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Nominations for the 57th annual Emmy Awards will be announced in four weeks, meaning it's the time of year when critics and other industry observers begin offering suggestions to voting members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as to which shows and performances deserve special recognition. Surely, the major drama and comedy series categories will see many new entries, because those nomination-rich HBO contenders The Sopranos and Curb Your Enthusiasm don't qualify for inclusion this time around. (Neither series has run during the June 1, 2004-May 31, 2005 window for 2005 Emmy consideration.) Also, this will be the first Emmy ceremony in years not to feature multiple nominations for HBO's Sex and the City and NBC's Friends and Frasier, three much missed comedies.
The good news overall is that in trying to narrow each category to five suggested nominees it is impossible not to be impressed with the overall quality of series television in general. This is especially true in the category of Best Actor in a Drama Series. Further, the work by many of the men in this category proves that broadcast is just as vital a platform for dramatic entertainment and powerful dramatic work as pay or basic cable. It is the opinion of this columnist that the award for Best Actor in a Drama Series should go to Hugh Laurie for his multi-layered portrayal of the flawed but formidable Dr. Gregory House in the Fox hit House. Laurie delivered a breakout performance that nobody saw coming, creating a character who is at any given moment bold, belligerent, intimidating, cocky, weak, frightened and needy. If by some freakish circumstance Laurie isn't nominated it will be difficult to give the Emmys serious consideration or even regard them as relevant this year.
The other popular favorite at the moment is Ian McShane as lethal saloon owner Al Swearengen in HBO's Deadwood. The pay cable giant will undoubtedly put all of its formidable marketing and promotional muscle behind a nomination for McShane and, subsequently, a victory in this category as well. Even without that significant push, however, McShane deserves to be honored for creating one of the most uniquely powerful television characters of all time. As for the other leading actors who delivered nomination-worthy dramatic work this season, they include (in no special order) Denis Leary as an alcoholic New York City firefighter with a crippling burden of personal and professional issues in FX's Rescue Me; Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon as plastic surgeons dealing with multiple male midlife crises and other complex emotional and physical challenges in FX's Nip/Tuck; Kiefer Sutherland as the counter-terrorism superstar who almost single-handedly saved millions of Americans from probable annihilation for a record fourth time while suffering continued personal losses in Fox' 24; and Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet in NBC's currently much-maligned The West Wing. Struggling to maintain his authority and uphold his dignity while fighting the sudden advance of multiple sclerosis, barely suppressing his anger at the in-fighting within his own party or silently acknowledging the undeniable strengths of the Republican candidate in the next election, Sheen delivered some of his best and most understated work since the final episodes of the show's acclaimed second season.
The distinguished list of deserving candidates doesn't end there. HBO's dark drama Six Feet Under was widely regarded as a creative washout in its fourth season, but leads Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall delivered their strongest work yet as brothers Nate and David Fisher. (Nate struggled to cope first with the disappearance, then the apparent suicide of his loving wife Lisa and sudden single parenthood. David endured a harrowing kidnapping by a psychopath and suffered the subsequent emotional consequences.) Dennis Franz ended his twelve-year run as Detective Andy Sipowicz on ABC's NYPD Blue in fine form, earning and uneasily accepting a promotion at the station. Christopher Meloni made the background story of his character's personal problems at home matter without creating a distraction from the dramatic weekly proceedings on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Matthew Fox provided a commanding, centering influence for the expansive cast and ever-expanding narrative dimensions of ABC's Lost, seemingly carrying the fate of dozens of people on his shoulders without stumbling. Anthony LaPaglia continued his rock-solid work as the increasingly burdened FBI agent Jack Malone on CBS' Without a Trace. Michael Chiklis as Detective Vic Mackey more than held his own opposite the formidable presence of new co-star Glenn Close on FX's The Shield. Rarely has the established, award-winning lead actor of so distinctive a show been asked to suddenly share the spotlight with a co-star of Close's legendary status. Their work together, in fact, was the very definition of creative collaboration. Finally, James Spader as perpetually exasperating Atty. Alan Shore delivered as accomplished and irresistible a performance this year on ABC's Boston Legal as he did last season on The Practice. He won in this category last year and his work didn't miss a beat during the 2004-05 season. Another Emmy win for Spader, while not particularly exciting given some of his competition, would not be an outrage, either. Click on the following links to read Ed Martin's Commentary on Best Actress in a Drama Series, Best Supporting Cast in a Drama Series and Best Drama Series:
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