By Chuck Barney, Contra Costa Times –
The Emmy nominations come out July 19, and, as usual, there will be plenty of snarling outrage over all the snubs and flubs made by clueless voters.
But we’re going to be a little more proactive here. Rather than do a lot of after-the-fact whining, we’ve decided to pretend like we actually have some say in the matter and whip up our own Emmy wish list of shows and performers we’d like to see bask in recognition.
Of course there are some givens every year. “Mad Men” and “Modern Family,” for example, will surely score a lot of nominations. So in whipping up our dream ballot, we’ve put special emphasis on newcomers and/or potential nominees who have been given the cold shoulder in the past.
As usual, we are open to opposing arguments:
—Drama series: “Breaking Bad” (AMC); “Downton Abbey” (PBS); “Game of Thrones” (HBO); “The Good Wife” (CBS); “Homeland” (Showtime); “Mad Men” (AMC).
“Homeland” is the key breakthrough here — a riveting spy series for the post-9/ 11 era. It was hands-down the best new series of the year, and we’d be rooting for it to knock off four-time champ “Mad Men” — if we didn’t love “Game of Thrones” so much. The wild card is “Downton Abbey,” which moves into this category after capturing the trophy as top miniseries/movie last year. Other considerations: “Justified” (FX); “Parenthood” (NBC); “The Walking Dead” (AMC).
—Comedy series: “Community” (NBC); “Louie” (FX); “Girls” (HBO); “The Middle” (ABC); “Modern Family” (ABC); “New Girl” (Fox).
It’s not likely to happen, but our comedy wish list represents an almost total makeover from last year’s roster, with only two-time champ “Modern Family” returning. Meanwhile, aging standards like “30 Rock” and “The Office” would be benched to make room for edgy, genre-bending fare such as “Louie” and “Girls.” Also, it’s high time that Emmy stop dissing “The Middle,” a hilarious family sitcom that has languished in the shadow of “Modern Family.” Other considerations: “Parks and Recreation” (NBC); “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS); “House of Lies” (Showtime).
—Lead actress, drama: Claire Danes (“Homeland”); Michelle Dockery (“Downton Abbey”); Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”); Elisabeth Moss (“Mad Men”); Katey Sagal (“Sons of Anarchy,” FX); Emily VanCamp (“Revenge,” ABC).
Emmy voters will have absolutely no credibility if they don’t include Danes here. Her devastating depiction of a mentally unstable CIA agent continues to burn brightly in our minds. If there’s a clear front-runner in any acting category, she’s it. Meanwhile, let’s finally throw some Emmy love Sagal’s way. Other considerations: Elizabeth Montgomery (“Downton Abbey”); Anna Torv (“Fringe,” Fox).
—Lead actor, drama: Steve Buscemi (“Boardwalk Empire,” HBO); Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”); Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”); Charlie Hunnan (“Sons of Anarchy”); Damian Lewis (“Homeland”); Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”).
We’ll acknowledge Hunnan’s standout work, even if Emmy has perennially ignored “Sons of Anarchy.” And we’d happily welcome Lewis to the club for his remarkable portrayal of an enigmatic Marine and former prisoner of war. Other considerations: Dustin Hoffman (“Luck,” HBO); Michael C. Hall (“Dexter,” Showtime); Hugh Laurie (“House,” Fox).
—Lead actor, comedy: Louis C.K. (“Louie”); Don Cheadle (“House of Lies,” Showtime); Garret Dillahunt (“Raising Hope,” Fox); Neil Flynn (“The Middle”); Johnny Galecki (“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS); Joel McHale (“Community”).
Don’t get us wrong. Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”) still makes us chuckle, but we’re ready for some new blood, and something tells us that this is C.K.’s year to win. Well, at least we’re pulling for the big lug. Other considerations: Baldwin; Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”); Billy Gardell (“Mike & Molly,” CBS).
—Lead actress, comedy: Zooey Deschanel (“New Girl”); Laura Dern (“Enlightened,” HBO); Lena Dunham (“Girls”); Patricia Heaton (“The Middle”); Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”); Melissa McCarthy (“Mike & Molly”).
Our wish list for this category again contains lots of fresh blood, with the quirky (and, yes, adorable) Deschanel reigning as our favorite. But watch out for Dern, who won the Golden Globe and blew us away with her painfully funny turn as a corporate drone trying to rebound from an epic meltdown. Other considerations: Tina Fey (“30 Rock”); Martha Plimpton (“Raising Hope”); Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep,” HBO); Kat Dennings (“2 Broke Girls,” CBS).
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MORE WISHFUL THINKING …
Here’s a glance at a few additional newcomers who deserve invitations to TV’s big party:
Supporting actor, drama: If standout bad guys Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”) and Neal McDonough (“Justified”) don’t nab nominations, we may have to riot.
Supporting actress, drama: We expect Maggie Smith (“Downton Abbey”) to be in the running, but save some Emmy love for Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”) and Madeleine Stowe (“Revenge,” ABC).
Supporting actor, comedy: The field will be jam-packed with “Modern Family” guys, but they need to reserve a spot for Max Greenfield (“New Girl”), who gave us one of the funniest, most endearing characters of the season.
Supporting actress, comedy: The wacky teen she plays may be a lovable loser, but Eden Sher (“The Middle”) deserves to win over Emmy voters. Oh, and we have a big crush on Alison Brie (“Community”).
Movie/ miniseries: We’d love to see some recognition for the absorbing freak-fest that is “American Horror Story” (FX), and especially for supporting actress Jessica Lange.
Reality competition series: “The Glee Project” (Oxygen). Full of plucky wannabes, this show was, at times, more enjoyable than the one that spawned it.
