The announcement is done and while the whole shooting match is a little more pro-Glee than maybe it should be, Modern Family is over-represented, Community under-represented, the Academy Awards once again inexplicably nominated for some of the worst directing I’ve ever seen, Mad Men and 30 Rock each got more than 1 writing nomination (which I never consider fair), who cares, THESE ARE AMAZING NOMINATIONS!!!!
My TV favourite Stacey Tookey’s up for choreo opposite super-deserving Mia Michaels (the addiction dance-which should win), Dancing with the Stars‘ best Derek Hough (not nominated for the right routine but still up for multiple dances) and Chelsie Hightower, and Adam Shankman’s awesome Academy Awards dance routines. (click here for videos)
No love for Family Guy but superb performer H Jon Benjamin (Archer) is up alongside 3 Simpsons nominees (including Anne Hathaway?!).
The now iconic “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Old Spice commercial is a shoe-in for the top honours in ads.
Glee will surely snatch up costumes, hair and makeup awards though I’m not sure why it’s their Madonna episode up for costumes not their Gaga one.
If Michael Giacchino loses the Emmy for Lost‘s final episode something is SERIOUSLY wrong with this system.
The awesome Joel McHale is passed over but Larry David is nominated for Best Comedy Actor for playing himself. I am now confused.
Neil Patrick Harris HAS to win this year for Barney’s tumultuous season over annoying former winner Jon Cryer, 3 Modern Family guys (Ty Burrell– yes!, Jesse Tyler Fergusen and Eric Stonestreet are loveable but not brilliant) and (one of the biggest but understandable surprises, Chris Colfer for Glee).
I wantAaron Paul to finally win but think maybe a super deserving Terry O’Quinn should for his spectacular turn in Lost‘s final season. I don’t think Michael Emerson should be up though, season 6 gave him nothing to do.
Matthew Fox is up this year. That’s not unexpected but it is atypical. I’m all for it though. But he shouldn’t win, not against the superstar regulars in this category (every one of whom is outrageously good- Michael C Hall, Bryan Cranston, Jon Hamm and Hugh Laurie).
YAY for Amy Poehler and yay for finally passing over Mary Louise Parker, who is lovely, but not on Weeds.
Can someone please explain to me why January Jones keeps getting nominated? If you transplanted her exact performance onto a less lauded show it would be getting jeers, not nominations.
Rose Byrne isn’t good enough to merit her supporting actress nomination for Damages but Christina Hendricks is certainly good enough for hers for Mad Men. Though I’m rooting for The Good Wife‘s Archie Panjabi.
SUPER EXCITED for Mike O’Malley, the absolute BEST thing about Glee, nominated for guest star. Annoyed to see that their other guest nominees (namely Neil Patrick Harris and Kristin Chenoweth) are people who are awesome on their own and lacking on Glee instead of Idina Menzel who was actually awesome specifically in the show. Or, I don’t know, someone who wasn’t on Glee, like Rosie O’Donnell’s spectacular Drop Dead Diva turn? But Lifetime love is not something the Emmys feel. YAY BETTY WHITE, the obvious winner for her SNL hosting gig but glad to see Mary Kay Place nominated for Big Love guest starring too.
The reality host category, which will forever be selected by people who clearly do not watch reality TV, is standard but wrong with their inclusion of annoying Tom Bergeron and (charming but largely absent) Phil Koeghan and exclusion of Padma Lakshmi and Chris Harrison. But Jeff Probst is a shoe-in for another win (deservingly so after 2 solid seasons this year) so it’s alright.
The reality program category is similarly weird with random things like Antiques Roadshow, hoping Jamie Oliver will win this one. The competition category is standard and should go to Survivor for an outstanding year instead of (undefeated winner) The Amazing Race. Or maybe Top Chef, the Votaggio brothers pushing their season in to reality TV “best of” history.
Best comedy nominees are uninspired yet happily back to a normal number this year (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, Glee, Modern Family and The Office).
Best dramas are much better with 2 normally-would-be-pretentiously-excluded network shows (The Good Wife, Lost) taking on superstar cable shows (Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Dexter, True Blood). Here’s looking for a Breaking Bad upset but expecting either a typical Mad Men win or a nod to Lost for its last season in recognition of its 6 year contribution.
The inclusion of Wanda Sykes’ “I’ma Be Me” HBO special makes me happy.
Glee and Modern Family‘s existence pushed 30 Rock‘s writing nomination count down to a more tolerable 2 (though still somewhat unfair and not entirely deserved- I love the show but it’s not the be all and end all). Glee’s up for its Pilot, not a great outing in my opinion, but The Office is nominated for their best episode in years, Jim and Pam’s wedding, so I’m hoping for a (completely impossible) upset. My money’s on Modern Family here.
The Good Wife and Lost’s finale similarly pared Mad Men down to 2 (same story as 30 Rock for me) but I think the 60s still have this category tied up. Which is sad, because the fourth nominee is from the best show on TV possibly ever…
most importantly, after 4 seasons of being overlooked, the best 2 actors on TV are getting what they deserve: CONNIE BRITTON AND KYLE CHANDLER ARE NOMINATED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!!!!!!! The show’s fan-centric campaign must have done the trick this year because the underrated/perfect show is also up for a well-deserved writing award. THANK YOU, finally, EMMY VOTERS.
Overall, a surprising and wonderful list this year. Thank you for finally not being 100% predictable and pretentious this year Emmys, I love you again.