2010 Primetime Emmy Award Picks.

Since there's nothing much on the movie front to write about, i've decided to delve into one of my own personal guilty pleasures: award shows.  The Primetime Emmy Awards are this Sunday at 8pm and this is the first year that I can say i've seen a good majority of the nominees, so i've decided to write about my picks in the top categories for the upcoming ceremony.  These picks are my own opinions, not who I think will win, and will probably not coincide with the inevitable winners.  But I can dream, can't I?

BEST COMEDY SERIES

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Glee" (FOX)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"Nurse Jackie" (Showtime)
"The Office" (NBC)
"30 Rock" (NBC)

As much as I love it, 30 Rock had a weaker season than its first three.  And as much as I enjoy Nurse Jackie, no comedy was funnier than Modern Family last year.

BEST DRAMA SERIES

"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Dexter" (Showtime)
"The Good Wife" (CBS)
"Lost" (ABC)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
"True Blood" (HBO)

With The Good Wife being the only show here that I don’t watch, I can still say that this is a pretty stacked category.  Mad Men and Lost were great last year, but both have already won this award for better seasons.  Dexter also had a great season, but not my favorite.  Of the nominees, True Blood is the one I’m happiest about because it had one of the most purely entertaining seasons of television I’ve watched. But my vote goes to Breaking Bad because it has consistently produced the best television you can find for two seasons now.

BEST LEAD COMEDY ACTOR

Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory")

Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm")

Matthew Morrison ("Glee")

Tony Shalhoub ("Monk")

Steve Carell ("The Office")

Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock")

I am abstaining from this one because 30 Rock is the only show I consistently watch and enjoy, so it’s not really fair. I think I’d be pleased with anyone winning besides Matthew Morrison who only deserves an Emmy for “Most Embarrassing Rap Scenes.”

BEST LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS

Lea Michele ("Glee")

Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("The New Adventures of Old Christine")

Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie")

Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation")

Tina Fey ("30 Rock")

Toni Collette ("United States of Tara")

This is easily the toughest category because voters have to choose between five great actresses and Lea Michele.  Of the others, Tina Fey submitted the most hilarious 30 Rock of the season and would deserve another Emmy.  Toni Collette is always amazing on Tara and Edie Falco is just perfect for her role.  But, considering this is the only nomination for Parks & Recreation and Amy Poehler had a big hand in turning that show into the impeccable comedy it became, I’m giving it to her.

BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR

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

This category needs more guys from Parks & Recreation and Community, but I digress.  Eric Stonestreet is the funniest Modern Family castmember and deserves this one.  Side note: why are we still nominating Two and a Half Men for anything?

BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS

Jane Lynch ("Glee")

Julie Bowen ("Modern Family")

Sofia Vergara ("Modern Family")

Kristen Wiig ("Saturday Night Live")

Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock")

Holland Taylor ("Two and a Half Men")

This is another tough one.  Jane Lynch will win and she is the only Glee castmember who is Emmy worthy, so all the power to her.  Sofia always cracks me up on Modern Family, but the episode she submitted was strangely boring.  Julie Bowen is also consistently funny and Kristen Wiig needs an Emmy soon, but the fact that Jane Krakowski will almost certainly never win for this role upsets me the most and her episode showed once more just what a scene stealer she has always been on 30 Rock.

BEST LEAD DRAMA ACTOR

Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad")
Michael C. Hall ("Dexter")
Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights")
Hugh Laurie ("House")
Matthew Fox ("Lost")
Jon Hamm ("Mad Men")

Another category that is really stacked this year.  Michael C. Hall will probably win this, but I would’ve preferred him to win for the show’s first season (he wasn't even nominated) rather than now.  Matthew Fox was great on the finale of Lost but it came down to two men for me (considering I don’t watch House or Friday Night Lights).  Jon Hamm is a close second since his Emmy episode is so perfect, but Bryan Cranston has never once ceased to amaze me on Breaking Bad and as boring as it is for him to win again, I think he deserves it.

BEST LEAD DRAMA ACTRESS

Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")

Glenn Close ("Damages")

Connie Britton ("Friday Night Lights")

Julianna Margulies ("The Good Wife")

Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit")

January Jones ("Mad Men")

I’m abstaining from this category as well.  I don’t watch three of the nominated shows and didn’t catch SVU once last season.  That only leaves acting giant Glenn Close and, uh, January Jones, which is an almost laughably unfair comparison.

BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR

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")

Of all of the Emmy categories, I am most invested in this one.  I recognize that most of my picks have no chance of winning, but I think if voters have watched Aaron Paul on Breaking Bad, there is NO EXCUSE not to give him this award.  The men of Lost, Martin Short and John Slattery are all good, but Aaron Paul should already have already been showered with awards for his performance.  Considering this will be one of the first categories of the night, if he loses once again, I will lose all hope for the ceremony.

BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS

Sharon Gless ("Burn Notice")

Rose Byrne ("Damages")

Archie Panjabi ("The Good Wife")

Christine Baranski ("The Good Wife")

Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men")

Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men")

That neither of the Mad Men girls here has won an Emmy is nothing short of a tragedy.  Of the two, I would have given Elisabeth Moss the win LAST year (her performance in that season's finale says it all) so this year I’ll go with Christina, who killed it once again in her Emmy episode.
 

BEST TV MOVIE

"Endgame" (PBS)

"Georgia O'Keeffe" (Lifetime)

"Moonshot" (HISTORY)

"The Special Relationship" (HBO)

"Temple Grandin"(HBO)

"You Don't Know Jack" (HBO)

It’s a close one between Temple and Jack.  But while I found Jack more immediately impressive, Temple was the movie that most stayed with me afterwards.

BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Maggie Smith ("Capturing Mary")
Joan Allen ("Georgia O'Keeffe")
Judi Dench ("Return to Cranford")
Hope Davis ("The Special Relationship") 
Claire Danes ("Temple Grandin")

Hope Davis is behind in second, but this isn’t even really a close race.

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Jeff Bridges ("A Dog Year")

Ian McKellen ("The Prisoner")

Michael Sheen ("The Special Relationship")

Dennis Quaid ("The Special Relationship")

Al Pacino ("You Don't Know Jack")

Same as above.  I enjoyed The Special Relationship’s two leads, but nothing beats Shouty Al.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Kathy Bates ("Alice")

Julia Ormond ("Temple Grandin")

Catherine O'Hara ("Temple Grandin")

Brenda Vaccaro ("You Don't Know Jack")

Susan Sarandon ("You Don't Know Jack")

Susan Sarandon had the showiest part of You Don’t Know Jack, but Julia Ormond gave a truly great performance in Temple.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Michael Gambon ("Emma")

Patrick Stewart ("Hamlet")

Jonathan Pryce ("Return To Cranford")

David Strathairn ("Temple Grandin")

John Goodman ("You Don't Know Jack")

John Goodman (who should have been nominated for Treme) was, as usual, great in this.  He deserves it, with David Strathairn coming close behind.

BEST VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES

"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)

"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central)

"Real Time With Bill Maher" (HBO)

"Saturday Night Live" (NBC)

"The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" (NBC)

So I’m cheating on this one because of the 5 shows, Conan’s is the only one I almost never actually watched (I don't usually turn into the late night talk shows).  But wouldn’t it just make for a great moment?

BEST WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

“Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter” (“30 Rock”)

“Anna Howard Shaw Day” (“30 Rock”)

“Pilot” (“Glee”)

“Pilot” (“Modern Family”)

“Niagara” (“The Office”)

As funny as Modern Family’s pilot was, this episode of 30 Rock was so on point and hilarious.

BEST WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

“The Son” (“Friday Night Lights”)

“Pilot” (“The Good Wife”)

“The End” (“Lost”)

“Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency” (“Mad Men”)

“Shut The Door. Have A Seat.” (“Mad Men”)

One word: lawnmower. Goodbye.

BEST DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

“I Do Do” (“30 Rock”)

“Pilot” (“Glee”)
“Wheels” (“Glee”)

“Pilot” (“Modern Family”)

“Pilot” (“Nurse Jackie”)

I’ll give this one to Jackie.  The pilot was an excellently directed guide to the workings of the hospital and its characters.

BEST DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

“One Minute” (“Breaking Bad”)
“The Getaway” (“Dexter”)

“The End” (“Lost”)

“Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency” (“Mad Men”)

“Do You Know What It Means” (“Treme”)

Another tough one. Dexter, Breaking Bad and Mad Men submitted some of the best episodes each has had and I would love to see Treme win (since it should have been nominated MUCH more), but we must give credit where credit is due to Lost.