Jmunney's Blog

The Emmy nominations will be announced on July 10, with the ceremony then taking place on August 25.  I am going to be running through my wish lists in most of the major categories, as well as offering predictions of the likely actual nominees.

When making my wish lists, I do not confine myself to the categories that shows and performers were actually submitted in.  If a show submits as a comedy but should have submitted as a drama, then I will consider it as a drama.  Or if an actor submitted as a lead but really should have submitted as supporting (like Rob Lowe every year for Parks and Recreation), or vice versa, then I consider them in the more appropriate category.  If there is some wiggle room for what the appropriate category is, then I will probably go by the actual ballot.  Although, there still remains difficulty with recurring cast members who do not appear in every episode, who may appear enough to be considered Supporting, but may also appear infrequently enough to be considered Guest.  Also, if there are certain performers who declined to submit, I may still consider them.

My selections are mentioned roughly in order of how deserving I believe them to be, starting with who I believe deserves to win.  I will try to limit myself to the typical Emmy number of six nominees per category, though I may find it necessary to go beyond that figure in a few fields.

If there are any particularly acclaimed shows missing from my choices, then there is a good chance I do not watch those shows and cannot fairly comment on their worthiness.

Drama Series
Wishlist
I love dreams; Hannibal is a dream, in all the best senses of that word.  Mad Men was never overly concerned about making you go, “OHMYGOD I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS ALL ENDS!”  But that’s what it did in the first half of its final batch of new episodes.  Originally, I thought I might insist that True Detective should be considered a Miniseries, but then I remembered that I kind of used to think that American Horror Story should compete as a drama; so yeah, 8 episodes of mystical, character-based mystery is plenty dramatic.  Masters of Sex was masterful not just about sex but also about the human interactions within and around sex.  Arrow might just be the best (live-action) show based on a superhero comic book of all time.  Orphan Black may have gotten a little too insane for its own good during parts of Season 2, but too much insanity is the right sort of problem for a potent blend of character-based sci-fi to have.

Predictions
–Breaking Bad
–Game of Thrones
–The Good Wife
–House of Cards
–Mad Men
–True Detective

Lead Actor
Wishlist
Hugh Dancy (Hannibal) pulls off perhaps the emotionally trickiest role on television, constantly flitting between good and evil, loyal and betraying, puppeteer and puppet, and any other sort of duality.  Meanwhile, Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal himself, constantly plays one role: the master manipulator, but it is a role in which he constantly fools us into admiring him much more than seems appropriate.  Matthew McConaughey (True Detective) touched darkness, and it brought light to all our days.  Jon Hamm (Mad Men) continues to give one of those performances in which it seems he must be playing himself, even though he definitely isn’t.  Woody Harrelson had to react a lot on True Detective, but when he was active, he was excruciatingly enthralling.  Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex) doesn’t want you to like Dr. William Masters; he wants you to understand him.

Predictions
-Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
-Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
-Jon Hamm, Mad Men
-Woody Harrelson, True Detective
-Matthew McConaughey, True Detective
-Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Lead Actress
Wishlist
To this day, when Tatiana Maslany is interviewed for an “Inside Look” that airs during a commercial break of Orphan Black, I think, “Why didn’t they interview the other actress in this scene?” and then I realize, “Oh right, Tatiana’s playing both characters here.”  Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) knows how to play the woman that everybody falls in love with and still come off as a real person.  Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) got to play Peggy Olson at her pettiest, but also during her small victories – she was captivating the whole time.  Accurate or not, Diane Kruger (The Bridge) gave one of the chilliest, but also most fascinating, performances of a character on the autism spectrum.  I’m not as enamored of The Americans as many of fellow critics are, but it’s not because of any lack on the part of Keri Russell.

Predictions
-Claire Danes, Homeland
-Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
-Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
-Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
-Kerry Washington, Scandal
-Robin Wright, House of Cards

Supporting Actor
Wishlist
Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black) is currently the best comic relief on a drama – which is quite a feat considering his show is already plenty funny.  Jeff Perry is something close to comic relief on Scandal – he’s easily the most consistently funny character on the most overwrought show on TV, but he’s also so goddamned serious, making him also the most emotionally resonant.  I forget if Thomas M. Wright ended up being a villain on The Bridge or not – that’s a compliment to him (though not necessarily to his show).  Max Burkholder (Parenthood) has great chemistry with Ray Romano, and he’s also strong at playing isolated.  John Slattery (Mad Men) just keeps showing up to work and becoming Roger Sterling, no big deal.  Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black) still plays Donnie Hendrix like an idiot, but now, a badass idiot.

Predictions
-Josh Charles, The Good Wife
-Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
-Dean Norris, Breaking Bad
-Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
-Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
-Jeffrey Wright, Boardwalk Empire

Supporting Actress
Wishlist
Emily Bett Rickards is the perfect leavening force on a show like Arrow; if the award goes to the performer who makes the show so much better than it would be otherwise, then she ought to be the winner.  Is Scandal secretly the story of Mellie’s redemption?  Because that’s how Bellamy Young seems to be playing it.  Here’s the area of my ballot where the lines between Supporting and Guest are blurry: as I considered the ladies of Masters of Sex, I thought, “Surely, Lillian appeared in enough episodes to be considered a Supporting role.”  Well, she was in 7 out of 12 episodes, and the fact that it seemed like more speaks to the power of Julianne Nicholson.  Michelle Monaghan (True Detective) has a knack for elevating roles that could otherwise have been just “the wife” or “the girlfriend.”  Skyler Wexler (Orphan Black) knows how to summon the naturalism of childhood better than anyone else her age currently on TV.  Weirdly enough, Joelle Carter did some of her most memorable work in one of Justified‘s weakest storylines.

Predictions
-Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
-Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
-Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
-Michelle Monaghan, True Detective
-Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
-Bellamy Young, Scandal

Guest Actor
Wishlist
Raúl Esparza (Hannibal) got shot in the face.  Michael Pitt (Hannibal) ripped off his own face.  Jeremy Davies (Hannibal) was into live human horse births.  Eddie Izzard (Hannibal) remained creeping around the edges.  Appearing in 9 out of 12 episodes, Beau Bridges (Masters of Sex) was dangerously close to being Supporting, but he had the vibe of a Guest – either way, he was poignantly awesome.  Ray Romano was the stealth MVP of Parenthood Season 5; he was really Supporting, but I ran out of room there and needed to fill this category out.

Guest Actress
Wishlist
Allison Janney was absolutely heartbreaking on Masters of Sex.  I never expected Freddie Lounds to really be sympathetic, but Lara Jean Chorostecki (Hannibal) pulled it off.  Anna Chlumsky (Hannibal) really got into the headspace of the effects of years of mind warping.  Katharine Isabelle was the perfect encapsulation of what sexy means on a show like Hannibal.  Ann Dowd (Masters of Sex) was awfully sympathetic, what with the lack of filial affection she was receiving.  The final spot here ultimately came down to two women on a plane: there’s Neve Campbell, the woman Don Draper didn’t have an affair with, but then there’s Gillian Anderson, the woman that Hannibal Lecter is about to do something with.

The Emmy nominations will be announced on July 10, with the ceremony then taking place on August 25.  I am going to be running through my wish lists in most of the major categories, as well as offering predictions of the likely actual nominees.

When making my wish lists, I do not confine myself to the categories that shows and performers were actually submitted in.  If a show submits as a comedy but should have submitted as a drama, then I will consider it as a drama.  Or if an actor submitted as a lead but really should have submitted as supporting (like Rob Lowe every year for Parks and Recreation), or vice versa, then I consider them in the more appropriate category.  If there is some wiggle room for what the appropriate category is, then I will probably go by the actual ballot.  Although, there still remains difficulty with recurring cast members who do not appear in every episode, who may appear enough to be considered Supporting, but may also appear infrequently enough to be considered Guest.  Also, if there are certain performers who declined to submit, I may still consider them.

My selections are mentioned roughly in order of how deserving I believe them to be, starting with who I believe deserves to win.  I will try to limit myself to the typical Emmy number of six nominees per category, though I may find it necessary to go beyond that figure in a few fields.

If there are any particularly acclaimed shows missing from my choices, then there is a good chance I do not watch those shows and cannot fairly comment on their worthiness.

Comedy Series
Wishlist
Review presented an ingenious concept geared towards a perfectly suited lead performance, resulting in one of the best comedy debut seasons of all time.  Louie had perhaps its least comedic season yet, but it had a whimsical touch in its formal daring, wringing laughter out of existentialism.  Community got back to its roots while continuing to demonstrate that it is so far removed from anything else on the pop culture landscape.  With so many shows aiming to be “authentic,” Broad City actually managed authenticity by being goofy and direct.  The Neighbors broke out of its inauspicious roots to become one of the most satisfyingly unlikely fourth-wall-breaking shows of all time.  I struggled with the final slot.  I could have gone with Veep, a show I admit is good, but one I have only seen a couple of episodes of, since it is just not for me, so I can’t fairly judge it.  A number of animated sitcoms could easily make it in on merit, and in the past, I have considered cartoons with live-action, but this year I have decided that there is enough of a difference between the mediums to consider the likes of Rick and Morty and Bob’s Burgers separately.  The Middle, ABC’s little show that could, also made a case for itself, but it wasn’t its strongest season.  Ultimately I went with Silicon Valley, Mike Judge’s heartwarming blend of satire, awkward comedy, and raunch.

Predictions
–The Big Bang Theory
–Girls
–Louie
–Modern Family
–Orange Is the New Black
–Veep

Lead Actor
Wishlist
Andy Daly (Review) burrowed deep into the soul of Forrest MacNeil to create a man who is so lovable because of how open he is to any experience but also a little scary for the same reason.  In getting into an even darker period of Jeff Winger’s life, Joel McHale (Community) continued to deliver some of the best dramatic work on any sitcom.  He also had time to show off his stand-up skills in an insane context that only Community can provide.  Louis C.K. (Louie) continued to be Louis C.K.  Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) had a whole lot of weird affectations and wonderful nervous energy.  Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) was actually given multiple opportunities to portray the growth of Sheldon Cooper.  And, finally, I would pull for a co-nomination for the most important sketch comedians of the moment, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Key & Peele).

Predictions
-Louis C.K., Louie
-Don Cheadle, House of Lies
-Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
-William H. Macy, Shameless
-Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
-Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Lead Actress
Wishlist
Ilana Glazer is lovely and amazing on Broad City.  I’ve only seen a couple of episodes of Veep, but that’s enough to know that Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserves all the praise heaped upon her.  Suburgatory has always been a show that has struggled to have a consistent tone (often purposely so), and Season 3 was its least assured, but Jane Levy did her best to keep everything grounded.  Abbi Jacobson has the less showy role on Broad City, but it’s also the trickier one, and arguably the more difficult one.  Amy Schumer goes Inside herself to make the most pointed comedy of the moment.  My last choice was a battle of leading ladies whose shows have had better seasons.  I considered Amy Poehler (I mean, how could I not, she’s Amy Poehler), but her performance lately has put too much faith in weaker material.  Meanwhile, Season 3 of New Girl was kind of all over the place, but in a way that oddly helped Zooey Deschanel, as it forced her to play to a wider than usual range of styles.

Predictions
-Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
-Lena Dunham, Girls
-Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
-Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
-Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
-Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black

Supporting Actor
Wishlist
The top of this field is a dead heat between two men marked by abnormal social interactions, one old reliable and one new and exciting.  Every year that Community has been on, I’ve been pulling for Danny Pudi, and amazingly, he is still showing new nuances to his performance, particularly this year as Abed adjusted to a new normal in Troy’s absence.  The late Christopher Evan Welch (Silicon Valley) was bewildering, and riveting, going on about sesame seeds and cicadas.  Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) was deader than deadpan.  Jim Rash (Community) rapped in a peanut costume.  Ian Patrick (The Neighbors) is wise and alien beyond his years.  Also on The Neighbors, Simon Templeman may, as an alien named Larry Bird, have been giving the most meaningful performance of the modern male in crisis.  Here is a category in which I have to go beyond the prescribed 6 slots.  Albert Tsai (Trophy Wife) was the personification of delight as BERT!  I could very easily have gotten to 10 spots here, as I considered Timothy Simons, whose go-for-broke style is impressive no matter how cynical Veep is or isn’t, as well as Zach Woods (Silicon Valley), who proved that awkward comedy still has unexplored, endearing territory.  Ultimately, I stopped myself at 8 and gave my last spot to Parker Young, who perfectly embodied the unique mix of silly and sincere on Enlisted.

Predictions
-Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
-Ty Burrell, Modern Family
-Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
-Tony Hale, Veep
-Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
-Christopher Evan Welch, Silicon Valley

Supporting Actress
Wishlist
I’m a little concerned that I’m being complacent with my top picks here, but I guess that’s because my co-winners (as in Supporting Actor, I’m calling it a tie) didn’t quite live up to the impossibly high standards they’ve set for themselves.  Alison Brie (Community) had her best material in earlier seasons, but she lacked a strong narrative progression of her own those years; in Season 5, she really got to show off Annie Edison’s maturation.  Toks Olagundoye (The Neighbors) didn’t get to play any Jersey Housewives in Season 2, but she did – upon learning how a pregnancy test works – ask the question, “What does it tell you if you poop on it, the weather?”  Michaela Watkins (Trophy Wife) didn’t need to stoop to cliché to play kooky.  Initially I thought that Gillian Jacobs didn’t have that much to do in Season 5 of Community, but having mustard on her face was the perfect showcase for her, and then I remembered she also got to play some great emotional beats in forcefully dealing with Troy’s departure.  Carly Chaikin (Suburgatory) continued to somehow find the realness in Dalia Royce, one of the most seemingly unrealistic characters ever created.  Aidy Bryant mostly plays variations of herself on SNL, but she plays that part really well.

Predictions
-Julie Bowen, Modern Family
-Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
-Anna Chlumsky, Veep
-Allison Janney, Mom
-Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
-Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
(And if there’s a seventh nomination: Kate Mulgrew, Orange Is the New Black)

Guest Actor
Wishlist
We already knew that Mitch Hurwitz (Community) is one of the greatest TV writers of all time; now we know he’s also a mighty fine performer; the Koog approves! Charles Grodin was the funniest part of a season of Louie that wasn’t primarily comedic. Billy Eichner basically played himself on Parks and Recreation, and that was a good thing.  Skip Sudduth (Louie) played the perfect teacher for young Louis C.K.  It is now becoming a yearly tradition that I say a particular Community guest star should become a regular; this year, that guest star was Chris Elliott.  Drake was the best host of  SNL Season 39.

Guest Actress
Wishlist
Shannon O’Neill was a force of nature on Broad City.  Gaby Hoffmann was a force of nature of a different sort on Girls.  You could really see the power in Amy Landecker‘s eyes as Louie‘s mom.  Maria Thayer (Review) seems so sweet, so it was an absolute delight to see her play completely off-the-rails as free spirit Eliza.  June Squibb was at her June Squibb-iest on Girls.  Melissa McCarthy (Saturday Night Live) played a wacky game show contestant and a woman bent on avenging her father’s death, among others.

Writing
I don’t have a full wishlist in this category, but I did want to mention that I am pleased that Review submitted its best episode (also the best half hour of comedy of 2014): “Pancakes; Divorce; Pancakes,” and I would love it if by some miracle it ends up being recognized.

The 2014 Emmy ballot is out.  Before I post my nomination wish lists (and possibly predictions), here are my thoughts on some oddities and other points of interest:

-Mads Mikkelsen submitted as Lead for Hannibal after submitting as Supporting last year.  An argument could have been made either way for Season 1, but in Season 2 he was definitely a lead.  (Meanwhile, Laurence Fishburne was not even submitted.)
-Despite not even appearing in the last nine episodes, Rob Lowe STILL submitted as Lead for Parks and Recreation.
-Allison Tolman submitted as Supporting for Fargo, even though she’s arguably the main protagonist.
-Last year, Tatiana Maslany’s roles for Orphan Black were listed as “Sarah, Beth, others.”  This year, that was wisely expanded to “Sarah, Beth, Cosima, Rachel (and more).”  (Why didn’t she include Alison?)
–Amy Schumer once again submitted as Supporting, even though she appears in every one of her show’s sketches, and her name is in the title.  Also, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein for Portlandia, and Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele for Key & Peele, all submitted as Supporting, ignoring the fact that it is possible to have two leads in one show.  Maybe they are thrown off by the weirdness of sketch and alternative comedy performers competing against sitcom performers.  I mean, really, where does something like Comedy Bang! Bang! truly belong?  Maybe it is the collaborative ethos of improv comedy that led Scott Aukerman to submit as Supporting even though he’s the host of his show.*
-Several Mad Men regulars took advantage of the vagaries between the Supporting and Guest categories and submitted as Guest.  This is nothing new, but it was particularly egregious for Robert Morse in a year that Bert Cooper died and then had a posthumous song-and-dance number.
-Speaking of Guests who were really Supporting, Damon Wayans, Jr. is a regular now on New Girl.
-Miniseries do not have a Guest category, so folks like Key & Peele – who have only been in the last few episodes of Fargo – must enter as Supporting; meanwhile, fellow anthology series True Detective entered the Drama field, so Alexandra Daddario was able to opt for Guest.
-Here is the summary for Charles Grodin’s guest submission for Louie: “Dr. Bigelow is philosophical.” (All of the Louie guest summaries are wonderfully minimalist.)
–The Neighbors’ Clara Mamet’s last name was misspelled as “Memet” (unless that was intentional and she’s trying to branch off from her famous family).

*-I have been told that this may be because performers on shows submitted in the Variety category are not allowed to submit in the Lead field. See this article: http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/06/emmy-questions-why-is-amy-schumer-a-supporting-actress-for-inside-amy-schumer/372495/

It’s the 1st Annual Jeff Malone Emmy Awards! I watched a lot of television in the 2012-2013 season. Here’s who I thought was WINNING. Nominees and winners are listed after the video – winners are in bold. (Since there are a lot of good shows I don’t watch, you’ll notice there are some nominees listed under the heading “Reputation,” i.e., shows and performances I don’t watch but that I hear are good.)

Comedy Series
TIE: Arrested Development
TIE: Bob’s Burgers
Community
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23
Louie
The Middle
New Girl
30 Rock
REPUTATION
Enlightened

Lead Actor in a Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Louis C.K., Louie
Neil Flynn, The Middle
Joel McHale, Community
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Lead Actress in a Comedy
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Jane Levy, Suburgatory
Krysten Ritter, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23
Dreama Walker, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23
REPUTATION
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Will Arnett, Arrested Development
Ike Barinholtz, The Mindy Project
Michael Cera, Arrested Development
David Cross, Arrested Development
Ray Ford, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Jake Johnson, New Girl
Alex Karpovsky, Girls
Ian Patrick, The Neighbors
Danny Pudi, Community
Simon Templeman, The Neighbors

Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Alison Brie, Community
Carly Chaikin, Suburgatory
Eliza Coupe, Happy Endings
Elisha Cuthbert, Happy Endings
Zosia Mamet, Girls
Toks Olagundoye, The Neighbors
Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation
Lucy Punch, Ben and Kate
Alia Shawkat, Arrested Development
Eden Sher, The Middle
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actor in a Comedy
F. Murray Abraham, Louie
Zach Galifianakis, Saturday Night Live
Bill Hader, Portlandia
David Koechner, The Middle
David Lynch, Louie
Bob Odenkirk, The Office
John Slattery, Arrested Development
Fred Willard, Community
Patrick Wilson, Girls

Guest Actress in a Comedy
Isla Fisher, Arrested Development
Brie Larson, Community
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Parker Posey, Louie
Chloë Sevigny, Louie
Jenny Slate, Parks and Recreation
Kristen Wiig, Arrested Development
REPUTATION
Molly Shannon, Enlightened

Drama Series
The Americans
Justified
Mad Men
Orphan Black
Parenthood
REPUTATION
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
Hannibal
Rectify (half reputation, half I watched it)

Lead Actor in a Drama
Walton Goggins, Justified
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Joshua Jackson, Fringe
Timothy Olyphant, Justified
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
REPUTATION
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Hugh Dancy, Hannibal
Freddie Highmore, Bates Motel
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Lead Actress in a Drama
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Keri Russell, The Americans
REPUTATION
Claire Danes, Homeland
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
Kerry Washington, Scandal

Supporting Actor in a Drama
Max Burkholder, Parenthood
Noah Emmerich, The Americans
Jordan Gavaris, Orphan Black
Vincent Kartheiser, Mad Men
John Noble, Fringe
Mike O’Malley, Justified
Kevin Rahm, Mad Men
REPUTATION
Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Michael Cudlitz, Southland
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll, House of Cards

Supporting Actress in a Drama
Adelaide Clemens, Rectify
Annet Mahendru, The Americans
Monica Potter, Parenthood
Emily Bett Rickards, Arrow
Kiernan Shipka, Mad Men
Abigail Spencer, Rectify
Mae Whitman, Parenthood
REPUTATION
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad

Guest Actor in a Drama
Jere Burns, Justified
Harry Hamlin, Mad Men
Ryan Lauria, Parenthood
Patton Oswalt, Justified
REPUTATION
Eddie Izzard, Hannibal

Guest Actress in a Drama
Channing Chase, Mad Men
Linda Cardellini, Mad Men
Margo Martindale, The Americans

Original Music and Lyrics
“Electric Love,” Bob’s Burgers
“The Mad Pooper,” Bob’s Burgers
“Rural Juror,” 30 Rock
“The Thanksgiving Song,” Bob’s Burgers
“That’s an Adventure (Hot Air Balloon),” Community

The normal Emmys have announced their nominations, and now here are the nominations for the Emmy as awarded by me.  These nominations are preliminary for now, as I may catch up on some shows between now and the presentation of the awards (which will be soon before or soon after the normal Emmys).  Since there are a lot of good shows I don’t watch, I have selected some nominees according to what I have heard from other people about those shows.  These “Reputation” nominees are marked and recognized separate from the shows I actually watch.

Comedy Series
Arrested Development
Bob’s Burgers
Community
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23
Louie
The Middle
New Girl
30 Rock
REPUTATION
Enlightened

Lead Actor in a Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Louis C.K., Louie
Neil Flynn, The Middle
Joel McHale, Community
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Lead Actress in a Comedy
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Jane Levy, Suburgatory
Krysten Ritter, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23
Dreama Walker, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23
REPUTATION
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Will Arnett, Arrested Development
Ike Barinholtz, The Mindy Project
Michael Cera, Arrested Development
David Cross, Arrested Development
Ray Ford, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Jake Johnson, New Girl
Alex Karpovsky, Girls
Ian Patrick, The Neighbors
Danny Pudi, Community
Simon Templeman, The Neighbors

Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Alison Brie, Community
Carly Chaikin, Suburgatory
Eliza Coupe, Happy Endings
Elisha Cuthbert, Happy Endings
Zosia Mamet, Girls
Toks Olagundoye, The Neighbors
Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation
Lucy Punch, Ben and Kate
Alia Shawkat, Arrested Development
Eden Sher, The Middle
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actor in a Comedy
F. Murray Abraham, Louie
Zach Galifianakis, Saturday Night Live
Bill Hader, Portlandia
David Koechner, The Middle
David Lynch, Louie
Bob Odenkirk, The Office
John Slattery, Arrested Development
Fred Willard, Community
Patrick Wilson, Girls

Guest Actress in a Comedy
Isla Fisher, Arrested Development
Brie Larson, Community
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Parker Posey, Louie
Chloë Sevigny, Louie
Jenny Slate, Parks and Recreation
Kristen Wiig, Arrested Development
REPUTATION
Molly Shannon, Enlightened

Drama Series
The Americans
Justified
Mad Men
Orphan Black
Parenthood
REPUTATION
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
Hannibal

Lead Actor in a Drama
Walton Goggins, Justified
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Joshua Jackson, Fringe
Timothy Olyphant, Justified
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
REPUTATION
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Hugh Dancy, Hannibal
Freddie Highmore, Bates Motel
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Lead Actress in a Drama
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Keri Russell, The Americans
REPUTATION
Claire Danes, Homeland
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
Kerry Washington, Scandal

Supporting Actor in a Drama
Max Burkholder, Parenthood
Noah Emmerich, The Americans
Jordan Gavaris, Orphan Black
Vincent Kartheiser, Mad Men
John Noble, Fringe
Mike O’Malley, Justified
Kevin Rahm, Mad Men
REPUTATION
Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Michael Cudlitz, Southland
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll, House of Cards

Supporting Actress in a Drama
Adelaide Clemens, Rectify
Annet Mahendru, The Americans
Monica Potter, Parenthood
Emily Bett Rickards, Arrow
Kiernan Shipka, Mad Men
Abigail Spencer, Rectify
Mae Whitman, Parenthood
REPUTATION
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad

Guest Actor in a Drama
Patton Oswalt, Justified
Jere Burns, Justified
Harry Hamlin, Mad Men
Ryan Lauria, Parenthood
REPUTATION
Eddie Izzard, Hannibal

Guest Actress in a Drama
Channing Chase, Mad Men
Linda Cardellini, Mad Men
Margo Martindale, The Americans

Original Music and Lyrics
“Electric Love,” Bob’s Burgers
“The Mad Pooper,” Bob’s Burgers
“Rural Juror,” 30 Rock
“The Thanksgiving Song,” Bob’s Burgers
“That’s an Adventure (Hot Air Balloon),” Community

In picking my biggest Emmy snubs, I am not just considering my own feelings, but the overall buzz surrounding a show or a performer.  I cannot reasonably expect Emmy voters to nominate someone just because I was the only one who thought that actor was great.  But if there’s enough buzz being buzzed by critics and industry insiders along with the buzz that we lowly non-professionals are buzzing, then I feel that voters surely ought to take notice.  Thus, these choices are not necessarily my top picks in these categories.  If my top choice had much less buzz than another worthy choice, then I am angrier with the Emmys regarding the latter.  And when talking about snubs, you have to talk about the actual nominee that you think should be replaced, so I have done that for all of my selections.

(If there’s another egregious snub that I didn’t list here, it’s probably because I don’t watch the show.  Chime in about any other snubs in the comments!)

1. Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black for Lead Actress, Drama – We have all talked enough about how mind-blowing Tatiana Maslany’s multi-character performance is.  She may be on a little-watched show on a little-watched network, but sometimes some performances are so good that they just cannot be ignored.  WHO SHOULD SHE REPLACE? All 7

2. David Lynch, Louie for Guest Actor, Comedy – Was he just too weird for the Emmys?  It’s not like he’s any weirder than the show he was on.  True, though, he was weird in a different way. WHO SHOULD HE REPLACE? Nathan Lane on Modern Family

3. Lily Rabe, American Horror Story: Asylum for Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie – In other AHS: Asylum news, I’m happy that Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson were nominated, but they should really switch categories.  But the best performance this season was provided by Lily Rabe as meek Sister Mary Eunice and the decidedly un-meek demon who possesses her, getting crazier than even how crazy Ryan Murphy could have imagined. WHO SHOULD SHE REPLACE? I can’t fairly say she was more deserving than the performances in this category I didn’t see, but there were only 5 nominees.  I don’t see why there couldn’t have been a 6th.

4. Joel McHale, Community for Lead Actor, Comedy – Despite a down year for Community, Joel McHale may have had his best season thus far. WHO SHOULD HE REPLACE? Matt LeBlanc for Episodes

5. Jake Johnson, New Girl for Lead or Supporting Actor, Comedy – It was The Year of Nick Miller, but somehow the Emmys abandoned New Girl completely. WHO SHOULD HE REPLACE? Since Jake entered in Lead, Don Cheadle, House of Lies (If he had entered in Supporting, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family)

6. Jane Levy, Suburgatory for Lead Actress, Comedy – Her lack of name recognition and her show’s inconsistency probably held her back, but there was nothing inconsistent about her ability to ground the cartoonish trappings of Suburgatory with comedically dramatic chops. WHO SHOULD SHE REPLACE? Actually, though I personally would put Levy ahead of them, all of the nominated ladies probably deserve it.  But there were 7 nominees here last year.  Why not this year?

7. Arrested Development for Best Comedy – I will concede that Arrested Development Season 4 was not as strong as its original run, but we’re not comparing it to itself, we’re comparing it to other shows on now. WHAT SHOULD IT REPLACE? Modern Family!  (But since that’s not going to happen, The Big Bang Theory.)

8. Will Arnett, Arrested Development for Supporting Actor, Comedy – I would personally prefer Michael Cera.  And David Cross and Tony Hale (who opted to only submit for Veep) were great, too.  Jeffrey Tambor isn’t bad either, though the George, Sr. storylines were the weakest links of Season 4.  The point is, if there is a show that actually deserves to dominate the Comedy acting categories the way Modern Family has, it’s Arrested Development.  And Will Arnett is probably the most popular choice to get that going. WHO SHOULD HE REPLACE? Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family

9. Monica Potter, Parenthood for Supporting Actress, Drama – Prognosticators were describing Monica Potter’s cancer arc as shameless Emmy bait, but done really well.  I personally would prefer Mae Whitman (because she’s Mae Whitman), but Potter did nail it. WHO SHOULD SHE REPLACE? I don’t watch most of the shows here, but from what I’ve heard, Christine Baranski hasn’t done all that much special lately on The Good Wife.

10. The Middle for Best Comedy – This is the sort of show that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. WHAT SHOULD IT REPLACE? Modern Family!  The Middle is the weirder, better ABC Wednesday night comedy.

11. Vincent Kartheiser, Mad Men for Supporting Actor, Drama – Pete Campbell has always been a slimeball, but Vincent Kartheiser clearly knows how to make him an interesting, even occasionally likable, slimeball. WHO SHOULD HE REPLACE? Actually, nobody.  Everyone in this field is great.  The supporting categories really need more like 10 slots, especially this one.

12. Walton Goggins, Justified for Supporting Actor, Drama – Justified needs more Emmy love.  Goggins might be the best option in that regard. WHO SHOULD HE REPLACE? See above.

EDIT: Here’s a bonus snub I forgot to include on the initial post:
13. Any song from Bob’s Burgers for Original Music and Lyrics – Bob’s Burgers is not a musical in name, but it is in spirit. WHAT SHOULD IT REPLACE? I didn’t watch the Tonys, Smash, or Nashville, so I don’t know how good those songs were, but I’m sure those from Bob’s were better.

-I knew that my easy choice for the best performance of the year –  Tatiana Maslany of Orphan Black – was far from a sure thing, but the way Lead Actress in a Drama was blown up – half of last year’s nominees are gone, a seventh slot was added, three ladies are up in their shows’ first seasons and another in her show’s second season that feels more like a first – suggests the field may have actually been open enough for her to have a chance.  The lesson here is that it helps to be a familiar face.  I would’ve thought, though, that Tatiana’s chances compared favorably to those of Vera Farmiga, who isn’t that big a movie star – and if Emmy voters could turn their dials up to A&E, then I believe in them enough that they can make it up to BBC America.

-Lead Actor in a Comedy is an interesting category.  There are a few really deserving fellows, but overall it’s a light field.  Thankfully, last year’s way too safe winner, Jon Cryer, was left out.  But, seriously, Don Cheadle AND Matt LeBlanc?  I know Joel McHale (still excellent despite a down year for Community) and Neil Flynn (his and his show’s best years yet) were going to be ignored, but they shouldn’t have been.  What about Jake Johnson (even though I think he should have submitted as Supporting)?  New Girl was on Emmy’s radar last year (although this year it got zilch overall).  As long as Don or Matt don’t win, we’re good.  And since Alec and Jim have both won multiple times, let’s spread the wealth around to Louie or Jason.

-The Modern Family stranglehold is weakening!  Only 5 of the 6 adult cast members were nominated!  Interestingly enough, last year’s Supporting Actor winner, Eric Stonestreet was the one left off.  I’ll take that, because it made room for a stranger choice like Adam Driver.  (A lot of great guys were still left out of this field, but progress is progress.)

-No Guest Actor slot for David Lynch?!  The most egregious non-Tatiana Maslany snub of this year.

–Bob’s Burgers up for Outstanding Animated Program is great news, seeing as it had one of the best seasons of an animated series ever.  It deserved more recognition (Original Song several times over, hello!), but at least we know some voters are watching it.

-No Writing or Directing nods for Mad Men?  What is going on?

-Laura Dern for Lead Actress Comedy was the most pleasant surprise.  I’ve only watched Season 1 of Enlightened so far, but I hear Season 2 is even better, so I’m sure Laura is deserving in what remains one of the most unbelievably competitive categories.

-Didn’t we all decide that, despite how great Jane Lynch is, Sue Sylvester stopped being a great character – or really, good at all – after Season 1 of Glee?  Wasn’t that why she was not nominated the past two years?  We could have used the extra seventh Supporting Actress slot for a lot of ladies, but not Sue Sylvester.

-Look, I love Will Forte.  I probably love him more than anyone else.  But you don’t need to keep nominating him for Guest Actor for 30 Rock.  Especially if it means leaving out people like David Lynch for Louie.  Actually, now that I think about it, I love Will Forte.  He deserves all the nominations he can get.

-Does Louis C.K. hold the record for most Emmy nominations ever yet?

Apparently, some television actors don’t know how big or small their roles are on their shows.  Or they just don’t care.  Or they prefer to be in the category that they think has easier competition.  Whatever the reasons, every year, there are lead performers who submit in the supporting category, or vice versa.  I scoured the ballot (http://www.emmys.tv/ballots/2013) to find this year’s offenders. Here they are, listed in order of “Definitely Wrong Category” to “Probably The Right Category But An Argument Could Be Made Otherwise.”

-Amy Schumer (submitted as Supporting instead of Lead for Inside Amy Schumer) – The show’s named after you, you’re in every sketch, and at least 90% of the sketches revolve around your character…
-Anthony Jeselnik (submitted as Supporting instead of Lead for The Jeselnik Offensive) – Umm, again, look at your show title.
-Rob Lowe (submitted as Lead instead of Supporting for Parks and Recreation) – Rob Lowe, you are not a lead.  You’re just not.  There are four others (Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Adam Scott, Rashida Jones) with bigger roles than yours, two of whom submitted as Supporting.  And there are three others (Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt) whose roles are at least as big as yours.
-Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein/Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele (submitted as Supporting instead of Lead for Portlandia/Key and Peele) – Guys, these are your shows.  Keegan and Jordan, it’s your eponymous show.  You can support each other as co-leads.  Also, Fred, you’re competing with yourself on the Supporting ballot (SNL) instead of spreading yourself around!
-Portia De Rossi (submitted as Lead instead of Supporting for Arrested Development) – I don’t know if you could really say that anyone had enough screen time in AD S4 to be considered a lead.  We can accept Jason Bateman, because everything more or less still goes through Michael, but other than that, I don’t see the justification.
-Sarah Wayne Callies (submitted as Lead instead of Supporting for The Walking Dead) – When you die about halfway through the season, that kind of makes it hard to be a lead.
-Katie Cassidy (submitted as Lead instead of Supporting for Arrow) – This is not a show with multiple leads.
-Sarah Paulson (submitted as Supporting instead of Lead for American Horror Story: Asylum) – There were a lot of characters in AHS: Asylum, and somehow just about everything went through Lana.
-Jim Beaver (submitted as Guest instead of Supporting for Justified) – The whole seasonlong storyarc kind of revolved around him.
-Jake Johnson (submitted as Lead instead of Supporting for New Girl) – Yeah, his screen time was aplenty, but this is still Zooey Deschanel’s show.
-Adam Scott (submitted as Lead instead of Supporting for Parks and Recreation) – Despite being the husband of the main character, I would argue he is at most the third most significant character.
-Freddie Highmore (submitted as Supporting instead of Lead for Bates Motel) – Apparently the focus is more on Mrs. Bates, but I’m hearing this is just the latest example of a child actor apparently not being old enough to enter in the lead field.
-Jessica Lange (submitted as Lead instead of Supporting for American Horror Story: Asylum) – She could maybe make a case as a secondary lead.
-Mike O’Malley (submitted as Guest instead of Supporting for Justified) – He may have been in only half the episodes, but he was the season’s main villain.
-Walton Goggins (submitted as Supporting instead of Lead for Justified) – He had about as much screen time as Timothy Olyphant.  Who says the antagonist can’t be considered a lead?
-Mads Mikkelsen (submitted as Supporting instead of Lead for Hannibal) – I haven’t started watching yet, but I hear this may actually be the right choice despite his name being in the title.
-Garret Dillahunt (sumbitted as Lead instead of Supporting for Raising Hope) – You gotta call Lucas Neff the top lead, but I guess he, Dillahunt, and Martha Plimpton all have enough screen time for there to be 3 leads.  Apparently Lucas Neff didn’t even submit himself anyway.
-Tatiana Maslany (submitted as Lead instead of Everything for Orphan Black)