TVGuide.com's Top TV Moments of the Week
Oprah, South Park and Elisabeth Hasselbeck
It's been a week of big exits, historic beginnings, and medical drama galore. From solid stories to real-life drama, this was a week with something for everyone:
12. Brad to the Bone Award: Sure, Prison Break's bad-ass Bellick broke down a bit in recent seasons, but he sure went out with bravado, sacrificing his own life to flooding water to keep Michael's mission alive. Let's all send flowers to his momma.
11. Ironic Casting of the Week: Not only did Private Practice guest star Ming Na play a doctor on ER, she also specialized in fertility — Naomi's bread-and-butter — on NBC's short-lived Inconceivable a few seasons back.
10. Fastest Exit: After a gracious concession speech, this is how John McCain ends Campaign '08: with an awkward handshake and arm pat for running mate/albatross Sarah Palin, a no-look handshake for her husband, and perfunctory embrace with his would-be first lady. It compares with Barack Obama and his wife, who held hands and high-fived as they walked off the stage with their soon-to-be-puppy-owner-daughters after the president-elect's more somber victory speech.
9. Biggest Need of a Clue: Ralph Nader says Obama needs to choose between being "Uncle Sam for the people of this country, or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations." A sad and ridiculous argument ensues with Fox News' Shepard Smith.
8. Most Homages: The Simpsons' latest Treehouse of Horrors invokes cultural touchstones from Mad Men to Transformers to It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Hey, you forgot... nothing. Witness the horror on our Online Video Guide.
7. Most Surprising Support: After months of bickering with her View co-stars about why John McCain deserves to be the president, Elisabeth Hasselbeck pulls a 180 Wednesday: "God knows I fought hard on the other side but today is a victory for this country," she says. "I will get in a long line of supporters...and support our president." The conservative spitfire even gives Joy Behar a fist bump to call a truce.
6. Worst-Written Exit: When Dr. Hahn finds out about the whole Izzy-Denny heart-stealing scandal on Grey's Anatomy, she tells Callie she's going to report it to a higher authority. But despite how much Callie hated Izzy from her George days, she sticks up for her fellow doctor. And apparently Callie's loyalty to Izzy leaves Hahn storming away after some harsh comments.
5. Best Moment of Unity: In a debate not-quite moderated by Oprah, 30 Rock's Tracy Jordan and Jenna Malone argue over who has it worse in America: white women or black men. Both cite Adrian Brody kissing Halle Berry as a flagrant example of men/whites thinking they can do whatever they want.
4. Best Design: Nathan Thomas out-styles 12 other competitors to win Bravo's Top Design. He faces tough competition from Preston and Ondine, but Thomas' avant-garde approach makes him the designer of choice — and $100,000 richer.
3. Most Confusing Exit: The Hills' Heidi gets fired from Bolthouse Productions, but can you really get fired from a job you probably only had for TV in the first place? Looks like she'll have to make her singing career her day job.
2. Fastest Turnaround: The ever-topical South Park manages to incorporate Barack Obama and John McCain's election-night speeches into an episode that aired the very next night. Not satisfied to be merely fast, the show's creators then offer up an Ocean's Eleven homage suggesting the entire 2008 election was a ruse to steal the Hope diamond. Watch the episode on our Online Video Guide.
1. Most Blissful Silence: We said it in the Top Moments election night edition and we'll say it again: Good call by the talking heads and MSNBC and CNN to fall silent and let the cheers of Obama's supporters provide the lone soundtrack after he was declared the winner.
What were your Top Moments of the week?
