Desperate Housewives: ABC

The Little Engine That Could Award goes to... Eva Longoria

FOR Desperate Housewives

WHY? By the end of the first season of ABC's smash suburban soap opera, it was easy to dismiss Longoria as the lightweight Housewife — and both the Golden Globes and Emmys agreed, snubbing her for a nod while nominating her three costars. But something funny has happened over the course of the show's sophomore term: Longoria is digging deeper into her delightfully shallow character, and as a result, her Gabrielle is providing more drama than Bree, scoring more belly laughs than Lynette, and evoking more sympathy than Susan (the floating red balloon that provided closure to Gaby's miscarriage was particularly poignant). Now, suddenly, Longoria isn't just the series' pretty face — she's its secret weapon.

(Golden Globe nomination: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy)