The 63rd Primetime Emmy Nominations were announced bright and early today in Los Angeles by Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy. Looking through the nominations, there was plenty of good and plenty of bad.
Since I am a mostly positive person, let’s start with the positives. While not nabbing a nomination for Best Drama Series, Justified, Sound on Sight’s favorite show of the year, racked up acting nominations in almost every single eligible category including Timothy Olyphant (Best Actor in a Drama), Margo Martindale (Best Supporting Actress in a Drama), Walton Goggins (Best Supporting Actor in a Drama), and Jeremy Davies (Best Guest Actor in a Drama). All are deserved, especially Martindale, whose frightening performance as Bennett matriarch Mags was the best on television this year. Olyphant is overdue for an nomination, being snubbed for both Deadwood and Damages, so it’s nice to see him get recognition for what might be the most complete performance of his career. Other nominations that got me excited included Edgar Ramirez picking up a deserved nod for Best Actor (Miniseries or Movie) for his bravura work in Carlos. I would imagine that Ramirez is the likely favorite to win, especially when you look at his competition.
However there were still some things irked me. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about Treme and Community. Sound on Sight Favorite Breaking Bad is ineligible this year. To see them not be represented at all in the main categories is a big disappointment, especially when you have someone like Kathy Bates, an actress who I love, picking up a nomination for Harry’s Law. Where was Melissa Leo in Treme? Also, Thomas Dekker gave a wonderful performance as the openly gay son in Cinema Verite, yet was absent from the Best Supporting Actor (Mini-Series or Movie) category. To see the film be so well represented in the other but him absent reeks of favoritism and star-fucking. However the one that got me the angriest was Carlos, my number two film of 2010, being snubbed for Best Mini-Series, while the universally panned The Kennedys was nominated in its place. Carlos is a monumental achievement and deserves to be recognized outside of Ramirez’s brilliant performance.
As always share your thoughts. Which nomination made you the happiest? What snub got you the angriest?
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
Johnny Galecki – The Big Bang Theory
Matt LeBlanc – Episodes
Louis C.K. – Louie
Steve Carell – The Office
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire
Michael C. Hall – Dexter
Kyle Chandler – Friday Night Lights
Hugh Laurie – House
Timothy Olyphant – Justified
Jon Hamm – Mad Men
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie:
Edgar Ramirez – Carlos
Greg Kinnear – The Kennedys
Barry Pepper – The Kennedys
Idris Elba – Luther
Laurence Fishburne – Thurgood
William Hurt – Too Big to Fail
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:
Laura Linney – The Big C
Melissa McCarthy – Mike & Molly
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler – Parks & Recreation
Martha Plimpton – Raising Hope
Tina Fey – 30 Rock
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
Connie Britton – Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
Kathy Bates – Harry’s Law
Mireille Enos – The Killing
Mariska Hartigay – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie:
Diane Lane – Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern – Downtown Abbey
Kate Winslet – Mildred Pierce
Taraji P. Henson – Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
Jean Marsh – Upstairs Downstairs
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Chris Colfer – Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Modern Family
Ed O’Neill – Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family
Ty Burrell – Modern Family
Jon Cryer – Two and a Half Men
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones
Josh Charles – The Good Wife
Alan Cumming – The Good Wife
Walton Goggins – Justified
John Slattery – Mad Men
Andre Braugher – Men of a Certain Age
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie:
Tom Wilkinson – The Kennedys
Guy Pearce – Mildred Pierce
Bryan F. O’Byrne – Mildred Pierce
Paul Giamatti – Too Big to Fail
James Woods – Too Big to Fail
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Jane Lynch – Glee
Betty White – Hot in Cleveland
Julie Bowen – Modern Family
Sofia Vergara – Modern Family
Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Kelly Macdonald – Boardwalk Empire
Archie Panjabi – The Good Wife
Christine Baranski – The Good Wife
Margo Martindale – Justified
Michelle Forbes – The Killing
Christina Hendricks – Mad Men
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie:
Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey
Evan Rachel Wood – Mildred Pierce
Melissa Leo – Mildred Pierce
Mare Winningham – Mildred Pierce
Eileen Atkins – Upstairs Downstairs
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series:
Idris Elba – The Big C
Nathan Lane – Modern Family
Zach Galifianakis – Saturday Night Live
Justin Timberlake – Saturday Night Live
Matt Damon – 30 Rock
Will Arnett – 30 Rock
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series:
Bruce Dern – Big Love
Beau Bridges – Brothers & Sisters
Michael J. Fox – The Good Wife
Paul McCrane – Harry’s Law
Jeremy Davies – Justified
Roger Morse – Mad Men
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series:
Kristen Chenoweth – Glee
Dot -Marie Jones – Glee
Gwyneth Paltrow – Glee
Cloris Leachman – Raising Hope
Tina Fey – Saturday Night Live
Elizabeth Banks – 30 Rock
Joan Cusack – Shameless
Alfre Woodard – True Blood
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series:
Mary McDonnell – The Closer
Julia Stiles – Dexter
Loretta Devine – Grey’s Anatomy
Randee Heller – Mad Men
Cara Buono – Mad Men
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality -Competition Program:
Phil Keoghan – The Amazing Race
Ryan Seacrest – American Idol
Tom Bergeron – Dancing with the Stars
Cat Deeley – So You Think You Can Dance
Jeff Probst – Survivor
Outstanding Comedy Series:
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Parks & Recreation
30 Rock
Outstanding Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men
Outstanding Miniseries or Movie:
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Kennedys
Midred Pierce
The Pillars of the Earth
Too Big to Fail
Outstanding Variety – Music or Comedy Series:
The Colbert Report
Conan
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Reality Program:
Antiques Roadshow
Deadliest Catch
Hoarders
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D -List
Mythbusters
Undercover Boss
Outstanding Reality – Competition Program:
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef