Couch Potato: Better late than never
By Casey Gillis on Jul. 21, 2010
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When the Emmy nominations were announced earlier this month, I was full of opinions.
But I’m only just now getting around to writing them down (hey, better late than never, right?).
I’m really excited about the actors and shows that were singled out. Yes, there were some oversights — par for the course with any award show — but there weren’t nearly as many as there have been in the past.
Emmy voters finally woke up and decided to stop recognizing actors and shows that are past their prime. Like, say, Jeremy Piven, who was finally left out of the supporting actor in a comedy race.
I was terrified the frequent winner, for “Entourage,” would pop up again and take a spot away from someone much more deserving.
Instead, we got all kinds of new blood in the form of first-time nominees Chris Colfer (“Glee”), who has had some of the show’s best moments this season as Kurt, and “Modern Family” castmates Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitch), Ty Burrell (Phil) and, my personal favorite, Eric Stonestreet (Cam).
They’ll be up against Neil Patrick Harris (Barney, “How I Met Your Mother”) and Jon Cryer (Alan, “Two and a Half Men”).
I’m always OK with Harris being recognized — he should’ve won last year — but I’d replace Cryer with “Parks and Recreation’s” Nick Offerman, who is beyond hilarious as bossman Ron Swanson.
Here’s what else I’m thinking about the major categories:
Comedy
• Mike O’Malley, who plays Colfer’s on-screen dad, was nominated for best guest actor, and I’m loving it. He probably won’t win, though, because he’s up against Harris, who was also nominated for “Glee” and is likely a shoo-in. Other nods went to Fred Willard (“Modern Family”), Eli Wallach (“Nurse Jackie”), Jon Hamm (“30 Rock”) and Will Arnett (“30 Rock”).
• “Modern Family” got even more love in the supporting actress category: both Julie Bowen (Claire) and Sofia Vergara (Gloria) were nominated, leaving family patriarch Ed O’Neill (Jay) the only adult cast member not nominated.
Joining Bowen and Vergara are Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester, “Glee”), who should win, as well as Jane Krakowski (Jenna, “30 Rock”), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”) and Holland Taylor (Evelyn, “Two and a Half Men”).
I’m not a big fan of Krakowski and would’ve preferred to see “Cougar Town’s” Christa Miller or Busy Phillips, who play frenemies Ellie and Laurie, nominated instead.
• Amy Poehler, up for best actress, is one of the nominees I’m most excited about. “Parks and Recreation” became one of my favorite shows last season — better than most of the best comedy nominees, if you ask me — and she deserves it.
Come Emmy night, she’ll be battling it out with Lea Michele (Rachel, “Glee”), a welcome addition, as well as Tina Fey (Liz, “30 Rock”), Toni Collette (Tara, “The United States of Tara”), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Christine, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”) and Edie Falco (Jackie, “Nurse Jackie”).
• Best actor nominees are Larry David (himself, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Alec Baldwin (Jack, “30 Rock”), Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schu, “Glee”), Steve Carell (Michael, “The Office”), Jim Parsons (Sheldon, “The Big Bang Theory”) and Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”).
Morrison was a surprise. I love “Glee,” but it seems like he just doesn’t belong alongside some of the hilarious men above. Joel McHale should’ve taken his place for “Community.”
• While first-time nominees “Glee” and “Modern Family” absolutely deserve to be in the best comedy race, I’m not so sure about the others, namely “The Office” and “30 Rock,” which both had pretty weak seasons. Replace them with “Community” and “Parks and Recreation,” and you’d have a truly competitive field.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Nurse Jackie” were also nominated.
Drama
• Favorites “True Blood” and “The Good Wife” made the cut as first-time best drama nominees (woo hoo!), as well as “Lost.” Other nominees are “Breaking Bad,” “Dexter” and “Mad Men.”
• Lynchburg’s own Connie Britton was finally recognized for her role as Tami Taylor on “Friday Night Lights.”
Joining her in the best actress category are Julianna Margulies (Alicia, “The Good Wife”), Mariska Hargitay (Olivia, “Law & Order: SVU”), Glenn Close (Patty, “Damages”), Kyra Sedgwick (Brenda, “The Closer”) and January Jones (Betty, “Mad Men”).
• Britton’s on-screen hubby, Kyle Chandler, made the cut as best actor, alongside Jon Hamm (Don, “Mad Men”), Bryan Cranston (Walt, “Breaking Bad”), Hugh Laurie (“House”), Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”) and Matthew Fox (Jack, “Lost”).
• It would’ve been cool to see my “True Blood” boyfriend Alexander Skarsgard (Eric) included in the best supporting actor category. Instead, nominees are John Slattery (Roger, “Mad Men”), Aaron Paul (Jesse, “Breaking Bad”), Martin Short (Leonard, “Damages”), Terry O’Quinn (Locke/Smokey, “Lost”), Michael Emerson (Ben, “Lost”) and Andre Braugher (Owen, “Men of a Certain Age”).
O’Quinn was brilliant in “Lost’s” final season, and Emerson is always impressive, so I’m OK with their nods. But where was Josh Holloway, whose Sawyer grew from a bad boy con artist into a genuinely good guy before our very eyes?
• There were several supporting actress nominees that made my day: “Burn Notice’s” Sharon Gless (Michael’s mom, Maddie) and “The Good Wife’s” Christine Baranski (Diane) and Archie Panjabi (Kalinda). Christina Hendricks (Joan, “Mad Men”), Rose Byrne (Ellen, “Damages”) and Elisabeth Moss (Peggy, “Mad Men”) were also included.
• Another former Lynchburg resident, Dylan Baker, was nominated for his role as a suspected murderer on “The Good Wife.”
I’m not sure I want him to win though. Couch Potato favorite Alan Cumming is also nominated for his work on that CBS series; he plays political fixer Eli Gold and will be a series regular next season.
Other nominees include Beau Bridges (“The Closer”), Ted Danson (“Damages”), John Lithgow (“Dexter”), Robert Morse (“Mad Men”) and Gregory Itzin (“24”).
• As for guest actresses, I’d like to see “Lost’s” Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet, back from the dead!) beat out Mary Kay Place (“Big Love”), Sissy Spacek (“Big Love”), Shirley Jones (“The Cleaner”), Lily Tomlin (“Damages”) and Ann-Margaret (“Law & Order: SVU).
The Emmy’s air Aug. 29 on NBC.
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