Tell A Vision

It's harder to discuss the Emmy nominations than the Oscars or the Tonys, because there are so many damn categories.  And I've seen most of the movies around, and none of the plays, so I have complete knowledge of complete ignorance, whereas no one can keep up with all the TV shows no matter how much you watch.

But the Emmy nods were announced today, so let's look at some of them:

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Foy, The Crown
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Elisabeth Moss, Handmaid’s Tale
Keri Russell, The Americans
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld
Robin Wright, House of Cards

I watch almost none of these. I liked Evan Rachel Wood in Westworld, but the show is sort of silly, despite all the nominations it got.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us
Anthony Hopkins, Westworld

The hot new show This Is Us gets two nominations--will that split the vote. (And how do the other costars feel about this?)

I guess it's nice to see Bob Odenkirk get nominated, but I don't think he'll win. 

A lot of good shows get nothing, of course,  I guess it was never in the cards that The Leftovers would see any nominations

Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Carrie Coon, Fargo
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies
Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette & Joan
Susan Sarandon, Feud: Bette & Joan

Nice to see Carrie Coon here, though I preferred her work in The Leftovers.  A lot of big movie names here (women of a certain age apparently can get better roles on television).  I was more impressed with Lange and Sarandon in Feud than Kidman and Witherspoon in Big Little Lies.

Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
Robert DeNiro, The Wizard of Lies
Ewan McGregor, Fargo
Geoffrey Rush, Genius
John Turturro, The Night Of
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock

Quite a few big names.  The Emmys, as always, have Oscar envy.

The other guy who played the younger Einstein in Genius had a lot more to do than Geoffrey Rush, but he's not an Oscar-winning actor.

Turturro was fine, as was Riz Ahmed in The Night Of, though they'll likely split the vote (and Bill Camp was the performance to see in that show).

De Niro is here because he's a huge name, not because his movie was anything special.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Allison Janney, Mom
Pamela Adlon, Better Things

I'd like to see Ellie Kemper win, though Louis-Dreyfus seems to take it every year (and she is great in Veep)--has she broken he record for most Emmys yet?

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
William H. Macy, Shameless
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Aziz Ansari, Master of None
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Zach Galifianakis, Baskets

Interesting mix, though I don't know if any of them deserve it.  Note most of these are not network shows--no Big Bang Theory, for example.  Be interesting to see if Glover takes it--I like his show (which is as much a surreal drama as comedy at points).

Outstanding Reality Competition Program
The Voice
Top Chef
The Amazing Race
Project Runway
American Ninja Warrior
RuPaul’s Drag Race

Don't care.

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Anthony Bourdain, The Taste
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Jane Lynch, Hollywood Game Night
RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Don't care.

Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late, Late Show With James Corden
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Real Time with Bill Maher

Looks like they're picking on Fallon the same way they picked on Leno.

I think both Corden and Oliver have carved out their own niches and it would be fine if either get the Emmy.

Outstanding Comedy Series
Modern Family
Silicon Valley
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep
Master of None
Black-ish
Atlanta

They're still nominating Modern Family--it's like a reflex.  But Big Bang Theory is out.  Most of these are pretty good. Maybe they'll go for the new and shiny Atlanta, though Silicon Valley, even not quite a full strength, is still pretty good, and Kimmy Schmidt is for those who miss 30 Rock.

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul

House of Cards

The Handmaid’s Tale

The Crown

This Is Us

Stranger Things

Westworld

A bunch of new, still-trending names here, like This Is Us, Stranger Things, Westworld (undeservedly) and The Handmaid's Tale.  Maybe the most interesting contest.  I hope the winner won't feel the need to make a political speech (I hope this everywhere, though this category seems likely to bring it out).

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Tony Hale, Veep

Louie Anderson, Baskets

Alec Baldwin, SNL

Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta

T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley

Modern Family used to get three of these.  I don't think Anderson deserves it, though he's probably the favorite.  T.J. Miller is fine, though hasn't Zach Woods become the guy on Silicon Valley?  Baldwin's situation is odd--a continuing bit on SNL, not a sitcom.  Tony Hale is always fine, as are others on Veep, but time for something new.  Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of the best regular sitcoms around and doesn't get enough love.  If I were voting, I'd pick Brian Tyree Henry, who is reliably great on Atlanta.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Julie Bowen, Modern Family

Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory

Anna Chlumsky, Veep

Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent

Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Zazie Beetz, Atlanta

Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live

Donna Lynne Champlin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Judith Light, Transparent

Rita Moreno, One Day at a Time

Just how many people are they allowed to nominate?  A number of these I haven't seen, but most of them I like.  Like Alec Baldwin above (who's not even a regularly member of SNL), Kate McKinnon seems to be the odd person out here.  But she's been amazing and it would be great if she won.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Hank Azaria, The Wizard of Lies
Martin Freeman, Sherlock: The Lying Detective
Alfred Molina, Feud: Bette & Joan
Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies
David Thewlis, Fargo
Stanley Tucci, Feud: Bette & Joan

I'd prefer Molina or Tucci for Feud.  Thewlis seemed odd at first, but in the long ran, I think he gave the top performance in Fargo, and I'd vote for him.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Gerald McRaney, This Is Us

Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline

BD Wong, Mr. Robot

Denis O’Hare, This Is Us

Brian Tyree Henry, This Is Us

Hank Azaria, Ray Donovan

Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex

A second nod to Brian Tyree Henry--quite a year for him.  The three nominations for This Is Us show you the TV Academy really likes the show.  Maybe McRaney, playing a different sort of role, deserves to take it. (Certainly not Bridges or Wong, who aren't even particularly good.)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale

Ann Dowd, The Leftovers

Carrie Preston, The Good Fight

Gillian Anderson, American Gods

Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away with Murder

Alison Wright, The Americans

Finally, a nomination for The Leftovers, and it's the wrong one.  It wasn't even Dowd's season--that was last year in The Leftovers.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Matthew Rhys, Girls

Riz Ahmed, Girls

Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live

Aziz Ansari, Saturday Night Live

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Saturday Night Live

Tom Hanks, Saturday Night Live

Hugh Laurie, Veep

Peter McNicol, Veep

Jon Hamm, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

A second nod for Riz Ahmed and Aziz Ansari.  Some people must be feeling really good today.  Two decent performances from Veep, but where were all the regular guys in the supporting category.

Four Saturday Night Live hosts, most of whom did fine work, though Hanks should win for David S. Pumpkins alone.

Hamm was great on Kimmy Schmidt, so it would be fine if he won.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live

Carrie Fisher, Catastrophe

Laurie Metcalf, The Big Bang Theory

Maya Rudolph, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory

Laura Dern, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Angela Bassett, Master of None

A bunch of double nominations here.  Don't know who I'd pick.  I didn't see Catastrophe, though I wouldn't be surprised if Fisher got a sentimental nod.

Outstanding TV Movie
Black Mirror
Churchill’s Secret
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Sherlock: The Lying Detective
The Wizard of Lies

Only saw The Wizard Of Lies, which I'll be rooting against.