jimparsons

Usually, the Golden Globes are a little more cutting-edge than the Emmys, a little quicker to recognize new talent on TV. When this year's nominations are announced on Dec. 15, however, you can expect a battle of Globe warhorses, as veterans will largely elbow newcomers out of the way in the struggle for each of the five slots in the Best Actor categories, drama and comedy.

BEST DRAMA ACTORS
Front Runners: 'Mad Men''s Jon Hamm (pictured, above right) and 'House''s Hugh Laurie have to be considered locks.

(S03E06) So Sheldon knows football. That is amazing. I have no idea if the character of Sheldon was originally conceived as being from Texas, or they just wrote him that way because Jim Parsons was raised in Houston, but I absolutely love when his Texas comes out. The entire sequence of Sheldon teaching Leonard about football and recounting the time he spent with his father watching games was absolutely the highlight of the episode for me.

As much as I adore the cast, sometimes you just have episodes that are about Sheldon and Jim Parson's performance. If you take that out of this one, nothing really stands out to me too much. I wasn't particularly fond of the Wolowitz/Raj storyline, and Leonard meeting Penny's friends was just bizarre.

If Jim Parsons wins the Emmy tonight for The Big Bang Theory, you better believe he'll be in a position to pick and choose the projects he does in the future. But here's one that I think would be fascinating, to quote Dr. Sheldon Cooper's favorite Vulcan scientist: Jim Parsons would like to appear on Friday Night Lights.

In a recent interview, Jim was asked about his favorite current show -- other than his own -- and he said it was Friday Night Lights. That's right, the NBC drama series about high school football deep in the heart of Texas! Somehow it's hard to imagine Sheldon in pads and a helmet. Maybe he could be the water boy? Or the genius offensive coordinator.

I know what many of you are thinking. Alec Baldwin is probably gonna win for 30 Rock again so what does it even matter? Hollywood is in love with that show. Which is true, but not entirely undeserved. Baldwin still commands a scene like almost no one on television. But I don't think he was as dominating a comedic force as last year, and he was part of a 30 Rock sweep, so I don't think Emmy intends to repeat that.

Pushing Daisies was still sweet in its last year, but I'm going to have to snub Lee Pace and replace him with Chuck's Zachary Levi on the ballot. He balances comedy and drama so convincingly you can't help but root for him.

But there was a looming shadow in comedy this year that no one could escape. I don't see how Emmy could ignore the work of Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. He's so convincing in the role that when you see him in interviews you fully expect him to demand his spot on the couch and condescend the host at every turn.

So what's a second banana? Well they're certainly not second best. No, in fact they're often the main reason to tune into a particular show. Not because the show's major plotlines revolve around them, in fact they generally don't, but because they liven up every scene they're in. Virtual show-stealers, a good second banana can turn a generic sitcom or drama into television gold. The ultimate wingman on television, there was no greater second banana than my man Barney Fife, brilliantly played by Don Knotts on The Andy Griffith Show, and later Mayberry R.F.D.

When it came time to put together this list, I wondered if I'd be able to find ten viable and qualified bananas on the airwaves today. But I guess I needn't have worried. It looks like Barney was an inspiration (in more ways than one) to the current crop of second bananas. They litter their peels all over the television landscape, leaving us to trip over in laughter time and time again at their antics. But how do they stack up? Who's the biggest fruit in the tree? There's only one way to find out!

Yes, I am the odd duck. Well, wait. Perhaps it's not all just me. I mean, I'm talking some really odd duck television crushes I have. Some are odd because other folks might not understand such a crush. Others are odd when considered in correlation with me, in particular. And some are odd just because I'm odd and so are they.

Of course, the duck in the image isn't so odd. I looked for an odd duck and kept thinking I didn't want my own image plastered here on the main page. So, we'll suffice with your basic common duck from New Jersey. He could be mob-related, so he could be a tad odd. Read on!

I was reading AOL TV's "TV's 50 Hottest Hunks - Ever," and I was struck by two thoughts: "Ugh, can people really use the term, 'hunk' without shuddering?" and, "David Boreanaz? Seriously?"

I get it. Television is populated with pretty people and there are just some guys who are objectively hot (hellooooo, Jon Hamm). Generally speaking though, I'm not drawn to the Luke Perrys and Mario Lopezes of the world. I like quirky guys, and so while most of the dudes on this list aren't going to make it into the People magazine "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, they keep me tuning in every week (heh, that sounded totally dirty).

Follow me after the jump for the undercover hotties: ten guys on TV I secretly love.

Years ago it was Seinfeld ruling the quotable roost in television sitcom world. You know you'll never forget "close talkers" or the meaning of "spongeworthy." But for the first time since then, I've found a show I truly think is quoteworthy. Its closet competitor lines-wise is How I Met Your Mother which follows it on Monday night. But The Big Bang Theory rules over that show these days for me.

Some of Sheldon's (played stupendously by Jim Parsons) lines are a bit convoluted to remember and I really am not Louis (oops!) Bill Nye, the Science Guy. However, overall the show's writers deserve kudos for a job well done. Read on past the jump for some of the best lines I've found from the show.

"See, I have no credibility to be playing this part at certain times, do I? Not only do I not know the science, I don't know the comics."

Jim Parsons isn't a neurotic, socially inept, brilliant physicist, but he's thrilled to be playing one on TV.

The adorably lanky actor's role as Sheldon Cooper on CBS' 'The Big Bang Theory' (season 2 premieres Mon., Sept. 22, 8PM ET) has inadvertently turned the star into a sex symbol for the geek-loving set.

Parsons talked to AOL TV about what to expect this season, his quirkiest habit, neighborly love and sharing show creator Chuck Lorre with that other mega-hit 'Two and a Half Men.'

When Johnny Galecki joined the cast of Roseanne to be the love interest for the dour Darlene (Sara Gilbert), I thought they had a wonderful chemistry together. In fact, it was his turn on that show that lead to me ever even tuning into his new hit show The Big Bang Theory. Well, that and the fact that it was populated with people who reminded me more of myself and many of my college friends than I should probably admit.

It was quite a treat when Gilbert appeared in three episodes throughout the last season as acerbic Leslie Winkle, intellectual equal to Galecki's Leonard, and just as socially out there. The chemistry between the two was immediate, and I found the dominance she established in their relationship to be a blast. The fact that this nerdy chick was more alpha male than any of the four male leads in the series is brilliant. So Sara Gilbert joining the cast of The Big Bang Theory as a series regular is a great move for the show.

Day two at Comic-Con began with a panel featuring the stars of the CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory. A logical choice for a comic book and science fiction convention since the show focuses on a group of, um, nerds. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course!

Actually, according to creator Chuck Lorre, he never intended to make a show about nerds and geeks. His main intention was to air a show about remarkable people. So he said during the very entertaining panel featuring Lorre, co-creator Bill Prady, and the entire cast of the show. A summary of what went down can be seen after the jump.

%Gallery-28542%

If you're a fan of The Big Bang Theory, you've probably wondered at some point where they get all the fun nerdy t-shirts that the character of Sheldon wears on the show. Well, I'm sure most of you, being internet-savvy and resourceful, have probably Googled each and every shirt and already have a spreadsheet up on Google Docs that is cross-referenced by episode and topic. But what about the lazy among us, who'd rather eat glass than stare at a spreadsheet all day?

SheldonShirts.com comes to the rescue. It shows screen shots of every shirt Sheldon wears in each episode and where you can get that particular shirt. It also shows where you can get the shirts that the other main character, Leonard, wears, as well as the the belt buckles worn by their perverted buddy Howard. They also make some suggestions for shirts the nerd heroes should wear in the future, as well as provide links to some other stuff that was shown on the program. It's a good way to waste a couple of hours, whether you're a nerd, a geek, or neither. It's especially good for those who are need to find their favorite geek or nerd a birthday present. To those people, you're welcome in advance.

[via Pop Candy]

In an age where Josh Schwartz, Joss Whedon, J.J. Abrams, and Judd Apatow are writing true-to-life examples of what being a nerd or a geek is like, you'd think that the whiny, sniveling, tape-on-the-glasses, Urkel version of geekdom would be out of favor in TV land.

Big Bang Theory, which premieres Monday at 8:30 PM ET on CBS, proves otherwise. And, while it's not a complete disaster, it's too weighed down by its geek stereotypes to work on a weekly basis.

CBS probably has one of the more interesting schedules of the fall, just for the fact that they are making a concerted effort to try something different. They could have rolled out yet another procedural (CSI: LA?), and who could really blame them. Those shows have performed extremely well for the network over the past few years.

Instead, in what is a definite gamble, the network will be bringing out some decidedly alternative programming. There is a musical drama about the casino business in Laughlin, a vampire detective, a drama about a Cuban family and their rum making business, and some swinging couples getting their freak on in the 70's. The kind of fare that would probably cause Horatio to tilt his head to the side and remove his sunglasses. Will it work? Time will tell, but we've seen three of them and have a rundown after the jump.

CBS is on a good run, being the most watched network for the last five years, but they have taken a bit of heat for the formulaic way they have gone about doing it. Not arguing with success, the whole family of CSIs, and their crime based cousins, will be back, but the network is trying to branch out with some edgier programming. Most notably, Swingtown, Viva Laughlin, and Moonlight.

Returning: The Amazing Race, Cold Case, 60 Minutes, How I Met Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, CSI: Miami, NCIS, The Unit, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Survivor, CSI, Shark, Without A Trace, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, 48 Hours Mystery.

New: Viva Laughlin, Swingtown, Moonlight, Cane, Big Bang Theory, Power of 10, Kid Nation

Out: King of Queens, Jericho, The Class, Close To Home

Moving: Without A Trace moves back to Thursday at 10. Shark heads to Sunday at 10.