EMMY NOMINATIONS PREVIEW EXTRAVAGANZA

The stench of the Oscars lingers only slightly round these here parts. Sure, The Social Network lost to The King’s Speech, but we all knew that was going to happen. It was the Academy Awards, after all. For real, daring, swerving award-giving, we need to turn to….

…The Emmys?

Perhaps one of the most stuck-in-the-mud award ceremonies in town, the Emmy nominations will be announced in the next few hours. Will there be surprises? Will there be drama? Will there be comedy?

Probably not, but nonetheless, here’s my breakdown – and as usual, I’ve separated each category into who I think will be nominated, and who I think should be nominated - after the jump...

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

PREDICTIONS

KELLY MACDONALD, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
ARCHIE PANJABI, THE GOOD WIFE
CHRISTINE BARANSKI, THE GOOD WIFE
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, MAD MEN
MARGO MARTINDALE, JUSTIFIED
SANDRA OH, GREY'S ANATOMY

WISH LIST

EMILIA CLARKE, GAME OF THRONES
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, MAD MEN
MARGO MARTINDALE, JUSTIFIED
KIERNAN SHIPKA, MAD MEN
ARCHIE PANJABI, THE GOOD WIFE
AIMEE TEEGARDEN, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

One of the defining characteristics of this year’s ceremony is probably going to be the dominance of a series I think is hugely overrated – Boardwalk Empire. One of the categories in which you can expect this dominance to rear its ugly head is this one – where Kelly Macdonald will at least be in the top two or three. She should really be a lead in this category and the performance is certainly more than capable – but I don’t think it really has that spark about it.

On the other hand, Emilia Clarke’s performance as Daenerys Targaryen is one of the many reasons to check out Game of Thrones. My two long shots are the two youngest actors on this list – Kiernan Shipka was so, so good on Mad Men this year. I can’t possibly imagine that Matthew Weiner and co. knew how much depth she could bring to her character – the child of an unhappy, broken marriage. Especially in The Beautiful Girls but indeed throughout the whole series, she was a knockout. Aimee Teegarden didn’t have the world’s best material this year on Friday Night Lights but boy has she been good over the last five years and I hope she gets a token nomination.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

PREDICTIONS

ALAN CUMMING, THE GOOD WIFE
JOHN SLATTERY, MAD MEN
ANDRE BRAUGHER, MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE
MICHAEL PITT, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
CHRIS NOTH, THE GOOD WIFE
PETER DINKLAGE, GAME OF THRONES

WISH LIST

PETER DINKLAGE, GAME OF THRONES
DELROY LINDO, THE CHICAGO CODE
ALAN CUMMING, THE GOOD WIFE
JOSH CHARLES, THE GOOD WIFE
JOHN NOBLE, FRINGE
JOHN SLATTERY, MAD MEN

Good category, this one. I hope and expect that Alan Cumming might take it out, but I’d be happy with pretty much anyone on either the Predictions or Wish List taking this one out. I’d like to throw out a mention to Josh Charles, who I think is giving an excellent performance that doesn’t get its due. The shades of grey in this role cover all parts of the spectrum.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

PREDICTIONS

KRISTEN WIIG, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
SOFIA VERGARA, MODERN FAMILY
JULIE BOWEN, MODERN FAMILY
JANE LYNCH, GLEE
BETTY WHITE, HOT IN CLEVELAND
JANE KRAKOWSKI, 30 ROCK

WISH LIST

SOFIA VERGARA, MODERN FAMILY
GILLIAN JACOBS, COMMUNITY
ALISON BRIE, COMMUNITY
AUBREY PLAZA, PARKS AND RECREATION
RASHIDA JONES, PARKS AND RECREATION
ALISON JANNEY, MR SUNSHINE

Jane Lynch will probably win this, but Sofia Vergara should win it because she’s giving the funniest and most winning performance on television. I think Gillian Jacobs is hugely underrated on Community and has had a great second season, and apart from that I’ve just nominated pretty much everyone I could find on Community and Parks and Rec. Also, I love Alison Janney and thought Mr. Sunshine was better than most people did. She ice skated with a Smurf. Emmy, please.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

PREDICTIONS

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
CHRIS COLFER, GLEE
ERIC STONESTREET, MODERN FAMILY
TY BURRELL, MODERN FAMILY
JON CRYER, TWO AND A HALF MEN
NICK OFFERMAN, PARKS AND RECREATION

WISH LIST

BILL HADER, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
NICK OFFERMAN, PARKS AND RECREATION
ADAM SCOTT, PARKS AND RECREATION
DONALD GLOVER, COMMUNITY
DANNY PUDI, COMMUNITY
CHRIS COLFER, GLEE

HONOURABLE MENTION
NOLAN GOULD AND RICO RODRIGUEZ, MODERN FAMILY

Glee might go two-from-two in this comedy and while I think Chris Colfer is excellent, I don’t think he’s comedically excellent. He deserves a nomination, certainly, but I don’t think he deserves to win. To my own surprise, I don’t even think Nick Offerman or Donald Glover deserve to win. I think Bill Hader is the standout in this category, because no one has made me laugh harder or longer than him. If you watch the most recent season of Saturday Night Live, Hader is consistently the funniest part of every sketch, bringing texture and extra layers of comic genius to even the smallest role. Bill Hader is a comic genius, I hope he sticks with Saturday Night Live, and I hope Stefon doesn’t get overused.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

PREDICTIONS

KYRA SEDGWICK, THE CLOSER
ELISABETH MOSS, MAD MEN
JULIANNA MARGUILES, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
MARISKA HARGITAY, LAW AND ORDER SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
CONNIE BRITTON, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
KATHY BATES, HARRY'S LAW

WISH LIST

ELISABETH MOSS, MAD MEN
CONNIE BRITTON, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
JULIANNA MARGUILES, THE GOOD WIFE
EMMY ROSSUM, SHAMELESS
KATEY SAGAL, SONS OF ANARCHY
JENNIFER BEALS, THE CHICAGO CODE

Look, I’m not crazy about this category. I think this should be a race to the finish line between Connie Britton and Elisabeth Moss. If anyone else wins it I’m not going to be that happy, even Julianna Marguiles in The Good Wife I think is doing pretty standard acting whereas everyone else is doing something more interesting. She’s very good, but I much prefer Britton and Moss. Even everyone on my wish list pales in comparison to those two.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA

PREDICTIONS

JON HAMM, MAD MEN
HUGH LAURIE, HOUSE
MICHAEL C. HALL, DEXTER
STEVE BUSCEMI, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
GABRIEL BYRNE, IN TREATMENT
KYLE CHANDLER, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

WISH LIST

JON HAMM, MAD MEN
HUGH LAURIE, HOUSE
MICHAEL C. HALL, DEXTER
KYLE CHANDLER, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
TIMOTHY OLYPHANT, JUSTIFIED
JAMES BADGE DALE, RUBICON

With Breaking Bad out of the running this year, this category is a little weaker than years past. In the past you used to have six absolutely outstanding lock performances. This year though, House has lost huge amounts of quality, as has Dexter, and as I’ve mentioned I’m not a huge fan of Boardwalk Empire. There’s still plenty of quality here – but none more so than Jon Hamm. He’s my will and should win this year, no one else comes close.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

PREDICTIONS

LAURA LINNEY, THE BIG C
TONI COLLETTE, UNITED STATES OF TARA
TINA FEY, 30 ROCK
EDIE FALCO, NURSE JACKIE
AMY POEHLER, PARKS AND RECREATION
LEA MICHELE, GLEE

WISH LIST

AMY POEHLER, PARKS AND RECREATION
TINA FEY, 30 ROCK
KALEY CUOCO, THE BIG BANG THEORY
TONI COLLETTE, THE UNITED STATES OF TARA
LAURA LINNEY, THE BIG C
MARTHA PLIMPTON, RAISING HOPE

Amy Poehler is far and away the best performance in this category, even over her Saturday Night Live cohort in Tina Fey, but sadly she might not win. Edie Falco or Toni Collette will win for their great dramatic performances on dramatic shows.

Sigh.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY
PREDICTIONS

STEVE CARELL, THE OFFICE
JIM PARSONS, THE BIG BANG THEORY
ALEC BALDWIN, 30 ROCK
MATT LEBLANC, EPISODES
ROB LOWE, PARKS AND RECREATION
MATTHEW MORRISON, GLEE

WISH LIST

STEVE CARELL, THE OFFICE
ROB LOWE, PARKS AND RECREATION
JIM PARSONS, THE BIG BANG THEORY
JOEL MCHALE, COMMUNITY
MATT LEBLANC, EPISODES
ALEC BALDWIN, 30 ROCK

See here? See that Wish List there? That is a terrific set of six comedic performances all deserving of a nomination on shows of varying quality. Sure, it’s a three-way race between Baldwin, Parsons and Carell but I really, really want LeBlanc, Lowe and McHale to get a nomination. However, Matthew Morrison, who I have defended in the past because if we count dramatic ability in this sort of category (Colfer, Falco), we need to count singing and dancing ability too, gave an awful performance in Glee’s second season. That means he will probably get a nomination.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

PREDICTIONS

MAD MEN
THE GOOD WIFE
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
TRUE BLOOD
DEXTER

WISH LIST

MAD MEN
THE GOOD WIFE
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
GAME OF THRONES
JUSTIFIED
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
I’m indulging my absolute worst cynical instincts here. I reckon Mad Men or Boardwalk will win this in a canter, but whereas Game of Thrones and Justified deserve a nomination much more than True Blood or Dexter, expect Emmy voters to stick with the tried and true. Refer to the Wish List for my should win rankings this year!

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
PREDICTIONS

GLEE
MODERN FAMILY
30 ROCK
THE OFFICE
THE BIG BANG THEORY
NURSE JACKIE
WISH LIST
MODERN FAMILY
PARKS AND RECREATION
COMMUNITY
LOUIE
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
30 ROCK
Apart from Nurse Jackie and Glee, all of these shows deserve a nomination here so I’m not going to complain much. Obviously Parks and Recreation desperately deserves a nomination and I am hoping and praying that it bumps out non-comedy Nurse Jackie. I’m not so fussed about Community as I totally understand why people wouldn’t get it and I think it has much lower lows than Parks and Recreation.
Also, I love Saturday Night Live still. Don’t care what you say.