There Are No Losers

Emmys are tonight.  Here's my wish list.  No doubt I'll be disappointed.

Best Drama Series
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Lost
Mad Men
The Good Wife
True Blood

Lost deserved it the last five years, but this year, Breaking Bad.

Best Comedy Series
Nurse Jackie
Curb Your Enthusiasm
30 Rock
Glee
The Office
Modern Family

Unfortunately, I can name several shows I'd choose over any of these--Community, Party Down, The Big Bang Theory, even Family Guy.  Still, most of these titles aren't bad.  Let's say Curb Your Enthusiasm, which has been around for a while but isn't quite as tired as previous winners 30 Rock or The Office.

Best Actor, Drama
Bryan Cranston Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall Dexter
Hugh Laurie House
Jon Hamm Mad Men
Matthew Fox Lost
Kyle Chandler Friday Night Lights

Great category.  Hugh Laurie should have won this several times, and Matthew Fox had a good year on Lost, but I'd give it to Bryan Cranston even if he's won the last two times.  (If I were an Emmy voter, I wouldn't let sentiment get in my way.)

Best Actress, Drama
Connie Britton Friday Night Lights
Glenn Close Damages
Mariska Hargitay Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Kyra Sedgwick The Closer
January Jones Mad Men
Julianna Margulies The Good Wife

I admit I'm not particularly familiar with most of these.  Let's say Julianna Margulies.

Best Actor, Comedy
Alec Baldwin 30 Rock
Tony Shalhoub Monk
Jim Parsons The Big Bang Theory
Steve Carell The Office
Larry David Curb Your Enthusiasm
Matthew Morrison Glee

Time for Jim Parsons to win.  He's not only very funny, but is able to keep us interested in a character that could easily grow tiresome, and successfully memorizes reams of physics-based dialogue each week. (By the way, is Larry David even acting?)

Best Actress, Comedy
Tina Fey 30 Rock
Lea Michele Glee
Julia Louis-Dreyfus The New Adventures of Old Christine
Amy Poehler Parks and Recreation
Toni Collette United States of Tara
Edie Falco Nurse Jackie

A weak list.  I'd give it to Tina Fey even though she's not exactly stellar in the part and has already won a bunch of Emmys.

Best Supporting Actor, Drama
Andre Braugher Men of a Certain Age
Aaron Paul Breaking Bad
Michael Emerson Lost
John Slattery Mad Men
Martin Short Damages
Terry O'Quinn Lost

Good category.  O'Quinn and Emerson have already won for these roles, and have been better in past seasons.  Give it to Aaron Paul.  Slattery is amazing, but he doesn't have to reach as many notes.

Best Supporting Actress, Drama Series
Rose Byrne Damages
Christine Baranski The Good Wife
Archie Panjabi The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss Mad Men
Christina Hendricks Mad Men
Sharon Gless Burn Notice

Christina Hendricks.  Most critics prefer Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men, but Hendricks is able to suggest a lot with much less material.

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy Series
Eric Stonestreet Modern Family
Neil Patrick Harris How I Met Your Mother
Chris Colfer Glee
Jon Cryer Two And A Half Men
Ty Burrell Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson Modern Family

Ty Burrell, the only nominee who should be on this list.  I can name about ten others who deserve the other slots more.

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy Series
Jane Lynch Glee
Kristen Wiig Saturday Night Live
Sofia Vergara Modern Family
Jane Krakowski 30 Rock
Holland Taylor Two and A Half Men
Julie Bowen Modern Family

I guess Kristen Wiig, though it's not fair since she's playing a bunch of roles, not one.  Julie Bowen a close second.

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
The Colbert Report
Saturday Night Live
Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Real Time with Bill Maher

The Daily Show, but it'll sure be fun if Conan wins.

Outstanding Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
Dirty Jobs
MythBusters
Undercover Boss

Mythbusters, though I sometimes find it a little slow.

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

American Idol (even though it's had better years).  Stop giving this award to The Amazing Race.

PS  Watched the show.  It moved along.  Not too painful.  Awards mostly predictable, though it was nice to see Aaron Paul and Jim Parsons win.  Also, they're not afraid to keep giving Emmys to Mad Men, Bryan Cranston and The Daily Show.

Eric Stonestreet is now the only actor on Modern Family, which features a large cast of equals, to have an Emmy.  Will that be uncomfortable?