Emmy 2012 - Dream vs Reality

Wow, have I been lazy.  It's been a month since the Emmy nominations came out and the last time I posted anything.  I'd like to make excuses about real life, vacation, and blah blah.  The truth is that it's summer and I'm lazy.  I'll try to keep things a little more lively around here moving forward.  So here's the post (finally) that compares my dream nominations against the actual nominations.

Downton Abbey was for some inexplicable reason nominated under Miniseries last year.  In it's second season it rightfully made the jump to Drama Series.  This had a large impact on how things lined up with my dream noms.  Usually the Academy and I see very differently on comedy, but are more in tune when it comes to drama.  Downton Abbey changed that.  Not having seen it yet (it's on my need to watch list), I didn't nominate it for anything, and then it got nominated for everything.

Lead Actor - Comedy

Reality Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock Louis C.K. - Louie Don Cheadle - House of Lies Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men Larry David - Curb Your Enthusiasm Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory

Dream Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock Louis C.K. - Louie Zachary Levi - Chuck Rob Lowe - Parks and Recreation Joel McHale - Community Adam Scott - Parks and Recreation

2 of 6.  My top two choices at least, so there's that.  I don't know how Jon Cryer managed to get back on the list after dropping out last year.  I'll never understand the appeal of his show.  Don Cheadle is also a surprise considering there is very little buzz around House of Lies.  Glad to see Larry David make the cut and Jim Parsons is a shoo in with the great work he does on Big Bang, in the few instances I've watched.

Lead Actor - Drama

Reality Hugh Bonneville - Downton Abbey Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad Michael C. Hall - Dexter Jon Hamm - Mad Men Damian Lewis - Homeland

Dream Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad Jon Hamm - Mad Men Charlie Hunnam - Sons of Anarchy Jason Isaacs - Awake Damian Lewis - Homeland Timothy Olyphant - Justified

3 of 6.  My top choices again.  I really wish Timothy Olyphant was replacing Michael C. Hall and this would be a dynamite category.  The three men that coincide gave top notch performances, but Bryan Cranston rises above.  Never caught up with season two of Boardwalk so Buscemi dropped from my nominations, but I imagine I would have placed him there if I had watched.  This'll be the first of many Downton nominations.

Lead Actress - Comedy

Reality Zooey Deschanel - New Girl Lena Dunham - Girls Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie Tina Fey - 30 Rock Julia-Louis Dreyfus - Veep Melissa McCarthy - Mike & Molly Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation

Dream Courtney Cox - Cougar Town Zooey Deschanel - New Girl Lena Dunham - Girls Tina Fey - 30 Rock Jane Levy - Suburgatory Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation

4 of 7.  Got a little boost here by there being seven nominations.  Can't really complain because I imagine Amy Poehler would be the one left off if not for the extra slot.  No surprises at all in this category outside of that.  Past winners (Fey, Falco, McCarthy, and Dreyfus) and new 'it' girls (Deschanel and Dunham).

Lead Actress - Drama

Reality Kathy Bates - Harry's Law Glenn Close - Damages Claire Danes - Homeland Michelle Dockery - Downton Abbey Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men

Dream Claire Danes - Homeland Jennifer Morrison - Once Upon a Time Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men Jessica Paré - Mad Men Katey Sagal - Sons of Anarchy Anna Torv - Fringe

2 of 6.  The rest of the field doesn't really matter, Claire Danes should have this locked up.  Her performance  was so overwhelmingly good, even the great work of Elisabeth Moss won't warrant a win.  I am surprised her colleague Jessica Paré couldn't grab a nom for a breakout year on Mad Men.  I suppose it's not really a surprise because Emmy voters love Oscar winners, but Kathy Bates, really?

Supporting Actor - Comedy

Reality Ty Burrell - Modern Family Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Modern Family Max Greenfield - New Girl Bill Hader - Saturday Night Live Ed O'Neill - Modern Family Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family

Dream Donald Glover - Community Max Greenfield - New Girl Rob McElhanny - It's Always Sunny in Phildelphia Nick Offerman - Parks and Recreation Chris Pratt - Parks and Recreation Danny Pudi - Community

1 of 6.  My most dreaded category.  This is just plain ridiculous, and it's probably not going to change for a while.  I used to be big on Modern Family, but I feel like it's stagnated since it's first season.  I still watch and enjoy it, but Emmy voters freakin' adore this show.  So year after year four slots in this category are going to be taken, making it very hard for any of the other really great talent to break in.  Good for Max Greenfield making it through, Schmidt was usually my favorite part of any New Girl episode.

Supporting Actor - Drama

Reality Jim Carter - Downton Abbey Brendan Coyle - Downton Abbey Peter Dinklage - Game of Thrones Giancarlo Esposito - Breaking Bad Jared Harris - Mad Men Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

Dream Peter Dinklage - Game of Thrones Giancarlo Esposito - Breaking Bad Walton Goggins - Justified Mandy Patinkin - Homeland Neal McDonough - Justified Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

3 of 6.  I almost picked Jared Harris over Walton Goggins after his great year on Mad Men, especially one particular episode (you know which one if you watch).  Aaron Paul and Peter Dinklage are the previous two winners so business as usual.  It's good to see Giancarlo Esposito get in there after spending a season going toe to toe with the three time Lead Actor winner.  And then the requisite Downton nominations.

Supporting Actress - Comedy

Reality Mayim Bialik - The Big Bang Theory Julie Bowen - Modern Family Kathryn Joosten - Desperate Housewives Sofia Vergara - Modern Family Merritt Weaver - Nurse Jackie Kristen Wiig - Saturday Night Live

Dream Allison Brie - Community Allie Grant - Suburgatory Zosia Mamet - Girls Busy Philipps - Cougar Town Aubrey Plaza - Parks and Recreation Sofia Vergara - Modern Family

1 of 6.  Not a good showing, but my winner made it.  I hope Sofia beats out her co-star this year.  Kristen Wiig may have a good chance, it being her final year at SNL and the residual buzz from Bridesmaids.  The other shows I don't watch, but I have seen a hilarious clip from Big Bang where Mayim Bialik gets a tiara, so I see no problem with that nomination.

Supporting Actress - Drama

Reality Christine Baranski - The Good Wife Joanne Froggatt - Downton Abbey Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad Christina Hendricks - Mad Men Archie Punjabi - The Good Wife Maggie Smith - Downton Abbey

Dream Lauren Graham - Parenthood Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad Lena Heady - Game of Thrones Christina Hendricks - Mad Men Kiernan Shipka - Mad Men Maisie Williams - Game of Thrones

2 of 6.  Lauren Graham may never get an Emmy nomination, at least not with Downton and Good Wife around.  The women I didn't chose come from a show that has critical acclaim that I have no interest in and a show that I plan on watching, so no arguments here.  I'm glad Anna Gunn was able to break into the category this year, she should have been nominated just as many times as her on-screen husband has.  What more could be said about how great Christina Hendricks is as Joan?  Not much.

Comedy Series

Reality 30 Rock The Big Bang Theory Curb Your Enthusiasm Girls Modern Family Veep

Dream Chuck Community Cougar Town Girls Louie Parks and Recreation

1 of 6.  Not much of a surprise here.  I obviously don't agree with five of the six, but I can concede 30 Rock and Curb making the list.  The other three choices, not so much.    Veep is funny, but no where near best comedy status, the HBO blinders got that one in.  The Big Bang Theory is an alright show, but again, not Emmy worthy, and the Academy has some sort of love affair with Modern Family, no matter how downhill it's gone.  It's especially sad to see Parks and Rec bumped from the noms this year, still one of my favorite shows, period.

Drama Series

Reality Boardwalk Empire Breaking Bad Downton Abbey Game of Thrones Homeland Mad Men

Dream Awake Breaking Bad Game of Thrones Homeland Justified Mad Men

4 of 6.  Now this is more like it.  If the Academy didn't agree with me so much on drama, this whole thing would be even more frustrating than it already is.  I have zero trouble with the two that were nominated that I didn't pick.  I think this may be the only category that I have nothing bad to say.  Ending on a high note, I like that.