2004

Eligible Shows (predominantly aired between June 1, 2003 and May 31, 2004)

*NOTE*  The BTAs for comedy are fairly deficient, with only four shows really in the running.  That said, it was a great year for drama, and I couldn't skip out on awarding those just because there weren't as many comedies to choose among. 

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy:

The BTA goes to:  Jessica Walter for Arrested Development

It's ridiculous and irresponsible to give four nominations from the same show--I've limited myself to three maximum where possible--so hopefully admitting it is enough.  I just haven't seen enough comedies from this year, and try finding a fault with any of the above actresses.  Fortunately for my diminished sense of responsibility, despite the comedy perfection of Judy Greer's Kitty Sanchez, I realize she wasn't really around enough to take home the gold, so Lucille Bluth it is.  I always have a hard time saying which of the Bluths is my favorite, but Lucille's a strong competitor (along with Tobias, George-Michael, GOB, and Buster...and Maeby, Michael, George, Sr., and Lindsay) simply for how entitled she acts.  I especially love her scenes with Lupe and Lucille 2, though, again, I think everything Jessica Walter does on Arrested Development is hilarious. 

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy: 

The BTA goes to:  Martin Freeman for The Office (UK)

Like Mary-Louise Parker beating four Housewives, Martin Freeman rises above the hilarious company of Arrested Development.  I actually hate to give it to him, simply because he was in 6 episodes whereas his rivals were in more than three times that, but Freeman's performance as Tim Canterbury is that powerful.  Easily my favorite part of the show, Freeman is hilarious but stuck, unhappy but unmotivated to change his situation.  Until the very end, which is my favorite scene of the show and provides no easy outs. 

Best Actress in a Comedy:

The BTA goes to:  Sarah Chalke for Scrubs

Elliot became my favorite part of Scrubs probably around "My Own American Girl," but it wasn't because of her makeover, but rather how she became unafraid to tell hilarious stories about herself. 

Best Actor in a Comedy:

The BTA goes to:  Ricky Gervais for The Office (UK)

As talented a writer as he is, Ricky Gervais is an exceptional actor, realistically portraying the awkward, self-involved manager of a Slough paper company.  In Season 2, he not only plays the expected notes (saying the wrong things, going too far) but he is also magical when faced with his imminent firing.  When he begs for his job, he blows me away, but it wouldn't be The Office if his last line weren't about Dolly Parton's tits. 

Best Comedy: 

The BTA goes to:  Arrested Development

In overhauling the BTAs, I decided that it was better to have an empty slot than an unworthy candidate.  I've seen maybe three episodes of Friends Season 10, which would be eligible this year, but not including it here was a way of saying how outstanding these other four are.  This is true for every category in every year of the BTAs now, but every candidate is worthy.  The Office delivered its three best episodes, ultimately delivering a realistic life of ennui in Slough.  Scrubs got more serialized with the impending marriage of Turk and Carla and JD's season-long quest to win back Elliot, while still delivering some of its best standalones (My Screw-Up, the Kevin Casey two-parter).  And Wonderfalls got darker and more interesting until the very end, when it was unceremoniously canceled by Fox.  That said, Arrested Development happens to be my favorite, and Season 1 introduced us to the Bluths and their associates from Barry Zuckercorn to Kitty Sanchez to Lucille 2 to T-Bone, ultimately delivering the best satire of current politics and America's idle upper class in any media (that I've seen, of course).  By the way, the accompanying picture is of the iconic "I don't care for GOB."

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama:

The BTA goes to:  Drea de Matteo for The Sopranos

Drea de Matteo has always been surprisingly great on The Sopranos (in my opinion, she's the most consistent actor on the show behind Gandolfini, Falco, and Imperioli), but in her final season, she knocks it out of the park.  

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama:

The BTA goes to:  Brad Dourif for Deadwood

Just looking at that picture reminds me how spectacular Brad Dourif's creation of Doc Cochran is, one of my favorite characters on Deadwood.  He's also one of the few that gets to interact with nearly everyone, checking up on Trixie and the whores, protecting Sofia with Jane and Charlie, helping victims of the plague and encouraging Al to mercy-kill Reverend Smith, and going out of his way to design a brace for Jewel's leg. 

"I am as nimble as a forest creature."

Best Actress in a Drama:

The BTA goes to:  Frances Conroy for Six Feet Under

Frances Conroy on Six Feet Under delivers a masterful study of frustration, especially in Season 3 where she dabbles in relationships with both Fisher and Sons' new employee Arthur and George Sibley, whom she ultimately marries. 

Best Actor in a Drama: 

The BTA goes to:  Ian McShane for Deadwood

It's difficult choosing between James Gandolfini and Ian McShane, but what clenches it in a year like this is how much more Al Swearengen got to do than Tony Soprano, and how effective his arc was.  It's safe to say Ian McShane will never get another opportunity to play such a fascinating character. 

Best Drama: 

The BTA goes to:  Deadwood

This is the year HBO had four acclaimed dramas competing against each other, and while all are certainly great, Deadwood remains my favorite.  Deadwood's opening season is truly epic, an atmospheric exploration of the establishment of America.  As the characters arrive in Deadwood, some seeking lawlessness, others fortune, the town develops like political philosophy, exploring the reasons why people come together to form government institutions.  Ian McShane is the obvious star, and I find Timothy Olyphant lacking, but that may have more to do with the character's insufferable entitlement that the acting, but the entire ensemble is engaging.  Alma Garret loses a husband, gets hooked on laudanum, and becomes the primary caretaker for the orphaned Sofia, though she is joined in this task by the unlikely pair of the whore Trixie and the drunk Calamity Jane.  Wild Bill Hickok comes to town to the immediate hero worship of everyone, coming to the aid of Seth and Sol and Alma and finding his fate in a card game with Jack McCall.  Reverend Smith gets the plague, Joanie Stubbs faces endless abuse from Cy Tolliver, whom Eddie scams out of money, Jewel gets a brace, Sol falls for Trixie, and EB Farnum has delusions of importance in one of the best performances of the series. 

2004 BTA Winners:

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