Emmy Award Nominations

I don't write about TV often, because I don't watch that much of it anymore.  Truth be told it was my first love before I got all movie geeked.  I wasted most of my childhood in front of that set, and don't regret it a bit.  Nowadays the only shows I watch with any attachment are 30 Rock, Glee and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  For nostalgia I'll check out The Simpsons (you try being as great twenty years in, I say to anyone who mocks the quality of newer episodes!), but that's kind of it.  I've tried getting into stuff like True Blood, Mad Men and Dexter, but it never quite settled, or perhaps I didn't give enough attention.  As for Lost, I had to quit that show three years ago-- it became to consuming. 

I also have a weird detachment for the Emmys (even though I love awards stuff), probably because they're the silliest-- I can't quite validate an organization that nominates Ryan Seachrest (again up for Best Reality Show host-- another sign of silliness!)  Also, there's too many categories to follow, and they can be awfully redundant.  Just saying.  Here's the nominees:

BEST DRAMA SERIES

• Breaking Bad
• Dexter
• The Good Wife
• Lost
• Mad Men
• True Blood

The sentimental vote is with Lost, right?

BEST COMEDY SERIES

• 30 Rock
• Curb Your Enthusiasm 
• Glee
• Modern Family
• Nurse Jackie
• The Office

I like everything except The Office, even though I've only seen a couple episodes of Nurse Jackie, but I'm rooting for Glee, because even though the show is wildly uneven (I admit that a fair share of the criticism is apt), it's still buoyant and wildly addictive.  30 Rock has won the last three years in a row, and deserves a rest-- still love that show though.

BEST ACTOR (Drama)

• Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
• Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
• Matthew Fox (Lost)
• Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
• Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
• Hugh Laurie (House)

BEST ACTRESS (Drama)

• Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
• Glenn Close (Damages)
• Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU)
• January Jones (Mad Men)
• Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)

BEST ACTOR (Comedy)

• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
• Steve Carell (The Office)
• Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
• Matthew Morrison (Glee)
• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
• Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

BEST ACTRESS (Comedy)

• Toni Collette (The United States of Tara)
• Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
• Tina Fey (30 Rock)
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The Old Adventures of New Christine)
• Lea Michele (Glee)
• Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)

Am I the only one to think this is a ridiculously strong category-- why can't the Oscars be this high talent friendly with Best Actress!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (Drama)

• Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)
• Michael Emerson (Lost)
• Terry O'Quinn (Lost)
• Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
• Martin Short (Damages)
• John Slattery (Mad Men)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (Drama)

• Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
• Rose Byrne (Damages)
• Sharon Gless (Burn Notice)
• Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
• Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
• Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (Comedy)

• Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
• Chris Colfer (Glee)
• Jon Cryer (Two & a Half Men)
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
• Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)

How does Two & a Half Men keep getting nominated for stuff year end and year out-- does no one know (the Academy, the American public) that show sucks.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (Comedy)

• Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
• Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
• Jane Lynch (Glee)
• Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
• Holland Taylor (Two & a Half Men)
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)

I adore Jane Krakowski-- but all must concede that it's Jane Lynch's world right now, correct?

BEST TV MOVIE

• Endgame
• Georgia O'Keeffe
• Moonshot
• The Special Relationship
• Temple Grandin
• You Don't Know Jack

BEST MINI-SERIES

• The Pacific
• Return to Cranford

Gee, wonder what will take the prize?

BEST ACTOR (Movie)

• Jeff Bridges (Jon Katz)
• Ian McKellen (The Prisoner)
• Al Pacino (You Don't Know Jack)
• Dennis Quaid (The Special Relationship)
• Michael Sheen (The Special Relationship)

All movie stars-- interesting!

BEST ACTRESS (Movie)

• Joan Allen (Georgia O'Keeffe)
• Claire Danes (Temple Grandin)
• Hope Davis (The Special Relationship)
• Judi Dench (Return to Cranford)
• Maggie Smith (Capturing Mary)

Hey there-- I'm noticing a trend!

BEST REALITY SHOW

• The Amazing Race
• American Idol
• Dancing with the Stars
• Project Runway
• Top Chef

BEST VARIETY SHOW

• The Colbert Report
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
• Real Time with Bill Maher
• Saturday Night Live
• The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

Take that NBC!

BEST ANIMATED SHOW

• Alien Earths
• Disney Prep & Landing
• The Ricky Gervais Show
• The Simpsons
• South Park

and just for fun, because I think these nominations of fairly silly:

GUEST ACTOR (Drama)

• Dylan Baker (The Good Wife)
• Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
• Ted Danson (Damages)
• Gregory Itzin (24)
• John Lithgow (Dexter)
• Robert Morse (Mad Men)

GUEST ACTRESS (Drama)

• Ann-Margret (Law & Order: SVU)
• Shirley Jones (The Clearer)
• Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)
• Mary Kay Place (Big Love)
• Sissy Spacek (Big Love)
• Lily Tomlin (Damages)

GUEST ACTOR (Comedy)

• Will Arnett (30 Rock)
• Jon Hamm (30 Rock)
• Neil Patrick Harris (Glee)
• Mike O'Malley (Glee)
• Eli Wallach (Nurse Jackie)
• Fred Willard (Modern Family)

This one better go to either O'Malley or Harris-- but shouldn't O'Malley really be in Supporting Actor-- his role as Kurt's dad has actually kind of had a nice multi-episode arc to it.

GUEST ACTRESS (Comedy)

• Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory)
• Kristen Chenoweth (Glee)
• Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live)
• Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives)
• Jane Lynch (Two & a Half Men)
• Betty White (Saturday Night Live)

I'll bet my life Betty White wins it!

Also-- Anne Hathaway today became an Emmy nominee for a vocal performance for an epsiode of The Simpsons-- pretty cool, huh?