Fearless Emmy Predictions – Drama Series

If you missed them, check out my picks in the Comedy Series and Limited Series and TV Movies categories.

Outstanding Drama Series

The nominees in this category are AMC’s exciting newcomer “Better Call Saul,” PBS’s still engaging “Downton Abbey,” HBO’s epic adventure series “Game of Thrones,” Showtime’s revitalized “Homeland,” Netflix’s sterling showpiece “House of Cards,” AMC’s four-time Emmy winner “Mad Men” and Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black,” which last year was nominated as Outstanding Comedy Series (before Emmy’s rules went wonky, because how can “Orange” be classified as a drama while Showtime’s “Shameless” remains a comedy?).

Dare voting members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences not honor “Mad Men” with one final award in this category after naming it Outstanding Drama Series for four of its previous six seasons? (It only lost twice, both times to network-mate “Breaking Bad,” making this a category AMC has owned for quite a while.) This is one of the more uncertain categories, but “Bad” prequel “Better Call Saul” seems to have an awful lot of momentum.

Prediction: “Mad Men”

Preference: “Mad Men”

Should have been nominated: CBS’ consistently outstanding “The Good Wife” and FX’s “The Americans” and “Justified”

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

The nominees in this category are Kyle Chandler of Netflix’s “Bloodline,” Jeff Daniels of HBO’s “The Newsroom,” Jon Hamm of AMC’s “Mad Men,” Bob Odenkirk of AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” Live Schreiber of Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” and Kevin Spacey of Netflix’s “House of Cards.”

I feel the same way about Jon Hamm in this category as I do about his series, “Mad Men.” How can Emmy not show some love for this man -- even once -- for a performance that is already iconic? Or will he forever reside in that elite group of outstanding actors who were never honored for their best roles, a club that shamefully includes Hugh Laurie of “House” and Michael C. Hall of “Dexter”? Remarkably, no actor in the “Mad Men” cast has ever received an Emmy – so a win for Hamm would be one for the team.

Still, the competition here is truly intense. I don’t think Schreiber stands a chance, but any one of the other four could easily take home the award.

Prediction: Kevin Spacey

Preference: Jon Hamm

Should have been nominated: Three accomplished veterans of outstanding FX series: Charlie Hunnam of “Sons of Anarchy,” Timothy Olyphant of “Justified” and Matthew Rhys of “The Americans”

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

The nominees in this category are Claire Danes of Showtime’s “Homeland,” Viola Davis of ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder,” Taraji P. Henson of Fox’s “Empire,” Tatiana Maslany of BBC America’s “Orphan Black,” Elisabeth Moss of AMC’s “Mad Men” and Robin Wright of Netflix’s “House of Cards.”

There is no question that Maslany (pictured at top) deserves this award for her searing portrayals of multiple roles (wildly different clones, actually) in BBC America’s sci-fi sensation “Orphan Black.” But I’m betting that voting members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences just don’t get it. So I’m going with the deserving Viola Davis for her brilliant turn as a ferociously flawed attorney and professor in “Murder.”

Prediction: Viola Davis

Preference: Tatiana Maslany

Should have been nominated: Eva Green of Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful” and Julianna Margulies of CBS’ “The Good Wife”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

The nominees in this category are Jonathan Banks of AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” Jim Carter of PBS’ “Downton Abbey,” Alan Cumming of CBS’ “The Good Wife,” Peter Dinklage of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Michael Kelly of Netflix’s “House of Cards” and Ben Mendelsohn of Netflix’s “Bloodline.”

Prediction: Peter Dinklage

Preference: Ben Mendelsohn

Should have been nominated: Walton Goggins of FX’s “Justified” and Mandy Patinkin of Showtime’s “Homeland”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

The nominees in this category are Uzo Aduba of Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black,” Christine Baranski of CBS’ “The Good Wife,” Emilia Clarke of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Joanne Frogatt of PBS’ “Downton Abbey,” Lena Headey of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and Christina Hendricks of AMC’s “Mad Men.”

Prediction: Uzo Aduba

Preferences: Christine Baranski or Christina Hendricks

Should have been nominated: Joelle Carter of “Justified”

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