Emmy Awards - The Morning After

Last night's Emmy telecast was easily one of the best I'd ever seen. Having Neil Patrick Harris host was a brilliant move on CBS's part, and I think we can assume the next time the network gets the ceremony, NPH will be back as emcee. Whoever hosts next year's ceremony on NBC (most likely their go-to guy Conan O'Brien) has some pretty big shoes to fill. I loved the Dr Horrible bit, with NPH and Nathan Fillion in character. Fillion is entertaining on Castle, but the procedural doesn't fully utilize his charisma and comedic talents. He needs his own half-hour comedy series, preferable on HBO. I enjoyed the presentations by Ricky Gervais (as usual) and Jimmy Fallon (surprisingly). I also loved the fact the Music and Lyrics category was moved to the Primetime Emmys, so the overexposed Justin Timberlake could except an award live, but he lost to the team who wrote Hugh Jackman's opening Oscar number.

While the show itself was great, the actual award winners were all over the place. The night started off with a great win for Supporting Actress in a Comedy, the always adorable Kristin Chenoweth from Pushing Daisies, but any happiness from that win was stripped away once the Supporting Actor in a Comedy trophy went to Jon Cryer. I had predicted a win for him, but mainly as a joke about how bad the Emmys can sometimes be. They proved me right. What is it about NPH that stops them from giving him the prize? I was happy Lost's Emerson picked up the prize for Supporting Actor in a Drama, though my own pick would have been Aaron Paul, and while I love Glenn Close on Damages and Bryan Cranston on Breaking Bad, I kind of wish they hadn't repeated their wins from last year. The same goes for Alec Baldwin and his Best Actor in a Comedy win. Seriously, will Carrell ever get the award. The big prizes for Comedy and Drama Series went to deserving winners 30 Rock and Mad Men. I was worried Mad Men would lose, as it had only picked up one trophy at the Creative Arts Emmys, for hairstyling, and only one other Emmy last night for writing. I thought there could have been a backlash against so much attention being paid toward a cable television series. You know the networks are steamed about being shut out of most categories these last two years, but hey that's what happens when you fill you're schedules with a bunch of crime and medical procedurals.

Ryan Reynolds Is the Green Lantern

from Variety: Ryan Reynolds has landed the role of Hal Jordan in the upcoming Green Lantern film. It's not an inspiring choice for the role. I'd actually prefer Bradley Cooper who was also in the running or Nathan Fillion. I also don't understand why Reynolds needs to carry two superhero franchises simultaneously - Deadpool being the other. There seems to be this need by every upcoming actor to appear in as many franchises as possible - Christian Bale, Shia Labeouf, and now Reynolds. Spread the wealth! I'm now more interested in who the producers cast for the rest of the Green Lantern Corps, and there better be a Green Lantern Corp, since it's the best part of the series.

Bradley's crying because he didn't get the part.

Sunday Blessings - Ryan Reynolds

The focus of today's Sunday Blessings is actor Ryan Reynolds, star of the just released rom-com The Proposal, which had a surprisingly successfull opening weekend. Tomorrow, I'll talk more about its success and why I'm happy for it, but today is all about Ryan Reynolds. The actor got his start on the really bad sitcom Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, which became simply Two Guys and a Girl for its second or third season. Apparently the pizza place wasn't necessary. I hate to admit it, but I actually watched the series for three of its four seasons, and I'm guessing primarily because of its attractive cast, since it sure as hell wasn't for the writing. The show did have some good eye-candy. Besides Reynolds, there was Richard Ruccolo, Nathan "Captain Tightpants" Fillion, Traylor Howard, Jennifer Westfeldt and Tiffani Thiessen. Anyway, I'm kind of surprised by Reynolds' lasting power in the industry. He was entertaining enough with the material he had on Two Guys..., but I didn't see any great potential in him. So... either I was entirely wrong at the time, or he got better over the last few years. The man did put in his dues, appearing in a number films that became cult favorites - Dick (yay!) Harold and Kumar, Waiting (ehh) and Van Wilder (eww!) - before getting roles in higher profile pictures with varying degrees of success. While I may not have been a fan of these sorts of films (Blade 3? Pass!) or his performances, I do appreciate Reynolds' means of marketing himself. By that I mean, appearing on every magazine shirtless with a rocking body. Oh dear god the abs on that man! I have to give props to any actor who tries to court sex symbol status for career advancement by appearing in photospreads in various stages of undress. Reynolds, Chris Evans, Seann William Scott - it's all good, except not you Matthew McConaughey - seriously, put a shirt on! Most actresses wind up being objectified, so I don't understand why actors shouldn't have to endure the same. Women and gay men everywhere appreciate the partial nudity, so Reynolds, keep up the good work. Amen.

Best of the TV Season: Acting

Since the upcoming Emmys will expand their categories to fit six nominees rather than five, I decided to do the same. I'm not exactly sure on category placement for certain shows or actors, so I went my own way - I'll consider Castle a drama and all actors on Southland supporting.

Best Actor - Drama:
Bryan Cranston - Mad Men
Nathan Fillion - Castle
Jon Hamm - Breaking Bad
Edward James Olmos - Battlestar Galactica
Jason O'Mara - Life on Mars
Jeremy Renner - The Unusuals

Best Actress - Drama:
Glenn Close - Damages
Sally Field - Brother & Sisters
January Jones - Mad Men
Mary McDonnell - Battlestar Galactica
Elizabeth Moss - Mad Men
Jill Scott - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Best Supporting Actor - Drama:
Michael Cudlitz - Southland
Michael Emerson - Lost
Lucian Msamati - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
John Noble - Fringe
Dean Norris - Breaking Bad
Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

Best Supporting Actress - Drama:
Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad
Marcia Gay Harden - Damages
Christina Hendricks - Mad Men
Regina King - Southland
Anika Noni Rose - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Katee Sackhoff - Battlestar Galactica

Best Actor - Comedy:
Alec Baldwin - Pushing Daisies
Kyle Bornheimer - Worst Week
Steve Carrell - The Office
Charlie Day - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Zachary Levi - Chuck
Lee Pace - Pushing Daisies

Best Actress - Comedy:
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Anna Friel - Pushing Daisies
Eva Longoria Parker - Desperate Housewives
Kaitlin Olson - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Amy Poehler - Parks & Recreation

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy:
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
Hamish Linklater - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Jack McBrayer - 30 Rock
Chi McBride - Pushing Daisies
Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
Paul Schneider - Parks & Recreation

Best Supporting Actress - Comedy:
Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies
Jenna Fischer - The Office
Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
Melissa McCarthy - Samantha Who?
Becki Newton - Ugly Betty
Wanda Sykes - The New Adventures of Old Christine

Nathan Fillion on Craig Ferguson

If you were able to catch last night's episode of The Late Show with Craig Ferguson (thank you Tivo), you had a chance to see actor Nathan Fillion don a leather kilt. Let me just say, Nathan Fillion = sexy, a kilt = sexy, Nathan Fillion in a kilt = DAMN sexy! That man has some meaty legs. The picture on the left isn't from last nights show (I didn't get a shot of that), but he's wearing the same leather kilt. Apparently he's willing to wear a kilt in public more than once. I definitely approve.

Sunday Blessings - Nathan Fillion

Today's edition of Sunday Blessings is devoted to Nathan Fillion, star of ABC's new series Castle. However, no matter how many television series or films he appears in, Fillion will forever be, in my eyes, Captain Tight-Pants. Sigh....I really liked Firefly. The character's actual name, of course, was Mal Reynolds, but the nickname given to him by Kaylee (I believe, but I might be wrong) fits perfectly. Fillion filled out those tight pants nicely, and anyone who watched the episode "Trash" on DVD, also knows he doesn't disappoint when not wearing them. As I mentioned earlier, he's currently on the series Castle, playing the role of a novelist who helps a detective, played by Stana Katic, solve crimes. While Fillion is entertaining, he oozes charisma without really trying, the show itself is only so-so. The series wants to develop a love-hate relationship between the two leads, eventually having them become a couple somewhere down the line. Fillion plays the role of pursuer/aggitator well, but Katic has very little chemistry with him. She's sort of lifeless in the role, and the premise is kind of annoying as it draws out the potential courtship of the characters. The series would be much better if Katic and Fillion just got it on right away. That way the show could explore the repercussions, and depict a love-hate relationship where there is at least sex. Who wouldn't want to see a half-naked Nathan Fillion is bed every week? No one I tell you. Praise Jesus!