- While "Heroes," "Ugly Betty" and "30 Rock" all did well and got major nominations, "Friday Night Lights" only gets nods for casting and directing. "Teen dramas" often have a hard time with the Emmy voters, but given the Academy's history as a supporter of brilliant but struggling series ("Hill Street Blues"), it seems a shame that the only rookies that got nominated in the big categories were either really popular or about the entertainment industry. (Not to take anything away from those three; "FNL" just needed it more.)
- "Boston Legal"? "Boston Legal"? Look, I've got nothing against Spader and Shatner, but for that show to be named one of the five best dramas on television when "Deadwood" can't get more than some technical nominations (apparently, the makeup artists and hairstylists have longer memories than the actors, writers and directors), when "Battlestar Galactica" still gets largely treated like a skiffy show and ignored (though I was pleasantly surprised by the writing and directing nods), when "The Wire" -- one of the best, if not the best, dramas to ever air on television -- can't get any nominations... ridonculous.
- Masi Oka gets a nod, which is cool, and there's nobody in the drama supporting actor category I'd automatically be inclined to kick out, but it's a shame that neither Dominic Chianese nor Vince Curatola got nominated.
- Neil Patrick Harris was another pleasant surprise, but other than that and a few technical nods, that was it for "HIMYM." Grrr...
- No Lauren Graham, for the last time.
- Alec Baldwin is a lead actor on "30 Rock"? Sure, why not.
- Jenna Fischer gets in! I have no doubt she submitted the season finale, and anyone who watches that final talking head interview and doesn't vote for her is a moron.
- I am totally okay with the writing nominations: the "Galactica" opening two-parter, the "Lost" finale and three "Sopranos": "Kennedy & Heidi," "The Second Coming," and "Made in America."
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Not that the Emmys really matter, but...
... after the jump are my very preliminary reactions to the nominations, having just rolled out of bed and skimmed and scanned the list:
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43 comments:
Robert Iler was the Sopranos nod they missed; for this season, Terry O'Quinn could've been pulled from Best Supporting.
Too much Boston Legal -- does anyone still watch that? At least "Dick in a Box" got a nomination.
Oh, and Martin Landau got nominated! That is something I might be interested in!
Hi Alan! I'm thrilled Jenna Fischer received a well-deserved Emmy nomination as well. She did choose the season finale as her episode submission. As you've stated, her final talking head segment in that episode was just amazing, and epitomized the great work that she has done all season long.
Ridiculous "Best Drama" category, and as usual the writing & diercting cetogories calmed be down just a bit.
But I think that they got it wrong with the series finale of "The Sopranos". It should have been nominated for directing instead of writing.
Other than that... No Shield, no FNL, no Wire, no Deadwood, not enough Lost, not enough BSG... Stupid.
At least the comedy categories were full of pleasant surprises.
Pretty awful nominations (or lack of) all around. But pleased to see the love for Neil Patrick Harris, 30 Rock and Dick in a Box! Still, not one nomination for The Wire clarifies what a joke these nominations are.
Was Aida Turturro really in enough Sopranos episodes to qualify as Supporting and not Guest? That's a slot that could've gone to, say, Elizabeth Mitchell for LOST.
Also, nothing for "The Shield"? It's like the Academy's embarrassed they gave Chiklis the statue way back when and just want to pretend the show doesn't exist. And the Leary nomination shows they know FX exists. Sigh...
Adam, if you're a regular castmember, you're automatically submitted in the non-guest category, no matter how many episodes you were in.
Also, I may need to check the rules on how many episodes bump you from guest to supporting; Christian Clemenson was in twelve "Boston Legal"s this year and is still considered a "guest." Though I don't want to complain too much, else they'll shift him to supporting and bump out Imperioli or Masi or somebody.
Wow, that's a f**king depressing list. I was for once (I know, my mistake for being optimistic) thinking that the academy would go for quality, hence Dexter (and Michael C Hall) would get nods, as would The Wire (just finished the season, and damn, that was just heartbreaking, but at the same time, the most real thing I felt like I had ever watched (P.S. Desperately waiting to buy the DVD)), Deadwood (JFC I prefer, but I can't deny the engrossing nature of the original), The Shield (felt a bit like season one/two, but blah, still good teevee), and of course, Friday Night Lights.
Sigh, it still pains me that even at its worst (and I never considered it close to decent), 24 is still considered the belle of the ball in Hollywoodland.
And once again assuring that I will not be watching in September...
24? Are the voters aware this is 2006-7, not 4 years ago?
No FNL, no Wire, nothing for Britton and Chandler...etc. etc.
Happy for M-L Parker though.
The "Entourage" nomination for best comedy is especially sad. I can see nods for Piven and Landau, but that's no excuse to bump HIMYM. The "Two and a Half Men" nomination is appalling also. I hope that 30 Rock wins.
"The Wire" rebuff is sad, as well. I'm less perturbed about the "Deadwood" omission; Season 3 was riding on the goodwill of Season 1 and biding time until Season 4.
As the lone "Two and A Half Men" fan here, I will say that it gets nominated because it's consistently funny and well-done. "Boston Legal" is also consistently entertaining and well-done. Would I have nominated either this year? No, but that doesn't mean they're not good shows that deserve recognition, just that I'd rather see "HIMYM" and "The Wire" in there instead :-)
To be honest I'm more aggravated about Boston Legal getting nominated, than I am about HIMYM and FNL getting snubbed.
The voters love affair with Shattner and Spader needs to end, especially considering very few viewers or critics would consider it one of the top 20 shows on TV.
I'm especially happy for both NPH and Rachel Griffiths, mainly because HIMYM and B&S got snubbed overall. It was also nice to see MLP get a nod.
Eli Wallach and John Goodman for S60 though, was that really necessary? I'm also surprised about Morses's nod there.
hmm....
comments... I'm over Shatner and Spader (and that's even considering that I still watch the show, that it's written by my favorite writer, and that it's apparently my favorite actor's favorite show (perhaps next year - if there is a next year - I'll ask him why))
Scrubs - nope. darn, but the musical made the nominations and hopefully the ballot (if you remember they forgot to include the Buffy musical on the ballot, or something like that)
Kate Burton - I listened to the commentary on the pilot about how hard it was to nail the Alzheimer's and she lost last year (I think it was Emmy's)
Hugh Laurie is deservedly back (though the writers of House deserve some circle of hell for their inconsistencies and complete lack of logic). The second half of the season was better. Especially when we found out that Chase actually has a brain :-)
I agree that Kate Burton deserves the emmy this year, especially since it's her last shot at it for Ellis.
To be blunt, Boston Legal got a nomination because the lead character goes on at least two anti-Bush, anti-Republican rants per episode. Don't get me wrong - I like the show, and I'm a regular viewer. But it is far too uneven to be "Best" anything, and frankly, "Dancing with the Stars" is more of a drama than BL.
In hindsight, we were naive to think that "Friday Night Lights" would get any major nominations. The left-leaning Emmy voters heard "smalltown Texas drama" and immediately closed those oh-so-famously open liberal minds (my significant other refuses to even sample the show, because she hates Bush and therefore Texas).
Connie Britton was robbed, too. She did Edie Falco-level work this year, taking what could have been a nothing role and making it into a centerpiece of the show.
Oh, well - next year, maybe they should have Coach Taylor rant at Saracen about his father's participation in the Iraq war - bet the show would get a nomination then.
I like the show, but why isn't Boston Legal nominated with the comedies? I can't think of one scene William Shatner is in that isn't comedic. Just because a show takes on political issues doesn't make it a drama.
No thoughts on The Wire getting screwed again??
And stating that 'but given the Academy's history as a supporter of brilliant but struggling series..'
Riiiight.
Anonymous, see the portion in the main post where I refer to The Wire as "one of the best, if not the best, dramas to ever air on television."
I didn't expect the show to do much better than it did. It's the Homicide Factor: the show is filmed in a non-industry town and has a lot of black actors, so the industry ignores it.
I don't know WHY I'm consistently disappointed that Emmy voters always ignore "Battlestar Galactica," but I still am.
Alan, I believe the Guest Actor category works the same way as Supporting Actor; the number of episodes is irrelevant. It only matters how you're billed. I'm pretty sure The Office submitted Rashida Jones under Guest Actor, even though she was in all but one episode last season.
Ed, but I can think of several instances when people who were billed as guest stars but appeared a lot were nominated and even won in the supporting categories (Holland Taylor on The Practice, for instance).
As for Galactica, I'm actually pleasantly surprised by those writing and directing nominations. That's a lot more than I expected, given the Emmy's anti-skiffy prejudice.
What about all the Grey's noms? How do you feel about that?
What about all the Grey's noms? How do you feel about that?
Whatever. The show's a huge hit and will require at least one more bad year before the Academy notices. "House" wasn't exactly anything to write home about for a lot of this year, too, but it's also a Nielsen monster and has Hugh Laurie covering up a whole lot of blemishes.
I just thought of a way The Wire can be nominated next year- submit it as a miniseries. In essence that is what each season has felt like to me. And we know from The Corner's experience that Simon and Baltimore are viewed much better by whoever nominates and votes on that category.
I can't believe that The Wire, a show that in its fourth season received almost universal acclaim (as evidenced by its 98 score on metacritic) is snubbed again.
I think the industry town theory is accurate. I would add that given the importance of the networks, the Academy is probably hesitant to overload the HBO shows on the top categories.
And finally there is the issue of race. I think that many of the Academy members simply assume that when a black person plays a "street" role, it doesn't count as acting.
In reality, the fact that the actors on the Wire imbue their characters with such authenticity is reflection of their talent and the strength of the writing. I can't believe talent such as Andre Royo, Robert Wisdom and Chad Coleman is so consistently overlooked.
Did Simon Schama's Power of Art come out too late for nominations? And where's Doctor Who? I'm still glad they remembered Prime Suspect 7 from way back when. Not that I'm a diehard Anglophile or anything.
About FNL, it's total bupkus that Connie Britton wasn't nominated, or Adrianne Palicki as Tyra for that matter. Of course, no nods for The Wire is retarded, and NINE nods for the miniseries of Jane Eyre?!?
Does anyone know what episode Connie Britton submitted? Because I can't imagine anyone could watch the sex talk scene with her and Aimee Teegarden in "I Think We Should Have Sex" and not want to give Britton a full truckload of Emmys. I get goosebumps just thinking about that scene.
I don't know why I bother to complain. I am frustrated every year, yet nothing changes.
They could have at least nominated Connie Britton...I hate the emmys.
I love Grey´s Anatomy but there´s no way three of them are nominated in the best supporting actress category.
Seriously?
Re: Clemenson, someone from the Academy explained to me that they changed the guest star eligibility rules, that if you're billed as a guest you can be submitted as a guest, even if you're in most or even all of the episodes.
I'd go through all my complaints, but it's easier just to link you to mine that repeating myself in case you've already seen them.
I suppose I've probably beaten this dead horse into the ground (yes, I know), but these nominations are the inevitable result of a nominating and voting system where people decide based on one or two episodes instead of the entire season. You really have to watch the whole season of "The Wire" (and probably all 4 seasons) to understand how great the show really is. At the same time, I can see how one episode of a bad show might fool voters who haven't otherwise been subjected to its dreck. This is why I just don't see the Emmies as relevant.
I am pleased with the Battlestar Galactica nominations. If they don't win special effects, finally... I have no idea what to say.
Boston Legal? Really? I am very happy for Jamie Pressly and Jenna Fischer. They are both consistently great in their roles.
I'm a die-hard Grey's fan (somewhat shaken by the direction of the last few episodes of season 3...but I'm hanging in there for at least a few in the fall season)
and I HATE the acting nods they got. Chandra Wilson did like...two things this season. T.R. Knight? What? His character was easily the most loathsome and while some of that is the writing some of it had to be his fault. Heigl? Yeah she's gorgeous, yeah she has a movie...best actress in a drama? No. Oh I'm good with. Oh was awesome. But the other noms...just ridiculous.
The last three minutes of every episode of Boston Legal bring me a sort of joy I'd never want to try to explain. But I wish they'd axe the rest of the show and turn the Spader-Shatner chats into webisodes. The show's nominations? David E. Kelley obviously saved the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' life in 'Nam.
I wouldn't shrug off 30 Rock's nods because the show takes place in the industry. Otherwise Extras would be up there, and... How many nods did Teddy Z get? I forget. 30 Rock is more of a sure nominee due to Baldwin's star power and Lorne Michael's connections. Oh, and quality!
I'm really surprised at the episodes that got the writing noms, though. They both took place early on in the season, before the show really started to gel. I'd much rather have seen "Hard Ball" up there. Because that might have been the funniest thirty minutes of TV I saw this year.
"I wouldn't shrug off 30 Rock's nods because the show takes place in the industry. Otherwise Extras would be up there, and... How many nods did Teddy Z get? I forget. 30 Rock is more of a sure nominee due to Baldwin's star power and Lorne Michael's connections. Oh, and quality!"
Studio 60? If being an industry insidery show led to nods, we'd see Perry, Whitford, Paulson, Peet and Lobster Boy all with nods, not to mention Sorkin for best writing.
Lauren Graham didn't deserve a nomination--she didn't submit the "I Will Always Love You" episode, she submitted the one where she throws a wake for Michel's pet.
I'm kind of pissed "My Name Is Earl" hasn't gotten a comedy series nod and that Jason Lee has gone unrecognized. The show isn't always perfect, and I don't always get a chance to watch it, but it's different, and it's usually very funny. A nod would have perhaps given it some momentum that it had before it moved to Thursday.
And Forest Whitaker got a guest nom... for ER.
And for those who asked Britton did send I Think We Should Have Sex.
I am not shocked that Doctor Who isn't nominated because if they aren't going to nominate BSG, an American show with actors like Edward James Olmos... (how are they overlooking him) they certainly won't bother with a British and Canadian produced show. Try the BAFTAs for some DW love.
It's obvious the people nominating are beholden to the networks, because outside of the Sopranos, the crappy network shows always sneak through.
Extras was clearly better than any possible episode of Two and a Half Men and both Boston Legal and Grey's Anatomy cannot compare to The Shield, Dexter, BSG, The Wire, etc.etc.
Also, Cheers got a major boost from the Emmys as well.
"ER" is now the most nominated show of all-time. Thoughts?
I wouldn't shrug off 30 Rock's nods because the show takes place in the industry. Otherwise Extras would be up there, and... How many nods did Teddy Z get? I forget. 30 Rock is more of a sure nominee due to Baldwin's star power and Lorne Michael's connections. Oh, and quality!
I'm not saying that being a TV show set in the industry guarantees nominations, but it does guarantee that a large chunk of the voting population will be watching. Lots of people in town here watched Studio 60, but they knew it stunk.
Again, the problem is that most people who work in the TV business watch very little TV, so they tend to vote on name-brand recognition (hit shows, movie stars slumming on the small screen), shows their friends work on, or the handful of shows they actually watch. And I just don't think Friday Night Lights is the kind of show that would be big in this town.
Also, at the CBS party last night, a writer made the point that, in addition to her talent, Tina Fey is always going to do well at the Emmys because she's every writers' fantasy: guys love her, women want to be her.
Just wanted to let you know that your Emmy post was featured on AOL TV's Emmy Blog Reactions gallery. You can check it out here: http://television.aol.com/emmys/features/blog-reactions/ (you're the fifth one)
Feel free to post the gallery for all of your dear readers to see! Thanks and keep up the good work.
-Z
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