> BEST COMEDY SERIES

>> Good God, you people nominated a lot of crap this year!!!

> There's only like 4 things outside of the sci-fi I've even seen.

> So, my votes are officially up for sale, since I have no other criteria
> to go by.

>Network switch: Friday Night Lights, which was listed as an NBC series
>in previous years, switched in the 2008-09 season to airing on
>DirecTV's 101 Network first, and then having its episodes broadcast on
>NBC later. Therefore, the 101 Network gets credit as the originating
>network in the Rattys, which makes it the first direct broadcast
>satellite channel to receive a Ratty nomination.

>BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTOR

>BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS

>BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR

>BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS

>BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR

>BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS

>BEST COMEDY EPISODE

>BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTOR
>Damian Lewis as Charlie Crews – Life (NBC)

>BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR

>BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS

>BEST SF LEAD ACTOR
>David Tennant as the Doctor - Doctor Who (Sci Fi)

>BEST SF LEAD ACTRESS
>Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse - True Blood (HBO)

>BEST SF SUPPORTING ACTOR
>Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds - True Blood (HBO)

>BEST SF SUPPORTING ACTRESS
>Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton - True Blood (HBO)

>BEST SF GUEST ACTRESS

>BEST SF EPISODE
>Doctor Who, "The Stolen Earth" (written by Russell T. Davies, directed
>by Graeme Harper) (Sci Fi)

>BEST TV MOVIE/MINI-SERIES
>Little Dorrit (PBS)

>BEST ACTOR - TV MOVIE/MINI-SERIES
>Tom Courtenay as Mr. Dorrit - Little Dorrit (PBS)

>BEST ACTRESS - TV MOVIE/MINI-SERIES

>BEST VARIETY SERIES/SPECIAL
>The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)

>BEST PERFORMANCE - VARIETY SERIES/SPECIAL
>Tina Fey - Saturday Night Live (NBC)

>BEST REALITY/GAME PROGRAM (series or special)

>BEST NEWS/TALK/DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM (series or special)
>The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (PBS)

>BEST NEW SERIES
>True Blood (HBO)

>MOST IMPROVED SERIES
>24 (Fox)

>WORST SERIES ON TELEVISION

>WORST MALE PERFORMER ON TELEVISION

>WORST FEMALE PERFORMER ON TELEVISION

>If I were to vote[1] I'd vote about 60% like David.

>1. But I won't, because that's how they get you.

>> If I were to vote[1] I'd vote about 60% like David.

>> 1. But I won't, because that's how they get you.

> Some of the regulars here already finked out
> by not participating in the nominating round.

> In article <7bmlpiF23bif...@mid.individual.net>,
> Default User <defaultuse...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> > If I were to vote[1] I'd vote about 60% like David.

> > 1. But I won't, because that's how they get you.

> Oh, c'mon, Brian! Some of the regulars here already finked out
> by not participating in the nominating round. We need the whole
> gang for the voting phase!

>> In article <7bmlpiF23bif...@mid.individual.net>,
>> Default User <defaultuse...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>> > If I were to vote[1] I'd vote about 60% like David.

>> > 1. But I won't, because that's how they get you.

>> Oh, c'mon, Brian! Some of the regulars here already finked out
>> by not participating in the nominating round. We need the whole
>> gang for the voting phase!

>Not worth the risk.

> In article <7bmq7cF241iv...@mid.individual.net>,
> Default User <defaultuse...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Patty Winter wrote:

> >> In article <7bmlpiF23bif...@mid.individual.net>,
> >> Default User <defaultuse...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> >> > If I were to vote[1] I'd vote about 60% like David.

> >> > 1. But I won't, because that's how they get you.

> >> Oh, c'mon, Brian! Some of the regulars here already finked out
> >> by not participating in the nominating round. We need the whole
> >> gang for the voting phase!

> > Not worth the risk.

> Brian, I hate to break it to you, but you're already trapped
> in the r.a.tv web of intrigue, so you might as well vote in
> the RATTYs. :-)

> If I were to vote[1] I'd vote about 60% like David.

> > In article <7bmq7cF241iv...@mid.individual.net>,
> > Default User <defaultuse...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > Patty Winter wrote:

> > >> In article <7bmlpiF23bif...@mid.individual.net>,
> > >> Default User <defaultuse...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> > >> > If I were to vote[1] I'd vote about 60% like David.

> > >> > 1. But I won't, because that's how they get you.

> > >> Oh, c'mon, Brian! Some of the regulars here already finked out
> > >> by not participating in the nominating round. We need the whole
> > >> gang for the voting phase!

> > > Not worth the risk.

> > Brian, I hate to break it to you, but you're already trapped
> > in the r.a.tv web of intrigue, so you might as well vote in
> > the RATTYs. :-)

> This is much larger than ratv. Trust me that you risk life and limb,
> and worse -- jury duty. Voting in online polls is dangerous. Trust me.

>Interesting. A new twist on the importance of cable/satellite channels
>such as USA and HBO.

>This show also gets my unofficial nomination for best
>series finale this year.

>Tough choice here for me between Chloe Sevigny and Jeanne
>Tripplehorn, but Sevigny had the more intense role this
>season.

>>BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS

>None of the nominees in thes two categories were in shows
>I'd seen.

>How can a new series ("Dollhouse") qualify in the "Most Improved"
>category?? Seems like there's something wrong with the process here.)

> >How can a new series ("Dollhouse") qualify in the "Most Improved"
> >category?? Seems like there's something wrong with the process here.)

> Rather than comparing seasons, I suppose people are comparing episodes
> i.e. it improved from the pilot to the season finale? <shrug>

>BEST COMEDY SERIES

>BEST SF EPISODE

>WORST SERIES ON TELEVISION

>WORST FEMALE PERFORMER ON TELEVISION

> BEST COMEDY SERIES
> 30 Rock (NBC)

> BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTOR
> Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy - 30 Rock (NBC)

> BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS
> Tina Fey as Liz Lemon - 30 Rock (NBC)

> BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
> Chi McBride as Emerson Cod - Pushing Daisies (ABC)

> BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
> Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook - Pushing Daisies (ABC)

> BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
> Chris Parnell as Leo Spaceman - 30 Rock, recurring (NBC)

> BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
> Lily Tomlin as Roberta Simmons - Desperate Housewives, recurring (ABC)

> BEST COMEDY EPISODE
> 30 Rock, "Reunion" (written by Matt Hubbard, directed by Beth McCarthy-
> Miller) (NBC)

> BEST DRAMA SERIES
> Breaking Bad (AMC)

> BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTOR
> Bryan Cranston as Walter H. White - Breaking Bad (AMC)

> BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS
> Glenn Close as Patty Hewes – Damages (FX)
> BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
> Walton Goggins as Shane Vendrell - The Shield (FX)

> BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
> CCH Pounder as Claudette Wyms - The Shield (FX)

> BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
> Jay Karnes as Scott Kohn - Sons of Anarchy, recurring (FX)

> BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
> Melinda McGraw as Bobbie Barrett - Mad Men, recurring (AMC)

> BEST DRAMA EPISODE
> Breaking Bad, "ABQ" (written by Vince Gilligan, directed by Adam
> Bernstein) (AMC)
> BEST SF SERIES
> Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)

> BEST SF LEAD ACTOR
> Edward James Olmos as William Adama - Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)

> BEST SF LEAD ACTRESS
> Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham - Fringe (Fox)

> BEST SF SUPPORTING ACTOR
> John Noble as Walter Bishop - Fringe (Fox)

> BEST SF SUPPORTING ACTRESS
> Summer Glau as Cameron Phillips - Terminator: The Sarah Connor
> Chronicles (Fox)

> BEST SF GUEST ACTOR
> Patton Oswalt as Joel Mynor – Dollhouse, "Man on the Street" (Fox)

> BEST SF GUEST ACTRESS
> Kate Vernon as Ellen Tigh - Battlestar Galactica, recurring (Sci Fi)

> BEST SF EPISODE
> Battlestar Galactica, "Daybreak" (written by Ronald D. Moore, directed
> by Michael Rymer) (Sci Fi)

> BEST TV MOVIE/MINI-SERIES
> BEST ACTOR - TV MOVIE/MINI-SERIES

> BEST ACTRESS - TV MOVIE/MINI-SERIES

> BEST VARIETY SERIES/SPECIAL
> The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)

> BEST PERFORMANCE - VARIETY SERIES/SPECIAL
> Tina Fey - Saturday Night Live (NBC)
> BEST REALITY/GAME PROGRAM (series or special)
> BEST NEWS/TALK/DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM (series or special)
> MythBusters (Discovery)

> BEST ANIMATED PROGRAM (series or special)
> BEST NEW SERIES
> Fringe (Fox)
> MOST IMPROVED SERIES
> 24 (Fox)

> BEST SERIES ON TELEVISION
> Lost (ABC)
> WORST SERIES ON TELEVISION

> WORST MALE PERFORMER ON TELEVISION

> WORST FEMALE PERFORMER ON TELEVISION

> [attribution missing]
>>> Therefore, the 101 Network gets credit as the originating
>>>network in the Rattys, which makes it the first direct broadcast
>>>satellite channel to receive a Ratty nomination.

>>Interesting. A new twist on the importance of cable/satellite channels
>>such as USA and HBO.

>If enough people had nominated LAW & ORDER:CI, it would have been
>another example.

>What comedies do you watch? Any British or Canadian ones to recommend?

>I went Sevigny too, but I thought Tripplehorn was good in her
>sister/mother/ brother-in-law storyline too.

>No love for Craig Ferguson either!

>Rather than comparing seasons, I suppose people are comparing episodes
>i.e. it improved from the pilot to the season finale? <shrug>

> This is the final ballot for the 2008-2009 Ratty Awards for the
> rec.arts.tv newsgroup, as compiled by Robert Licuria.

> There were 32 voters in the nominations round this year, up from 28
> last year.

> Lost once again led all series in nominations this year, with 11.
> However, NBC led all networks in nominations with a total of 31
> nominations spread among 10 shows.

> Welcome to the party ... or should that be "Welcome to the
> Dollhouse"?: The most nominated new series was Dollhouse, with 7
> nominations including Best Series on Television. Other new series
> making strong showings included True Blood with 6 nominations and
> Fringe with 5 nominations.

> We'll miss you: The most nominated series to end its run in the
> 2007-08 season was Battlestar Galactica, with 7 nominations.

> On the cusp: Among the shows that came close to nominations without
> receiving any this year were Scrubs and Greek. While Dexter and ER
> received one nomination each, they each came close to receiving more.

> Genre switch: Last year, Pushing Daisies competed in the SF
> categories, but this year it is competing in the Comedy categories
> because it received more votes for Best Comedy Series than Best SF
> Series this year.

> Network switch: Friday Night Lights, which was listed as an NBC series
> in previous years, switched in the 2008-09 season to airing on
> DirecTV's 101 Network first, and then having its episodes broadcast on
> NBC later. Therefore, the 101 Network gets credit as the originating
> network in the Rattys, which makes it the first direct broadcast
> satellite channel to receive a Ratty nomination.

> On the other hand, Deal or No Deal aired both on NBC and in
> syndication during the 2008-09 season, but with different episodes for
> each. Therefore, both NBC and syndication receive credit for the
> show's Ratty nominations this year, although those nominations happen
> to be in the "Worst" categories.

> Nominations tally:

> The Best:

> 11: Lost (down 5)

> 9: Friday Night Lights (up 2), The Office (up 1)

> 7: 30 Rock (down 1), Battlestar Galactica (down 1), Breaking Bad (up
> 6), Dollhouse, How I Met Your Mother (even)

> 6: Mad Men (up 4), The Shield (up 6), True Blood

> 5: Fringe, Pushing Daisies (up 1)

> 4: The Big Bang Theory (even), Big Love (up 2), Chuck (up 2), Grey
> Gardens, Saturday Night Live (up 2)

> 3: Better Off Ted, Damages (down 1), Doctor Who (down 1), Into the
> Storm, Sons of Anarchy

> 2: 24 (even from 2 years ago), The Colbert Report (even), The Daily
> Show with Jon Stewart (even), Generation Kill, Little Dorrit, Parks
> and Recreation, Prayers for Bobby, The Soup (up 2), Taking Chance

> 1: The Alzheimer's Project, The Amazing Race (even), Aqua Teen Hunger
> Force (up 1), The Biggest Loser (up 1), Countdown with Keith Olbermann
> (up 1), Desperate Housewives (down 4), Dexter (down 1), ER (up 1),
> Frontline (up 1), Gossip Girl (down 2), King of the Hill (up 1), Late
> Show with David Letterman (even), Life (even), The Life and Times of
> Tim, Medium (down 1), My Name Is Earl (even), MythBusters (even), The
> New Adventures of Old Christine (down 1), The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
> (up 1), Party Down, Reaper (even), The Simpsons (even), South Park
> (even), Survivor (up 1), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (down
> 3), Top Chef (even), United States of Tara, Weeds (down 1), Wipeout,
> Worst Week

> The Worst:

> 4: American Idol (up 2)

> 2: The Celebrity Apprentice (up 1), Deal or No Deal (up 1), Living
> Lohan (up 2)

> 1: America's Next Top Model (up 1), CSI: Miami (even), Denise
> Richards: It's Complicated (up 1), Do Not Disturb, Paris Hilton's My
> New BFF

> Network tally:
> The Best:
> NBC 31 (down 5) * HBO 23 (up 6) * ABC 21 (down 16) * Fox 17 (up 3) *
> CBS 16 (down 1) * AMC 13 (up 10) * FX 12 (up 8) * Sci Fi 10 (down 3) *
> 101 Network 9 (up 9) * Comedy Central 5 (even) * PBS 4 (up 3) *
> Showtime 3 (down 2) * CW 2 (down 3) * E! 2 (up 2) * Lifetime 2 (up 2)
> * Bravo 1 (down 1) * Cartoon/Adult Swim 1 (even) * Discovery 1 (even)
> * MSNBC 1 (up 1) * Starz 1 (up 1)

> The Worst:
> Fox 5 (up 2) * NBC 4 (up 1) * E! 3 (up 3) * Syndication 2 (up 2) * CBS
> 1 (even) * CW 1 (up 1) * MTV 1 (up 1)

> The following are the rules for this second stage of voting:

> * CAMPAIGNING IS ALLOWED. You may encourage people to vote in the
> Rattys on other web sites, blogs, mailing lists, etc., or on other
> television-related newsgroups, if you do so with good netiquette. In
> fact, I am planning to campaign myself. However, please don't post the
> ballot anywhere else, except with permission of one of the Ratty
> Awards administrators.  Just tell people they can find the ballot at
> the rec.arts.tv newsgroup (you can provide a URL as a link).

> * In the final results posting, I will post the percentages received
> by all nominees if and only if we receive ballots from more than 100
> voters.

> * Anyone reading this posting is eligible to vote, whether or not you
> voted in the first round.

> * In each category, delete the four nominees you don't want to vote
> for, leaving your one single vote in each category.

> * You don't have to vote in every category, but please try to vote in
> as many categories as you can.  If you are skipping a category, please
> delete all of the nominees in that category.

> * Please try to keep spacing between each category to a minimum.  All
> we should see is the category title, next line your vote, a space, and
> then the next category.  This will help keep your ballot short.

> * The deadline to submit votes is Thursday, July 23, 2009, at 10:00
> p.m. (U.S. Pacific time).

> * Please send your ballot to robertlicu...@hotmail.com (if that e-mail
> address has been obscured, that's robertlicuria AT hotmail DOT com).
> You can also post your votes to the newsgroup if you want, but all
> ballots must be e-mailed to me to be counted.

> * Thanks to everyone who voted.  Now it's time to pick your winners.

> *** delete everything above this line***
> 15th Annual Ratty Awards Ballot
> Reminder: send to robertlicu...@hotmail.com

> BEST COMEDY SERIES
> 30 Rock (NBC)
> The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
> How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
> The Office (NBC)
> Pushing Daisies (ABC)

> BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTOR
> Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy - 30 Rock (NBC)
> Kyle Bornheimer as Sam Briggs - Worst Week (CBS)
> Steve Carell as Michael Scott - The Office (NBC)
> Lee Pace as Ned - Pushing Daisies (ABC)
> Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper - The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

> BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS
> Toni Collette as Tara Gregson - United States of Tara (Showtime)
> Tina Fey as Liz Lemon - 30 Rock (NBC)
> Anna Friel as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles - Pushing Daisies (ABC)
> Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell – The New Adventures of Old
> Christine (CBS)
> Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope - Parks and Recreation (NBC)

> BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
> Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford - Parks and Recreation (NBC)
> Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson - How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
> John Krasinski as Jim Halpert - The Office (NBC)
> Chi McBride as Emerson Cod - Pushing Daisies (ABC)
> Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute - The Office (NBC)

> BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
> Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook - Pushing Daisies (ABC)
> Portia de Rossi as Veronica Palmer - Better Off Ted (ABC)
> Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly - The Office (NBC)
> Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin - How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
> Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky - How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

> BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
> Will Arnett as Devon Banks - 30 Rock, "Do-Over" (NBC)
> Creed Bratton as Creed Bratton - The Office, recurring (NBC)
> Beau Bridges as Carl Hickey - My Name is Earl, "Monkeys Take a
> Bath" (NBC)
> Albert Brooks as Lenny Botwin – Weeds, recurring (Showtime)
> Chris Parnell as Leo Spaceman - 30 Rock, recurring (NBC)

> BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
> Christine Baranski as Beverly Hofstadter - The Big Bang Theory, "The
> Maternal Capacitance" (CBS)
> Kristen Bell as Uda Bengt - Party Down, "Stennheiser-Pong Wedding
> Reception" (Starz)
> Sarah Chalke as Stella Zinman - How I Met Your Mother, recurring (CBS)
> Amy Ryan as Holly Flax - The Office, recurring (NBC)
> Lily Tomlin as Roberta Simmons - Desperate Housewives, recurring (ABC)

> BEST COMEDY EPISODE
> 30 Rock, "Reunion" (written by Matt Hubbard, directed by Beth McCarthy-
> Miller) (NBC)
> Better Off Ted, "Racial Sensitivity" (written by Michael Glouberman,
> directed by Paul Lazarus) (ABC)
> The Big Bang Theory, "The Maternal Capacitance" (story by Chuck Lorre
> & Bill Prady, teleplay by Richard Rosenstock & Steven Molaro, directed
> by Mark Cendrowski) (CBS)
> How I Met Your Mother, "The Naked Man" (written by Joe Kelly, directed
> by Pamela Fryman) (CBS)
> The Office, "Stress Relief" (written by Paul Lieberstein, directed by
> Jeffrey Blitz) (NBC)

> BEST DRAMA SERIES
> Big Love (HBO)
> Breaking Bad (AMC)
> Friday Night Lights (101 Network)
> Mad Men (AMC)
> The Shield (FX)

> BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTOR
> Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor - Friday Night Lights (101 Network)
> Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey - The Shield (FX)
> Bryan Cranston as Walter H. White - Breaking Bad (AMC)
> Jon Hamm as Don Draper - Mad Men (AMC)
> Damian Lewis as Charlie Crews – Life (NBC)

> BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS
> Connie Britton as Tami Taylor - Friday Night Lights (101 Network)
> Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons - Damages (FX)
> Glenn Close as Patty Hewes – Damages (FX)
> Chloe Sevigny as Nicolette Grant - Big Love (HBO)
> Jeanne Tripplehorn as Barb Henrickson - Big Love (HBO)

> BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
> Walton Goggins as Shane Vendrell - The Shield (FX)
> William Hurt as Daniel Purcell - Damages (FX)
> Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman - Breaking Bad (AMC)
> John Slattery as Roger Sterling - Mad Men (AMC)
> Jimmy Smits as

> "True Blood" has become one of my
> favorite shows. It's loaded with the sort of interesting, likable
> characters I could watch do anything, it's funny, strange, has a good
> mystery, is impossible to predict at any time what will happen next,
> evokes a wonderful gothic atmosphere. The show's a real treasure.