Uneven Season Didn't Stop Some Stars from Shining

by John Crook

The 2001-02 TV season was a bumpy, unhappy one in many respects, a year in which dire current events and a growing network fondness for yanking new shows after only a couple of episodes left many viewers feeling dizzy and disaffected.

Somehow, though, a talented handful of actors and actresses still managed to make a striking impression despite all the distractions. Here, then, is a selective honor roll of some network stars who shone brightest. They're in no particular order, apart from the striking Golden Globe winner who leads the list as the season's most dazzling newcomer

Jennifer Garner ("Alias," ABC, Sunday, 9 p.m. ET) was a little tipsy last January when she accepted her Golden Globe as best actress in a TV drama series, scoring over such heavyweights as "Sopranos" co- stars Edie Falco and Lorraine Bracco and network names Marg Helgenberger, Sela Ward and Lauren Graham (see below). The win was no fluke, however, merely just desserts for the arrival of a brand new star. As Sidney Bristow, a young CIA agent who has been drawn in way over her head, Garner embodies this character created by J.J. Abrams ("Felicity") with startling acuity, combining intelligence and resourcefulness with a heartbreaking vulnerability. Trapped a year ago in slop like the witless "Dude, Where's My Car?," Garner has zoomed near the top of the short list labeled Actresses Everyone Wants to Work With.

© Zap2it 2002

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