They keep it private!!! That’s the way it should be.
Christine's Pick: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams2005 Winner: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
2004 Winner: Will "World's Greatest" Smith and Jada "Do I Even Act Anymore?" Pinkett-Smith
2003 Winner: Brad "Too Sexy For My Jaw" Pitt and Jennifer "I'm Not A Victim, As Exemplified By My Courage to Pose Nude in Magazines" Aniston
Etc.: What a difference a year or two makes - 2003's winners in this category are no longer together, but Brad's new love, Angelina, is okay according to 23% of our readers. Jay-Z and Beyoncé are still going strong, while Canadian sweethearts Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams make their first year on the list their best. Last year's winners, Bennifer Part Deux, fall to last place to tie with the now-defunct Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson. BFFs David and Victoria Beckham and Tom Cruise and "Kate" Holmes were non-existent as they failed to rally any votes.BIGGEST SCANDAL
Britney Spears' divorce to Kevin Federline, followed by her drunken escapes with Paris Hilton. 46.2%
Michael Richards' comedy club meltdown and unsuccessful damage control. 30.8%
Madonna's trend-of-the-day adoption faux pas / Paris Hilton's inane feud with Lindsay Lohan, and the tape that started "firecrotch 2006" / Tori Spelling ruining marriages and milking her five minutes of fame. 7.6%Michelle's Pick: Michael Richards' comedy club meltdown and unsuccessful damage control. No "Seinfeld" for me!
Christine's Pick: Michael Richards' comedy club meltdown and unsuccessful damage control.2005 Winner: Tom "Crazy Is As Crazy Does" Cruise in 2005.
2004 Winner: Ashlee "Ha!" Simpson "losing her voice" on "Saturday Night Live."
2003 Winner: Michael "I'm Really Someone's Father, Huh" Jackson's child molestation charges.
Etc.: The biggest scandal of 2006 comes courtesy of Britney Spears' disastrous relationship to seedy Kevin Federline, who kept us entertained with his fame-whoring tendencies for most of the year. The trainwreck then continued with Britney's need to recapture her boozy youth by hanging out with Paris Hilton. But Paris is far from absolved here, as she lands in a third place tie for her tabloid-friendly exploits against Lindsay Lohan. And Mel Gibson's DUI arrest and subsequent drunken rants, one of the biggest news of the year, fails to cite any eyebrow raising.WORST CELEBRITY STYLE
Britney Spears, for going from trailer trash chic to bottomless floozy. 71.4%
Fergie, for forgetting to turn on the lights when she dresses / Nicole Richie, for thinking protruding ribcages are high fashion. 14.3%Michelle's Pick: Britney Spears, for going from trailer trash chic to bottomless floozy.
Christine's Pick: Britney Spears, for going from trailer trash chic to bottomless floozy.2005 Winner: Britney "Stronger" Spears and Kevin "Lose Control" Federline, who don't believe in shoes but do believe in ass cracks and corn rows.
2004 Winner: Paris "You Mean I'm Not Hottt" Hilton, just because.
2003 Winner: Kelly "My Closet Is As Angry As My Demeanor" Osbourne's trying-too-hard-to-be-punk retro look.
Etc.: With an overwhelming 71% going to Britney Spears, there really is no need to elaborate - a quick perusal through the latest US Magazine will do all the explaining we need. Frequent fashion offenders Gwen Stefani, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Sienna Miller, and the Olsen twins escape unscathed.
MOST OVERRATED CELEBRITY
Lindsay loves the drama, but we're all kind of sick of it.
Lindsay Lohan 30.8%
Beyoncé 23.0%
Brangelina / Gwen Stefani / Tom Cruise/"Kate" Holmes/Suri Cruise 7.7%Michelle's Pick: Gwen Stefani
Christine's Pick: Lindsay Lohan2005 Winner: Britney "Bit Bit" Spears
2004 Winner: Lindsay "Rehab What?" Lohan
2003 Winner: Bennifer (Jennifer "'South Beach' Is So Getting Cancelled" Lopez and Ben "Take That, Matt" Affleck)
Etc.: We sense a pattern here, as Lindsay Lohan overtakes Britney Spears to land in first place again. A close second is Beyoncé, who may be starting to feel a slight backlash as people start questioning the hype. Sharing a three-way tie for last place are newly media-friendly couple Brangelina, perky but trying Gwen Stefani, and possibly the scariest family in the world, the Cruises.And that concludes our poll! Thanks for joining us this year, and stay tuned for next year's countdown, as we praise the best and bitch about the worst of 2007.
[ From best single to worst artist. Part I of our Readers Poll. ]