Drama
Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men
My pick: Friday Night Lights-- Never has one TV series been so raw, so realistic, and tugged at my heart strings more than Friday Night Lights. The drama, so acclaimed by critics, yet so overlooked by the public, finished its fifth and final season this past summer on NBC. The series has never been nominated in this category, and so I hold onto hope that this year it will receive the attention it always deserved, after all, "clear eyes and full hearts can't lose".
Lead Actor, Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
John Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Timothy Olyphant, Justified
My pick: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights-- The man who was the heart and soul of Friday Night Lights for five years has done some great acting throughout his career, this past summer's breakout hit Super 8 was evidence of that, but this man deserves an Emmy and so much more for his role as Coach Eric Taylor. He managed to bring new dimension to his character every time I thought he didn't have any more to give. I was constantly left feeling so proud of who he was as a man.
Lead Actress, Drama
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
My pick: Julianna Margulies, Mariska Hargitay, or Connie Britton-- Can I pick more than one? Julianna Margulies had an amazing year as a woman who found out that her husband didn't just cheat but one of the women he cheated with was her best friend. She also dealt with the growing feelings between her and her partner at the firm. Mariska Hargitay gave several Emmy worthy performances this past year which was her last with Christopher Meloni. She was particularly good in the episode in which Jennifer Love Hewitt guest starred as a rape victim. Connie Britton's last season as Tammy Taylor was perhaps her best, she played the tail end of the season as a tired, scorned, football coach's wife who desperately yearns for her own career. I love when she looks her husband dead in the eyes and says, "I've spent 18 years being a coach's wife".
Supporting Actor, Drama
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age
Walton Goggins, Justified
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
My pick: Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age-- I remember when Andre Braugher won an Emmy Award in 1998 for his role as Detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street. The show never enjoyed high ratings, but it was the little show that could, critics loved it, and so did the viewers who loyally tuned in every week. Giving Braugher that Emmy proved that awards had nothing to do with ratings and everything to do with heart. Men of a Certain Age was cancelled this past July due to low ratings on the TNT network, but once again, Braugher played a role (Owen Thoreau Jr.) that was critically acclaimed as much or maybe more than the series was.
Supporting Actress, Drama
Kelly McDonald, Boardwalk Empire
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale, Justified
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
My pick: Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife-- Archie Panjabi's character Kalinda on The Good Wife had a tough year that may just translate to another Emmy for Panjabi. Alicia discovered that Kalinda had an affair with her husband Peter before they knew one another. The fallout was fierce, and the acting, even better.
Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Parks & Recreation
30 Rock
My pick: Modern Family-- Modern Family is a family comedy, yet despite that, there are also jokes that are so sophisticated. It's kind of like The Simpsons minus the animation. I expect the delightfully intelligent series to repeat this year, and it is deserved.
Lead Actress, Comedy
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation
My pick: Laura Linney, The Big C-- Not Tina Fey who has experienced enough love along with 30 Rock from the awards circuit to last a lifetime. Frankly, I am beginning to wonder whether or not she may be a little bit overrated. This year my pick is Laura Linney who continues to dazzle Emmy voters, this time in The Big C.
Lead Actor, Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Louis CK, Louie
Steve Carell, The Office
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
My pick: Matt LeBlanc, Episodes-- I know that everyone wants to just give this Emmy away to Alec Baldwin, but why not spread the love? Wouldn't it be wonderful if this was the year for Matt LeBlanc? I often wondered why LeBlanc was never acknowledged with an Emmy win for his role as the fun loving Joey Tribbiani on Friends. He was nominated three times but never won; in Episodes, LeBlanc plays a fictional version of himself, and partnering once again with David Crane who produced Friends gives him a good chance of winning his first Emmy.
Supporting Actress, Comedy
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
My pick: Betty White, Hot in Cleveland-- Betty White is like good wine, she just gets better with age. The Hot In Cleveland star was only supposed to appear in the show's pilot but her role was so well received that they made her a regular. The actress has won many awards in her career dating all the way back to an Emmy win in 1952 in Life with Elizabeth. There's something about winning an Emmy at age 89 that wouldn't just make White hot in Cleveland, but hot everywhere, white hot.
Supporting Actor, Comedy
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
My pick: Chris Colfer, Glee-- I feel like it's only once in a while that a character comes along in a series that is just so endearing and everything about that character is so genuine and so true. I think the last one may have been America Ferrera on Ugly Betty as Betty Suarez; anyhow, Colfer has those qualities with his character Kurt Hummel. We want to love him, we want to route for him always, and when he succeeds we find ourselves being happy for him. It's such a special quality to have as an actor, and because so few have it, they should, without hesitation, be rewarded.
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