Emmy Nominations Revealed, Happiness and Confusion Ensue

The 60th Emmy Award nominations were revealed this morning, and I have to admit that I’m pretty much fine with them. Sure, there were several snubs, but overall, I felt the noms hit the mark more or less. Readers of this blog will know that after my recent conversion to all things Mad Men, I was more than delighted to see the show rack up a huge number of nominations — sixteen in all — which placed it second only to my other favorite, 30 Rock (seventeen nominations). The latter series garnered several nods for its cast as Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and a host of guest stars (including the deserving Will Arnett) all earned nominations for their work. Clearly this is Alec Baldwin’s year to win (must I remind you of his triumphant bit channeling Tracy Morgan’s family in therapy), but I have a nagging feeling that Tony Shaloub will steal the trophy. Why? Because that’s what he seems to do every year. In fact, if any of my favorites lose to Monk and Boston Legal (again), I might throw something at my TV screen.

Hopefully this year, the double-headed spoiler monster known as Boston Monk won’t deprive my favorites. I have to say that I’m rooting for Mad Men FTW (for the win, as they say); however, if House pulled an upset, I’d be more than happy with that. Prior to my Mad Men mania, I was firmly towing the House line. The two-part season finale was so fantastic that it nearly demanded the Outstanding Drama award be handed over right then and there. But then I saw Mad Men, and a life of inner-conflict commenced. Sigh.
Nevertheless, based on that House finale, Robert Sean Leonard deserved a nomination for his complex performance as a man put in an unbearable position. He’s always done superb (and unheralded) work as Dr. Wilson, and it’s about time he’s recognized for it. Oh well. Maybe next year.
And speaking of House snubs, there can be no larger a snub than Anne Dudek for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Playing the role of Amber (a.k.a. “Cutthroat Bitch”), Dudek was a standout all season, often stealing every scene with her smart, no-nonsense portrayal. She injected a surprising amount of likability in what should have been a cold, loathsome character. It’s a shame the Emmy voters overlooked not only Dudek, but this all-too-rare-on-TV smart female role. Hopefully we’ll see more of this actress on season two of Mad Men where she plays the wonderfully nosy neighbor, Francine.
Of course, perhaps the biggest snub of all came in the reality arena where Survivor, coming off two of its strongest seasons ever, failed to earn a nomination as Outstanding Reality-Competition. This once again proves that while the Academy has come far in terms of recognizing reality TV, it still has quite a ways to go. No disrespect to The Amazing Race, Project Runway, or Top Chef, but it’s been widely accepted that American Idol and Dancing with the Stars are coming off creative lulls. To think that they still earn nominations while a flourishing Survivor sits on the sidelines is absurd. Thankfully, Jeff Probst did earn a nom as Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program (although, he’ll probably lose to Ryan Seacrest, who truthfully wouldn’t be a bad choice either).
Aside from Survivor and Anne Dudek, my snub complaints are very minimal. Truth is there’s a lot of good stuff in this year’s batch of nominations, particularly in the writing nominations. I was happy to see that The Wire and Battlestar Galactica each earned nods for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. I don’t watch either show, but I know they have ardent fans who complain that they’re always shut out. Hey, something’s better than nothing.
In the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, I was delighted to see that the 30 Rock episode of “Rosemary’s Baby” earned a nomination. The episode, which guest starred Carrie Fisher, was probably the best of the season (although, there really were so many amazing installments, it’s hard to say). I was also happy that the “Dinner Party” episode of The Office received a writing nomination. Probably the most uncomfortable half hour of the sitcom season.
Perhaps the most pleasantly surprising development, however, was the Emmy nod for Amy Poehler in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. That’s right, the future star of The Office spin-off earned a nom for her work on Saturday Night Live, the first female cast member to do so since Gilda Radner and Jane Curtain both scored nominations in 1978. I’m a little curious, however, why Poehler was nominated in this category and not Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety or Music Program (which is where Tina Fey is nominated for her hosting stint on SNL this season). It can’t simply be because Fey was a host while Poehler was a cast member because Molly Shannon earned an Emmy nomination in 2000 in the latter category while she was a cast member. I guess we can just chalk it up to the fact that at the end of the day, the Emmys are kind of bullshit.
Nevertheless, while I love Amy Poehler and hope she wins, I can’t help feeling that my favorite, Kristen Wiig, deserved a nomination too. I guess not having the flashy role of Hillary Clinton on her reel worked to Wiig’s disadvantage. Still, as long as SNL cast members can earn spots in the “big” categories, the voters surely should have recognized both women.
In other confusing news, I’m still a little dumbfounded how Deadliest Catch qualifies for Outstanding Nonfiction Series while Dirty Jobs winds up in the Outstanding Reality Program category. I don’t have a problem with the nominations, but why is one in one category and the other in another? If anything, their categories should be switched. After all, Deadliest Catch has a narrative, but Dirty Jobs doesn’t — unless I’m missing something. I’m so confused.
What do you think about the nominations? Any snubs? Surprises? To view the entire list of nominations, click here.