WINNERS

ELLEN DEGENERES, daytime diva

Yep – she’s a hit. Ellen’s new squeaky-clean talk show was the year’s biggest daytime smash.

THE FAB FIVE, designing men

Five gay men won over a nation with their straight talk on style. “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” provided hope for the hopeless, and gave struggling Bravo its highest-rated show ever.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, “View” vixen

How could Barbara Walters resist giving the job to the All-American girl from “Survivor” who returned from the Australian Outback to marry an NFL quarterback?

THE O.C., soap cleans up

Nubile newcomers and a couple of wily veterans (Peter Gallagher and Tate Donovan) enlivened a new, addictive prime-time soap that emerged as TV’s top guilty pleasure.

‘AMERICANCHOPPER,’ heavy-metal hunks

The Teutels, Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. got together to build their mind-boggling motorcycles. Sparks flew and the Discovery Channel found itself with the year’s best reality show.

FRASIER, screwball sophistication

The Cranes of Seattle staged the comeback of the year. There may be future seasons for TV’s most sophisticated comedy.

DIANE SAWYER AND CHARLIE GIBSON, classy combo

Tired of Katie Couric’s superstar ego and Matt Lauer’s appalling buzzcut? switch over to cool, calssy Sawyer and no-nonsense Gibson, who hasn’t messed with his hairstyle in 25 years, and find out why “Good Morning America” is closing the gap with “Today.”

JOAN OF ARCADIA, God’s gift

A cynical teen-aged girl (Amber Tamblyn) keeps running into people who insist they’re God. From this unlikely scenario came a heaven-sent series for CBS.

CLAY AIKEN, Carolina crooner

The skinny kid from North Carolina didn’t beat beefy Ruben Studdard on “American Idol,” but Clay Aiken eventually outsold his plus-sized friend.

WILLIAM H. MACY, Hang-dog Hero

Best known for playing life’s losers, William H. Macy found a winner in “Door to Door.” As Bill Porter, a salesman stricken with cerebral palsy, Macy won an Emmy as Best Actor in a TV movie.

LOSERS

COUPLING, Coitus Interruptus

Take six self-absorbed, sex-obsessed thirty-somethings, then add about six months of pre-launch hype, and what do you get? The year’s biggest disaster, the NBC sitcom “Coupling.”

THE OSBOURNES, over and out

Once the stars of TV’s most-refreshing reality series, the Osbournes wore out their welcome so long ago it’s become difficult to remember why we were so fascinated by them.

JOE MILLIONAIRE, A real Schmo

Last winter’s megahit and this fall’s megaflop. “Joe Millionaire” was a one-trick pony.

K STREET, Clooney’s folly

Washington society was abuzz with the arrival of George Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh, who came to town toting their minicams and intending to make a provocative reality show about politics. Instead, viewers couldn’t tell fact from fiction and “K Street” became a dead end for HBO.

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, Get out!

Kramer couldn’t do it, George couldn’t do it. Now elaine benes joins the ranks of failed “Seinfeld” satellites who spun out of orbit when given their own sitcoms. “Watching Ellie” was a stinker.

TOM GREEN, Career over

MTV pulled the plug on Tom Green’s late-night show. Why did anyone ever think he was funny?

DAVID E. KELLEY, writer’s block

The prolific is apparently at the end of his long winning streak. After the failure of “Girls Club” last season, his new series, “The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.” tanked this fall on CBS.

THE WEST WING, capital crime

“The West Wing” ceases to be relevant in its first season without its creator and guiding light, Aaron Sorkin.

IN-TAXI TV, pest controlled

Two separate companies managed to force their way into New York City cabs with video screens blaring non-stop commercials and information that was worse than useless. Cab riders rebelled and city officials felt their pain. The intrusive screens were yanked this year, hopefully never to return.

‘Wing’ ding, ROB LOWE

He was the unhappy camper of “The West Wing,” but when he went out on his own with his NBC lawyer show, “The Lyon’s Den,” he was outgunned by “The Practice” on ABC. Now Rob Lowe’s “Den” is done and so is he.