Who Do I Want to Win an Emmy

On August 25, NBC will air the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, presenting awards to honor the best in television programming from June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014 as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Regardless of how any of us feel about the lack of diversity in the nominations over and over again, the following are the nominations for the various categories for dramatic programming along with my choices on who should win the statuette:

Drama Series:

Breaking Bad (AMC)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
House of Cards (Netflix)
Mad Men (AMC)
True Detective (HBO)

My Choice: Four of the above shows are not on my list of weekly programming, leaving me with limited options. Of the remaining two shows, I would have to choose Game of Thrones simply because while I love Downton Abbey the current season of the show was not as good as the previous ones. Honestly, though, I would prefer if Orphan Black were on this list. C’mon Academy!

Mini-Series:

American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
Bonnie and Clyde (A&E)
Fargo (FX)
Luther (BBC America)
Treme (HBO)
The White Queen (Starz)

My Choice: I am late to the game on The White Queen, as I did not have access to the cable network Starz until well after this mini-series aired so I cannot give an opinion. As for the other options, Luther is the only nominee in this category that I watched; and while the previous season of Luther (not to mention the always fantastic Idris Elba), were far better, I will have to say that Fargo will most likely win this hands down.

TV Movie:

Killing Kennedy (National Geographic)
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight (HBO)
The Normal Heart (HBO)
Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS)
The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)

My Choice: This is going to become a trend, as I only saw one of the above nominees – that would be Sherlock – and despite the fact that The Normal Heart received rave review before and after it aired and will undoubtedly be anointed the Emmy favorite for this past TV season, I have to say, without any doubt, that Sherlock: His Last Vow should win this hands down; but I’m biased.

Actor in a Drama Series:

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Woody Harrelson (True Detective)
Matthew McConaughey (True Detective)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)

My Choice: Really? These are the choices? Hey, don’t get me wrong…all of them are talented actors in their own right, playing roles of their lifetime; but did anyone forget a little show called Homeland where Damian Lewis, playing Nicholas Brody, – SPOILER ALERT!! (and shouldn’t you be caught up by now so we don’t have to say “Spoiler Alert”) – dies right in front of Carrie’s eyes. Or, how about Tony Goldwyn on Scandal? No? No comments on them? Either of these men winning the Emmy would make me much happier.

Actress in a Drama Series:

Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex)
Claire Danes (Homeland)
Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Kerry Washington (Scandal)
Robin Wright (House of Cards)

My Choice: I love Kerry Washington in Scandal and Michelle Dockery was great in Downton Abbey in previous seasons, but not this latest one (SORRY!) so I have to say I’m, once again, disappointed in the nominations. Where the HELL is Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black? I don’t think it’s wrong to say that she acted her ass off in this show, playing seven different clones and she doesn’t get any acknowledgement from the Academy. That is the real crime here!!

Actor in a Mini-Series or Movie:

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dancing on the Edge)
Martin Freeman (Fargo)
Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo)
Idris Elba (Luther)
Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: His Last Vow)

My Choice: I have seen two of the above nominated programs – Sherlock and Luther – and while I have adored Chiwetel Ejiofor since Serenity, I’m going to hazard a guess that Mark Ruffalo or one of the men from Fargo are going to walk away with the statue even though I think it far more deserves to go home with Benedict Cumberbatch.

Actress in a Mini-Series or Movie:

Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Coven)
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Coven)
Helena Bonham Carter (Burton and Taylor)
Minnie Driver (Return to Zero)
Kristen Wiig (The Spoils of Babylon)
Cicely Tyson (The Trip to Bountiful)

My Choice: Gasp, what can I say?! I did not watch any of the above in their nominated roles; and where American Horror Story is concerned, you couldn’t have paid me to watch; but I can almost predict that Jessica Lange will walk away with the statuette unless for some reason the Academy votes outside the box (for once in a millennia) and gives it to Ms. Tyson.

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:

Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Jim Carter (Downton Abbey)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
Mandy Patinkin (Homeland)
Jon Voight (Ray Donovan)

My Choice: I actually watch three out of the 6 shows listed above and love Peter Dinklage in his role on Game Thrones. I am sure he will give Aaron Paul a run for his money, but the Academy will most likely go with Breaking Bad in order to honor the show for its final season. But, Josh Charles deserves this hands down. And that is coming from someone who has only ever seen the pilot episode of The Good Wife, but no one could ignore the gasps heard ‘round the planet when his character was gunned down.

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:

Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)

My Choice: There is no question in my mind that the right person for this award will not get it even though she deserves it. That would be Joanne Froggatt for Downton Abbey, whose performance as Anna in this season’s episodes was just heartbreaking and impressive. What she dealt with as a character and what the actress brought out in that character is worthy of an Emmy. But, it will probably go to Anna Gunn or Joanne’s Downton Abbey co-star Maggie Smith.

Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series or Movie:

Colin Hanks (Fargo)
Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart)
Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart)
Alfred Molina (The Normal Heart)
Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart)
Martin Freeman (Sherlock: His Last Vow)

My Choice: No matter who wins this category, The Normal Heart will be a winner; however, if Matt Bomer doesn’t get the statuette then the Academy has really screwed up. And, that’s coming from someone who didn’t watch the movie. The rave reviews Bomer received for his performance should finally get people to see him as something other than a fine-looking man, but as a very talented actor.

Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series or Movie:

Frances Conroy (American Horror Story: Coven)
Kathy Bates (American Horror Story: Coven)
Angela Bassett (American Horror Story: Coven)
Allison Tolman (Fargo)
Ellen Burstyn (Flowers in the Attic)
Julia Roberts (The Normal Heart)

My Choice: This will, undoubtedly, be a landslide win for one of the women from American Horror Story, but I think Ellen Burstyn’s role in Flowers in the Attic was just the right amount of scary, creepy and just malicious as you can get. In the end, though, it will be dark-horse, and welcomed newcomer, Allison Tolman who will (hopefully) pull out the sneak win for Fargo.

The following are about a handful of other categories that usually go unnoticed by the televised version of the Emmy Awards, so I wanted to point them out because I found their nominees interesting:

Costumes for a Drama Series:

Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Mad Men
Once Upon a Time

My Choice: Once Upon a Time is easily the winner to me for all of those incredibly beautiful gowns and fairytale-inspired costumes. C’mon they are pretty amazing!

Original Main Title Theme Music:

Black Sails
COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Magic City
Sleepy Hollow
The Spoils of Babylon

My Choice: Sleepy Hollow just because it has such great main title theme music. There are very few shows anymore that do main title sequences anymore; and this is one of the coolest ones around. And a side note if Outlander does not win this next year I will be sorely disappointed.

Special and Visual Effects:

Almost Human
COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Game Of Thrones
The 100
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

My Choice: The 100, a CW show, actually getting nominated for something is saying a lot for the Academy that usually ignores the network all together. While I doubt the show will win – I mean who can go against Game of Thrones and those dragons, right? – it would be vindication for the bastard brother of the other major networks.

Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Mini-Series or Movie:

The Blacklist
Game of Thrones
Grimm
Hawaii Five-0
Revolution
True Blood

My Choice: Well, Grimm and True Blood have great action sequences and The Blacklist is no slouch in that department either, but can I just ask one thing. Where the HELL is Arrow in this list? Has anyone in the Academy watched even one episode of this show that is so jam-packed with exciting, difficult and hair-raising stunt scenes that you almost need a full-body massage just from watching? For shame on the Academy for overlooking Arrow!

Now, dear readers, it is your turn to speak up about who you would love to see win an Emmy on August 25. Please comment away below.