Fun (or Frightening?) Fact: this year’s Emmy ballot includes nearly 3000 performers. We’ve all known for several years now just how overwhelming television has become, but somehow it still had room to launch into another level. So for my personal wish list, I decided not to think about it too hard. I’ll just include however many or however few selections per category I’d like to. I’ve probably forgotten some worthy contenders, but I won’t stress about it too much. We’ll find out what the TV Academy thinks when the nominations are announced on July 12!
When will Holey Moley become “The Multiple Emmy Award-Winning Holey Moley”? Hopefully very soon!
I was a little surprised to see Conan on the ballot again, as our orange-topped late night legend wrapped his TBS run over a year ago. But I suppose he did last into June, and the Emmy eligibility period does begin in the previous year’s June, and I’m certainly not going to complain about honoring our boy Conezy one more time!
And finally, hopefully How to with John Wilson can shine through in the weird category it’s been submitted in.
KEY: Bold=My winner
*=I have placed this nominee in a different category than the Emmy ballot.
**=Not on the Emmy ballot
Variety Talk Series Conan
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Variety Sketch Series I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson*
Whose Line is it Anyway?
CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): Screenshot, Netflix, Screenshot, Screenshot
For the Year of Our Screens 2021, my list includes all the shows that I would recommend to my fellow viewers as “worth watching.” So that’s 77 shows! There’s a lot of TV nowadays, and a lot of it’s also pretty good.
I utilized a self-imposed rule in which I had to watch at least 50% of a show’s 2021 output for it to be eligible. However, there were some noteworthy shows that I watched less than 50% of, so I’ve spotlighted those in an honorable mention section:
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Lamb (Theaters)
–No Time to Die (Theaters) – Daniel Craig is so happy that this is finally coming out.
–The Rescue (Theaters)
TV
–Muppets Haunted Mansion (October 8 on Disney+) – Ed Asner has passed away, but he was not murdered or scared to death on the set of this.
–Nancy Drew Season 3 Premiere (October 8 on The CW)
–Whose Line is it Anyway? Season 18 Premiere (October 9 on The CW)
–Legends of the Hidden Temple Reboot Premiere (October 10 on The CW) – Formerly of Nickelodeon.
–The Baby-Sitters Club Season 2 (October 11 on Netflix)
–Chucky Series Premiere (October 12 on SyFy) – Chucky the Doll, that is.
–A Night in the Academy Museum (October 12 on ABC) – Hosted by Laura Dern and Tom Hanks.
–B Positive Season 2 Premiere (October 14 on CBS)
–The Kids Tonight Show Series Premiere (October 14 on Peacock)
Sports
-WNBA Finals (Begins October 10, ABC and ESPN)
It’s that time again! The 2021 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 13, which means I’ve got a Wish List for the nommy noms I’d most like to see! In case you’re wondering, I haven’t held myself to any minimum or maximum number of entrants per category, nor do I strictly adhere to official Emmy rules. (I’ve included explanations for my deviations.) And of course, I must mention that I haven’t seen everything, so there are probably some worthy considerations I may have missed. Finally, on Day 4, we wrap things up with Variety and Reality.
Did you know that there’s a talk show hosted by an alien puppet on Disney+? If you didn’t before, you do now. And you’re going to want to watch all of it as soon as possible before you die. It’s called Earth to Ned, and it’s hilarious and boasts a lineup of fantastic guests. It’s got vibes of Jiminy Glick, but it’s much more kind-hearted. It’s a celebration of talk shows as an art form and general phenomenon, and that’s why I believe that it should win the Emmy for Variety Talk Series.
Variety Sketch Series is where the oddballs that don’t slot easily into any other category end up, and thus that’s where the inimitable How to with John Wilson deserves our love.
And as for Reality, my enthusiasm is much the same as it was last year, when I was demanding praise for the first season of mini-golf extravaganza Holey Moley while the second season was airing. And now this year, I’m demanding praise for Season 2 while we’re in the midst of Season 3.
KEY: Bold=My winner
Variety Talk Series
Conan Earth to Ned Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
WILMORE
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
TV
–Dickinson Season 2 Premiere (January 8 on Apple TV+) – I just started watching Season 1, and I hope to be caught up soon!
–Whose Line is it Anyway? Season 17 Premiere (January 8 on The CW)
–A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Premiere (January 9 on Shudder and Sundance Now) – You know I GOT TO watch a show with Teresa Palmer.
–Critics Choice Super Awards (January 10 on The CW)
–Search Party Season 4 Premiere (January 14 on HBO Max) – The third season arrived less than a year ago!
Clockwise from Top Left: What We Do in the Shadows, Never Have I Ever, Better Call Saul, How To with John Wilson (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots)
Last year, I decided to rank as many TV shows as I felt like recognizing in my year-end list, and that worked out so well that I decided to do it again for 2020. So welcome to my ranking of the 67 Best TV Shows of 2020! Not every show is accompanied by a blurb, just the ones that I felt like I really needed to say something about.
I worked with a self-imposed rule that I had to have watched at least 50% of a show’s 2020 output for it to be eligible, but there were some shows that I’ve only just begun to watch that I wanted to recognize as well, so they’ve got their own Honorable Mention section. And there were also some shows that aired relatively few episodes in 2020 to the point that I didn’t think they should be eligible either, so they’ve also got an Honorable Mention section. And then there’s one more show that’s managed to establish its very own Honorable Mention section, and that’s where we start.
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.
Now that I have made my way through the avalanche of award-worth Dramas, Comedies, and Limited Series, it’s time to get a little silly with the Variety shows. And this year, I decided to also talk about Reality, as there are enough competition shows that I plainly love to be able to fill out a ballot.
Conan is my top choice among the talkies, as Mr. O’Brien and company adapted quite naturally to the new reality of at-home production and Zoom interviews. The Soul Train/American Bandstand homage that is Sherman’s Showcase is the easy choice in Sketch Series; seriously folks, you gotta check this show out. And while I don’t always include SNL in the field, it earned a spot this year thanks to the resiliency demonstrated in its at-home episodes.
Moving on to Reality, where my Competition Program picks are dominated by game shows, naturally enough. At the top of the heap is the mini-golf showcase Holey Moley, one of the most purely fun and positive shows on the air right now. And Joe Tessitore and Rob Riggle are the perfect silly/serious M.C. pair to present the whole shebang.
KEY: Bold=My winner
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot
Variety Talk Series CONAN
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
TV
–Three Busy Debras Series Premiere (March 29 on Adult Swim)
–Beef House Series Premiere (March 29 on Adult Swim) – Tim & Eric’s latest venture.
–Whose Line is it Anyway? Season 16 Premiere – Improv institution returning a little earlier than expected.
Music
-Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia
-Pearl Jam, Gigaton
I started hosting a podcast with my aunt several months ago, and I’ve come to think that I should post my new episodes here so that all my readers can conveniently access them. So below are the first eight episodes of That’s Auntertainment! (as well as five mini-episodes, and one “update” episode).
On the July 8, 2019 episode of Whose Line is it Anyway?, Wayne Brady and Chip Esten performed “Duet” in the style of Cabaret along with special guest Elizabeth Gillies. The topic was “lactation consultant.” The resulting number was so incredible that I just had to record the lyrics for posterity. (And prosperity!)
Wayne: It’s that time
I feel my hormones jumping (Elizabeth and Chip: Jumping) Time to open wide
Get these mammaries pumping (Elizabeth and Chip: Pumping) And now I do not know
The end result
How do I work these?
Who will consult?
Please
Somebody please
Consult me (Elizabeth and Chip: Ooh ooh ooh ooh)
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