2007 Emmy Nominations - An Analysis

Well, the 2007 59th Annual Emmy Nominations were revealed this morning. Oh, don’t worry – I didn’t get up at the crack of dawn or anything. I stopped being that interested after Sarah Michelle Gellar was snubbed during the last season of Buffy. Or maybe it was when Josh Holloway was snubbed after the first season of Lost? Either way, I wasn’t up with Kyra Sedgwick and Jon Cryer when they read the nominations live. But, I have since taken a gander at the full list of nominees and, as usual, I find myself slightly disappointed.Let’s start with the good news: Heroes got an Outstanding Drama nod. This I was not expecting. Maybe because the shows I’m obsessed with never really get the recognition I think they deserve. But there it is: Outstanding Drama Series

• Boston Legal - ABC
• Grey’s Anatomy - ABC
• Heroes - NBC
• House - Fox
• The Sopranos - HBO

You know what I’ll never understand? Boston Legal. How the hell does it continue to get recognized as one of the best shows on television? It’s just so silly and ridiculous and cheesy. And I get that it’s supposed to be like that, but are we really putting it in the same league as the other four nominees? Instead of Lost, which had an excellent return to greatness this year? Or even The Closer or the HBO powerhouses like Big Love, Deadwood or Rome? And don’t even get me started on James Spader as Outstanding Lead Actor. I mean, at least Shatner has the distinction of being, well, The Shat. But Spader? I just … don’t get it.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

• James Spader as Alan Shore, Boston Legal - ABC
• Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, House - Fox
• Denis Leary as Tommy Gavin, Rescue Me - FX
• James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, The Sopranos - HBO
• Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer • 24 • Fox

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

• William Shatner as Denny Crane, Boston Legal - ABC
• T.R. Knight as George, Grey’s Anatomy - ABC
• Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura, Heroes - NBC
• Michael Emerson as Ben, Lost - ABC
• Terry O’Quinn as John Locke, Lost - ABC
• Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti, The Sopranos - HBO

Besides Spader, I don’t really have a problem with the other nominees, though I thought Patrick Dempsey did a pretty stand-up job on Grey’s this year. Now, Supporting Actor is another story.I’m thrilled that Oka, Knight (Does George have no last name now?) and Emerson got recognized. However, there are some major problems with this list, as well. First, while I adore Masi as much as the next person, I really feel that Jack Coleman would’ve been the better nod from Heroes. His performance in "Company Man" alone was so powerful and his chemistry with on-screen daughter Hayden Panettiere is phenomenal. He managed to turn a very two-dimensional semi-villain into a conflicted and loving father. I’m actually quite shocked that he wasn’t recognized for what I consider to be one of the best performances of the season from any actor on any show. I also feel as though Adrian Pasdar or even Milo Ventimiglia should have been contenders, as well. Maybe not in the place of the other actors in the category, but definitely instead of Oka. I think that because Hiro is such a popular character, and has thus become the face of the show in a sense, people want to see him get recognized and think that maybe he deserves to be in this category. But, stepping back from my adoration of Hiro and Masi, I really feel that both Pasdar and Ventimiglia gave much superior performances this season. Speaking of Heroes, let’s move on to my severe disappointment at Hayden Panettiere not getting an Outstanding Supporting Actress Nom. This girl is so hugely talented for her age, and with the whole “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” thing, she sort of carried the whole arc of the first season. I mean, she can shed tears out of either or both eyes on command. That? Is talent. And Ali Larter can’t be forgotten either. Flipping back and forth between Niki and Jessica all season was quite an accomplishment. With both Panettiere and Larter, I think submitting their names under Supporting Actress may have hurt them, because they were put up against the heavyweights over at Grey’s Anatomy and The Sopranos. There is no reason why these two ladies shouldn’t be putting themselves up in the Lead category, seeing as how they are the only women on the show and are therefore the Female Leads. Of course, in the lead category, they’d still be up against the likes of Falco and Sedgwick. Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

• Sally Field as Nora Walker, Brothers & Sisters - ABC
• Kyra Sedgwick as Dep. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, The Closer - TNT
• Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - NBC
• Patricia Arquette as Allison Dubois, Medium - NBC
• Minnie Driver as Dahlia Malloy, The Riches - FX
• Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano, The Sopranos - HBO

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

• Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon, Brothers & Sisters - ABC
• Katherine Heigl as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens, Grey’s Anatomy - ABC
• Chandra Wilson as Dr. Bailey, Grey’s Anatomy - ABC
• Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, Grey’s Anatomy - ABC
• Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano, The Sopranos - HBO
• Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi, The Sopranos - HBO

You know who else is missing from the list? Kristen Bell and Lauren Graham. Seriously. What the hell are the voters smoking to not recognize these two fabulous women? In their last seasons and last chances to get nods? Bell is probably one of the single most talented actress on television right now and the only reason she’s not on this list is because Veronica Mars happened to be on The CW instead of one of the major networks.

Article Author: Miss Cordy

Miss Cordy is a senior at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. She is seeking a double-major in Political Science and Advertising/Public Relations. She has written for her local newspaper, focusing on the world of entertainment -- movies and television. …

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