This Year's Biggest Emmy Snubs

Are you ready for the Emmys tonight? Before you watch some lucky writers, actors and directors get some much deserved (or maybe not) awards, check out some other shows and people who should have been recognized this year.

Best Comedies:
1. Parks and Recreation
2. Community
3. Louie

Best Dramas:
1. Parenthood
2. Justified
3. The Good Wife

Best Actor- Comedy:
1. Joel McHale- Community
2. Adam Scott- Parks and Recreation
3. Will Arnett- Up All Night

Best Actress- Comedy:
1. Courteney Cox- Cougartown
2. Martha Plimpton- Raising Hope
3. Laura Dern- Enlightened

Best Supporting Actor- Comedy:
1. Nick Offerman- Parks and Recreation
2. Danny Pudi- Community
3. Neil Patrick Harris- How I Met Your Mother

Best Supporting Actress- Comedy:
1. Casey Wilson- Happy Endings
2. Busy Phillips- Cougartown
3. Alison Brie- Community

Best Actor- Drama:
1. Hugh Laurie- House
2. Jason Isaacs- Awake
3. Dustin Hoffman- Luck

Best Supporting Actor- Drama:
1. John Noble- Fringe
2. Josh Charles- The Good Wife
3. Vincent Kartheiser- Mad Men

Best Supporting Actress- Drama:
1. Kelly MacDonald- Boardwalk Empire
2. Katey Sagal- Sons of Anarchy
3. Rose Byrne- Damages

Who else do you think should have nominated this year? Check out who wins tonight in just about an hour.

Final Emmy Predictions: Who Deserves The Awards... And Who Will Actually Get Them?

The day has come everyone. It's Emmy judgment day. I have a list of what I think will most likely happen, but I'm also going to include who I believe is most deserving. So get your ballots filled in quick and let's see if whose choices will reign most truthful tonight.

Best Comedy Nominees:
1. "The Big Bang Theory"
2. "30 Rock"
3. "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
4. "Modern Family"
5. "Girls"
6. "Veep"

Winner: "Modern Family"- I say the Emmy voters will stick to what they know and give the ensemble show another win.
Possibility: The only dark horse winner I could imagine is "Girls" but the voters may only do this if the HBO comedy wins all of its other awards from Best Writing and Direction to Best Actress for Lena Dunham. If we see a sweep, we may see an overall gold statue for the first timer. But this is a HUGE long-shot.

Best Actor in a Comedy- Nominees: 
1. Jim Parsons- "The Big Bang Theory"
2. Louis C.K.- "Louie"
3. Alec Baldwin- "30 Rock"
4. Larry David- "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
5. Don Cheadle- "House of Lies"
6. Jon Cryer- "Two and a Half Men"

Winner: Jim Parsons. I see another familiar face walking away with the trophy yet again.
Possibility: It would bring me the greatest joy in the world for Louis C.K. to get some recognition for the fantastic work he does on and offscreen on his show. If they knew any better, Emmy voters would give the comedian this award just because they snubbed the show as a whole for Best Comedy. If Jon Cryer gets within 10 feet of this award, there is no justice in this world.

Best Actress in a Comedy- Nominees:
1. Amy Poehler- "Parks and Recreation"
2. Julia Louie-Dreyfuss- "Veep"
3. Lena Dunham- "Girls"
4. Tina Fey- "30 Rock"
5. Melissa McCarthy- "Mike and Molly"
6. Zooey Deschanel- "New Girl"
7. Edie Falco- "Nurse Jackie"

Winner: It has to Amy Poehler. It just has to be.
Possibility: Emmy voters love Julia Louie-Dreyfuss. If I'm being completely honest with myself, she is most likely the frontrunner. But after trying to watch "Veep" with the most open of minds, I cannot bring myself to really enjoy it. "Parks and Recreation,"on the other hand, brings me pure joy from goofy start to sweet finish. And it all has to do with how ridiculously good Poehler is. This is her fifth nomination (third for "Parks and Rec"). Give her the Emmy already.
A Dark Horse candidate: Emmy voters might reward Lena Dunham for writing, directing and starring in her own show, "Girls."

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy- Nominees:
1. Ty Burrell- "Modern Family"
2. Ed O'Neill- "Modern Family"
3. Jesse Tyler Ferguson- "Modern Family"
4. Eric Stonestreet- "Modern Family"
5. Bill Hader- "Saturday Night Live"
6. Max Greenfield- "New Girl"

Winner: Ty Burrell. The two supporting awards for comedy are the toughest to predict. It's such a toss-up for me between the always wonderful Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet who have both already picked up awards. I'll stick with Burrell for win number two.
Possibility: Then again, Emmy voters may shy away from the show considering it's less than stellar third season. If this happens, my vote would go to Bill Hader who has deserved acclaim from day one on "SNL."

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy- Nominees:
1. Kathryn Joosten- "Desperate Housewives"
2. Kristen Wiig- "Saturday Night Live"
3. Sofia Vergara- "Modern Family"
4. Julie Bowen- "Modern Family"
5. Merritt Weaver- "Nurse Jackie"
6. Mayim Bialik- "The Big Bang Theory"

Winner: It's hard to say but I think Julie Bowen has the edge over her co-star here.
Possiblity: But if the Emmy voters are partial to "The Big Bang Theory," Mayim Bialik could take home the gold.

Best Drama Nominees:
1. "Breaking Bad"
2. "Mad Men"
3. "Boardwalk Empire"
4. "Homeland"
5. "Game of Thrones"
6. "Downton Abbey"

Winner: "Mad Men" has won for four straight years. It's hard to see anyone taking it down but...
Possibility: "Breaking Bad." If anyone can best the advertising drama, I think Bryan Cranston & Co. have the biggest shot with its outrageously good fourth season.
A Dark Horse candidate: If Emmy voters are as in love with "Downton Abbey" as they were come Emmy nominations time, the British period show could surprise everyone. But I don't think there's any real show with such great frontrunners.

Best Actor in a Drama- Nominees:
1. Bryan Cranston- "Breaking Bad"
2. Jon Hamm- "Mad Men"
3. Damian Lewis- "Homeland"
4. Steve Buscemi- "Boardwalk Empire"
5. Hugh Bonneville- "Downton Abbey"
6. Michael C. Hall- "Dexter"

Winner: Bryan Cranston. The fourth season was just too good.
Possibility: Poor Jon Hamm. The guy's been nominated every year and lost out to Cranston every time the "Breaking Bad" star was eligible. The one year Cranston was out of the race (last year), "Friday Night Lights" star Kyle Chandler was surprisingly (and finally, rightfully) given the award for the football drama's final season. Hamm didn't have as much time with one really emotional episode to submit (except for maybe the one where he hallucinates killing a lady) so it's probably going to be another Cranston year.

Best Actress in a Drama- Nominees: 
1. Claire Danes- "Homeland"
2. Glenn Close- "Damages"
3. Elizabeth Moss- "Mad Men"
4. Juliana Marguiles- "The Good Wife"
5. Michelle Dockery- "Downton Abbey"
6. Kathy Bates- "Harry's Law"

Winner: Claire Danes. She owns every second of her screen time in "Homeland."
Possibility: None. I'm not putting another name in place of Danes. There's no way she doesn't take this award home tonight.

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama- Nominees:
1. Giancarlo Esposito- "Breaking Bad"
2. Aaron Paul- "Breaking Bad"
3. Jared Harris- "Mad Men"
4. Peter Dinklage- "Game of Thrones"
5. Jim Carter- "Downton Abbey"
6. Brendan Coyle- "Downton Abbey"

Winner: Giancarlo Esposito gets my vote solely for the last episode of season four.
Possibility: It's always possible that Aaron Paul could win another Emmy for his consistently stunning work as Jesse on "Breaking Bad." But as this is the only year Esposito can qualify, Paul will probably be sitting this one out.
A Dark Horse candidate: Don't forget about Peter Dinklage. He did win last year...

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama- Nominees: 
1. Anna Gunn- "Breaking Bad"
2. Archie Panjabi- "The Good Wife"
3. Christine Baranski- "The Good Wife"
4. Maggie Smith- "Downton Abbey"
5. Joanne Froggatt- "Downton Abbey"
6. Christina Hendricks- "Mad Men"

Winner: Christina Hendricks. After what her character did in season five, I truly believe this is finally her year. She completely deserves this award.
Possibility: But there's always a chance for Maggie Smith to win when she's thrown into any mix.

Best Miniseries/TV Movie Nominees: 
1. "Game Change"
2. Hemingway & Gelhorn"
3. "Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia"
4. "Luther"
5. "American Horror Story"
6. "Hatfields & McCoys"

Winner: This is a tough one. With so many good choices, I think Emmy voters will play it political and traditional with "Game Change." They've given a movie like this the award before ("Recount") and I think this'll be a repeat. Emmy loves HBO, too.
Possibilities: "Hemingway & Gelhorn," "Hatfields & McCoys" and "Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia" all have a small chance. "Sherlock" would be my pick for most deserving, though I would've preferred the creators to submit the brilliant "The Reichenbach Fall" instead of "A Scandal in Belgravia."

Best Actor in a Miniseries/TV Movie Nominees:
1. Kevin Costner- "Hatfields & McCoys"
2. Bill Paxton- "Hatfields & McCoys"
3. Clive Owen- "Hemingway & Gelhorn"
4. Woody Harrelson- "Game Change"
5. Idris Elba- "Luther"
6. Benedict Cumberbatch- "Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia"

Winner: I honestly don't know who will win for this, but I genuinely hope its Benedict Cumberbatch. That man is the perfect Sherlock Holmes. But if Emmy voters embrace "Game Change" the way I think they will, the winner will definitely be Woody Harrelson.
Possibilities: While I believe the "Hatfields & McCoys" men may actually split the vote, Kevin Costner is still a huge contender... as is this year's Golden Globe winner Idris Elba.

Best Actress in a Miniseries/TV Movie Nominees:
1. Julianne Moore- "Game Change"
2. Nicole Kidman- "Hemingway & Gelhorn"
3. Connie Britton- "American Horror Story"
4. Emma Thompson- "The Song of Lunch"
5. Ashley Judd- "Missing"

Winner: Julianne Moore will almost certainly win for her portrayal of Sarah Palin.
Possiblity: The only upset I could see happening is for Kidman to steal away the prize from Moore. Both TV movies were on HBO so there is potential for a surprise.

Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries/TV Movie Nominees: 
1. Martin Freeman- "Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia"
2. Tom Bergeron- "Hatfields & McCoys"
3. Ed Harris- "Game Change"
4. David Stratharin- "Hemingway & Gelhorn"
5. Denis O'Hare- "American Horror Story"

Winner: Ed Harris. His John McCain will most likely be as well-received as Julianne Moore's Sarah Palin.
Possibility: I would be the happiest person to see Martin Freeman get this award for his fantastic work as John Watson on "Sherlock." But again, I think the submission of "The Reichenbach Fall" would have been better suited for Freeman's chances.

Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries/TV Movie Nominees:
1. Frances Conroy- "American Horror Story"
2. Jessica Lange- "American Horror Story"
3. Sarah Paulson- "Game Change"
4. Mare Winningham- "Hatfields & McCoys"
5. Judy Davis- "Page Eight (Masterpiece)"

Winner: Jessica Lange. I don't see anyone taking this away from her.
Possibility: None. I'm confident no one else will win over Lange's juicy role.

That's a wrap for me. I'll be live-tweeting the show from red-carpet to the Jimmy Kimmel's closing remarks so check those out. Let's see how many of these predictions come true tonight at 7 p.m. on ABC. 

Updated: Assessment of the 2012 Emmy Nominations

The nominations are in! Here are the updated list from my predictions and my important assessments. If you want to see my Wild Card or Dream nominees, check below for last night's post. Want to see the list for yourself? Check it out here 



Best Comedy
1. "Modern Family"
2. "Parks and Recreation" (Another Dream Nominee) "Girls"
3. "The Big Bang Theory"
4. "30 Rock"
5. "Louie" (Another Dream Nominee)  "Veep"
6. "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Assessment: 
I'm fine with the addition of these two shows but getting rid of the fantastic fourth season of "Parks and Recreation" in favor of new blood is a travesty.

Wild Card Nominees:
New shows "Girls", "New Girl" and "Veep" all have the star power to make it on the Emmy shortlist. If any shows would be knocked off, it might be "Louie" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." And if Emmy voters are still stupid, they'll knock off the superior "Louie" for "Glee." A snub for "Louie," however, may cause rioting in the streets... by me.


Best Actor- Comedy:
1. Jim Parsons- "The Big Bang Theory"
2. Alec Baldwin- "30 Rock"
3. Louis CK- "Louie" (Another Dream Nominee)
4. Larry David- "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
5. Johnny Galecki- "The Big Bang Theory" Jon Cryer- "Two and a Half Men"
6. Joel McHale- "Community" (Another Dream Nominee) Don Cheadle- "House of Lies"

Assessment: 
It was wrong of me to leave of Don Cheadle. The sheer starpower alone made it obvious that the actor would make the list, even with his inconsistent show. And apparently. the Emmy voters are ridiculous once again because there's Jon Cryer's name.


Best Actress- Comedy
1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus- "Veep"
2. Amy Poehler- "Parks and Recreation" (Another Dream Nominee... and Winner)
3. Zooey Deschanel- "New Girl" (Another Dream Nominee)
4. Tina Fey- "30 Rock"
5. Melissa McCarthy- "Mike and Molly"
6. Lena Dunham- "Girls" (Another Dream Nominee)
7. Edie Falco- "Nurse Jackie"

Assessment:
Seven nominees? This is turning into the 10 Best Picture nominee debacle.

Best Supporting Actor- Comedy 
1. Ty Burrell- "Modern Family"
2. Eric Stonestreet- "Modern Family"
3. Jesse Tyler Ferguson- "Modern Family"
4. Ed O'Neill- "Modern Family"
5. Nick Offerman- "Parks and Recreation" (Another Dream Nominee) Bill Hader- "Saturday Night Live"
6. Max Greenfield- "New Girl" (Another Dream Nominee)

Assessment: 
Here's the biggest surprise. Hader, who has never been nominated, gets one over the (no offense) superior Nick Offerman from "Parks and Recreation." And there's no surprise that Greenfield gets a nod for his hilarious work on "New Girl."

Best Supporting Actress- Comedy
1. Sofia Vergara- "Modern Family"
2. Julie Bowen- "Modern Family"
3. Kristen Wiig- "Saturday Night Live"
4. Betty White- "Hot in Cleveland" Mayim Bialick- "The Big Bang Theory"
5. Jane Krakowski- "30 Rock" Merrit Weaver- "Nurse Jackie"
6. Jane Lynch- "Glee"Kathryn Joosten- "Desperate Housewives"

Assessment: 
Wow. Joosten is only on this list because the voters are rewarding her for perserverance on a mediocre show. It's nice to see the unfamiliar Weaver and the familiar Bialick. Anything to knock "Glee" off any nomination list is fine by me but I would've enjoyed Maya Rudolph or anyone from "Community," "Parks" or "Happy Endings" to do it.


Best Drama:
1. "Breaking Bad"
2. "Mad Men"
3. "Homeland"
4. "Downton Abbey"
5. "Game of Thrones"
6. "The Good Wife" "Boardwalk Empire"

Assessment:
Just as I suspected. "Boardwalk" knocked the only network show off its list. And it's not a bad thing because "Boardwalk" had a great second season.


Best Actor- Drama
1. Bryan Cranston- "Breaking Bad"
2. Jon Hamm- "Mad Men"
3. Steve Buscemi- "Boardwalk Empire"
4. Damian Lewis- "Homeland" (Another Dream Nominee)
5. Kelsey Grammar- "Boss" Michael C. Hall- "Dexter"
6. Hugh Laurie- "House" Hugh Bonneville- "Downton Abbey"

Assessment:
And the "Downton" sweep begins. It's not strange to see Michael C. Hall's name up here for his consistently great work on "Dexter." But this season was so uneven that he seemed like a dark horse candidate. It IS surprising, however, that Hugh Laurie has been ignored for the final season of "House."


Best Actress- Drama
1. Claire Danes- "Homeland" (Another Dream Nominee... And winner)
2. Juliana Marguiles- "The Good Wife"
3. Elizabeth Moss- "Mad Men"
4. Glenn Close- "Damages" (Another Dream Nominee)
5. Mariska Hargitay- "Law and Order: SVU" Kathy Bates- "Harry's Law"
6.  Elizabeth McGovern- "Downton Abbey" Michelle Dockery- "Downton Abbey"

Assessment:
I love seeing Dockery's name in place of McGovern; Dockery was just better on "Downton." I'm also glad Hargitay is not on this list this year. But replacing her with Kathy Bates is just as bad because "Harry's Law" is just not a good show.


Best Supporting Actor- Drama 
1. Josh Charles- "The Good Wife" (Another Dream Nominee) Brendan Boyle- "Downton Abbey"
2. Peter Dinklage- "Game of Thrones" (Another Dream Nominee)
3. Giancarlo Esposito- "Breaking Bad" (Another Dream Nominee)
4. Aaron Paul- "Breaking Bad" (Another Dream Nominee)
5. Walton Goggins- "Justified" "Jim Carter- "Downton Abbey"
6. John Slattery- "Mad Men" Jared Harris- "Mad Men"

Assessment: 
It's wonderful to see Harris get his due for a great season on "Mad Men." For those of you who haven't seen it, please do immediately. Harris' Lane Pryce is heartbreaking towards the final episodes. This "Dowton" sweep is ridiculous considering how poor the quality of the second season was compared to the stellar first season. Thank God for getting Giancarlo Esposito on this list!


Best Supporting Actress- Drama 
1. Christina Hendricks- "Mad Men" (Dream Nominee)
2. Kelly MacDonald- "Boardwalk Empire" Christine Baranski- "The Good Wife"
3. Archie Punjabi- "The Good Wife"
4. Maggie Smith- "Downton Abbey"
5. Anna Gunn- "Breaking Bad"
6. Morena Baccarin- "Homeland" Joanne Froggatt- "Downton Abbey"

Assessment:
Considering this list was such a mixed bag, it was hard to predict or be upset by anyone. I'm just glad Anna Gunn is finally getting her due on "Breaking Bad."


Best Miniseries or TV Movie:
1. "Game Change"
2. "Sherlock" (Dream Nominee)
3. "American Horror Story"
4. "Hemingway and Gelhorn"
5. "Great Expectations" "Luther"
6. "Hatfields and McCoys"

Assessment: 
I'm so wildly happy to be wrong about "Great Expectations." It's not that the show was bad, it's just that "Luther" is just better.


Best Actor- Miniseries or TV Movie:
1. Woody Harrelson- "Game Change"
2. Clive Owen- "Hemingway and Gelhorn"
3. Benedict Cumberbatch- "Sherlock" (Ultimate Dream Nominee)
4. Kevin Costner- "Hatfields and McCoys"
5. Idris Elba- "Luther"
6. Bill Nighy- "Page Eight" Bill Paxton- "Hatfields and McCoys"

Assessment:
I should've known the other side of the "Hatfields and McCoys" would get recognition along with Costner. No matter, everything is alright because Benedict Cumberbatch has made the list!



Best Actress- Miniseries or TV Movie:
1. Julianne Moore- "Game Change"
2. Nicole Kidman- "Hemingway and Gelhorn"
3. Rachel Weisz- "Page Eight" Ashley Judd- "Missing"
4. Emma Thompson- "The Song of Lunch"
5. Romola Garai- "The Hour"
6. Connie Britton- "American Horror Story" (Dream Nominee)

Assessment: 
I'm surprised the Emmy voters only went with 5 ladies here when there are so many great women on miniseries. I'm also surprised that ABC used Judd's show as a miniseries... and actually succeeded.


Best Supporting Actor- Miniseries or TV Movie: 
1. Martin Freeman- "Sherlock"
2. Ed Harris- "Game Change"
3. David Stratharin- "Hemingway and Gelhorn"
4. Michael Gambon- "Page Eight"
5. Powers Boothe- "Hatfields and McCoys" Tom Berenger- "Hatfields and McCoys"
6. Denis O'Hare- "American Horror Story" (Dream Nominee)

Assessment: 
Another five person slot. I love that O'Hare made it on the list. And it looks like I just picked the wrong "Hatfields" castmember.


Best Supporting Actress- Miniseries or TV Movie: 
1. Jessica Lange- "American Horror Story"
2. Mare Winningham- "Hatfields and McCoys"
3. Sarah Paulson- "Game Change"
4. Gillian Anderson- "Great Expectations"
5. Laura Pulver- "Sherlock" (Dream Nominee)  Frances Conroy- "American Horror Story"
6. Judy Davis- "Page Eight"

Assessment:
I'm fine with Pulver not making the shortlist because Conroy was just too good on "AHS."

Well here are your nominees, ladies and gents. Amazing shows like "Community" and "Happy Endings" get the shaft once more and undeserving vets get to have their name read again (I'm looking right at you Jon Cryer.) We'll see what happens in September.

Emmy Nomnation Predictions (Including My Wish List)

In less than eight hours, "Scandal" star Kerry Washington and Emmy host Jimmy Kimmel will read 2012's Emmy Nominees. As we all know, there will be obvious locks in each category (expect "Breaking Bad" to receive many drama nods), but considering the wealth of great new talent on TV this year, let's hope we see more new names than the same old (I'm looking at you, "Glee".)

Let's start off with the funniest shows in the business.


Best Comedy
1. "Modern Family"
2. "Parks and Recreation" (Another Dream Nominee)
3. "The Big Bang Theory"
4. "30 Rock"
5. "Louie" (Another Dream Nominee)
6. "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Wild Card Nominees:
New shows "Girls", "New Girl" and "Veep" all have the star power to make it on the Emmy shortlist. If any shows would be knocked off, it might be "Louie" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." And if Emmy voters are still stupid, they'll knock off the superior "Louie" for "Glee." A snub for "Louie," however, may cause rioting in the streets... by me.

Dream Nominees: 
Where to start. "Community" and "Happy Endings" are clearly the two shows that deserve a chance for the gold. But no one should ignore the sheer brilliance of "Cougartown." Even as the show had the lowest ratings ever, the quality stayed just as strong. But we all know that show (and its star) will never see a nod passed their way.


Best Actor- Comedy
1. Jim Parsons- "The Big Bang Theory"
2. Alec Baldwin- "30 Rock"
3. Louis CK- "Louie" (Another Dream Nominee)
4. Larry David- "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
5. Johnny Galecki- "The Big Bang Theory"
6. Joel McHale- "Community" (Another Dream Nominee)

Wild Card Nominees:
In all honesty, Joel McHale is really a dark horse candidate here but I'm too stubborn to leave him off the list. My other wild card nominee- and main dream- would be the phenomenal Adam Scott from "Parks and Recreation" take Johnny Galecki's spot on the comedy actor list. Oh and if Jon Cryer takes that last spot, there is no justice in this world.

Dream Nominee: 
Already said it- Adam Scott. Amy Poehler is always brilliant but her acting level was improved tenfold due to the wonderful support of Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt. And Scott had some gut-busting scenes himself.


Best Actress- Comedy
1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus- "Veep"
2. Amy Poehler- "Parks and Recreation" (Another Dream Nominee... and Winner)
3. Zooey Deschanel- "New Girl" (Another Dream Nominee)
4. Tina Fey- "30 Rock"
5. Melissa McCarthy- "Mike and Molly"
6. Lena Dunham- "Girls" (Another Dream Nominee)

Wild Card Nominees:
Considering how much new, amazing talent there was this season, Edie Falco, Laura Linney and Martha Plimpton will most likely be knocked off the list even though Plimpton had yet another great year. Laura Dern's work on HBO's "Enlightened" is the biggest threat to McCarthy, Dunham or even Fey.

Dream Nominee:
My dream will always be for Courtney Cox to get a nomination for anything she does. It still baffles my mind that she was never nominated for "Friends."


Best Supporting Actor- Comedy 
1. Ty Burrell- "Modern Family"
2. Eric Stonestreet- "Modern Family"
3. Jesse Tyler Ferguson- "Modern Family"
4. Ed O'Neill- "Modern Family"
5. Nick Offerman- "Parks and Recreation" (Another Dream Nominee)
6. Max Greenfield- "New Girl" (Another Dream Nominee)

Wild Card Nominee:
Neil Patrick Harris was snubbed last year in place of the terrible (in my opinion) Jon Cryer. Harris' work this season has been pretty extraordinary and with Cryer switching to Lead Actor this year, there's a chance the singing and dancing machine can make the shortlist once again. If the voters decide to stay with an old favorite over new hopefuls Offerman and Greenfield, they'll probably pick this veteran.

Dream Nominees: 
Every single male on "Community" (with perhaps the exception of Chevy Chase) and "Parks and Recreation" should be nominated for an Emmy for ever season. Danny Pudi, Aziz Ansari and Chris Pratt in particular are so overwhelmingly good, it's crazy. Same goes for "Happy Endings" guys Adam Pally and Damon Wayans, Jr.- both men are too hilarious for their own good. But all of these men face the same problems as their female counterparts: the ensemble shows are too... ensemble-y. Emmy voters may think none of them have enough screen time to shine (though they would be wrong).



Best Supporting Actress- Comedy
1. Sofia Vergara- "Modern Family"
2. Julie Bowen- "Modern Family"
3. Kristen Wiig- "Saturday Night Live"
4. Betty White- "Hot in Cleveland"
5. Jane Krakowski- "30 Rock"
6. Jane Lynch- "Glee"

Wild Card Nominee:
The only person I could see knocking Jane Krakowski or Jane Lynch off the list is scene-stealer extraordinaire Maya Rudolph for her ridiculously good role on "Up All Night."

Dream Nominees:
Aubrey Plaza and Alison Brie are consistently brilliant on their respective shows "Parks and Recreation" and "Community." But alas, "Parks" will most likely score only one acting nod for Amy Poehler beautifully layered work as Leslie Knope. If "Community" gets any recognition at all, it'll be for lead actor Joel McHale. In a fair world, Casey Wilson from "Happy Endings" would also get recognized, but like "Community" the show may be doomed for being too quirky. Like Courtney Cox, Busy Phillips will never be recognized for her amazing work on "Cougartown" and it's a real shame.



Best Drama:
1. "Breaking Bad"
2. "Mad Men"
3. "Homeland"
4. "Downton Abbey"
5. "Game of Thrones"
6. "The Good Wife"

Wild Card Nominee:
"Boardwalk Empire." With "Breaking Bad" back on the eligibility list after the exit of "Friday Night Lights" and "Homeland" taking the empty spot left when "Dexter" is inevitably overlooked for its extremely uneven season, it looks like "Boardwalk" may sit on the sidelines. Unless Emmy voters decide not to keep any network dramas on the list (aka if they get rid of "The Good Wife"), or if they don't take to Downton the way they did when it was considered a Miniseries, "Boardwalk" will be snubbed.

Dream Nominees: 
"Justified", "Damages", "Southland" and "The Walking Dead" are some of my favorite dramas on cable but they will sadly be ignored again. Other great new network shows like "Once Upon A Time," "Revenge," and the extremely new "Scandal" are wonderful but don't have the support to take down juggernauts like "Breaking Bad" (which will inevitably and deservedly win) and "Mad Men." Seeing "Parenthood" on the screen would literally be a dream come true but there's no chance at all for that under-appreciated show.


Best Actor- Drama
1. Bryan Cranston- "Breaking Bad"
2. Jon Hamm- "Mad Men"
3. Steve Buscemi- "Boardwalk Empire"
4. Damian Lewis- "Homeland" (Another Dream Nominee)
5. Kelsey Grammar- "Boss"
6. Hugh Laurie- "House"

Wild Card Nominee: 
I'd prefer the amazing Timothy Olyphant to get his due over Michael C. Hall if only because "Dexter" was really not great this season. But it seems a bit unlikely because "Boss" star Kelsey Grammar is getting some serious buzz.

Dream Nominee: 
Jason Isaacs did stellar work on "Awake" and to see him on the list would bring me pure joy. But alas he, just like another dream nominee of mine Peter Krause from "Parenthood", will never get their due. Another great but unlikely choice: William H. Macy for the wonderful "Shameless." And while a horse controversy surrounds the cancelled "Luck," Oscar-winer Dustin Hoffman was stellar and should never be counted out in any awards show.


Best Actress- Drama
1. Claire Danes- "Homeland" (Another Dream Nominee... And winner)
2. Juliana Marguiles- "The Good Wife"
3. Elizabeth Moss- "Mad Men"
4. Glenn Close- "Damages" (Another Dream Nominee)
5. Mariska Hargitay- "Law and Order: SVU"
6.  Elizabeth McGovern- "Downton Abbey"

Wild Card Nominee: 
Personally, I'd prefer to see "Downton Abbey" star Michelle Dockery to take McGovern's place for that period drama. But even more than the "Downton" ladies, Katey Sagal deserves to be up on the list for her fierce work on "Sons of Anarchy."

Dream Nominees: 
Where to begin. I think eight nominations are enough for Mariska Hargitay. Her spot should be taken by any number of amazing ladies like Emmy Rossum for "Shameless," Katey Sagal for "Sons of Anarchy," Anna Torv for superior work on "Fringe," Madeleine Stowe for "Revenge," and Kerry Washington for the newbie but brilliant "Scandal."


Best Supporting Actor- Drama 
1. Josh Charles- "The Good Wife" (Another Dream Nominee)
2. Peter Dinklage- "Game of Thrones" (Another Dream Nominee)
3. Giancarlo Esposito- "Breaking Bad" (Another Dream Nominee)
4. Aaron Paul- "Breaking Bad" (Another Dream Nominee)
5. Walton Goggins- "Justified"
6. John Slattery- "Mad Men"

Wild Card Nominee:
I came extremely close to just adding John Noble from "Fringe" to the list of nominees as a last-ditch effort to mind-control the Emmy voters into suddenly picking him. But it's a long shot even though this season was epic for the actor. There's a chance that previous nominee Alan Cumming (from "The Good Wife") may take his fellow co-star's spot or Goggins' spot but it's a safe bet that he'll sit in the sidelines this year.

Dream Nominees: 
Too many to count. From every actor on "Southland" to every actor on "Boardwalk Empire," the Supporting Actor-Drama list is a tough one to crack. Even though horses died on the set of "Luck," Nick Nolte did fine work on the show. My biggest dream would be to see the multi-talented Mandy Patinkin get a nod for his fine work on "Homeland" opposite Claire Danes.


Best Supporting Actress- Drama 
1. Christina Hendricks- "Mad Men" (Dream Nominee)
2. Kelly MacDonald- "Boardwalk Empire"
3. Archie Punjabi- "The Good Wife"
4. Maggie Smith- "Downton Abbey"
5. Anna Gunn- "Breaking Bad"
6. Morena Baccarin- "Homeland"

Wild Card Nominees: 
This is the most difficult list to predict. All of the actresses deserve to be on the list but only time will tell.

Dream Nominees (Or in this case, other hopefuls): 
Any of these ladies could snag a nod this year: Christine Baranski for "The Good Wife," Rose Byrne for "Damages," Lana Parilla for "Once Upon A Time," Emilia Clarke for "Game of Thrones," Jennifer Carpenter for "Dexter," Michelle Forbes for "The Killing" and Maggie Siff for "Sons of Anarchy."


Best Miniseries or TV Movie:
1. "Game Change"
2. "Sherlock" (Dream Nominee)
3. "American Horror Story"
4. "The Hour"
5. "Great Expectations"
6. "Hatfields and McCoys"

Wild Card Nominees:
HBO's "Hemingway and Gelhorn" is more like a safe bet than anything else. As long as the TV Movie does not take the place of the beloved "Sherlock," all is right with the world. It's between this and "Great Expectations".

Dream Nominees: 
"Luther" is my biggest dream nominee. Though I would also love to be surprised and see the great "Page 8" on the list as well. But again, nothing should take the place of "Sherlock."


Best Actor- Miniseries or TV Movie:
1. Woody Harrelson- "Game Change"
2. Clive Owen- "Hemingway and Gelhorn"
3. Benedict Cumberbatch- "Sherlock" (Ultimate Dream Nominee)
4. Kevin Costner- "Hatfields and McCoys"
5. Idris Elba- "Luther"
6. Bill Nighy- "Page Eight"

This is  a great list in my opinion. I don't really have any other dream nominees to add. If Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't get his due, I'll be genuinely surprised and devastated.


Best Actress- Miniseries or TV Movie:
1. Julianne Moore- "Game Change"
2. Nicole Kidman- "Hemingway and Gelhorn"
3. Rachel Weisz- "Page Eight"
4. Emma Thompson- "The Song of Lunch"
5. Romola Garai- "The Hour"
6. Connie Britton- "American Horror Story" (Dream Nominee)

Other than Connie, the other ladies seem to be a lock. Connie is definitely my dream nominee here.


Best Supporting Actor- Miniseries or TV Movie: 
1. Martin Freeman- "Sherlock"
2. Ed Harris- "Game Change"
3. David Stratharin- "Hemingway and Gelhorn"
4. Michael Gambon- "Page Eight"
5. Powers Boothe- "Hatfields and McCoys"
6. Denis O'Hare- "American Horror Story" (Dream Nominee)

The only person I could see coming off this list is Denis O'Hare in favor of Tony Shaloub from "Hatfields and McCoys" but O'Hare has been too good in too many things for Emmy voters to make that mistake.


Best Supporting Actress- Miniseries or TV Movie: 
1. Jessica Lange- "American Horror Story"
2. Mare Winningham- "Hatfields and McCoys"
3. Sarah Paulson- "Game Change"
4. Gillian Anderson- "Great Expectations"
5. Laura Pulver- "Sherlock" (Dream Nominee)
6. Judy Davis- "Page Eight"

My dream nominee here is Pulver for her amazing work as Irene Adler in "Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia." But she will most likely be replaced by Jena Malone from "Hatfields and McCoys" or another wild card.


That's it! Let's see what the nominations say. I'll have everything updated as soon as the list is announced.

Movie Review- The Help

Entertaining, endearing, and heartbreaking performances

One of the first films of August that had whispers of Oscar buzz is also one of the year's most memorably inspirational films about strong women. This year, women are taking over TV but with the exceptional performances from Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone, it looks like movies are standing up and taking notice.

The Help is not about how Emma Stone's Skeeter Phelan saving the black maid community in Jackson, Mississippi like some of the promos might accidentally suggest. And thank goodness because there would be no realism or any endearing qualities in a plot like that. No, this film is about Aibileen Clark and her friend Minny Jackson and how the two decide to break the racial boundaries and stereotypes by tlaking about their hardships when very little in their community would.

The film has heart- a lot of it- and it never gets tied down by too many cheesy love stories (there are a couple) or disconnected side plots. Each character is interesting and all of the actors play their roles very convincingly. Every critic has talked about the brilliant performance of the mighty Viola Davis and the intelligence of Emma Stone's portrayal and there is good reason. The two ladies have a great connection and they make up the core of the film. But I was also drawn to Octavia Spencer's unwaveringly strong performance as Minny Jackson, the maid who's tired of being treated less than when it's obvious to her that she's better than the people she works for. Then there's Bryce Dallas Howard who gives the audience an unapologetically villainous to root against. For me, the light of the whole film came from Jessica Chastain's portrayal of the blond, slightly dim yet completely endearing Celia.

I am not a fan of chick flicks. I am not a fan of sappy films. In fact, I cringe while watching films like Steel Magnolias. But this film is not just for women and it's definietly better than it may sound on paper. Sure, there are definitely some cliche moments- Emma Stone's Skeeter has a love story that ends badly- and the film definitely doesn't play up the racial tension of the era as much as it probably should. But it's a smart look into the relationship between two groups of women who don't understand each other at all.

A-

Movie Review- The Change-Up

A brainless Freaky Friday. Wait, rephrase- an even MORE brainless Freaky Friday.

We all knew this film would be dumb. I mean, the two leads said themselves this is a dumb, unoriginal idea. But the cast and crew of The Change-Up must have thought they were sitting on a comedy goldmine of a script to have the courage to make this film. Turns out they didn't. But it's not all bad. 

The Change-Up is about two old friends, Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) and Dave (Jason Bateman) who are completely different. Mitch is a frat-tastic, dummy who can't get a real acting job so he settles for some soft-core porn (more on that later). Dave is a family man with a VERY impressive lawyer job. All Mitch wants is to keep his slacker/ladies man life and all Dave wants... is Mitch's slacker/ladies man life. After a drunken turn of events, they switch bodies and, well, the rest is obvious. 

Best thing about the film: watching Jason Bateman FINALLY play completely against type as the obnoxious, almost misogynistic Mitch. Ryan Reynolds is also great at being both aggressively awful and awkwardly charming in his two different personas. 

Not only does this movie suffer from a tired plot, the comedy is trying too hard to be raunchy. And instead of coming up with a new Hangover or Wedding Crashers, the audience gets a script full of dirty jokes that serve no real purpose. On top of that, there are so many body-switching cliches and the female roles are not well-written. But I will say that there were a few parts that were genuinely humorous- Most of those moments came from Jason Bateman's all-or-nothing performance.

With all the wrong that was going on, it was hard to see the right but for the most part, the film flowed and was a quick watch. Even though the story was dull and the twists were obvious, it didn't falter on pace. And when you're watching a fairly bad movie, that's the best thing you can hope for.

Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds deserve a much better vehicle with which to star in together. They're both fine actors who have more comedy genius than most people combined. But their talent is wasted here with the unoriginal script, twists, and jokes.

C

Movie Review- Crazy, Stupid, Love

Quirky, fun, endearing

Most critics like to describe this movie in sections: the Crazy, the Stupid and the Love. But this is not Eat, Pray, Love people. It's not a film with different sections. I believe the title suggest that love is crazy and stupid. This film is not shy with showing it's crazy or stupid sides, and that makes it the smartest and most realistic romantic comedy of the year. 

Let's start with the basics: Cal (Steve Carell) is a regular guy with a family and nine-to-five job. After years of the same old routine, Cal's wife Emily (Julianne Moore) tells Cal she cheated on him with a guy at work (Kevin Bacon) and now she wants a divorce. Cal is... bummed to say the least and has no direction in life. Enter Ryan Gosling's Jacob- a ladies' man to the core. He never cares about anything under the surface until he meets Hannah (Emma Stone). Finally, there's Cal's son Robbie who's in love with his babysitter Jessica. She, however, is in love with someone more inappropriate.

This film focuses on how these love lives interact and impact each other. Directors Glen Ficcara and  John Requa could have thrown in every cliche in the book- and to be honest there were a few- but the story seemed fresh and exciting, thanks in large part to the great script and the outstanding performances from the four leads.

Steve Carell has proven time and again how great he can be in all types of roles: Little Miss Sunshine, Dan in Real Life and this film are prime examples of how he strikes a perfect balance between the serious and the funny. He is utterly heartbreaking, hilarious and endearing all at the same time. Julianne Moore is stunning as always and actually shares a sweet chemistry with Carell. Emma Stone is charming as always- anyone who was a fan of hers from Easy A will continue their love fest here. But this film would not have been the same with anyone besides Ryan Gosling. He is a genuine star in this film, and it's about damn time considering how pitch perfect he is in most everything. His bromance with Steve Carell is the highlight of the whole movie- no wonder it takes up a large chunk of the story.

Sometimes the plot lines still felt a bit forced and it wasn't crazy enough for my taste- I think the directors did crazy MUCH better with their first film I Love You Phillip Morris but considering this is a more mainstream venture than that film, there's a great divide between Crazy Stupid Love and other rom-coms. Hopefully the genre can be changed with the addition of this film. No longer should romantic comedies be called chick flicks- as long as they are made like this.

A-