Tag Archives: Glee

Primetime Emmy Nominations: Who Will Win

The September 18 Emmys are still a long time away, but the nominations were announced last night. Here’s our expert analysis on who will win, who should win, and who got snubbed.

BEST DRAMA SERIES

Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

Who Will Win: Mad Men. This is there year to break through the Breaking Bad wall. Boardwalk has a strong chance as well, but I think the boys at SCDP are going to be happy come Emmy night.

Who Should Win: Friday Night Lights. The final season of FNL was not its best (season 1 or 4), but was still very good, and getting a symbolic win in its last season would be great to see. Don’t hold your breath though.

Who Was Snubbed: Justified. Seriously, how was this show forgotten?

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
30 Rock
Parks and Recreation

Who Will Win: Too Close to Call. This is a really tight category, where any of these shows could take the statue, but…

Who Should Win: Parks and Recreation. Hands down the funniest show with the best cast. The show went nuts this year, with no weak episodes, and if it doesn’t win, I’ll go on a hunger strike (or probably just be mad for a few days).

Who Was Snubbed: Community. The show had a few brilliant episodes this season, including a few that were light on the wacky humor that helped build the shows fanbase, but heavy on tremendously done storytelling. A shame it didn’t get a nod.

BEST DRAMA ACTOR

Timothy Olyphant, Justified
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Who Will Win: Jon Hamm. It’s his year to hold the statue before Cranston comes back. And honestly, if you saw the episode “The Suitcase,” you’ll have no problem agreeing with me.

Who Should Win: Kyle Chandler. Like FNL in the Drama Series category, this would be symbolic, though Chandler was pitch perfect in his final season as Coach Taylor, and deserves it outright.

Who Was Snubbed: This category is surprisingly tight. Not much you can argue here.

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Mariska Hargitay, SVU
Mirelle Enos, The Killing
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Who Will Win: Elisabeth Moss. If you saw Hamm in “The Suitcase,” you know Moss deserves an Emmy for her work too. She’s past due, and this will be her year.

Who Should Win: Connie Britton. If I had a vote, I’d vote for Moss, but Britton spent five years doing phenomenal work as Tammy Taylor, and it’s sad to see her come away from it all empty handed.

Who Was Snubbed: January Jones, Mad Men. I’m not the biggest January Jones fan, and Betty didn’t have much to do this season, but when she was on screen, the whole mood of the scene changed. Betty was fascinating to watch this year, thanks in large part to Jones.

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

Who Will Win: Amy Poehler. Tina Fey might surprise, but I think this is Poehler’s year. She was very good all season, and I think that will be hard to ignore.

Who Should Win: Amy Poehler. Seriously. She was great.

Who Was Snubbed: Alison Brie, Community. Annie is one of the sweeter, more fun characters on TV right now. Just watch her try and be someone else in the bar night episode, you’ll see what I mean.

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Steve Carell, The Office
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Louie C.K., Louie

Who Will Win: Steve Carell. He hasn’t won an Emmy yet for playing his most iconic roll, and this is the last chance. Voters won’t forget that.

Who Should Win: Louie C.K. It seems like an odd nomination, but it’s sort of Louie‘s consolation prize.

Who Was Snubbed: Joel McHale, Community. The longer he’s on Community, the better he’s getting.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
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

Who Will Win: Ty Burrell. It’s gotta be someone from Modern Family, and it might as well be the most consistently funny.

Who Should Win: If not Burrell, Eric Stonestreet. After Phil, Cam is among the funniest characters on TV.

Who Was Snubbed: A long list here, including Danny Pudi, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Rainn Wilson, all of whom did fantastic work this season on shows that were not Modern Family.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
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

Who Will Win: John Slattery. Like I said, it’s Mad Men’s year to break through the Breaking Bad wall.

Who Should Win: Walter Goggins or Peter Dinklage. Both were fantastic, but will certainly be forgotten come voting time.

Who Was Snubbed: Not to bring in more Mad Men, but the more the show has gone on the more I like Vincent Kartheiser as Pete, who has yet to get a nomination.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
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

Who Will Win: Kristen Wiig. This will be her anointment into stardom, much the same way Tina Fey (and hopefully Amy Pohler) got her first Emmy en route to a successful movie career. She deserves it too.

Who Should Win: Julie Bowen. Claire isn’t a likable character without her.

Who Was Snubbed: Rashida Jones, Parks and Recreation. Poor, beautiful Anne.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale, Justified
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Who Will Win: Christina Hendricks. This is a really tight category full of deserving actresses, but she’ll have the Mad Men luck behind her.

Who Should Win: Margo Martindale. If you’ve watched Justified, you know why.

Who Was Snubbed: No one here. Fantastic group of actresses.

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Kennedys
Mildred Pierce
The Pillars of the Earth
Too Big to Fail

BEST VARIETY 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
Undercover Boss

OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION
The Amazing Race
American Idol
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef

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Golden Globe Nominations Announced

It’s that magic time of year again where the Golden Globe nominations come out and get us excited for the Oscar race, and remind us of all that good TV we’ve been watching. The big guns movie wise got a plethora of nods in the categories that mattered, though True Grit was shut out, perhaps because no one has seen it yet, though it hasn’t stopped some other awards. Thanks to the odd Musical or Comedy category at the Globes, we get a nomination for The Tourist, the “thriller” that got nearly universal critical scorn which made nothing at the box office. Boy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association sure are tastemakers! The TV nominations are also fairly predictable, but the results should be interesting. Ricky Gervais will host the ceremony January 16. The nominations:

Best Picture, Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David O. Russell, The Fighter

Best Actress, Drama
Halle Berry, Frankie & Alice
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Actor, Drama
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg, The Fighter

Best Musical Or Comedy
Alice In Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist

Best Actress, Musical Or Comedy
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway, Love & Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie, The Tourist
Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone, Easy A

Best Actor, Musical Or Comedy
Johnny Depp, Alice In Wonderland
Johnny Depp, The Tourist
Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version
Jake Gyllenhaal, Love & Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey, Casino Jack

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Michael Douglas, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Best Screenplay
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours

Best Original Song
“You Haven’t Seen The Last of Me,” Burlesque
“Bound To You,” Burlesque
“Coming Home”, Country Strong
“I See The Light,” Tangled
“There’s A Place For Us,” Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

Best Animated Film
Tangled
Toy Story 3
How To Train Your Dragon
Despicable Me
The Illusionist

Best Foreign-Language Film
I Am Love
Biutiful
The Concert
The Edge
In A Better World

Best TV Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men
The Walking Dead

Best Actress, TV Drama
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Piper Perabo, Covert Affairs
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Katey Sagal, Sons Of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Actor, TV Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Best TV Comedy
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
The Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie

Best Actress, TV Comedy
Toni Collette, The United States Of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Lea Michele, Glee

Best Actor, TV Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matthew Morrison, Glee
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Supporting Actress, TV
Hope Davis, The Special Relationship
Jane Lynch, Glee
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles, Dexter
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actor, TV
Scott Caan, Hawaii 5-0
Chris Colfer, Glee
Chris Noth, The Good Wife
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
David Strathairn, Temple Grandin

Best TV Miniseries
Carlos
The Pacific
Temple Grandin
You Don’t Know Jack
Pillars Of The Earth

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2010 Emmys Round-Up

Alright TV fans, this was an Emmy’s for the ages! Here’s our rundown of winners, losers, and surprises!

Winners

The biggest winner of the night was ABC’s breakout Modern Family, who won big and easily won the media created battle between it and Glee, pulling in awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Eric Stonestreet, well deserved for the episode “Fizbo”), Comedy Writing, and the big one, Best Comedy Series. Glee got a big win though from their most recognizable star, Jane Lynch, who got a long deserved award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Like Glee or not, Lynch is a terrific comedienne that has worked her way up the ladder the last 10 years, so it was great to see her win. Also pulling out a surprise win was Aaron Paul, who finally got his Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Emmy for Breaking Bad. Neil Patrick Harris also got his Emmy breakthrough, though for for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy for Glee, losing out on Supporting Actor for How I Met Your Mother yet again. The biggest winner on the night though? Host Jimmy Fallon, who was in his element and hopefully won over some of those people who thought he laughed too much on SNL.

Surprises

This year’s Emmy’s had  a few tricks up their sleeves, among them being Edie Falco’s win for Best Actress in a Comedy, beating out several heavy hitters. Falco herself seemed surprised, proclaiming, “I’m not funny!” from the podium. The other big surprise was The Good Wife’s Archie Panjabi’s win for Best Supporting Actress in a drama, upsetting favorites Elizabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks, both from Mad Men. Jim Parson’s of The Big Bang Theory also had a smaller surprise win for Best Actor in a Comedy, beating out Alec Baldwin, Steve Carrell, and Larry David, though Big Bang has had the adoration of viewers and critics to make it less of a left field choice.

Losers

After doing so well in the Golden Globes, Glee lost out, taking home Best Comedy Writing alongside Lynch’s win. Another big show, Breaking Bad, only took home awards in teh acting categories for Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston, losing to network pal Mad Men in the Best Drama category. Many thought this would be Breaking Bad‘s year, but evidently, they’ll have to wait a little bit longer. The final season of Lost failed to take home any Emmys, though they were up against stiff competition in every category. After getting nominations for Coach and Mrs. Coach, Friday Night Lights was predictably shut out once more from Emmy glory. A couple of comedy surprises led to loses for Amy Pohler in Parks and Recreation‘s sole nomination and Steve Carell, who has yet to win for his iconic role of Michael Scott with just one year left to go.

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TUiW Question Featured in Jane Lynch Interview

We’ll be the first to tell you that TUiW doesn’t quite have media power of New York Magazine’s pop culture blog, Vulture, so naturally, we were surprised to have one of our questions asked to the hilarious Jane Lynch. Those familiar with Vulture know they open up their interviews to their readers, taking questions from the comments section, which is how a question from TUiW ended up in their interview with the Glee actress about her work on the much beloved Party Down:

Tangledupinwires asks: Had Party Down managed another season, would we have seen Constance again? And we’ll add: How do you feel about its cancellation?
It makes me very sad, for several reasons. It’s one of those shows, just by the nature of the premise — catering, where people come and go so much — that they could have mined the improv comedy world of L.A. to come up with another cast of just as fabulous people, I think, to fill in for those who’ve left for fame and fortune.

Make sure you read the whole interview here.

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2010 Emmy Nominations Are In

Here you go folks, your 2010 Emmy Nominations! A little bit of snap analysis accompanies each category. Sound off on your thoughts in the comments!

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

Who Should Win: Breaking Bad. That show can’t get any better.
Who Will Win: Tough to say really, but I wouldn’t put too much thought into Dexter or True Blood. Lost has a chance because the Emmy’s like to honor shows that have ended, but I think the safe bet is between Breaking Bad and Mad Men.
Who Was Snubbed: Friday Night Lights. Not a big shock, but another great season goes unrewarded.


Outstanding Comedy

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

Who Should Win: Modern Family. A terrific debut season that made the sentimental family comedy hilarious again.
Who Will Win: Glee or Modern Family. I wouldn’t count out The Office or 30 Rock, since both were nominated for weak seasons, but I think the rookie shows have the edge.
Who Was Snubbed: I’d say Party Down if it had a bigger audience, but I’m going to go with Parks and Recreation. The show turned it around big time and largely got shut out. I’d trade it with The Office in a heartbeat.
Outstanding Actress in a Drama
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Mariska Hargitay (Special Victims Unit)
Glenn Close (Damages)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
January Jones (Mad Men)
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)

Who Should Win: Connie Britton. Finally nominated for her incredible work on FNL, Tammy Taylor deserves an Emmy.
Who Will Win: I think this one is going to go to either Julianna Margulies or Glenn Close, one for her high profile show and the later for her high profile status.
Who Was Snubbed: Katey Sagel. Sons of Anarchy doesn’t scream “Emmy,” largely because it’s on FX, but Sagel is easily the best part of the show.

Outstanding Actor in a Drama
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Hugh Laurie (House M.D.)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Matthew Fox (Lost)

Who Should Win: Bryan Cranston. It’s great to see Kyle Chandler get a nod, but Cranston again cannot be topped.
Who Will Win: Cranston. Michael C. Hall won the Golden Globe, but I can’t see Cranston losing the Emmy.
Who Was Snubbed: Bill Paxton, for Big Love. In a season in which Big Love struggled and Bill became less likable, Paxton sold it for all it was worth.

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

Who Should Win: Amy Poehler. She was the heart and soul of the revived Parks and Rec, transforming a character in just a season’s time. Definitely would have my vote.
Who Will Win: Tina Fey. The Emmy’s still think 30 Rock is the great show it was in its first two seasons, so I think she’ll take home another statue.
Who Was Snubbed: Lizzie Caplan, for Party Down. Casey got 100x funner in season two, but again, no one watched.

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Matthew Morrison (Glee)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

Who Should Win: Have to go with Larry David. Curb did it again.
Who Will Win: Really anyone. LD has the best chance, but this category seems wide open.
Who Was Snubbed: Joel McHale for Community. Jeff Winger could have been a boring character without McHale, who more than ably led that show.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Jon Cryer (Two and A Half Men)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

Who Should Win: Oh man. Three Modern Family nods, all deserving, plus NPH, who has yet to win, it’s a tough one to pick!
Who Will Win: NPH. I think this is his year. I wouldn’t be shocked to see anyone win though.
Who Was Snubbed: Chris Pratt for Parks and Rec. Andy is such a moron, but he produced some of the biggest laughs for me, all season long.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Jane Lynch (Glee)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Holland Taylor (Two and A Half Men)

Who Should Win: I loved the Modern Family actresses, but I think Jane Lynch deserves, not just based on Glee, but her many years struggling in relative obscurity.
Who Will Win: Lynch. Everyone loves her, I think she’s a lock.
Who Was Snubbed: Alison Brie, for Community. Brie earned big laughs as bubbly Annie Edison, the former pill addict who somehow is still incredibly naive.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Martin Short (Damages)
Terry O’Quinn (Lost)
Michael Emerson (Lost)
John Slattery (Mad Men)
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)

Who Should Win: O’Quinn or Emerson. They were both too good not win. I could also see this as the big category Lost wins.
Who Will Win: Paul has a big chance, but I think the Lost actors are going to get their last hurrah here.
Who Was Snubbed: I know picking another Lost actor seems like overkill, but Jorge Garcia and Nestor Carbonell both turned in some incredibly great performances this season.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
Sharon Gless (Burn Notice)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Rose Byrne (Damages)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)

Who Should Win: Elisabeth Moss. A fantastic season for Peggy, that saw her start to come in on her own a little bit more.
Who Will Win: Moss, Hendricks, or Byrne. It’s a three woman race.
Who Was Snubbed: Chloe Sevigny for Big Love. Like Bill Paxton, a great performance in a season with such a weak story.

Reality Competition program
American Idol
Amazing Race
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef


Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series

The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Saturday Night Live
Real Time With Bill Maher
Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

Who Should Win: Conan. Just because.
Who Will Win: Conan. Just because.
Who Was Snubbed: Letterman. He had a mini resurgence with Jay gone, but alas, Bill Maher gets his spot instead.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Mike O’Malley (Glee)
Eli Wallach (Nurse Jackie)
Neil Patrick Harris (Glee)
Fred Willard (Modern Family)
Jon Hamm (30 Rock)
Will Arnett (30 Rock)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristen Chenoweth (Glee)
Jane Lynce (Two and a Half Men)
Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory)
Elaine Stritch (30 Rock)
Tina Fey (SNL)
Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives)
Betty White (SNL)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Robert Morse (Mad Men)
John Lithgow (Dexter)
Gregory Itzin (24)
Beau Bridges (The Closer)
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
Ted Danson (Damagaes)
Dylan Baker (The Good Wife)

Who Was Snubbed: Zach Gilford for Friday Night Lights. Even if you’ve never seen the show before, watch the episode “The Son” and then tell me you didn’t cry.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Mary Kay Place (Big Love)
Sissy Spacek (Big Love)
Ann-Margret (Law & Order: SVU)
Lilly Tomlin (Damages)
Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)
Shirley Jones (The Cleaner)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
The Office (Niagara)
Glee (Pilot)
Modern Family (Pilot)
30 Rock (Anna Howard Shaw Day)
30 Rock (Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

The Good Wife (Pilot)
Mad Men (Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency)
Mad Men (Shut the Door. Have a Seat.)
Friday Night Lights (The Son)
Lost (The End)

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Television Critics Association Awards Nominees Released

If you’re like us here at TUiW, you’ve probably been dying the last few days waiting for a little entertainment related news. Well we finally have a little something to break up our Summer TV Club! The Television Critics Association announced the nominees for their awards today, and while they aren’t the most prestigious of awards, they are the first of the season to hand down nods. Here are the nominations, along with a little TUiW analysis:

Individual achievement in drama:
Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad,” AMC)
John Lithgow (“Dexter,” Showtime)
Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife,” CBS)
Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” AMC)
Katey Sagal (“Sons of Anarchy,” FX)

A bit of a wide open category. Lithgow and Cranston are the defending champs in the Emmy Best Dramatic Actor category, and I’d think that Cranston has a slight edge given the adoration over this season of Breaking Bad. Julianna Marguiles is probably the dark horse here, given that her show is on a network and too has been loved by critics. Smart money’s on Cranston though.

Individual achievement in comedy:
Ty Burrell (“Modern Family,” ABC)
Jane Lynch (“Glee,” Fox)
Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation,” NBC)
Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS)
Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family,” ABC)

Another wide open race in a great category. I’m not the biggest Glee fan, but Jane Lynch has lifetime support from me, and Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet are equally deserving. If I had to pick, I’d pick Ron Fucking Swanson, to win, but that has a lot to do with my undying love of Parks and Rec more than anything else. Jim Parsons’ character on The Big Bang Theory is the most annoying of them to me, but critics seem to love that show, so don’t count him out at all.

Outstanding achievement in news & information:
“30 for 30” (ESPN)
“America: The Story of Us” (History Channel)
“Life” (Discovery Channel)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)
“The Rachel Maddow Show” (MSNBC)

While it’s hard to root against the Daily Show, the ESPN 30 for 30 series has been consistently great each time. Maddow gets the sole news entry here. Suck it Glen Beck!

Outstanding achievement in youth programming:
“Dinosaur Train” (PBS)
“iCarly” (Nickelodeon)
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (Cartoon Network)
“Word Girl” (PBS)
“Yo Gabba Gabba” (Nick Jr.)

I’m rooting for the show called Dinosaur Train because that sounds AWESOME.

Outstanding new program:
“Glee” (Fox)
“Justified” (FX)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Parenthood” (NBC)
“The Good Wife” (CBS)

I think this is really a showdown between the two hottest new shows in the land, Modern Family and Glee, but I wouldn’t discount The Good Wife, which got higher critical acclaim than I would have expected. Really for the last year however, it’s been all about Glee and Modern Family, and I’d be surprised if one of the two didn’t win (Ed. Note: Hopefully Modern Family. I understand the appeal of Glee, but it doesn’t really do it for me).

Outstanding achievement in movies, miniseries and specials:
“Life” (Discovery Channel)
“Temple Grandin” (HBO)
“The Pacific” (HBO)
“Torchwood: Children of Earth” (BBC America)
“You Don’t Know Jack” (HBO)

HBO seems primed to take home an award for…something. All three of their nominees here are about on the same plane, and since HBO never loses in this category, I think it will be one of those three.
Outstanding achievement in drama:
“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
“Lost” (ABC)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“Sons of Anarchy” (FX)
“The Good Wife” (CBS)

An interesting set of shows for sure. Lost is probably out of the running because its end infuriated so many, and Sons of Anarchy doesn’t seem like it would take the cake. The Good Wife has an outsider’s chance, but my money is on Breaking Bad. While Mad Men too has a really great shot, Breaking Bad has reached a point where nearly every new review calls it the best episode the show has ever done. If they’re going to overtake they’re slightly older sibling, this is the year.

Outstanding achievement in comedy:
“Glee” (Fox)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Parks and Recreation” (NBC)
“Party Down” (Starz)
“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)

First and foremost, I’m thrilled to see Party Down get nominated, and included in such a strong group. That being said, I think this is the category where the loser of the Best New Show category gets their win. The Big Bang Theory is hugely popular, but from the TV Critics Association stand point, they’d be fairly hypocritical not to give it to one of their two most adored shows. I’d vote for Parks and Rec, and I have a feeling its in play, but I think this really again boils down to Glee and Modern Family.

Career achievement:
James Garner
Bill Moyers
Sherwood Schwartz
William Shatner
Dick Wolf

It’s a career achievement award for a reason. Anyone’s game.

Heritage award:
“24”
“M*A*S*H”
“Law & Order”
“Lost”
“Twin Peaks”

I’m surprised to see both Lost and 24 mixed in with M*A*S*H and Law & Order (either of which will win), but Twin Peaks stands out too as the odd duck here.

Program of the year:
“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
“Friday Night Lights” (DirecTV/NBC)
“Glee” (Fox)
“Lost” (ABC)
“Modern Family” (ABC)

No Mad Men?! Sacrilege! But in all seriousness, I see Breaking Bad or Modern Family as front runners, with Breaking Bad having the edge. Glee has a shot, but I think the other two had a bit more substance to them as far as overall program of the year. Lost will again encounter the problem of having so many people angry at their finale, but it has a shot if more voters loved it than hated it. Friday Night Lights was tremendous this season, but the fact that this is its sole nomination says to me that the voters are concentrated on the other shows in the category. I think the folks at Breaking Bad will be going home happy.

Let us know your thoughts! Who should win?

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CBS Again The Most Watched Network

Well America, you’ve done it again. For the seventh time in the last eight years, CBS has won the banner of “America’s Most Watched Network,” averaging 11.77 million viewers for the network TV season, which officially ended on Wednesday. Also a victory for CBS was that they had seven shows place in the top ten, including NCIS, The Mentalist, NCIS: Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, The Good Wife, and CSI: Miami. They were followed by Fox (9.98 million) , ABC (8.54 million), NBC (8.21 million), and the CW (2.02 million). Fox won the coveted 18-49 demographic with help from American Idol, Glee, Family Guy*, and House, with CBS behind them, and ABC and NBC tied for third, with the CW trailing far behind in fourth. As far as overall viewership, CBS stayed flat with last year, while Fox and, surprisingly, NBC were up 4%. ABC fell 4%, with the CW slipping 2%. So there you have it. I’m sure that football/The Super Bowl helped CBS a little, but let’s all take a moment to notice that NCIS and NICS: Los Angeles were top ten shows.

*I have to say, I find it funny that Family Guy is one of the more successful shows on Fox considering that it was once canceled by Fox for having bad ratings. Good one Fox.

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2010 Upfronts: Fox

Upfront week continues with our second of the day, Fox.

Monday

The network’s biggest drama, House, kicks off the week for the network at 8 on Monday nights. It will be followed by two new dramas, the first being Lonestar from “Party of Five” creators Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, their first new show in 10 years. The show is more or less a prime time soap opera set in the Texas oil business. It will be replaced in the spring by the new show from The Sheild creator Shawn Ryan called Ride-Along, a Chicago based cop drama starring Jason Clarke (Brotherhood), Jennifer Beals and Delroy Lindo.

Tuesday

We’ll finally see just what Glee is made of, as it kicks off the comedy night without a lead-in from So You Think You Can Dance or American Idol. Instead, Fox is banking on it being a good lead in for a few new comedies. First is Raising Hope, the new comedy from My Name is Earl creator Greg Garcia, in which a slacker not only discovers he has a child he didn’t know about, but he has to raise it when the mother gets sent to jail. Next is the most anticipated new comedy of the season, Running Wilde, which features an Arrested Development reunion of Will Arnett, creator Mitch Hurowitz, and AD producer Jim Valley. The show is about an immature, rich, jerky guy (Arnett) who decides to woo the much more put together and nicer Kerri Russel, who was his childhood sweetheart. In the spring when American Idol returns, it will go on for 90 minutes starting at 8, followed by either Running Wilde or another new show Mixed Signals, a show about three guys in all sorts of wacky romantic adventures. Sounds original!

Wednesday

In the fall, the surprisingly renewed Lie to Me will kick things off at 8 and will be followed by Hell’s Kitchen at 9. In the Spring, the Idol results show and Raising Hope will serve as the lead in to Glee at 9.

Thursday

Nothing will change with the Thursday night lineup, with Bones and Fringe leading the charge.

Friday

The Human Target landed itself on virtual Death Row for Fox at 8 on Friday (see: Terminator, Dollhouse), and it will be followed up by the bland buddy cop summer series The Good Guys, which will continue through the fall. Kitchen Nightmares will take over 9pm slot in the spring.

Sunday

The Sunday Animation Bloc will return as normal in the Fall, with football coverage preceding The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show. In the Spring, a new show, Bob’s Burgers, will join them.

Other Notes

The Speilberg produced Terra Nova, which is about a family that time travels to prehistoric times to save humanity, did not get scheduled, which doesn’t bode well for the show. The rumor is that Fox wanted several 24 writers to take over the show, including Brannon Braga, who was widely unpopular when he was in charge of the Star Trek series.

Other than that, it’s hard to say what we’ll get from Fox. Their shows tend to either be successful and widely popular, or they die quickly or painfully. Running Wilde has the most promise given how awesome Will Arnett and Keri Russell are. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…

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Bubble Watch: January 28, 2010 Edition

It’s hard to remember that in the midst of the Late Night Controversy that just ended, we had our first big cancellation of the year with the horrid Jay Leno Show. Sadly, that means it’s time to start Bubble Watch, a semi-regular feature where we check in on some notable shows that are on the bubble of being canceled or renewed. We’ve developed a scale: 0 for goner, 5 for up in the air, and 10 for sticking around. We’ll keep updates coming as we hear them, but here’s what we have in the early goings:

Better Off Ted
Ted hasn’t exactly been a ratings winner in its short time on the air, despite it’s quirky charm. The chances of cancellation seem pretty high given its anemic numbers, but there’s still hope it could become a cheap summer show or jump to another network. Content wise, the best place it would fit would be Comedy Central or FX, but it’s a little to smart of Comedy Central and not quite edgy enough for those brash folks at FX. Either way, we’re hoping Veridian is around for a little longer.
Cancellation Scale: 1

Heroes
For a show that was so good when it started, Heroes‘ slow fall from the top has at times been painful to watch. Its ratings this season have been way down, hardly resembling the hit of season one. With a budget that’s probably too big for cable, I’d say the cancellation chances are very high. At least we’ll get Zachary Quinto in another Star Trek movie.
Cancellation Scale: 0

Scrubs
Like Heroes, Scrubs was once a good show. When ABC picked it up for last season, it was about giving the original cast and characters an ending. This season has more or less been a spin-off, but it’s foolishly been branded with the franchise name. It’s been just plain bad, in content and in the ratings, and is almost assuredly done.
Cancellation Scale: 0

Parks and Recreation / Community
Both of these shows are in similar boats, so we’ll group them together. Parks and Rec suffered from bad reviews in its first year, but has built up a following in its terrific second year. Community has a solid following too as the lead-off hitter in NBC’s comedy lineup. The chances for both are pretty good as a result of the Jay Leno cancellation. Keep in mind, NBC has to fill 5 hours a week now in his old slot, not to mention holes in its lineup next year from possible cancellations of Heroes, Trauma, and Mercy. They aren’t guaranteed to stick around, but the chances are on the good side.
Cancellation Scale: 6

Fringe
A big time bubble show, Fringe is most likely in a dogfight with Lie to Me as to which show is going to stick around, and I’m hinging my bet on Lie to Me, mostly because Fringe has been a disappointment, while Lie to Me has done about what’s expected. There’s a chance both could stick around, but doubtful.
Cancellation Scale: 5

Flash Forward
Another highly touted sci-fi (excuse me, syfy) show that hasn’t done very well is ABC’s Flash Forward, and the chances of it sticking around aren’t very good. It comes back in mid-March, and if it continues to slide (and what show doesn’t after being off the air that long mid-season), it could be a goner. If they stay steady or improve, it might be on next season, though with greatly diminished expectations.
Cancellation Scale: 4

Notable Renewals:
How I Met Your Mother
Modern Family
Glee

Bones
The Cleveland Show

Notable Cancellations:
Dollhouse
The Jay Leno Show

Ugly Betty

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Golden Globes Recap

As the Golden Globes come to an end, here are a few notes regarding the ceremony.

Ricky Gervais: Little used, but very, very funny. Loved the pot shots at everyone, as well as the promotion of both The Office and The Invention of Lying. Hosts of these award shows are really overblown, they really only get a monologue to do their thing, but Ricky definitely spread some great jabs throughout the night.

Losers of the Night: Neil Patrick Harris got burned again. Fortunately, this time wasn’t to John Cryer, but by John Lithgow for Dexter. NPH will get a statue someday, but this really seemed like it was going to be the year. While Up was a fantastic film, it’s a little sad that The Fantastic Mr. Fox didn’t win. Like with NPH, it lost to a worthy opponent, but still. Modern Family also got the shaft in favor of the far inferior Glee. Sure Glee has a good message about being true to yourself, but Modern Family clearly blew the other shows in the category out of the water.

Winners of the Night: Michael C. Hall got a great win coming right on the heels of his announcement that he had cancer. It was also great to see Big Love get a win with Chole Sevigny taking a statue for her role as Nikki, the uptight Mormon sister-wife. There weren’t really any big winners that captured strings of awards, with Dexter winning two awards for acting (John Lithgow, Michael C. Hall), Crazy Heart winning for Best Song (T-Bone Burnett) and Actor (Jeff Bridges), and Avatar coming away with one for Best Director (James Cameron) and Best Picture, Drama. It will take home several more statues come Oscar time, as there are more statues to win.

Surprising Winners of the Night: As much as it disappoints me to say it, Sandra Bullock came out on top in a category full of several highly touted contenders. I guess sometimes movies made with the purpose of winning someone awards do what they’re supposed to. The Hangover also came away a surprise winner, beating out the more highly critically acclaimed Julie & Julia and It’s Complicated. Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t a huge shock, but he still beat out several big names.

Most Disappointed Loser: Based on camera shots, it’s a three way tie between Quintin Tarantino, Sandra Bullock (for Supporting Actress, she won later), and, surprisingly, Jason Reitman, who looked pretty pissed when he lost for Best Director and Best Picture.

Best Acceptance Speech: Robert Downey Jr., hands down. For a guy that’s been to hell and back, it’s great to see him in good humor. Martin Scorsese also had a great acceptance speech for his lifetime achievement award, deflecting a lot of the praise to the people he worked with and those that inspired him. And, damn, I want to see Shutter Island.

Biggest Trend: As we discussed when the nominations came out, there was a leaning towards the popular over the critically acclaimed. Juliana Marguilies, Glee, The Hangover, and Sandra Bullock took home awards over other nominees with a stronger critical pedigree. This isn’t to say that these weren’t completely undeserving; there’s a good reason why a lot of people enjoy them. It’s still surprising when a movie like The Hangover beats out two Meryl Streep movies.

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