End-Of-Year: Favorite 2013 TV Shows, Part 1

My goal was to get this list posted a few days after I picked my acting winners, more than two weeks ago, so clearly that didn't happen. In any case, below is the first part of my ranked list of TV shows I watched in 2013. You may think having a Top 35 List is pretty much giving everyone an trophy, but that's not even half the number of the shows I saw last year. And thus...

35. Cougar Town - New network, but same hijinks. At this point, the show really is just a bunch of drunks having fun together. I'm not complaining.

34. 30 Rock - Probably too low, but I sort of already fell out of mad love with the show a few seasons ago. With that said, their final season was a back to form and it'll truly be missed if only for my love Jenna Maroney.

33. Big Bang Theory - The most popular show on TV right now isn't perfect, but the cast chemistry in undeniable. When the show takes advantage of its full ensemble, it's very good.

32. New Girl - Its sophomore season was really great including the back half which aired last year minus the whole Schmidt two-timing storyline, but while still good, it seems to have stagnated early in its junior season just a bit.

31. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - I was lukewarm on the pilot and a few of the early episodes were a bit unmemorable. With that said, I've become oddly invested in the characters and while it's still not the show I know Whedon can deliver, it's still a show I like to watch.

30. Arrested Development - I actually saw the whole series for the first time last year which is why I've ranked it here since while I was intrigued at how they structured the latest season in Netflix, it made for rough watching early on.

29. How I Met Your Mother - This ranking would be much higher if the show took full advantage of Cristin Milioti, because every episode she's been featured in has been aces. But look this is one of my favorite shows the past few years and while the unique final season framework hasn't been super successful, at least they're doing something different.

28. Community - Most people would like to forget that this Dan Harmon-less season ever happened, but I was never really one of those people who thought it was a bad season, just different. In fact, I ended up loving a handful of episodes.

27. Girls - I actually think I may have liked this season over the first one and its lower ranking only means A LOT of new shows premiered this year. That said, I honestly don't get the haters for this show. Okay, maybe if they're complaining about anything Jessa-related.

26. Call the Midwife - Managed to watch the first two seasons last year and ended up loving its mix of high-stakes drama (delivering babies!) with some organic comedy (Miranda Hart!).

25. Please Like Me - There's something just super appealing to the quirky, brash humor by Josh Thomas in this fun British show about a guy coming out of the closet and yet stubbornly refuses to change one iota.

24. Vikings - I honestly didn't expect to love a show about the lives of Vikings and yet with fully realized characters and superb production qualities, this History show really delivered. Plus it has a hot monk!

23. Teen Wolf - This is a supernatural show full of hot guys and kickass ladies. Do I really need to explain more about why it's one of my not-at-all guilty pleasures?

22. Sleepy Hollow - When this show premiered, I pointed out that its pilot walked "the fine line of embracing its weirdness while also providing a refreshing sense of gleeful sincerity in its tone" and fortunately the show maintained this throughout while also developing its characters and its overwrought, but entertaining mythology.

21. The Crazy Ones - This is a show that definitely got much better as it went, especially when it stopped being the Robin Williams show and became more of an ensemble show, a really funny one at that. Its end tag bloopers is one of my favorite things this past season. Also Kelly Clarkson in the pilot! Win!

20. Hannibal - As a huge fan of Bryan Fuller, I knew this show would be right up my alley and while it's less whimsy and more gory than his other shows, the quality remains. It helps that Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy are doing amazing things in their roles.

19. Elementary - I don't subscribe to comparing this show with BBC's Sherlock since they're both so different. What I do love about this show is the fresh take Miller brings to the character and his fantastic relationship with Liu's Watson.

18. Downton Abbey - I never know which season of this show I'm honoring--the one that aired in the US early last year or the one that aired in the UK later last year. No matter, as I think the show has found its sweet spot between period piece and soap opera melodrama and I can't get enough of it.

17. House of Cards - While it wasn't my favorite Netflix original of last year, it was still such a delight to see Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright plot together to take over the world. I can't wait to see what/who else they can manipulate and destroy.

16. Mad Men - Ranked the exact same last year, I do think people have started to really take the greatness of this show for granted. But it's still pretty damn great especially with its central character so much more broken than ever. Also, this season gave us Bob Benson, so there you go.

I'll hopefully post the second part of my rankings aka my Top 15 before the end of the week, but whenever I say that it usually takes a few more days or week to actually happen. In the meantime, here are a few honorable mentions...

An Adventure in Space and Time - This was a BBC television movie that dramatized the origins of the show Doctor Who airing in time for the 50th Anniversary of the show. So good, but as it was a movie, didn't make my list.

Fringe - Based on the last three episodes it aired in 2013, this would be a Top 20 show easy, but I wanted to honor newer shows and it already made my Top 10 list last year.

Lizzie Bennett Diaries - Such an inventive take on the Pride & Prejudice story, adapted for the YouTube generation. Since it was a web series, I felt it'd be better to call it out here rather than including it in my list. Watch it here.

Reality Shows - I saw a lot of good to great ones the past year, but with so many scripted shows to honor I had to take them out. But from old favorites (Amazing Race, Masterchef, Face Off) to new surprises (The Writers' Room, Masterchef Junior) to silly fun ones (American Ninja Warrior, Whodunnit?, Hollywood Game Night), I had to pay tribute to them in some small way.

Gravity Pulls Ahead After DGA and Historic PGA Wins

Though Gravity walked home empty-handed last weekend at the SAG Awards, it has so far gained a lot of ground by picking up a couple of wins from the PGA and DGA making it the favorite to win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.

First, the Producers Guild made history last week by declaring a tie for their top prize, giving it to not only Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, but also to Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave. The biggest result of this was effectively keeping the Oscar race as tight and competitive as ever especially with rival American Hustle winning the Ensemble award at the SAG Awards. Though people have debated whether or not a tie was actually beneficial for either win, but my thinking is that a win is a win. For Gravity, it legitimizes their film a bit as more than being a sci-fi visual wonder while for 12 Years a Slave, it gives them a much-needed major guild win to hang on to their frontrunner status they acquired early on. The rest of the winners are below...

Motion Picture: Gravity and 12 Years a Slave
Animated Motion Picture: Frozen
Documentary Motion Picture: We Steal Secrets 
Drama Television: Breaking Bad
Comedy Television: Modern Family
Long Form Television: Behind the Candelabra
Non-Fiction Television: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Live Entertainment and Talk Television: The Colbert Report
Competition Television: The Voice
Sports Program: SportsCenter
Children's Program: Sesame Street
Digital Series: Wired: What's Inside
Milestone Award: Bob Iger
David O. Selznick Achievement Award: Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli
Norman Lear Achievement Award: Chuck Lorre
Vanguard Award: Peter Jackson, Joe Letteri and Weta Digital
Stanley Kramer Award: Fruitvale Station
Visionary Award: Chris Meledandri

With the race so close, everyone was seemingly looking to the DGA for some clarity, except that Cuarón was already seen as the heavy favorite and indeed he did win becoming the seventh straight first-time winner for the guild. With his awards season domination including his win last night, it would seem he's locked to win the Oscars and convention says if he won then Gravity would win Best Picture. Many, however, are predicting a split year with Cuarón winning Director and 12 Years a Slave winning Picture. It's possible, but history doesn't really support that scenario. At this point, it might not be until we hear who won Best Editing during the Oscar ceremony to figure out how the top two categories would go. Pretty exciting! The other DGA winners are below:

Feature Film: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Documentary Feature: Jehane Noujaim, The Square
TV Drama Series: Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad
TV Comedy Series: Beth McCarthy-Miller, 30 Rock
TV Movie/Miniseries: Steven Soderbergh, Behind the Candelabra
Reality Programs: Neil P. DeGroot, 72 Hours
Variety Program: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live
Variety Special: Glenn Weiss, 67th Tony Awards
Children's Programs: Amy Schatz, An Apology to Elephants
Robert B. Aldrich Award: Steven Soderbergh
Frank Capra Achievement Award: Lee Blaine
Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award: Vincent DeDario
Diversity Award: Shonda Rhimes & Betsy Beers

In other news, Breaking Bad, Frozen, and Behind the Candelabra continued their own award season domination picking up awards from both guilds and for Frozen, it solidified its frontrunner status for the Oscars. The series finale of 30 Rock won a DGA alongside the series finale of Breaking Bad. None of the documentaries nominated for the PGA were Oscar-nominated, but Oscar-nominee The Square picks up momentum with its DGA win.

Screen Actors Guild Nominations

Busy day meant I'm only just writing my thoughts down on this morning's SAG nominations even though just a few hours from now everyone will be talking about the nominations for the Golden Globes. That's when you know you're fully entrenched in awards season where there's a different accolade every day to keep track of! In any case, this is one of the big ones as actors is a huge group of industry folk, but unfortunately it also means their choices tend to be fairly conservative and preferential to veterans. That's why the word I would describe today's nominations would be... eh.

BEST ENSEMBLE

• 12 Years a Slave
• American Hustle
• August: Osage County
• Dallas Buyers Club
• The Butler

Big sigh of relief from Harvey Weinstein as both August: Osage County and The Butler make it into this shortlist after getting not much love from critics. Of course those two films, with their super starry cast, was tailor-made for this award and should do well in the next couple of months. 12 Years a Slave was the frontrunner and with a leading 4 nominations, it is still the frontrunner. I don't think anyone expected Dallas Buyers Club to be cited here. I was expecting Inside Llewyn Davis or Her and disappointed both came up empty-handed today.

BEST ACTRESS

• Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
• Sandra Bullock, Gravity
• Judi Dench, Philomena
• Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
• Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

It's super difficult to actually complain about the nominees here, because I love all of these actresses and the two performances I've seen (Blanchett and Bullock) are phenomenal. But it's also the same names everyone has been predicting give or take a possible Amy Adams spoiler. I feel for the actresses in smaller films like Julie Delpy (still my wishful dark horse), Brie Larson, Greta Gerwig, and Adele Exarchopoulos.

BEST ACTOR

• Bruce Dern, Nebraska
• Chiwitel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
• Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
• Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
• Forest Whitaker, The Butler

Apparently Robert Redford's absence here is pretty shocking, but with a field THIS strong I'm not too disappointed. If anything, I wish they could've found room instead for Oscar Isaac or Michael B. Jordan. I like Forest Whitaker, but I think this was a wasted nominated for him. Chiwetel Ejiofor in the meantime should be the man to beat if I had it my way.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
• Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
• Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
• June Squibb, Nebraska
• Oprah Winfrey, The Butler

Like the lead category, it's hard to actually find fault with the actors cited, but it'd be great if there was a surprise entry like a Margo Martindale or a Melonie Diaz. Or how about Elizabeth Banks for her work on Catching Fire. That's right I said it. Anyways, I'm happy for Nyong'o though who was quite good and I've got to admit that Winfrey was damn fun to watch in her film. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the performances.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
• Daniel Bruhl, Rush
• James Gandolfini, Enough Said
• Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
• Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

This is the one category that still feels unformed and yet I wouldn't be too shocked if most (or all) of these men are also Oscar-nominated. Bruhl is the most vulnerable probably with Jonah Hill, Bradley Cooper, and Will Forte trying to crack the category. That said, I'm kind of hoping Gandolfini makes it all the way for a posthumous Oscar. It's sentimental for sure, but not undeserved.

BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE, FILM

• All Is Lost
• Fast and Furious 6
• Lone Survivor
• Rush
• The Wolverine

Kind of shocked not to see Catching Fire, Thor, or Iron Man 3 here. I mean The Wolverine? All Is Lost? What?! Whatever.

And if you thought the film nominees were unexciting, the TV nominees make the film nominees look bold and fresh. Not to say the nominations are bad, but there was such an explosion of great new shows this year and unfortunately you could barely tell with the following nominations.

BEST DRAMA ENSEMBLE

• Boardwalk Empire
• Breaking Bad
• Downton Abbey
• Game of Thrones
• Homeland

Breaking Bad leads with 4 nominations and it's probably going to win this award and everything else until the Emmys next year for its widely successful final season. Games of Thrones makes a come back after getting snub last year, though in its place is perennial favorite Mad Men, which seems to be losing steam awards-wise of late. As I said, the lack of new shows (Masters of Sex, The Americans, Orphan Black, House of Cards, etc.) sting, but it's also something no one was really expecting anyways.

BEST COMEDY ENSEMBLE

• 30 Rock
• Arrested Development
• Big Bang Theory
• Modern Family
• Veep

Last year this group nominated Glee and The Office, so at least there's nothing that insane happening this year, but even with the fresh inclusion of Veep (and comeback nomination for Arrested Development), it still feels old hat. I thought Girls would make it in and don't get me started of their continuing to ignore Parks and Recreation. For my money this year, Orange is the New Black and Brooklyn Nine-Nine were leagues ahead of most of these shows.

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA

• Claire Danes, Homeland
• Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
• Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
• Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
• Kerry Washington, Scandal

ANNA GUNN! God, yes. All the awards to her. But look, I love Maggie Smith and all, but you really don't have to nominate her every single time. It's okay. She's never going to show up any ways. Instead we could've given it to Dockery or Margulies (both nominated last year) or those in new shows like Tatiana Maslany, Robin Wright, Tatiana Maslany, Keri Russell, Tatiana Maslany, Lizzy Caplan, and of course Tatiana Maslany.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA

• Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
• Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
• Jeff Daniels, Newsroom
• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
• Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Of course, Bryan Cranston. Duh. Give him the award already. But I'm sad about the exclusion of his co-star Aaron Paul. Love me some Dinklage always and Spacey was a no-brainer for this crowd as as the other two even though I again wish for newer blood like Mandy Patinkin, Matthew Rhys, Andrew Lincoln, etc.

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY

• Mayim Bialik, Big Bang Theory
• Julie Bowen, Modern Family
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Julia Louis Dreyfus, Veep

Well at least Betty White was not nominated again and Julia Louis Dreyfus and Mayim Bialik got well-deserved citations. But how you can have this award without Amy Poehler is just confounding. Also shocked to see Lena Dunham come up empty (she also wasn't nominated last year) as well as to see none of the ladies from Orange is the New Black make the list.

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
• Ty Burrell, Modern Family
• Don Cheadle, House of Lies
• Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory

Blah, blah, blah they're all talented and whatever but wow I could probably come up with a list of about a dozen or so actors I'd rather see nominated like Adam Scott, Nick Offerman, Andre Braugher, Adam Driver, Jim Rash, Jake Johnson, etc.

BEST ACTRESS, MINISERIES

• Angela Bassett, Betty & Coretta
• Helena Bonham Carter, Taylor & Burton
• Holly Hunter, Top of the Lake
• Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
• Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake

Nothing too shocking here, except to say that I'm pretty annoyed that Jessica Lange gets to compete in this category at the Emmys and over in Drama for this award. Also was Emmy winner Laura Linney not eligible? In any case, with those two ladies not in the running, it's a good chance for Moss to pick up the win here. I'm rooting for her!

BEST ACTOR, MINISERIES

• Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
• Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
• Jeremy Irons, The Hollow Crown
• Rob Lowe, Killing Kennedy
• Al Pacino, Phil Spector

Interesting to see Emmy nominated Benedict Cumberbatch to not get nominated here despite being in two Best Ensemble films. But no matter who was nominated, the result will be the exact same as the Emmys with Michael Douglas prevailing as it should be.

BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE, TV

• Boardwalk Empire
• Breaking Bad
• Game of Thrones
• Homeland
• The Walking Dead

This is the same nominees as last year except Homeland replaces Sons of Anarchy. You can also tell that this is pretty much the Best Drama category except The Walking Dead replaces Downton Abbey. In other words... zzz.

Emmy Nominations and Predictions

Seems like it takes me later and later every year to chime in with my thoughts on Emmy nominations, but oh well! I'm actually oddly excited for this year's ceremony, mostly because of Neil Patrick Harris back as host, but with a couple months removed I've pretty much found my zen in the eventual nominees. Every year there are plenty of snubs that irritate, but I actually think this year there's less outright bad nominations. That's real progress! So my thoughts and predictions...

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards
Mad Men

The drama series category has been such an embarrassment of riches the past few years and this year it's no exception. I can't even be too disappointed that The Good Wife was left out again and that only House of Cards made it in for new shows (I was rooting for The Americans and Orphan Black) which is also a milestone for Netflix. The conventional wisdom is of course last year's winner Homeland to repeat, but competition is tough. Mad Men has won four times prior, Breaking Bad is reaching a cultural zenith, Downton Abbey is still a water-cooler show, and Game of Thrones has never been better. I'm thinking Breaking Bad will finally break through here.

Prediction: Breaking Bad
Alternate: Mad Men
Should Win: Breaking Bad
Should've Been Nominated: The Good Wife, The Americans, Orphan Black

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

I really feel for Jon Hamm. He really should've won by now, but voters seem to always be in love with someone else every year. This year it becomes even more difficult with two new entries coming from the "movie actor slumming it on TV" mold with Oscar winner Spacey being the slight favorite. And there's of course recent winners Lewis and Cranston to contend with, the latter of which is still getting career best reviews for the final season of his show. I'll be rooting for Hamm, but I would be shock if this was the year they finally (and rightly) honor him.

Prediction: Kevin Spacey
Alternate: Bryan Cranston
Should Win: Jon Hamm
Should've Been Nominated: Matthew Rhys, Jonny Lee Miller, Hugh Dancy

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Connie Britton, Nashville
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Robin Wright, House of Cards

This category is an actressexual's dream. Even with the awful Julianna Margulies snub, it's hard to really complain about this line-up, which also goes to show just how competitive this category really is. Last year's champ Danes is probably the slight favorite, but I can honestly see any of them winning it for various reasons. I can't even say who I'm rooting for, because any of their wins would be a happy and well-deserved one. Maybe Moss, because like Hamm, it's crazy she hasn't won an award for that role, but then again she might win in the Miniseries category this year. I don't know! Anyone have a seven-sided die?

Prediction: Claire Danes
Alternate: Elisabeth Moss
Should Win: Elisabeth Moss
Should've Been Nominated: Tatiana Maslany, Julianna Margulies, Emmy Rossum, Keri Russell

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

I'm a bit shocked to see Corey Stoll didn't get to partake in all the love the Emmys has bestowed upon House of Cards especially since he's totally the show's scene stealer, but it's a stacked category regardless. If the Emmys still love Homeland, I think Patinkin is the slight favorite especially if Paul and Banks split votes. Then again, Paul won last year with a more formidable competition from his own show so who knows? And I like Downton Abbey, but Carter's nomination should have probably gone to the aforementioned Stoll or maybe Mads Mikkelsen's Hannibal.

Prediction: Mandy Patinkin
Alternate: Aaron Paul
Should Win: Mandy Patinkin
Should've Been Nominated: Corey Stoll, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Mads Mikkelsen

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Morena Baccarin, Homeland
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey

Can we just take a moment that both of Captain Mal's ladies from Firefly are Emmy nominated in the same category? Now I'd like to think Baccarin and Hendricks are fighting for the win, but did they really do enough this season to warrant the win? Hendricks especially had better seasons which she inexplicably walked home empty-handed. I'm very happy to see Clarke get her first nomination, especially since she should've already been nominated for the show's first season. And as much as I love Smith, let's just hope her stranglehold on this category loosens up a little.

Prediction: Anna Gunn
Alternate: Maggie Smith
Should Win: Christina Hendricks
Should've Been Nominated: Jennifer Carpenter, Lena Heady, Natalie Dormer

BEST COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Girls
Louie
Modern Family
Veep

I actually watch all of these shows and like them to various degrees, but I just cannot take this category seriously without Parks and Recreation. I also expected the Emmys to nominate Arrested Development, but I guess only one Netflix show was allowed to be included on the big stage. Glad to see the final season of 30 Rock here and just perhaps this Emmy favorite will end up sweeping, but that would mean it would have to unseat Modern Family from its permanent Emmy perch it's found itself in. But I just feel like this year it might actually happen. Or not, whatever.

Prediction: 30 Rock
Alternate: Modern Family
Should Win: Veep
Should've Been Nominated: Parks and Recreation, New Girl, How I Met Your Mother

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis C.K., Louie
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Apparently while every other category gets 6 (and even 7) nominees, this category only has 5, which is insane since I really thought this was the year Adam Scott was going to finally break through. The buzz was also win Jake Johnson to possibly show up here, but weirdly his show seemed to have already outstayed its welcome even in its great sophomore season. Not too surprising to see Bateman here, but again I thought his show would've made more of an impact this year. Last year's winner Cryer was thankfully snubbed, so the Emmys will probably go with the old-standbys of Parsons or Baldwin.

Prediction: Alec Baldwin
Alternate: Jim Parsons
Should Win: Louis C.K.
Should've Been Nominated: Adam Scott, Jake Johnson, Elijah Wood

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Laura Dern, Enlighted
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Here's the thing, every single actress here probably deserves to win. Certainly Dunham's nomination this year feels more realized than last year's seemingly knee-jerk "new kid" slot and former multi-Emmy winners Falco, Fey, and Louis-Dreyfus should never, ever be underestimated, but I'm seriously SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY rooting for Poehler here. I admit that quality-wise Louis-Dreyfus beats her just a teeny bit, but Poehler for the win. Always.

Prediction: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Alternate: Tina Fey
Should Win: Amy Poehler
Should've Been Nominated: Dakota Johnson, Zooey Deschanel, Marthan Plimpton

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Adam Driver, Girls
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Tony Hale, Veep
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family

This category the past few years has been the most disappointing for me. We really don't need to nominate every single member of the Modern Family cast every year. Though them leaving out last year's winner Stonestreet feel so arbitrary and somehow confirms how lazy voters are. I'm thrilled to see Driver and Hale sneak in though and I hope one of them wins just to give this category a much-needed twist. As for the actors who SHOULD have been nominated, the list is way too long but NICK OFFERMAN AND JIM RASH. That is all. No, wait, I want to say... fuck the Emmys for consistently ignoring these two hilarious men.

Prediction: Ed O'Neill
Alternate: Ty Burrell
Should Win: Adam Driver
Should've Been Nominated: Jim Rash, Nick Offerman, Lamorne Morris, and so much more

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Jane Krakowsi, 30 Rock
Jane Lynch, Glee
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie

After missing out on nominations last year, both Krakowski and Lynch are back and for the former, it's the last chance for her to be awarded for the glorious Jenna Maroney. I'm doubtful it'll happen, but weirder things have happened. Like Drama Actress, we have seven nominations which is nice, but also feels a bit like "everybody gets an award!" As much as the Emmys love Modern Family, Vergara or Bowen should be seem as front-runners, but I keep thinking they'd like to award Bialik somehow. I'd be totally fine with that, but I'm on Jenna's side.

Prediction: Mayim Bialik
Alternate: Sofia Vergara
Should Win: Jane Krakowski
Should've Been Nominated: Aubrey Plaza, Kate McKinnon, Jenna Fischer

OTHER CATEGORIES
Best Miniseries or Movie: Behind the Candelabra
Best Actor, Miniseries: Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
Best Actress, Miniseries: Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter
Best Supporting Actor, Miniseries: James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum
Best Supporting Actress, Miniseries: Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals

The key to predicting the Miniseries categories is to pick the biggest names, but when most of the names are big, it's almost a crap shoot, but I would be shocked to see Behind the Candelabra not win in its categories since almost swept the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last week. Speaking of, the Guest Acting categories were also given out last week and I went 1 of 4 in my predictions, which tells you to take any of my predictions above with a grain of salt. Can't wait to tune in tonight!

Predicting Guest Acting at Creative Arts Emmy Awards

The Emmy Awards are next week, but since there are approximately over 100 awards to be given out, most of the awards will actually be handed out tonight at the Creative Arts Emmys including the four Guest Acting categories. So before that takes place, a few of my thoughts and predictions of the nominees:

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Dan Bucatinsky, Scandal
Rupert Friend, Homeland
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
Harry Hamlin, Mad Men
Nathan Lane, The Good Wife
Robert Morse, Mad Men

It's no surprise for Mad Men and The Good Wife to take up the majority of nominations, but it's also a good sign for Scandal and Homeland since the two actors cited from those two shows are newcomers showing solid love among the industry. Looking at the nominees, this should be Fox's category to lose, but I said the exact same thing last year and he lost. Lane is probably his closest competition (and Lane is also nominated in Comedy). And all respect to Morse, but I'd have easily traded him for Eddie Izzard's turn in Hannibal.

Prediction: Michael J. Fox
Alternate: Nathan Lane
Should Win: Michael J. Fox
Should've Been Nominated: Eddie Izzard, Dallas Roberts

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Linda Cardellini, Mad Men
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Jane Fonda, The Newsroom
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Carrie Preston, The Good Wife
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones

Last year, Martha Plimpton won this category and I'm rooting so hard for fellow Good Wife guest star Preston to repeat. But man this nomination was a long time coming, wasn't it? This is a pretty solid list though and I don't think there's an actual frontrunner. Perhaps Fonda since she's a beloved movie star. But I can honestly see any of these women win. Why not give it to recent Emmy winner Martindale especially with the show's sole acting nomination? A couple of Alison (Brie and Wright) should've been nominated for their memorable roles on Mad Men and The Americans respectively.

Prediction: Jane Fonda
Alternate: Margo Martindale
Should Win: Carrie Preston
Should've Been Nominated: Alison Brie, Alison Wright

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
Bobby Cannavale, Nurse Jackie
Will Forte, 30 Rock
Nathan Lane, Modern Family
Bob Newhart, Big Bang Theory
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live

It would be very difficult to see a way legendary Newhart wouldn't win his first Emmy Award (out of seven nominations!) especially for a show that Emmy seems to love. His biggest competition are the two Saturday Night Live hosts that Emmys definitely love (C.K. has NINE nominations this year alone and Timberlake has won FOUR). The rest should just be lucky to be nominated, but I wished Patton Oswalt and Andrew Rannells were nominated from Parks and Rec and Girls respectively.

Prediction: Bob Newhart
Alternate: Justin Timberlake
Should Win: Justin Timberlake
Should've Been Nominated: Patton Oswalt, Andrew Rannells

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
Melissa Leo, Louis C.K.
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Molly Shannon, Enlightened
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Even when I was making my own ballot for this category, I was left mostly uninspired so I don't have much to say about the nominees here. I wouldn't even know who is the frontrunner here. Maybe Oscar winner Leo or 3-time Emmy winner Stritch? Everyone still loves McCarthy and/or Wiig right? Your guess is as good (or better) as mine.

Prediction: Kristen Wiig
Alternate: Elaine Stritch
Should Win: Kristen Wiig
Should've Been Nominated: Kate Hudson, Octavia Spencer

So there are my guest acting predictions. And below are three more categories that will be decided tonight that I'm randomly going to say a few words on, just because.

BEST REALITY TV HOST
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Anthony Bourdain, The Taste
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
Betty White, Betty White's Off Their Rockers

I don't understand how Phil Keoghan was left off this list, but I'm rooting for Cat Deeley or Heidi Klum/Tim Gunn. I still don't get how Bergeron won last year.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Nothing In This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again," Nashville
"More Or Less The Kind Of Thing You May Or May Not Possibly See On Broadway," The Neighbors
"Hang The Moon," Smash
"I Hear Your Voice In A Dream," Smash
"Rural Juror," 30 Rock
"If I Had Time," 66th Annual Tony Awards

Other than the song from The Neighbors, I've heard and like all of the other songs so I'll be fine if any of them wins. I'm rooting for "Rural Juror" (for the hilarity) and "I Hear Your Voice In A Dream" (only song I've listened to more than 5x). I would root for Neil Patrick's Tony Awards song from last year, but I'd rather he win NEXT year for his epic opening song from the Tony Awards this year.

BEST MAIN TITLE DESIGN
American Horror Story: Asylum
Da Vinci's Demons
Elementary
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
The Newsroom
Vikings

Rooting for Elementary just because I just love their Rube-Goldberg-esque main title, but I also like the dark and pretty one for The Vikings. Haven't seen any of the others!

There's way more awards than these to be given out tonight, but I can't cover them all! Though after tonight, it should tells us which shows the Emmy voters are loving. Though last year the results where mixed with Homeland and Game Change translating their early wins with dominating on the big night while Girls and Game of Thrones didn't.

Quick TV Thoughts

You could tell it's February sweeps when I'm tempted to do one of my mega-post trying to talk about a bunch of TV shows I watched this past week...

Post-Superbowl Elementary Fumble

First, let's talk about football! Just kidding. Of course, I was one of the 100 million people who saw the Super Bowl last Sunday, which definitely got more exciting post-power outage. Unfortunately the outage also extended the game by half an hour which pushed CBS freshman show Elementary out of prime time giving the show less new eyeballs. I have to say though that I think they picked a pretty bad episode of the show to show off. Yes, there were strippers and a serial killer on the loose, but the episode failed to highlight the main reason to actually watch the show: the relationship between Sherlock and Watson. Instead, both were relegated to separate stories with him working with the FBI agent to solve the murders and her dealing with her apartment situation. They still interacted, of course, but not at the level they usually do, which also gave the episode a "so what?" kind of feeling. As an aside, the episode this past Thursday was a much better episode minus the requisite strippers.

Robin Sparkles 4.0

It's no secret to say that How I Met Your Mother has seen better days. When it was officially announced last week that it was renewed for a final season, the reactions were largely mixed with many former hardcore fans just wishing the show had ended a few seasons ago. I for one am happy the show has a firm end date and I know CBS feels the same way. This last new episode got the best ratings for the show since last February rating a 4.0 in the demo beating out its Monday neighbor 2 Broke Girls and Wednesday powerhouse Modern Family. Of course, it was also a Very Special episode featuring everyone's favorite Canadian pop singer Robin Sparkles. And while it still didn't capture the magic of the first RS episode, it was certainly the best of the sequels with tons of Canadian celebrity cameos that put a perma-smile on my face throughout the episode. Hope the show can use this momentum and go out on top.

Smash Falling Through the Sky

In the other end of the ratings spectrum, Smash debut to horrible numbers, even worse than already lowered expectations. Despite all of the much publicized changes the show had made in-between seasons, it seemed no one really wanted to come back for more. The tepid reviews didn't help with many TV critics admitting that while the show addressed many of the surface problems from the first season, it was largely unchanged. This was most evident in the continued misstep of the show to prop up bland Katherine McPhee over the obviously more talented Megan Hilty. Hiring Jennifer Hudson, herself not the greatest actress, highlighted all the more that McPhee can't even hold a candle to another Idol alum. The two-hour premiere also felt overstuffed and viewers probably needed more breathing room. One of the brighter spots of the premiere was Jeremy Jordan's rendition of "Broadway, Here I Come." Too bad his character is also kind of a jerk. Smash just seems to want people to root against it every time. Many did hate-watch it the first season, but this season no one seems to care enough to do even that.

Pilot Thoughts: Monday Mornings and House of Cards

I don't have much to say about these two shows except to say that I generally liked their pilots. Monday Mornings is a medical drama on TNT by David E. Kelley so you know it doesn't really break any new ground while House of Cards is a political drama starring Kevin Spacey and is more know as Netflix's first foray in original programming. The pilot, directed by David Fincher, was made available at the same time as the entirety of the first season with the company wanting its subscribers to have a choice on how quickly they consume the show. I already know many people who have seen all 13 episodes and while I can definitely see myself binge-watch one snowy afternoon, I only made time to watch the first episode where I was definitely intrigued by the various machinations that were introduced. I especially latched onto the smarmy genius that is Spacey and look forward to the chaos he'll surely be inflicting, though I'm still unsure about breaking the fourth wall. As for Monday Mornings, it's solid if a bit unremarkable save for seeing the beautiful Jamie Bamber be this show's answer to McDreamy. The ratings are apparently dismal so I won't get too attached, but I'll keep watching just to see his pretty face. House of Cards: B+; Monday Mornings: B-

I Peacock NBC Thursdays

"That's our show. Not a lot of people watched it, but the joke is on you, because we got paid anyway." First, I would just like to toast to 30 Rock which ended its run last week with a series finale that let the show end on its own terms and nothing else. It wasn't for everybody, as evidenced by the opening quote (which was uttered by Tracy in the finale), but it certainly was a big influence on the TV landscape. I express my thanks to Tina Fey and company for the show and hope they all quickly find a job elsewhere. The other NBC Thursday show ending this season, The Office,  also seems intent to go out on top re-tooling the final season to showcase more of the ensemble and put the drama on the Jim-Pam relationship. The latter is made more complicated with this fabricated love triangle that probably could've worked if given more time, but unfortunately it all just seemed manipulatively engineered to get us the inevitable emotional payoff by the end.

With those two shows going off into the sunset, NBC is "stuck" with Parks and Recreation and Community which incidentally were their #2 and #3 sitcoms of the week with The Office taking the top spot. I'm hopeful that these ratings are good enough for NBC to renew them both, but I'm just relieved for Community that its ratings actually went up from its average last season especially with the behind-the-scenes drama of Dan Harmon getting the boot and the show's premiere being delayed four months. The premiere also allayed my fears that Harmon's absence would be felt in the show suddenly becoming more mainstream, but it was still the same goofy, niche, and hilarious show that I love. Jim Rash continues to steal every scene he is in. Finally, Parks & Rec is consistently amazing, but I have to give them kudos on that super funny scene of Ben, Chris, and Ron suffering together from a bout of food poisoning. Emmy Awards for all of them!

Honestly Impressive Girls

And finally, I'll end this already too-long post by commending Lena Dunham on delivering possibly my favorite episode of Girls. As much as I don't "like" Hannah as a character I at least have a handle on her, which I couldn't really say with regards to Jessa. This episode really showed us what made that mercurial character tick and it was a delight to see Jemima Kirke really show off her talents not only in that super awkward dinner scene and her explosive break-up with Thomas-John, but also in the beautiful scene in the bathtub that ended the episode. My favorite part of the episode though was that surprisingly subtle and honest declaration of love between Ray and Shoshanna on the subway platform cementing them as two of my favorite characters and couple on the show bar none.

Screen Actors Guild Vote for Argo & Downton Abbey

Lincoln may have walked away with the film with the most wins tonight at the SAG Awards for Actor and Supporting Actor, but it's Ben Affleck's Argo which came out on top unexpectedly winning Best Ensemble putting it firmly in the lead especially after its PGA, Golden Globes, and BFCA wins earlier in the season. Katniss and Catwoman, I mean Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway, solidified their advantage over their fellow Oscar nominees by winning here and each giving gracious and beautiful acceptance speeches to boot.

Best Ensemble: Argo
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Shockingly enough even with the actors giving Alec Baldwin his 8th award and Modern Family still being honored as the Best Comedy Ever, the TV awards actually provided some nice surprises like Bryan Cranston's first ever SAG win (compared to his three Emmy Awards) and Downton Abbey picking up Best Drama Ensemble aka the biggest shock of the night. Phyllis Logan, who looked astonishing all glammed up unlike her character Mrs. Hughes, accepted the award surrounded by her surprised and gleeful co-stars.

Best Ensemble, Drama: Downton Abbey
Best Ensemble, Comedy: Modern Family
Best Actress, Drama: Claire Danes, Homeland
Best Actress, Comedy: Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Best Actor, Drama: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Best Actor, Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Best Actress, Miniseries: Julianne Moore, Game Change
Best Actor, Miniseries: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys

The motto of the night though seemed to be to spread the love around, which I endorse, with no one TV show or movie getting more than two wins. 30 Rock got two wins for Tina Fey and Baldwin and as many times as they have already been awarded, it's kind of nice to honor them especially with their show having its final episode this week. Lincoln also got two wins and while Daniel Day-Lewis is a lock to win his third Oscar, his fellow SAG winner Tommy Lee Jones is in a 3-way fight with Golden Globe winner Christoph Waltz and BFCA winner Philip Seymour Hoffman. But the big story moving forward is definitely Argo's win (which also makes Cranston the only double-winner tonight). With how open the Oscar race has been all season, can Argo really go all the way after its most recent big wins especially with its director not nominated for Oscars? People will keep asking this, so buckle up.

Emmy Nominations and Predictions

I've been so remiss in talking about the Emmy Awards this year to the point that I didn't even blog about my instant reaction to the nominations a couple months ago. Suffice to say, my feelings have largely stabilized and so I am now able to calmly discuss this year's nominations and give my predictions just in time for this year's ceremony which airs tomorrow. And so my thoughts...

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men

Can someone stop Mad Men from a winning a record fifth time? If there was ever a year, this would be it. Breaking Bad has built up so much buzz and goodwill that it may be seen as timely to give it the big win, but it'd also be foolish to underestimate new show Homeland and everyone's obsession Downton Abbey. I was shocked that The Good Wife didn't make it in, but it's not as if these nominees aren't worthy. I'm thinking Mad Men's streak ends this year.

Prediction: Homeland
Alternate: Breaking Bad
Should Win: Breaking Bad
Should've Been Nominated: The Good Wife

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Jon Hamm had his chance last year, but it wasn't meant to be and it is even harder this year with 3-time winner Bryan Cranston back in the line up as well as newcomer Damian Lewis. I'm pretty sure one of those men will get the prize, as I predicted before they even got nominated, but which one is anybody's guess. No one really got robbed of a nomination here, but I wished another leading man from Downton Abbey made it in. Or even Jason Isaacs for his under-appreciated show Awake.

Prediction: Damian Lewis
Alternate: Bryan Cranston
Should Win: Damian Lewis
Should've Been Nominated: Dan Stevens, Jason Isaacs

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

I'd complain about a few snubs like Emmy Rossum or Madeleine Stowe, but this category is stacked like whoa with very talented ladies. I honestly can say I'm equally rooting for about four of them to win so I think my chances are good for the big night. The frontrunners are obviously past Emmy winners Claire Danes and Julianna Margulies, but anything can happen. I'd say they'd randomly give it to Bates, but she finally won her first Emmy last weekend for Guest Actress. I also want to take this moment to FREAK OUT over Dockery's nomination. I seriously thought it was a long shot!

Prediction: Claire Danes
Alternate: Elisabeth Moss
Should Win: Michelle Dockery
Should've Been Nominated: Emmy Rossum, Madeline Stowe

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Jared Harris, Mad Men
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Definitely didn't expect the Emmy voters to go Downton crazy this year, at least to this extent, but it's quite evident in this category. Their nominations are their reward though while the other four men will duke it out. Initially I really thought this category was going to pit last year's winner Dinklage against 2010's winner Paul, but perhaps another Breaking Bad actor will take it all. In my heart, I think Esposito could upset, but I still think I will predict Paul or Dinklage to win.

Prediction: Aaron Paul
Alternate: Peter Dinklage
Should Win: Aaron Paul
Should've Been Nominated: Gabriel Mann, John Noble

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey

I love the actress, but Froggatt's nomination is hilarious. On the other hand, I am over the moon ecstatic that Anna Gunn was recognized for her stellar work. I think Lena Heady was robbed a bit, but not to the extent that I'm super angry about it. As for who has the edge, I'm actually going to pick Christina Hendricks to be the first Mad Men actor to win an Emmy! Yes, even over the great dame Maggie Smith who can just as easily win of course.

Prediction: Christina Hendricks,
Alternate: Maggie Smith
Should Win: Christina Hendricks
Should've Been Nominated: Lena Heady, Maisie Williams

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Girls
Modern Family
30 Rock
Veep

I understand the snub of Community YET AGAIN, but this category is pure and utter bullshit without Parks and Recreation. In fact, I'd probably only support two of these shows to make the shortlist, so I have pretty negative feelings about the Comedy categories overall. I mean at least they didn't nominate Glee or Smash, but seriously this category is useless with Parks and Recreation. Repeating myself? YES I AM.

Prediction: Modern Family
Alternate: Girls
Should Win: None since it belongs to Parks and Recreation
Should've Been Nominated: Parks and Recreation, Community

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis C.K., Louie
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

See my comment above about having negative feelings about these comedy categories. Of course it doesn't help that I only watch two of these performances regularly, but even those don't really inspire strong feelings within. I was a bit shocked that Elijah Wood didn't get nominated for Wilfred, but I guess that show was off their radar or something. I don't even have a rooting interest really. Moving on.

Prediction: Jim Parsons
Alternate: Alec Baldwin
Should Win: Louis C.K.
Should've Been Nominated: Adam Scott, Elijah Wood

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Kind of annoying that there's seven nominations, but at the very least they included Amy Poehler even though they snub her show (still not over it). If there was any justice in the world she would win this award, but I think the front runner here is Emmy favorite Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which in her defense would be completely deserved. Deschanel and Dunham as the new kids in town also have the edge for being new and cool. Was a bit bummed about Plimpton's snub, but she won a guest Emmy last week so it's all good!

Prediction: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Alternate: Zooey Deschanel
Should Win: Amy Poehler
Should've Been Nominated: Courtney Cox, Martha Plimpton

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Look, I like Modern Family as much as any other guy, but chill the fuck out Emmy voters. The show is NOT THAT GOOD. With that said, I'd be shocked if anyone from another show wins, because the odds are just so stacked against them. Greenfield's nomination was a bit refreshing though, but Nick Offerman, Jim Rash, and Damon Wayans Jr. should've been nominated as well. This category just saddens me.

Prediction: Ed O'Neill
Alternate: Ty Burrell
Should Win: Casting director of Modern Family
Should've Been Nominated: Jim Rash, Nick Offerman, Damon Wayans Jr., and more

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
Kristin Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Joosten gets her posthumous nomination and her show's one and only. As crass as it is to talk about, her death does give her an edge here. Last year's winner Bowen could just as easily repeat, but I think Joosten's biggest challenge is from Sofia Vergara. Bialik's nomination gives me immense joy as she's the one consistent bright spot on her show. Never underestimate Wiig though especially for her farewell season. Lots of snubs particularly Jane Krakowski and my fave girl in Girls Zosia Mamet.

Prediction: Kathryn Joosten
Alternate: Sofia Vergara
Should Win: Mayim Bialik
Should've Been Nominated: Zosia Mamet, Jane Krakowski

OTHER CATEGORIES
Best Miniseries or Movie: Game Change
Best Actor, Miniseries: Clive Owen, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Best Actress, Miniseries: Julianne Moore, Game Change
Best Supporting Actor, Miniseries: Martin Freeman, Sherlock
Best Supporting Actress, Miniseries: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Best Guest Actor, Comedy*: Michael J. Fox, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Best Guest Actress, Comedy*: Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Best Guest Actor, Drama*: Mark Margolis, Breaking Bad
Best Guest Actress, Drama*: Joan Cusack, Shameless

Please take my predictions with a grain of salt as historically I have NOT done well. Last year, I predicted 7 of 19 awards correctly which is quite pathetic. *With the Creative Emmys already giving out the awards for guest acting last week, I start off with a whimper in my predictions getting a grand total of zero correct. Though if I really thought about it, I should've realized Bates was the easy pick in her category. On to the show!

TV Report: Week of 4/8

There are many reasons why I didn't post my TV Report a couple days ago as I try to do, but I won't go into it. Instead in an effort to catch up, just brief snippets on those shows I got to see last week. Note that these don't include any new episodes I've seen since Sunday. Hopefully will get to those this upcoming weekend. Onwards...

Game of Thrones - Not as flawless as the premiere, but still a wonderful episode where we got a lot more of Arya and Gendry than the earlier episode. Plus we also got more Tyrion and Cersei scenes and lord knows I could watch a whole hour of those two just sniping at each other.

Mad Men - Apart from Don's feverish dream where he commits murder, the episode really revolved around Peggy and Joan being awesome and that's all right by me since they are my favorites. Peggy had two great scenes conning Roger and hanging out with Dawn while Joan finally kicked Greg out of the apartment!

How I Met Your Mother - I don't think it's an insta-classic, but it was pretty damn close. Love all of the flashback/flashforward stuff with the guys reflecting on their lives every three years or so. I especially loved Cobie Smulders rocking the wigs and costumes this episode. Plus Ted with the baby made me smile.

2 Broke Girls - Nothing much to say about this episode where the girls had to do drug testing for money. It's a show I watch because it's after HIMYM. I enjoy the leads, but the show itself isn't good. Moving on.

Smash - Toning down Ivy's histrionics and giving Karen the understudy role were all good-ish or at least relatively compared to everything else. But I really didn't like how Eileen treated her potential investor, Dev's work problems, or anything to do with Julia's crisis at home (though Messing's performance is very good). So more bad than good I'm afraid. And the last-second Uma reveal is... yawn.

Glee - Matt Bomer was in this episode. That's pretty much where my interests began and ended and even then I cringed at even some of his scenes, because oh god why? My love affair with Blaine is rapidly declining though that gratuitous shower scene was much appreciated. I just feel sorry for every actor in this show to be honest.

New Girl - Other than wanting to know exactly how True American is played, this episode didn't really hold my attention. I do like Jess/Russell together, but this episode wasn't one of their better ones. Winston's B-plot was also a bit mediocre except for the ending as he tried to get his babysitting job back.

Suburgatory - While not everything worked, a lot of it did that it made the episode worthwhile. Don't really buy Lisa/Malik, but the actors had so much fun with their gross PDAs. Ryan's feelings for Jane were also not exactly organic, but I dig it. Plus we got tons of Yakult/Dalia which is a rivalry for the ages.

Modern Family - Was I the only one who didn't enjoy that episode? I mean I really can't point to a single reason why I did, but nothing really clicked for me. The worst was probably Cam/Mitchell getting into trouble yet again by being overly judgmental.

Community - What was not to like? The Dean gets lots of screen-time to steal scenes, Jeff/Shirley gets to hang out, Britta gets to Britta herself, and Troy's feelings for Britta resurfaces. Cool, cool, cool, cool.

30 Rock - Good to see Elaine Stritch back as Jack's mom as she's always good for a zinger or two plus Krakowski is still doing good work this season this time checking off a couple of items in her sexual walkabout checklist. The best scene, however, was Liz dancing as dollar bills rained down on her via Tracy and his son.

The Office - Not sure what to think of this episode. On the one hand, we get more development on Nellie and Andy/Erin, but for the most part it all felt just a tad bit awkward for everyone involved. I supposed this show's motto is making awkward, well, funny, but I think this time around the execution fell short a bit.

Awake - I get so depressed talking about this show knowing it'll get cancelled due to its anemic ratings, but I tell myself to just enjoy the ride and whatever episodes do air. This week's episode wasn't as perfect as the week prior, but it still gave us little clues as to the nature of Britten's accident. Need more! Of it all!

Fringe - What's the point of reviewing this episode when all I want to do is give every cast member an Emmy at this point? Anna Torv and John Noble especially showed off why it's ridiculous they haven't been showered with all of the award this past week's episode and Seth Gabel two weeks ago did the same when one of his characters died. For me, it's these performances that make it worthwhile. The cool sci-fi plots are just bonuses really.

Finally, I have checked out the first episodes of Scandal and Don't Trust the B- in Apt. 23 and will check out the pilot for HBO's Girls very soon. I'll do a quick post on all three when I can!

TV Report: Week of 4/1

Looking back on this past week of TV, it seems I skipped watching as many shows as I actually did find the time to watch. The list of shows I didn't get to see included Castle, Ringer, Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, and Fringe as well as the season/series premieres of The Killing and Scandal. In any case, onwards to those shows I actually saw...


Game of Thrones

As I had already mentioned briefly elsewhere, I loved the season premiere. Unlike the premiere last year when I had no idea who anyone was or where anything was, this episode felt like coming back home and seeing old friends. We do get caught up on the lives of most everyone in Westeros from Jon Snow traveling beyond the Wall to Dany traversing the great desert. We spend lots of time in King's Landing seeing how that rat bastard Joffrey is liking being the king. We actually begin and end the episode seeing just how far Joffrey would go to fulfill his blood lust. More entertaining are his mom Cersei and his uncle Tyrion by his side especially with both of them getting the best scenes of the episode. Rather than the episode feeling disjointed and schizophrenic, it actually flowed quite well together and a lot of the scenes were held together by the red comet in the sky signaling dragons. We do meet new people and see new places, but for the most part it was more of the same from the first season only so much better. If anything this show is just tempting me more and more to pick up the books they are adapted from.

Once Upon A Time

This was a big episode for the series since it presumably explained just exactly why Regina hates Mary Margaret so much. It turned out Regina had an Evil Mother herself when she was much younger who was even more overbearing and magically powerful than her and so deliciously played by Barbara Hershey. Regina's mother wants her to marry the King aka Snow White's father, but Regina has already fallen in love with their stable boy. Young Snow White, played by Bailee Madison (who really was cast perfectly to play a young Ginnifer Goodwin), finds out about Regina and the stable boy and while sad for her father was actually okay keeping Regina's secret to run away with the stable boy because of True Love. Of course Snow was manipulated by Regina's mother and that was all she wrote. Stable boy dies, Regina's heart turns dark, and young Snow's mistake may mean the end to Mary Margaret's life in the real world. As a showcase for Hershey and Madison, this was a great episode. As an actual explanation to the Evil Queen's evilness? I still don't buy it. Yes, having your True Love die because of your mother will mess you up, but to that extent and to blame a little girl? Katherine showing up at the end will hopefully mean things are moving forward with that interminable storyline.

Mad Men

It's very easy to not like, or even straight-up, hate Betty. She is pretty pathetic and the writers on this show seems to relish on this as evident by the weight gain the character went through to signal how depressed and unfulfilled she has been. In truth they were just trying to deal with January Jones real-life pregnancy, but the fat suit and make-up were still a touch comical even as it signified something deeper. I wished more people appreciated Jones' performance though. Her phone call with Don or the very last scene with her eating Sally's ice cream were just so well done. Also I'm a bit jealous of her new gothic house. Elsewhere i.e. inside the offices of SCDP everyone is aware of a change in the air. Don has a new (and black) secretary hilariously named Dawn. Peggy hires an obnoxious, but very talented new copywriter. And Roger plays into Pete's hand over the Mohawk Airline account. A slightly less successful episode than the 2-hr premiere, but still a good solid hour.

Shameless

We say goodbye to the Gallaghers yet again and at least this time they all seem to be in a roughly good spot. I'm actually surprised we ended on such a happy note after a season full of setbacks and drama that I really thought SOMETHING horrible was going to happen in those last few seconds. Yes, Frank is still his miserable self and he is drunk outside in the snow with no one to give a crap about him, but it's quite difficult to feel sorry for him after all of the stunts he pulled this past season. Okay, my heart went out to him a little bit after Monica left him especially since he has been the most human around her these last couple of episodes. But Fiona and Jimmy (not Steve anymore!) are together, Lip is back home where he belongs, and Ian has a new sugar daddy who is... SHOCKING TWIST... Jimmy's father. As soapy and insade as that development was I still give them kudos for going there. It also means we will hopefully get more of Jimmy's whole crazy clan next season. Karen, like Frank, is off into the cold by herself after leaving home when her mom (and Jody) picked her baby over her. Sheila really grew into herself this season and at the end finally stood up for herself and for what she wanted. That's a big as step for her as it was leaving the house last season. And finally, Emmy Rossum. There's nothing to say really. She's just wonderful here as she had been every damn episode of this show. Stay warm, Gallaghers.

Happy Endings

Gay wedding season finale episode as the gang gets together for yet another wedding this time for their friend Derrick's wedding with his partner Eric (so are they Derric or Erick?). Plus the Year of Penny ends with her feelings for Dave almost out in the open if it weren't for her now maybe boyfriend in the shape of Brian Austin Green. Her single status was a joke throughout but it really paid off when she had to dance with a laptop. I'm okay with them dipping into the Dave/Alex well again. There have been small (and big) moments this season regarding them and Alex in general has blossomed into a great character that I see them working even if it isn't endgame. As for Brad/Jane, they're always a hoot as they have been all season. Brad freaking out about being laid off and Jane taking the wedding into her own hands were great. Plus Jane's replicating Jolie's Oscar leg right after the show coined "Dujardin" as "being dressed sharply" was my favorite part of the night. Or was it Max's performance of "Like a Prayer" with the band Mandonna? I don't know! I love this show.

Community

This show has delivered out of the box episodes before and have done them well such as the paintball episodes and the documentary episodes. So an episode that mixes the best parts of those episodes has got to be amazing right? In this case, yes it was. "Pillows and Blankets" had the look and feel of Ken Burns-narrated war documentary. I almost don't have the words to express what an amazing episode it was. It's TV storytelling at its best. Yes, it was super weird, but it also had a lot of heart. When Troy and Abed were hurling insults at each other or Jeff had the realization that he'd do anything for his friends, it all felt sincere, earned, and affective. But it was damn funny too like Britta's terrible photography, Annie's and Jeff's texts, or the Dean's apt question of "Do people go to classes?" Brilliant. Poignant. Nuts. Pretty much this show in a nutshell.

Awake

Despite its low ratings which pretty much guarantee its cancellation, it's episodes like this past week that keeps watching until the bitter end as Britten gets more than he can handle as he is forced to negotiate with a mental patient just as he starts experience hallucinations himself (that penguin was hilarious). All the while he is trying to convince everyone, both his therapists especially, that he is okay even as he's starting to realize that he is probably lying to himself. It's a twisty episodes with lots of turns which gives the episode some needed suspense and differentiating it enough from episodes prior, but the heart of the episode, Britten's relationship with his wife in one world and his son in another is intact. Again, the show will get cancelled with the ratings it's been getting, but if anyone wants my opinion on whether or not to still watch the show then my answer would be YES.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

The title of this week's Smash episode was "Hell on Earth" and really the jokes write themselves... I'm very glad that the Cece/Schmidt relationship on New Girl is now out and I quite liked how the show handled it... It's been years since I've seen an episode of One Tree Hill but I wanted to give it a quick shout-out for its series finale this past week... I laughed way too hard at seeing Jenna as a Smurf on 30 Rock this week... Touch had an above average episode but I'm still pretty lukewarm to the series... And finally Sofia Vergara on SNL was good though it all depended on the skits with half of them close to brilliant while the other half absolutely horrible.

TV Report Catch Up: Thursday and Miscellaneous

After this, I should be all caught up on my regular shows that I blog about. It helps greatly that I only really have to talk about one day (Thursday) since Friday has been empty of late without Fringe.


Community - The darkest timeline is over now that the show is back! I actually saw this first episode a couple of weeks ago at an advance screening with other fans and I loved it the second time around. It was a "weird" episode in that it was a rare "normal" episode with a pretty straightforward plot of Shirley getting remarried. Of course since this is Community, there was the meta subplot of Troy and Abed trying to be "normal" to hilarious results. My favorite part of the episode though is Britta's magic skills with wedding planning. All in all, great episode to begin the second half of the season. Six seasons and a movie!

30 Rock - I'm not one of those who has been a huge fan of this show for the past few seasons, but I do still recognize that it's having a sort of upswing. I especially like what they've done with Kenneth bringing him out of the page program and making him be in charge of Standards and Practices. Liz's relationship with Criss has also been a bright spot this season as well as anything involving Jane Krakowski (more notably her storyline w/ her kids). It's probably still one of the sitcoms I watch that I least look forward to week in and week out, but that's more due to the surplus of great comedies on air right now and less about this show's quality.

Parks and Recreation - While it hasn't been flawless as it has been for the past two seasons, this show still has a lot going for it. While it may be slightly frustrating to see Leslie's campaign in trouble adding Kathryn Hahn as the savvy D.C. campaign manager they have to fight against gives this plot arc good energy. Chris' loneliness and patheticness since breaking up with Jerry's daughter has been the best thing for Rob Lowe since Chris got sick with the flu. And April stepping up in the department AND taking a somewhat friendly role with Chris are wonderful developments. All of this and Ben-Leslie are still too adorable for words together. Can't hardly bear to wait until April for the next new episode!

The Office - Catherine Tate is great and she has her moments on this show, but either the show isn't giving her better material or they can't. I admit that I watch this show more out of habit than anything, but I'm not 100% the whole Florida arc worked. Coupled with a few forgettable Scranton stories and the latest update on the Andy/Erin saga and there's not much to write about.

Big Bang Theory - The women are taking over the show! But what abour the boys? That was pretty much what the only episode that has aired the past few weeks was about as Sheldon and co. wanted to have a simple game night only for Amy and/or Bernadette to encroach on said plans. On the one hand, it's pretty meta for the show to do this as the women HAVE taken over the show and it is becoming rarer for just the guys to hang out. On the other hand, I've found the change a refreshing one though more in me loving the girls more than the guys more often than not. One hopes the show will do a better job balancing both genders in time AND quality moving forward.


Awake - My thoughts on the pilot are here, but the next two episodes confirmed my love for the show. My least favorite part of the pilot aka the procedural part is still the weak link for me, but it's used well in the next couple of episodes especially the latter with his son in imminent danger. The most effective AND affective parts of the show for me is still Britten juggling his feelings towards his wife and son. The three of them do a sincerely heartbreaking job week in and week out providing the emotional core this show needs. Extra kudos goes out to the son character since it's rare to have a teenage boy character so deftly acted and written on TV nowadays. Finally, the end of the second episode hinting at a bigger conspiracy is expectantly polarizing. I'm honestly good just going along for the ride not thinking about which world is real or if Britten is in a coma.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

There seems to be a lot more teams I'm rooting against than for on this season of Amazing Race... The finale of The Walking Dead is tonight and I'm still not really sure what my thoughts are regarding this season... Being Human UK went thought so many changes this year and while there's must to praise, there's also much to quibble about... Everyone should be watching Shameless because Emmy Rossum, Louise Fletcher, Joan Cusack, and most of the cast are doing crazy good work... I'm ridiculously excited for the return of Mad Men and Game of Thrones, aren't you?