Countdown to Emmys stands at T-minus four days, and… um… uff da, who am I kidding getting all NASA on you guys? Especially when deep down, you know I’m regurgitating Aunt Sassy catchphrases to the point that friends and coworkers probably want to pitch me out the window. With that in mind, then, for today’s Emmy discussion, I’m going to trust that the awards gods are taking care of The Comeback’s Lisa Kudrow (and for that matter, The Office’s Steve Carell), and plead someone else’s case for a change: It’s time Mariska Hargitay (pictured, at left) got herself an Emmy for her work on Law & Order: SVU, damn it!
Now I know what some of you folks are thinking: ”She’s on a procedural! How hard can that be?” But au contraire, I’d argue SVU’s paucity of big, scenery-chewing moments actually raises the degree of difficulty for Hargitay. If you were lucky enough to catch ”911,” the episode for which she landed her third Emmy nomination, you’ll know what I mean: Hargitay’s Det. Benson spends most of the episode grilling a confused, kidnapped child over a speakerphone, and yet what’s essentially a static hour of television plays as an emotionally harrowing thrill ride that, to me, stacks up against anything her competitors threw down in the last season. So what if Hargitay isn’t Secretariat coming down the stretch of the Belmont Stakes? Week after week, Hargitay is one of TV’s most reliably terrific workhorses. If that’s not worthy of a statuette, then my name doesn’t sound like a certain brand of Land of the Lost baddies.
If you could only choose one winner on Emmy night, who would it be and why? Look over the list of nominees and weigh in now.
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I agree – Olivia Benson is one of my heroes. However, I liked her performance in the episode with Lou Diamond Phillips as the crazy murderer/rapist much better. The one where she had to decide whether or not to shoot him or Elliott. Yeah that was a good one.
If I could only pick one, I’d pick “Scrubs” to win best comedy. Love “The Office,” love “Arrested Development,” but “Scrubs” has been consistently underrated and overlooked for years. Plus, it had a great season… but yet again NBC holds it for midseason, why? “Scrubs” is also the only comedy out there that can pull stunts off like weddings and pregnancies and guest stars, and actually still feel fresh and funny.
“24″ – Outstanding Drama
Kiefer Sutherland – Best Actor, Drama (But if Dennis Leary win, I wouldn’t mind)
Mariska Hargitay – Best Actress, Drama (Kyra Sedgwick not far behind)
Gregroy Itzin – Supporting Actor, Drama
Jean Smart – Supporting Actress, Drama
“The Office” – Outstanding Comedy (By default, really. How can they not nominate “Entourage”?)
Steve Carell – Best Actor, Comdey
Don’t Care – Best Actress, Comdey (they didn’t nominate Marcia Cross nor T’nicha Arnold from “Everybody Hates Chris” So I don’t care.)
Jemery Piven – Supporting Actor, Comdey
Elizabeth Perkins – Supporting Actress, Comdey
These are the people who SHOULD win but probably won’t because the Emmys does award crap like “Two and a Half Men”. Seriously, “Two and a Half Men”? Really? Why? How? God, help us all if they win.
Two wishes: Lisa Kudrow for best actress and Arrested Development for best comedy. Please, please, please…
Well since Jennifer Garner never got her Emmy, I have no problem with Hargitay or Conroy never getting one either
I really want to see Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Gregory Itzin, and “The Office” win. Other than that, the nominations really suck.
I really hope that Six Feet Under walks away with some emmys…they totally deserve it!
This is how it is going to boil down folks…
Outstanding Drama: 24
Outstanding Comedy: The Office
Best Actor, Drama: Keifer Sutherland, 24
Best Actress, Drama: Mariska Hargitay, L&O: SVU
Best Supporting Actor, Drama: Gregory Itzin, 24
Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Jean Smart, 24
Best Actor, Comedy: Steve Carell, The Office
Best Actress, Comedy: Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy: Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy: Jaimy Pressly, My Name Is Earl
I’m so excited for Sunday!
AUNT SASSY!!! AUNT SASSY!!!
Please please please…Lisa Kudrow. She’s in another class compared to the other 4, it’s absurd.
Also, Frances Conroy was amazing on Six Feet Under’s last season…showed real restraint and incredible ache. I still don’t understand where Edie Falco is, goddamn it!
I really hope two and a half men don’t win anything, and are never nominated again- how embarrassing.
The emmys annoy me so much, but of course I’ll watch every minute of it.
Denis Leary
Can’t you people narrow it down to one? Like Valerie Cherish?
Hey Slezak – missed you!
I swear, I see something new everytime I watch The Comeback on DVD! Lisa Kudrow better win! This Valerie scene fits this blog; “I just love award shows…, WHERE’S THE LOVE!
As for the others, who cares!
Well, with the understanding that most of the people and shows I most wanted to see nominated didn’t get the bid, I’d have to say the one impossible dream I have remaining is that Peter Krause win Best Actor in a Series for “Six Feet Under”. I wouldn’t cry if Keifer Sutherland or Martin Sheen won, although Sheen would be getting it for the wrong season of “WW”, but Krause did such a superb job of making an increasingly unlikeable character accessible and understandable that I’d love to see him win something for it.
Usually I agree with Slezak, but I have to disagree when it comes to Hargitay and Law and Order SVU. I think that ever since she was awarded a nomination for what I like to call “Emmy Bait” a couple of years ago, the show has been nothing but crap. That ridiculous episode she’s nominated for this year is a joke. The child on the phone sounds like a bad cartoon character’s voice and Mariska’s performance is vomit inducing. I have stopped watching SVU thanks to that very annoying episode. Just because an actor is emoting like crazy doesn’t mean it’s a good performance and it definitely doesn’t make for good television. Now Christopher Meloni being recognized for his fine work in Wet Hot American Summer or Harold and Kumar is something I could get behind.
Drama Series: Grey’s Anatomy
Drama Actress: Mariska Hargatay (SVU)
Drama Actor: Dennis Leary (Rescue Me)
Drama Sup Actress: Chandra Wilson! (Grey’s Anatomy)
Drama Sup Actor: Gregory Itzin (24)
Comedy Series: The Office
Comedy Actress: Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback–only because T’china Arnold nor Lauren Graham are nominated)
Comedy Actor: Steve Carell (The Office)
Comedy Sup Actress: Jamie Pressley (My Name is Earl)
Comedy Sup Actor: Jeremy Piven (Entourage)
And now for a laugh…
Reality Show Competition: America’s Next Top Model–he he he
Arrested Development HAS to win for best comedy and either Jeremy Piven or Will Arnett needs to win for best supporting actor. Other than that I don’t really care…the nominations were soo bad this year.
Oh and I forgot to add Mary Louise Parker in the Don’t Care – Best Actress, Comdey. The scenes that she delivers in “Weeds” is of high prestige. Oooohhh, I used a smart word like prestige!
If I could only pick one, I’d go for “The Office” to win Best Comedy. Hands down it’s the best.
could definitely get behind Christopher Meloni, if ya know what i mean.
wink wink, nudge nudge.
well, at least I amuse myself.
Didn’t Mariska already win an Emmy? (Too lazy to IMDB)
“Six Feet Under” must win! Absolutely brilliant last season!
Well, since Polly Walker (ROME) and Edie Falco didn’t get nominated, i’d put that Emmy in Frances Conroy’s hands. This is her 4th-5th nod and she DESERVES it. So does Peter Krause, for crying out loud. 6 FEET UNDER was a landmark…so brilliant and so overlooked. Thank God WEST WING’s administration has come to an end.
Whoever wins this year, has to contend with the fact that the new Emmy rules, revealed the show as the worthless irrelevant piece of crap tv, that we all knew it to be all along. What they did, was not nominate the BEST of the year, but simple the middle of the road completely meiocre… so, at the end of the day, an EMMY WIN in 2006 only means, you were the best of the mediocres… who wants to walk away with that prize. I say, wait to give it to Mariska on a year she actually may be sorrounded by worthy nominations.
It’s all about Kyra Sedgwick in ‘The Closer’. One of the few fully realized female characters in any weekly crime drama. ALSO, if Jaime Pressly goes unrecognized for ‘Earl’, something’s gone horribly wrong…
Drama Series: 24
Drama Actor: Kiefer Sutherland, 24
Drama Actress: Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under
Drama Sup Actor, Gregory Itzin, 24
Drama Sup Actress: Jean Smart, 24
Comedy Series: Scrubs
Comedy Actor: Steve Carrel, The Office
Comedy Actress: Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Comedy Sup Actor: Sean Hayes, Will and Grace
Comedy Sup Actress: Megan Mullaly, Will and Grace
Reality Competition show: Project Runway
I’m praying to dear God that “the office” will win best comedy (and also that steve carrell will also win too). If “two and a half men” win I think i’ll shoot myself.
Well, since my beloved Kristen Bell didn’t score a nom for Veronica Mars in the lead actress category, I’m gonna have to toss my support behind Chandra Wilson for best supporting actress. The ‘Nazi’(and Grey’s as a whole) needs some well-earned love from Mr. Emmy!
Thank you Michael for coming back! God I’ve missed you. I was seriously about to go into withdrawl.
I’d have to say either Mariska or Kyra. They’re both ridiculously deserving.
Though I NEED Marcia Cross to win for Desperate Housewives, sadly she wasn’t nominated..so I really don’t give two sh*ts about that category anymore. But Lisa Kudrow should probably win it.
If Jeremy Piven doesn’t win for BSA in a Comedy I’m going to commit suicide.
Other than that..I can’t think of any other MUST WINS.
The Office and Steve Carell better win. That’s all I really care about.
I need Marishka to win! I’ve become very selective about my TV lately but she scores every time (and happens to be a major hottie at 40!) Also is Chris Meloni nominated? That seems criminal that he isn’t consistently recognized.
Okay now I actually read the nominations I see Chris Meloni was nominated and I’m rooting for the SVU team because I love them and I don’t watch any of the other shows. Comedy series should be Arrested. Lead Actor probably Carrell. Supp Actor in Comedy is a toss up between Will Arnet and Bryan Cranston……….And I know people already complained weeks ago with the nods first came out but WHERE IS EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS?!!! At the very least Tischina Arnold should’ve been nominated! And Nip/Tuck was crazy this past season with Ryan Murphy gone but the performances stood up considering….