A Recap of Today’s Emmy Nominations: Schoonie’s Take

“I’d better win, or the backlash will be legen….wait for it….”

The list of Emmy nominees was released this morning. I was going to comment over on my own blog, but then it occurred to me that I could post my nomination recap on that…other blog that I write for. You know, the one that has something to do with TV. Crap, I can’t remember the name.So, let’s go through the nomination list and discuss. First I’ll give you the real list, then you’ll get Schoonie’s fantasy list of nominees for each category, A.K.A. How The List Should Actually Read:

COMEDY CATEGORIES

Best Comedy Series:
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men

The List Should Read:

Curb Your Enthusiasm How I Met Your Mother
Entourage It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men Weeds

Entourage? Seriously? That show sucked, then was awesome, and now sucks again, and there’s really no reason why it should be on the list when How I Met Your Mother is suited up, waiting to be recognized. I don’t watch Curb Your Enthusiasm, but from what I’ve read it had an off season, saved only by it’s guest stars. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia is one of the most underrated shows on television and it’s largely ad-libbed (Like Curb), and it deserves some recognition for providing a ridiculous amount of laugh out loud moments for me last summer, Hopefully the fact that FX has ordered 52 (!) more episodes will give it some time to grow it’s audience. And Two And A Half Men? I recognize that it’s popular, and that counts for something, but the jokes are hackneyed and the little kid is annoying as shit.

Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

The List Should Read:

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Tony Shalhoub, Monk David Duchovny, Californication
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men Jason Lee, My Name Is Earl

Alec Baldwin or Steve Carell should win this category, hands down, since they’ve both been robbed by Tony Shalhoub the last couple of years. How the hell does he keep showing up on this list? He must have used his OCD Detective powers to dig up some skeletons, because he keeps showing up even though there are many, many people more deserving of a nomination than him. And even though My Name is Earl had an off season (the freaking coma and flashbacks and everything were absolutely terrible) he manages to keep the show afloat through the power of his moustache alone, and I think that counts for something.

But Baldwin or Carell should run away with it. Who can argue with this?

Actress in a Comedy Series:
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

I have no qualms about this one, mostly because there aren’t really too many deserving nominees in this category this year and Tina Fey should run away with it. Not only does she play an awesome straightwoman with all the absurdist, hilarious stuff happening around her, when it comes time for her to take center stage she holds her own against the likes of Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan. She should win just for the “Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! AAACK!” scene alone.

Supporting Actor, Comedy:
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Rainn Wilson, The Office

The List Should Read:

Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
Kevin Dillon, Entourage John Krasinski, The Office
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jeremy Piven, Entourage Justin Kirk, Weeds
Rainn Wilson, The Office

Okay, Entourage? Again, seriously? That show is so 2004. This is the category that is most egregiously off. NPH and Rainn Wilson definitely deserve to be there (and if one of them doesn’t win I’ll break my television), but Jeremy Piven had his moment already, and now his schtick is rapidly growing tiresome. Kevin Dillon didn’t really do anything of merit last season, and Jon Cryer didn’t do anything wrong per se, there are just so many qualified people this year.

Justin Kirk puts on a great performance as Andy on Weeds, and the fact that his character is consistently written doesn’t hurt. And Krasinski had so much to do on The Office this year: he got to impersonate Dwight, he spent an entire season mock-proposing to Pam, and he had to sit through one of the most uncomfortable dinner parties ever. You have to reward that kind of range.

But honestly, in what world does Tracy Morgan not win this Emmy, much less not get nominated? Every single time he’s onscreen during 30 Rock, I laugh until I cry. He has arguably the best dialogue on television and he’s the perfect sidekick to Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. I could fill the rest of this article with clips of Tracy Morgan being awesome, but I will not.

Okay, maybe one:

By the way, the quote “I called his pitbull a gaywad on 106 & Park” has a surprising number of uses throughout a normal day, if you look for them.

Supporting Actress:
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Jean Smart, Samantha Who?
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

The List Should Read:

Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies Melora Hardin, The Office
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Jean Smart, Samantha Who? Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men Amy Pietz, Aliens In America
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

Yes, I realize that I was one of about thirteen people that watched Aliens in America, but that show was really well written, and Pietz’s mom was the glue that tied the whole thing together; she was the perfect Midwestern mom, and she put on a great performance. I know that the whole world loves Pushing Daisies, but personally I find it tiresome, if you want me to be honest. I get that it’s supposed to be whimsical and everything, but it mostly just wears me out, especially Chenoweth’s character. I haven’t seen enough Two and a Half Men to adequately judge Taylor’s performance, but I know what Pohler and Vanessa Williams both deserve to be on the list. Melora Hardin put on an amazing performance as Jan this year, particularly in the Dinner Party episode, which was one of the most uncomfortable (and phenomenal) things I have ever seen on television. And Elizabeth Perkins is consistently cutthroat and on-point as Celia on Weeds, even though last season constituted a slight drop in quality. I would argue that Jane Krakowski should be on this list as well, but she was almost absent from 30 Rock this year.

DRAMA CATEGORIES

Best Drama:
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

The List Should Read:
Boston Legal Battlestar Galactica
Damages The Wire
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

Can someone tell me why Boston Legal keeps showing up on this list? I realize that the elderly people that constitute the Emmy Voting Committee love William Shatner and everything, but: come on. It was played like two years ago. And while Damages had some excellent acting, it just wasn’t that good overall. It knew where it was going, but not how to get there, and it lost a lot of direction around the middle of the season. It sat on my DVR for a long, long time before I finally watched the rest of it, which is never a good sign. The only reason I’m going to continue to watch it next season is because they’ve made some amazing casting decisions (Timothy Olyphant? William Hurt? Sign me up!) and Glenn Close is admittedly awesome.

Kudos to the Emmy committee for including Mad Men, my favorite show of 2007, on the list. Dexter was some pretty forward thinking as well. House definitely deserves a spot on this list for putting on it’s best season to date, from the intern hiring round in the fall to the amazing Amber/Wilson storyline at the end of the season. It had the best season finale I’ve seen since the end of Six Feet Under.

That said, where the fuck is Battlestar on the list? They eliminated all the stupid filler episodes by showing only a half-season at a time, every single member of the cast put on performances that have no peer, and the cinematography, direction and writing is all some of the best on TV. I realize that The Wire didn’t have its best season this year, but it’s still The Wire, meaning that it’s better than 99% of everything else on TV, including Boston Legal. Seriously, WTF? And before anyone says anything about Friday Night Lights, I love that show, but overall it was off this season.

Show us some love or I will snap your neck.

Actor in a Drama:
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
James Spader, Boston Legal

The List Should Read:
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
James Spader, Boston Legal Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights

We get it, Academy. You love James Spader. But Kyle Chandler, despite some questionable material, took Friday Night Lights to a whole new level this season, and that show deserves at least one nomination, doesn’t it?

I know it has been said, but his hair probably deserves a nomination, too.

Other than that, nicely done. Jon Hamm kicked ass and everyone knows it, Hugh Laurie is always amazing and he hasn’t won an Emmy yet (I know, right?), and half of the audience of Breaking Bad didn’t even recognize Cranston as the dad from Malcolm In The Middle, plus he shaved his head for the part.

Actress in a Drama:
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

The List Should Read:
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace Chloe Sevigny, Big Love
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer Jeanne Tripplehorne, Big Love

I’m sorry, but all Kyra Sedgwick does is wander around and speak in an annoying accent for an hour, and I’m not sure that exactly merits Emmy consideration. Holly Hunter basically does the same thing, except with more ticks thrown in. The wives on Big Love did a great job this year (really, any two of them should be thrown in, because Margene did a great job too), and that show definitely deserves some recognition.

This poor guy.

Supporting Actor, Drama:
Ted Danson, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men

The List Should Read:

Ted Danson, Damages Michael Hogan, Battlestar Galactica
Michael Emerson, Lost
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages James Callis, Battlestar Galactica
William Shatner, Boston Legal Michael K. Williams, The Wire
John Slattery, Mad Men

This is probably the most difficult category to narrow down. Emerson, of course, deserves every bit of kudos he receives for his role as Ben. Danson was awesome and I had a hard time taking him off, but Hogan played honest and raw this year as Colonel Tigh, the colony’s newest Cylon. You can’t argue that Callis made Gaius Baltar one of the most hated characters on television by walking a line between enourmously selfish and enormously noble, and Michael K. Williams’ Omar has been an All-Star since the very first season of that show, and this final season is no exception. Not only do you have the five people above, you also have Vincent Kartheiser (Pete on Mad Men), Gaius Charles (Smash on Friday Night Lights), and Robert Sean Leonard (Wilson on House, who put on an Emmy-worthy performance during the season finale alone).

Supporting Actress in a Drama:
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy

The List Should Read:
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica

Come on, we all know Grey’s Anatomy was crap this year. I know I’m stacking the list with people from Battlestar Galactica, but you can’t say that they don’t deserve it if you’ve seen even one episode of the show. The things that are demanded of Mary McDonnell (President Roslin), who has cancer, has to be the President, and hates like half the people on the show? That needs to be rewarded. And Britton had a lot to do this season on FNL and she certainly delivered.

So, what do you guys think? Am I wrong, am I right? Leave your thoughts in the comments. And as always, you can e-mail me at schoonie_45@yahoo.com.