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That bastard Stee went and did his take on the Emmy nominations before me, and now mine is going to just suffer in comparison. I haven't read his yet, but I know his stuff, and I'm sure his is much funnier than mine. But that isn't going to stop me, is it? No, it's not.
Anyway, everyone had high hopes that this would be the year that the Emmy people would get their collective head out of their collective ass and nominate the shows and actors that people actually enjoy. Did it happen? Read on to find out. The actual ceremony will be on September 10th. I'm skipping all of the miniseries crap because I don't watch them and you probably don't either.
Drama Series
- ER
- Law & Order
- The Sopranos
- The Practice
- The West Wing
Clearly, the way to get your show nominated as a drama is to add "The" in front of your title. So, if it were The Buffy the Vampire Slayer, maybe they would have had more luck, to name the most amazingly missing nominee. I might even add Felicity to this category, as uneven as it was this year. I mean, was it really worse than ER this season? Except for the Lucy Knight death two-parter, and the surprise George Clooney reappearance, ER was pretty lame this season. And of course, Freaks and Geeks should be in there. Anyway, of the shows that were actually nominated, I am torn between The Sopranos and The West Wing. I like The Sopranos and all, but I'm a little sick of the hype, so I'm going with The West Wing because it's the only show that makes me actually want to go live in D.C. and work at the Oval Office.
Comedy Series
- Friends
- Frasier
- Sex and the City
- Will & Grace
- Everybody Loves Raymond
Enough with the Frasier already! Everyone stopped watching that like three years ago! Yes, at one time, it has some of the best writing and acting around, but it has gone downhill and if you keep rewarding it with nominations, it will stay on the air, taking up valuable real estate. This wasn't a very good year for the sitcom, was it? Remember the glory days when Friends was a runaway success and every network was planning ten or so sitcoms about a group of people who hung out together? Now they are all relegated to the USA network. Anyway, I don't know that Sex and the City deserves the nomination, because although I enjoy the show, I don't find it particularly funny. Carrie's single-entendres get a little tiresome after a while. Friends lost steam this season with the whole Monica/Chandler thing. Although Raymond is a good show, I think Will & Grace should get this one, if only to reward NBC for keeping a smart comedy on the air.
Actor, Drama Series
- Dennis Franz, NYPD Blue
- James Gandolfini, The Sopranos
- Jerry Orbach, Law & Order
- Martin Sheen, The West Wing
- Sam Waterston, Law & Order
Orbach and Waterston kind of cancel each other out, because how could you choose one over the other? I like them both, but I don't think either of them will win. Dennis Franz has already won (hasn't he?) so I think it comes down to Sheen versus Gandolfini. If the voters are trying to prove their street cred, they'll vote Gandolfini. I personally would vote for Sheen. He took what was supposed to be essentially a cameo role and made it into a lead role, simply because his performance was so interesting and multi-faceted. He is the President, and after watching a few episodes, damned if you don't feel like you should up and vote for him.
Actress, Drama Series
- Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos
- Amy Brenneman, Judging Amy
- Edie Falco, The Sopranos
- Julianna Margulies, ER
- Sela Ward, Once and Again
Lorraine Bracco is my least favorite part of The Sopranos, and that's including the kids. I find myself tuning out whenever she is on-screen, and her line delivery annoys me. So clearly, I'm not voting for her. I've never seen Judging Amy. My mom likes it. But my mom also liked Get Real, so there goes Brenneman. Margulies gets the "swan song" vote, and could actually take it, even though her Carol Hathaway became more and more irritating as the season went on. So for me, it's down to Falco versus Ward. I really do like Sela Ward, and I don't hold her Sprint commercials against her. But if you've seen Edie Falco in both The Sopranos and Oz, playing diametrically opposed characters, you know homegirl can act. She rocks. Falco gets the square.
Actor, Comedy Series
- Michael J. Fox, Spin City
- Kelsey Grammar, Frasier
- John Lithgow, 3rd Rock From the Sun
- Eric McCormack, Will & Grace
- Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond
I would like to ask the Emmy people to please, for the love of God, open up the regular categories to the animated shows. This is the saddest group of nominees I have ever seen. Kelsey Grammer? John Lithgow? You have got to be kidding me. Where is the dad from Malcolm in the Middle? Who are we kidding? Michael J. Fox is going to walk away with it, and the saddest thing is that he deserves it for his performance, but everyone will assume he's getting it for his disease.
Actress, Comedy Series
- Jenna Elfman, Dharma & Greg
- Patricia Heaton, Everybody Loves Raymond
- Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle
- Debra Messing, Will & Grace
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City
Jenna Elfman and Sarah Jessica Parker both get the big thumbs down from me for their one-note performances. I like all of the remaining three. I don't think Kaczmarek will get it because her show is too new and it take a while for the Emmy people to recognize good work. Patricia Heaton is good, but I think Debra Messing will get it because it's a Will & Grace year. And admittedly, it takes a strong presence to hold your own within that cast. Plus, I always liked her on Ned & Stacey, where she did Dharma before Dharma was cool.
Supporting Actor, Drama Series
- Dominic Chianese, The Sopranos
- Steve Harris, The Practice
- Richard Schiff, The West Wing
- Michael Badalucco, The Practice
- John Spencer, The West Wing
I don't even watch The Practice, so I'm just going to ignore those nominations. I'm sure they are fine actors, but I have to eliminate people somehow. I'm not even going to go into all the people who should have been nominated here, and weren't, because it will make me too sad. Dominic Chianese plays Uncle Junior. I had to look it up. I would not have nominated him, although he does fine work. I would have gone with Michael Imperioli, who had a lot of the focus this season. But anyway, it's down to the two West Wing-ers. I like them both, but I'm going to pick Richard Schiff because I saw Forces of Nature a few weeks ago and I couldn't believe it was the same guy. That's acting.
Supporting Actress, Drama Series
- Stockard Channing, The West Wing
- Tyne Daly, Judging Amy
- Alison Janney, The West Wing
- Nancy Marchand, The Sopranos
- Holland Taylor, The Practice
Nancy Marchand, God rest her soul, put in a great performance as Livia Soprano. LAST SEASON! Due to her illness, she was hardly on the show this season. But she will win, because she died. Even though Alison Janney deserves the award more. You know it and I know it. She almost made Timothy Busfield seem palatable.
Supporting Actor, Comedy Series
- Peter Boyle, Everybody Loves Raymond
- Brad Garrett, Everybody Loves Raymond
- Sean Hayes, Will & Grace
- Peter MacNicol, Ally McBeal
- David Hyde Pierce, Frasier
You know how I feel about Frasier at this point, so I'll spare you the lecture. Both Boyle and Garret are hilarious, but you and I both know that Sean Hayes deserves this award. He is the standout on that show, and that's saying something given his peers were all nominated too.
Supporting Actress, Comedy Series
- Jennifer Aniston, Friends
- Kim Cattrall, Sex and the City
- Lisa Kudrow, Friends
- Megan Mullally, Will & Grace
- Doris Roberts, Everybody Loves Raymond
As I said above, I don't think this was Friends' best season, so those two cancel each other out. I think it will be a rundown between Mullally and Cattrall, who actually play similar characters. I think Mullally will win.
Writing, Drama Series
- Joss Whedon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Hush
- David Chase, Todd Kessler, The Sopranos: Funhouse
- Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, The Sopranos: Knights in White Satin Armor
- Aaron Sorkin, Rick Cleveland, The West Wing: In Excelsis Deo
- Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing: Pilot
Just to keep you informed, the two Sopranos episodes nominated were the last two of the season. Of the two, I would go with "Knights in White Satin Armor", the one where Richie Aprile gets killed. The two West Wing episodes were the pilot (duh!) and the Christmas episode where Toby gets the homeless man a military funeral. But all that doesn't matter because if Joss Whedon doesn't win for "Hush", I will cry. I know two people who had never watched Buffy before, and saw this episode, and were astounded. It was an amazing episode, funny, scary, and interesting structurally since no one could speak for like the last thirty minutes of the episode. I'd like to see The West Wing do an episode where no one talked for thirty minutes.
Writing, Comedy Series
- Ray Romano, Philip Rosenthal, Everybody Loves Raymond: Bad Moon Rising
- Christopher Lloyd, Joe Keenan, Frasier: Something Borrowed, Someone Blue
- Paul Feig, Freaks and Geeks: Pilot
- Cindy Chupak, Sex and the City: Evolution
- Michael Patrick King, Sex and the City: Ex in the City
Like you don't know who I want here. Freaks and Geeks all the way. If Frasier beats it out, I will throw my television off a cliff. Okay, I wouldn't really do that. But I would think about it for a minute.
Guest Actor, Drama Series
- Alan Alda as Gabriel Lawrence, ER
- Paul Dooley as Judge Philip Swackheim, The Practice
- Kirk Douglas as Ross, Touched By an Angel
- James Whitmore as Raymond Oz, The Practice
- Henry Winkler as Henry Olsen, The Practice
What is up with The Practice in this category? I'm just going to ignore all of them. I think Kirk Douglas will get the win because he had a stroke. I like Alan Alda and all, but if he wants to win this category, he had better develop a serious health issue, but quick.
Guest Actress, Drama Series
- Jane Alexander as Regina Mulroney, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- Kathy Baker as Ellen Sawyer, Touched By an Angel
- Marlee Matlin as Sally Berg, The Practice
- Tracy Pollan as Harper Anderson, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- Beah Richards as Gertrude Turner, The Practice
Once again, what is up with The Practice? I think Tracy Pollan will win this one because voters will say, "We want her to get some work now that her husband has had to retire." It's all about the sympathy vote.
Guest Actor, Comedy Series
- Anthony LaPaglia as Simon Moon, Frasier
- Carl Reiner as Sid Barry, Beggars and Choosers
- Tom Selleck as Dr. Richard Burke, Friends
- Bruce Willis as Paul Stevens, Friends
- William H. Macy as Sam Donvan, Sports Night
You may have heard that the Fonz was originally supposed to be nominated in this category for his stunning work in Battery Park, but then the Emmy guys they had their thumbs up their asses and gave the nomination to William H. Macy. At least, that's how I heard it. I hope he wins. Probably Bruce Willis will, but Macy deserves it.
Guest Actress, Comedy Series
- Bea Arthur as Mrs. White, Malcolm in the Middle
- Cheri Oteri as Cindy, Just Shoot Me
- Debbie Reynolds as Bobbie Adler, Will & Grace
- Jean Smart as Lorna Lenley, Frasier
- Holland Tayler as Letitia Devine, The Lot
How did Holland Taylor get on this list? I've never even heard of the show for which she got nominated. I think this will be a race between Bea Arthur and Debbie Reynolds, with Debbie Reynolds winning the award.
Animated Program
- Family Guy: Road to Rhode Island
- MTV Downtown: Show 11
- The Powerpuff Girls: Beat Your Greens/Down and Dirty
- The Simpsons: Behind the Laughter
- South Park: Chinpoko Mon
How did MTV Downtown get on here? And no Futurama? Anyway, The Simpsons is a great show, but I kind of hope The Powerpuff Girls wins, if only so their merchandising wing realizes that adults watch the show too, and start releasing T-shirts in something other than "youth" sizes. Because it's all about me, right? |