Emmy Nominees 2015: Comedy Snags and Snubs

The differences between my suggestions in the Drama Series categories and the actual nominees announced last Thursday were significant those between my stated preferences in the Comedy Series categories and the shows and performers that received nominations even more soVoting members of the Academy of Television Arts ampamp Sciences agree with me that ABCamp8217s amp8220Modern Familyamp8221 HBOamp8217s amp8220Silicon Valleyamp8221 pictured at top and Amazonamp8217s amp8220Transparentamp8221 all deserve recognition Indeed it can be argued that the latter continues to help change the world for the better But on what celestial body certainly not Planet Ed can a list of seven current comedies honored as the most awardworthy not include the funniest and most durable of them all CBSamp8217 amp8220The Big Bang Theoryamp8221 Iamp8217ll never accept the argument that a program that has been on television for many years in the case of amp8220TBBTamp8221 eight and is as wellproduced and entertaining as ever in the case of amp8220TBBTamp8221 even more than earlier seasons should be purposefully ignored come award season Emmy rightfully kept honoring the longrunning amp8220Frasieramp8221 and its cast right to the endMeanwhile FXamp8217s amp8220Louieamp8221 is still a mustsee comedy but nothing about its most recent season surpassed the genius of its earlier years I would have preferred that the FX real estate in this category go to the networkamp8217s frisky freshman amp8220Youamp8217re the Worstamp8221 one of the funniest comedies on television and a groundbreaker in terms of adult content on advertiser supported television This is the kind of grownup entertainment people have been clamoring for without having to pay for premium cable to receive itAs for the rest NBCamp8217s amp8220Parks and Recreationamp8221 has never had the respect for or insight into people in amp8220flyover countryamp8221 that has informed every episode of ABCamp8217s egregiously overlooked charmer amp8220The Middleamp8221 Once again Emmy got it wrong And while there is nothing wrong with Netflixamp8217s silly amp8220Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtamp8221 or HBOamp8217s amp8220Veepamp8221 it seems to me that CBSamp8217 amp8220Momamp8221 the closest thing we have today to a topical Norman Lear comedy and The CWamp8217s amp8220Jane the Virginamp8221 a gem in every way should have been nominated insteadWith two exceptions the list of men nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series strikes me as uninspired Anthony Andersen of ABCamp8217s amp8220blackishamp8221 Don Cheadle of Showtimeamp8217s amp8220House of Liesamp8221 Matt LeBlanc of Showtimeamp8217s amp8220Episodesamp8221 and amp8220Louis CKamp8221 of amp8220Louieamp8221 all did fine work but never displayed the comic chops of Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki of amp8220The Big Bang Theoryamp8221 pictured below and Thomas Middleditch of amp8220Silicon Valleyamp8221 an especially annoying exclusion I guess the perfectly modulated comic performances of Chris Geere in amp8220Youamp8217re the Worstamp8221 and Gael Garcia Bernal in Amazonamp8217s amp8220Mozart in the Jungleamp8221 escaped noticeThe two exceptions I mentioned above are the consistently extraordinary William H Macy in Showtimeamp8217s amp8220Shamelessamp8221 whom I shamefully left off my own list of suggested nominees and the transcendent Jeffrey Tambor of amp8220Transparentamp8221 There really isnamp8217t any reason to engage in feverish debate about the outcome here because there is no way Tambor doesnamp8217t take home the awardEmmy and I agreed on half of the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Edie Falco of Showtimeamp8217s amp8220Nurse Jackieamp8221 Julia LouisDreyfus of amp8220Veepamp8221 and Amy Schumer of Comedy Centralamp8217s amp8220Inside Amy Schumeramp8221 who ought to be nominated in a category for performers in sketch comedy series The problem is one doesnamp8217t exist A win for Schumer feels almost as certain as one for Tambor but donamp8217t count out perennial winner LouisDreyfus A second award for Falco in this category would not be undeserved eitherAs for the other nominations Iamp8217m not surprised that Patricia Heaton of amp8220The Middleamp8221 once again was unjustly ignored but how to explain the snubs of Gina Rodriguez of amp8220Jane the Virginamp8221 pictured below center with cast and Constance Wu of ABCamp8217s amp8220Fresh Off the Boatamp8221 Perhaps the nomination for Lisa Kudrow of HBOamp8217s amp8220The Comebackamp8221 merits excluding Heaton from the category but I donamp8217t think that Amy Poehler of amp8220Parks and Recreationamp8221 and Lily Tomlin of Netflixamp8217s amp8220Grace and Frankieamp8221 did better work than Rodriguez and Wu Also how to justify nominating Tomlin without acknowledging the smart and sharp performance of her costar Jane FondaI really struck out with my suggestions for nominees in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Our lists have only one man in common The very funny Tituss Burgess in Netflixamp8217s amp8220Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtamp8221 pictured below The official Emmy nomination list is rounded out by Andre Braugher of Foxamp8217s amp8220Brooklyn NineNineamp8221 Adam Driver of HBOamp8217s amp8220Girlsamp8221 KeeganMichael Key of Comedy Centralamp8217s amp8220Key ampamp Peeleamp8221 Ty Burrell of amp8220Modern Familyamp8221 and Tony Hale of amp8220Veepamp8221 With the exception of Burgess and Key who like Schumer belongs in a category that doesnamp8217t exist and like Tomlin was somehow chosen over an equally deserving costar this list feels somewhat lazyI had hoped the Emmy nominators would single out the distinctive work of Cameron Monaghan and Noel Fisher in amp8220Shamelessamp8221 the riotous performances of TJ Miller and Zach Woods in amp8220Silicon Valleyamp8221 and the singularly sensational Jamie Cavill of amp8220Jane the Virginamp8221 No such luckAt the last the category in which Emmy and I were the most likeminded is Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series We agree on four nominees Mayim Bialik of amp8220The Big Bang Theoryamp8221 Julie Bowen of amp8220Modern Familyamp8221 Anna Chlumsky of amp8220Veepamp8221 and likely winner Allison Janney of amp8220Momamp8221There were a record eight nominees in this category the limit is six unless there are ties but the delightful Eden Sher of amp8220The Middleamp8221 pictured above went unrecognized once again Iamp8217ll never understand why she has never been nominated Iamp8217m happy with the nomination for the supremely talented Kate McKinnon of NBCamp8217s amp8220Saturday Night Liveamp8221 whose work like that of many of her costars further supports the idea of establishing sketch comedy categories and Iamp8217m not surprised that Gaby Hoffman of amp8220Transparentamp8221 was singled out though I donamp8217t agree but Iamp8217m totally thrown by the nods to Niecy Nash of HBOamp8217s amp8220Getting Onamp8221 a series I forgot was on and Jane Krakowski of amp8220Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtamp8221 Iamp8217m not too happy about Mimi Kennedy getting passed over for her invaluable contributions to amp8220Momamp8221 eitherThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage management or associated bloggers

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Emmy Nominees 2015: Comedy Snags and Snubs

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"About That with Carl Mayer:" Alaina Donnellon (Episode 10: Political Spending) - By Carl Mayer

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