Quelle Suprise!

At the conclusion of a largely ho-hum year that will be remembered mostly for...I don't know, Britney's vagina?, it seems appropriate to give props to the more pleasant surprises of 2006.

Ta-Dah!
The sophomore release from the Scissor Sisters turned out to be just as much of a party as the first with the perfect amount of dancers and downers. The upbeat songs are the best, particularly "Lights" and the first single "Don't Feel Like Dancin'".

Marie Antoinette
Upon first seeing the trailer last year, my eyebrows were raised, and not so much in a good way. Fortunately, Sof.Co. went way beyond the dreck of Lost in Translatzzzz...with this visually fun and dialogue-lite film. And the soundtrack goes without saying.

The Devil Wears Prada
Not a cinematic masterpiece but decently entertaining, though Emily Blunt deserves most of the credit.

Project Runway
It's hard to imagine that Bravo assaulted with with two seasons of PR in the past year. Although there have been some disappointements, (Not everyone was happy with Jeffrey's win, you know) the ball keeps on rolling and the show really just keeps getting better.

Little Miss Sunshine
I definitely did not want to see this movie after initially seeing the trailer. It looked like another indie-by-numbers but with children. Though it strays into overly self-aware at times, the actors turn in some amazing performances.

Democrats
Who knew they'd actually turn it out?

Sia
The Zero 7 chanteuse went off on her own with her debut album, and despite slight overexposure from the Six Feet Under finale and the promos for that Hilary Swank Dangerous Minds II: Inspirational Boogaloo movie, the album is soft, personal and absoltely wonderful.

Chain Reaction
Whether for the sheer dorkness of named-straight-from-the-nineties host Dylan Lane or the spazzocity of the contestants during the bonus round, this game show is hard not to love.

Impeach My Bush
Peaches's latest album is rad for "Slippery Dick" alone, but then throw in "Two Guys (For Every Girl) and "Tent In Your Pants" and you've got a classic.