For the record, I’ve decided not to implement those weekly roundups until there’s an actual substantive amount of shows to roundup. Anyway, I’ve been on vacation so I couldn’t cover this immediately, but now I can, so it’s time to talk, category-by-category, about the Emmy nominations.
Outstanding Drama Series
- Big Love
- Breaking Bad
- Damages
- Dexter
- House
- Lost
- Mad Men
The DVD of the second season of Mad Men arrived while I was on vacation, but any day now I plan to sit down and see for myself if Mad Men deserves a repeat win. I fully support the Lost nomination, and from what I hear it sounds like I’d be head-over-heels for Breaking Bad if I actually watched it. The other nominations I’m slightly more iffy on, particularly for House and Dexter, which both had lousy seasons. Meanwhile, the Emmys had their last chance to ignore Battlestar Galactica, and they sure did. Friday Night Lights also gets no loving, although in an ideal season of television its third season really wouldn’t deserve to be nominated, but at least a few of the shows that made it deserve it a lot less. (For the record, I’m not even going to bother listing BSG or FNL as disappointments in the other categories, because it’s just so embarrassingly predictable…) And if I watched The Shield (I’m waiting for a complete series box set so I can correct this oversight), I’m sure I’d be up-in-arms. Also, very disappointed that In Treatment didn’t make it, but at least it reaped a handful of acting nominations.
Outstanding Comedy Series
- Entourage
- Family Guy
- Flight of the Conchords
- How I Met Your Mother
- The Office
- 30 Rock
- Weeds
This is a really interesting category this year. Family Guy accomplished the feat that The Simpsons could never manage, getting into the Comedy Series category instead of the Animated Series one. Flight of the Conchords is a great left-field surprise, and How I Met Your Mother is long overdue. 30 Rock will probably win, but The Office really deserves it. In the “blah” arena are Weeds, which I can’t even bring myself to watch anymore, and Entourage, which has been consistently horrible since the second part of season three. As far as series that got the shaft, any dreams that Chuck might actually get some attention from the Emmys thanks to that massive fan campaign that got it renewed have been dashed, and seriously, Chuck was my favorite show in the last season of television, so I’m really bummed. Also nothing for Scrubs’ resurgent eighth season, but that’s not a surprise. (Although at least back in the day, before NBC bungled everything, Zach Braff got nominated.) Also, totally unsurprising, but still a shame, the delightful Starz series Party Down didn’t get any attention. I doubt the Emmy voters even know it exists.
For the rest of the major awards, keep reading after the jump…
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
- Jemaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords
- Tony Shalhoub, Monk
- Steve Carell, The Office
- Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
- Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
Jemaine Clement’s nomination is a great surprise. Jim Parsons is too. The rest of the nominations are fairly rote, painfully so in Tony Shalhoub’s case. It was great when he won his first Emmy, but seriously, he’s been playing this role the exact same way for the entire show. No challenges, nothing, just one performance over and over again. I guess it’s a no-brainer that this award’s going to Alec Baldwin. Anything less would be inexcusable.
Outstanding Lead Actor In a Drama Series
- Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
- Michael C. Hall, Dexter
- Hugh Laurie, House
- Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
- Jon Hamm, Mad Men
- Simon Baker, The Mentalist
It will be very interesting to see if Bryan Cranston can win this again after his surprising but satisfying victory a year ago. And yes, Dexter and House had off-seasons, but Hall and Laurie were still brilliant. Simon Baker is the only surprise nomination, but the award won’t go to him. For me it comes down to Hamm and Byrne, and since In Treatment probably won’t be around next year, I’ll go with Byrne. And to be honest, I do kind of think his performance is ever-so-slightly more deserving. Hamm will win it though.
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
- Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
- Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program
- Tina Fey, 30 Rock
- Toni Collette, The United States of Tara
- Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
To be honest, I don’t particularly care about this category. Last year I’d have been upset if Tina Fey had lost, but this was such an up-and-down season of 30 Rock that my hope is the more they lose the more they resolve to make the show better next season. Louis-Dreyfus, Applegate, and Parker are all fine, and I really don’t think Silverman deserved the nomination, so I guess I’ll root for Collette since she’s the only one I haven’t seen and, rumor has it, is fantastic.
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters
- Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
- Glenn Close, Damages
- Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
- Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
- Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Snore. Not a single fucking surprise here, and I really don’t care about any of these performances. (Okay, I know I said I wouldn’t bring up Friday Night Lights or Battlestar Galactica again, but Connie Britton and Mary McDonald were easily the two best actresses on TV this past season, so COME THE FUCK ON.)
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- William Shatner, Boston Legal
- Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
- Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
- William Hurt, Damages
- Michael Emerson, Lost
- John Slattery, Mad Men
At least this is the last time Boston Legal will ever be nominated for anything. Michael Emerson’s performance is the only one here I’m a huge fan of, but he won’t win. It’s worth noting that Damages’ Željko Ivanek had a surprise victory here a year ago, so Hurt may stand a chance. Really as long as it doesn’t go to Shatner or Clemenson I’m good.
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Rose Byrne, Damages
- Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy
- Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy
- Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
- Hope Davis, In Treatment
- Cherry Jones, 24
Chandra Wilson feels long overdue, but I’m really rooting for Hope Davis to win. Dianne Wiest won last year, but I think that’s better taken as the Emmys honoring a veteran actress than truly acknowledging this great series, which means there’s a large gap between the likelihood that Wiest will win and that Davis will win. But for my money Davis was truly phenomenal this year, even better than Wiest. (I just saw her on Broadway in God of Carnage with James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, and Marcia Gay Harden, and I thought she was the best there too.) That said, had Allison Pill been nominated, I might feel a little differently. Also, it would have been nice to see Elizabeth Mitchell nominated for Lost or even Christina Hendricks for Mad Men.
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Kevin Dillon, Entourage
- Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
- Rainn Wilson, The Office
- Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
- Jack McBreyer, 30 Rock
- Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
For the past two years it has seemed like the only thing standing between Neil Patrick Harris and an Emmy is Jeremy Piven, and now here they go and they DON’T EVEN NOMINATE JEREMY PIVEN! Huzzah! If Patrick Harris loses, there’ll be an uproar. Jack McBreyer might be his only potential foil. But seriously, if he doesn’t win, ATTACK! (Also, is it too much to ask for the Emmys to recognize someone else in this cast, like oh, say, Jason Segel?) (And of course, no Adam Baldwin from Chuck.)
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
- Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
- Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
- Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
- Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty
- Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
I love Kristin Chenoweth, and this is the only nomination for the dearly missed Pushing Daisies, but she won’t win. It is funny how just about everyone in this category is an underdog. There’s absolutely no clear winner. (Last year there was also no clear winner, but it ended up going to Jean Smart, who wasn’t nominated this year.) For the most part though, I really don’t care about these performances. Nothing for Alyson Hannigan? Jenna Fischer? YVONNE STRAHOVSKI?!!!!
None of the other nominations are really worth talking about. You can find a full list here though, if it interests you.
Tags: Emmys
