Emmyworthy 2010 - The Comedies

Alright, the Emmy nominations will be announced next week, July 7th, and while I have absolutely no sway in them (I almost have an anti-sway with these things. If I want them to be nominated, it'll almost mean for sure they'll never get nominated), here's my personal picks (WORTHY) and my predictions for who WILL be actually nominated (*). (For better predictions, check out Joe's Low Resolution, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

I'm starting off with the Comedy categories today. (Dramas here)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Worthy - My Picks

Community
Cougar Town
Glee *
Modern Family *
Parks & Recreation
Ugly Betty


Worthy Alternatives

Better Off Ted
Nurse Jackie
30 Rock *
United States of Tara


Alternatives

The Big Bang Theory *
Bored to Death
Californication
Chuck
Curb Your Enthusiasm *
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
How I Met Your Mother
How To Make it In America
Monk
The Office *
Two and a Half Men
Weeds

Well, there's no shortage of comedies to pick from this year, which is making competition difficult again. Where once Two and a Half Men easily won a slot, now there's many better alternatives that actually have decent ratings.

I'm still not even sure if United States of Tara or Nurse Jackie even belong in the comedy section or not, but it ends up making me leave off faves like The Big Bang Theory and Bored to Death who might have made my top picks in previous years. Still, I think the Emmy will stay with some of their favorite standby's like Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Office (which I still do love, but not as much as I did during it's earlier and stronger seasons). Meanwhile, Weeds and Entourage are only shadows of their former selves.

I also enjoyed How To Make It In America but it's not quite there yet.


BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Worthy- My Picks

Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock *
John Corbett - United States of Tara
Jay Harrington - Better Off Ted
Joel McHale - Community
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory *
Jason Schwartzman - Bored to Death


Worthy Alternatives

Johnny Galecki - The Big Bang Theory
Matthew Morrison - Glee
Kevin Connolly - Entourage


Alternatives

Steve Carrell - The Office *
Larry David - Curb Your Enthusiasm *
David Duchovny - Californication *
Bryan Greenberg - How To Make It In America
Zachary Levi - Chuck
Josh Radnor - How I Met Your Mother
Tony Shalhoub - Monk *
Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men

Strangely, this might the weakest category because many of this years strong comedies are ensembles with most of the cast being considered supporting (from what I know). I have a penchant for fresher choices hence why almost no one I want to be nominated is actually going to be seriously considered. I'm also keeping Kevin Connolly as an alternative because I still think he's the heart and soul of the show and makes whatever still works on the show, work.


BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Worthy - My Picks

Toni Collette - United States of Tara *
Courtney Cox - Cougar Town *
Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie *
America Ferrera - Ugly Betty
Tina Fey - 30 Rock *
Amy Poehler - Parks & Recreation *


Worthy Alternatives

Marcia Cross - Desperate Housewives
Kaley Cuoco - The Big Bang Theory
Julia-Louise Dreyfus - The New Adventures of Old Christine *
Patricia Heaton - The Middle
Felicity Huffman - Desperate Housewives
Lea Michelle - Glee
Eva Longoria Parker - Desperate Housewives
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds


Alternatives

Teri Hatcher - Desperate Housewives

Honestly, anybody can be nominated here and I'll be happy. There's such a strong group of female leads in a comedy that even the ones on shows passed their due date are still worthy for being terrific on a less than terrific show.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Worthy - My Picks

Ty Burrell - Modern Family *
Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Modern Family
Nick Offerman - Parks & Recreation
Ed O'Neill - Modern Family *
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother *
Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family *


Worthy Alternatives

Aziz Ansari - Parks & Recreation
Dan Byrd - Cougar Town
Chevy Chase - Community
Chris Colfer - Glee
Ted Danson - Bored to Death
Peter Facinelli - Nurse Jackie
Jerry Ferrara - Entourage
Zach Galifianakis - Bored to Death
Keir Gilchrist - United States of Tara
Donald Glover - Community
Ian Gomez - Cougar Town
Nolan Gould - Modern Family
Clark Gregg - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Simon Helberg - The Big Bang Theory
Josh Hopkins - Cougar Town
Justin Kirk - Weeds
Hamish Linklater - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Jack McBrayer - 30 Rock
Charlie McDermott - The Middle
Kunal Nayyar - The Big Bang Theory
Chris Pratt - Parks & Recreation
Dani Pudi - Community
Jim Rash - Community
Rico Rodriguez - Modern Family
Atticus Shaffer - The Middle
Jonathan Slavin - Better Off Ted
Eddie Kaye Thomas - How To Make it In America
Michael Urie - Ugly Betty
Brian Van Holt - Cougar Town


Alternatives

Jon Cryer - Two and A Half Men *
Kevin Dillon - Entourage
Dominic Fumasa - Nurse Jackie
Mark Indelicato - Ugly Betty
Luis Guzmán - How To Make It In America
Ken Jeong - Community
John Krasinski - The Office
Eric Mabius - Ugly Betty
Kevin McHale - Glee
Cory Monteith - Glee
Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Tony Plana - Ugly Betty
Victor Rasuk - How To Make It In America
Mark Salling - Glee
Jason Segel - How I Met Your Mother
Paul Schulze - Nurse Jackie
Stephen Wallem - Nurse Jackie
Rainn Wilson - The Office *

Because the cast of Modern Family has decide to submit themselves ALL as supporting, it starts filling up this already crowded category fast. In addition, there's such a strong contingent of really great young actors, I would almost want a new category just for the young kids (including Keir Gilchrist, Rico Rodiguez, Nolan Gould, Atticus Shaffer, Charlie McDermott, Dan Byrd, and Alexander Gould from Weeds). Of course, what the above shows is that they really should have an ensemble award, especially nowadays with shows becoming ensemble pieces more than ever.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Worthy - My Picks

Julie Bowen - Modern Family *
Jane Lynch - Glee *
Ana Ortiz - Ugly Betty
Sofia Vergara - Modern Family *
Merritt Wever - Nurse Jackie
Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty


Worthy Alternatives

Andrea Anders - Better Off Ted
Eve Best - Nurse Jackie
Alison Brie - Community
Yvette Nicole Brown - Community
Portia de Rossi - Better Off Ted
Rosemarie DeWitt - United States of Tara
Cheryl Hines - Curb Your Enthusiasm *
Sarah Hyland - Modern Family
Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
Brie Larson - United States of Tara
Judith Light - Ugly Betty
Becki Newton - Ugly Betty
Elizabeth Perkins - Weeds
Busy Philipps - Cougar Town
Aubrey Plaza - Parks & Recreation
Eden Sher - The Middle
Wanda Sykes - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Kristen Wiig - Saturday Night Live *
Ariel Winter - Modern Family


Alternatives

Dianna Agron - Glee
Lake Bell - How To Make It In America
Conchata Ferrell - Two and a Half Men
Jenna Fischer - The Office
Alyson Hannigan - How I Met Your Mother
Alex Kapp Horner - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Gillian Jacobs - Community
Rashida Jones - Parks & Recreation
Jayma Mays - Glee
Christa Miller - Cougar Town
Tricia O'Kelley - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Amber Riley - Glee
Emily Rutherfurd - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Anna Deavere Smith - Nurse Jackie
Cobie Smulders - How I Met Your Mother
Holland Taylor - Two and a Half Men *

Another category with tons of worthy choices, not helped by the "ensembles" like Modern Family that are really putting leads into the supporting category (and thus pushing out worthy youngsters like the younger MF set Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter, who could with Eden Sher and Brie Larson, also create a young persons category.

Also doesn't help with Nurse Jackie and United States of Tara floating between dark comedy and drama and taking a spot here. All worthy, just hard to categorize, and strong performances either way.

I'm gonna do the guest categories together with drama on another day.

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com