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.

"Shmemmys" Handed Out

Over the weekend, the Creative Arts Emmys, or the Shmemmys, were handed out at a ceremony hosted by Kathy Griffin. The awards show was taped and will air next weekend on the E! channel, so I do look forward to watching it. Sadly, Kathy did not win the prize for Best Reality Series, losing to A&E's Intervention. I suppose you can't win every year, unless you're named The Amazing Race, and last summer's season of My Life on the D-list wasn't the strongest, so its not too big of a loss. It will definitely provide her with a lot of fodder, and she'll most likely win again next year if she submits either the Prop 8 or Maggie's bucket list episode. In the other categories, Tina Fey deservably won for Best Guest Actress for her appearance as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, and Pushing Daisies was a big winner, taking home three trophies for Costumes, Make Up, and Art Direction. It's kind of ridiculous the show didn't recieve a nomination for Best Comedy Series. Mad Men, on the other hand, only picked up one trophy for Hairstyling, which makes me worry it doesn't have enough support to win Best Drama Series next weekend. Though really, the Emmy awards often make very little sense.

Emmy Nomination Reactions

The Emmy nominations were announced yesterday morning, and there were a number of surprises, but also a good deal of disappointments - it is the Emmys afterall. In their last chance to award Battlestar Galactica, the Emmy voters decided to ignore it once again, with its only major nomination being for direction. I actually thought the show had a chance of picking up a surprise Drama Series nod, as Star Trek: The Next Generation had received a nomination for it's last season, but alas that was not the case. The really surprising shutout, however, belongs to True Blood, which didn't receive any major nominations. HBO had really been pushing the series, but as I had suspected, it had a problem connecting with the voters, being both a genre show and very, very gay. It didn't even get a writing or direction nom, which is where I thought it would make an appearance, since the Emmys seemed to like Alan Ball. Oh well, better luck next year. Even though I love both series, Mad Men and 30 Rock dominating the writing categories, each getting four out of the five nods, is kind of ridiculous. They're we're a number of other series that deserved at least one writing nod. Anyway, a run through of the major categories:

Best Drama Series:
Big Love
Breaking Bad
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

This year they expanded the categories to six nominees, which of course means we wind up with seven nominees. They seriously need to rewrite the rules to prevent ties. Anyway, cable doninated the category with five of the seven nominees. The networks are probably grumbling, but hey, maybe they should do better quality work. Fox should feel lucky it even got the House nod, since it clearly shouldn't be a part of this lineup. Mad Men will win this in a landslide, since I can't figure out what could challenge it, and the series easily deserves the win. A Breaking Bad win would also make me happy, but I don't think it has the same support in the industry.

Lead Actor - Drama:
Simon Baker - The Mentalist
Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House

I'm almost shocked by the James Spader snub, seeing as it was the final season of Boston Legal and the Emmys have loved the performance for some unknown reason. As for the men who did receive nods, I think all but Michael C. Hall as a chance of winning. If I had to, I'd put my money on Jon Hamm, but then I think that if they wanted to award him, they'd have done it last year. Maybe he's just too pretty for them to reward. My second guess would be Baker, in a surprise similar to Patricia Arquette's bizarre win for the first season of Medium.

Lead Actress - Drama:
Glenn Close - Damages
Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order: SVU
Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

As expected they ignored the two best leading lady performances - Mary McDonnell and January Jones. Damn you Emmy voters! I'm happy for Elisabeth Moss's nod, I just wish they had room for both Mad Men ladies. Did Hargitay need another nomination for a character who hasn't really grown in a while? Expect Close to win again, though I wish it was Moss, just for the scene in the finale where she tells Pete she had his baby.

Supporting Actror - Drama:

Christian Clemenson - Boston Legal

Michael Emerson - Lost

William Hurt - Damages

Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

William Shatner - Boston Legal
John Slattery - Mad Men

Yippee! Aaron Paul got a well deserved nomination. Of course, the Emmys had to ruin it by giving two nods to the men of Boston Legal. I know, I know - I like to rag on that show, but I find it overly awarded. Paul deserves the win, but I'd be happy with a Emerson, Slattery or Hurt win as well, but since this is the Emmys, expect Shatner to take the prize.

Supporting Actress - Drama:
Rose Byrne - Damages
Hope Davis - In Treatment
Cherry Jones - 24
Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest - In Treatment
Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy

There were some serious surprises in this category, as they ignored previous favorites rachel Griffiths, Candice Bergen, and Katherine Heigl. Unfortunately they also ignored the best supporting actress turn by Marcia Gay Harden, but they voted for Rose Byrne. I like, not love, Byrne on Damages, but in no way is she a supporting character. She is most definitley the lead, as the series centers around her and her relationship with Close's Patty Hewes. Oy. I don't think there's a single front-runner in the category, as any of them could take the prize, but since she won last year, I'll guess Wiest.

Best Comedy Series:
30 Rock
Enourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
Weeds

Again with the seven nominees, but hey, at least they threw out Two and a Half Men. Poor Pushing Daisies - no nod again, even though it was the best comedy series on television. The Emmys also seem to seriously dislike Desperate Housewives. Seven nominees and still no room for the ladies of Wisteria Lane. I actually think that if the show was submitted in the drama categories it would get some nods. Yay for How I Met Your Mother, but boo to Family Guy. I'm a casual viewer of the series, but even I admit this past season sucked, and the fact it has a Best Comedy Series nod while The Simpsons doesn't is a travesty. The Weeds nod I just find weird, as it finally received a nomination for its least successful season. 30 Rock will win, duh!

Best Actor - Comedy:
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Jermaine Clement - Flight of the Conchords
Tony Shaloub - Monk
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory
Steve Carrell - The Office
Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men

They ignored his show in the Best Comedy Series category, but they still had to nominate Charlie Sheen, and over Lee Pace no less. Argh. I find it funny they nominated one of the guys from Flight of the Conchords over the other, when it seems a both or neither type situation. Baldwin will win this again, though I think Carrell deserves it this season for the Michael Scott Paper Company plotline.

Lead Actress - Comedy:
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
Toni Collette - The United States of Tara
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds
Sarah Silverman - The Sarah Silverman Program

This is a pretty good line up, and I have no real complaints. I just wish they'd found room for Amy Poehler for Parks & Recreation. The Sarah Silverman nomination still has me chuckling. The fact they can appreciate her brand of humor, gives me some hope in the Emmy voters. I'd say Fey easily walks away with this again, seeing as how Emmy voters haven't yet got their love for her out of their systems. I think she may one day be the winningest female actress.

Supporting Actor - Comedy:
Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillion - Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
Jack McBrayer - 30 Rock
Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
Rainn Wilson - The Office

They really seemed to go gangbusters for 30 Rock this year, with two nominations in this category, but the true shock is Jeremy Piven's omission. I guess the whole fiasco over leaving Speed the Plow because of "food-poisoning" from sushi, actually affected peoples' views of him. This clearly puts the win up for grabs, but I'm leaning towards Harris, as love for him seems to be growing. Plus it would be cool to see the host win an award.

Supporting Actress - Comedy:
Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies
Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
Elizabeth Perkins - Weeds
Amy Poehler - Saturday Night Live
Kristin Wiig - Saturday Night Live
Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty

Hands down, this is the best set of nominees this year, even without a nod for Jenna Fischer. I'm excited that they finally nominated Krakowski, and that they nominated Wiig and not just Poehler. Since last year's winner, Jean Smart, wasn't even nominated, the trophy can go to anyone. I'd give it to one of the singing ladies, Chenoweth or Krakowksi, but I'm guessing the actual winner will be Poehler for her last season on Saturday Night Live.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Having missed it in theatres last year, I watched Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day last night on Tivo. It's an entertaining, if slight, film, and it reminded me how much I adored Frances McDormand, Lee Pace (oh God how I miss Pushing Daisies!), and Amy Adams. I don't believe Adams actually gets enough credit as an actress. She's often criticized for playing the same naive type in every film, but I wouldn't consider her character Delysia as naive, since she knows exactly how to sleep her way to success. In reality, it's a very Marilyn Monroe type performance. The true stand out of the film, however, is Scottish character actress Shirley Henderson, playing the manipulative Edythe, her usual babydoll voice coming off quite sinister. It's too bad she didn't gain any awards buzz for the performance.

One Show Opens, Another Closes

Thanks to Tivo, I was finally able to catch up on this past weekend's programming - the season premiere of True Blood and the series finale of Pushing Daisies (cry). True Blood was, of course, deliciously entertaining. We found Lafayette still alive, but chained in a dungeon below Fangtasia, at the mercy of Eric. The sight of Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) with his hair in foil, while killing the redneck, was a hilarious detail. Michelle Forbes is a great addition to the cast - I think I'm going to make "Nobody needed towels," my new catch phrase. Based upon the books, it's unlikely she'll make it to the third season, which always seems to happen with the actress. She also had roles on the second seasons of 24 and Battlestar Galactica, but didn't make it to the third season. I wish just once she'd be a permanent fixture on a series, as I always find her entertaining.

The last episode of Pushing Daisies also aired this weekend, and I'm still saddened by its departure (I'm also mad, damn you ABC!). The series ended on one hell of a cliffhanger, with Vivian discovering Lily had had an affair with her former fiance and Chuck was the result, plus Chuck finally revealed herself to Vivian and Lily, arriving at their doorstep with Ned. Shocker. In a brief epilogue, the series told that Emerson was reunited with his daughter, and Olive fell in love with Randy Mann and opened her own macaroni and cheese restaurant. We were then treated to an aerial tour of Coeur d'Coeurs and all the sights the characters visited throughout the series, ending with Digby running though a field of daisies. I'm gonna miss you Pushing Daisies! At least it's confirmed creator Bryan Fuller will do a twelve issue comic series, which will essentially be the shows third season. Let's pray a movie will also be in the works somewhere down the line.

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

Best of the TV Season: Top Ten (Part 2)

5. 30 Rock (NBC)
30 Rock ranks this high simply for being the funniest series on television. Every episode ellicits at least three boisterous laughs from me, which is by no means a small feat. The series might have been criticized this season for being too guest-star heavy, but while several episodes did incorporate celebrity guests, they were for the most part well utilized, the exceptions being Steve Martin and Salma Hayak. Hayak's plotline would actually have worked well had it only covered two or three episodes. This season benefited from better usage of Jane Krakowski as the needy, egotistical, and almost delusional Girlie Show actress Jenna Maroney. Last season Jane's Jenna was often on the periphery, or just plain absent, from the episodes, but this season she had two hilarious, ongoing plotlines, playing Janis Joplin in a biopic, and finding success with a popular catchphrase, and had a chance to sing in a number of episodes. If you hire a Tony winning actress for your series, you better let her sing.

4. Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Why did you have to cancel this series ABC? I'm still highly upset over the network's handling of the program. It could have maintained decent enough ratings had the show only come back after last year's writers strike, rather than being kept off the air until the next season. Whatever; what's done is done. I'm going to miss every quirky moment of this series, it's dark underside camoflauged by bright colored sets and costumes, and rapidly spoken dialogue. I'm going to miss the romance between Ned and Chuck, the pie-shaped restaurant appropriately named The Pie Hole, the Charles sisters, but most of all I'm going to miss Olive Snook, the adorable waitress pining for Ned, played by the equally adorable Kristin Chenoweth. Sob.

3. Battlestar Galactica (SciFi)
The SciFi series came to a close this season, airing its last ten episodes, and boy did it go out a bang. A grandly staged battle between the Galactica and the Cylon's base led to a brief truce, which collapsed under human/cylon psychodrama. The humans find a new "Earth," our Earth thousands of years in the past, and Hera proves to be the ancestor of all humans. Then there's President Roslin, played magnificently by Mary McDonnell, who, once finding a home, succumbs to her cancer. I'll admit it - I cried. The series also chose not to explain everything, retaining a sense of mystery around it. What exactly was Kara, what happened to the Cylons once they left the humans on Earth, and who or what was the God/Supreme Being/Force intervening in these character lives? Lost could learn a lot from the Battlestar Galactica's finale. When you're bringing an epic series to a close, make the finale epic, and don't force an explanation for every mystery, leave some wonder.

2. Breaking Bad (AMC)
The first season of Breaking Bad showed signs of a promising series, but there was always the sense its concept, a high school chemistry teacher dying from cancer decides to sell chrystal meth to support his family, would limit its scope. Season 2, however, has proven this wrong. The series benefited from expanding its focus beyond Walt, delving deeper into the supporting characters. While Jesse was often used as comic relief in the first season, he's become the voice of reason in many instances, opposing Walt's grander schemes. Skyler is no longer the dutiful, trusting wife. She realizes Walt has been lying to her, and is willing to confront him, while rebeling in her own ways. Hank, Walt's brother-in-law and DEA agent, has probably expanded the most. During the first season, he wasn't so much a character, as a concept, providing a sense of danger and irony, but given a promotion in the DEA, Hank is now shown as a reluctant hero, who may be in over his head. The series also benefits from refusing to allow easy situations. Most of Walt's and Jesse's plans to expand their business fall through, because ultimately, these characters still have no idea what they're doing.

1. Mad Men (AMC)
How bizarre is it that AMC has the two best series on television? Who'da thunk it? Choosing my number one program was the easiest decision on the list. Nothing on the air can compare with Mad Men. Hell, most films couldn't compare with Mad Men. IT'S SOOOO BRILLIANT! But, anyway... the second season proved creator/writer Matthew Weiner had more to say about these characters and the time period. Most great shows often fumble during their second outing, not finding their footing after the initial concept is explored in the first season. The series was aided by having a leap of time between the seasons. We get to discover the events that led to the characters' positions in season two, without having to witness them. And while, Don Draper is the central character of the series, and its thesis, the most interesting aspects of the show, are its women. The characters Peggy, Betty, and Joan represent archetypes of women in the early sixites - the newly ambitious working girl, the dutiful wife, and the husband-seeking single gal, but through the season, we see these women struggle with their society given identities. Few other shows are able to write such strong female characters.

ABC, Pushing Daisies, Life on Mars

Well that's it. ABC has decided not to renew Pushing Daisies, with the thirteenth episode of the season being its final. Initially there were reports that the show might have a shortened season of 13 episodes, but get renewed for a third season and relaunched in the fall. Apparently that's not going to happen. Damn it! Pushing Daisies was a great show, and the only reason it faltered in the ratings was because ABC handled it poorly. During its first season, the series averaged around 8 to 9 million viewers. When the writers strike happened, the network decided to take it off the air and not bring it back until the start of the new season, which was idiotic since how could the series build interest and discussion if it's not on the air for eight months. Then the network decided to keep its Wednesday Night lineup exactly the same, with Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, and Dirty Sexy Money, even though all had been new shows the previous season, none of them became breakout hits, and none of them aired episodes after the writers strike. Duh! ABC you make me so mad!

While I'm talking about ABC, let me talk about another great show on ABC, with ratings troubles of its own, Life on Mars. I'm watching it last night, and its coming to the end of the episode and it goes off into this weird, almost Lynchian direction, where Sam is led to a cabin/shack, a phone rings and the person on the other end tells him to go into the basement. Then it just ends and I'm thinking, I can't wait until next week to see what happens, but a commercial comes on saying the next episode won't air until the end of January, after the season premiere of Lost. Nooooooooooooooooooooooo! Why do I have to wait so long! At least ABC realized the show would be better matched with Lost than Grey's Anatomy. Hopefully it will have higher ratings, get renewed and finish its story, even if it's only in two seasons.