2015 Primetime Emmy Ballot

The Emmy nominations are being announced this week and with it comes my yearly attempt to pick my favorites in each category only to watch them be passed over in favor of Downton Abbey in a week. This year, a lot of great shows from last year came to an end, while others simply fell in quality, so much of who showed up below were new picks.

Overall, this was a pretty good year for television, but decidedly uneven in how quality was spread across categories. When comparing the two, it tended to be a stronger year for comedy than drama, although the distinction between the two at these awards has never been more confusing. And it must be said: female performers this year brought it much harder than the men did. Any number of these female categories could have expanded to nine or ten nominees, while coming up with six was difficult for any number of the men's. Meanwhile, this was not by any means a good year for miniseries and tv movies and certainly not enough to justify those categories being as large as they are.

Below are my picks in the Emmy categories I feel I viewed enough in to have an opinion. They stick mostly to Emmy eligibility and category placement, but otherwise are fever dreams compared to what will actually be nominated. Enjoy!

2014 Dream Oscar Ballot

Tomorrow are the Academy Award nominations and at this point their success rate is anyone's guess. This year was so uneven that the Oscars have a real chance to think outside of the box and honor some deserving contenders. Or, more likely, they could play it entirely safe and stick within their playhouse of designated Academy fare. 2014 was a better year than they're making it out to be, but you wouldn't guess that by some of the frontrunners.

I could go on complaining or I could present my own choices for the Oscar nominations tomorrow. Nominees below, there are six nominees in each category to spread the love, except Best Actress which had to have seven this year (a "weak year" for women). Winners are bold, runners-up are italicized. Enjoy!

The Best Films of 2014.

Another year comes to a close and compared to other film years, 2014 ranks squarely down the middle. Some of its highest achievements are films I know I'll think about for years to come, while others already seem a forgotten memory. None of the films listed below have to worry, though. Whether they burrowed into my brain, immediately won over my affection, or challenged me enough to feel they had accomplished something, these films below represent (for better or worse) my favorite movies of 2014. Enjoy!