Welcome to the 2024 SiftPop.com Sifties!
This year, the SiftPop writers came together to nominate five casts for Best Television Ensemble. Here is a countdown of the five best ensembles that our writers collectively saw!
When thinking of the most iconic comedies in television history, the cast is always the first thing to come to mind. There is a reason that so many popular shows have managed to stay relevant despite an overall decline in quality. In the first season, Shrinking establishes and develops the main characters while getting us familiar with the expanded cast. In Season Two, a few new characters are established, but the secondary cast becomes prominent to the point where they feel like leads as well. Instead of a show starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford which also features some other people, Season Two of Shrinking truly feels like an ensemble. Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, and Ted McGinley are given chances to shine, and they do so naturally; meanwhile, Rachel Stubington effortlessly steals the spotlight in every scene she is in.
How do you reconcile a TV ensemble that is largely made up of bad people? That’s a question that The Penguin tackles in breathtaking fashion. Throughout the course of the series, we see all kinds of characters grace the screen, yet there isn’t a single protagonist in the bunch. The show strikes a balance, where it makes evil characters nuanced, which is a testament to the writers and actors. Led by outstanding performances from Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti, the rest of the cast brilliantly follows their lead. Throughout the course of the series, the question arises about whether there is any humanity not only in the characters we’re following, but in Gotham as well. Both Francis (Deidre O’Connell) and Vic (Rhenzy Feliz) show some signs, but they ultimately fall from grace in the closing moments of the season. Every character in The Penguin is expertly written, allowing us to see their motivations, but more importantly, their brutality and gumption for betrayal.
The Bear has been in the running for the best show on TV ever since it premiered. While it is fair to say that Season Three is a step down, there is still a quality show here, and the cast is a massive part of that. The two main cast members, Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, continue to shine, but the supporting cast gives them a run for their money every single episode. The show works well as an ensemble, because when it is time to focus on some secondary characters, it’s not a problem at all for Liza Colón-Zayas, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Lionel Boyce, or any supporting character to step up. Everyone feels like they were born for their role, and the show also manages to bring in A-list guest stars that feel right at home.
Even at its worst, What We Do in the Shadows has always had a high floor due to its incredible cast. Matt Berry is the obvious one who springs to mind; it seems like each one of his line deliveries comes in such a way that it could only be from him. And over six seasons, Kayvan Novak came close to this with his performance as Nandor. Colin Robinson is the role that Mark Proksch was born to play, and he never wavers. Natasia Demetriou was giving two performances by the end of the show, both as Nadja and the doll, and they both consistently deliver gold. As for the main cast, Harvey Guillén was the show’s heart from beginning to end. And then on top of them all, Kristen Schaal brought her signature quirk to The Guide, Anthony Atamauik is great as the vampires’ airheaded neighbor, and Michael Patrick O’Brien comes in for a few episodes in this final season to provide some great moments. The show kind of got lost in the weeds in its middle seasons, but in this farewell bout, it felt like everyone had a pressure taken off their shoulders, and they delivered as good as a sendoff as we could’ve asked for.
You know that you have an amazing show when the cast is like the eighth thing that’s great about it. Shōgun already has a great story, excellent effects, and compelling characters, so adding a great cast onto all of that makes it an embarrassment of riches. Anchored by an outstanding performance by Hiroyuki Sanada, the series embodies what it means for a cast to eat on screen. Sanada as Toranaga is a match made in Heaven. Toranaga is such a complex character, between his ambition, military skill, and his ability to bring people together. No one else other than Sanada could have made this work. Yet Anna Sawai manages to steal the show with her poise and grace. Tadanobu Asano is the scheming character every show needs to cause friction and test the convictions of many of the characters. Shōgun gets tons of points for utilizing some of the best Asian performers Hollywood could find, and for being true to a story that is steeped in Japanese culture. Through it all, the Anjin John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) is still crucial to the plot, and he makes his mark. It’s unbelievable that Shōgun manages to get these outstanding performances, while still keeping up with the production values and maintaining a gripping story.
Make sure to check back tomorrow for the winner of Best Television Performance!