The Glee Cast
Highs: As if its big and loyal fan base of "Gleeks" weren't recognition enough, the Glee cast dominated this year's awards season. In January, the cast picked up the top prize (Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy) at the Golden Globes, and again at the SAG awards, where the team won for best ensemble performance. Actors Jane Lynch and Neil Patrick Harris won Emmys later this year, in August, while director Ryan Murphy picked up a statue for his directing work. Glee, whose second season began this September, has also been praised for raising awareness of social issues such as homophobia and influencing the music industry by giving older artists a new life with the series' younger audience.
Lows: GQ magazine started a media firestorm when it put three flesh-flashing members of the Glee cast on its November 2010 cover. The racy image — which featured actress Dianna Agron in a belly-baring top and mini skirt, and Lea Michele in bright pink lingerie — and its equally provocative spread drew criticism from The Parents Television Council, which slammed GQ for "sexualizing the actresses" in a cover that "borders on pedophilia."
—Feifei Sun