I Watch TV 2013-2014 Season: The Broken Road Awards - Part One

I wanted to change things up a bit for my "tv season review" but I've struggled to figure out how, exactly, I wanted it to be constructed. After much consideration, I present: The Broken Road Awards.

And since the new television season is set to start on September 21, it's time to launch this baby! It will run in four parts, with the winner of each category in red italics.

Here are the shows in contention:

Returning Shows:
Dexter (SHO, final season). Once Upon a Time (ABC). The Good Wife (CBS). The Mentalist (CBS). Mad Men (AMC). How I Met Your Mother (CBS, final season). 2 Broke Girls (CBS). Mike and Molly (CBS). Dallas (TNT). Chicago Fire (NBC). Person of Interest (CBS). Revolution (NBC, cancelled). The Middle (ABC). Law and Order: SVU (NBC). Modern Family (ABC). CSI (CBS). The Big Bang Theory (CBS). Grey's Anatomy (ABC). Scandal (ABC). Elementary (CBS). Parenthood (NBC). Last Man Standing (CBS). The Carrie Diaries (CW, cancelled). Blue Bloods (CBS).

New Shows:
Sleepy Hollow (FOX). Mom (CBS). The Blacklist (NBC). About a Boy (NBC). Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC, single season spinoff). Reign (CW). The Michael J Fox Show (NBC, cancelled midseason).

Summer Shows:
Low Winter Sun (AMC, new, cancelled). The Bridge (FX, new). Unforgettable (CBS). Motive (ABC, new).

Favorite Character, Drama
1. James Spader as Raymond Reddington, The Blacklist - This character was made for Spader. Every line out of his mouth is pure gold. Every amused expression that passes over his face is genius.
2. Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan, Blue Bloods - As smooth, tough, and respectable as Frank is, I love that he also comes across as extremely real.
3. Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, The Good Wife - It's like she's straight out of one of my all-time favorite shows, Boston Legal. Quirky and smart.

Favorite Character, Comedy
1. Cristin Miliotti as The Mother (Tracy McConnell), How I Met Your Mother - I don't think I've ever loved a character as quickly as I did her.
2. Eden Sher as Sue Heck, The Middle - Oh, Sue Heck, I get you. It's rough to have a heart of gold and a totally awkward demeanor.
3. Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler, The Big Bang Theory - Pure hilarity.

Most Annoying Character Drama
1. Desmond Harrington as Joey Quinn, Dexter - I can't think of a more useless addition to a cast. He was constantly in a secondary role and that's exactly what he felt like: filler.
2. Tony Regbo as Prince Francis, Reign - Nowhere near as strong as he'd like to make everyone believe, he changes allegiance with the direction of the wind, even with his own wife.
3. Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Once Upon a Time - Three words: Grow a backbone. I don't care for the way they portray Belle. She doesn't come across as intelligent or curious, at all.

Most Annoying Character Comedy
1. Minnie Driver as Fiona, About a Boy - Holy helicopter mom.
2. Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn-Biggs, Mike and Molly - I know they decided to capitalize on Melissa McCarthy's slapstick movie humor payday, but the direction they've taken this show by reinventing Molly midstream feels caricature-ish.
3. Kat Dennings as Max Black, 2 Broke Girls - Hard to say which annoys me more: the stiff delivery of every line she's had over three seasons or The Joker lips painted on her face.

Best New Character on an Existing Show
1. The Mother aka Tracy McCarthy, How I Met Your Mother - Every appearance by The Mother, and they didn't come nearly often enough, was magic.
2. Zelena, Once Upon a Time - I enjoyed the way the writers wove the details of The Wizard of Oz in with the existing story and tied it to Regina.
3. Finn Polmar, The Good Wife - I immediately liked Finn. There's something humble about him, which is refreshing among so many huge (character) egos.

Favorite Couple
1. Sue and Darrin, The Middle - I was so sad when they broke up and was cheering (literally) when they decided to get back together.
2. Ted and Tracy, How I Met Your Mother - They are fifteen different kinds of adorable. So worth the wait for Ted.
3. Meredith and Derek, Grey's Anatomy - I appreciate that, even though they hit bumps and things aren't always easy, they stick together, fight through it together, and their marriage ends up stronger. It's so easy to just split marriages up on tv to create turmoil and change up the story. I like that they've survived.

Most Annoying Couple
1. Robin and Barney, How I Met Your Mother - I never really liked them together. They became more of a joke than anything else.
2. Kristin and Ryan, Last Man Standing - They set my teeth on edge the second they are on the screen.
3. Carrie and Sebastian, The Carrie Diaries - Too needy!

Family That Makes You Wish You Were One of Them
1. The Reagans, Blue Bloods - I want to go to family Sunday dinner!
2. The Pritchetts, Modern Family - I'd really just like to sit back and watch Phil's antics, and take some of these family vacations.
3. The Bravermans, Parenthood - I'm really just not sure how you wouldn't want to be part of this family.

Best Cast Chemistry
1. Parenthood - I can't think of a single line situation that has felt forced or awkward (unless it was *supposed* to feel that way). It doesn't even matter who is on the screen. They actually feel like a family.
2. The Good Wife - With such a high emotional intensity on this show, and the number of characters that may be on for an episode or a longer story arc, it's easy to pick up people who don't feel like they fit. This show never seems to miss a beat.
3. The Big Bang Theory - Even when they added new characters in previous seasons, it felt like they were always part of the gang. And their characters have continued to evolve in sync, which is really rather impressive.

Worst Cast Chemistry
1. 2 Broke Girls - Has there ever been a single episode of this show that the characters haven't felt as if they were reading off cue cards? After three seasons, they should feel more fluid in their delivery, at the very least.
2. The Michael J Fox Show - New shows, especially new comedies, seem to struggle to feel comfortable in their own skin. This one never seemed to get there.
3. Revolution - I never felt like this cast was cohesive. I understood that in season one, between being a new show and having characters killed off at an alarming pace, but that seemed to ease off a bit in the second season, and they still seemed to lack that spark that makes you want to suspend disbelief and feel as though they are real.

Part two, coming tomorrow...