2021 Show Championship - Prediction Contest

Our nominations and rankings are done and the 2021 SpoilerTV Favorite TV Show Championship will start on Sunday, August 1.  The show rankings list is below.  Before we start, let’s add a little extra fun.  For this year only, we’re adding a prediction contest and I highly urge you to enter because it's a lot of fun and absolutely free. This is your chance to guess which shows will win each round. Remember the prediction contest is about who you think will win, NOT who you want to win. Enter the contest through the link below.

Like in the Character Cup, we are using Challonge to run it. You will have to put in an email address to create your bracket, but even I can’t see it. Feel free to make up a totally bogus address. The system does send out an e-mail announcing the winners at the end but I will post that info here too. You have until 10 am CST on Sunday, August 1 to complete your predictions. When the prediction phase ends, the Show Championship will begin. Good luck! 

Prediction Contest Here

Prediction Rules: 

1. Only one prediction bracket per person. However if you would like to also make a wish bracket, you can. (A wish bracket is where you say which characters you would like to win, not who you think will win.) You'll have to use a different email address and clearly mark it as your wish bracket so that it will not be included in the prediction contest. 

2. When titling your prediction, please use your Disqus or SpoilerTV name. If you do not have either, please use your name instead of something clever or no name. That makes it easier to talk about who’s winning. 

3. Your predictions can be edited up until predictions close. 

4. All predictions must be finalized by 10 am CST on Sunday, August 1 to be eligible. Once the contest starts, no other predictions will be accepted. 

5. The grand prize winner wins…bragging rights. Hey, I'm a teacher; I can't afford cool prizes. 

Show Ranking:

1.  Prodigal Son

2.  Lucifer

3.  Supernatural

4.  New Amsterdam

5.  Walker

6.  Chicago Fire

7.  LOST

8.  Manifest

9.  MacGyver

10.  Ted Lasso

11.  Loki

12.  Chicago P.D.

13.  Criminal Minds

14.  Superman & Lois

15.  Agents of SHIELD

16.  Person Of Interest

17.  Dynasty

18.  Grey's Anatomy

19.  The Rookie

20.  Motherland: Fort Salem

21.  Buffy the Vampire Slayer

22.  Dark

23.  Young Sheldon

24.  Evil

25.  The Walking Dead

26.  Fringe

27.  The 100

28.  Brooklyn Nine Nine

29.  Dead to Me

30.  WandaVision

31.  Smallville

32.  911

33.  The Witcher

34.  The Vampire Diaries

35.  Schitt's Creek

36.  The Leftovers

37.  Legends of Tomorrow

38.  Outlander

39.  NCIS

40.  Nancy Drew

41.  Doctor Who

42.  SWAT

43.  The Blacklist

44.  The Handmaid's Tale

45.  Station 19

46.  This Is Us

47.  Killing Eve

48.  Line of Duty

49.  911 Lone Star

50.  The Americans

51.  Wynonna Earp

52.  Hawaii 5-0

53.  Once Upon a Time

54.  Chuck

55.  Orphan Black

56.  The Big Bang Theory

57.  Superstore

58.  BoJack Horseman

59.  Arrow

60.  Grimm

61.  White Collar

62.  Game of Thrones

63.  Battlestar Galactica

64.  One Tree Hill

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews various shows, coordinates and edits Pitch Your Show, co-edits Quote of the Week, and writes The Monthly Binge. She also runs the annual Character Cup and SpoilerTV Awards. She's addicted to hot chocolate, loves reading and traveling, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group.  She can also be found @dahne1 and on her blog. ~ "I speak TV." Blog Twitter

Quote of the Week - Week of July 18

A weekly feature highlighting the best quotes on TV as picked by the SpoilerTV team. We'd love to hear your picks too so please sound off in the comments below.

Good Girls (Jessica) 

1. Eddy: "Do you wanna die?" Beth: "Kinda." 

2. Beth: "We'll get through it." Annie: "Will you stop saying that?" Ruby: "How?" Beth: "I've been knitting." 

3. Beth: "You know the best part about all this?" Rio: "What, not the city salary?" Beth: "You work for me now." Rio: "You got it, boss."

Kevin Can F**k Himself (Jessica) 

1. Allison: "Well, it's a special occasion, so how about a nice bottle of red?" Kevin: "Um, no. Since it's my birthday and I'm the most important one, I choose two glasses of the pinot." Waitress - "So the cheapest?"
2. Sam: "You're always in control." Allison: "I'm sorry. You think I'm ever in control of anything?" Sam: "Yeah, Allison, I know you are. You should, too."
3. Allison: "I'm not sitting around, waiting for you to make your move, okay? It's too important. You do this? I need to know what's happening, when it's happening, and if I don't like it, you don't do it."

The White Lotus (Cecile) 

1. Belinda: “So, what's going on? How's Lani?” Armond: “Who's Lani?” Belinda: “Wait. Are you serious? The trainee that had a baby in your office.” Armond: “Yeah. She's, um... She's at the hospital. I think she's okay.” Belinda: “How's the baby?” Armond: “Well, if it had died, I think I would've heard.”
2. Nicole: “Well, then that's bad journalism. Not to mention, inaccurate. I mean, I climbed a hellish ladder on my own, working my ass off. I didn't ride some wave.” Rachel: “Well, I...I'm sorry that you didn't like the piece. I don't know what else to say. Well, have a nice vacation.” Nicole: “Have a nice vacation, Rachel.” Rachel: “Yeah. Have a nice vacation. Okay.”

What We’re Watching:

Dare Me (Cecile) 

1. Colette: “It's important to have an exit plan that's more than just an exit.”

Home Economics (Jessica) 

1. Denise: "Okay, Lulu, we haven't seen Connor in over a year, so maybe let's not get in a fight and storm out this time. Okay, I know your brothers are Scorpios, but they're still good people." Sarah: "You know I don't believe in that stuff." Denise: "That's a very Capricorn thing to say."
2. Marina: "Connor killed Emily...Sorry, I've had a lot of wine."

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, loves live tweeting, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Previously she wrote a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."

Pitch Your Show 2021

 

Summer's here and as every TV fan knows, it's time to start that time honored tradition of binging all the shows you didn't get around to in the regular season. But how are TV addicts to even know all the great shows they've missed under the sheer glut of shows that have aired? Enter Pitch Your Show. It's your time to shine the spotlight on your favorite shows and encourage others to try them. They can be shows that are still on the air or ones that have ended, new or old. So brush off the cobwebs of your favorite TV series and help a fan out. Do you know a show that's perfect for marathoning? Have you come across one that needs a cult following? How about a current show that people should get caught up on now so they are ready for next season?

The whole idea behind Pitch Your Show is for people to find new shows to check out while waiting for the fall season to start. All you have to do is nominate your show in the form below and tell us why we should be watching it.  Pitches will go into the articles that will be posted in 2 weeks. All nominated shows will be represented but if a show gets too many responses, I will choose the most persuasive ones for the actual article. A link will be provided in the article so all nominations and comments can be read, not just the posted ones.

Rules:

1. You must put your name, the show, and why people should watch the show. Please keep all submissions to under 200 words. You do NOT need to know how many seasons, episodes, or where it is airing but more people will watch it if they know these details. It will also help me tremendously when putting together the article.

2. In order to keep the articles fresh, I will be limiting the number of repeat reviews. If you have written 2 or more reviews for a show in the past, please do not review it again at this time. I appreciate all the work you have done to promote these shows previously. Check this link if your name is below to see which shows you have already multi-reviewed: Dahne (yep, me too), Ellys Cartin, Emma, Gator Fan, Gio, Kathy Ares, LauraLoo, Luana, Maria Sol, Milo, Missions, Pablo, Spindae, The North Remembers, Tom Scavo, and Tuna.

3. Only scripted shows, not reality TV. Shows from all countries and in any language are welcome. You can submit up to 8 shows but you can only submit each show once. Please remember to keep all submissions to under 200 words each.

4. The purpose is to persuade others to watch your show, so saying "IT'S THE BEST SHOW EVER!!!" won't help. Enthusiasm is only good when backed by detail. Instead focus on why someone who doesn't watch the show should take their precious time to try it. If you can provide multiple reasons to watch, like good characters and great action, that is even better.

5. Nominations will remain open until August 3. 

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews various shows, coordinates and edits Pitch Your Show, co-edits Quote of the Week, and writes The Monthly Binge. She also runs the annual Character Cup and SpoilerTV Awards. She's addicted to hot chocolate, loves reading and traveling, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group.  She can also be found @dahne1 and on her blog. ~ "I speak TV." Blog Twitter

2021 SpoilerTV Series Championship - Nominations Open

 

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the SpoilerTV Favorite TV Series Competition.  This is the pinnacle of all the SpoilerTV contests.  It also has a very special place in my heart because it introduced me to SpoilerTV in 2010 and I’ve been here ever since.  Created by the amazing Adam Harris, it has been excellently run by Bradley Adams since 2014.  This year I get to fill in for Bradley, who will be back next year, and I am so excited.  I hope you are looking forward to the contest as much as I am.  

This stage is the hardest part.  We need you to narrow down the thousands of eligible TV shows to just 64.  We’re looking for 32 current and 32 finished shows to join the 11th Favorite Series Championship, so head to the form below and nominate your 2 favorite current shows and 2 favorite finished shows.  

We have parameters on what constitutes a current or a finished show. A current TV series is any show that has aired/will air new episodes after June 21, 2021. A finished TV series is any show that aired its final episode on or before June 21, 2021.  Therefore, a show like Supernatural would now be a finished TV series, whilst The Flash would be classed as current. If you have any questions as to whether a show would be classed as current or finished, put them in the comments below.  

Nomination Rules:

1.  Please note that only scripted, English-language shows or non-English language shows covered by SpoilerTV are eligible for nomination.  Yes, that means that Dark is eligible.

2.  Only 1 nomination form per person. If you try to submit multiple times, ALL of your submissions will be removed.

3.  Do not try to submit shows in the wrong category. If you try this, that part of your submission will not count. If you are unsure which category a show should go in, please ask.

4.  Do not submit the same show more than once. If you do, ALL of your nominations will be invalid.

5.  Deadline to nominate is at 11:59 pm CST on Wednesday, July 28.

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews various shows, coordinates and edits Pitch Your Show, co-edits Quote of the Week, and writes The Monthly Binge. She also runs the annual Character Cup and SpoilerTV Awards. She's addicted to hot chocolate, loves reading and traveling, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group.  She can also be found @dahne1 and on her blog. ~ "I speak TV." Blog Twitter

2021 Character Cup Winner and Wrap-Up

 

2021 Character Cup Winner

Malcolm Bright

Prodigal Son

64 polls later and we have a winner! Congratulations to Prodigal Son fans for voting Malcolm Bright to the top. In a tightish race that saw Sam Winchester pull an early lead, Malcolm gained votes steadily and pulled out ahead around the midpoint. Once he did, there was no stopping him. With this, Malcolm becomes the 10th winner of the Character Cup. Way to go, Malcolm fans! Malcolm also had the most nominations so he leaves the Cup ranked as he started it, #1. To become the winner, Malcolm defeated Michaela Stone, Buffy Summers, Marty Deeks, Jonas Kahnwald, and Sam Winchester. Congratulations to all Prodigal Son fans! 

 In second place is Sam Winchester, who came into the Cup ranked 2nd and leaves the Cup the same way. At second place, this is the highest Sam has ever gotten in the Cup, having represented Supernatural seven times. With a second place win, Sam is still eligible to compete next year. Will 2022 finally be Sam’s year? Congratulations to Supernatural fans for a well-played contest, too. 

While the Championship round had over 4.5 times the votes, for the second year in a row, things were neck and neck in the race for 3rd place. With the polls very close the entire time, the last hour saw Jonas Jahnwald and Lucy Chen in a dead heat at 50-50%. In the end, it came down to 10 votes so the third place winner is...Lucy Chen. This is the first time either Lucy or Jonas have been in the Cup. What an impressive debut for both of them! With both still eligible for next year, will they have strong runs in the 2022 Cup and perhaps take it all? 

 As the winner, Malcolm Bright joins Jack from LOST, Dean and Castiel from Supernatural, Root and Shaw from Person of Interest, Alex Danvers from Supergirl, Lucifer Morningstar from Lucifer, Temo Lopez from Mi Marido Tiene Más Familia, and Lexa from The 100 in our Hall of Retired Winners. Congratulations to the Prodigal Son, Supernatural, The Rookie, Dark, and all other fandoms who supported their favorites. Our breakout character this year was Marty Deeks from NCIS: LA, who jumped a whopping 51 ranks to land in the #5 spot. 

Over in the Favorite Pilot Episode mini-contest, New Amsterdam reigned supreme with The Walking Dead placing second. Interested in other stats about the 2021 Character Cup? Check out the stats page here. 

Prediction Contest: 

 By earning 132 points, Amber Lacey is the winner of this year’s prediction contest. Congratulations! You earn bragging rights this year. Elvis and Ivana tied for second with 127 points. Awesome job predicting all around. Since we played with a graduated points system this year, it is worth mentioning that Paola Andrade actually had the most predictions correct with 39 correct picks. Nicely done! 

Stay Tuned: Favorite Show Contest and Pitch Your Show 

The summer fun is not over here at SpoilerTV. We still have our biggest summer contest for Favorite Show. This is our main hiatus event so you don't want to miss it. I am tentatively planning to start nominations at the end of the week. The Favorite Show competition will start earlier this year as I fill in for Bradley, who traditionally runs this huge event. 

 Also, Pitch Your Show is coming. Look for a post in the next day or 2 so you can talk up your favorites. It’s a great place to give some love to those shows you think deserve it and maybe even get other people to give them a try. Until next year, I officially call this the close of the Character Cup. Thanks everyone for another successful year!

 

Thanks!!! 

The Character Cup does not happen without the support of so many people. First and foremost, thanks to Andy for running SpoilerTV and hosting this contest every summer. If you haven’t been to SpoilerTV before the Character Cup, I urge you to stick around and try it out. Not only are hundreds of shows covered but the people who make up the STV community are knowledgeable, thoughtful, passionate, respectful, and eager to discuss. You will not find better, balanced conversation about TV anywhere online. It is my privilege to be a part of the STV team. 

Thanks also to ALL of the people who found the pictures we used in the Cup, not only for their favorites but also other characters in the contest. I didn’t have to worry about finding pictures, which saved me hours. By being the awesome people you are, you cut my work in half and I can’t thank you enough. 

Everyone knows that the TV Talk Topics are my favorite part of the Cup and you didn’t disappoint. I loved talking TV with you this year. I appreciate everyone who shared their thoughts, whether it was every time, just once, or somewhere in between. You are the reason why so many people are drawn to SpoilerTV. A special thanks also to everyone who nominated topics. I’m sorry if we didn’t get to yours, but we have a great mix of topics to start us out next year. 

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who participated in any capacity. There is no contest without you. I appreciate your nominating, voting, discussing, mini-contest ideas, TV Talk Topics, spreading the word through social media, and sharing your thoughts. Once again, I had a blast during this contest and I can’t wait to see you next year for the 2022 Character Cup. It's one of my favorite parts of summer and a joy to participate with you. 

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews various shows, coordinates and edits Pitch Your Show, co-edits Quote of the Week, and writes The Monthly Binge. She also runs the annual Character Cup and SpoilerTV Awards. She's addicted to hot chocolate, loves reading and traveling, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group.  She can also be found @dahne1 and on her blog. ~ "I speak TV." Blog Twitter

2021 Character Cup - Finale

And we’re here - the finale. With over 600 characters nominated and 61 participants, we’re down to the final 2 competitors for the 2021 Character Cup. Thank you to everyone who has participated in any form - nominating, collecting pictures, voting, commenting, using social media to promote the contest. I appreciate you all and I hope you have had a good time. In the end, it is down to Malcolm Bright and Sam Winchester, who were also the most nominated characters. I don’t think that has happened before. To get here, Malcolm had to defeat Michaela Stone, Buffy Summers, Marty Deeks, and Jonas Kahnwald (who is in the poll for third place today). Sam had to defeat Olivia Benson, Jake Peralta, Lois Lane, and Lucy Chen (who is also in the third place poll today). Unlike the beginning rounds, round 5 was not very close so it should be interesting to see how the votes go today. Whichever way both polls go, it will be the highest any of these characters have ever ranked in the Cup.

Today, we have 2 TV Talk Topics, as is traditional for the finale. The first discusses mini-series and limited series. Thanks to Amber for the topic suggestion. The second asks for your feedback on the Cup. If you have not participated in any TV Talk Topic, please consider this one. I do value your opinion. Before starting the contest this year, I looked back at the comments from last year to know what to change. Your feedback is important to me.

In the prediction contest, Paola still leads with a score of 104 points, Amber is in second with 100 points, and Elvis and Ivana are tied for third with 95 points each. Fantastic job predicting, all! Good luck to all and happy voting!

Note: There is a third place poll for Jonas Kahnwald vs. Lucy Chen. This will only determine which one is ranked #3 and which one is ranked #4.


Rules 

Stats 

Prediction Contest 

Previous Polls

Round will end at approximately 3 pm CST on Tuesday, July 20.

TV Talk Topic: Good Things in Small Packages

Before there were limited series, there was the mini-series. The mini-series in the 70’s and 80’s was a big deal with often record breaking numbers of viewers. They were also less common. Today, limited series are all over the TV landscape and often are not-so-limited, depending on their popularity. For today’s topic, we are going to stick with limited series that are truly only one season and which have fewer episodes (no more than 10-13). Which miniseries or limited series do you most remember and why? Which characters most stood out? Do you think limited series have changed TV for the better or not? (Thanks to Amber Lacy for the topic idea.)

TV Talk Topic #2: Review This Year’s Cup

1. The only major tweak to the Cup this year was not holding polls on Saturdays, which is traditionally the slowest viewership day on SpoilerTV and the day with the least number of votes in the Cup. Did you like this or did it hinder our momentum? 

2. Ranking polls - We usually have ranking polls before the Cup begins to determine the brackets for several tying characters. Would you like to continue this or should any tying nominations be decided through a random number generator? 

3. What else would you change about the Cup or do you think we should tweak? Note - Having your favorite character win is not something I can change. ;-)

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews various shows, coordinates and edits Pitch Your Show, co-edits Quote of the Week, and writes The Monthly Binge. She also runs the annual Character Cup and SpoilerTV Awards. She's addicted to hot chocolate, loves reading and traveling, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group.  She can also be found @dahne1 and on her blog. ~ "I speak TV." Blog Twitter

2021 Character Cup - Round 5 (Final Four)

 

Welcome back to the 2021 Character Cup where we are down to the Final Four. Unlike most rounds, round 4 was only very close in the Jonas Kahnwald (51%) vs Riley Davis (49%) poll, which coincidentally also had the least number of votes. Along with Jonas, today we have Malcolm Bright, Sam Winchester, and Lucy Chen. Good luck to all! Over in the mini-contest, it was all about the blowout with New Amsterdam, Once Upon a Time, and LOST massively defeating their opponents. Only The Walking Dead vs Fringe was remotely close, with The Walking Dead continuing on today. 

Over in the prediction contest, my results are tumbling down but Paola is doing very well with 72 points. That’s going to be hard to beat, but Amber and no name are in second with 68 points while Dane 5 has 66. Excellent predicting to all! If you’re just joining us, please read the rules. Remember it is one vote per person per poll. Also, check out the stats and don’t forget to comment on the TV Talk Topic brought to us by BlueStar. Happy voting!

Rules 

Stats 

Prediction Contest 

Previous Polls

Round will end at approximately 2:00 pm CST on Monday, July 19.

TV Talk Topic: Work Families

Often on TV and in life, it feels like most of the day is spent at work, causing people to sometimes be closer to their workmates than their own families. How do you feel about work family dynamics on TV? What things ring true to you and what is overly unrealistic? (Thanks to BlueStar for the topic idea.)

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews various shows, coordinates and edits Pitch Your Show, co-edits Quote of the Week, and writes The Monthly Binge. She also runs the annual Character Cup and SpoilerTV Awards. She's addicted to hot chocolate, loves reading and traveling, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group.  She can also be found @dahne1 and on her blog. ~ "I speak TV." Blog Twitter

2021 Character Cup - Stats and Rankings

Stats to Geek Out On:

Note: Statistics from the first 2 Character Cups are unknown so these stats reflect the Cup since I took over in 2014.

Round Results:

Characters Still In:

Round 1: Malcolm, Bright, Sam Winchester, Micki Ramirez, Michaela Stone, Chloe Decker, Buffy Summers, Clark Kent, June Osborne, Marty Deeks, Sheldon Cooper, Scylla Ramshorn, Sydney Bristow, Jonas Kahwald, Stiles Stilinski, Riley Davis, Maya Bishop, Matthew Casey, Bellamy Blake, Olivia Benson, Bucky Barnes, Jake Peralta, Loki Laufeyson, Jami Fraser, Evan “Buck” Buckley, Lois Lane, Peter Bishop, Elizabeth Jennings, Melinda Monroe, Lucas Bouchard, Barry Allen, Wanda Maximoff, Lucy Chen

Round 2: Malcolm Bright, Buffy Summers, June Osborne, Marty Deeks, Scylla Ramshorn, Jonas Kahnwald, Riley Davis, Bellamy Blake, Sam Winchester, Jake Peralta, Jamie Fraser, Lois Lane, Micki Ramirez, Elizabeth Jennings, Lucas Bouchard, Lucy Chen

Round 3: Malcolm Bright, Marty Deeks, Jonas Kahnwald, Riley Davis, Sam Winchester, Lois Lane, Micki Ramirez, Lucy Chen

Round 4: Malcolm Bright, Jonas Kahnwald, Sam Winchester, Lucy Chen

Round 5: Malcolm Bright, Sam Winchester

Winner: Malcolm Bright

Characters Out:

Round 1: Aziraphale (Good Omens), Clarice Starling (Clarice), Colleen Wing (Iron Fist), TK Strand (911: Lone Star), Raymond Reddington (The Blacklist), Sara Lance (Legends of Tomorrow), Zoey Clarke (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist),  Oliver Queen (Arrow), Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead), Jay Halstead (Chicago PD),  Lauren Bloom (New Amsterdam),  Killian Jones (Once Upon a Time), The Doctor (Doctor Who), Shaun Murphy (The Good Doctor), Casey Gardner (Atypical), Kevin Pearson (This Is Us), Adrian Monk (Monk), Harry Bosch (Bosch), Leo Fitz (Agents of SHIELD), Mare Sheehan (Mare of Easttown), Finola Jones (Debris), Nancy Drew (Nancy Drew), Ellie Bishop (NCIS), Thomas Magnum (Magnum PI), Kara Danvers (Supergirl), Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds), Meredith Grey (Grey’s Anatomy), Eliot Spencer (Leverage), Ava (Warrior Nun)

Round 2: Michaela Stone (Manifest), Chloe Decker (Lucifer), Clark Kent (Superman & Lois), Sheldon Cooper (Young Sheldon), Sydney Bristow (Alias), Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf), Maya Bishop (Station 19), Matthew Casey (Chicago Fire), Olivia Benson (Law & Order: SVU), Bucky Barnes (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Loki Laufeyson (Loki), Evan “Buck” Buckley (911), Peter Bishop (Fringe), Melinda Monroe (Virgin River), Barry Allen (The Flash), Wanda Maximoff (WandaVision)

Round 3: Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), June Osborne (The Handmaid’s Tale), Scylla Ramshorn (Motherland: Fort Salem), vs Bellamy Blake (The 100), Jake Peralta (Brooklyn 99), Jamie Fraser (Outlander), Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans), Lucas Bouchard (When Calls the Heart)

Round 4: Marty Deeks (NCIS: LA), Riley Davis (MacGyver), Lois Lane (Smallville), Micki Ramirez (Walker)

Round 5: Jonas Kahnwald (Dark), Lucy Chen (The Rookie)

Finale: Sam Winchester

Polls with the Most Votes:

1. Malcolm Bright vs Sam Winchester - finale

2. Malcolm Bright vs Buffy Summers - round 3

3.  Scylla Ramshorn vs Jonas Kahnwald - round 3

Polls with the Least Votes:

1. Jake Peralta vs Harry Bosch - round 1C

2. Mare Sheehan vs Jamie Fraser - round 1C

3. Matthew Casey vs Shaun Murphy - round 1C

Characters New to the Character Cup - 26

Ava, Aziraphale, Bucky Barnes, Ellie Bishop, Maya Bishop, Lauren Bloom, Harry Bosch, Lucas Bouchard, Lucy Chen, Sheldon Cooper (this show version), Nancy Drew, Casey Gardner, Jay Halstead, Finola Jones, Jonas Kahnwald, Clark Kent (this show version), Thomas Magnum, Wanda Maximoff, Adrian Monk, Melinda Monroe, Kevin Pearson, Micki Ramirez,  Mare Sheehan, Clarice Starling, Michaela Stone 

Shows New to the Character Cup - 21

Atypical, Bosch, Clarice, Dark, Debris, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Good Omens, Loki, Manifest, Mare of Easttown, Monk, Nancy Drew, The Rookie, Station 19, Superman & Lois, Virgin River, Walker, WandaVision, Warrior Nun, When Calls the Heart, Young Sheldon

Shows in ALL 8 Character Cups - 10

Arrow, The Blacklist, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Criminal Minds, Doctor Who, Fringe, Grey's Anatomy, Agents of SHIELD, Supernatural, and The 100

~Agents of SHIELD, Arrow, and Criminal Minds got in with the nominating polls.

Characters in ALL 8 Character Cups - 3

Raymond Reddington, Buffy Summers, The Doctor

Shows NOT in the Character Cup For the First Time - LOST

Losing Characters with the Most Votes:

Round 1 = Lauren Bloom, Oliver Queen, Killian Jones,

Round 2 = Chloe Decker, Sydney Bristow, Matthew Casey

Round 3 = Buffy Summers, Scylla Ramshorn, Jake Peralta

Round 4 = Marty Deeks, Lois Lane, Riley Davis

Winning Characters with the Least Votes:

Round 1 = Olivia Benson, Jamie Fraser, Matthew Casey

Round 2 = June Osborne, Riley Davis, Bellamy Blake

Round 3 = Lucy Chen, Marty Deeks, Lois Lane

Round 4 = Jonas Kahnwald, Lucy Chen, Sam Winchester

Closest Polls:

1. Zoey Clarke vs Sheldon Cooper (3 votes)

2. Kara Danvers vs Melinda Monroe (4 votes)

3. Aziraphale vs Michaela Stone (5 votes)

Gender Breakdown:

This Year - female = 29  / male = 33  (The Doctor is included in both.)

After Round 1 - female = 15  / male = 17

After Round 2 - female = 8 / male = 8

After Round 3 - female = 4 / male = 4

After Round 4 - female = 1 / male = 3

After Round 5 - female = 0 / male = 2

New vs. Returning Show Breakdown:

This Year - new = 21 / returning = 40

After Round 1 - new = 11 / returning = 21

After Round 2 - new = 4 / returning = 12

After Round 3 - new = 3 / returning = 5

After Round 4 - new = 2 / returning = 2

After Round 5 - new = 0 / returning = 2

Characters with Biggest Improvement between Initial Rankings and Final Rankings:

1.  Marty Deeks - 51 places

2. Jonas Kahnwald - 48 places

3.  Elizabeth Jennings - 35 places

Most Total Votes:

After Round 1 = Stiles Stilinski, Lauren Bloom, Scylla Ramshorn

After Round 2 = Stiles Stilinski, Scylla Ramshorn, Jonas Kahnwald, Riley Davis

After Round 3 = Jonas Kahnwald, Scylla Ramshorn, Buffy Summers

After Round 4 = Malcolm Bright, Jonas Kahnwald, Sam Winchester, Riley Davis

After Round 5 = Malcolm Bright, Jonas Kahnwald, Sam Winchester

Total = Malcolm Bright, Sam Winchester, Jonas Kahnwald

Nomination Stats:

Characters Almost in the Cup: 14

Alice, Fallon Carrington, Wynonna Earp, Conrad Hawkins, Jason Hayes, Sherlock Holmes, Jughead Jones, Ted Lasso, Jimmy McGill, Hope Michealson, Dexter Morgan, Liam Ridley, Dana Scully, Shawn Spencer

Characters NOT in because another character represented their show:  17

Sylvie Brett, Kim Burgess, Max Goodwin, Philip Jennings, Stella Kidd, Lena Luthor, Angus MacGyver, Mazikeen, Negan, John Nolan, Dani Powell, Raven Reyes (actor represented different show), Kelly Severide, Helen Sharpe, Hailey Upton, Cordell Walker (actor represented different show), Liam Walker

Final Ranked List of Characters:  

1.  Malcolm Bright

2.  Sam Winchester

3.  Lucy Chen

4.  Jonas Kahnwald

5.  Marty Deeks

6.  Lois Lane

7.  Riley Davis

8.  Micki Ramirez

9.  Buffy Summers

10.  Scylla Ramshorn

11.  Jake Peralta

12.  Bellamy Blake

13.  June Osborne

14.  Jamie Fraser

15.  Lucas Bouchard

16.  Elizabeth Jennings

17.  Chloe Decker

18.  Sydney Bristow

19.  Matthew Casey

20.  Stiles Stilinski

21.  Clark Kent

22.  Maya Bishop

23.  Sheldon Cooper

24.  Michaela Stone

25.  Bucky Barnes

26.  Barry Allen

27.  Loki Laufeyson

28.  Wanda Maximoff

29.  Peter Bishop

30.  Olivia Benson

31.  Evan "Buck" Buckley

32.  Melinda Monroe

33.  Lauren Bloom

34.  Oliver Queen

35.  Killian Jones

36.  Zoey Clarke

37.  Jay Halstead

38.  Daryl Dixon

39.  Colleen Wing

40.  The Doctor

41.  Sara Lance

42.  Aziraphale

43.  Raymond Reddington

44.  Spencer Reid

45.  Kara Danvers

46.  TK Strand

47.  Meredith Grey

48.  Thomas Magnum

49.  Ellie Bishop

50.  Ava

51.  Kevin Pearson

52.  Nancy Drew

53.  Mare Sheehan

54.  Leo Fitz

55.  Shaun Murphy

56.  Clarice Starling

57.  Eliot Spencer

58.  Adrian Monk

59.  Finola Jones

60.  Casey Gardner

61.  Harry Bosch

Initial Ranking:

1.  Malcolm Bright (Prodigal Son)

2.  Sam Winchester (Supernatural)

3.  Micki Ramirez (Walker)

4.  Scylla Ramshorn (Motherland: Fort Salem)

5.  Riley Davis (MacGyver)

6.  Lucas Bouchard (When Calls the Heart)

7.  Loki Laufeyson (Loki)

8.  Clark Kent (Superman & Lois)

9.  Sara Lance (Legends of Tomorrow)

10.  Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley (911)

11.  Wanda Maximoff (WandaVision)

12.  Matthew Casey (Chicago Fire)

13.  Jay Halstead (Chicago PD)

14.  Thomas Magnum (Magnum PI)

15.  Bucky Barnes (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)

16.  Chloe Decker (Lucifer)

17.  Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

18.  Jake Peralta (Brooklyn 99)

19.  Kara Danvers (Supergirl)

20.  Lauren Bloom (New Amsterdam)

21.  Bellamy Blake (The 100)

22.  Lucy Chen (The Rookie)

23.  Lois Lane (Smallville)

24.  Zoey Clarke (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist)

25.  Raymond Reddington (The Blacklist)

26.  Mare Sheehan (Mare of Easttown)

27.  Barry Allen (The Flash)

28.  Maya Bishop (Station 19)

29.  Sydney Bristow (Alias)

30.  Peter Bishop (Fringe)

31.  Olivia Benson (Law & Order: SVU)

32.  Aziraphale (Good Omens)

33.  Michaela Stone (Manifest)

34.  Kevin Pearson (This Is Us)

35.  Ellie Bishop (NCIS)

36.  Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead)

37.  The Doctor (Doctor Who)

38.  Meredith Grey (Grey's Anatomy)

39.  Jamie Fraser (Outlander)

40.  June Osborne (The Handmaid's Tale)

41.  Sheldon Cooper (Young Sheldon)

42.  Nancy Drew (Nancy Drew)

43.  Ava (Warrior Nun)

44.  Casey Gardner (Atypical)

45.  Stiles Stilinksi (Teen Wolf)

46.  Melinda Monroe (Virgin River)

47.  Harry Bosch (Bosch)

48.  Colleen Wing (Iron Fist)

49.  Clarice Starling (Clarice)

50.  Adrian Monk (Monk)

51.  Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans)

52.  Jonas Kahnwald (Dark)

53.  Shaun Murphy (The Good Doctor)

54.  Eliot Spencer (Leverage)

55.  Finola Jones (Debris)

56.  Marty Deeks (NCIS: LA)

57.  T.K. Strand (911: Lone Star)

58.  Leo Fitz (Agents of SHIELD)

59.  Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds)

60.  Killian Jones (Once Upon a Time)

61.  Oliver Queen (Arrow)

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews various shows, coordinates and edits Pitch Your Show, co-edits Quote of the Week, and writes The Monthly Binge. She also runs the annual Character Cup and SpoilerTV Awards. She's addicted to hot chocolate, loves reading and traveling, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group.  She can also be found @dahne1 and on her blog. ~ "I speak TV." Blog Twitter