tv squad awards

Outsourcing: it's running rampant in America. You know, you call for technical support when your PC is out of whack or you have a problem with a credit card and instead of hearing an American voice on the other end, you're left to chat with Kim in Karachi or Biff in Bangalore.

Well, in TV, outsourcing is also taking place. Parts that were once strictly American roles -- requiring a real, colloquial U.S. voice -- are being played by foreigners. The thing is, many of these roles are being brilliantly played by actors donning American accents -- they're doing a great job.

Think about it; some of the best performances on TV feature foreigners with great American accents, like Hugh Laurie on House and Jonny Lee Miller on Eli Stone. Two of Her Majesty's loyal subjects, two wonderful American voices. The Brits are all over the dial.

But did you know that Anthony LaPlaglia (Without A Trace) and Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters) are Australian? It's true. And they're not alone. There are a lot of other actors who were not brought up speaking like typical Americans who sound like they were.

Therefore, you tell us: who are your choices for the best American accents on television right now? Give us your thoughts on who should be nominated for TV Squad's Excellence in Outsourcing Award.

This award is for the show that was renewed for this fall that, damn it, should just be canceled already!

I'm sure when everyone read that line the first show that snapped into their heads was ABC's According To Jim, so I'm sure that's definitely going to be one of the nominees. Other shows I can think of putting in this category are NBC's Law and Order (please, the "ripped from the headlines" is used so much now it's almost like a parody of itself), NBC's The Apprentice (whenever a reality show goes to celebrity editions you know it's time to hang it up), NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly (really, this has to be one of the "who cares" shows on TV right now), and ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos (how many times can we see a dad hit in the balls?). I also thought of putting ER on the list but, since this fall is definitely the last season, it's at the bottom of the list for possible contenders.

What primetime shows do you think should be nominated? Maybe one of the CSI shows? I'm sure SNL will get some votes, though I don't agree.

Every year at this time there are a few shows that take the cancellation bullet, much to the dismay of fans. There are petitions, mass mailings, and declarations of never watching that network again. On the other hand ... every year there are also those shows that meet the TV reaper that really had it coming. We've had enough of their bad TV and we're not going to take it anymore.

The good riddance award is for those shows. Not only will you not miss them, you'll gladly cheer as the funeral procession passes you by. There is no shortage of contenders as we rap up the '07/'08 season. The first to ping my radar included Next Great American Band. Good grief, so much was wrong about that show. And while we're looking at that ill-fated Fox Friday, let's throw Nashville on the pile as well. CBS has a couple contenders in Secret Talents of the Stars and Viva Laughlin. How do you screw up getting frickin' Wolverine on your network? Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't offer a tip of the cap to ABC and the Cavemen as well. Those are just a few from my perspective. Add your contenders in the comments and we'll boil it all down to a really great list, of really bad TV.

We here at the TV Squad offices have been mulling this idea over for years now, and it's finally time we took action. Now that the network upfronts are over and we now know for certain (or, to give some a sliver of hope, near-certain) what shows aren't returning next season, we can start the process of submitting nominations - and then winners - of the TV Squad Awards (or as we sometimes call them internally, The Squaddies).

Over the next few days we'll have posts calling for nominee considerations for each of the twelve award categories. These posts are where you, the readers, should state your case for who or what should be nominated and why. Then, next week we'll post the nominees as chosen by the TV Squad team, along with a poll for the readers. Finally, in two weeks we'll submit the winners as chosen by TV Squad, along with the reader's choice award for each, based on the polls.

The list of awards categories after the jump.