It takes a special kind of actor to leave it all hanging in the name of comedy. Which is why, we at theTVaddict.com would like to take this opportunity to salute last night’s COMMUNITY MVP Blake Clark — who quite literally did just that.

Playing Coach Bogner, the Glendale College Gym teacher with an inexplicable predilection for very short shorts, Clark, a journeyman actor in his own right (BOY MEETS WORLD anyone?) not only left his clothes and some may say his dignity on the floor in what was easily the funniest and most competitive game of Pool we’ve ever seen. He did so next to Joel McHale!

Which combined with the gangs teasing of Britta for her pronunciation of “bagel” (”BAG-el”), the unexpected appearance of “White” Abed (Again, something you had to see it), and a plethora of pop culture references too numerous to mention (Abed’s Don Draper FTW!), helped cement COMMUNITY as our official pick for the best show on TV that you’re not watching.

Okay, at this point, we’ve gotten used to seen SNL serve up sketches that are moderately funny at best and about as topical as a copy of Time magazine from 2006, but must their hosts be plucked from the recycling pile as well? With all due respect to MAD MEN’s Jon Hamm (slated to host the supposed laffer on January 30) or camera spokesmodel Ashton Kutcher (February 6), we humbly offer up a few ideas for hosts who don’t come with their own “Been There, Done That, Hosted SNL” t-shirts.

Zachary Levi
NBC obviously knows they have a potential hit in the slow-to-grow CHUCK as evidenced by the ad campaigns devoted to it (not to mention their not putting our favorite Buy More employee on the shelf), so why not give the show’s star a shot in the host slot? Could prove to be a mutually advantageous situation for both shows.

Joel McHale
Live from New York… it’s the bitingly-funny star of COMMUNITY, the funniest NBC comedy that you’re not watching. And given that the guy used to still hosts THE SOUP — which is often funnier on an off day than SNL at its best — he knows a thing or two about bringin’ the funny.

Stephen Colbert
Considering the fact that Colbert was kind enough to give NBC executive Dick Ebersol time on Wednesday night’s THE COLBERT REPORT so he could plug NBC’s upcoming Olympic coverage, it seems only fair there be a little quid pro quo.

Stewie Griffin
Sure, it would take some advance planning but in a world where news networks are using holograms, why couldn’t the diaper-wearing, show-tune-crooning, matricide-plotting FAMILY GUY baby be animated into scenes?

Conan O’Brien
Rumor has it the late-night funny guy has some free time on his hands. (What? Too soon?)

Last night’s line-up of NBC comedies showed those shows at their finest. Let’s look a little closer…

Is it wrong that — brace yourself, ’cause I’m gonna say what I know a lot of us were thinkin’ — I didn’t miss THE OFFICE at all? The double-dose of 30 ROCK was just fine by me! (Favorite moment: Jenna’s GOSSIP GIRL character saying, “I’m 41 now. It’s time to die.” The whole GG subplot was brilliant. Remember the controversy back when the show first launched and people were ticked about Rachel Dratch being demoted and then, in essence, booted in favor of Jane Krakowski? Guess that all turned out a-okay, huh?) In other ROCK developments, how great was it to see Liz gettin’ her freak on — and with recurring guest hunk Cheyenne Jackson, no less? Loved her gay nephew and their dialogue.

LIZ: Is it going to be fierce?
RANDY: It would be if it was 2006.

Then there was James Franco, who — between this appearance and his run as GENERAL HOSPITAL’s serial-killing artist — may be well on his way to being named the oddest actor on the planet. Finally, I, for one, will never hear the name “Tom Selleck” again without bursting into fits of laughter. Those who saw know why. Those who didn’t… your loss!

Weaving COMMUNITY guest star Jack Black into flashbacks to scenes from previous episodes as if he’d been there all along was downright brilliant. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: A little bit of Black goes a long way. We got about 2.5 minutes too much of him last night. This show — which I was luke-warm on when it started — has blossomed into an unlikely favorite. Interestingly, so has supporting character Senor Chang, whom I hated when he first aired and have since come to really enjoy. Favorite line of the episode? “Nobody will care about my time in rehab if they think I’m a writer!”

PARKS & RECREATION was probably the weakest of the shows last night, which isn’t to say it wasn’t good… but rather that it didn’t measure up to it’s siblings. I will say, however, that Chris Pratt’s Andy and Aubrey Plaza’s April are front-runners in the “favorite comedy couple” category. (You do know that in my mind, there’s an awards show held every season at which my opinion is the only one which counts, right?) Had to love Amy Pohler’s Leslie describing her perfect guy: “He has the brains of George Clooney in the body of Joe Biden.”

So that’s my take… what was yours? Favorite moment/lines of the night? Was I simply so drunk on the glory of new episodes that my expectations were.

10. BIG LOVE
Once thought of as “that show about the guy who has sex with three women”, BIG LOVE has moved so beyond its initial constraints as to feel like a completely different series. Despite it’s odd (and, to some, off-putting) pacing, the tale of the Henrickson family has become as complex as the religion at its center, thanks in large part to the unforgettable performance of Chloe Sevigny as Nicki, the immature second wife who is torn between her fundamentalist Mormon values and her childish impulses.  

9. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
It’s odd to realize that there is a huge segment of the population of who have seen this HBO series and probably never even heard of it until the much-buzzed about SEINFELD reunion. Those people will probably squirm uncomfortably upon hearing that this season saw Larry David inadvertently pee on a portrait of Jesus, very intentionally grasp a secretary’s love handles in a bid to save his own life, or wound up in a fist fight with Rosie O’Donnell. Those of us who witnessed his antics also squirmed uncomfortably… while simultaneously howling with laughter. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

8. NBC’S THURSDAY NIGHT LINE-UP
They may not be perfect, but COMMUNITY, PARKS & RECREATION, THE OFFICE and 30 ROCK have come together — flaws and all — to create the best two-hour comedy block since the heyday of Must-See TV. Better, these are not your typical set-up-followed-by-punch-line sitcoms, but rather what we like to think of as comedies for the thinking man in which the unguarded moments “caught” by the camera are every bit as important as the dialogue being spoken. Sometimes even more so. 

7. THE DAILY SHOW/ COLBERT REPORT
Who would have imagined that some of the best social commentary — not to mention concise media criticism and analysis — would be coming from the “World News Headquarters” of Comedy Central? What’s truly amazing about these shows is that they manage to combine politicians, pundits and celebrities into a breathtakingly funny cocktail five nights a week… a feat SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE can’t manage to do once a week.

The TV Addict with a few of Bon Temps’ finest at the 2009 Entertainment Weekly Comic Con Party

6. TRUE BLOOD
Yes, yes, we were a little late to the party. But thanks to HBO on Demand, we’re ready to sing the praises of Bon Temps, the little town where not only can anything happen, but when it does, it’s often in the nude. (Thank you, Cable!) While daughters everywhere were deciding whether to be on Team Edward or Team Jacob, TRUE BLOOD fans knew the real battle is between those who want to bare their necks for Bill and those who’d rather sink their teeth into Eric. That’s what we call a win/win.

5. DEXTER
Let’s have a show of hands: How many of you were reluctant to even start this season, bored at the notion of America’s favorite serial killer being saddled with a wife, two precocious kids and a new baby? Shame on us for having doubted the writers, who turned our notions of family upside down by giving Dexter a new nemesis who, like him, was both a family man and a serial killer. Unlike last season’s somewhat meandering and, in the end, almost pointless Prado plot, season four’s arc was every bit as twisted as the mind of John Lithgow’s Trinity. Better still (Spoiler Alert!) the shocking finale set the stage for the show to re-invent itself yet again, this time with Dexter as a single dad. It’s a tried-and-true storyline that on any show might quickly become trite, yet thanks to the fact that this year’s conventional set-up yielded what may well have been the best season yet, we can hardly wait.

The TV Addict parties with some of your favorite Gleeks at FOX’s Fall 2009 Launch

4. GLEE
After years of COP ROCK punchlines, it looks as if television critics everywhere will need to look for a new scapegoat, because the musical dramedy is officially alive and well thanks to the students and faculty of McKinley High. Like most shows on this list, GLEE is not perfect. But it proves the power (and profit) of thinking outside the box and brings in the kind of demographics that cause happy-shivers to run up and down the spines of network execs.

3. MODERN FAMILY
We come not to bury the sitcom, but to praise it. What many expected to be a typical sitcom quickly proved itself anything but as America met and fell for the extended Dunphey/Pritchett family. What makes this show shine — aside from the wildly talented cast or the exceptionally sharp writing — is the family itself. Gay, straight, young, old, fat and thin, they are, in essence, us. It would be atypical for viewers to relate to any one member of a television family. For us to somehow relate to them all is what makes this FAMILY so dang perfect.

2. LOST
Not willing to rest on their laurels, executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse continued to step up their game with the show’s penultimate season. So much so that we’ll forgive them for raising more questions than answers (as usual), killing off major and much beloved characters (Juliet! Sob!)  and introducing the head-scratching notion of time-travel (Please don’t make us do math) because we know deep down inside that like those pesky Cylons before them, they have a plan. Or, um, they damned well better. Just sayin’.

1. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Just how remarkable was FRIDAY LIGHTS this past year? Put it this way: This TV Addict is so desperate to discover if Coach Taylor can turn around the lacklustre East Dillon Panthers that we may have [or for legal reasons, may not have] turned to a life of crime downloading. Fingers crossed the judge is a fan. After all, if anyone will be able to sympathize as we revel in the small screen’s most endearing marriage (that of Eric and Tami Taylor) and the tearful farewell arcs for veteran cast members Zach Gilford and Taylor Kitsch, it’s a fellow Panther. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!

Nina Dobrev continues to make Canada proud.
Unlike some other DEGRASSI grads who shall remain nameless, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES star Nina Dobrev has not forgotten her roots. As evidence by her tweet over the weekend that had her spending Saturday night with former fictional classmates Paula Brancati (Jane), Charlotte Arnold (Holly J) and Landon Liboiron (Declan) in the Big Apple. Where Dobrev spent the weekend shooting the upcoming cover of Seventeen magazine and the DNG crew were busy with the season finale that we really hope will expect hope will be titled DEGRASSI TAKES MANHATTAN.

Shonda Rhimes hearts Calizona
Shonda Rhimes may be a spoiler-phobe offline, but on twitter she inexplicably is a veritable wealth of information. Last week, aside from clarifying some of your favorite doctor’s living arrangements (Turns out, Mark and Lexie live across the hall from Callie and Christina, anyone else smell a spin-off sitcom!?), Rhimes took time to assuage the fears of those invested in the Callie and Arizona (or Calizona) pairing by revealing that, “I just watched some very cute Callie Arizona kissing in a cut of an upcoming episode…”

MELROSE PLACE is still on the air
Proving we’re not the only ones nervous about the increasingly addictive MELROSE PLACE’s lackluster ratings, comes MP co-executive producer and showrunner Darren Swimmer, who took to the twitterverse to remind fans that, “Amanda arrives on Nov 17, but we’ve got a new episode airing this week too!”

Showrunners have feelings too
As evidence by COMMUNITY creator Dan Harmon’s reaction via twitter to EW.com’s less-than-kind recap of the most recent episode: “Dude called my show a bologna sandwich in the sun. F*cked up. I’m naming a character “EW Popwatch” and hitting it with a car.” Or, on a brighter note, MODERN FAMILY co-creator Steve Levitan, who thanks to his much-buzzed about new series not only had “>TOP CHEF MASTERS cater a meal on the set, but has plenty to tweet about, “Hey, this is sure nice to read. Thanks, Matt! http://bit.ly/2zS428” and “Here’s a nice piece from Variety about Modern Family: http://bit.ly/TyDO1”

The writers of COUGAR TOWN and SCRUBS have waaaaaay too much time on their hands
And Bill Lawrence tweeted proof!

DOLLHOUSE
What is with those Whedon’s and their ability to always leave us wanting more. Fresh of the heels of this week’s DOLLHOUSE debacle that has FOX benching the ratings anemic series for November sweeps, comes a harrowing Sierra-centric episode that recounts the terrifying circumstances in which the Aussie beauty found her way to the Rossum Corporation. Both gripping and gut-wrenching, the episode was not only right up their as one of the series’ bests, but showed the few who bothered to watch, just how much potential this show has if given the chance.

MODERN FAMILY
Erik Estrada eat your heart out. For what FAMILY’s two “E’s” (Ed O’Neil and Eric Stonestreet) lack in the matinee idol looks department, they more than make up for by delivering the laughs. Yes, five episodes into the freshman series, O’Neill and Stonestreet, alongside the rest of the ridiculously talented cast, continue to raise the bar when it comes to L.P.M. (Laughs per minute). So much so that we’ll forgive showrunners Lloyd and Levitan (Christopher and Steven respectively) for leaving out the obvious ‘Four touchdowns in a single game’ shout-out many MARRIED WITH CHILDREN fans (okay, this TV Addict) was waiting for.

GREY’S ANATOMY
Thursday’s story-telling departure which had the good doctors of Seattle Grace (both new and old) recount the unfortunate circumstances that resulted in the unexpected death of a patient and the firing of a one of their own (Can someone please give Sarah Drew a regular series gig, and STAT!) was not only the best episode of the season, but continued to prove that the merger between Seattle Grace and Mercy West has been the best thing to happen to GREY’S ANATOMY since JOURNEYMAN’s cancellation and Dr. Owen Hunt’s arrival on the scene.

COMMUNITY
After a rocky start, the gang from Greendale Community College finally seems to have found their rhythm. Thursday’s episode — that had Britta learning about ‘bathroom girl-talk-etiquette’ from Shirley, Annie learning about selflessness from of all people Jeff, and Abed learning that less is more — gave virtually every COMMUNITY member a moment to shine. Plus bonus points for Moby Dean Pelton, who’s quickly becoming our favorite Principal since Mr. Belding.

THE BIG BANG THEORY
WHEEEAATONNNN!

Where you might know him from: Before enrolling in Greendale COMMUNITY College, actor Danny Pudi got his big break at… would you believe Yale? Well, sort of. Being cast on GILMORE GIRLS as one of Paris’ hard-working peons at the campus newspaper not only prepared him perfectly for his current gig as pop-culture-holic Abed (”I had to speak really quickly on a very fast-paced show!”), but served as a great welcome to television. “Coming onto the show with four other Yale Daily News staffers, I didn’t know what to expect, but Liza Weil [Paris] was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met in my life… so genuine and nothing like her character!”

On how his life has changed: The mansion, the entourage, the car… are not Pudi’s style. “I still wake up, eat my eggs, oatmeal, go the the gym, do some squatting and run on the treadmill. That’s my life,” reveals the ridiculously down-to-earth actor. “Except every now and then people come up to me and say, ‘We love COMMUNITY!’ Which is so exciting — to be able to share this with people — as I love performing and being on stage.”

On when he expects to forget the ‘little’ people: Turns out, repeatedly being told he’s this fall’s breakout star has yet to go to his head… or has it? “I won’t remember any of this,” he jokes. “In fact, the only person I will remember is me, as that’s the kind of guy I am!” Of course, in reality, he admits to being “a big family-and-friends guy. Which is good because when people are like, ‘That’s really funny,’ it’s my family and friends back in Chicago who bring me down to earth by chiming in with, ‘You could have done better!’ My mom especially.”

1. The COMMUNITY series premiere. [iTunes Link]
2. The PARKS AND RECREATION season premiere. [iTunes Link]
3. The 90210 season premiere. [iTunes Link]
4. The MELROSE PLACE series premiere. [iTunes Link]
5. The BORED TO DEATH series premiere. [iTunes Link]

COMMUNITY
For his first regular series television project, THE SOUP’s Joel McHale proves he’s no dummy… by enrolling in Community College. No, really. Rather than go down the sitcom route that has plagued so many big names prior (see: Geena Davis, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Bette Midler to name a few) McHale cleverly decided to surround himself with perhaps the most talented group of quirky newcomers since Dunder Mifflin opened up a branch in Scranton. Yup, thanks to Chevy Chase, Allison Brea and our prediction for this Fall’s break-out star Danny Pudi (Sorry Jack McBrayer, you’re so 2007), we finally have a reason to be excited for school. COMMUNITY premieres on Thursday September 17 at 9:30PM on NBC, CityTV in Canada

COUGAR TOWN
Heading into the fall season, there was little doubt that the Courteney Cox starring, Bill Lawrence produced comedy was going to make this list. Unfortunately, rather than offer up big laughs, COUGAR TOWN is little more than a big disappointment, relying far too much on hackneyed stereotypes (older woman + younger hottie = funny!) and an unbelievable premise (Seriously, who is divorcing Courteney Cox?). That said, when your showrunner is one of the funniest men in the business, heck on the planet (Free advice: If NBC were smart, they’d give Bill Lawrence the 10PM slot) and your show continues to employ the under appreciated gem that is ALIENS IN AMERICA survivor Dan Byrd, you get a second, third, well, as many chances as you need to make it work. COUGAR TOWN premieres on Wednesday September 23 at 9:30PM on ABC, CityTV in Canada

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Just when you thought it was safe to cancel your HBO subscription (Following Sunday’s TRUE BLOOD season finale, natch!), comes the reunion you never thought would happen (Or, as Julia Louise-Dreyfus called it in Entertainment Weekly’s recent fantastic cover story “the anti-reunion.”) Yup, Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer make a welcome return to the small screen when everybody’s favorite neurotic, Larry David, hatches a plan to help win back [his estranged wife] Cheryl by scoring her a plum role as George’s ex-wife in the SEINFELD reunion. Complete with familiar sets and nonsensical plot points (George refuses to share with Larry how much he’s tipping a waiter) the gang is in fine form. So much so that you’ll be wishing NBC could replace their current slate of nothing (see: TRAUMA and MERCY) with the original show about nothing. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM premieres on Sunday September 20 at 9PM on HBO and HBO Canada

MODERN FAMILY
From the network that gave us HOME IMPROVEMENT, ACCORDING TO JIM and FULL HOUSE comes a different kind of comedy: One that will actually have you laughing. Thanks in no small part to the aforementioned modern family comprised of future Emmy nominees Ed O’Neill (MARRIED WITH CHILDREN), Ty Burr (BACK TO YOU), Julie Bowen (ED) and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (THE CLASS), and a subject matter that everybody can relate to. Be it old, young, white, black, gay, straight, man, woman, parent or child: Crazy families are fun to watch (especially when they’re not your own!) MODERN FAMILY premieres on Wednesday September 23 at 9PM on ABC, CityTV in Canada

THE JAY LENO SHOW
Now I know what you’re thinking, clearly theTVaddict.com has lost it. But before you click off this page, erase theTVaddict.com from your rss reader, delete our bookmark, stop following us on twitter and proclaim all credibility lost — consider this. For better or for worse, THE JAY LENO SHOW may be the biggest story to come out of the fall season. And whether it succeeds or fails spectacularly, of this we are sure. Primetime television will never be the same. THE JAY LENO SHOW premieres on Monday September 14 at 10PM on NBC, CityTV in Canada