Last weekend I had a dream where I was sitting in front of my TV set watching the Emmy nominations press conference, and was shocked/elated when Ugly Betty’s Becki Newton received a nod for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. In my dream, I remember thinking to myself how this was impossible, seeing how earlier in the month, Gold Derby leaked the list of the top 10 semifinalists in the category (and the nine other major races), and Newton’s name was inexplicably missing.
This dream tells me a few things: I’m unhealthily obsessed with the Emmys; my dream-life has an impressive degree of factual accuracy; and, yes, you can always count on a whopping number of boneheaded omissions in the major categories. This year, however, seems even worse than usual. Maybe it’s because PopWatch favorites like The Wire, Battlestar Galactica, and Friday Night Lights all cracked one or more of the lists of semifinalists, and yet none scored a single major nomination. I spent all morning sending out positive Emmy energy into the universe, hoping it might result in a nod for Battlestar’s glorious Mary McDonnell (apparently only former A-list movie stars and Mariska Hargitay need apply for Best Actress in a Drama), Medium’s unheralded Jake Weber, or 30 Rock’s Tracy Morgan, but nope… all of ‘em got the hose. At least I can take consolation in the fact that Zelko Ivanek and Michael Emerson made the cut for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama.(And of course, Wilhelmina Slaaaytaaaah!)
After the jump, check out the full list of major nominees, and then vent your snub rage/nomination elation (and those names you can’t believe you’re seeing yet again… like comedy actors whose names begin with "Sh") in the comments section below. (And do check back at EW.com later this morning for Emmy reactions from our TV critics Gillian Flynn and Ken Tucker, plus click here to get Michael Ausiello’s snappy judgment on the nominations.)
Best Drama: Boston Legal; Damages; Dexter; House; Lost; Mad Men.
Best Actor in a Drama: Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Michael C. Hall, Dexter; Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Hugh Laurie, House; James Spader, Boston Legal.
Best Actress in a Drama: Glenn Close, Damages; Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters; Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: SVU; Holly Hunter, Saving Grace; Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer.
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Ted Danson, Damages; Michael Emerson, Lost; Zeljko Ivanek, Damages; William Shatner, Boston Legal; John Slattery, Mad Men.
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Candice Bergen, Boston Legal; Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters; Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy; Dianne Wiest, In Treatment; Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy.
Best Comedy: Curb Your Enthusiasm; Entourage; The Office; 30 Rock; Two and a Half Men.
Best Actor in a Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Steve Carell, The Office; Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies; Tony Shalhoub, Monk; Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men.
Best Actress in a Comedy: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?;America Ferrera, Ugly Betty; Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine; Mary Louise Parker, Weeds.
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy: Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men; Kevin Dillon, Entourage; Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother; Jeremy Piven, Entourage; Rainn Wilson, The Office.
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy: Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies; Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live; Jean Smart, Samantha Who?; Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men; Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty.
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Honestly, my biggest complaint comes in the two female guest roles categories:
How do you snub Amy Ryan’s amazing performance on The Office, or Anne Dudek’s incredible job on House? I thought they’d not only be nominated, but that they’d win!!!
Friday. Night. Lights.
Oh, and I’m also miffed that Jenna Fischer didn’t get a Supporting Actress nod.
I am glad to see Michael Emerson for Lost, Lost for Best Drama, and all the Mad Men nominations.
The.Wire. Just nominated for writing. No best drama. I mean COME ON!!! In the words of Senator Davis, “SHEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!”
Usually I get so angry about Emmy nominations, so I’ll try to focus on the positives. First of all, 30 Rock dominated the comedy guest star categories, although I would have liked to see Matthew Broderick in there too. Congrats to Amy Poehler, but my heart in this category belongs to Vanessa Williams. Tina Fey has nominations all over the place. She got nominated for her hosting stint on SNL, which she rightfully deserves. SNL actually had a pretty good year in the nominations, which is a relief after it’s soul-sucking slump.
I will say one thing that gripes me. I love that more and more actresses are turning toward television because they are realizing that that’s where the good roles for women are, but I also think it’s unfair that television actresses have to battle it out with movie stars who come with greater name recognition and Oscar nominations.
OMG – the initial list linked from ew main page did not have Jon Hamm on it – thank god for the rest of the internet.
I just don’t get the love for Boston Legal, sorry.
Oh and I would have thrown a serious fit if Extras series finale was not nominated. I mean Andy in that girdle….PRICELESS. But I am very happy that the documentary White Light/Black Rain was nominated. That doc has really affected me.
Two And A Half Men for best comedy? ISH.
Looks like they’re still nominating the old standby’s in a lot of categories. Glad to see some fresh faces, though.
Still would have liked to have seen John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Ed Helms, or any number of other cast members from The Office nominated in the supporting category.
pissed about Friday Night Lights …that semifinal list was such a tease!
Matthew Fox and Jenna Fischer were robbed! Both deserved nominations.
wohoo! Go Mariska!
Umm…. something is missing… where are the desperate housewives actresses? FELICITY HOFFMAN AND EVA AT LEAST!! cmon thats ridiculous
and Friday night lights?? great underrrated show
im really happy LOST got nominated
I’m thrilled Lost finally got a second Best Drama nom, but how can it then not get a nom for Writing or Directing? Makes no sense to me.
But why, oh why, can they not get out of a stupid rut? Why do they HAVE to keep nominating Boston ruddy Legal? A ruddy Tony Shalhoub. Shalhoub, Shatner and Spader have already had far more Emmys than they deserve so stop bloody nominating them!
Sad to see that Vanessa Williams and Becki Newton got snubbed…again. America Ferrara is talented, but she’s not why I love Ugly Betty.
Seriously, what is up with the Emmy obsession with Boston Legal? Is that show even on anymore? I refuse to believe that it is one of the best shows on television, yet that’s what the Emmy voters would have us believe. I swear, it’s like they just pull up last year’s nominations, cross off the people/shows that aren’t eligible anymore, then fill those precious few spots in with new people.
And here’s my BSG rant: we constantly hear that there are no good roles for women, especially those over a certain age. Yet on BSG, Mary McDonnell has the dream role for women – a woman in power, flawed but not submissive, an equal to her male counterparts who’s run the whole gamut of emotions – rage, fear, joy, uncertainty, vengeful, maternal, not-so-maternal, and so on. Throw in a cancer storyline (and the occasional execution by airlock) and you’ve got an amazing character. But noooooooo… it’s a sci-fi show, so it belongs on the heap with Aztec Rex.
Curb Your Enthusiasm and Micael Emerson got nominated! That makes me so very happy I can almost forget that Elizabeth Moss did not.
No Wire, No Friday Night Lights, No Kyle Chandler….No Emmys for me this year.
First – I’m taunted by a possibility that Mary Mac might get nominated and then just denied a payoff. Boo.
I’m actually kind of disappointed. It’s very nice to see the Pushing Daisies nods and my fingers will always be crossed for Neil Patrick Harris, but other than that there are no surprises at all on this list.
Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos got shafted! Hell, the show of Battlestar Galactica got totally frakked as a whole. I defy whoever’s in charge of the Emmys to watch a better hour of television anywhere than “Revelations,” the midseason finale of BSG! How do they not award this fine show in its swan song?!
on best comedy, replace Two and a Half Men with How I Met Your Mother and i’d be satisfied.
As soon as I read that Vanessa Williams got nominated, I thought of you Slezak.
)
I’m really happy that House got nominated for best drama and best actor for Hugh Laurie. He is the most talented actor on television right now. If you doubt me, watch his amazing performance on the season finale this past year. Brilliant.
The best drama category is going to be a fight. All are worthy (save Boston Legal. What is the deal with that show? It’s the same every year!). Kinda dissapointed that Tudors is not in there. That should have replaced Boston Legal.
Rainn Wilson better win for best supporting actor in a comedy. He is HILARIOUS!
I am so tired of seeieng Boston Legal and James Spader taking up prescious spots in the nominations list. The only thing I am happy about is Lost getting a little recognition. But, no Wire??? That’s just WRONG!!! I think I’ll skip the emmys this year!
No Wire? No BSG?
And how is Extras a mini-series? Breaking Bad has only SEVEN episodes in its entirety! Why not say that Lost is a 192 episode mini-series?
At least Vanessa Williams got a nod.. I am totally rooting for her. But why no love for Ugly Betty in the Best Comedy Category? 2 1/2 Men! Come on that show is and never was a top notch comedy. I wanted to see more love for Lost but at least we got a Best Drama nod. Who decides these things anyway?
Jack McBrayer – 30 Rock
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men
Emily Van Camp – Brothers & Sisters
Amen to Jenna Fischer, but what about Melora Hardin?
And, rest assured, I think we’re weening out Boston Legal. Whether or not this will be like SATC and The Sopranos as far as nominations way after the end of the show, we’ll see. I heart Amy Poehler, but I don’t think 6- show season constitutes a nomination.
Wow…I had convinced myself that Pushing Daisies was a shoo-in for Best Comedy Series (Two And A Half Men, really?). I’m comforted by the fact that the wonderful Lee Pace and Kristin Chenoweth were nominated, despite the inexplicable exclusion of Chi McBride and Anna Friel.
p.s. yay for Neil Patrick Harris! In my eyes, NPH is God.
House, Lost, Hugh Laurie, Michael Emerson, Robot Chicken Star Wars, Blue Harvest, Top Chef and Project Runway – YAY!
No Robert Sean Leonard, any major nods for Heroes, or other nominees from Lost – Boo.
So wait, that was real? I was hoping I was daydreaming those Emmy nominations. While m thrilled about Vanessa Williams nod I’m so bitter that The Wire and Friday Night Lights did not get a nod in any of the major categories. And no offense but how can you give the great Wilhelmina a nod without nominating her partner in crime Mark for supporting actor.
Oh and really Tony Shaloub from Monk again? There are other shows on the USA network, like Psych or Burn Notice.
And how can you nominate an entire show like Damages, The Office, 30 Rock and not nominate other cast members? What about Jim Breuer, Jenna Fischer, John Krazinksi, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Rose Byrne. Seriously Academy sometimes I wonder what are you doing between now and the nods? Are you watching episodes of TV shows from two years ago and then only what’s high in the ratings for the current year? Get it together.
What the hell is with Two and a Half Men getting nominated every damn year? It’s the cream of wheat of sitcoms. Sure, it isn’t terrible, but it is completely unremarkable in almost every way. The only notable thing about it is how it manages to cram so many sitcom cliches into each 22 minute episode.
Sad to see Pushing Daisies not nominated for best comedy, it’s the most original show on TV. And no love at all for The Tudors?? What’s up with that?