Top 10 Television Casts

Time to honor the greatest casts of television. Some things of note on this list... First off, it includes the entire cast of a show, so if I dislike a few characters, it is going to derail their ranking, even though their are others I like (for example, this is why O.C did not make the cut). Second, I didn't include any first season shows, because they haven't had the time to fully develop yet. In truth this test was quite difficult to produce, with all the casts on tv, but I tried to do my best here.

10. American Dreams: It sneaks in due to such a strong core cast. Meg, JJ, and Sam are some of the greatest characters ever as they journey through the tapestry that is the 60's. The core family is the most realistic family in television history potentially, and their interactions were stellar. With that said, I didn't love either parent, nor one of the sisters, which pushes this show lower than it needed to be.

9. House MD: So, I struggled with whether or not I should include a show that I no longer watch due to its repetitiveness, but during the time period I watched it, it is clear that it had an extremely strong television cast. Outside of Cuddy (who I never loved) or Foreman (who I actually liked at times) the rest of the original cast was stellar, and carried the show well. You never knew who was going to carry an episode, or knock a scene out of the park (although Wilson most commonly did that one), and it kept me watching House day in and day out despite it being about medicine. In the end maybe it wasn't the most deserving show for this spot, but it definitely had a strong cast.

8. LOST: Welcome to what I call, "The Kate Effect". I love the cast of LOST; so many of my favorite characters have come from this show. Boone, Jack, Sawyer, Jin, Sayid, season 1 version of Michael, Shannon, Sun, etc. all made this show stellar, and while there was a whole mythology to this show, it always came back to the characters. So why not higher, because a few select characters really hurt how much I love the cast in its entirety. The most famous of those is Kate. I have never liked her as an actress, and for a character who is often at the center of things, she never steals a scene. Claire had a similar problem for me, except at times she was almost useless (and at time underused). It's not the top of LOST that hurts the cast ranking, but rather the weak links that knocked it down a few pegs.

7. The Shield: I struggled with how to rank this show more than any of the rest. The core four was stupendous, and deservedly earned many critical accolades. Outside of the core four, it was a mix of great characters and mediocre ones depending on the season. I won't go into too much detail, because many of you have never watched the Shield, but just trust me that the group of actors brought the strike team to life, and to show that the world is not black and white more so than any other show. I am still not sure if Vic Mackey was evil, and the show has completed its run. Sure, alot of it comes from the writing, but it also comes from the portrayal done by these actors (and they also produced one of the greatest tv finales ever)

6. Arrested Development: One of only two comedy casts I really love, and the other one (community) is too recent and new to really give a fair ranking of. Arrested Development was a great tv show, about the core family and the characters in it. Michael Bluth is probably the greatest "straight man" in tv, being the voice of reason in an absolutely crazy world. The rest of the characters show their oddities so well. Gob Bluth shows the depth of at times being an absolutely ridiculous character, but also brings the occasional heartfilled moment with Micheal, and Michael's mom is one of the most humorous mom's in television history. It was the cast that really made this show grow, and it makes me sad that outside of Michael Cera, few have really had the time to shine sense this show has been canceled.

5. Friday Night Lights: Dear Lyla, Street, and ocassionally Tyra/Landry. You four are the reason for this ranking not be higher, because the rest of this cast is absolutely perfect. Smash, Saracen, and Riggins create the core football players, and all of them are absolutely perfect. Julie does a great job as the coaches daughter, even when she goes through the difficult stages. But what really stands out in this cast are the adults. We've heard all the accolades for the coach and his wife (which I whole heartedly agree with) but its the others like Buddy Garrity (who grows on me each and every season) and Smash's Mom who steal scenes and shows the depth of this show. And I won't go into detail, due to those who haven't seen season 4, but the new characters brought in mostly live up to those expectations of Saracen, Smash, and others due to their depth and their immediate likability. All in all, a great cast, with a few less than great characters.

4. Chuck: Higher than I initally expected, but after consideration, it does make sense. Chuck is a perfect protagonist, playing the fine line between strong and weak, cool and doofy. He has its moments of brilliance, but also his moments of the opposite, which only makes Chuck more likable. The majority of the surrounding cast is great, with Morgan as someone who grows on you over time. My one issue, which Thiell will despise, is that I just can't get behind Sara. Story lines centering around her don't always do it for me, and I'd much rather have the other characters on the screen. But outside of Sara, I am completely fond of this cast, and with time, it could move even higher.

3. Sleeper Cell: The only HBO or showtime show to actually make the list, partially because they typically have so many characters, that someone is diluting the cast. Sleeper Cell is the one exception, where every regular character brings something to the table, and spectacular in their own way. Sleeper Cell is a tv show about terrorism, and those that exist within it. What is interesting, is showing the personalities that yes, they are villains, but they are also still humans too. Best represented by Ilia, who suffered during the tragic Bosnian war, who shows that he is just a pained lost soul. However, if I am talking about the great cast, it all goes back to Darwin, who relates to all these characters surrounding him. He is the voice of reason, but also can be emotional at time, and always gave a strong acting job for this hidden show. The sacrifices he makes are unbelievable, and even if this show only last 18 episodes (in two seasons) I will never forget the great cast within it.

2. Greek: Not at all expected to be this high, but when it comes to great television casts, this was a surprisingly easy choice. The thing is, while looking through the regulars I noticed that outside of a character for a few seasons, there is not a single weak character. The male characters are all pretty strong (although a bit archetypal) with Rusty being a character who just grows on you. Dale is guaranteed to bring laughs, and Calvin is always a voice of reason. However, its the trio of girls that really is why this show is. First off, they are all gorgeous, something that few shows have. Casey is one of the best female protagonists in television, and Rebbecca is a good quasi-enemy for tv. It may not have one of the greatest television characters ever, but it really is the only show without a weak one, and that has to count for something.

1. Veronica Mars: This was the tightest top two I have had sense returning my weekly lists. Choosing between these two shows was painful, but in the end it had to go to Veronica Mars, led by one of the greatest tv protagonists ever, acted by Kristen Bell. But what really helped is the depth. In the first two seasons, nearly every character is perfect. The thing is, it doesn't just not have any weak characters, but rather most of them are epically strong. There are very few characters the quality of Wallace and Weevil, and those two aren't even the best in shows. And when bit characters like Dick and Cassidy steal scenes at pivotal moments, you know you have a strong cast. The acting was stellar, and so was the show... but it is truly the cast that made Veronica Mars one of the greats (even ask Lans, who always makes me watch it with him when I visit)