2012: The Year in TV Moments
Entry 11: Rachel Maddow makes a cocktail.
By Troy Patterson
Posted Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, at 7:45 AM ET
MSNBC, Aug. 3, 9:55 p.m.

The host of The Rachel Maddow Show did much commendable work this past year. Covering Hurricane Sandy, she demonstrated a talent for framing big pictures, looking ahead to questions about infrastructure before floodwaters had begun to recede. Anchoring MSNBC’s election night, she was the picture of relaxed command, balancing analytic cool with her own sense of fun. Her combination of perspicacity and personability is rare in itself, but also it says something delightful about her temperament that she extends the definition of hosting duties to include checking up on your glass.