thePeanutBloggery

This season was somewhat defined by impatient network programmers and their need to shuffle and yank shows that failed to meet their numerical expectations, no matter the quality. This may have been growing pains, as they have yet to figure out how to accurately report viewer numbers from DVR’s and downloads (many of the networks’ websites offer full episodes).

Thus this third night of the Peanut Awards is dedicated to the continuously shifting programming landscape, both its successes and failures.

The Nominees for the Best New Comedy are…

• 30 Rock
• Andy Barker, PI
• The Class
• Ugly Betty

And the winner is…30 Rock.

It was a close battle between Betty and the Rock, but ultimately the Tina Fey vehicle won out due to its edgy, often uncomfortable, laugh till you pee humor. A comedy this smart and inventive doesn’t come along often, and like its “Must See TV” brethren, “30 Rock” is bound for a future of healthy DVD sales and basic cable syndication.

The Nominees for Best New Drama are

• The Black Donnellys
• Friday Night Lights
• Heroes
• Jericho

And the winner is…Heroes.

In a time when the world needs a hero, someone to stand up for goodness and right as everything seems to be sliding toward evil, this show gives us a whole league of them. Fortunately it’s as rich in quality as it is in popularity, proving television audiences aren’t as boorish as some believe.

The Nominees for Most Disappointing Cancellation are

• Andy Barker, PI
• The Class
• Jericho
• Veronica Mars

And the winner is…Veronica Mars.

Actually that wasn’t always the case. The original winner was “Jericho”, but thanks to 10,000 pounds of peanuts, CBS has agreed to make at least seven more episodes of the post-apocalyptic series. Thus the award goes to the runner-up, “Veronica Mars”, yet another casualty of the CW fiasco.

The Nominees for Most Shocking Renewal are

• Notes from the Underbelly
• October Road
• Rules of Engagement
• Scrubs

And the winner is…Scrubs.

Don’t get me wrong, I adored the first fives seasons of “Scrubs”, but I have never seen a show get so bad so quickly without some sort of changing of the guard (eg, Buffy, Gilmore Girls). Hopefully the folks at NBC know something I don’t - that JD will be likeable again, that the theme-revealing voice overs will matter again, and that the jokes will be funny again. Maybe if I clap my hands and say I believe…