"Lost," "Glee," "Mad Men" and More: Fearless Emmy Advice -- 2010 Edition

amp160As you read this voting members of the Academy of Television Arts ampamp Sciences are busily poring over their 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards ballots selecting up to six individuals or programs in each category that they feel are worthy of nominations Tellingly few if any of them watch as much television as professional critics so it falls to us to offer them some much needed guidance as they take on what might be an understandably overwhelming challengeamp160Below are my suggestions for the top programs and performers in the drama and comedy series categories To qualify series must have been televised and the performers39 work seen between June 1 2009 and May 31 2010amp160Television being as richly rewarding as it is these days it is damn near impossible to narrow most of these categories down to a mere six suggested nominees so in some cases I won39t Each category is followed by my choice for the program or performer that deserves not simply to be nominated but to winOutstanding Drama Seriesamp160Breaking Bad AMC Breaking went to some very bad places in its third season with several nervefrying episodes that will be talked about for years to come This was the best drama series on advertiser supported television but it faces a strong challenge for the honor of TV39s best from paycable favorite Dexteramp160Damages FX As with Breaking Bad the third season proved the best yet for FX39s unabashedly grownup legal thriller This series may be too good for basic cable HBO anyoneamp160Dexter Showtime John Lithgow39s seasonlong guest turn as a serial killer so twisted he makes Dexter Morgan look like a mild mannered accountant may give this show the boost it needs to finally win TV39s top honoramp160Friday Night Lights DirecTVNBC This modest production remains scripted television39s most extraordinary accomplishment having maintained maximum dramatic impact and strong emotional connections throughout four seasons without benefit of stories revolving around cops doctors lawyers or serial killers So why does the Academy shamefully ignore itamp160Lost ABC Although it ended a bit too easily with most of its characters conveniently assembling in an allpurpose purgatory where time and narrative continuity didn39t matter there is no denying that this mad mix of sciencefiction the supernatural and powerful characterdriven drama remained TV39s wildest ride until its final frameamp160Mad Men AMC The destruction of the Drapers39 marriage the revelation of Don39s damning secrets and the turmoil at Sterling Cooper made for so much great drama that a threepeat victory for Mad Men in this category would not be unwelcomeamp160My choice for the big award here is a tossup between Breaking Bad and Dexter I39ll be thrilled with a win for either one Meantime I don39t really expect the egregiously overlooked Friday Night Lights to be nominated so look instead for CBS39 freshman hit The Good Wife or HBO39s Treme or True Blood to be among the chosenamp160Outstanding Comedy Seriesamp160Archer FX Family Guy fans won39t agree but FX39s animated spy spoof quickly established itself as the smartest and funniest cartoon series on television It39s also the sexiest for whatever that39s worthamp160The Big Bang Theory CBS The most reliably funny situation comedy on television has done so well in its third season that CBS next fall will use it to open its allimportant Thursday night lineup But I fear the Academy will pass it by once againamp160Glee Fox It39s not every season that television produces a true popculture phenomenon and it39s even rarer when said success expands the definition the understanding and the future expectations of its genre Glee scored at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards earlier this year making it a formidable contender hereamp160Nurse Jackie Showtime There39s nothing funny about the title character39s drug addiction and it sometimes seems as if the writers of this series are cramming two season39s worth of storylines into one season39s worth of episodes but even with these issues Nurse Jackie is the most entertaining comedy series on pay cableamp160The Middle ABC Last season39s happiest surprise was the success of The Middle a sitcom that revolves around an absolutely average family dealing with the everyday lunacy of working class life Even if the Academy chooses not to honor the Hecks here39s hoping they stick around for years to comeamp160Modern Family ABC One of the many great things about ABC39s smart and sophisticated singlecomedy smash is that it takes the most overplayed sitcom concept in the book the foibles and frustrations of a funny welltodo family and makes it feel so fresh and new it39s as if we have never seen it beforeamp160The competition here comes down to only two contenders Gleeand Modern Family The latter is arguably the best comedy in this category but if buzz counts for anything Glee will be golden As for the nominations it39s okay with me if the Seinfeld reunion arc on HBO39s Curb Your Enthusiasm earns the show a nomination and displaces one of the above Meanwhile it won39t surprise me if CBS39 uneven How I Met Your Mother and NBC39s tired The Office and tiring 30 Rock are favored over Nurse Jackie Archer and The Middle but I can dream can39t Iamp160Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Seriesamp160Kyle Chandler Friday Night Lights DirecTVNBCBryan Cranston Breaking Bad AMCMichael C Hall Dexter ShowtimeJon Hamm Mad Men AMCHugh Laurie House FoxTimothy Olyphant Justified FXamp160This may finally be Michael C Hall39s year coming off his big wins at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards But Jon Hamm outdid himself last season especially in the episode where he revealed the shocking secrets of his past to his suddenly assertive wife so he39s a fine choice too Bryan Cranston was as creepy and conflicted as ever so a third consecutive Emmy would not be undeserved Sadly Jensen Ackles of Supernatural isn39t even in the running though I would hold his work up to just about anyone else39s in this category Simon Baker of CBS39 The Mentalist doesn39t make my list but I won39t be surprised if he makes the Academy39samp160Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Seriesamp160Glenn Close Damages FXHolly Hunter Saving Grace TNTJanuary Jones Mad Men AMCJulianna Margulies The Good Wife CBSKatey Sagal Sons of Anarchy FXKyra Sedgwick The Closer TNTamp160What a challenging category Glenn Close was breathtaking as ever as powerhouse attorney Patty Hewes on Damages a role that has already brought her two Emmys But this feels very much like Julianna Margulies39 year for her much quieter turn as a legal professional on a learning curve on The Good Wife And yet it can be argued that nothing these two women did can compare to the galvanizing force that Katey Sagal brought to the second season of Sons of Anarchy a show Academy members will likely ignore If they ignore Sagal as well I would like to see Anna Paquin of True Blood or Mary McCormack of USA Network39s In Plain Sight among these nominees All that said it would be a shame to let Saving Grace run its course without recognizing the uncompromised intensity of Holly Hunter39s performance unless the Academy finally decides to award the Emmy to the equally deserving Kyra Sedgwickamp160Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Seriesamp160Alec Baldwin 30 Rock NBCLarry David Curb Your Enthusiasm HBOJoel McHale Community NBCMatthew Morrison Glee FoxJim Parsons The Big Bang Theory CBSTony Shaloub Monk USA Networkamp160Alec Baldwin has owned this category in recent years and he39s looking like a winner all over again though Matthew Morrison and Emmy favorite Tony Shaloub are strong contenders Me I39m rooting for Jim Parsons His performance in The Big Bang Theory is the one people will still be laughing at years from now in syndicationamp160Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Seriesamp160Toni Collette United States of Tara ShowtimeCourteney Cox Cougar Town ABCEdie Falco Nurse Jackie ShowtimeTina Fey 30 Rock NBCLea Michele Glee FoxMaryLouise Parker Weeds Showtimeamp160Given the demands of her role on United States of Tara as a woman dealing with multiple personalities Toni Collette would seem to be a lock here for a second consecutive win though longtime Academy favorite Edie Falco deserves something for her increasingly intense work on Nurse Jackie It39s hard to imagine any of the other likely nominees in this category winning over Collette or Falco but if the Academy should decide to focus on comedic rather than dramatic or musical talent it wouldn39t suck if they showed some love to Courteney Cox the first member of the Friends cast to score a second hit on television Of course she needs to be nominated firstamp160Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Seriesamp160Justin Chambers Grey39s Anatomy ABCJohn Goodman Treme HBOJosh Holloway Lost ABCMichael B Jordan Friday Night Lights DirecTVNBCTaylor Kitsch Friday Night Lights DirecTVNBCJohn Noble Fringe FoxDean Norris Breaking Bad AMCAaron Paul Breaking Bad AMCCambell Scott Damages FXMartin Short Damages FXamp160This category is so overstuffed with extraordinary performers that I can39t help but overindulge and list ten of my favorites as deserving nominees Even that would be hard to do had Zach Gilford of Friday Night Lights John Lithgow of Dexter Walton Goggins of Justified and Gregory Itzin of 24 not submitted themselves in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category I thought they were all crucial supporting players on their shows And yes I realize that John Slattery of Mad Men Bruce Campbell of USA Network39s Burn Notice and Terry O39Quinn and Michael Emerson of Lost also did outstanding work this season I expect to see Martin Short or Aaron Paul take home the awardamp160Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Seriesamp160Sharon Gless Burn Notice USA NetworkChristina Hendricks Mad Men AMCElisabeth Moss Mad Men AMCSandra Oh Grey39s Anatomy ABCChloe Sevigny Big Love HBOChandra Wilson Grey39s Anatomy ABCamp160Lily Tomlin was a revelation as the scheming matriarch of a disgraced society family on Damages but she has submitted her work in the category Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series where her most formidable challenge should come from Tyne Daly in Burn Notice Anna Gunn of Breaking Bad also gave an outstanding supporting performance this year but she39s a potential nominee as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series With Tomlin and Gunn out of this category this may be the year that the Academy decides to finally recognize either Sandra Oh or Chandra Wilson who were both spectacular in the nervefrying season finale of Grey39s Anatomy In a perfect world Gabrielle Anwar of Burn Notice and Callie Thorne of FX39s Rescue Me would be nominated here but they haven39t been nominated in the past and I don39t think this year will be any differentamp160Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Seriesamp160Ty Burrell Modern Family ABCChris Colfer Glee FoxPeter Facinelli Nurse Jackie ShowtimeSimon Helberg The Big Bang Theory CBSKunal Nayyar The Big Bang Theory CBSEd O39Neill Modern Family ABCamp160Here39s another category overwhelmed by deserving potential nominees I think the six listed above were the funniest of all but it wouldn39t surprise me to see Jeremy Piven and Kevin Dillon of HBO39s Entourage Neil Patrick Harris of How I Met Your Mother andor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family to displace some of them especially the underappreciated Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar I think Ty Burrell is the front runner but I39m gonna go out on a limb here and pick Peter Facinelli of Nurse Jackie as the best of the bunch His comedic and complex portrayal of the egotistic yet insecure Dr Fitch Cooper is a true original Note to Facinelli If you are nominated and you do win hold the Fbombs on Emmy night dudeamp160Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Seriesamp160Eve Best Nurse Jackie ShowtimeJulie Bowen Modern Family ABCJane Lynch Glee FoxElizabeth Perkins Weeds ShowtimeAnna Deavere Smith Nurse Jackie ShowtimeSofia Vergara Modern Family ABCamp160The smashing Jane Lynch is the popular choice for her instant classic portrayal of acerbic Sue Sylvester the sinister cheerleading coach with a hidden heart of gold on Glee But my vote would go to Julie Bowen for her restrained but hilarious turn as a quietly neurotic wife and mother on Modern Family

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"Lost," "Glee," "Mad Men" and More: Fearless Emmy Advice -- 2010 Edition

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Ed Martin

The Future Won't Be Built by Leaders Who Need to Be Right - By Jack Myers

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