It was not nearly as good a year for dramas as it was for comedies. There were 20 new dramas, just like comedies, but very few quality ones. All four networks are high on their dramas for next year so hopefully next year will be a step up for the dramas.
Tomorrow, check back for my miscellaneous awards for returning shows and other highlights and lowlights of the season!
Past Years: 2013 2012 2011
The Blacklist (NBC) - By far the biggest new hit of the season, The Blacklist was also my favorite new one even though I liked it at some points better than other points. This was a show, much like Person of Interest, that was better when it was less complicated as it was early on. When each week was a different villain and the show was just exploring some overarching stories, it was better than when it got bogged down in some of the longer range storylines. Still, James Spader's performance alone was enough to vault this show to the top (more on that below). It was a thrilling ride a lot of the time.
The Runners-Up
Chicago PD (NBC) - Just like The Blacklist, I enjoyed this show but not maybe as much as I thought I might or as much potential as it sometimes showed. While the ensemble was good, I didn't find all the police cases that compelling. This show was actually at its best when it was crossing over with Chicago Fire or Law & Order: SVU. It has some strong moments so maybe it's still finding its feet. I hope it does.
Resurrection (ABC) - ABC's midseason drama was a fascinating topic: about dead family members suddenly returning. But it didn't always put it together (see a trend with this year's dramas? And these were the top 3!) Still this show had some good and eerie moments along with some promising performances. I just wish it had answered more questions and moved things along a little faster.
Worth Mentioning: Hostages (CBS), Black Box (ABC)
James Spader, The Blacklist (NBC) - I wasn't always thrilled with The Blacklist but if there's a single performance in a new show that towers above all the rest, comedy or drama, it's James Spader as Red Reddington in this show. Spader's signature scowl and sleaziness paid off big time in this role as he became a ruthless villain you couldn't help but root for a little bit. He treated every showdown with a major terrorist as a coffee date. Any time The Blacklist veered off course a little bit, Spader never wavered in his cocksure and convincing portrayal of Reddington. He rivaled Kerry Washington for the way he commanded the screen every time he was on.
The Runners-Up
Jason Beghe, Chicago PD (NBC) - Jason Beghe was first memorable on Chicago PD as dirty cop Hank Voight. When he became the leader of the intelligence unit on Chicago PD, he brought that same gruff attitude and it's hard to tell sometimes if he's fiercely loyal to his city or an actual dirty cop. He plays the tough guy very well, I think a lot of that has to do with his voice.
Dylan McDermott, Hostages (CBS) - Hostages is probably long forgotten for most and I didn't even finish watching the full season, but Dylan McDermott was pretty solid as FBI Agent Duncan Carlisle. Like both Spader and Beghe, McDermott's character was an interesting mix of good guy and bad guy. Though he was decent in this, I'm more excited for his new show coming in the fall, Stalker.
Worth Mentioning: Greg Kinnear, Rake (FOX), Omar Epps, Resurrection (ABC)
Toni Collette, Hostages (CBS) - As I said above, Hostages was not my favorite new show or one I particularly cared about. In fact, this is a very weak category this year. But Toni Collette still did give a nice performance as the conflicted surgeon Dr. Ellen Sanders. Torn between committing a crime by letting the president die and saving her family who were taken hostage, Collette played the conflict well. She was also a good foil for Dylan McDermott as there was an odd but interesting dynamic between the two of them.
The Runners-Up
Megan Boone, The Blacklist (NBC) - Megan Boone's performance (and everyone else's) was dwarfed by James Spader on The Blacklist, but she was still a very solid performer as Elizabeth Keen, the only agent Red Reddington would cooperate with. Keen went through a very emotional journey during the season and I think Boone improved as the series went on to be more assertive and yet also emotional (at the beginning, she was basically at one level all the time). Being around Spader is probably making her a better actress!
Kelly Reilly, Black Box (ABC) - Black Box is a little bit of an underrated late entry to the TV season despite being originally planned as a cheap summer series. Kelly Reilly gives an interesting performance as Catherine Black, a brilliant neurologist who also has manic depression. Reilly is pretty convincing as someone suffering from the disease.
Worth Mentioning: Nicole Beharie, Sleepy Hollow (FOX), Jodie Whitaker, The Assets (ABC)
Jon Seda, Chicago PD (NBC) - Like Jason Beghe, Jon Seda's character was first seen on Chicago Fire so he was a familiar face when Chicago PD started. As Detective Antonio Dawson, he is refreshing on PD because he seems the least shady of the group. Sure, he's a tough guy but he seems the most well-meaning of the team and Jon Seda is a very likable presence on screen. In a stronger drama year, he might not be at the top but he's the most deserving of this group in the supporting actor category.
The Runners-Up
Kurtwood Smith, Resurrection (ABC) - I've only ever seen Kurtwood Smith in That 70s Show, so it was quite a change to get used to him as the skeptical yet well-meaning Henry Langston. Smith gave a good performance as he had a gruff exterior but soft heart and he struggled to accept the idea that his dead son had returned. I wish the writers would give him more to do, though.
Jesse Lee Soffer, Chicago PD (ABC) - Yet another Chicago Fire veteran, I feel like we haven't gotten to see enough of Jesse Lee Soffer on PD yet but he's on this list because, of course, it wasn't a strong year for dramas and because I feel like he has a lot of potential. If anything, he deserves to be on this list thanks to his run on Fire.
Worth Mentioning: Elias Koteas, Chicago PD (NBC), Orlando Jones, Sleepy Hollow (FOX)
Sophia Bush, Chicago PD (NBC) - Yet another Chicago PD actor makes the list but again, it's a little bit by default. Sophia Bush is strong as Erin Lindsay - a tough cop with a past that's only beginning to be explored including a connection with Jason Beghe's Hank Voight. Bush has had some good interactions with criminals, the other cops, and the characters from Chicago Fire. Her character is a microcosm of the whole show: promising and solid, but I'm left wanting something a little bit more.
The Runners-Up
Frances Fisher, Resurrection (ABC) - As Lucille Langston, Frances Fisher plays on the wife of Kurtwood Smith's character and it's a very similar feeling I have. She was good but I wish she had more to do. Considering the glacial pace that Resurrection moved and the number of unnecessary characters, Fisher did the most with what she was given. Maybe in season two they'll speed things up a bit and flesh out the stronger characters more.
Vanessa Redgrave, Black Box (ABC) - It was a bit of a coup for a low budget show like Black Box to get a star like Vanessa Redgrave on the show. But as the therapist to the title character, Redgrave brings an expertise and elegance to the role, even though it's awfully tiny. I wonder if this show will bring her out of the office more in episodes to come.
WORST NEW DRAMA
Betrayal (ABC) - Unlike the categories above, there were TONS of candidates for this category but the single worst new drama of the season has to be ABC's short-lived Sunday show Betrayal. Trying so desperately to be Revenge, the show suffered from being exceedingly boring. There didn't feel like there were any stakes to what was happening. To make matters worse, there was absolutely no chemistry between the two leads and that was the whole point of this show. Just trying to be soapy and edgy is not enough for a very poorly crafted show.
The Runners-Up
Killer Women (ABC) - I so badly wanted this show to be cheesy fun and a good time with its Texas setting and larger than life promos. But then the show aired and it was a whole bunch of nothing. It wasn't lame in a good way, it was just lame. They had an interesting premise here and did absolutely nothing with it.
Believe (NBC) - I am not a sci-fi person by any means so it takes a lot for me to stick with a sci-fi show but usually it can at least hook me in a little bit during the pilot. Believe did not do that for me. It bored me to tears during its pilot and felt like one of those shows that was impossible to get through. I never gave it another look because I didn't feel like it had anything going for it.
Worth Mentioning: Mind Games (ABC), Lucky 7 (ABC)
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