July 22, 2020
jmunney
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television
2020 Emmys, Bad Education, Devs, Dispatches From Elsewhere, Emmy Wish List, Emmys, Mrs. America, Normal People, Quiz, The Plot Against America, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Watchmen
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot
The 2020 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 28. As per annual tradition, I have assembled a Wish List for as many categories as I have something to say about. There is no minimum or maximum number per category, nor is there any strict adherence to official Emmy rules. And of course, there is the necessary caveat that I have not seen everything. Even with much of the country shut down for the past few months, that’s impossible.
(Check out my previously published thoughts on Drama and Comedy.)
It was a banner year for Limited Series, or at least it was a banner year for Limited Series being on my radar. Damon Lindelof and Co.’s take on Watchmen is the cream of the crop, although it’s not my top pick in most of the acting categories. That would be the very unique Dispatches From Elsewhere, which goes 3 out of 4 and misses out only Lead Actress due to having nobody in the running in that field. As for the rest of the nominations, I had a lot of fun spreading the love around to the likes of the passionate lovers of Normal People, the game show freaks of Quiz, the political ladies of Mrs. America, the politically concerned citizens of The Plot Against America, and Nick Offerman’s glorious beard.
KEY:
Bold=My winner
Limited Series
Devs
Dispatches From Elsewhere
Mrs. America
Normal People
The Plot Against America
Quiz
Watchmen
More
May 13, 2020
jmunney
Television, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Carol Kane, choose your own adventure, Daniel Radcliffe, Ellie Kemper, Jane Krakowski, Jon Hamm, Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Titus Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend
CREDIT: Netflix
I’m a little skeptical about choose-your-own adventure stories, but I’m not skeptical about Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, so I happily watched the UKS choose-your-own-adventure special Kimmy vs. the Reverend. I am planning on watching it some more times in the future and choosing different story branches. I will then log my selections after each viewing. Here is Log #1
-LK-9
-Fun dress
-Go to the gym
-Plan wedding
-Donna Maria
-Gretchen
-Call Cyndee
-Take Titus
-Get down to beeswax
-Lillian sings
-Walk to town
-The script
-He knows it
-Karate
-Go with Lillian
-Lose it
-Babysit
-Read to the baby
-Woodland banquet
-‘Splode him
-Spare him
May 8, 2020
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television
Garry Marshall, Hayley Williams, Justin Roiland, Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Mother's Day, Petals for Armor, Saturday Night Live, SNL, SNL At Home, SNL Mother's Day, Solar Opposites, The Happy Days of Garry Marshall, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Valley Girl, Valley Girl 2020
CREDIT: Netflix
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Valley Girl (Streaming May 8)
TV
–Solar Opposites Season 1 (May 8 on Hulu) – New animated series about a family of aliens from Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland.
–SNL at Home Season Finale (May 9 on NBC)
–SNL Mother’s Day Special (May 10 on NBC) – A compilation episode the day after the season finale?! Count me in!
–Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend (May 12 on Netflix) – Kimmy does choose-your-own-adventure!
–The Happy Days of Garry Marshall (May 12 on ABC) – Please, call him Garry!
Music
-Hayley Williams, Petals for Armor
January 4, 2020
jmunney
Best of 2019, Best of TV 2019, Television
American Dad!, American Housewife, AP Bio, Barry, Baskets, Best of 2019, Better Things, Big Mouth, black-ish, Bob's Burgers, Bojack Horseman, Broad City, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Documentary Now!, Fleabag, Fosse/Verdon, GLOW, I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jane the Virgin, Jeopardy!, Joe Pera Talks with You, Last Week Tonight, Legion, Living with Yourself, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., mixed-ish, Momma Named Me Sheriff, Mr. Robot, Pose, Rick and Morty, Russian Doll, Sex Education, Sherman's Showcase, Silicon Valley, Speechless, Superstore, The Conners, The Goldbergs, The Good Place, The Kids Are Alright, The Last O.G., The Mandalorian, The Masked Singer, The Orville, The Other Two, The Unicorn, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Undone, Watchmen, What Just Happened??!, What We Do in the Shadows, You're the Worst, Young Sheldon
CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): Amazon; Disney; Pamela Littky/FOX; Rhys Thomas/IFC
Under the known laws of physics, it is currently impossible to watch every TV show (or even just every good show) airing new episodes in a given year. But for those of us who treat televisual consumption as a transcendent pursuit, we do our best to fit in as many programs as possible, which means that there are more than ten or even twenty shows worth recognizing in an annual best-of list. So this year, I decided to rank as many shows as I thought were worthy of recognition and provide blurbs for the ones where I really needed to say something.
More
July 9, 2019
jmunney
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television
2019 Emmys, A.P. Bio, American Vandal, Barry, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Emmy Wish List, Emmy wishlist, Emmys, GLOW, Happy!, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jane the Virgin, Murphy Brown, Russian Doll, Speechless, The Big Bang Theory, The Goldbergs, The Good Place, The Last O.G., The Other Two, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, What We Do in the Shadows, Young Sheldon
CREDIT: Scott Patrick Green/Netflix
The 2019 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 16, and as that annual occasion approaches, I typically put together my own list of which shows and performers I would like to see recognized. But I’ve had some mixed feelings about that this year, as I’ve grappled with the fact that in the era of Peak TV, it becomes more and more impossible to capture all my favorites in one place. Ultimately I decided I wouldn’t be too formal or too precious about it. If there are ten shows I really want to see nominated, then I’ll list ten on my wish list. But if there are just two I really like in another category, then I’ll just list two.
I’m kicking things off today with Comedy. Before I get to my selections, I’ve got some thoughts to share, mainly about the new entrants. Among freshman shows, The Other Two mixed affecting family dynamics with the silliness of fame, while What We Do in the Shadows was just so wonderfully goofy. But it’s a couple of sadly cancelled high school-set sophomore shows that have my most love: Netflix’s poopy mockumentary American Vandal and NBC’s sharp and lovable A.P. Bio.
Among the actors, Young Sheldon‘s ensemble has really been a welcome part of my weekly life, and with that in mind, it’s been a while since either the Academy or I have recognized Jim Parsons for The Big Bang Theory, and you know what? I’m going to recognize him for his final year. Among names that you may not recognize (yet), let’s all keep in mind What We Do in the Shadows‘ Kayvan Novak for our future comedy endeavors.
Nominees are listed in alphabetical order. My top choices are in bold.
Outstanding Comedy
American Vandal
A.P. Bio
Barry
GLOW
The Goldbergs
The Good Place
Jane the Virgin
The Last O.G.
The Other Two
Speechless
What We Do in the Shadows
More
February 20, 2016
jmunney
Best of 2015, Best of TV 2015, Television
Arnold Baumheiser, Better Call Saul, Blaine DeBeers, Carol Pilbasian, Chuck McGill, Dean Sanderson, Elliot Alderson, Fargo, Fresh Off the Boat, Jessica Huang, Jessica Jones, Kent Woolworth, Kimmy Schmidt, Liz Greenberg, Mike Milligan, Moonbeam City, Mr. Poopybutthole, Peggy Blumquist, Phil Miller, Rad Cunningham, The Grinder, The Last Man on Earth, Titus Andromedon, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
1. Rad Cunningham (Will Forte), Moonbeam City – On an underseen show, Will Forte worked his indelible powers of empathy and open-mindedness to birth another one of his beautifully pathetic creations. In the patently ridiculous Moonbeam City PD, Rad is the most ridiculous, and the most childish, but also the most profoundly human.
More
July 13, 2015
jmunney
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television
2015 Emmys, @midnight, Abbi Jacobson, Adam Arkin, Adam Driver, Adelaide Clemens, Aden Young, Alison Brie, Allison Janney, American Dad!, Amy Poehler, Amy Schumer, Andre Braugher, Android, Anna Chlumsky, Arrow, Aya Cash, Better Call Saul, Big Bird, Billy on the Street, Bob Odenkirk, Bojack Horseman, Britt Lower, Broad City, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Chris Geere, Chris Gethard, Chris Mckenna, Christina Hendricks, Christine Baranski, Claire Danes, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Community, Conan, Constance Wu, Craig T. Nelson, Dan Harmon, Danny Pudi, David Anders, Dominic West, Don Cheadle, Downer Ending, Downton Abbey, Dreaming of a White Porsche Christmas, Dwayne Johnson, Eden Sher, Edie Falco, Elena, Elisabeth Moss, Ellie Kemper, Emilia Clarke, Emily Bett Rickards, Emmys, Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television, Empire, Eric Andre, Eva Green, Fresh Off the Boat, Friends Furever, Game of Thrones, Girls, Homeland, House of Cards, House of Lies, Hugh Bonneville, Ilana Glazer, Inside Amy Schumer, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, iZombie, Jane Krakowski, Jeff Daniels, Jeffrey Tambor, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jim Carter, Jim Parsons, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Joel McHale, John Hawkes, Jon Voight, Jonathan Banks, Jordan Gavaris, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julianna Margulies, Julie Bowen, Justified, Kate McKinnon, Ken Jeong, Kether Donohue, Kevin Spacey, Key & Peele, Kroll Show, Lamorne Morris, Last Week Tonight, Laverne Cox, Lena Dunham, Lena Headey, Linda Lavin, Louie, Louis CK, Mad Men, Mae Whitman, Maggie Smith, Man Seeking Woman, Mandy Patinkin, Masters of Sex, Mayim Bialik, Mel Rodriguez, Michael McKean, Michael Rapaport, Michael Sheen, Michelle Dockery, MIchelle Obama, Milana Vayntrub, Modern Espionage, Modern Family, Mom, Nathan Fielder, Nathan for You, New Girl, Nurse Jackie, Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black, Other Space, Parenthood, Parks and Recreation, Penny Dreadful, Peter Dinklage, Pimento, Portlandia, Ray Donovan, Real Time, Rectify, Rhea Seehorn, Rob Schrab, Robin Wright, Rose McIver, RuPaul, RuPaul's Drag Race, Ruth Wilson, Sarah Steele, Saturday Night Live, Shameless, Silicon Valley, Susie Essman, Taraji P. Henson, Tatina Maslany, The Affair, The Big Bang Theory, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, The Eric Andre Show, The Last Man on Earth, The Middle, The Newsroom, The Promise, The Simpsons, The Tonight Show, Thomas Middleditch, Thomas Schnauz, Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories, Timothy Olyphant, Titus Burgess, Tony Hale, Too Many Cooks, Traib, Transparent, Treehouse of Horror XXV, Ty Burrell, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Veep, Walton Goggins, Will Forte, William H Macy, You're the Worst, Zach Woods, Zooey Deschanel
For my detailed thoughts on my predictions and wishlists in the major Drama, Comedy, and Variety categories, check out these links:
–Comedy
–Drama
–Variety
Guest Actor, Comedy
John Hawkes, Inside Amy Schumer
Michael Rapaport, Louie
Chris Gethard, Parks and Recreation
Dwayne Johnson, Saturday Night Live
Guest Actress, Comedy
Susie Essman, Broad City
Guest Actor, Drama
Mel Rodriguez, Better Call Saul
Guest Actress, Drama
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
Linda Lavin, The Good Wife
Directing, Comedy
Rob Schrab, “Modern Espionage,” Community
Directing, Drama
Adam Arkin, “The Promise,” Justified
Writing, Comedy
Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna, “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television,” Community
Writng, Drama
Thomas Schnauz, “Pimento,” Better Call Saul
Animated Program
Bojack Horseman – “Downer Ending”
American Dad! – “Dreaming of a White Porsche Christmas”
The Simpsons – “Treehouse of Horror XXV”
Commercial
Android – “Friends Furever”
Host – Reality/Reality Competition
RuPaul, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Interactive Program
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Main Title Design
Man Seeking Woman
Single-Camera Picture Editing, Comedy
Bojack Horseman – “Downer Ending”
Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program
Too Many Cooks
Billy On The Street With First Lady Michelle Obama, Big Bird And Elena!!!
Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or a Variety Program
Community
Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role
Man Seeking Woman – “Traib”
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