EMMYS!

I love the emmys for many reasons, most important of which are:
1 - they come at a point in the year when I'm missing awards shows.
And 2 - while I enjoy a lot of tv (read: watch too much), I don't feel any personal pride at stake for guessing the winners correctly, so I'm free to cheer on my dark horse candidates.

Let's take a gander at the nominees, shall we?

COMEDY SERIES
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Glee"
"Modern Family"
"Nurse Jackie"
"The Office"
"30 Rock"

Glee got the most nominations, but Modern Family seems to be where the smart money is. However, the couple of episodes I've seen have really not been funny. I'll root for Glee, the Office, or 30 Rock (I think only Glee has a chance of winning), and quietly mourn the overlooked Community and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

COMEDY ACTOR
Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory")
Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm")
Matthew Morrison ("Glee")
Tony Shalhoub ("Monk")
Steve Carell ("The Office")
Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock")

I haven't seen the Big Bang Theory, but from what I hear, Jim Parsons is fab and most likely to win. Fine by me - I think Alec Baldwin has been way over-recognized for 30 Rock and, really?, Joel McHale was the funniest man on a sitcom last year.

COMEDY ACTRESS
Lea Michele ("Glee")
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("The New Adventures of Old Christine")
Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie")
Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation")
Tina Fey ("30 Rock")
Toni Collette ("United States of Tara")

I honestly want Lea Michele to win this for that stunning rendition of Don't Rain on My Parade, which was one of the best moments of television in the last year. Otherwise, I'm fine with any of them. It should have been Portia De Rossi on Better Off Ted.

SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR
Chris Colfer ("Glee")
Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother")
Jesse Tyler Ferguson ("Modern Family")
Eric Stonestreet ("Modern Family")
Ty Burrell ("Modern Family")
Jon Cryer ("Two and a Half Men")

Please let the Modern Family guys split the votes and give Neil Patrick Harris his way-overlong due. However, it is criminal that Charlie Day was snubbed in this category.

SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS
Jane Lynch ("Glee")
Julie Bowen ("Modern Family")
Sofia Vergara ("Modern Family")
Kristen Wiig ("Saturday Night Live")
Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock")
Holland Taylor ("Two and a Half Men")

It's Jane Lynch.

DRAMA SERIES
"Breaking Bad"
"Dexter"
"The Good Wife"
"Lost"
"Mad Men"
"True Blood"

God - PLEASE not Mad Men. I'd be okay with Lost, Breaking Bad, Dexter, or True Blood. I'm really rooting for Lost. The finale was brilliant.

DRAMA ACTOR
Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad")
Michael C. Hall ("Dexter")
Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights")
Hugh Laurie ("House")
Matthew Fox ("Lost")
Jon Hamm ("Mad Men")

As glad as I am to see Matthew Fox recognized (the finale was my favorite Jack episode ever - words I never thought I'd say), he doesn't have a hope in hell. If Hugh Laurie were ever going to win it, it would be for the fantastic rehab two parter. Otherwise, Bryan Cranston and Michael C. Hall are both continually brilliant. And I'm a little sad Timothy Olyphant was overlooked. But I guess Kyle Chandler needed at least one nom.

DRAMA ACTRESS
Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")
Glenn Close ("Damages")
Connie Britton ("Friday Night Lights")
Julianna Margulies ("The Good Wife")
Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit")
January Jones ("Mad Men")

Apparently Julianna Margulies is going to win, and I don't care.

SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad")
Martin Short ("Damages")
Terry O'Quinn ("Lost")
Michael Emerson ("Lost")
John Slattery ("Mad Men")
Andre Braugher ("Men of a Certain Age")

Aaron Paul. Hands down. First off - his work hasn't been recognized the way Bryan Cranston's has. And secondly - as brilliant as Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson both are, and really - they've been two of my favorites for the last few years - they've each won one, and I kind of don't want one to edge out the other. Is that weird?

Also - I really think Ryan Kwanten deserved a nomination for Season 2 of True Blood. He is SO COMMITTED to that character, and if he were any less good Jason would come off as terrible and false. I'm also a little sorry Nestor Carbonell didn't get in, but let's face it - LOST was spoiled for great supporting performances.

SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS
Sharon Gless ("Burn Notice")
Rose Byrne ("Damages")
Archie Panjabi ("The Good Wife")
Christine Baranski ("The Good Wife")
Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men")
Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men")

Awww - I'd really like Sharon Gless to win, but I don't think she will. I'll vote for Christina Hendricks, simply because she was on Firefly and she's pretty.

TV MOVIES
"Endgame"
"Georgia O'Keeffe"
"Moonshot"
"The Special Relationship"
"Temple Grandin"
"You Don't Know Jack"

Haven't seen a single one of these. I really wanted to see the Special Relationship though. When was that on? I didn't hear anything about it.

MINISERIES
"The Pacific"
"Return to Cranford"

Are there really only two nominees?

LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Maggie Smith ("Capturing Mary")
Joan Allen ("Georgia O'Keeffe")
Judi Dench ("Return to Cranford")
Hope Davis ("The Special Relationship")
Claire Danes ("Temple Grandin")

I think this is Claire Danes' to lose. Claire Danes - WHY ARE YOU DOING EYELASH COMMERCIALS?!?

LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Jeff Bridges ("A Dog Year")
Ian McKellen ("The Prisoner")
Michael Sheen ("The Special Relationship")
Dennis Quaid ("The Special Relationship")
Al Pacino ("You Don't Know Jack")

Does Al Pacino only do good work on tv anymore? I'm voting for Michael Sheen because his Tony Blair was stupidly overlooked during The Queen's run.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Kathy Bates ("Alice")
Julia Ormond ("Temple Grandin")
Catherine O'Hara ("Temple Grandin")
Brenda Vaccaro ("You Don't Know Jack")
Susan Sarandon ("You Don't Know Jack")

I didn't know Susan Sarandon or Catherine O'Hara were in these. I'm going to vote for Kathy Bates though, because I love that her Queen of Hearts (which I have yet to see) is in with a bunch of Very Serious Contenders.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Michael Gambon ("Emma")
Patrick Stewart ("Hamlet")
Jonathan Pryce ("Return To Cranford")
David Strathairn ("Temple Grandin")
John Goodman ("You Don't Know Jack")

Wow - what a great group of guys. Patrick Stewart!!! (If only because I'm sad Hamlet didn't get more recognition over here).

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
"The Colbert Report"
"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"
"Real Time With Bill Maher"
"Saturday Night Live"
"The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien"

I won't lie - I'd really like the Tonight Show to win as a big screw you to NBC's mismanagement. But the Daily Show is really the best thing around.

REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
"The Amazing Race"
"American Idol"
"Dancing With the Stars"
"Project Runway"
"Top Chef"

Oh, I couldn't care less.