Top 5 Sundays #37 - Sexiest TV Characters!

When it comes to sexy, TV has more than enough options to go around, regardless of your personal tastes and opinions on the matter. Blond, ginger, browm? Check, check, check. Brains, brawn, magic? Check, check, check. Pick your poison and TV has someone on some show on some network that will suit - the tricky part is finding him or her. After all, there are a lot of shows and a lot of networks out there to peruse and who know when you'll come across that special someone?

So, without further ado, I present Calliope's Domain's Top 5 Sexiest TV Characters!

#5 - The Tenth Doctor - David Tennant (Doctor Who, BBC)

Allow me to sum him up with two quotes from the series:

"See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I - I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?  [he winks at Rose] Am I an old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed? Left-handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor, a liar, a nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob." 

- The Christmas Invasion (Season 2, Episode 1)

"He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun...He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and can see the turn of the universe...and... he's wonderful." 

- The Family of Blood (Season 3, Episode 9)

#4 - Steve McGarrett - Alex O'Loughlin (Hawaii Five-0, CBS)

Steve is the sort of man with a clear concept of right and wrong and, were it not for the fact he was running a governor sanctioned task force, he'd no doubt be considered a vigilante. I mean, heck, he's held suspects over the edge of roofs, tied them to the hood of his car for high-speed pursuits, and dropped them into shark infested waters. And that was just in the first season. Sure, his sanity may be a little questionable, but what's not to love about a guy who's just trying to do the right thing at any cost?

#3 - Damon Salvatore - Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries, The CW)

For over a century and a half, Damon worked to save the woman he loved from eternal imprisonment only to learn that she had never been imprisoned to begin with. He then falls for his brother's girlfriend, a woman he believes deserves better than him, and sets about securing her happily ever after even if it doesn't include him in any role beyond friendship. For a man cast in the light of villainy, he's got one noble heart inside him.

#2 - Dean Winchester - Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, The CW)

He fights monsters, he conquers evil, he saves the world, and he looks out for his little brother. He drives all over the USA in a '67 Chevy Impala playing at Lone Ranger (well, in the sense he rides in, saves people, and leaves than the lone part - he's partnered with his brother after all). He cops attitude to Satan himself, snaps sarcasm at angels, and stares down heathen gods, all of it with a cheeky grin. What can I say? The man knows how to rock the swagger.

#1 - Oliver Queen/The Hood - Stephen Amell (Arrow, The CW)

There is nothing sexier than a man who knows how to handle a car, how to make an engine purr and how to make all that steel and power take to the roads with a grace and sleekness you'd never expect of a machine. Except, that is, for a man with a bow. Be he Robin Hood or Legolas, there's something about a man who can take a bent stick with taunt string between its ends and turn it into weapon. To say nothing of his ability to aim. Enter Oliver Queen; wealthy playboy by day, avenging archer by night, with a tortured past, a heart of gold, and a tendency to brood. Oh, and did I mention that there hasn't been an episode yet that hasn't featured a shot or two of a shirtless Oliver training? *sigh* Need more be said?

Top 5 Sundays #23 - Favorite Male TV Characters!

There are a lot of men out there in TV Land of all different types and appearances and personalities. It's a virtual man zoo out there and, like any kid at zoo, I've got my favourite must-see specimens. Here, for this week's installment of Calliope's Domain Top 5, are my top male TV characters.

Charlie Eppes (Numb3rs, CBS)

A mathematical genius, Charlie Eppes is a university professor with a sweet and decidedly geeky personality. What makes him one of my favourite male characters, however, is the fact that despite his genius, despite all his accomplishments in his field and all of the recognition his work affords him, at the end of the day Charlie is just an awkward kid trying to get the approval of his big brother.  It's something younger siblings the world over can relate to, and it doesn't hurt that in this case the big brother is an FBI agent who isn't afraid of telling the NSA (or anyone else, for that matter) to back off his little brother.

Bo Duke (Dukes of Hazzard, CBS)

Bo was a blonde haired, blue eyed good old boy who drove around the rural counties of Georgia in a Chevy Charger with his older cousin, Luke. He was impulsive and quick to anger, with the mean left hook to match. More often than not, he and Luke would land themselves in one sort of trouble or another, usually on account of Boss Hogg. He was a charmer, a definite ladies' man, who would have just as much fun turning a no into a yes as getting a yes straight off. His main point of appeal? Man, could that boy drive a car. I am willing to forgive a great many faults for a man who can drive as well as Bo Duke. Oh! And he totally do the bow and arrow thing. He was a modern day Robin Hood, complete with loyal steed!

Derek Morgan (Criminal Minds, CBS)

What can you say about a man whose best friend is the overly flamboyant  computer technician who, on top of being heavy set and in need of glasses, is definitely firmly set on the geeky side of life? Penelope Garcia's the type of girl whose really very sweet, friendly and loyal but, drop her into any high school the world over, and she'd be mercilessly bullied and then some. Morgan, meanwhile, is the heart throb who, once upon a time, played high school AND college football as, you guessed it, the quarterback. And despite these two coming from totally opposite ends of the high school social spectrum, they're best friends. Despite Garcia being the analystist to the team as a whole, more often than not it is Morgan who serves as her primary contact, calling her from the field for info and updates. He's also dubbed Garcia with several nicknames, including "Baby Girl," "Doll Face," "Sweetness," and "Mama." His loyalty and sweetness towards Garcia more than anything else makes him a favourite in my books.

Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, BBC)

I think it goes without saying that Sherlock - in all of his incarnations - is an ass. His ego is like the universe - ever expanding - and he uses his rather intimidating intellect as both a blunt instrument and a shield. His manic, exciteable personality has him jumping about like a five year old on a sugar rush one moment and sunk into a bored depression the next, all depending on whether or not he has a case to work. And then, in the middle of it all, will come a sweet and touching moment; he'll apologize to Molly for not appreciating her or drop a villain out a window for roughing up Mrs. Hudson. He's a complex and many layered character that can't help but entrance.

Dean Winchester (Supernatural, The CW)

Dean, Dean, Dean, what can I say? He's got a smart mouth and a cocky attitude. He's a monster hunter whose main concern isn't so much slaying the monsters as it is making sure his family makes it through the monsters okay. And the going hasn't been easy. He pretty much died at the end of season one, had to sell his soul to bring his little brother back from the dead at the end of season two, went to hell at the end of season three, got to watch his brother unleash Satan had the end of season four, lost his brother to seal away Satan at the end of season five - the list goes on. He's gotten a little broken, a little beat up - he's certainly not the same man who showed up in his brother's appartment at the beginning of the series premiere. He's darker, grittier, wilder...but at his core he's still the big brother wanting to do the right thing to get his brother through whatever evil machinations the bad guys might concoct in one piece. Hands down, my hero.

 ***BONUS*** Batman

So, he's been in a couple of shows - Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Young Justice...the list goes on. He's always the hero who's going to stay true to his ideals no matter what, always the hero who's going to make the hard choice, always the hero who'll know the most, have deduced the most, have the most background information going in. On the flip-side, he also the hero most likely to take in the vengeful preteen and train them so that they learn a code, learn to defend themselves so that when they go for their vengeance they do it within the legal system in such a way that guarantees their own survival. How can anyone not love Bats?

Top 5 Sundays #21 - Fave On-Going TV Series!

Now, as anyone who knows me can tell you, I watch a lot of television. I have something almost always playing in the background - either movies or television shows, both ongoing and cancelled, or who only knows what - while I work and write. It's not that I don't like music - I do - but when it comes to background rumblings I prefer something with plot and dialogue. That, no surprise, leads to a lot of options to run through when running down a favourite five. Luckily, perseverance endured and, voila, we have this week's Top 5 all for your enjoyment. Cue the smiles here. Although not the deranged kind, if you please. Or the clown variety for that matter. Both would just be way too creepy.

#5 - Once Upon a Time (ABC)

The Evil Queen curses a bunch of Fairy Tale characters to live miserably in our world under new identities and no memory of their former selves all in an attempt to ruin the happy ending of her nemesis Snow White. Each episode is split between the running narrative of the present in our world and relevant flashbacks to the fairy tale world. The best parts of this show are the twists given to classic fairy tales (Rumpelstiltskin, in particular, has himself one hell of a rewrite) and the mystery of trying to sniff out who the fairy tale counterparts are of real world characters (some are obvious - like Archie Hopper being Jiminy Cricket and Ruby the Waitress being Little Red Riding Hood - and some will drive you crazy - like who the heck womanizing Dr. Whale is supposed to be!).

#4 - Supernatural (The CW)

Brothers Dean and Sam Winchesters ride a 67 Chevy Impala across the USA hunting down the ghosts, demons and monsters intent on massacring the (somewhat) innocent humans that whet their various appetites. Now, admittedly, I was not a fan of last season's leviathan storyline but with the finale having effectively closed the book on that saga and a new creative team at the helm, I have high hopes that the coming season will reach back to the show's roots and restore some of that gritty, monster-studded darkness and emotional fraternal drama that made me fall in love with it to begin with. Fingers crossed!

#3 - Lost Girl (Showcase, SyFy)

On the day that succubus Bo befriends street waif Kenzi, she also finds herself drawn into the world of Fae previously unknown to her, declares her refusal to choose between the Light and Dark sides, and goes into the private detective business. It was quite the eventful day, to say the least. I think it goes without saying that with a succubus as the heroine, this is a show that packs in a lot of sexuality, a lot of paranormal and a lot of drama. Personally, most of this show's highlights are to be found in the romantic tension found in Bo's relationships with werewolf police detective Dyson and human doctor/scientist Lauren. Not to mention the comic relief Kenzi provides just by being in a scene.

#2 - The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

The premise of this show is essentially: hot girl moves in across the hall from some super nerds, which may not get much interest all on its own. But, hey, you tune in once anyway just because you want to see just how close to stereotype this thing runs true. And then you're hooked. The characters compliment each other and the comedy is the right balance of dry and sarcastic meets pure stupidity. Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper steals the show, hands down. Most importantly of all, if Penny and Leonard break up again (I think this is their third or fourth go at a relationship) I will scream bloody murder.

#1 - Sherlock (BBC)

This modern retelling of the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson is...well, you've just got to watch it. Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes is the perfect blend of frenetic creativity, pure brilliance, self-absorbed disregard and straight-out adorableness while Martin Freeman of impending Hobbit fame delivers a great performance as Watson, particularly in the emotion charge final scenes of last season's finale. The modern spin given to the classic tales - including A Study in Scarlet, A Scandal in Bohemia, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Final Problem - have given new twists to formerly familiar stories. Seriously, the only thing about this series that does give me pleasure is the fact you have to wait SO. FREAKING. LONG. between seasons (the last finale had one hell of a cliffhanger followed by an eighteen month hiatus while both Cumberbatch and Freeman pursue other projects).

BONUS!: Gossip Girl (The CW)

A series soap that started off being about the drama surrounding a group of spoiler Upper East Side rich kids and became the coming of age story of...a group of spoiler Upper East Side rich kids. I know, I know - it does not sound like it would be all that great but there's something about watching the drama play out that really engages your attention.

 Okay, okay - I admit it! I watch it because I want Chuck and Blair to get together and, eternal optimist that I am, I keep thinking that somehow, some way, forgiveness will be dished out, the past buried deep and against all odds Chair will ride off into the sunset to make with the happily after. It's more aggravating than waiting for Ross and Rachel to get themselves sorted out. If I can make it through ten seasons of Friends for that, I can make through six for Chair. And, while Chuck did try to trade Blair for a hotel, he never slept with another girl while they were together - unlike some people I could name (who, I agree, were not on a break at the time).

Honourable Mentions: (I warned you!) NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, The Mentalist, Psych, Burn Notice, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Hawaii Five-O, How I Met Your Mother, Castle, Bones, Vampire Diaries, Body of Proof, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, American Dad, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Young Justice, Green Lantern, Glee