Emmy Nominations Blog-a-palooza

And two months later, she comes back to her blog...

I spent most of May and June transitioning out of my job as interim artistic director at Heartland Theatre, directing the annual 10-minute play festival there, and actually taking a vacation. It seems I needed some time off. But local theatre and entertainment have gone on without me too long, I think! You didn't get to hear my side of the "Class Reunion" plays -- terrific all around, if I do say so myself -- or the TV, movies and stage shows that came and went while I was AWOL. I even missed the Tony wrap-up.

So what lured me back? The 2015 Emmy nominations, of course! I always have opinions on that sort of thing and I can't keep them under wraps a minute longer.

If you want to see Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black) and Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance) read the list of nominees, you can find that video here or here. If you want to read the complete list, all the way through Outstanding Costumes For A Contemporary Series, Limited Series or Movie on page 11, the Emmy site can help you out.

Here are some highlights:

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Louie (FX)
Modern Family (ABC)
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Transparent (Amazon Instant Video)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Veep (HBO)

Should win: Parks and Recreation, which finished out its run with a triumphant series finale.
Will win: It's hard to bet against Modern Family, which has won the past five years. But surely the Academy is tired of it by now. One can dream... Transparent has the zeitgeist (and a bunch of Golden Globes) but Veep is an Emmy favorite. Still, I'm holding onto hope for Parks and Recreation.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC)
Don Cheadle, House of Lies (Showtime)
Louie C. K., Louie (FX)
Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth (Fox)
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes (Showtime)
William H. Macey, Shameless (Showtime)
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon Instant Video)

Should win: Jeffrey Tambor
Will win: Jeffrey Tambor

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback (HBO)
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie (Netflix)

Should win: Amy Poehler. She has made Leslie Knope a beautiful mix of ambition, good cheer and idealism, and that work deserves to be celebrated before we put Parks and Recreation out to pasture.
Will win: Lisa Kudrow has done amazing work with a flawed character who is too real to be all that funny, Amy Schumer is the current It Girl (and definitely funny), Edie Falco keeps doing yeoman work with Nurse Jackie, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus is an Emmy fave with three wins in this category for Veep plus one for The New Adventures of Old Christine and one as a supporting actress for Seinfeld. So who will win? Probably Louis-Dreyfus. Emmy voters love their streaks.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Homeland (Showtime)
House of Cards  (Netflix)
Mad Men (AMC)
Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)

Should win: I am partial to Mad Men. Like Parks and Rec, this powerhouse finished up its run this year.
Will win: Game of Thrones may have all the buzz, given its 24 nominations and polarizing plotlines (especially concerning violence toward women), but I think Mad Men will emerge as the victor in celebration of its brilliant final season.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline (Netflix)
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom (HBO)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)
Bob Odenbirk, Better Call Saul (AMC)
Liev Schrieber, Ray Donovan (Showtime)
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards (Netflix)

Should win: Jon Hamm
Will win: I refuse to accept any outcome other than Jon Hamm finally winning an Emmy for his fantastic work as complicated, screwed-up, product-of-his-time Don Draper.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Claire Danes, Homeland (Showtime)
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
Taraji P. Henson, Empire (ABC)
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)
Elizabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC)
Robin Wright, House of Cards (Netflix)

Should win: Anybody except Claire Danes. This is a talent-packed category. Tatiana Maslany, previously overlooked, certainly deserves the Emmy for her insane array of Orphan Black clones, as does Viola Davis, who is so brilliant that she makes the otherwise crazy How to Get Away with Murder so very watchable. And then there is the force of nature known as Taraji P. Henson as Cookie on Empire, while Elizabeth Moss, so good for so long on Mad Men, and Robin Wright, a bright spot in a dismal season of House of Cards, are also worthy.
Will win: I'll go with Viola. She was a stunner. Her taking-off-her-wig scene was as good as it gets on TV.

OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
American Crime (ABC)
American Horror Story: Freakshow (FX)
Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
The Honorable Woman (Sundance)
Wolf Hall (PBS)

Should win: Olive Kitteridge
Will win: Olive Kitteridge

OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE
Agatha Christie's Poirot: Curtain, Poirot's Last Case (Acorn TV)
Bessie (HBO)
Grace of Monaco (Lifetime)
Hello Ladies: The Movie (HBO)
Killing Jesus (National Geographic Channel)
Nightingale (HBO)

Should win: Bessie is the total package.
Will win: Bessie. Poirot is also wonderful, and in Curtain, the show (and Poirot himself) boarded that crime-solving Orient Express in the sky, which may give it some sentimental oomph. Still, Bessie was bold and sad and provocative and everything an Emmy winner should be.

And outside those categories... If you are connected to Illinois Wesleyan University, you will be pleased to know that alum Richard Jenkins was nominated as lead actor for his work on Olive Kitteridge, while Jane Lynch is representing ISU with a nomination as host of Hollywood Game Night.

It's also noteworthy that half of the nominated field for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie is British this time out. The English trio are Ricky Gervais (Derek Special), David Oyelowo (Nightingale) and Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall), with Americans Jenkins, Timothy Hutton (American Crime) and Adrien Brody (Houdini) filling out the category. Over on the actress side of Limited Series or Movie, Emma Thompson (Sweeney Todd) is the lone Brit, facing Queen Latifah (Bessie), Frances McDormand (Olive Kitteridge), Felicity Huffman (American Crime) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Honorable Woman).

If I'm picking winners for TV movies and minis, nobody much on the male side stood out for me, but I'll go with Queen Latifah as Best Actress. Mo'Nique was also nominated for Bessie, for her supporting role as Ma Rainey opposite Queen Latifah's Bessie Smith, and if I'm honest, I'd like to see both of them win.

The Emmy Awards will be broadcast on Fox on September 20th. I'm sure prognostications will become more prevalent as we get nearer to September. In the meantime, it's well worth your while to check out the last episodes of Mad Men and Parks and Recreation as well as Bessie and Veep from HBO, Poirot's Curtain, Tatiana Maslany and Orphan Black, Transparent on Amazon and Kimmy Schmidt and Bloodline on Netflix. It's all still out there for the viewing.

PARKS AND RECREATION Starts the Final Countdown Tonight with Two Episodes

Bye bye Li'l Sebastian

Miss you in the saddest fashion

Bye bye Li'l Sebastian

You're 5000 candles in the wind... 

NBC's Parks and Recreation isn't ready to sing 5000 Candles in the Wind for the last time just yet, but it's hard not to think about how much we'll miss that crazy little show when it does spread its wings and fly from our televisions at the end of this season.

Although Parks and Rec was renewed early in 2014, its 2015 season will its last. And then we will bid a fond farewell to Pawnee, Indiana, and residents like Leslie Knope, the cockeyed optimist/go-getter played by Amy Poehler; her former boss, meat-and breakfast-lover Ron Swanson, played by U of I's own Nick Offerman; Leslie's sweet spouse Ben, numbers guy and inventer of The Cones of Dunshire, played by Adam Scott; odd couple April and Andy (Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt), office-workers Donna (Retta Sirleaf), Tom (Aziz Ansari) and Gary/Jerry/Larry/Terry (Jim O'Heir) and an assortment of nuts and bolts that has included Ron's ex-wives Tammy 1 and 2 (Patricia Clarkson and Megan Mullally), candy heir Bobby Newport (Paul Rudd) and real-life politicos like Joe Biden and John McCain. Oh, and Michelle Obama, who visited at the end of season 6.

At the end of last season, Leslie's BFF Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) and perfectly perfect city manager Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) had left Pawnee to raise their new baby elsewhere, but there are rumors they will make a return to say goodbye. Since Ann was there from the get-go, it would only make sense to see her again before it's all over.

In the meantime, Parks and Recreation will be back tonight for the first and second of its last thirteen episodes. Leslie and company will be jumping two years into the future to show us what happens when Ms. Knope takes a big promotion to the U.S. Park Service and brings the regional office she is now in charge of to Pawnee. Leslie and Ben have triplets, Jerry is now going by Terry, and Jon Hamm is on hand as an absolutely terrible employee Leslie has to fire.

Yes, there are two episodes tonight, and there will be every Tuesday between now and February 24. It's a brief blast of wonderful as we bid a fond farewell to our favorite Midwest municipal (and now federal) employees.

Maybe someday we'll saddle up again

And I know I'll always miss my horsiest friend

Spread your wings and fly...

My "Spoilers" for TV in 2014

Looking ahead into 2014, we expect things to continue to be crazy, outrageous and unbelievable on our favorite TV shows. That's part of why we keep tuning in, right? Since they've already filmed their episodes, even the most secretive shows have given hints to what's coming. Some of it is pretty mysterious and some just plain annoying. I think my crystal ball is a lot more fun (and a lot more satisfying) than the real deal, anyway. So here are my faux spoilers -- foilers, if you prefer -- to answer some of the burning questions left behind when we last saw our favorite shows.

AMERICAN IDOL

Cliffhanger: How will American Idol come back from drooping ratings, limp tour sales and unpleasant, unwatchable judges?  
A Modest Proposal: Runners-up Clay Aiken, Lauren Alaina, David Archuleta, Bo Bice, Crystal Bowersox, Diana DeGarmo, Justin Guarini, Kree Harrison, Adam Lambert, Blake Lewis, Katharine McPhee and Jessica Sanchez fight it out Hunger Games style to see who wins the right to perform in a live broadcast of Li'l Abner on NBC at Christmastime. Everyone sings either "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" or "Against All Odds" every week with the lowest vote getter blasted into space, thrown into a pit with hungry tigers or some other appropriate fate. "Judges" J-Lo, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. get to decide which trial is best for which loser.

BLACKLIST

Cliffhanger: Why the heck is Red so interested in Liz? He must be her dad, right? And what is the deal with her husband?
My answer: Red is not Liz's father. He is Tom's father!

GENERAL HOSPITAL

 Cliffhangers: Sonny's in jail because his idiot kid Morgan shot the bodyguard and Sonny took the rap. Robin is back from the dead. And Sabrina is preggers.

My solution: A special flesh-eating bacteria geared to specific DNA, created by Obrecht, takes out Sonny, Carly, Morgan and every reference to Jason remaining in Port Charles. You know, tombstones, leather jackets, motorcycles... This is a very specific and targeted bacteria. Oh, and Sam's son Danny is really another product of a Dante-and-Lulu embryo, so he's fine. Sabrina is really Sonny's child from Lily, who wasn't as dead as she seemed but is now, so Sabs is a goner. Robin and Patrick shed one small tear but are otherwise happy. Emma writes a children's book called "Didgeridoo & You," dedicated to her granddad.

THE GOOD WIFE

Cliffhanger: It's been rough sailing for new firm Florrick Agos as the old one, Lockhart Gardner, won't let go, including all kinds of dirty tricks, crimes and misdemeanors. And the Governor's Ethics chick is preggers.

The perfect pay-off: Florrick Agos hires Bob Benson away from Sterling Cooper & Partners to make a brand new combo law firm/ad agency called Florrick Agos Benson, or FAB. Bob Benson takes care of that little Damian Boyle problem in about three seconds. As for the father of the Ethics chick's baby, I don't care, as long as she goes far, far away.

HOMELAND

Cliffhanger: Brody was executed. Saul left government service. And Claire is preggers.

What Should Happen: Brody isn't dead. Claire is pregnant, but when Brody tracks her down, she swears it isn't his. She says it's Saul's!

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Cliffhanger: Marshall finally arrived. The mother sent Ted a drink. (You call that a cliff-hanger? This plot is proceeding so slowly Marshall and Lily will be grandparents before we actually see anybody at the altar.)

Happily Ever After: Barney leaves Robin at the altar and she really isn't all that sorry considering what an emotionally stunted cretin he is. Meanwhile, we see a LOT more of the Mother, filling up all that screen time left after Barney's departure.

NASHVILLE

Cliffhanger: Teddy's looney tunes wife was shot down. Will was staring down a train, trying to decide whether to off himself because he is living a lie.

The Flip Side: Yeah, I don't care about Teddy or his wife, either. Will is saved by the man of his dreams, Luke Wheeler, who admits that he, too, is gay and the two of them can chart a path together. Deacon's new solo career goes gangbusters, especially when he has a megahit single with his daughter Maddie. Now that she knows the truth about Luke, Rayna hankers in Deacon's direction. Scarlett goes on the road with Gunnar, both pretending it's professional only. Juliette and Avery get together while Scarlett is away, and the two of them become a real power duo. Scarlett and Gunnar sort of wander back together without really paying attention. "Oh, look. We're a couple. How did that happen?"

ONCE UPON A TIME

Cliffhanger: Everybody got booted back to the Enchanted Forest. Everybody except Emma and Henry, who were sent to live as a normal life in NYC without any memory of Storybrooke.

The Next Chapter: Emma awakes from hot (and inexplicable, to her) pirate dreams to find out that Henry hears a Who. Who? I'm going with one of the Seven Dwarfs, reduced to 1/100th his normal size and stuck on a dandelion in Central Park. When the Who calls, it will pull Emma and Henry away from their boring real world and back to the Enchanted Forest pronto.

PARKS AND RECREATION

Cliffhanger: Leslie got fired, sending her back to Parks & Rec. Ditto Ben, who flirted with a job as an accountant before also going back to Parks & Rec. Ann and Chris left town.

Justice: Councilman Jamm gets jammed between a giant tooth and a giant toothbrush at a dental conference, getting brushed a little too roughly. He ends up in a coma. Jerry/Garry/Larry is appointed to fill his position. Leslie now has her way with the City Council due to her inside man, Jerry/Garry/Larry. Ben sells his Cones of Dunshire game to German game company Hans im Glück and wins the Spiel des Jahres for it. He also makes a lot of money, which allows Leslie and Ben to buy Sweetums, bringing back Sweetums heir Bobby Newport (Paul Rudd) who must now work as their butler in the wake of his brother, Nick Newport Jr., running off with stepmom Jessica Wicks and taking the Sweetums spokesdog, Shoelace. Nick Jr.'s supposed children Denver and Dakota are revealed to be fakes, anyway

REVENGE

 Cliffhanger: Emily got shot and dumped in the sea at her own wedding.

 Coming Attractions: Previews tells us Emily is alive and in a hospital, suffering from (dun dun dun) AMNESIA. Well, I say she doesn't have amnesia. Which means she's faking it because she wants REVENGE again.

SCANDAL

Cliffhanger: Olivia's mom is alive and back in DC. She's also probably BAD. Quinn went over to the dark side after some dental work from Huck. Jake replaced Olivia's dad at the top of B6-13. Cyrus is back together -- sort of -- with his husband. And the Vice President murdered her husband for sleeping with Cyrus's.

What's Next: Huck gives up the torture biz and helps Jake take down B6-13 from the inside. The VP is bonkers and her job will be taken by... Cyrus! Fitz isn't the real Fitz. When he was sent to Iceland to shoot down that plane, the Russians stole the real Fitz and replaced him with a lookalike mole. Olivia's mum was in on it and now she's the only one who can out him. Well, except for the REAL Fitz. When he shows up, everything is up in the air. Who's President? Who's in love with Liv? Who's the father of Mellie's children? Well, probably Big Jerry.

I can't wait to see if any of this actually happens. Wouldn't that be amusing?

Winners/Losers/Emmy Nominations

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences isn't exactly known for its taste or insight when it comes to handing out awards. Let's just recap: Four consecutive awards for John Larroquette for playing a one-note role as a creepy lawyer on Night Court, four more for Rhea Perlman as the snotty waitress on Cheers, 142 nominations for Saturday Night Live over the years, including a lot of bad years, The Andy Griffith Show's Don Knotts taking home five Emmys while Andy Griffith wasn't even nominated, and Jon Cryer winning in the Lead Actor in a Comedy category for Two and a Half Men last year. Meanwhile, Steve Carell was shut out for his role on The Office, and Jason Alexander got nominated seven times as George Costanza on Seinfeld and never won.

What that means is that the Emmy Awards are fickle and strange, the Academy loves some shows and some performers far more and far longer than seems reasonable, and it's really hard to predict what new ways they can find to go off track.

This year, when the nominations were announced, you would be justified if you asked where the heck Monica Potter (Parenthood), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Games of Thrones), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) were, not to mention a few missing writing nominations for Mad Men and the omission of a comedy series nod for Parks and Recreation. And why in the word is American Horror Story: Asylum classified as a movie or miniseries?

I like Connie Britton and I love Nashville, but she definitely doesn't belong with the likes of Kerry Washington (Scandal), Robin Wright (House of Cards) and Claire Danes (Homeland), especially when the aforementioned Margulies is nowhere to be found. I like Dan Bucatinsky and I love Scandal, but they nominated Bucatinsky and not Jeff Perry, who is absolutely sensational as scheming Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene? And, seriously, no Nick Offerman? Again?

It's nice to see recognition for the Netflix series House of Cards and a little love for Netflix's Arrested Development, with the Academy apparently deciding that made-for-the-net-and-never-broadcast-on-TV series like those do indeed count as television. Now all we need is for the Daytime Emmys to work the same way and include made-for-the-net-and-then-later-shown-on-TV series like the new versions of All My Children and One Life to Live. I'll believe it when I see it.

Here are some of the major categories and how the nominations play out:

Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Girls (HBO)
Louie (FX)
Modern Family (ABC)
30 Rock (NBC)
Veep (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Laura Dern (Enlightened)
Lena Dunham (Girls)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Amy Poehler (Parks And Recreation)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Jason Bateman (Arrested Development)
Don Cheadle (House of Lies)
Louis C.K. (Louie)
Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory)
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Anna Chlumsky (Veep)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
Jane Lynch (Glee)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Adam Driver (Girls)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) 
Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live)
Tony Hale (Veep)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series 
Girls, "On All Fours," directed by Lena Dunham
Glee, "Diva," directed by Paris Barclay
Louie, "New Year's Eve," directed by Louis C.K.
Modern Family, "Arrested," directed by Gail Mancuso
30 Rock, "Hogcock!," directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller
30 Rock, "Last Lunch," directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Episodes, "Episode 209, written by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik
Louie, "Daddy's Girlfriend (Part 1),"  story and teleplay by Louis C.K., story by Pamela Adlon
The Office, "Finale," written by Greg Daniels
30 Rock, "Hogcock!," written by Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock
30 Rock, "Last Lunch," written by Tina Fey and Tracey Wigfield

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Outstanding Drama Series
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Game Of Thrones (HBO)
Homeland (Showtime)
House Of Cards (Netflix)
Mad Men (AMC) 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton (Nashville)
Claire Danes (Homeland)
Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey)
Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Kerry Washington (Scandal)
Robin Wright (House of Cards)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad)
Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire)
Jim Carter (Downton Abbey)
Peter Dinklage (Game Of Thrones)
Mandy Patinkin (Homeland)
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Morena Baccarin (Homeland)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Emilia Clarke (Game Of Thrones)
Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series 
Boardwalk Empire, "Margate Sands," directed by Tim Van Patten
Breaking Bad, "Gliding Over All," directed by Michelle MacLaren
Downton Abbey, "Episode 4," directed by Jeremy Webb
Homeland, "Q&A," directed by Linka Glatter
House Of Cards, "Chapter 1," directed by David Fincher

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series 
Breaking Bad, "Dead Freight," written by George Mastras
Breaking Bad, "Say My Name," written byThomas Schnauz
Downton Abbey, "Episode 4," written by Julian Fellowes
Game Of Thrones, "The Rains Of Castamere," written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Homeland, " Q&A," written by Henry Bromell 

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Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Behind The Candelabra (HBO)
The Bible (HISTORY)
Phil Spector (HBO)
Political Animals (USA)
Top Of The Lake (Sundance)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum)
Laura Linney (The Big C: Hereafter)
Helen Mirren (Phil Spector)
Elisabeth Moss (Top Of The Lake)
Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Benedict Cumberbatch (Parade's End)
Matt Damon (Behind The Candelabra)
Michael Douglas (Behind The Candelabra)
Toby Jones (The Girl)
Al Pacino (Phil Spector)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Scott Bakula (Behind The Candelabra) 
James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum)
John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C: Hereafter)
Peter Mullan (Top Of The Lake)
Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story: Asylum)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Ellen Burstyn (Political Animals)
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Asylum)
Charlotte Rampling (Restless)
Imelda Staunton (The Girl)
Alfre Woodard (Steel Magnolias)

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Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Project Runway (Lifetime)
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)

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Outstanding Variety Series
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

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The Emmy Awards will be handed out on CBS on Sunday, September 22 at 7 pm Central. To see the list of complete nominations, click here. I wouldn't bet against anything from Homeland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus or The Amazing Race. 

Comedy Tonight (Last Night) on NBC -- The Office and Parks & Rec Returned

The Office and Parks and Recreation are back! NBC's Thursday night comedy line-up has been its calling card for a good, long while and, for the most part, I have been on-board with that. Cheers, The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, Family Ties, Friends, Frasier... Some very good stuff there.

More recently, we've had Community, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock and The Office. They haven't enjoyed the boffo ratings of Cosby and Seinfeld before them, but they've made me happy, anyway.

Even so, I was severely disappointed with The Office last season, with my major reactions being "All this Andy humiliation is appalling," "OMG Robert California is a terrible character" and "OMG Nellie is terrible character." So I tuned in last night with some trepidation. Can this sinking ship be righted?

Mindy Kaling and B. J. Novak have left the building, and their characters' departures were dealt with right off the top in the season premiere episode, which aired last night. That prologue/back story/catch-up was funny and disposed of both Kelly Kapoor and Ryan the Former Intern as neatly as possible.

The other big development was that two new people have been added. One is schlubby and wears glasses and has been dubbed Dwight, Jr. by his colleagues, while the other is bright and good-looking and serves as The New Jim. Neither Dwight (Rainn Wilson) nor Jim (John Krasinski) appreciated that, and a big chunk of the episode was devoted to how they handled the comparisons as well as feeling old and over the hill in general. We also found out that Dwight is not the father of Angela's baby, and that Angela's husband may be having some kind of thing on the side with Oscar (Oscar Nunez). Oscar also took a car that had belonged to Angela (Angela Kinsey) after rigorous adoption interviews conducted at the office.

The "Dwight and Jim Feel Old" section overlapped Andy's plot, which involves him hating on Nellie, who is still hanging around for inexplicable reasons. Now, instead of "Humiliate Andy" as the game du jour, we're getting "Get Nellie." It's not anymore fun than the first one.

Overall, I found the episode pretty much as cringeworthy as last season, although Creed was pretty funny summing things up in his usual clueless way. GRADE: D for DOPEY and DISMAL

Parks and Recreation is a better show all around, and unsurprisingly, it had a better season premiere, too. It dealt with reunions, as Leslie (Amy Poehler) and Andy (Chris Pratt) went to Washington DC to see their romantic partners, Ben (Adam Scott), now working on a congressman campaign, and April (Aubrey Plaza), who went with Ben as his intern.

The reunions were sweet and funny, and sad, too, as everybody figured out that long-distance relationships are tough to keep up. Leslie also realized how small and unimportant her (previously) exciting job on the town council is when compared to Ben's new high-powered gig, as shown by cameos from Senators Barbara Boxer, Olympia Snowe and John McCain, who were all fun and fizzy in their brief roles. So far, Leslie and Ben are working hard to stay together (even if it's on Skype) but we know it's rough sledding ahead.

Meanwhile, back in Pawnee, Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) didn't agree with how the usual employee-appreciation BBQ should go, and the unappealing Ann-Tom match-up was officially declared over, even though they felt the need to pretend they were still into each other. I totally didn't get that last part, I hate them together, and I hope they can split up and play scenes with other people now.

For me, the A (Leslie Goes to Washington), B (Ron Makes a Hash of the Picnic) and C (Andy Is a Goof) stories all worked, with only that slacker about Ann (Rashida Jones) and Tom (Aziz Ansari) leaving me cold. GRADE: A for AWESOME

Can't wait to see how Leslie and Ben survive their troubles. Probably won't waste any time on how they write off Dwight or how the new guys fit in The Office.

Critics Choose "Community," "Homeland" and "Sherlock" as Their Faves

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (that would be your BTJA) gave out its second annual Critics Choice Awards for the television shows and performers its critic members enjoy the most last Monday night, June 18.

So who and what did the TV critics commend?

The Best Comedy Series award for "Community" showed that somebody appreciates creator Dan Harmon and his anarchic vision (even if that somebody isn't NBC, who recently gave Harmon his pink slip) and that the critics at the BTJA are willing to bypass Emmy darling "Modern Family" just this once. The other comedy series nominated (besides "Community" and "Modern Family") were "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "Parks and Recreation" on NBC, HBO's flashy new "Girls" series, and "New Girl," the Zooey Deschanel vehicle on Fox that is not as new as but more singular than "Girls." Out of those, I wouldn't quibble with any of "Community," "Modern Family" or "Parks and Rec," which are all on my Must Watch list.

And even though "Modern Family" didn't take home the Best Series award, it did take Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen as sweetly flaky Phil and Claire Dunphy.

"Homeland," the nerve-wracking Showtime series about a Manchurian Candidate/terrorist and the bipolar agent tracking him, won the Best Drama Series award over fellow nominees "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men," both on AMC, PBS's "Downton Abbey," HBO's "The Game of Thrones," and the lone major network contender, "The Good Wife" on CBS. That is a pretty impressive line-up of nominees, right there.

Claire Danes, the bipolar agent I mentioned up there, was named Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role on "Homeland."

PBS's new "Sherlock" nabbed the prize for Best Movie/Miniseries, as well as Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries for star Benedict Cumberbatch.

FX's secret agent cartoon "Archer" won Best Animated Series, Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations," the international food show on the Travel Network, was named Best Reality Series (non-competition category), while NBC's "The Voice," the singing contest with the oversize swivel chairs holding Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton as judges/mentors, won Best Reality Series -- Competition. NBC also picked up the award for Best Talk Show for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," the fun and amusing show that outclasses its late-night partner, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on a nightly basis. And, no, Leno wasn't nominated. "Conan," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "The View" were.

Five shows set to premiere next fall were given the nod as Most Exciting New Series (apparently based on the premise and/or pilots) including "The Following," "The Mindy Project, "Nashville, "The Newsroom" and "Political Animals."

Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series went to Bryan Cranston and Giancarlo Esposito for AMC's "Breaking Bad," with "Mad Men," also on AMC, taking the Best Supporting Actress award for Christina Hendricks. Best Guest Performer in a Drama was Lucy Liu for "Southland" on TNT.

Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries was Julianne Moore, playing Sarah Palin in HBO's "Game Change," with Louis C. K. named Best Actor in a Comedy Series for "Louie" on FX,  and Zooey Deschanel (the "New Girl" herself) and Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation") tying for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Paul Rudd took Best Guest Performer in a Comedy for his adorable and hilarious turn as a rich dimwit running against Amy Poehler's character for town council on "Parks and Rec."

Best Reality Show Host was also a tie, between Tom Bergeron of "Dancing with the Stars" and Cat Deeley of "So You Think You Can Dance." Maybe we should demand a dance-off?

You can click here to see all the winners and here if you'd like to expand your horizons to include all the nominees. It won't be too long till it's Emmy time (nominations announced on July 19) so if your fave did not prevail with the critics from the BTJA, never fear. More awards to come!

On TV: My Faves Are Safe!

Although my TV watching has been spotty at best this season, I have kept up with a few things I've become attached to. So while "House" has dropped off my radar as it winds to a conclusion (love Hugh Laurie, love Robert Sean Leonard, will not watch them kill off Wilson as they wrap up the show 4-Eva) and I decided to quit "The Office" when it and new characters Robert California and Nellie somebody-or-other annoyed me beyond the point of redemption, I have found some new shows I like a lot. As it stands, as pretty much everything on TV pulls out all the stops for May sweeps and their season finales, I think all my faves have now been pronounced safe for new seasons. I will say a small "Hurray!" for that.

On ABC, a network I am still mad at for canceling my soaps (Oh, "One Life to Live," how I miss you!) they've taken a small step back into my good graces by giving me "Once Upon a Time," the show that throws fairytale characters like Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White and her Prince Charming (and even the Mad Hatter, which defies explanation, since "Alice in Wonderland" is not a fairytale) into a small town in Maine, most of them with no memory of their previous lives in magical realms. "Once Upon a Time" has been a big success for ABC on Sunday nights, so it's no surprised it's gotten the official pick-up for next season. Things have gotten good as the curse that trapped them all in Storybrooke, Maine, begins to crack, and I'm all primed for the Season 1 finale on Sunday.

I've also enjoyed "Happy Endings," in its sophomore season as a sort of "Friends" for the New Millennium with a married couple, a black guy and a gay guy. It's funnier to me than "Friends" ever was, it's set in Chicago, and I'm ever so glad it'll be back with new adventures for its sextet of friends. I'm also hoping that daffy Penny, played by Casey Wilson, gets a hot boyfriend next fall. Come ON!

"Scandal," an inside-politics show about a fixer who finds herself knee-deep in muddy waters (Presidential sex scandals! Lies! Rumors! Murder! Adultery! Wiretapping! Psychopathic staffers!) was less of a sure thing that either "Once Upon a Time" or "Happy Endings." Like, a lot less, given that its ratings have been nothing to write home about and it only got a seven-episode first season. But ABC has officially renewed it, too, meaning Kerry Washington (playing PR maven/lawyer Olivia Pope, whose name was referenced at least a hundred times in the pilot) and Tony Goldwyn (the Prez) can continue to heat up the small screen well into the forseeable future.

Way to go, ABC, for keeping these three around!

Over on NBC, home of several good, if seriously under-watched, comedies, I was definitely worried about my fave "Parks and Recreation," which is way too amazing a show to still be struggling in the ratings in its 4th season. Amy Poehler's adorable Leslie Knope just won her race for city council, her adorable boyfriend Ben, played by Adam Scott, has just accepted a position running a campaign in Washington DC (Let's hope he doesn't run into Olivia Pope or any of the criminals she hangs around with!), and Ron Swanson, U of I's own Nick Offerman, declined a promotion of his own. Cliffhangers, people! We need to find out what will happen to Leslie & Co. as they rock Pawnee, Indiana, in the fall. And now we will, with "Parks and Recreation" cleared for 22 episodes in Season 5. This is extremely good news, almost as good as Leslie beating doofus Bobby Newport (Paul Rudd) in that election. I hope we get to see more of the moronic Newport, though.. Rudd was great.

NBC's other Thursday comedy, the equally oddball and equally terrific "Community" has been picked up, too, although only for a 13-episode 4th season. "Community" continues to take chances with its format and storylines, and it deserves to be rewarded for that. So I'll take a 13-episode season if the alternative is no more crazy Community college antics from the world's weirdest (and longest-running) study group. They're never going to graduate, are they? Well, maybe Chevy Chase's character will graduate. Or get killed. Or something. Chase and creator Dan Harmon were feuding as recently as April, so it won't be a surprise if he isn't there when "Community" returns.

While looking over the renewal scorecards out there, I discovered that I don't watch anything on Fox, CBS or the CW. So whatever they're canceling or not canceling, I don't much care. My shows are safe. All is right with the world.

Note that the other shows I like -- including "Downton Abbey" on PBS, "Psych" on the USA Network, and "Leverage" on TBS -- aren't listed because their seasons and networks are different. As far as I know, all three of those will keep keeping on, with "Leverage" airing new episodes in July, "Psych" coming back with another 16-episode season later this year, and the third season of "Downton Abbey" expected to air in the US in January, 2013. I'm also mad for "Mad Men," which is in the middle of its 5th season now, with a 6th season in the works, presumably to air beginning in '13.