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The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

SEXIEST WOMEN PRIMETIME TV The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

Sal Ami, Flickr

We do love our television, don’t we? So many good shows to choose from these days. And the best part of these shows? These 50 sexy actresses who star in them. Frankly this list of the 50 sexiest women of primetime TV could have been over 100 because there are just so many attractive ladies gracing our TV sets night after night, but we had to draw the line somewhere. Our apologies if your fave didn’t make the cut. I am positive she was #51.



Actresses by channel on this list: The CW – 11; ABC – 9; CBS – 7; NBC – 5.5; Fox – 4; HBO, and Showtime – 3; AMC – 2.5; ABC Family, Lifetime, TNT, and USA – 1. (Read on to learn why there is half an actress on two channels.)



Note: We did not include women on reality TV shows. That’s a whole other list for a later date. Sorry, June Shannon.


Photo credit: Sal Ami, Flickr

50 Daniela Ruah





Show: NCIS: Los Angeles. Role: Kensi Blye. Channel: CBS. When: Tuesdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Her first acting role came at the age of 16 on the Portuguese soap opera Jardins Proibidos and was the winner of Dança Comigo (the Portuguese version of Dancing with the Stars) .



Photo credit: YouTube/Esquire

49 Emily VanCamp





Show: Revenge. Role: Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke. Channel: ABC. When: Sundays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: She made her acting debut at age 13 on Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? and has received nominations from the Teen Choice Awards for “Favorite TV Actress: Drama” four times.



To see more of Emily, click here.



Photo credit: GQ

48 Julie Bowen





Show: Modern Family. Role: Claire Dunphy. Channel: ABC. When: Wednesdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: She is a two-time winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her acting on Modern Family.



To see more of Julie, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/NBC

47 Missy Peregrym


Missy Peregrym The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

Sal Ami, Flickr




Show: Rookie Blue. Role: Andy McNally. Channel: ABC. When: Thursdays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: She began modeling at the age of 18 and made her acting debut that same year in an episode of the TV series Dark Angel. She played the role of Andi Prendergast on The CW show Reaper from 2007 to 2009.



Photo credit: Sal Ami, Flickr

46 January Jones





Show: Mad Men. Role: Betty Draper Francis. Channel: AMC. When: TBD*.

*To Be Determined. Mad Men is scheduled to return on April 7.


Other Career Highlights: She was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2010 and for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2008.



Photo credit: YouTube/AMC

45 Monica Raymund





Show: Chicago Fire. Role: Gabriela Dawson. Channel: NBC. When: Thursdays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: Her first major TV break was playing Ria Torres on the Fox drama Lie to Me in 2009, a part she played for two seasons.



Photo credit: YouTube/NBC

44 Zooey Deschanel





Show: New Girl. Role: Jessica “Jess” Day. Channel: Fox. When: Tuesdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Deschanel received a nomination from the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Actress for her role as Noel in the 2003 film All the Real Girls.



To see more of Zooey, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/ABC

43 Eliza Coupe





Show: Happy Endings. Role: Jane Kerkovich-Williams. Channel: ABC. When: Tuesdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: She had a recurring role as Dr. Denise “Jo” Mahoney during the 8th season of the ABC comedy Scrubs.



Photo credit: YouTube/Team Coco

42 Maggie Q





Show: Nikita. Role: Nikita Mears. Channel: The CW. When: Fridays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: After just starting out in acting she was selected to be trained by Jackie Chan because he saw that she had potential as an action star.



Photo credit: YouTube/TV Guide

41 Bridget Moynahan





Show: Blue Bloods. Role: Erin Reagan. Channel: CBS. When: Fridays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: She made her feature film debut in the 1999 movie Coyote Ugly. Is the mother of one of Tom Brady’s children.



Photo credit: YouTube/Lions Gate Films

40 AnnaSophia Robb





Show: The Carrie Diaries. Role: Carrie Bradshaw. Channel: The CW. When: Mondays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Robb has been nominated four times for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film and won the award twice.



To see more of AnnaSophia, click here.



Photo credit: Teen Vogue

39 Jenna Elfman


Jenna Elfman1 The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

The Heart Truth, Wikimedia Commons




Show: 1600 Penn. Role: Emily Nash Gilchrist. Channel: NBC. When: Thursdays, 9:30pm.


Other Career Highlights: Elfman is is best known for playing Dharma Freedom Finkelstein Montgomery from 1997 to 2002 on the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg, a role for which she won a Golden Globe in 1999.



Photo credit: The Heart Truth, Wikimedia Commons

38 Cote de Pablo





Show: NCIS. Role: Ziva David. Channel: CBS. When: Tuesdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: She played the role of Marguerite Cisneros on the short-lived Fox show The Jury for 10 episodes before landing her current part on NCIS in 2005.



Photo credit: YouTube/CBS

37 Sarah Carter





Show: Falling Skies. Role: Maggie. Channel: TNT. When: TBD.

Falling Skies is scheduled to return sometime in 2013.


Other Career Highlights: Carter appeared in three episodes of Smallville playing Alicia Baker, who had a romantic relationship with Clark Kent, before playing Madeleine Poe in the CBS show Shark for 38 episodes from 2006 to 2008.



Photo credit: YouTube/Sarah Carter

36 Lucy Liu





Show: Elementary. Role: Joan Watson. Channel: CBS. When: Thursdays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: Liu was nominated for both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her portrayal of Ling Woo on the Fox TV series Ally McBeal between 1998 and 2002.



Photo credit: YouTube/Rodrigo Otazu

35 Meghan Markle





Show: Suits. Role: Rachel Zane. Channel: USA. When: Thursdays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: Markle was the model in charge of briefcase #24 on game show Deal or No Deal for four episodes in 2007.



To see more of Meghan, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Regard

34 Katherine McPhee


Katherine McPhee The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

kindofadraag, Flickr




Show: Smash. Role: Karen Cartwright. Channel: NBC. When: Tuesdays, 9pm.

Smash is scheduled to return to the air on February 5.


Other Career Highlights: McPhee was the runner-up finisher on the 2006 season of American Idol losing out to Taylor Hicks.



To see more of Katherine, click here.



Photo credit: kindofadraag, Flickr

33 Stana Katic


Stana Katic The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

Tyler Parker, Wikimedia Commons




Show: Castle. Role: Kate Beckett. Channel: ABC. When: Mondays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: Katic voiced the character of Talia al Ghul in the record-setting video game Batman: Arkham City.



Photo credit: Tyler Parker, Wikimedia Commons

32 Lyndsy Fonseca


Lyndsy Fonseca The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

Cameron Yee, Wikimedia Commons




Show: Nikita. Role: Alexandra “Alex” Udinov. Channel: The CW. When: Fridays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Fonseca played Colleen Carlton in 84 episodes of The Young and the Restless between 2001 and 2005 and played Dylan Mayfair on two-plus seasons of Desperate Housewives.



Photo credit: Cameron Yee, Wikimedia Commons

31 Kat Dennings





Show: 2 Broke Girls. Role: Max Black. Channel: CBS. When: Mondays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Prior to 2 Broke Girls Dennings longest run on a TV show was five episodes on ER in 2005 and 2006.



To see more of Kat, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/CBS

30 Kristen Bell


Kristen Bell The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

david_shankbone, Flickr




Show: House of Lies. Role: Jeannie van der Hooven. Channel: Showtime. When: Sundays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: Bell came to fame playing the title role on the UPN/CW series Veronica Mars from 2004 to 2007. She was also the voice and face of Lucy Stillman in the Assassin’s Creed video game series.



To see more of Kristen, click here.



Photo credit: david_shankbone, Flickr

29 Emilia Clarke





Show: Game of Thrones. Role: Daenerys Targaryen. Channel: HBO. When: TBD.

Game of Thrones is scheduled to return to the air on March 31.


Other Career Highlights: Emilia’s only other significant acting experience came in a 17 episode run on the SyFy show Triassic Attack in 2010.



Photo credit: YouTube/HBO Asia

28 Willa Holland





Show: Arrow. Role: Thea Queen. Channel: The CW. When: Wednesdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Holland played the character Kaitlin Cooper on the Fox series The O.C. for 22 episodes in 2006 and 2007 and appeared five times on The CW drama Gossip Girl between 2008 and 2012.



Photo credit: YouTube/The CW

27 Cobie Smulders





Show: How I Met Your Mother. Role: Robin Scherbatsky. Channel: CBS. When: Mondays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Smulders has been on How I Met Your Mother since 2005, but made a significant move to film playing Maria Hill in the 2012 blockbuster The Avengers and will be reprising the role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.



Photo credit: YouTube/Maxim

26 Katie Cassidy


katie cassidy The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

Glenn Francis, PacificProDigital.com




Show: Arrow. Role: Dinah Laurel Lance. Channel: The CW. When: Wednesdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Katie, the daughter of actor/singer David Cassidy, previously starred in the main role of Ella Simms on The CW show Melrose Place from 2009 to 2010, as well as appearing in 12 episodes of Gossip Girl from 2010 to 2012.



Photo credit: Glenn Francis, PacificProDigital.com

25 Jessica Lowndes





Show: 90210. Role: Adrianna Tate-Duncan. Channel: The CW. When: Mondays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Lowndes’ only real extended acting experience prior to 90210 was six episodes on the ABC Family series Greek in 2008.



To see more of Jessica, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Jessica Lowndes

24 Grace Park





Show: Hawaii Five-0. Role: Kono Kalakaua. Channel: CBS. When: Mondays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: Park came to prominence starring as Sharon, aka Number Eight, on the SyFy series Battlestar Galactica in 2004, as well in two follow-up films to the series in 2007 and 2009.



Photo credit: YouTube/Maxim

23 Rachel Bilson





Show: Hart of Dixie. Role: Zoe Hart. Channel: The CW. When: Tuesdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Bilson played the main role of Summer Roberts for 92 episodes between 2003 and 2007 on the Fox TV series The O.C.



To see more of Rachel, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/GQ

22 Morena Baccarin


Morena Baccarin1 The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

RavenU, Flickr




Show: Homeland. Role: Jessica Brody. Channel: HBO. When: Sundays, 9pm.

Homeland is scheduled to return to the air on September 29.


Other Career Highlights: Baccarin is well-known to Sci-fi fans for her roles on Firefly, Stargate SG-1, and V, playing the main role of Anna in the latter for 23 episodes between 2009 and 2011.



Photo credit: RavenU, Flickr

21 Olivia Munn





Show: The Newsroom. Role: Sloan Sabbith. Channel: HBO. When: Sundays, 10pm.

The Newsroom is scheduled to return to the air in June.


Other Career Highlights: Munn is best known for co-hosting Attack of the Show! on G4TV from 2006 to 2010 and then as a correspondent for The Daily Show from 2010 to 2011.



To see more of Olivia, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Maxim

20 Naya Rivera


Naya Rivera The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons




ShowShow: Glee. Role: Santana Lopez. Channel: Fox. When: Thursdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Prior to her appearing on Glee Rivera’s longest running acting gig was on The Bernie Mac Show for 11 episodes between 2002 and 2006.



Photo credit: Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons

19 Kat Graham





Show: The Vampire Diaries. Role: Bonnie Bennett. Channel: The CW. When: Thursdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: The Vampire Diaries is Graham’s first major acting role though you may have caught her playing Kim Johnson in the feature film The Roommate in 2011.



Photo credit: YouTube/Kat Graham

18 Ashley Benson





Show: Pretty Little Liars. Role: Hanna Marin. Channel: ABC Family. When: Tuesdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Benson previously played the role of Abigail Deveraux from 2004 to 2007 on the soap opera Days of our Lives and the role of Mia Torcoletti on the ABC series Eastwick in 2009 and 2010..



To see more of Ashley, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Faviana

17 Yvonne Strahovski





Show: Dexter. Role: Hannah McKay. Channel: Showtime. When: Sundays, 9pm.

Dexter is scheduled to return to the air June 30.


Other Career Highlights: Strahovski is best known for starring as Sarah Walker in the NBC series Chuck from 2007 to 2012. She is also the voice and likeness of the character Miranda Lawson in the Mass Effect series of video games.



To see more of Yvonne, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/NBC

16 Elisha Cuthbert





Show: Happy Endings. Role: Alex Kerkovich. Channel: ABC. When: Tuesdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Cuthbert is known by many as Kim Bauer from the Fox drama 24, a role she played for 79 episodes between 2001 and 2010.



Photo credit: YouTube/20th Century Fox

15 Hayden Panettiere





Show: Nashville. Role: Juliette Barnes. Channel: ABC. When: Wednesdays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: Panettiere began her acting career playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live between 1994 and 1997 and then Lizzie Spaulding on the soap Guiding Light from 1996 to 2000, but is best known for her portrayal of Claire Bennet on the NBC series Heroes from 2006 to 2010.



To see more of Hayden, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/20th Century Fox

14 Emmy Rossum





Show: Shameless. Role: Fiona Gallagher. Channel: Showtime. When: Sundays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Rossum received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Christine Daaé in the film The Phanton of the Opera in 2004.



To see more of Emmy, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Maximo TV

13 Kaley Cuoco





Show: The Big Bang Theory. Role: Penny. Channel: CBS. When: Thursdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Cuoco’s first notable roles were playing Bridget Hennessy on the ABC comedy 8 Simple Rules from 2002 to 2005, then as Billie Jenkins on The WB show Charmed in 2005 and 2006.



To see more of Kaley, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Maxim

12 Jessica Lucas





Show: Cult. Role: Skye Yarrow. Channel: The CW. When: Tuesdays, 9pm.

Cult is Scheduled to premiere on February 19.


Other Career Highlights: Lucas has also starred in four other TV series including Edgemont (2001-2005), 2030 CE (2002-2003), Life as We Know It (2004-2005), and Melrose Place (2009-2010).



Photo credit: YouTube/Screen Gems

11 Kristin Kreuk


Kristin Kreuk The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

Jason H. Smith, Flickr




Show: Beauty and the Beast. Role: Catherine Chandler. Channel: The CW. When: Thursdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Kreuk is best known for playing Lana Lang on the TV series Smallville as well her her portrayal of the character Chun-Li in the 2009 film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.



Photo credit: Jason H. Smith, Flickr

10 Jennifer Morrison





Show: Once Upon a Time. Role: Emma Swan. Channel: ABC. When: Sundays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Morrison first came to prominence playing the role of Dr. Allison Cameron on the Fox drama House, a role she played for eight years between 2004 and 2012. She also appeared in 11 episodes of the comedy How I Met Your Mother between 2010 and 2011.



To see more of Jennifer, click here.



Photo credit: NBC/Late Night

9 Nina Dobrev


Nina Dobrev The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

jjduncan_80, Flickr




Show: The Vampire Diaries. Role: Elena Gilbert/Katherine Pierce. Channel: The CW. When: Thursdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Dobrev played the role of Mia Jones, a teenage mother, on Degrassi: The Next Generation for 46 episodes between 2006 and 2009. In 2013 she was nominated for Favorite Dramatic TV Actress at the People’s Choice Awards.



To see more of Nina, click here.



Photo credit: jjduncan_80, Flickr

8 Christina Hendricks


Christina Hendricks The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

RavenU, Flickr




Show: Mad Men. Role: Joan Harris. Channel: AMC. When: TBD.

Mad Men is scheduled to return on April 7.


Other Career Highlights: Hendricks was a model from age of 18 to 27. Her largest acting roles prior to Mad Men were in 19 episodes of the Showtime series Beggars and Choosers in 2000 and 2001 and on 22 episodes of the UPN show Kevin Hill from 2004 to 2005.



Photo credit: RavenU, Flickr

7 Hannah Simone





Show: New Girl. Role: Cecilia “Cece” Meyers. Channel: Fox. When: Tuesdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: From 2006 to 2008 Simone, a former fashion model, worked as a VJ for MuchMusic in Canada. New Girl is her first major acting role.



To see more of Hannah, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Esquire

6 Kerry Washington


Kerry Washington The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

david_shankbone, Flickr




Show: Scandal. Role: Olivia Carolyn Pope. Channel: ABC. When: Thursdays, 10pm.


Other Career Highlights: Comic book movie fans will remember Washington for her portrayal of Alicia Masters in the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films. You also may have just seen her in Django Unchained.



Photo credit: david_shankbone, Flickr

5 Katrina Bowden





Show: 30 Rock. Role: Cerie. Channel: NBC. When: Thursdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: Prior to her role on 30 Rock, which Katrina began playing in 2006, Bowden’s biggest acting part was in two episodes of One Life to Live in 2006.



To see more of Katrina, click here.



Photo credit: Maxim

4 Dianna Agron





Show: Glee. Role: Quinn Fabray. Channel: Fox. When: Thursdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Agron’s most significant TV roles prior to Glee were playing Jenny Budosh for three episodes of Veronica Mars between 2006 and 2007, and playing Debbie Marshall on four episodes of Heroes in 2007.



To see more of Dianna, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Nylon

3 Sofia Vergara


Sofia Vergara The 50 sexiest women of primetime TV

Peabody Awards, Flickr




Show: Modern Family. Role: Gloria Delgado-Pritchett. Channel: ABC. When: Wednesdays, 9pm.


Other Career Highlights: Vergara has been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe award twice, and a Primetime Emmy Award three times for her work on Modern Family.



To see more of Sofia, click here.



Photo credit: Peabody Awards, Flickr

2 Alison Brie





Show: Community. Role: Annie Edison. Channel: NBC. When: Thursdays, 8pm.


Other Career Highlights: In addition to Community, Alison has also starred as Trudy Campbell on the AMC series Mad Men since 2007. (This is why an actress was split between two channels on the tote board.)



To see more of Alison, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Nylon

1 Jennifer Love Hewitt





Show: The Client List. Role: Riley Parks. Channel: Lifetime. When: Sundays, 10pm.

The Client List is scheduled to return to the air on March 10.


Other Career Highlights: Jennifer rose to fame on the Fox series Party of Five playing Sarah Reeves Merrin from 1995 to 2000 and it’s spin-off Time of Your Life from 1999 to 2001. She also played Melinda Gordon on the CBS drama Ghost Whisperer for five years from 2005 to 2010.



To see more of Jennifer, click here.



Photo credit: YouTube/Maxim

Wrap Up

THAT’S IT FOR THIS ONE. HOW ABOUT ANOTHER?

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