CBS’ Simon Baker fronted not only the best new series of last season, but the best-rated show of last season, when he fronted the off-beat crime procedural, The Mentalist. His wry smile and comic charm won people over in a way that the star of Fox’s me-too drama, Lie to Me, never did.

Now comes word that Baker will be seated in the front row at the Emmys, an indicator that his chances for a best actor in a drama series are quite good. Hey, whether you watch the results on an HDTV or a Bell TV, I’d be down with that result. He did a darn fine job on a rookie drama, and while Hugh Laurie’s a long-time favorite of mine, I wouldn’t be upset at all to see Baker acknowledged.