Thursday, July 10, 2014

Emmy Nominations

Here's a solid list of the Emmy nominations with some commentary from Metacritic...

http://www.metacritic.com/feature/2014-primetime-emmy-nominees

No point in going to the insanity that networks get to classify their stuff as comedy/drama/miniseries, as that's a whole other post.  I'm just going to throw out my very unresearched and uninformed predictions in the Drama and Comedy categories.

Drama

Outstanding Drama: We all missed Downton Abbey in the prediction post.  Hey, here's a fun fact - only ONE of these shows aired more than 10 episodes this Emmy year (House of Cards).  Game of Thrones at 10 was second highest.  Even though it should be in miniseries, I'll go True Detective.  Definitely commited to a vision, and it was strong start to finish.  I still think it's cheating it's even in here.
Lead Actor: You know Jon Hamm is licking his chops for 2015.  Regardless, Cranston and McConaughey are a total tossup if you ask me.  I think the voters go with Matthew McConaughey b/c they only have one shot and he definitely deserves something.
Lead Actress: Only show I've ever watched on this list is Scandal, and Kerry Washington ain't winning for that performance.  I'll go chalk here: Claire Danes.
Supporting Actor: It would be a travesty of the highest order if Peter Dinklage lost.  I'm guessing he'll be the biggest favorite to win in the Drama races.
Supporting Actress: I thought Lena Headey had a strong season, so why not?
Guest Actor: I feel like this is a dark horse pick - Joe Morton  made every scene he was in better in Scandal.  I'll go with him.  Bert Cooper is definitely not winning.
Guest Actress: No clue as I only watched three of these shows.  Of those I do watch, Diana Rigg is a standout.
Writing: Maybe I'm crazy, but this one feels like a slam dunk for Moira Walley-Beckett.  Even though I didn't watch Breaking Bad, I've heard how great "Ozymandias" was. 
Director: Another slam dunk.  Cary Joji Fukunaga locked this sucker up with one shot.

Comedy

Outstanding Comedy: I really hope Modern Family doesn't win, only because it's not as good as its legacy would suggest.  Nope, give this one to critic darling Orange is the New Black.
Lead Actor: Jeez, I watch none of these.  Just b/c I like him, Louis C.K.
Lead Actress: Stacked group.  Amy Poehler deserves to win for Leslie Knope at some point, but not sure it's this year.  Julie Louis-Dreyfus in a walk probably.
Supporting Actor: I thought Andre Braugher was great in Brooklyn 99.
Supporting Actress: No clue, as I don't think Kate Mulgrew is one of the stronger OITNB performers.  I thought Anna Chlumsky had a strong year in Veep, so I'll go that route.
Guest Actor: Gary Cole dominated in Veep with a fun role.  Sure.
Guest Actress:  Wow, there are all the OITNB noms.  One of 'em is probably gonna win, and it should probably be Uzo Aduba, who had the toughest role and nailed it.
Writing: No clue.  Veep's writing is always strong, so Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, Armando Iannucci.
Directing: Hey remember when everyone watched Glee?  Anyway, just b/c they won't shut Modern Family out complete, Julia Mancuso.

5 comments:

  1. As long as Jeff Daniels doesn't win again. I was hoping he wouldn't even get a nomination. That he did over Steve Buscemi, both Hannibal actors and Matthew Rhys on The Americans is dumb. FYI, I hate The Newsroom.

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  2. I'll just throw out some guesses here.

    Drama

    Outstanding Drama: Breaking Bad

    Lead Actor: McConaughey

    Lead Actress: Claire Danes

    Supporting Actor: Peter Dinklage

    Supporting Actress: Maggie Smith

    Guest Actor: I wish Pascal was in this... but, Reg E Cathey

    Guest Actress: Diana Rigg

    Writing: Moira Walley-Beckett

    Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

    Tough ones here, I could see True Detective taking the drama nod, and Cranston taking the Actor. A couple of these may be 'I hope they win' more than 'I think they will win.' Agree with TD though, if American Horror Story gets thrown into Miniseries, so should that... hell, they even keep most of the cast.

    Comedy

    Outstanding Comedy: Orange Is the New Black

    Lead Actor: Don Cheadle

    Lead Actress: Amy Poehler

    Supporting Actor: Fred Armisen

    Supporting Actress: Kate Mulgrew

    Guest Actor: Steve Buscemi

    Guest Actress: Laverne Cox

    Writing: Alec Berg

    Directing: Jodie Foster

    I think OITNB goes big. If anything, I need to give Veep another shot... a few episodes in, I quit when it first aired. Perhaps do that next.

    Miniseries/movie:

    Outstanding Miniseries: Fargo

    Outstanding Made-for-Television Movie: Sherlock (I haven't seen much of the others, but think it's worthy of a win anyway)

    Lead Actor in a Movie or Miniseries: Billy-Bob Thornton (or Idris Elba)

    Lead Actress in a Movie or Miniseries: Jessica Lange (She's done after the next season, so she's winning again this year or next, if not both)

    Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries: Martin Freeman (Now, it'd really be neat if he won both Lead AND Supporting)

    Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries: Allison Tolman (tough for AHS to compete with each other here, all were great... but Tolman was awesome in her debut)

    Writing for a Movie or Miniseries: Neil Cross (I really hope it isn't Moffat... just out of spite for how bad he's been with Doctor Who, even if Sherlock has been great)

    Directing for a Movie or Miniseries: Nick Hurran

    True Detective would have done even more damage if included here instead of Drama. Fargo did great though.


    Outstanding Variety Series: Colbert Report (please, no Jimmy Fallon)

    Writing for a Variety Series: Portlandia

    Outstanding Variety Special: (haven't seen any...) Billy Crystal

    Outstanding Animated Program: Archer (but my heart hopes for Bob's Burgers

    Outstanding "Structured" Reality Program: Shark Tank

    Outstanding "Unstructured" Reality Program: Deadliest Catch

    Outstanding Reality–Competition Program: Top Chef

    Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program: Anthony Bourdain


    Most of those I have no clue on... but we'll see how I do later!

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  3. Breaking Bad or True Detective for best drama is a coin toss, with Game of Thrones being the 'coin lands on its side' dark-horse option.

    McConaughey is probably going to win, but I'd prefer Cranston, if only so McConaughey doesn't give another weird, self-indulgent acceptance speech.

    I don't watch any of the Best Drama Actress shows.

    Supporting Actor has to be Dinklage. Aaron Paul was shortchanged in Breaking Bad's last season. His best stuff came years before. He was just repeating himself in the last 16 episodes.

    Anna Gunn for Best Supporting Actress. Christina Hendricks would be awesome. No actor from Mad Men has ever won an acting category.

    Guest actors and actresses don't even get announced on the main show.

    Writing should not go to Game of Thrones or the Breaking Bad finale. Ozymandias or True Detective, coin toss either way.

    Fukunaga will probably win for directing, though it could just as easily be GoT, Boardwalk, or Breaking Bad. I'm rooting for Boardwalk. The last shots of that episode were better, in a dramatic sense, than anything in this group, though you can't beat the technical mastery of Fukunaga's or Marshall's tracking shots.

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  4. Veep for comedy series. They've been adding wins every year, and I think this is when Modern Family finally gets pushed aside.

    Having only seen Louie out of the six main actor nominees, I can confidently say he's better than the rest of them, and should win, though they'll probably be boring and give it to Parsons.

    It's crazy that Poehler's never won, but Louis-Dreyfuss is a lock.

    I'd love to see Adam Driver win for Girls.

    No idea on comedy supporting. I only watch Veep and Orange, so hopefully, one of those two.

    If you've seen Silicon Valley and the mathematical debate that happens in the nominated episode, you have seen maybe the funniest scene of the year.

    Jodie Foster for directing. When given the opportunity, the Emmy's tend to choose the most famous person.

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  5. Also, yes, Pedro Pascal got absolutely robbed in guest actor.

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