“Laughter is the best medicine”
Comedy actors and actresses don’t get enough credit. It takes one heartfelt “I love you” to get romantics crying at a dramatic performance; it takes a whole hell of a lot more to get the cynics crying tears of laughter at a particularly funny moment. It’s the same thing for comedy writers. It’s so much easier to write a dramatic monologue than it is to write a truly funny scene.
That said, let’s delve into what I’d like to see on Thursday morning when we TV addicts wake up early to hear the Emmy nominations.
As I wrote last week’s The Emmys: Drama, I was working “without a net” so to speak, as the top contenders for dramatic roles had not been released, or confirmed in any way. This week, I have what is almost guaranteed as the top vote getters in the comedy series finals, as well as lead actor and lead actress. From the lists of 10 (in series’ case) and 15 finalists (in the case of the actors/actresses), let’s look at who should be nominated, and who probably will be nominated against all of my hopes and wishes, and those should-be-nominees that were inexplicably forgotten (we’ll also talk about my dream Emmy nominees for supporting actor and actress).
The Emmys: Comedy
Series –
It was like this past season brought forth a rebirth of the comedy genre. It was diverse, and most decidedly un-common, as shows experimented with never-before-seen topics, and really allowed themselves to laugh at, well, themselves.
The top 10 (and episode that was submitted, if known):
Arrested Development – “Development Arrested”
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Desperate Housewives
Entourage – “Exodus”
My Name is Earl
The Office – “Booze Cruise”
Scrubs – “My Way Home”
Two and a Half Men – “Santa’s Village of the Damned”
Will and Grace – “The Finale”
Weeds – “You Can’t Miss The Bear”
Shows that should be nominated
Arrested Development – hands down, one of the funniest shows ON TV, EVER. The Bluths are forever my favorite TV family. Actors – all great. Writers – all great. Though my favorite line of all time is not from their submitted entry, let’s just end my little FYC (for your consideration) with this gem from George Michael Bluth – if the Emmys pick Arrested Development, I’m sure it will be a “fun, sexy time” had by all!
The Office – I’ll admit that I was not interested in this show last season. I love Ricky Gervais, so I didn’t want to buy into anyone else in that type of role. But seriously? I’ve been watching and re-watching episodes like mad, and I find myself in tears of laughter every time. And “Booze Cruise” is phenomenal, a really good choice.
Scrubs – Though NBC seems to dislike their own show so much that they treat it like the idiot step child that no one wants, Scrubs gets better each and every episode. It deserves a repeat nomination!
Weeds – A suburban mom sells pot. That right there is enough to make me laugh. Their stories are always creative, and definitely deserving!
Entourage – I love this show, for Jeremy Piven alone, they deserve a nomination.
Shows that probably will be nominated (in this category, I’ve actually gone half and half with my should be/will be picks!!!)
Desperate Housewives (I’ll admit that I laugh every time that I watch this show, but it’s out of pain for a show that went downhill so quickly, it was awarded an honorary medal in alpine skiing at the Torino games. I am not a fan of predictable television, and this is one of the most predictable hours on TV)
My Name is Earl (I’m not against this show, but there are definitely better options)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (The Emmy voters love Larry David)
Will and Grace (Remember last week when I said that there would be shows nominated for sentimentality’s sake? Yeah, consider Will and Grace as that “poor show that ended this season” contender)
2.5 Men (I know, it’s a bit shocking, but rumors are abounding that they are getting serious buzz on this one!!!!)
Shows that are too funny to have been left out
How I Met Your Mother
The Comeback
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (let’s be honest, it doesn’t have a shot in hell….haha)
Sons and Daughters
Lead Actor:
I’d rather date funny than rich, that’s how strongly I feel about a good comedic performance. Let’s look at the finalists (with episode if known):
The top 15:
Jason Bateman – “Notapusy” – Arrested Development
Zach Braff – Scrubs
Steve Carell – The Office
Kevin Connelly – Entourage
Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm
Ricky Gervais – Extras
Omar Gooding – Barbershop
Fred Goss – Sons and Daughters
Adrian Grenier – Entourage
Kevin James – King of Queens
Jason Lee – My Name is Earl
Bernie Mac – The Bernie Mac Show
Eric McCormack – Will and Grace
Tony Shalhoub – Monk
Charlie Sheen – 2.5 Men
Actors that should be nominated
Jason Bateman –is my hero. Yes, I know I say that a lot, about various people, and will most definitely say it about Ricky Gervais when I get to him, but face it, comedy is hard, and Jason Bateman makes it look cool and easy. His Michael Bluth was the glue that held the Bluth family together, and he played it so wonderfully.
Zach Braff – Did you ever notice how much Zach Braff will put up with in the name of comedy? Bad hair flashbacks, and the most offensive black-face makeup, and old man masks, and the list goes on. He’s really truly funny, deserves another nom.
Steve Carell – made the idiot boss of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton office a lovable loser that you feel sorry for, but still laugh at. No one else could be Michael Scott.
Ricky Gervais – here we go with the “Ricky Gervais is my hero” love. Never afraid to make himself look like an idiot, his show “Extras”, is hilarious. The episode where he and Kate Winslet interact over his best friend’s phone sex? I was in tears!
Fred Goss – I am one of 6 or 7 fans of the now defunct “Sons and Daughters” from ABC. Fred Goss’ Cameron was the Michael Bluth of his family. He was a sad-sack husband, with annoying kids, and neighbors, and various other family members, but he managed to be damn funny.
**Tony Shalhoub – I’ve got an obsession with “Monk”. It’s part of my self-diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and I have to thank Tony Shalhoub for that!
Actors that probably will be nominated:
Larry David (The Emmys love him)
Eric McCormack (again with the “oh, so sad that your show is over”)
Jason Lee (for that moustache alone)
Tony Shalhoub (The Emmys love him like they love them some Larry David)
Charlie Sheen (Apparently, the critics haven’t seen Hot Shots: Part Deux – there are some big rumors abounding that he’s locked it up…scary…)
Lead Actress
Everyone loves a funny woman – it makes the beautiful ones more relatable, and the not as beautiful ones more attractive.
The top 15 (with episode submission if known)
Tichina Arnold – Everybody Hates Chris
Stockard Channing – Out of Practice
Marcia Cross – Desperate Housewives
Jenna Elfman – Courting Alex
Lauren Graham – “Partings” – Gilmore Girls
Teri Hatcher – Desperate Housewives
Felicity Huffman – Desperate Housewives
Jane Kaczmarek – “Lois Strikes Back” – Malcolm in the Middle
Lisa Kudrow – “Valerie Does Another Classic Leno” – The Comeback
Eva Longoria – Desperate Housewives
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – …Old Christine
Reba McEntire – Reba
Debra Messing – Will and Grace
Mary-Louise Parker – “The Punishment Light” – Weeds
Leah Remini – King of Queens
Actresses that should be nominated
Tichina Arnold – she is pure funny.
Marcia Cross – of the four, she’s one of the 2 “Housewives” that I feel deserve a comedy nomination this season. She is playing such a crazy person, it’s pure black comedy – when she checked herself into the psychiatric hospital, she had such a look of inanity, it really was something phenomenal.
Lauren Graham – Let’s have her join the Battlestar Galactic cast members from last week – crime against humanity if after this season, and this particular episode, she isn’t finally rewarded.
Jane Kaczmarek – you’re only as good as the material you’re given. While that might be true, I think that Jane Kaczmarek might actually go above and beyond the material she’s given. With what insiders are calling a “great tape,” she’s a likely contender.
Mary-Louise Parker – she really sells her role, no pun intended. As the aforementioned suburban mom selling pot, she really gives it her all, plays it dry, and deserves a nom.
**Lisa Kudrow – 6 words, “I don’t need to see that”. That right there should lock it up.
**Felicity Huffman –she’s a great actress, one of the only strong ones on DH.
Actresses that probably will be nominated
Marcia Cross (deservedly)
Teri Hatcher (um…..I can whine, and cry, and act like a ditz, too. Nominate me)
Felicity Huffman (deservedly)
Eva Longoria (yeah…not even sure how to handle that one)
Debra Messing (she’s on Will and Grace. The Emmys will miss the show…)
Supporting Roles
The new judging rules, sadly, don’t apply to supporting actors/actresses, so I don’t have finalist lists off of which I can go to guide me towards who should or shouldn’t be nominated. Here’s what I’d LIKE to see:
Supporting Actors that should be nominated
John Krasinski – The Office – He makes me laugh, he makes me cry. He is, dare I say it, just another one of my acting heroes!!! And he’s so cute it makes me grin like a foolish little girl haha.
Michael Cera – Arrested Development – 8 words – “Oh what a fun, sexy time for you”. He is young, but he has incredible comedic timing.
Tony Hale – Arrested Development – 2 words – “Hey Brother”. Buster Bluth is one of the greatest characters on record. He deserves a nom!
Jeffrey Tambor – Arrested Development – The Bluth family patriarch. Spot on hilarious.
Will Arnett – Arrested Development – Every time I see Will Arnett in pictures, movies, etc., all I picture is a big magic trick montage set to “The Final Countdown”. So freaking hilarious.
David Cross – Arrested Development – Tobias, Tobias, Tobias Tobias…no other character like him exists. LOVE IT!
John C. McGinley – Scrubs – he is perennially forgotten, and always deserving. The episode entitled “My Fallen Idol” is probably some of his best work to date.
Donald Faison – Scrubs – Turk. Air band. As Lawyer!Ted said “He’s so damn talented”
Supporting Actors that probably will be nominated
Sean Hayes – Will and Grace (The Emmys aren’t The Emmys without him)
Jeremy Piven – Entourage (deservedly)
Ethan Supplee – My Name is Earl (he plays “dumb” well)
Jon Cryer – 2.5 Men (apparently, Ducky sent in a good tape)
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother (he’s getting good buzz going into Thursday’s noms!)
Supporting Actresses that should be nominated
Portia Di Rossi – Arrested Development – hated her on Ally McBeal; worshipped her on Arrested Development. Give her a nom, please!
Jessica Walter – Arrested Development – any time Lucille Bluth winked at someone, as she was often wont to do, I found myself thinking “give her an Emmy please”. So, please?
Kelly Bishop – Gilmore Girls – She is fierce. Good with the drama, great with the comedy. She should have an honorary Emmy already for how great Emily Gilmore truly is!
Jaime Pressly – My Name is Earl – Oh Snap! She is SOOOOO good as Earl’s ex wife. She makes the show watchable for me!
Sarah Chalke – Scrubs – Frick! She is the female Zach Braff, not afraid to put up with whatever she has to in the name of comedy. She is a member of one of the funniest casts ever assembled, hands down!
Judy Reyes – Scrubs – There is no one like Carla on TV. Judy Reyes is overdue for a nomination.
Jenna Fischer – The Office – One of my favorite episodes of the season – The Dundies episode? Drunk Pam? Amazingly funny!
Supporting Actresses that probably will be nominated
Elizabeth Perkins – Weeds (nothing against her, just not a huge fan)
Megan Mullaly – Will and Grace (The Emmys aren’t The Emmys without her either)
Holland Taylor – 2.5 Men (all of a sudden this show is all anyone can talk about!)
Conchata Ferell – 2.5 Men (is this the new DH or Will and Grace, with all the almost noms?)
Cheryl Hines – Curb Your Enthusiasm (it is a truly funny show and she does a great job)
My favorite TV moments from the past week:
It’s a toss up between Charlie, Mac, and Dennis getting stuck behind a fence on It’s Always Sunny… or the impromptu sing-along of Extreme’s “More Than Words” in the bar, with the core four – Dennis, Mac, Charlie, and Sweet Dee. I was laughing so hard that my chest hurt, and I had buckets of tears literally streaming down my face. Danny Devito fits in so well, too, doesn’t he?
Also, I rewatched the Battlestar Galactica miniseries over the weekend, and realized how much I truly love it. Can’t wait for new episodes!
Good TV + Good Music = An Obsession
Veronica Mars + The Dandy Warhols‘ “We Used to be Friends“ = The most recognizable TV theme song since Dawson’s Creek first met Paula Cole
Whenever I hear the opening to the song, I’m immediately brought back to one of the greatest shows on Earth. I love the song so much that I have it on about 6 of my recently made mix-CDs, and I constantly sing along at the very top of my lungs when it comes on. If you like this one, check out “The Dandy Warhols Love Almost Everyone” or “The Last High”
As always, thanks for reading –
Next week, we’ll finish up the Emmy-trilogy with reaction to the nominees. Who do you want to see nominated? Come this Thursday, how close was I in my picks? What was your favorite TV moment this week? Have you started watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and if not, why??? Email me – mytakeontv@thetvaddict.com