The Emmy nominations were announced. Where to begin? So, the Emmys decided to change their voting process this year in what has now become known as the "Lauren Graham Rule," where, supposedly, fringe shows like Gilmore Girls and Everybody Hates Chris would get their deserved nominations next to old stand-bys like West Wing.
So, did it work? Well...kind of. Not exactly. A little bit, just not in the right ways. Sort of, if "sort of" means "not so much."
Surprises did abound, as last year's winners for Best Drama and Best Comedy (Lost and Desperate Housewives, respectively) were almost completely shut out. Many a cancelled show snuck in (Arrested Development, Six Feet Under, The Comeback), as did many lame-ass shows still on the air (Two and a Half Men, anyone?). Get ready to scratch your heads and pop your eyes in bewilderment:
Kevin James in The King of Queens and Charlie Sheen from TaaHM in the Best Comedic Actor category, but no Jason Lee from My Name is Earl or Jason Bateman from Arrested Development? Charlie Sheen's character is named Charlie Harper. He's so bad that he's not even trusted to learn a different name. What does that tell you? At least Steve Carrell is in there.
The Best Comedic Actress category might be one of the worst line-ups in recent history. Sure, there's Lisa Kudrow, but Debra Messing? She's always been the weak link of Will & Grace (sometimes due to receiving the weakest writing, but still) and this past season was definitely not one of her best. Julia Louis-Dreyfus? Stockard Channing? Okay, so they're definitely surprises, which I guess is what the Emmys are going for this year, but I'm just not buying that either of these two talented actresses deserve to be here. (More on who should be later.)
Like I was saying, hooray for Lisa Kudrow fighting her way into the Best Comedic Actress category for her one-season, cancelled HBO show The Comeback! Her Valerie Cherish was an awesome parody of Hollywood actresses: tacky, vain, clueless, shallow-disguised-as-deep, etc. You can bet I'd be at one of her Chocolate Fondue parties, savoring every drop of chocolate AND brittle neuroses. Too bad the show itself was...eh.
Other surprisingly good choices: Peter Krause and Frances Conroy for Six Feet Under (but I'm still upset Michael C. Hall and Lauren Ambrose were not only overlooked this year, but neither of them have ever won. Ridiculous, I tell you!), Denis Leary for Rescue Me, Jean Smart as the First Lady on 24, Elizabeth Perkins on Weeds, and Project Runway nominated in the Best Reality Competition category.
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Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
Nice post, Don. All I know is if Kiefer doesn't win for 24 then the voting isn't worth anything. He's not just the best actor in the bunch nominated; he's the best actor on TV right now (yes, even better than Gandolfini & Chiklis).
2 - Michael J. West
Jason Lee not getting nominated for "My Name Is Earl" is irksome in the extreme...but, Jamie Pressly not getting nominated for "My Name Is Earl," that's just a crime.
3 - Don Baiocchi
Thanks, Victor. I think Kiefer is very good, but I don't know that I'd go that far. I mean, he doesn't really have all that much to do...it's pretty much the same thing every episode. He does it very well, but I don't think he gets to display the same range as, say, Peter Krause in Six Feet Under, and therefore has a more limited performance.
Michael, actually Jaime was nominated in the Best Supporting Comedic Actress category.
4 - denise
i am just sick about hugh laurie being overlooked what is this about? hugh is House!
5 - Ty
The biggest snub (and you didn't mention it) was BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
This is regarded as one of the best shows on TV, in the same breath as 24 and Lost, but gets no love from the Emmy's.
As I said on another Emmy thread, the Emmy noms are just a stupid popularity contest. It means CRAP when the WEST WING (Which had an AWFUL season) gets a Best Drama nod and Battlestar Galactica is screwed, let alone Lost.
6 - Victor Lana
Don, as a big 24 fan I might seem biased here, but the problem from Season 1 is that people say what you said about Kiefer "he doesn't have all that much to do."
My suggestion is to watch all the episodes from any given season and see the fallacy in that. He has a wide range of emotions to deal with as a father, friend, colleague, soldier, and patriot. When he meets with his daughter Kim and she tells him she is finished with him, watch his reaction and see what good acting is all about.
I will not go on and on about this (but I could). He just exhibits a wide range of emotions, a depth of character that he has honed over 5 seasons, and deserves a bit more respect than to just throw it to the wind because he's in an "action series."
7 - Don Baiocchi
Victor, don't get me wrong, I'm a huge 24/Kiefer fan, and I do think he's very good on the show. I also, however, think it's hyperbole to say he's the best actor on TV right now. Yes, he has those great moments, the quiter ones especially, but after having watched 5 seasons, I know that many, many episodes consist of him barking out the same kind of orders, during the same kind of confrontations, in the same kind of situations, etc.
Is that because it's an "action" show? Not necessarily, as you could say the same thing for a lot of different kind of shows (comedies don't exactly give a wide range of subject or situation within one show). And I would be happy for Kiefer if he won, which he might this year.
8 - Victor Lana
Thanks for the response, Don. I do know what you're saying about lines of dialogue in the show. Have you ever counted how many times Bruce Willis says, "Stay down" in the Die Hard films? Maybe it's an action thing.
One of my favorite (and constantly repeated) phrases from 24 is "Damn it!" Kiefer has admitted that this is his doing, and a college drinking game has been spawned (where students drink shots every time he says "damn it" during the course of a show) in honor of it.
9 - Joan Hunt
I gotta disagree with you on Two and a Half Men, Don. One reason...er...word: "squab".
I was rather pissed off when The Comeback wasn't given a second season. There was so much potential there and Lisa Kudrow had me laughing on a regular basis.
I think it's ridiculous Christine, The Office, and Curb/Enthusiasm were nominated for anything! Christine's an absolute throwaway show, Office lacks true spark, and Enthusiasm is becoming increasingly dull the longer it runs.
Larry David gets nominated for playing himself, Kevin James is nominated for lackluster effort (x2 seasons), and Zach Braff is denied? Stockard Channing for OOP? Puhleeze!
At least they got it right in nominating TV's Craig Ferguson for his outstanding individual performance. Of course, once he wins, he'll be too busy and too well known to invite me over for a night of hot, steamy Galaga competition. Oh well, them's the breaks, I guess.
10 - Joan Hunt
Oh, yeah...and Earl. WTF is up with Earl missing out this year?
Why, I oughta...
11 - Don Baiocchi
Joan, I agree about Larry David and Kevin James. But sorry, comedy is not Charlie Sheen's strong suit. If David and James don't deserve to be there, and they don't, then neither does Sheen. But I am a fan of Jon Cryer, and since he didn't get an Oscar nomination for his stunning turn as Ducky in Pretty in Pink, it's nice that he's at least up for an Emmy.
Yes, Ty, thank you for pointing that out. I did forget to mention Battlestar Galactica. While I have never watched it, it is a big snub this year and I should have mentioned it.
Victor, I might have to try that drinking game...