Emmy Predictions: Comedy

The 63rd Annual Emmy Awards will take place on Sunday September 18th, just a bit over two weeks from now, so I started making my formal Emmy Predictions and posting my review of each of the major races, since the last time I did so was in my EmmyWatch posts which I did to predict the nominations and as such they had a broader outlook. When predicting the nominees, I went 86 out of the 110 slots I had called, which I think is a solid number, hopefully my accuracy will only improve now that I’m predicting the actual winners. This Emmy Predictions post will take a look at the main Comedy categories.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

Nominees

• The Big Bang Theory
• Glee
• Modern Family
• The Office
• Parks and Recreation
• 30 Rock

My personal favorite, Community, wasn’t even nominated, which sucks big time. However, I was super glad to see Parks and Rec in there, and in an ideal world they would take home the prize. But seriously, don’t pretend this one hasn’t already gone to the superb Modern Family.

Should Win: Parks and Recreation

Will Win: Modern Family

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Nominees

• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
• Louis C.K. (Louie)
• Steve Carell (The Office)
• Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)
• Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

This is a really cool category. I mean, I don’t really get why Galecki is in there instead of Joel McHale which would’ve made far more sense, but the inclusion of Louis C.K. was awesome. But alas, this should really go to Steve Carell this time, not only is the guy one of the most beloved in all of showbiz, but he has dutifully played the most adorable idiot on televison for seven years, gotten nominated for each of them, and never won the Emmy. He just ended his run on the NBC comedy and gave us some funny and emotional final episodes, so it’s now or never.

Should Win: Steve Carell

Will Win: Steve Carell

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Nominees

• Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
• Tina Fey (30 Rock)
• Laura Linney (The Big C)
• Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
• Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope)
• Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

I am absolutely torn about how this category will go. I want to see it go to Tina Fey because she’s Tina Fey, but that won’t happen. I want to see it go to Amy Poehler just as much, and that could actually happen. But then there’s Laura Linney, her show isn’t that much of a comedy, but she’s amazing in it, so I will go ahead and put her as my bet, even though I can definitely still see Poehler getting in there, or even a Martha Plimpton upset.

Should Win: Tina Fey/Amy Poehler

Will Win: Laura Linney

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Nominees

• Chris Colfer (Glee)
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
• Ed O’Neill (Modern Family)
• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
• Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
• Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)

Look, there aren’t enough words to describe the rage I still feel about Nick Offerman being snubbed here. But, alas, we must move on. I would think Cryer is most definitely out, and I seriously doubt Colfer will win. So yeah, just like last year this will remain in the insanely awesome Modern Family ensemble, as well as it should be, this is the strongest comedic cast there is. Now, who out of the four guys will win it? Well, Stonestreet won last year, so let’s assume they’ll spread the love. Ferguson is great, but he isn’t that great. So that leaves Burrell and O’Neill. Either could happen, but Burrell is my personal favorite so I’ll go with him.

Should Win: Ty Burrell

Will Win: Ty Burrell

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Nominees

• Jane Lynch (Glee)
• Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
• Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
• Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
• Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)

This to me is really tough one to call. I mean, I doubt Wiig and Krakowski will get it. But the other four are all real possibilities. I mean, if Modern Family‘s gonna take this I would say, and hope, it would be for Bowen and not Vergara, though that could still certainly happen. And everybody loves Betty White so she can’t be counted out. And everybody loves Jane Lynch, too, who’s actually hosting the show to boot. However, when Neil Patrick Harris hosted he lost, and Lynch already won last year, so I’m praying they’ll spread the love.

Should Win: Julie Bowen

Will Win: Julie Bowen (though in my heart I know it’ll probably be Lynch)

Emmy Nominations

Melissa McCarthy and Joshua Jackson announced the Emmy nominations bright and early this morning, and there were quite a few interesting nominations to say the least, as well as your usual group of horribly snubbed actors and shows, but then again it wouldn’t be the Emmy nominations if you weren’t cheering uncontrollably for someone while you were weeping over the exclusion of someone else. I did four EmmyWatch posts last month, tackling the major categories in the Drama, Comedy, TV Movie/Miniseries and Reality/Variety races, so now I’ll list the full set of nominations, and a brief reaction to it, including how I did with my predictions.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

• Boardwalk Empire
• Dexter
• Friday Night Lights
• Game of Thrones
• The Good Wife
• Mad Men

Reaction: I went 5-for-6 in this one, I predicted Justified over Game of Thrones. However, Game of Thrones was amongst my 6 dream nominees so I’m happy about it. Still this one is still probably a Boardwalk Empire vs. Mad Men race to the finish line, and I’m just happy that my beloved Friday Night Lights was finally given a shot to compete in the big race.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

• Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
• Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
• Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
• Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
• Hugh Laurie (House)
• Timothy Olyphant (Justified)

Reaction: Also went 5-for-6 in this category, predicting a William H. Macy nod over that of Timothy Olyphant. That said, Olyphant was actually my #3 dream nominee, and hearing his name called out was one of the happiest moments of the nominations for me, so I’m seriously glad he’s in there. Much like in the Outstanding Drama category, though, this is a Boardwalk Empire vs. Mad Men battle.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

• Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law)
• Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
• Mireille Enos (The Killing)
• Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU)
• Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
• Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)

Reaction: I went 4-for-6 here. I predicted Katey Sagal and Kyra Sedgwick instead of Bates and Hargitay. And those misses are weird to me for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Sagal won the Globe and I can’t believe she got snubbed again by the Emmy’s. Sedgwick actually won this last year and her total omission from this year’s race was bizarre. And Kathy Bates may be great, but Harry’s Law really isn’t, this just goes to prove how Emmy voters sometimes just vote for the name.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

• Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
• Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
• Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
• Walton Goggins (Justified)
• John Slattery (Mad Men)
• Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)

Reaction: A strong 5-for-6 showing again in this category. And, again, the one prediction I missed was one I was still incredibly happy to hear. I had Michael Pitt of Boardwalk Empire getting a nod because I reckoned the voters wanted to go deep for their love of the HBO crime saga, but Goggins got in there, and he was actually my #2 dream nominee, so I was damn happy about his inclusion. Still pissed about the lack of John Noble, though.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

• Kelly MacDonald (Boardwalk Empire)
• Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
• Christine Baranksi (The Good Wife)
• Margo Martindale (Justified)
• Michelle Forbes (The Killing)
• Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)

Reaction: Another 5-for-6 here. Missed Forbes’ nomination in favor of Sharon Gless. However, Forbes was #4 dream nominee and I don’t even watch Burn Notice so I was seriously glad to miss out on a perfect prediction score here.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

• The Big Bang Theory
• Glee
• Modern Family
• The Office
• Parks and Recreation
• 30 Rock

Reaction: 5-for-6 again here, but I was SO happy about that, because that miss of mine in this category meant that Parks and Rec, my #2 dream nominee, got in instead of Nurse Jackie which I had predicted to get a nod. The Big Bang Theory also finally broke through to the big race. Still, the thing that pissed me off the most about today’s nominations was the overall lack of love for Community.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
• Louis C.K. (Louie)
• Steve Carell (The Office)
• Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)
• Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

Reaction: 4-for-6 in this one. I had Joel McHale and Matthew Morrison instead of Louis and Galecki. And while I was ecstatic to hear Louis C.K. named this morning (he was #5 in my dream ballot), and I loved that he got in instead of Morrison, I don’t really care much for Galecki and the fact that he probably meant McHale wasn’t nominated ticks me off.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

• Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
• Tina Fey (30 Rock)
• Laura Linney (The Big C)
• Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
• Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope)
• Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

Reaction: 5-for-6 again, I had Toni Collette instead of McCarthy in this one. Still, it was awesome to see Poehler and Plimpton get in, and I actually quite liked the fact that they realized this was a comedy category and Lea Michele got snubbed.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

• Chris Colfer (Glee)
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
• Ed O’Neill (Modern Family)
• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
• Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
• Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)

Reaction: 4-for-6 here, I predicted Nick Offerman (who was my #1 dream nominee) and Neil Patrick Harris over Cryer and Ferguson. But I guess the Modern Family party prevailed (and I’m actually very happy about that) and the voters wanted to give Cryer the nod for having to put up with Sheen’s antics, which is good too, I guess. I just wanted to see Ron Swanson in there.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

• Jane Lynch (Glee)
• Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
• Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
• Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
• Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)

Reaction: Finally, my first 6-for-6! Though I was still holding out for a surprise Alison Brie or Aubrey Plaza nod.

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW COMPETITION

• The Amazing Race
• American Idol
• Dancing with the Stars
• Project Runway
• So You Think You Can Dance
• Top Chef

Reaction: 5-for-6. I was hoping The Voice would get in there instead of So You Think You Can Dance, but here’s hoping it’ll make the shortlist next season!

OUTSTANDING REALITY SERIES

• Hoarders
• Antiques Roadshow
• Deadliest Catch
• MythBusters
• Undercover  Boss
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

Reaction: 4-for-6, not bad considering this was the category I randomly guessed because I only watch Mythbusters out of the contenders.

OUTSTANDING REALITY HOST

• Jeff Probst (Survivor)
• Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance)
• Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race)
• Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars)
• Ryan Seacrest (American Idol)

Reaction: 4-for-5. I was thinking Padma Lakshmi over Deeley here.

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SERIES

• The Colbert Report
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
• Saturday Night Live
• Conan
• Real Time with Bill Maher
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Reaction: 5-for-6 here, I went with Letterman over Fallon in my predictions, but I’m damn glad Fallon got in, he keeps getting better and better.

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES

• Mildred Pierce
• Downton Abbey
• The Kennedys
• Cinema Verite
• Too Big to Fail
• The Pillars of the Earth

Reaction: 4-for-6 here, and I’m really pissed that Carlos (my far-and-out #1 dream nominee) wasn’t nominated. I also predicted Luther would get in but it didn’t.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES

• Greg Kinnear (The Kennedys)
• Barry Pepper (The Kennedys)
• Édgar Ramírez (Carlos)
• William Hurt (Too Big to Fail)
• Idris Elba (Luther)
• Laurence Fishburne (Thurgood)

Reaction: 4-for-6 again in this one, I had Hugh Bonneville and Samuel L. Jackson over Kinnear and Pepper, because I really didn’t think The Kennedys was going to get this ridiculous amount of love. Still, Ramírez and Elba got in here, and that’s really all I cared about.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES

• Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce)
• Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey)
• Diane Lane (Cinema Verite)
• Taraji P. Henson (Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story)
• Jean Marsh (Upstairs Downstairs)

Reaction: 4-for-5 here, even though I did 6 predictions and Henson was in there but at #6 so I’m not going to count her. I had Haley Atwell over her. Still, this Emmy probably already has Winslet’s name engraved on it.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES

• Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce)
• Brian F. O’Byrne (Mildred Pierce)
• Tom Wilkinson (The Kennedys)
• Paul Giamatti (Too Big to Fail)
• James Woods (Too Big to Fail)

Reaction: 4-for-5, I had Tim Robbins over Wilkinson, even though Wilkinson was my #6 in the predictions. I just didn’t anticipate The Kennedys getting this much love.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES

• Evan Rachel Wood (Mildred Pierce)
• Melissa Leo (Mildred Pierce)
• Mare Winningham (Mildred Pierce)
• Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
• Eileen Atkins (Upstairs Downstairs)

Reaction: 4-for-5 again here, I had Cynthia Nixon over Winningham, but apparently Mildred Pierce just dominated the category.

So there they are, the Emmy nominations for the categories I had predicted and commented on in my EmmyWatch posts. As the ceremony grows nearer I’ll make similar posts detailing the state of the race and my final prediction for who will actually win it, but for now let’s just let these nods simmer. There were plenty to be happy about (The Justified love, the Friday Night Lights love, Ed O’Neill finally getting in) but there were also a fair share of misses (like the shut-outs for Community and Fringe), but all for all it was a solid pack of nominees. As for my predictions, I went an overall 86-for-110, which I think is pretty damn solid, and hopefully my accuracy won’t fall when predicting the actual winners!

EmmyWatch 2011: Comedy

Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy are set to announce the nominations for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards bright and early on Thursday, July 14th. And even though this is a film blog, some of you many know I’m also a pretty obsessive TV-watcher, and I currently watch over 70 television series, so I’d like to think I know a fair bit about what’s on the air right now. And in that spirit, I’ll do what I did with my OscarWatch posts back in January, and tackle the major categories for this years Emmy Awards in 4 EmmyWatch posts: Reality/Variety, Mini/Movie, Comedy and Drama.

In them I’ll give my quick thoughts on a particular race and how I personally think things will eventually shape up, listing both the 6 contenders I would personally pick were the nominations up to me, and then 6 who I actually think will have their names called out come nomination morning. Then once the nominations are announced I’ll do a post with my reactions and my actual predictions for the races. In this, the third EmmyWatch post, we’ll take a look at the Comedy races…

COMEDY SERIES

There are groups in which you can divide the shows vying for this award. For starters, there are the two established new-ish hits, Modern Family (which won last year) and Glee, both coming off their second seasons and who are proven new contenders who people seem to think will ultimately battle each other for the top honor. Then there are the veteran bonafide hits, which are of course 30 Rock (a three-time winner of this award) and The Office  (a winner in 2006 and a nominee ever since). And then there are the ones trying to get into the conversation along with them, shows like The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother, as well as Showtime hits like The Big C and Nurse Jackie and new critical hits like Parks and Recreation and Community. So yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how this one turns out, though I think it’s pretty much sewn up already.

My Personal 6 (in specific order)

1. Community – Yes, this is my favorite comedy on television, it’s just sensationally inventive and has one of my Top 3 casts in all of television. The ratings have been sort of low, which may make it hard for it to get the nod, but I dearly hope it gets recognized.
2. Parks and Recreation – Look, my #1 is Community, and this one is similar to that one in many ways. It’s part of NBC’s Thursday comedy block, it has the critical praises but not the great ratings, and it’s funny in extremely smart ways. However, unlike Community, I actually think this one actually has a shot at getting a nod.
3. 30 Rock – Look, the fact that Modern Family ended its streak last year means nothing, this show is still absolutely incredible. It may not be as consistent as it once was, but when it’s firing on all cylinders it’s still the one to beat.
4. Modern Family – It won last year for a reason, it gave us, in its very first season, the high quality comedy that veteran series would kill to have, and considering that it hasn’t let down even one bit on their second season you can sure as hell count on it to repeat.
5. Eastbound & Down – Just because there’s not a single character even remotely similar to Kenny Powers on television right now, it may be too raunchy and dirty for Emmy voters but it certainly gets a slot on my list.
6. The Office – I was torn between this one and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for my final slot, but come on, The Office just went through their final season with Steve Carell and handled the closing of Michael’s story perfectly, they definitely get on my list.

How I think the actual nominations will look like (in specific order)

1. Modern Family – Read Personal 6. It’s still the one to beat.
2. 30 Rock – The voters may think they did their part diversifying last year and giving to a new one, and now may be itching to reward their usual king.
3. Glee – I’m guessing this will be the Top 3 in the actual ballots no matter what. I don’t think has nearly as good a shot with this group as they do with the Globes but they’ll certainly get the nod.
4. The Office – Read Personal 6.
5. Nurse Jackie – Yeah, they’ll probably make room for one, if not two, of the Showtime dramedies and this one has the better chance of getting it.
6. The Big Bang Theory – It’s really weird that this show hasn’t gotten a nomination here, and I’m still not sure it will (I was thinking either this one, The Big C or Parks and Recreation), but Jim Parsons win for Lead Actor last year gave it momentum with this group.

LEAD ACTOR IN COMEDY SERIES

Last year the panorama changed quite a bit in this category, with Jim Parsons rising up to the plate to deny Alec Baldwin his third Emmy, will he prevail again this year? Or will Baldwin get it back? Or will Steve Carell finally get rewarded for his final season in The Office?

My Personal 6 (in specific order)

1. Steve Carell (The Office) – Look, performance-wise he’d probably be #3 or so, but I’ve loved The Office since day 1, and it’s all because of what he did as Michael Scott. The fact that he’s never won one of these is an outrage I’d like to think the Emmy’s will be quick to resolve.
2. Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) – He was denied last year, but performance-wise I thought he was the best there was this year, but the sentimentality factor of Carell leaves him as my #2.
3. Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down) – Like I said when talking about the show in my Personal 6 for Best Comedy, the guy plays a role that’s 100% unique in television right now, but the racy tones of the show may make it too hard for him to get a nod, as much as he deserves one.
4. Joel McHale (Community) – The leading man of my favorite comedy on television, of course he was gonna get in my personal ballot. The Jeff Winger character is one that a lesser actor would’ve played straight as plain arrogant and sarcastic, but he gives him layers that make Jeff a total triumph.
5. Louis C.K. (Louie) – The new season of this FX show premieres tomorrow, and I cannot wait. The guy is one of the funniest stand-up comedies around, if not the funniest, and he does everything in this show, just a genius.
6. Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) – I don’t like the show enough to put him higher on my list, but his performance is undeniably great, so of course he gets in on my list, and he’ll be higher on the actual ballots.

How I think the actual nominations will look like (in specific order)

1. Steve Carell (The Office) – Read Personal 6. He’ll get a deserved full-series-achievement win, as well as he should.
2. Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) – I think he’d actually repeat were it not for Carell, even over Baldwin.
3. Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) – Read Personal 6.
4. Matthew Morrison (Glee) – Why this guy keeps getting nominated I have no idea, the show really isn’t a comedy any more, just a musical dramedy, but alas, people love Glee so he’ll find a way to get in there again.
5. Joel McHale (Community) – Read Personal 6.
6. Matt LeBlanc (Episodes) – I was torn between him or Rob Lowe for Parks and Recreation, but LeBlanc was part of the Friends cast and the seven episodes of his Showtime series, in which he got to make fun of himself, were pretty damn great.

LEAD ACTRESS IN COMEDY SERIES

This category I’m having a not-so-easy time really cracking. Tina Fey is Tina Fey so you have to assume she’s in there, the Showtime leading ladies are all in there because they are superb actresses and their series are not straight-out comedies so they get heavier stuff to shine with, and then there might be a newcomer or two, we’ll have to wait and see…

My Personal 6 (in specific order)

1. Tina Fey (30 Rock) – Look, she’s Tina Fey, she the most charming, likable, talented woman around, no other way around that.
2. Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) – I actually nearly put her at #1 but that would mean saying someone’s better than Fey. Still, she’s amazing and on one of the finest comedies on TV, so I’ll be rooting for her.
3. Patricia Heaton (The Middle) – She already has two of these from her time on Everybody Loves Raymond, and her work on The Middle has been consistently great.
4. Toni Collette (United States of Tara) – Look, I actually really liked this show, and she already won this award a couple years ago, so the voters certainly like her. And I mean, the show was cancelled and aired its series finale a couple days ago so they should give her the nod as some tribute of sorts.
5. Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) – She is the most underrated part of this ensemble. Jim Parsons and her male co-stars get all the attention, but she rocks at playing Penny and never gets the recognition. Now would be a good time to start.
6. Laura Linney (The Big C) – She gets in on my personal list just because she’s Laura Linney and I love her, but her show isn’t really a comedy and I have strict feeling about the liberties people take with this category, but whatever, she shines in this show.

How I think the actual nominations will look like (in specific order)

1. Laura Linney (The Big C) – She did make my Personal 6, but nowhere near this high. However, she just won the Globe and the Emmy’s have loved her in the past, so I think she’ll emerge victorious.
2. Tina Fey (30 Rock) – Read Personal 6.
3. Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) – The Showtime ladies will try to all get in here, and Falco is just awesome so she probably will.
4. Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) – I’m wishing she comes out of nowhere and beats everyone because that’d be a true and deserved underdog victory, but my guess is that she’ll end up in the middle of the pack.
5. Toni Collette (United States of Tara) – Yeah, three Showtime dramedy ladies in a comedy category. But hey, at least they’re all truly phenomenal actresses who rock at what they do.
6. Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope) – I’m going with this great actress in a great role over Glee‘s Lea Michele because I hope the voters recognize actual comedic chops over musical ones.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN COMEDY SERIES

Or what should be called the Modern Family category, as all the cast members of that ensemble enter their names in the supporting races to embrace the fact that everyone is as important as each other on that show, a true family. So yeah, at the very most there will be only three other slots, maybe even just two, for actors from other series to nab.

My Personal 6 (in specific order)

1. Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) – By far the funniest guy on television, he has the coolest mustache on television as well, and I just hope Emmy voters bestow him with a nomination.
2. Ty Burrell (Modern Family) – I’m including only two Modern Family guys but really all four of them could conceivably get in. Burrell is my favorite part of the show though, he’s perfect as the clumsy and lovable Phil.
3. Danny Pudi (Community) – My favorite comedy on television, and Danny Pudi (as well as Donald Glover who would’ve gotten my #7 slot here) is a big part of that, he’s insanely funny and endearing as the very weird Abed.
4. Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) – He missed out on a nod last year when the rest of his co-stars got one, and it was a rob, so please, Emmy voters, right your wrongs.
5. Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) – Yeah, I’m going with Segel over Neil Patrick Harris for the HIMYM pick because the stuff he did with the darker storyline Marshall was given in this one was just tremendous.
6. Ed Helms (The Office) – He got his biggest storyline yet with the love triangle he was involved in, and now that Carell is gone the show will probably use him to shoulder more of the burden, which is a good thing.

How I think the actual nominations will look like (in specific order)

1. Ty Burrell (Modern Family) – I think Modern Family will completely dominate this category as long as it’s on the air, and this time I think (and hope) it’s Burrell that picks the trophy up.
2. Chris Colfer (Glee) – I don’t have him on my Personal 6 because his best scenes are his dramatic ones and not the comedic ones, and this is a comedy category after all, but when he’s strong he’s strong and there’s no counting him out.
3. Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) – He could conceivably repeat, but my guess is that he won’t, good as he might be.
4. Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) – Yeah, I highly doubt they’ll leave the Pritchard family patriarch out this time.
5. Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) – Certainly look for him to be the HIMYM castmember to score a nod (and not Jason Segel like I wanted), and he’s always awesome as Barney so that’s cool with me.
6. Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) – Yes, I’m putting him this high, over Jon Cryer who might sympathy votes after Sheengate and over Jesse Tyler Ferguson who might just make the Modern Family guys go four-for-four, but it’s just because I want his name to be read too damn much.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN COMEDY SERIES

Look for this trend to continue for a while, Glee, Modern Family and 30 Rock will grab the majority of this nods, and then maybe one or two newbies to score their kudos.

My Personal 6 (in specific order)

1. Alison Brie (Community) – I’ll say it again, this is the best comedy on television, and Alison Brie is damn awesome in it, and it’s not as though people have forgotten how hot she looked in the paintball episodes.
2. Julie Bowen (Modern Family) – Look, she’s a seriously consistent actress. Not only is she absolutely brilliant in Modern Family, but, come on, Boston Legal, Ed, she’s been this great for a while, so she’s due.
3. Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) – She’s the best at deadpan comedy, period. Nobody on TV can do that better than her, doubt she’ll get in but I’m crossing my fingers.
4. Ellie Kemper (The Office) – I loved Ellie Kemper this season, the daughter type she was to Michael, her perfect performance in that whole love triangle, she’s just a gem.
5. Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) – She’s insanely funny in this show, probably the one castmember people weren’t sure was going to be as hilarious as she is, she’ll probably end up quite high on the actual ballots.
6. Jenna Fischer (The Office) – She’s totally underrated here, I mean Pam is totally warm and is probably the person viewers can relate to the most, and Jenna Fischer is always great in the role.

How I think the actual nominations will look like (in specific order)

1. Jane Lynch (Glee) – Yeah, she didn’t even make my Personal 6, but she really is the only funny thing on a show that really isn’t a comedy. And she has all the buzz and she’s hosting the show (though that didn’t work for Neil Patrick Harris in the past), so I think she’s the one to beat.
2. Julie Bowen (Modern Family) – However, I’m more and more liking the idea of Julie Bowen coming up victorious, so watch out for her.
3. Betty White (Hot in Cleveland) – Come on, she’s Betty White, that right there puts her in the top half of the ballot.
4. Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) – Read Personal 6.
5. Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) – I think an SNL has to get in here, and she’s the MVP of that show, so that’s more than fine with me.
6. Jane Krakowski (30 Rock) – She’s getting another nod for sure.