Best Emmy Nominations Ever?

When the nominations for Emmys were announced last Thursday, I must say they were the most inspired and deserved list of nominations I can remember in my decade long following of the Emmys.

Yes there will always be a slew of nominations for less than great shows like Two and a Half Men, Monk, and Boston Legal. But this year, every undeserved nomination for a mediocre show seemed to be matched by a truly inspired nomination from a shows like Flight of the Concords, Big Love, Weeds, Family Guy, The Big Bang Theory, Saturday Night Live, and Emmy favorites Mad Men and 30 Rock. Interesting how a few winners from last year were left off this year's lists.

The biggest surprise of Emmy noms morning however was the inclusion of a 7th nominee in both Drama and Comedy series after the official expansion earlier this year of 6 nominees per category. Why 7? 7 seems a bit much in my opinion. As the love of my life Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger said "There are so many nominees it seems a lot like shows are simply getting a participation ribbon." I agree and Dave Karger my phone number is 647.887.5251!

Here are the list of nominations and my thoughts:

Best Drama Series

* Big Love (HBO)
* Breaking Bad (AMC)
* Damages (FX)
* Dexter (Showtime)
* House (Fox)
* Lost (ABC)
* Mad Men (AMC)

Thoughts: A great line up in my opinion. The biggest surprise is that True Blood is given no love by the Emmy voters, which confirms my earlier blog that it just isn't a good show. Mad Men will obviously win.

Best Comedy Series

* 30 Rock (NBC)
* Entourage (HBO)
* Family Guy (FOX)
* Flight of the Conchords (HBO)
* How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
* The Office (NBC)
* Weeds (Showtime)

Thoughts: I love that Family Guy becomes the first animated series to be nominated since The Flinstones' in the 60's. I also love the inspired nods to Weeds and FotC. Nothing can beat 30 Rock as it is simply the best comedy on TV.

Best Actor - Drama

* Simon Baker for playing Patrick Jane on The Mentalist (CBS)
* Gabriel Byrne for playing Dr. Paul Weston on In Treatment (HBO)
* Bryan Cranston for playing Walter White on Breaking Bad (AMC)
* Michael C. Hall for playing Dexter Morgan on Dexter (Showtime)
* Jon Hamm for playing Don Draper on Mad Men (AMC)
* Hugh Laurie for playing Dr. Gregory House on House (FOX)

Thoughts: The biggest surprise is Simon Baker over Keifer Sutherland for 24. Jon Hamm must win, but will Bryan Cranston take the award for the second year in a row?

Best Actor - Comedy

* Alec Baldwin for playing Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock (NBC)
* Steve Carell for playing Michael Scott on The Office (NBC)
* Jemaine Clement for playing Jemaine on Flight of the Conchords (HBO
* Jim Parsons for playing Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
* Tony Shalhoub for playing Adrian Monk on Monk (USA)
* Charlie Sheen for playing Charlie Harper on Two and a Half Men (CBS)

Thoughts: Interesting that Duchovny gets snubbed for the second straight year. I am not thrilled to see Sheen or Shalhoub in this category again, however, as long as Jack Donaghy wins, I don't care!

Best Actress - Drama

* Glenn Close for playing Patricia "Patty" Hewes on Damages (FX)
* Sally Field for playing Nora Walker on Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
* Mariska Hargitay for playing Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
* Holly Hunter for playing Grace Hanadarko on Saving Grace (TNT)
* Elisabeth Moss for playing Peggy Olson on Mad Men (AMC)
* Kyra Sedgwick for playing Brenda Leigh Johnson on The Closer (TNT)

Thoughts: I am shocked that Anna Paquin or January Jones were omissions in favor of someone like Holly Hunter or Mariska Hargitay. Nice to see Moss nominated though. I would expect Glenn Close has this in the bag.

Best Actress - Comedy

* Christina Applegate for playing Samantha "Sam" Newly on Samantha Who? (ABC)
* Toni Collette for playing Tara Gregson on United States of Tara (Showtime)
* Tina Fey for playing Liz Lemon on 30 Rock (NBC)
* Julia Louis-Dreyfus for playing Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
* Mary-Louise Parker for playing Nancy Botwin on Weeds (Showtime)
* Sarah Silverman for playing Sarah Silverman on The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central)

Thoughts: This is a great category! I am shocked to see America Ferrara not on the list, but really are we still that entertained by an intern with adult braces? I love that Sarah Silverman is on this list and happy that Applegate is given a so long farewell nomination. No one can beat Tina Fey, much like another Tina, she's simply the best

Best Supporting Actor - Drama

* Christian Clemenson for playing Jerry Espenson on Boston Legal (ABC)
* Michael Emerson for playing Benjamin Linus on Lost (ABC)
* William Hurt for playing Daniel Purcell on Damages (FX)
* Aaron Paul for playing Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad (AMC)
* William Shatner for playing Denny Crane on Boston Legal (ABC)
* John Slattery for playing Roger Sterling on Mad Men (AMC)

Thoughts: Two nominations for Boston Legal actors. BORING!!!! Even if one is Captain Kirk. I hope the bug eyes of Ben finally win. He's TV's best villain!

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy

* Jon Cryer for playing Alan Harper on Two and a Half Men (CBS)
* Kevin Dillon for playing Johnny "Drama" Chase on Entourage (HBO)
* Neil Patrick Harris for playing Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
* Jack McBrayer for playing Kenneth Parcell on 30 Rock (NBC)
* Tracy Morgan for playing Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock (NBC)
* Rainn Wilson for playing Dwight Schrute on The Office (NBC)

Thoughts: Seems like a lot of Emmy voters have been eating a ton of mercury filled sushi because they were seemingly too tired to tick off Jeremy Piven's name. No speed off my plow. Happy to see the 3 time winner off the list and I am thrilled to see Morgan and McBrayer's names on the list. Now here's hoping Kenneth or Tracy Jordan take the award!

Best Supporting Actress - Drama

* Rose Byrne for playing Ellen Parsons on Damages (FX)
* Hope Davis for playing Mia on In Treatment (HBO)
* Cherry Jones for playing President Allison Taylor on 24 (FOX)
* Sandra Oh for playing Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
* Dianne Wiest for playing Gina on In Treatment (HBO)
* Chandra Wilson for playing Dr. Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

Thoughts: Look at this list of actresses, they aren't too shabby eh? Would have loved for Alison Pill to have gotten in here for In Treatment. I also think Christina Hendricks is one of the best things about Mad Men. But overall, I can't complain!

Best Supporting Actress - Comedy

* Kristin Chenoweth for playing Olive Snook on Pushing Daisies (ABC)
* Jane Krakowski for playing Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock (NBC)
* Elizabeth Perkins for playing Celia Hodes on Weeds (Showtime)
* Amy Poehler for playing various characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
* Kristen Wiig for playing various characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
* Vanessa L. Williams for playing Wilhelmina Slater on Ugly Betty (ABC)

Thoughts: In my opinion this is the best category of the evening. After so many years of having to put up with Doris Roberts winning over the likes of Megan Mullally and Kim Cattrall and watching people like Holland Taylor and Conchata Ferrell continually end up in this category, it's nice to see a very worthy 6 nominees. I am thrilled for the inclusion of Jane Krakowski because she has the tapes to win the award. I also would be overly pleased if Kristen Wiig won. Because I invented the Emmy Awards... Soo....

Emmy Nomination Predictions

I love the Emmy Awards!

Tomorrow the nominations come out and here are my final predictions.

Here's hoping for a few big surprises too. And please nominate Jane Krakowski for Best Supporting Actress Emmy Voters.

Without further ado:
Best Drama Series

Mad Men
Dexter
Lost
House
Damages
True Blood
Best Comedy Series

30 Rock
The Family Guy
Two and a Half Men
Entourage
The Office
How I Met Your Mother
Best Actor - Drama Series

Keifer Sutherland - 24
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Hugh Laurie - House
Best Actor - Comedy

Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory
Steve Carell - The Office
David Duchovny - Californication
Tony Shaloub - Monk
Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men
Best Actress - Drama

Sally Field - Brothers and Sisters
Glenn Close - Damages
January Jones - Mad Men
Anna Paquin - True Blood
Kyra Segwick - The Closer
Mariska Hargitay - Law and Order: SVU
Best Actress - Comedy

Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation
Toni Collette - The United States of Tara
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
America Ferrera - Ugly Betty
Julia Louis Dreyfuss - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary Louise Parker - Weeds
Best Supporting Actor - Drama

Michael Emmerson - Lost
William Hurt - Damages
John Slattery - Mad Men
John Mahoney - In Treatment
William Shatner - Boston Legal
Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad
Best Supporting Actor - Comedy

Kevin Connelly - Entourage
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men
Rainn Wilson - The Office
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
Best Supporting Actress - Drama

Christina Hendricks - Mad Men
Diane Wiest - In Treatment
Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy
Marcia Gay Harden - Damages
Rachel Griffiths - Brothers and Sisters
Alison Pill - In Treatment
Best Supporting Actress - Comedy

Amy Poehler - Saturday Night Live
Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty
Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
Kristin Wiig - Saturday Night Live
Tracy Ullman - Tracy State of The Union
Jenna Fischer - The Office

WE SHALL SEE!!!!

Truly, Bloody Bad!

I wanted to like True Blood. I really did!

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that Anna Paquin was shooting an Alan Ball pilot about the integration of Vampires into society with the help of a Japanese company creating synthetic blood.
I remember thinking THIS WILL BE GOOD.

When I was in New York last summer, I remember seeing a ton of ads all over the place featuring colorful red-blood bottles simply marked TRU BLOOD. I again thought THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC.

I bought the TRUE BLOOD season 1 DVDs the day they were released and over the past month I have diligently watched the 12 episodes of season 1.

Oh True Blood how you have let me down. You were so much better in theory than you ever were in actuality. You looked so edgy and avant garde and you were actually, just surprisingly lame.

How did this happen? How did Alan Ball fuck up so much? Why is True Blood the place where subtlety goes to die?

My overall problem with the show is that I feel like no concept or device is fully realized. The show is rife with unbelievable inconsistencies. These are the things that just don't gel with me:


THE VAMPIRE INTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY.

Are we really supposed believe that vampires based on the behaviors they possess in True Blood (you know, murdering people, threatening people, and moving in extreme fast motion.) have been so easily accepted into society? I know that it is the central conflict of the show and that it is one big metaphor but come on Alan Ball, couldn't the vampires be a little more subtle in their vampire-like behavior? Don't they want to blend in to a human world?

Sookie's Mind Reading.

This is a seriously inconsistent device. Sookie seems to be able to read minds maybe once or twice an episode but never when it really seems to count narrative-wise.

LaFayette

LaFayette is truly a cluster fuck of a character. He is a short order cook/drug dealer/construction crew worker/male escort and a GAY who kicks the shit out of anyone who dares call his hamburger an AIDSbuger. Now, I am all for created a truly unique character but a I don't believe in a million years this character would really exist. And why does he have so many jobs?

Vampire's Scene is Goth... really???

Why do the vampires' local haunt Fangtasia look like a scene from Saturday Night Live's Goth Talk? Couldn't they have edgier style than a late 90's Marilyn Manson video. Honestly the goth scene at my high school wasn't as lame as this vampire scene.

The season finale (SPOILER ALERT)

It was a bad, bad, bad horror movie. Okay so we got that Rene was the killer when his picture as Drew Marshall was faxed to the police department. Why was there a need to beat us over the head with a caveman club that HE WAS THE KILLER? Was it necessary to have to show us the Cajun Dialect Cassette Tape Rene purchased so he could fool everyone into believing he was Cajun? We understood he was the killer Alan Ball. It's not like you have to have Dora the Explorer blatantly ask us "Do you understand that Rene is the killer? Well do you?"

Why does no one seem to be bothered that their entire town is dying?

No one seems to truly be bothered by all the death. Sam Merlotte has lost half his staff and doesn't seem to really care, Sookie and Jason seem completely kosher with the idea of their grandmother being dead, and Detective Bellfleur seems completely fine with talking about the murder investigation at Merlotte's in front of friends and family of all the victims. I know that if 4 people were killed in my home town or in anyone's home town it would be a lot different, just sayin'!

V
If a tiny drop of vampire blood can make a person go into a full body, hours long hallucinatory high, how is it possible that drinking an entire vile only makes someone get a crazy hard on with no mental effects? I may be playing logistic police but this drug's properties do not make sense.

Metaphors

Alan Ball these metaphors about homosexuality and gay marriage in this post prop 8 world are a little heavy handed no?

Okay so I have rambled on and on about the unbelievable inconsistencies of True Blood, but I had to because it drives me crazy. And yet the craziest thing of all is that I will probably continue to watch as season 2 just began and I have the first four episodes on DVD. I am intrigued by the shape shifter plot. I need to know who killed Miss Jeanette and what happened to Lafayette.

True Blood is not at the level of "it's so bad, it's good." It's not Snakes on a Plane where it embraces it's own ridiculousness and becomes surprisingly watchable. There are moments that elevate it into the upper echelon of other brilliant HBO shows (Six Feet Under, The Sopranos,etc.). However it is a completely unrealized show that really tests its audience in having to put up with a lot of plot, character and logistic holes.

As an audience member I am only willing to put up with so much.

I'll give it another season.