Saturday Night Live

Thank you Associated Press, not just for making the most sound choice for Entertainer of the Year since Stephen Colbert, but for giving me another excuse to do a Google image search of Tina Fey cheesecake photos. And I didn't even get them anything for Christmas.

Broadcast producers and newspaper editors -- who weren't busy safeguarding their pensions and 401Ks by burying what's left of them in the desert -- cast their votes in the AP's annual Entertainer of the Year Poll. The honors went to 30 Rock star and SNL lifeguard Tina Fey.

It's really the no-brainer choice. Sharon Eberson, entertainment editor for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, told the wire service, "She gave us funny when we really needed it and, in a year when women in politics were making huge strides, Fey stood out in the world of entertainment."

William Peterson is out and Lawrence Fishburne is in. That's the plan, anyway, over at CSI central.

Peterson's decision to say goodbye to CSI was one of the big stories of 2008. The actor's onscreen phase-out started earlier this month with the introduction of Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Raymond Langston, but he's not really saying goodbye. Peterson will remain on the hit CBS show as an executive producer and will likely appear as a guest star in future episodes. His final ep airs January 15.

Since CSI is one of those ever-lasting franchises, like Law & Order, I wouldn't rule out a complete return for Peterson a few years from now. Maybe he'll spin-off another show. I'm sure fans wouldn't mind seeing CSI: The Gil Grissom Chronicles.

Me, I don't really care. I don't watch CSI (I guess I'm not that intrigued by forensic science). So let's talk about the 2008 TV star departures that meant something to me.

...Ew, not like that, you guys. Although, I'm sure if you did just a few minutes of Googling, you could find that too, in one form or another. What I'm talking about is Tina Fey's brilliant impression of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. How good was the impression? It was so good that the episodes featuring Fey, and the one that featured Palin herself, were some of SNL's highest-rated episodes in years. Tina Fey's brilliant but ratings-challenged sitcom, 30 Rock received a ratings bump, she scored a multi-million dollar book deal, and newspapers sometimes forgot that they were actually two different people.Not bad for a funny lady who had never been known for her impressions and a governor from a small town no one had ever heard of.

Obama may have been our first celebrity candidate, but Palin was our first beauty queen. Whether you loved her or hated her, it's hard to argue that she was a captivating figure.

...Four impressions we'll be missing

When John McCain and Barack Obama became the clear front runners, no one thought anyone could pull off a decent impression of either guy. They were both bland, articulate politicians who could speak in clear, concise sentences and didn't sound like someone had stepped on their larynx with a golf cleat.

But in the zero hour, we were saved ... and not just by Sarah Palin.

These are the impressions that we're sorry to have to say goodbye to, even if we're glad the people they poke fun at may not be coming back.

Since I'm still new enough at TV Squad not to exist on the "Meet the TV Squad" page, this is my first Festivus. It's nice to be able to dig deep into my heart for all of my TV wishes in hopes that some internet fairy will grant them and make the television landscape just a little bit more awesome... for me, at least.

Without further ado, here is what I want for Festivus:

• Christina Hendricks and the rest of the Mad Men cast should guest-star on more shows. Ever since I started watching Mad Men, I've noticed Hendricks popping up places. She's on an episode of Without a Trace here, an old episode of Cold Case there... I love me some Joan Holloway and Mad Men isn't returning soon enough. I loved seeing Jon Hamm host SNL, and I'm super excited about his upcoming guest stint on 30 Rock. More please!

...seven shows a-thrivin'

I only have seven shows to list at the top of their game, whether its via ratings, critical reviews or both. Given the sheer volume of content available on both network and cable television, it's tough to narrow down the list to seven. On the other hand, this has been a banner year for TV cancellations (and failed experiments as a result of green-lighting new series without commissioning a pilot first) so those that survived have been luckier than usual.

I have only included one reality TV show in the list and there probably should be more, but I don't like reality television and it's my list. So there. Nyah.

(S34E11) Can you hear the ladies and British comedy fans screaming? It's Hugh Laurie! The writing this week was stronger than usual, but I could not help but feel like they didn't use Hugh Laurie enough. When you get someone like that on the show, you better make sure the audience is sick of seeing him by the end of the episode. That said, Mr. Laurie did beautifully with what he was given and he's well on his way to becoming a regular host. Check out these video highlights from the episode.

(S34E10) The majority of this episode was pretty good. John Malkovich didn't contain the same contagious energy as other hosts this season, like Anne Hathaway or Tim McGraw, but infused the episode with his own... Malkovich-ness. Anyone that has seen his work knows what I'm talking about. I especially liked it when he introduced the musical guest(s), because it was hilariously obvious that he's never heard of any of these guys. Speaking of the musical guests, does T.I. really have a song about waving Gucci scarves in the air instead of dancing at the club? I feel like that's more of a surefire way to get shot at a club than carrying a gun in your sweatpants.

As I think about the past year, in both my life and in the world of TV, there's plenty I have to be thankful for. The life stuff is obvious: health, family, my girlfriend, a roof over my head, food on my plate, and a job that I enjoy. But the TV stuff isn't quite as obvious. So, as the balloons float over midtown Manhattan and people get ready to gorge themselves, here are a few things that made me happy to be a television watcher this year:

The election - Yes, it was too long. And, yes, it was exasperating at times. But it was the source of a lot of entertaining television. Of course, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and SNL were in top form (Tina Fey became a huge star, thanks to Sarah Palin). But entertainment came in many forms this election season, from Katie Couric's skewering of Palin to David Letterman's spat with McCain to just about anything that came out of Joe Biden's mouth. Finally, I have three words of infinite entertainment for you: Chuck Todd's goatee.

(S34E09) I had my doubts about Tim McGraw, since musicians hosting kind of freak me out and country music is inherently scary to me. Thankfully, the redneck humor was pretty limited, Tim McGraw only sang once, and his over-the-top enthusiasm was marvelous. A lot of the sketches felt underdeveloped, but McGraw jumped head first into every character and sketch, which made even the worst jokes a little more bearable. Check out some video highlights after the jump, plus a web exclusive sketch!

Amy Poehler is really taking this mommy thing seriously. The Saturday Night Live vet just launched a new web series, and I'm happy to report that it's probably not what you'd expect.

Smart Girls at the Party is aimed at young girls and their parents, not Poehler's usual audience of late night TV watchers or cult comedy fans. Every five-to-ten minute episode will feature Poehler interviewing a talented and creative young girl.

"The show aims to help girls find confidence in their own aspirations and talents," says On Networks, the series' online distributor.

It's kind of like a blend of Reading Rainbow, Larry King Live and Gilmore Girls. Actually, I could see Rory and Lorelai Gilmore digging on Poehler's mock-serious interviewing style, the sunny power-pop theme music, and the show's "smart girls rule" attitude.

(S34E08) This episode was warmed up like biscuits. Dance biscuits. I swear to God, I will find a way to work that into a conversation some time in the near future. This was certainly the strongest episode of the season, as the writers didn't seem quite so afraid to have fun with the more pointless or tasteless jokes. Sometimes, they try to do something bizarre but stop just short of a satisfying pay-off, leaving a palpable awkwardness. In this episode, they really pulled through and, thanks to some special appearances (hello, Justin Timberlake), gave Mr. Paul Rudd a very memorable episode. Check out some highlights from the episode.

People have been complaining that they're aren't enough cast members on Saturday Night Live now. Amy Poehler left after having her baby, and they're aren't many blacks on the show either (Fred Armisen is playing President-Elect Barack Obama and Kenan Thompson usually plays the other parts, even the female ones). But now executive producer Lorne Michaels has taken the first step in correcting some of those problems.

NBC will announce today that they are adding two new performers to the regular cast. One of them, Abby Elliot, is the daughter of ex-SNL cast member/Get A Life star/David Letterman regular Chris Elliot. The other is comedienne Michaela Watkins, from The Groundlings. I'm not sure if people still use the word "comedienne," but I like it.

Now we have to see if the show's ratings surge continues. The election is now over and the big draws (Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and the debate sketches) will stop.

As it turned out, the Presidential Bash was a Monday night clip show with pre-taped new material, rendering the name Saturday Night Live almost completely useless. They picked the best clips from the latest presidential season, and the choices were pretty spot-on. The new skits were all right, with a few strong moments here and there. It felt a lot like a special prepped for DVD release though, like The Daily Show's Election 2004 compilation, which I'm still not sure why I bought. Well, apart from the obvious eye candy. Come on.

Annie recently posted her top 10 Kristen Wiig Saturday Night Live moments, and I happen to agree that Wiig seems to be one of the SNL MVPs now. Remember just a short time ago when she was in the "featuring" category instead of one of the main players? She's earned it, that's for sure. Even when her impersonations aren't dead on (such as this past weekend's Elisabeth Hasselbeck), you know who she's doing, and she really throws herself into the character. I think her Hasselbeck will get better, and her other impersonations have been just dead-on and brilliant (Judy Garland, Suze Orman, Gloria Swanson, Jamie Lee Curtis).

But I was thinking that there are three other people that would be naturals for Wiig to impersonate.