Aisha Tyler deserves a better show

The season finale of Ghost Whisperer airs tonight, an event that would go unnoticed in my little corner of the spirit world, were I not a fan of the lovely and talented actress who graces each episode of the freshman CBS series. I’m speaking, of course, of Aisha Tyler (pictured, at left), who plays Jennifer Love Hewitt’s sidekick on the show, and who deserves a better fate than to be upstaged by ghosts, tasteful antiques, and J. Love. Her résumé really ought to make her overqualified for this sort of thing — her funny work on Talk Soup and Friends, her dramatic chops in recurring roles on 24 and CSI, not to mention her poli-sci degree from Dartmouth. Plus, she’s way hotter than her leading lady. Is this the best CBS can do for Tyler? Didn’t she have a development deal there for her own sitcom, which Lisa Kudrow was going to produce for her? Whatever became of that?

Then again, Tyler’s not the only talented-but-underused TV performer PopWatch would love to see showcased on a better series of his or her own. There’s Seth Green from Four Kings, Harry J. Lennix from Commander in Chief, Blair Underwood from the unlamented LAX, Jacqueline Obradors (formerly of NYPD Blue, now playing straight woman to Freddie Prinze Jr. on Freddie), and Love Monkey‘s Judy Greer, to name a few.

Any other suggestions, all you armchair talent agents? Who do you think deserves a better show?

addCredit(“Aisha Tyler and Jennifer Love Hewitt: Mitch Haddad/Touchstone”)