61st Annual Emmy Nominations

The Emmy nominations were announced, and it was the annual love fest for 30 Rock and Mad Men. I'm a big 30 Rock fan, but it seriously does NOT deserve this many nominations-- at 22, a record (breaking its OWN from last year!). I mean, is it better than Cheers and Seinfeld? It also appears that, if you're old, and you guest star on 30 Rock-- automatic Emmy nomination. The saddest thing is that 30 Rock got 4/5 comedy writing noms (the fifth: Flight of the Conchords) and Mad Men got 4/5 drama writing noms (the fifth: Lost).

And just when you thought Emmy was showing restraint, the expansion to six nominations per best series category resulted in both comedy and drama series with 7 noms due to ties!!

BEST COMEDY SERIES nominations:

Entourage

Family Guy

Flight of the Conchords

How I Met Your Mother

The Office

30 Rock

Weeds

BEST DRAMA SERIES nominations:

Big Love

Breaking Bad

Damages

Dexter

House M.D.

Lost

Mad Men

Other reactions:

Last year I said, "from what I've heard, and based on these noms, I think Damages is probably the best show I'm not watching." I caught several episodes of Damages and found it overrated, truth be told. Now the best series I wasn't watching ACTUALLY turned out to be Breaking Bad-- I have now seen every episode and jees, it's GOOD! Happy to see it get a series nomination. I've seen at least one episode of every comedy/drama series listed here except Big Love... wonder what I'm missing there.

Further proof of the Emmys' irrelevance is the fact that four of the main categories resulted in record-breaking or tying situations: 30 Rock (22 noms-- most for any comedy series in one year), Grey Gardens (17 noms, a tie), SNL (13 noms, a record for variety series), Dancing with the Stars (10 noms, a record for nonfiction series). Now, were any of these four considered by ANYONE the best of the best of TV history? If anything they were the best of the so-so, and not even the best seasons of their own shows!

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: 0 noms again! The best show on TV can't get no respect.

Miniseries= two nominees— retire this dated category already!

As I noted last year, SNL will eventually become the most nominated series of all-time. This record is currently held by ER (124 noms— only 2 more in this, its final season). SNL with its 13 noms this year now has 114, so it's likely to take the record next year.

Was shocked to see no nomination for Hugh Jackman for hosting the 81st Annual Oscars! And the show managed ten nominations....

On the plus side, here's the nominees I was most pleased seeing: Bryan Cranston Lead Actor Drama (Now I know why he won last year!), Drew Barrymore for LEAD (as she deserved) for TV Movie Grey Gardens, Jack McBrayer Supporting Actor in Comedy for 30 Rock, William Shatner for Supporting in Drama for Boston Legal, Aaron Paul for Supporting Drama for Breaking Bad, Kristin Wiig for Supporting Comedy for SNL, Ernest Borgnine Guest Star ER, Michael J. Fox Guest Star Rescue Me, Reality Host Phil Keoghan for The Amazing Race.

Link to full list of nominees.

The 60th Annual Emmy Awards— 2008

The Emmy Awards were a bit of a debacle this year show-wise, and they were savaged by the critics. Easily, if only Jimmy Kimmel had hosted, the show would have been a million times better. His bit with the reality show hosts was very funny and his pre-show "Barbara Walters Special" parody was brilliant. Ricky Gervais, now rumored to be in the running for Oscar host, was another of the few shining lights among presenters. Also, is it me or do Tom Selleck and Mary Tyler Moore have no impact anymore? (Was delighted to see Betty White, although her appearance made little sense despite the forced "she's been in TV 60 years too" reasoning.)

As for the awards, I have little interest and I feel there is little at stake for the Emmys. Having said that I was glad Bryan Cranston won for Breaking Bad. I've seen just a bit of it, but just like him in general. And Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey's wins, too, were justified. Another Emmy for Jeremy Piven seemed absurd but when he made that joke about the hosts (about how he could go on for 12 minutes... oh that was the opening)— all was forgiven.

30 Rock and Mad Men's series wins were a fait accompli, and probably the best way to go (although by all accounts Damages is the drama to watch).

60th Annual Emmy Nominations

The Emmy nominations were announced, and as expected 30 Rock and Mad Men did very well and seem likely to be the winners for Best Comedy and Drama Series respectively. Pushing Daises got a lot of attention too (although curiously no nom for Best Comedy series).

In my previous blog entry, I correctly predicted four out of the five comedy series nominations (Entourage got it instead of Ugly Betty) and four of the six drama series (I only had five predictions: I didn't have Damages or Dexter which trumped my last-chance-at-a-nom prediction for The Wire).

BEST COMEDY SERIES nominations:

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Entourage

The Office

30 Rock

Two and a Half Men

BEST DRAMA SERIES nominations:

Boston Legal

Damages

Dexter

House

Lost

Mad Men


Other reactions:

Pleasantly surprised by Bryan Cranston's nom (for Breaking Bad) just cause he's a nice guy.

Happy for Christina Applegate, who's finally got a hit series (as lead) on her hands with Samantha Who?— I wouldn't be surprised if she wins.

Lead Actress in a Drama looked more like the Oscars than the Emmys (Sally Field, Kyra Sedgwick, Glenn Close, Mariska Hargitay, Holly Hunter).

From what I've heard, and based on these noms, I think Damages is probably the best show I'm not watching.

Four out of the five Guest Actor in a Comedy series and three out of five Guest Actress went to 30 Rock— c'mon! And I love 30 Rock, but, for example, Tim Conway wasn't that good (and again, I love Tim Conway!). As a result, 30 Rock now has the record for most nominations for a comedy series in a single season— 17.

Would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to see Charles Durning win for Guest Actor for Rescue Me-- please let this happen! (Plus, with 9 nominations, he's never won.)

Diahann Carroll is nominated for Guest Actress in a Drama for Grey's Anatomy. She has never won an Emmy but I think Sharon Gless has the buzz for Nip/Tuck.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: 0 noms. Crap!

Miniseries/Made-For-TV-Movie categories: usual boring nonsense— retire these categories already!

In Treatment sure got a shot in the arm, with its four noms (three for acting).

If its the Emmys, there must be yet another category added to water them down EVEN further. This year? Outstanding Reality Host. So what do we get?: Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, etc. How horrifyingly embarrassing for Little Miss Emmy.

George Carlin got a posthumous nomination for his special [presumably he did anyway as exec producer of his nominated special]: he's never won an Emmy, so I expect his show (he and the other producers) will get it.

Saturday Night Live got 6 noms— the last time this happened was in 1994; the most noms SNL has ever gotten in a single season was 8 (this happened twice: 1977 and 1978). SNL's grand total is now 101 nominations. It will eventually drag itself up to most nominated series of all-time. This record is currently held by ER (122 noms— only 2 this year: and it probably won't remain on the air much longer).

Family Guy's Star Wars episode (Blue Harvest) was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program One Hour or More AND Robot Chicken's Star Wars episode was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program Less Than One Hour. Yeah!

And... Jon Stewart was nominated for hosting the 80th Annual Oscars! He's now the fifth host to be nominated for an Emmy for the Oscars, following Billy Crystal (multiple noms and two wins [plus another two wins for writing]), Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, and Ellen DeGeneres. Will he be the second host to win? I think Don Rickles will probably get it (for his special Mr. Warmth— his first nomination).

Link to full list of nominees.

Top Series Emmys Short List Announced

Last year, the short list for the Emmys series nominees was leaked; so in a smart move, ATAS has announced this year's short list officially on their website.










TOP TEN COMEDY SERIES FINALISTS:

√= My guesses as to what shows will get the nominations

√ Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
√ The Office
Pushing Daisies
√ 30 Rock
√ Two and a Half Men
√ Ugly Betty
Weeds

TOP TEN DRAMA SERIES FINALISTS:

√= My guesses as to what shows will get the nominations

√ Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey’s Anatomy
√ House
√ Lost
√ Mad Men
The Tudors
√ The Wire