TV: Good Acting Rare

Having a freer-than-expected weekend, I caught up on some TV the last two nights. One of the things that occurred to me is the paucity of good acting. That's not to say there wasn't ANY, as I think two young actors did stand out.

The actors? Matt Dallas, who plays the title character in Kyle XY was absolutely spot on every week. And would you believe (Channeling Don Adams) I think the best I've seen this year might be Jackson Brundage, who plays the five-year-old Jamie Scott in One Tree Hill.

Dallas probably has the most difficult role in TV to play these days. I call it the Spock role. Originally, the Spock role was Leonard Nimoy's Spock character in Star Trek. Brent Spiner then did the next star turn in the role, playing Data in Star Trek The Next Generation. Now, it's Dallas' turn to take on the emotion-hampered cypher role that is Kyle XY in his case, and suffuse it with humanity. All the while having the same general look. In Kyle's case, it's a loopy grin.

Kyle XY is just an excellent TV series overall. Fueled by a believable family group, this SF drama is heading into a third year. And can't come more highly recommended.

One Tree Hill is a teetering senior in terms of TV series. This fifth season was a bold experiment, jumping the characters five years into their own futures. That meant baby Scott at the end of the fourth year morphed in Brundage last fall. And he's the best actor on the set.

Compare him with the Olsen Twins back in their single digit days and I think there's no comparison. Brundage shows a wide variety of facial expressions. Looks AT his fellow actors rather than off-stage to some helper feeding him lines, too. He seems able to do a lot of physical things. It almost feels like he's waaaaay overage playing young. Say a seven year old!!!!

Now I have to admit, turning into One Tree Hill is more reflex than anticipation these days. Hilarie Burton, my preferred eye candy, seems woefully thin these days and needs to go back to her curly mop days, but any scene with Brundage has been fun this year. My favourite, leading a squad of basketball players down the hall towards the gym for their first game of the year. It's a familiar shot, but made all the better by the three-foot nothing Brundage doing the leading.

They'll hand out the best actor to somebody other than Kiefer Sutherland this year (24 didn't make it to the air). They could do a LOT worse than calling on Matt Dallas or Jackson Brundage.

And probably will do worse.