2012 Emmy Predictions: Drama

Yesterday we discussed all the categories in the comedy field.  Today let's look at the actors competing for drama.

SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS

Anna Gunn as Skyler White in "Breaking Bad"
Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham in "Downton Abbey"
Joanne Froggatt as Anna in "Downton Abbey"
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma in "The Good Wife"
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart in "The Good Wife"
Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway Harris in "Mad Men"

Right away you can take away the two actresses from "The Good Wife" which is a shame because both actresses do well on the show, they just can't deal with the same themes that the other shows do on cable.  If I had to pick one of the actresses from "Downton Abbey" I would have to pick Maggie Smith as the superior actress as the Countess, but she just won last year in the miniseries category.  I'm glad to see Anna Gunn finally nominated, but never deserved the award as much as she did this past season.  Unfortunately season five isn't for consideration, season four is.  So while I fully expect her to win next year for the scene below, she can't win yet but voters may forget about that.  Christina Hendricks is who I believe deserves the win, she has been nominated four times in the past.  The episode she submitted was also the same one Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss submitted and its a Joan centric episode, "The Other Woman" is a heartbreaking episode and worth the watch and she deserves the win for it, but Maggie Smith may just take the award anyway.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrtyYCWjR0s]

SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in "Breaking Bad"
Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo 'Gus' Fring in "Breaking Bad"
Brendan Coyle as John Bates in "Downton Abbey"
Jim Carter as Mr. Carson in "Downton Abbey"
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in "Game of Thrones"
Jared Harris as Lane Pryce "Mad Men"

The "Downton Abbey" actors are out of their league in this category. It includes two past winners and two who very much deserve the win.  I would think because  Aaron Paul and Peter Dinklage have won in the past and probably had better seasons the previous years would not be serious contenders, though each episode they submitted were fantastic.  Dinklage submitted Blackwater which features a fantastic speech before a major battle which is what won him the award last year.  While Aaron Paul features a tense standoff between him and his partner, Walt.  When I think of this past season of "Breaking Bad" though I always think of Gus especially the last image of him from that season.  He was fantastic all year, as was Jared Harris who has a heartbreaking arc this season.  His episode also featured a very funny moment for him before the inevitable conclusion.  But Giancarlo Esposito had a better all around season and for that will get the win and become the first Afrian-American to win the award in this category.

DRAMA ACTRESS

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes in "Damages"
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley in "Downton Abbey"
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in "The Good Wife"
Kathy Bates as Harriet Korn in "Harry's Law"
Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison in "Homeland"
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in "Mad Men"

Claire Danes is going to win for "Homeland."  The show is amazing and it is all her.  The episode she submits is called "The Vest" and it features an emotional breakdown which Emmy voters love.  But her last moments of the episode is what clinches the award.

DRAMA ACTOR

Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson in "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston as Walter White in "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in "Dexter"
Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham in "Downton Abbey"
Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody in "Homeland"
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in "Mad Men"

What is really impressive about this other inevitable win is that now Bryan Cranston has never lost the award.  Last year he was ineligable due to when the shows came out.  But he is now three for three and for anyone who saw this scene you realized immediately that this was not only a special actor but a once in a generation show.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMEq1mGpP5A]

P.S. Why is Dexter still on television.

DRAMA SERIES

"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"Mad Men" (AMC)

This has been the "Mad Men" award for the past several years now, but could this finally be the year "Breaking Bad" takes down the king?  "Mad Men" was on point this season, and just as good as the previous years, my only knock on the show would be that it had too many final gotcha moments at the end of episodes that made it seem more like just another dramatic series than an analysis of society in the sixties in comparison to today.  Where as "Breaking Bad" has gone above and beyond.  And I didn't think it was possible to get any better.  Two years ago when the shows clashed I thought that "Breaking Bad" would win for Best Series as it was a down year for Don Draper and the gang where as "Breaking Bad" was on the rise of greatness.  Now there is no doubt what is the best series.  I know Emmy voters are loyal but it would be a crime to give the award to anyone else.  "Breaking Bad" is the greatest show on television and should win the award.  All hail the king.

Who do you think will win? Let me know and hit me up on twitter for your take on the Emmy Awards as they happen.  Thanks for putting up with me.  For that below is Neil Patrick Harris doing one of his many great musical numbers from 2009.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT1DZVn5h2Y]

Emmy Predictions 2012: Comedy

The Emmy Awards are this Sunday. And for those of you that don't watch nearly as much TV as I do but want to have an informed opinion here are who I think will win the awards. First up lets talk about the comedies.

SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR

Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in "Modern Family"
Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker in "Modern Family"
Max Greenfield as Schmidt in "New Girl"
Bill Hader as various characters in "Saturday Night Live"

Usually what happens is when several actors from the same show compete in the same category they steal each others votes.  In this case it allows voters to see more scenes from those actors who may only submit one episode each. This hurts Max Greenfield the most as Schmidt in New Girl steals literally every show and is the main reason this show is any kind of good. What hurts the most about this category is not seeing Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson here from Parks and Recreation, he should win this category easy but can't even get nominated because for some reason Jesse Ferguson keeps getting on the ballot. In the end it should come down to Ed O' Neil who is somehow still Emmy-less and Ty Burrell who won last year. Burrell really is the lead character on the show but because the show is an ensemble piece everyone submits in the supporting category. O'Neill submitted his episodes with the most heart, while Burrell was outright funny in his and for that reason I think Burrell will win.

SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS

Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler in "The Big Bang Theory"
Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey in "Desperate Housewives"
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in "Modern Family"
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow in "Nurse Jackie"
Kristen Wiig as various characters in "Saturday Night Live"

This could be the toughest category where really four of the six could win.  You can toss out Merritt Wever immediately mostly because the other women are so strong.  Mayiam Bialik started out as a guest star and is now considered a series regular, and while the episode she submitted involving a tiara is actually funny, she is still not in the episode all that much. The same is the case for Kathryn Joosten who passed away earlier this year, she has won Emmys before but it has never been in this category, but unfortunately Emmy voters usually don't get too sentimental.  It seems like it could come down to the reigning champion Julie Bowen and Krieten Wiig in her SNL swan song.   Kristen Wiig helped elevate SNL to new heights and when we look back I inagine her name will be one we remember, but the episode gets kind of sappy and her graduation moment with Mick Jagger is an average moment.  Where as once again Julie Bowen is outright funny.  If I had to pick one I would say Julie Bowen will win, but don't be surprised if Wiig walks away with the award.

COMEDY ACTOR

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in "The Big Bang Theory"
Larry David as Himself in "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan in "House of Lies"
Louis C.K. as Louie in "Louie"
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in "30 Rock"
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in "Two and a Half Men"

Forget the rest this is a two man race.  It is down to Jim Parsons and Louis C.K. and god does "Louie" deserve it.  This may be one of the smartest comedies out there.  For those still shying away, I understand, it can be an uncomfortable show to watch, sometimes there isn't one funny moment in the episode.  The show stands on its own and is just great television.  For those of you who have Netflix I encourage you to go back and watch this series.  He deserves this win for this show, since it somehow didn't get nominated as best series.  That being said I'm sure somehow Jim Parsons will win for "The Big Bang Theory" because people like stupid things.  That's not true, its not all stupid I just don't find this show funny and am amazed when people do, it does have its bright spots and like every Chuck Lorre show he finds fantastic actors to deliver his one or two funny lines in the episode which rely on snark and being loud. On the flip side at least Parsons is playing someone else unlike Louie who is playing a version of himself, and no actor has ever won for playing themselves.  For being a show about science there are a lot of smarter shows out there than "The Big Bang Theory," such as "Louie."  But the better actor is probably Jim Parsons because he is, you know, acting.

COMEDY ACTRESS

Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in "Girls"
Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in "Mike & Molly"
Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day in "New Girl"
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton in "Nurse Jackie"
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in "Parks and Recreation"
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in "Veep"

HOW HAS AMY POEHLER NEVER WON.  A writer, a supporting actress on SNL and now as lead in "Parks and Recreation."  She has deserved it ten times over, and got upset by Melissa McCarthy last year when she likely won the award more for her performance in "Bridesmaids" than she did for "Mike and Molly."  Zooey Deschanel is irresistibly charming, loved my tons of fans, and the critics all like "New Girl."  Julia Louis Dreyfus could also win as a perennial Emmy favorite and a highly stylized show with "Veep."  But I'm going with my heart on this one, that being said I'm sure it is meant to be broken.

COMEDY SERIES

"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Girls" (HBO)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Veep" (HBO)

"Modern Family" has won the past three years because the show is charming, heartfelt, family-friendly, and funny to boot.  "Girls" could be a contender in the future but the show has to develop more and was more worried about investing viewers in the characters.  If the actor's contract negotiations had gone on longer that could have left a sour note in people's mouths but it didn't so expect "Modern Family" to win the award again.

What do you think?  Do you think I guessed right?  Do you believe "The Big Bang Theory" is the greatest thing since you were able to slice a wheat compound? Let me know.  And tomorrow we'll discuss all the Dramas.

For A Good Time Call...

There has been a resurgence in funny female led comedies.  With stars like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler writing wonderful television, Girls getting critical acclaim on HBO and movies like Bridesmaids it's the perfect time for women everywhere to capitalize and show what they can do.  That is what writer and star Lauren Miller did, she worked alongside her friend Katie Anne Naylon who took her real life experiences as a phone sex operator in college and used that for the basis of two girls growing friendship as they grow their business in New York City.  I can actually hear the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show playing in my head.  For A Good Time Call... is a sweet enough movie and tries its best to be raunchy but really flourishes when you see a familiar face.

Miller stars as the uptight Lauren who from the film's outset is dumped by her boyfriend who she is living with and finds herself needing a place to live.  Meanwhile Katie, played by Ari Graynor can no longer afford her apartment by herself.  How do we remedy this problem just call in your BFF gay matchmaker, played outstandingly as he always does in this type of role by Justin Long, and boom he solves both problems in one fell swoop.  Obviously these two girls hate each other at first but at a running time of a little under 90 minutes we don't have time to hold grudges.

Overall the movie is a platonic love story about two women.  What makes the movie though is the raunchy dirty talk that is sprinkled throughout.  The girls are funniest when on the phone talking to their John's and telling them what they want to hear.  While they are great, it's even better seeing the guys on the other side as they were able to get some really funny cameos.  These interactions are laugh out loud funny, and watching these familiar faces really get into it are wonderfully surprising to see in a low budget movie like this.  These cameos alongside the performance of Justin Long who stole every scene he was in as the gay best friend were the best parts of the movie.

In order to get one of these big name actors it turns out someone on the cast had to sleep with a big name actor.  I talked to Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller, Katie Naylor and Jamie Travis the cast and crew of For A Good Time Call... And to hear that story, how this movie came to be and what it was like premiering at Sundance click here.

The movie has a rather typical falling out and resolution in the third act and that is when the movie falls flat, especially in the waning moment of the movie which contains so many double-entendres it is laughable.  While there are some raunchy parts in the first hour of the movie, nothing is all that dangerous.  While there is dirty talk and some toys flaunted around, by today's standards this just fits the regular mold of today's comedies.  But that doesn't make it any less funny.

The movie is really charming, and while the hearty laughs probably stop after the hour and then is replaced by a trite conflict and silly resolution throughout it remains cute.  Don't be surprised to be seeing a lot more of Ari Graynor she is a real talent and it comes out through the screen.  While not a must see movie, if you need something to clear your mind and be care free for about 90 minutes this is the perfect fluff movie to see.  B-