TVSquad

(S02E15) Two of my favorite things about My Name is Earl are that the show has great supporting characters, and that while each episode stands on its own, the producers reward viewers who have been following the program all along by bringing back characters and plotlines where you least expect them.

This episode does a great job on both of those fronts. In fact, while I tend to prefer episodes where Earl gets to cross something off his list, this episode would have been just fine if Earl hadn't been in it at all. I'm not sure I'd watch a show with Randy or Joy as the main character (although last week's My Name is Randy/Joy/Crabman sequences make me wonder), but they can each certainly hold their own in a fight. Or at least we know Joy can.

Jaime Pressly, who plays Joy on My Name is Earl, announced her pregnancy last night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She said she is four months along and the baby is a healthy boy. The father is disc jockey Eric Cubiche. The couple has been dating for 18 months.

As far as I know, Pressly didn't say whether her pregnancy would be written into Earl (I don't watch Leno). But, it probably wouldn't be too far-fetched for Joy to be pregnant again. Plus, it's going to be super hard to hide her pregnancy since so much of Joy's character is in her tight, slutty costumes.

The preview for this weeks Blade teased a kiss between Krista (Jill Wagner) and Chase (Jessica Gower). In celebration of that possibility, I thought now would be a good time to touch on other girl-girl kisses in our television history. Sometimes they are to make a statement. Sometimes they are a ploy to grab ratings. And every once in a while, it's just a natural part of the story. Here are the five that come to mind first for me.

Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Sharon (Mariel Hemingway) - Roseanne
This was an important moment in television. At the time, there was no L-Word, and two girls kissing was still a very controversial thing. Roseanne has her faults, to be sure, but standing up to the network to get this episode on the air is something to be proud of.

Ally (Calista Flockhart) and Ling (Lucy Liu) - Ally McBeal
This one strikes me as somewhat the opposite of the Roseanne kiss. There was much less statement, and much more ratings grabbing sensationalism in this lip-lock. In that regard, it worked very well. Of course, the gang over at Ally McBeal had plenty of practice. Along with Ling, Ally also kissed Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith) and Elaine (Jane Krokowski). But if I have to pick one, it's Ling every time. And yes, I was an Ally McBeal fan.

The Best:
1. My Name is Earl: I didn't think this was going to be any good when I first saw the commercials because it looked like another stupid sitcom about -- whoo-hoo -- rednecks. Jason Lee's a cool cat, though, so I tuned in for one episode... Boy, am I glad I saw it! Although Lee doesn't disappoint, Jaime Pressly's performance is absolutely hysterical and often steals the show. Definitely one of my favorite programs of the year.

2. The Daily Show: I've loved it. Sill love it.

3. The Colbert Report: I was a little worried about this show in the beginning, but quickly grew to love it. Stephen Colbert's got a good thing going on right now and I'm definitely looking forward to more.

4. Lost: I love it when a show/film has a strong ensemble cast. That plus deep, conflicted backstory and tremendous writing is must-see TV for me.

5. Project Runway: Okay, they're only a few episodes in, but Project Runway never fails to deliver. Classiest reality show, hands-down.