- For the first time ever, no network show is nominated for Best Drama Series (Good Wife did not make the cut), though PBS gets in with Downton Abbey. (Other nominees are Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, and Homeland.)
- Likewise, HBO has 3 of 6 nominees for Best Comedy--Girls, Veep, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, with Modern Family, 30 Rock, and Big Bang Theory filling out the category (no nomination for Parks and Rec? ). Modern Family goes 6 for 6, with every adult in the cast getting an acting nomination.
- Notable snubs--Glee (Dot-Marie Jones is the only major nominee), Smash (Uma Thurman is the only major nominee, though it gets choreography, score, and an original song nod for "Let Me Be Your Star"), Parks and Rec (no love for any of the cast beyond Poehler).
- Notable surprises--Don Cheadle, lead actor in a comedy for House of Lies, Mayim Bialik, Merritt Wever, Community getting nominated for writing for "Remedial Chaos Theory," Downton Abbey getting 6 acting nominations and not merely Maggie Smith, much love for Breaking Bad beyond Cranston/Paul. Jason Ritter being the first and only person from Parenthood to get a nomination.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
APPARENTLY, THEY ARE NOT AS BIG A FAN OF MUSICALS AS WE'D THOUGHT: A few thoughts about this morning's Emmy nominations:
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BBC America continues it's awful practice of submitting series as mini-series since those are easier categories, I see (Hours, Luthor and Sherlock). Also snubbed, Louie for best comedy series which is just all kinds of nuts.
ReplyDeleteThat said, Mayim Bialik getting nominated makes me all sorts of happy. Tiaras for everyone!
Sherlock is actually submitted as a movie, not a miniseries, and only one "episode" was submitted (Scandal in Belgravia).
ReplyDeleteNo best comedy nod for Parks & Rec makes me want to shoot babies. This season was one of the best all-around comedy show seasons ever.
ReplyDeleteUGH. That's even worse! Seriously, sbumitting one episode of the second season of a series as a TV movie? (One small correction to an error I made thoughl Sherlock being submitted this weirdly would be PBS's fault, not BBC America. So they're both horrible in this.)
ReplyDeleteI think it's a shame that Mayim finally gets a much-deserved nomination for her works as Amy Farrah Fowler and she's almost certainly going to lose to the dead sentimental favorite, Kathryn Joosten. Who's probably gettng the award really for Mrs. Landingham, right?
ReplyDeleteAs if I weren't annoyed enough by all things Downton Abbey, they had to go and steal a bunch of acting nominations from our homegrown Americans! And they didn't even save one for their American! Glad that Breaking Bad got a whole lot of attention, even though Justified's actors got crowded out.
ReplyDeleteParks was good but not great this year, and I never understand the hand-wringing when its supporting cast gets "snubbed". I love me some Ron Swanson, but it is not an award-worthy feat for Nick Offerman to play a funnier version of Nick Offerman.
Why do I pay attention to this? I don't seem to understand what they are looking for when they nominate. Is it popularity (Modern Family)? Is it great work (Breaking Bad)? Or is it all about Hollywood stars (Best Actress in a Drama series)? Whatever it is, the nominations never seem to align with what I watch (Community, Parks & Rec, Wilfred, Louis). I guess I should be pleased with the variety????
ReplyDeleteWhile I LOVED Sherlock, that is a strange category for it, Joseph. And Luther was unwatchable.
After Matt Weiner did just about everything he could to get Jessica Pare a nomination, Kathy Bates get another nom, and she doesn't? If Megan gets cancer this season, Emmy voters, you have noone to blame but yourselves.
ReplyDeleteMiniseries. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. As fantastic as both those shows are (and I loved Luther series 2), both have long ago had a third season announced. I can kinda buy the Sherlock's as tv movies, but there's no excuse for Luther.
ReplyDelete<span>Miniseries. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. As fantastic as both those shows are (and I loved Luther series 2), both have long ago had a third season announced. I can kinda buy the Sherlock's as tv movies, but there's no excuse for Luther. Same goes for the (almost as) great The Hour. And while on the subject of BBC America, no love for reigning BAFTA winner for best drama, The Fades.</span>
ReplyDeleteIs there anything more pointless than the Emmys? Pan Am has more career nominations than The Wire. Buffy, Freaks and Geeks, Friday Night Lights (until Chandler at the end), Veronica Mars, Deadwood (for anything non-technical), etc. I like a good TV debate as much as the next person, but as Andrea said above, I don't even know what they're judging. I don't know what world you have to live in where Parks and Rec or Louie aren't two of the best comedies on TV, but I'm glad I live where I do and not in whatever darkest timeline the Emmy voters reside in.
ReplyDeleteJoosten was quite good in the final few episodes of Desperate Housewives, but honestly, I think that category is going to be swapped between Bowen and Vergara for the foreseeable future, with Wiig having an outside shot this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'd call that a finally; Bialik was pretty much a glorified guest star for her first season, right? I think this last one is the first season where we can properly call her a supporting cast member (and god, such a great addition to the show; half the time last season, I was preferring antime Penny, Bernadette and Amy were hanging out with each other).
ReplyDeleteWait, Harry's Law is still on?
ReplyDeleteYes, the Grammys.
ReplyDeleteOoh! I see we also have to rip on Ashley Judd for this as well, nominated for best actresws, miniseries, for the cancelled SERIES "Missing."
ReplyDeleteI actually think they didn't screw up as badly this year as they normally do (still lots of WTF though.) I'm bummed but not surprised that Justified was shut out. And I think Mandy Patinkin deserved a nomination.
ReplyDeleteThere is some guidance on this. HBO tried to petition Season One of Luck as a miniseries and was denied, because there wasn't sufficient narrative closure. In order to be a movie or miniseries, the submission must tell a stand-alone story that is complete. That's certainly true for Scandal in Belgravia, Luther, and American Horror Story.
ReplyDeleteIf Bialik submits the episode with this scene, I'd say she's got a good shot, despite the sentiment for Joosten:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/8i_WpYc3YI4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
Indeed, Alan. I rewound that scene, oh, 6 times when it first aired.
ReplyDeleteBut if Luthor season 3 is coming up, I'd hardly call it a stand-alone story (not to mention the entire season that came before). I ujust think the academy needs to take a hard look at the miniseries category and maybe try to lay down some more reasonable rules.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Justified's season structure meets the standard for narrative closure for a miniseries.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch "Missing", but was there narrative closure there? A stand-alone story? The Ashley Judd nom is really the most ridiculous thing.
ReplyDeleteWhich group do you think is better? (a) Modern Family, Girls, Veep, Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm; or (b) Parks and Rec, Community, Louie, Archer, Cougar Town, Happy Endings, Archer (or, if you prefer, you can replace Cougar Town and/or Happy Endings with It's Always Sunny, Wilfred, and/or New Girl). Or break them into categories:
ReplyDeleteFeel-good optimism: MF vs. P&R
New York navel-gazing: Girls vs. Louie
Caustic joke factories: 30 Rock vs. Archer
Stunted adults developing unlikely, tenuous bonds: Big Bang Theory vs. Community
Grab Bag: Curb and Veep vs. field
I like some of the shows in group (a), but in the head-to-head, I've got it 5-1-1 (with Curb beating whatever the last two slots of group (b) are, and calling Veep a draw because I didn't watch it).
1. Larry David plays "himself," Louis C.K. plays "Louie."
ReplyDelete2. Carrie Preston, not Martha Plimpton, deserved the guest actress nod from TGW.
3. The Doonkleberry Imperative is nominated! As is <span>Dan Povenmire for Outstanding Voice Over Performance as Doctor Doofenshmirtz.</span>
I really hoped Mandy Patinkin would get nominated -- I just rewatched Homeland and he is so good. I continue to think that Claire Danes is a lock to win. She's so good in that show it's almost not fair.
ReplyDeleteWould have also loved to see Maisie Williams and/or Michelle Fairley nominated in the supporting category.
<span>Which group do you think is better? (a) Modern Family, Girls, Veep, Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm; or (b) Parks and Rec, Community, Louie, Archer, Cougar Town, Happy Endings, Archer (or, if you prefer, you can replace Cougar Town and/or Happy Endings with It's Always Sunny, Wilfred, and/or New Girl). Or break them into categories:
ReplyDeleteFeel-good optimism: MF vs. P&R
New York navel-gazing: Girls vs. Louie
Caustic joke factories: 30 Rock vs. Archer
Stunted adults developing unlikely, tenuous bonds: Big Bang Theory vs. Community
Grab Bag: Curb and Veep vs. field
I like some of the shows in group (a), but in the head-to-head, I've got it 4-1-1 in favor of group (b) (with Curb beating whatever the last two slots of group (b) are, and calling Veep a draw because I didn't watch it). </span>
And people still watch Damages?
ReplyDeleteI just don't watch that many of these shows, but I though Alfie Allen did some great work as Theon Greyjoy and I'd have love to have see him get a nod.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of disappointed Hugh Laurie didn't get an acting nomination. That last season of House was Not Good, but he was excellent as always.
ReplyDeleteThere was no room to nominate Patinkin - those spots were reserved for the 9th and 10th most significant members of the Downton ensemble.
ReplyDeleteRobert Sean Leonard also did fine work throughout the run of House and didn't even get a nomination, and he was certainly given the material for it this season.
ReplyDeleteLaurie will go down beside Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet and Steve Carell as Michael Scott in the "wait, they never won an Emmy for that role?" list (with Jon Hamm as Don Draper potentially joining that list).
Wow, the idea of Archer in the Emmy race is mind-blowing. And, though I don't watch Cougar Town and prefer Modern Family over Parks & Rec, I like Isaac's list a good bit better than the Emmy list. I guess my list would be Louie, Community, Modern Family, Curb, and Happy Endings.
ReplyDelete<span>Wow, the idea of Archer in the Emmy race is mind-blowing. And, though I don't watch Cougar Town and prefer Modern Family over Parks & Rec, I like Isaac's list a good bit better than the Emmy list. I guess my list would be Archer, Louie, Community, Modern Family, and Happy Endings, with an honorable mention to Curb.</span>
ReplyDeleteOnly 2 or 3 of the Emmy nominees would make my top 6 list, and somehow the two best comedies on television weren't nominated for Best Comedy. But there are a lot of good comedies on now, and while my taste is slightly different than the Emmy voters, I am surprised that Louie and Parks & rec were left out. I do think that 30 Rock had one of its best seasons this year, and, along with Curb, was one of the best comedies.
ReplyDeleteI'll disagree, because I think music tastes are way more divergent than television. The Grammys are almost impossible to do, when you consider that any assortment of Best Album or Song of the Year lists could look very different with the sprawl of genres. But I'm pretty sure 98% of informed television viewers and nearly every year-end list had Parks and Rec and Louie as one of the best shows - not even best comedy, best shows - on television and they don't get nominated.
ReplyDeletePlus, who watches the Grammys for the awards anyway? Isn't it about the performances? The Emmys serve absolutely zero purpose.
With six nominations for best comedy, they managed to maybe get two of the actual best comedies on TV. It's tremendous work, and I love Isaac's column B so much more.
ReplyDeleteI did watch "Missing", and (Spoilers, if anybody cares) there was some narrative closure, in that she got her son back, and the bad guy was killed. But then they turned around and threw a cliffhanger on it, where this time she gets kidnapped! It didn't feel like the end of the story, no matter what they say.
ReplyDeleteI will say that "The River", which tried the same thing but got no nominations, did feel more like a completed story, even if it left everybody still stuck on the boat.
I don't think I liked season 2 of Downton Abbey (or English accents) quite as much as Emmy voters.
ReplyDeleteSupporting Actor/Drama: I'm glad to see Giancarlo Esposito recognized for Breaking Bad, but surprised to see Walton Goggins dropped from the field. I would also have included Michael Pitt and/or John Slattery over Carson and Mr. Bates. Pitt and Goggins both bring and energy to their shows that is visible and different when they're on screen (and especially when they're playing against their respective leads.)
Oh, and I don't know where Mandy Pantinkin fits into this discussion, but he was very good on Homeland.
Tio!
Breaking Bad is one of the best dramas, best acted dramas, best directed, best edited, best cinematographed*, best sounding dramas, but not one of the best written. But the Emmys can give Mad Men the outstanding writing award without giving one to Matt Weiner (Commissions and Fees
Don Cheadle wins for best sound bite: http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/overlay/tk-and-more-react-to-emmy-award-nominations#9
Will Mrs. Coach win an Emmy for American Horror Story but not for FNL?
Top Chef Last Chance Kitchen was nominated for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - Enhancement to a Television Program or Series. I'm not sure that Last Chance Kitchen really enhanced the Top Chef experience, since the only time I watched it was to find out who would return to the finale, which was held over for the actual TV show. Not time well spent.
Modern Family was snubbed for supporting actor! How did Nolan Gould not get nominated? In what was otherwise a down season, every Luke bit (in the episodes that I saw) hit.
Top Chef Last Chance Kitchen was surprisingly enjoyable week to week. It had better, more straightforward food based challenges than the regular show, and it was mostly free of the noxious drama that ate up the show even when Bev showed up. Rooting for Nyesha's streak was fun, and the decision to bring the elimated chefs in as a peanut gallery was nice for the big guy who left first's commentary alone.
ReplyDeleteThat Don Cheadle quote is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, noticed in that slideshow that Portlandia got a writing nomination as well it should! Excellent!
I absolutely agree, and wish they'd make regular Top Chef a lot more like Last Chance.
ReplyDeletePut a bird on it!
ReplyDeleteAs last Glee fan standing, I'd like to bring attention to no nomination for Naya Rivera. Lots of love for her this year in the media indicating that she may be a first time nominee. That said, it's a comedy and her best work was dramatic. Her tweets this morning were gracious considering how many people told her she'd get nominated.
ReplyDeleteRashida Jones has tweeted about the P&R snub which I thought was cute.
I find Girls completely unwatchable. I'm in my mid-30s and I can't stand self-obsessed 20-something upper middle class white girls in real life. (Seriously, I now choose my chair at the pool closer to people with children than 20-something girls. I can't tolerate their whining and hair flipping. Also, I'd add "straight" into the description above but I fear I'm really sounding obnoxious!) No way am I watching them on tv. I seem to be in the minority on that though. Everyone else seems to think Lena Dunham is brilliant.
Ditto. And, of course, just watched it again.
ReplyDeleteAgree - I really enjoyed Last Chance Kitchen, and was very amused at the end when we knew somethign they didn't. I'm childish that way.
ReplyDeleteI had that reaction to the pilot of Girls. I twice got halfway through Hannah complaining about her parents "cutting her off" and had to turn it off. But my brother raved about it, and when I finally watched more than the first 10 minutes of the series, I really got into it. I don't think that Lena is holding up her characters as role models. They are clearly, deeply flawed. But they're also likable at times, recognizable even in awkward moments, and occasionally, they remind me of myself (or my younger self). They're human. I think it's a very specific perspective, but it's nuanced and also very funny.
ReplyDeleteI have not liked much of this season of Glee, but have to agree about Naya Rivera. She was by far the best thing about Glee this year.
ReplyDeleteI maintain, that just because a later season was announced, it does not preclude narrative closure. For that I submit Friday Night Lights. Also Lonesome Dove (and yes I know FNL was a series, but many seasons had serious narrative closure).
ReplyDeleteGuest was me.
ReplyDeleteChristy in Philly - I agree with you re: Girls. After watching the first 4 or 5 episodes, I mentioned to a friend that it's obvious I've aged out of the target demographic just based on how much the characters annoyed me.
ReplyDelete