Emmy Picks, Predictions, Unsung Heroes & Oh-No-Nos – 2013

I did one of these last year, and it was so popular I felt I just had to write another one, ahead of the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards tonight. So, here we go.

1. Outstanding Comedy Series
This may sound a lot like what I said last year, but firmer. I quite like Modern Family, but in my view it has never been the strongest sitcom on TV, and that has never been more true than this year. The fourth season felt really laggy and repetitive, with genuine laughs few and far between. It’s won this award for all three previous seasons, and I really hope this is the year that ends that streak, because it just doesn’t deserve it this year. 30 Rock had a very strong final season, and would be my choice for the award, but Louie and Veep were also excellent. I’ve written extensively on Girls before, both here and here, and have warmed up to it after a second viewing a couple of months ago when I was supposed to be writing my dissertation (I filed it very loosely under ‘research’). However, while I think it’s quite a good show and provokes a lot of thought, it’s still not very funny. There’s a good bit of gentle humour, but I think it has too few laugh-out-loud moments to be called an outstanding comedy series. It’s a long way funnier than The Big Bang Theory, although that’s not saying much. Still no nod for Parks & Recreation or It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, which makes The Big Bang Theory‘s inclusion even more of a joke than it already is.
My Pick – 30 Rock
My Prediction – Veep
My Unsung Hero – It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
My Oh-No-No – The Big Bang Theory

2. Outstanding Drama Series
We now come to a category not included in my breakdown last year, mainly because I hadn’t seen enough of the nominated drama series to know what I was talking about. Of the six shows nominated in this category this year, I have now seen four in full, so I’m comfortable telling you my opinions on which should be getting the awards.
You’ll likely not be shocked by my selecting Breaking Bad as the rightful winner. I haven’t seen anything of its quality since The Sopranos, although I also love Mad Men, but felt its most recent season was below par. It took me several episodes to get into House Of Cards, but once I did, I had a great old time. All three of Netflix’s eligible original series (if we include Arrested Development, which I do) are up for Emmys this year, which is a fantastic and fully deserved achievement in their first year of producing original content. Breaking Badstill tips the scale for me, but House Of Cards was an excellent piece of television. Homelandis probably the favourite to take this one home, as it did last year. While I like it, it’s not up there with the other three for me. There are a number of things I love about America, and a number of others on which I’m not so keen, and Homeland incorporates too many of the latter category for my liking. It’s a good series, but I wouldn’t call it outstanding, certainly not alongside its fellow nominees.
I’ve never properly watched Downton Abbey, but I’ve seen enough of it to know it’s not for me, although I can see why people would like it. As for Game Of Thrones, everything I know or think I know about it makes me hate it (perhaps irrationally), and I refuse to watch it. Don’t tell me I shouldn’t, don’t tell me it’s great, I refuse.
My Pick – Breaking Bad
My Prediction – Homeland
My Unsung Hero – None
My Oh-No-No – Game Of Thrones

3. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
While I think it’s something close to a crime that Jason Bateman never won this award during the original run of Arrested Development, I wouldn’t give it to him this year. Not that he wasn’t great (I did have a couple of issues with his character, which I’ll probably discuss another time), but Alec Baldwin was again fantastic in 30 Rock. He’s won it several times before, of course, and I think he deserves another to add to his collection. Whether he’ll get it is another issue, particularly given the relationship the media has with Baldwin, which could go against him, rightly or wrongly (hint: wrongly). Louis C.K. was also excellent in Louie, and Matt LeBlanc rather impressed me in Episodes, so I wouldn’t be disappointed to see it go to either of them, or Bateman. Meanwhile, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia goes from strength to strength, apparently unnoticed. I think Charlie Day deserves at least a nomination for the last season, but apparently not.
My Pick – Alec Baldwin
My Prediction – Jim Parsons
My Unsung Hero – Charlie Day
My Oh-No-No – Jim Parsons

4. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
This would have been a much tougher decision for me to make a year ago, but not so now: it should go to Bryan Cranston. As I said above, I felt the sixth season of Mad Men was weaker than those which had gone before it, and I wasn’t too happy with the direction (or lack thereof) Jon Hamm’s character seemed to be taking. He’s an excellent actor, but I don’t think he turned in a top performance this year. Damian Lewis was pretty good in Homeland, but not as good as Kevin Spacey in House Of Cards, or so I thought. Both play characters of whose allegiances the viewers are often unsure, which is very difficult to do, but I thought Spacey did this more convincingly.
My Pick – Bryan Cranston
My Prediction – Damian Lewis
My Unsung Hero – None
My Oh-No-No – None

5. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
One thing I did like about the most recent season of Mad Men was the fall and rise of Peggy Olson. She wasn’t a character I had previously ‘got;’ there was a lot of fuss made about her in some quarters, and I didn’t understand why. I didn’t dislike her, I just wasn’t especially fond of her. However, I really liked her arc in season six, and thought Elisabeth Moss was brilliant in her portrayal, so she’s my shout for this one. I think Claire Danes will probably win, which would also be fine; I’ve always liked her, and she was particularly good in her nominated episode (as was Lewis). I’m not sure how many actors can be nominated in the ‘lead’ category for one show, so I don’t know if she’d be in this category or the supporting one, but I thought Kate Mara was outstanding in House Of Cards. She had almost as much screen time as Robin Wright, maybe more, and I felt she did more with her character.
My Pick – Elisabeth Moss
My Prediction – Claire Danes
My Unsung Hero – Kate Mara
My Oh-No-No – None

6. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell’s character Phil Dunphy has long been my favourite thing about Modern Family, and he was again the best thing in season four. I suspect he’ll take home the award, but I’d prefer to see it go to Tony Hale, who was outstanding in Veep. He was also at the top of his game in Arrested Development; I’ve never been a big fan of Buster particularly (he’s good, but not my favourite character by some way), but I thought his episode (Off The Hook) was one of the strongest of the new season. This is largely irrelevant, since the role for which he’s nominated is the Vice-President’s bagman in Veep, but I’ll reiterate for the avoidance of doubt: he was braw. He seems to have struck up some great chemistry with his boss (the always wonderful Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and he’s my pick of the bunch this year.
Nick Offerman has once again been snubbed, which I can scarcely believe. His role as Ron Swanson on Parks And Recreation has consistently been one of the best things on television for the last four years. Will Arnett and David Cross could both quite easily have had a nomination for their roles as Gob and Tobias on Arrested Development, but were also overlooked.
My Oh-No-No for this category has to be Ed O’Neill. I don’t have a major problem with him, but Jay is among the least amusing characters on Modern Family, and I thought his season four I’m-not-sure-if-I’m-ready-to-be-a-dad-again storyline was three of the worst things comedy can be: unoriginal, predictable and repetitive. One can only work with the script one has, but it’s difficult to justify his inclusion among the nominees when some top performances (see above) have been left out.
My Pick – Tony Hale
My Prediction – Ty Burrell
My Unsung Hero – Nick Offerman
My Oh-No-No – Ed O’Neill

7. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks. Need I say more? Okay, I will. Jonathan Banks, as Mike Ehrmantraut on Breaking Bad, was absolutely phenomenal. A terrifying man, and one who is not without sin himself, he somehow managed to be far more likeable than most of the similarly evil characters on the show. He’s menacing, yet somehow warm at the same time. I’d give it to him, but I suspect the winner will be Mandy Patinkin for his role as Saul Berenson on Homeland. Saul is a character who I didn’t particularly like at first, but has grown on me, and was my favourite thing about the second season. I wouldn’t be too displeased if he were to win, but Banks is my preferred choice by some margin.
Two more Breaking Bad actors have somehow been omitted from this category: Bob Odenkirk and Dean Norris. While I’d still give it to Banks ahead of either, I think both these guys are long overdue for a nomination. For his work in the second half of season five, I’d be amazed if Norris were to be overlooked for next year’s awards. Odenkirk pips him to the much-coveted unsung hero spot this year, but both have been consistently good (and funny, which isn’t easy in an increasingly dark series) throughout the last few seasons.
My Pick – Jonathan Banks
My Prediction – Mandy Patinkin
My Unsung Hero – Bob Odenkirk
My Oh-No-No – Peter Dinklage
Although none of its series or actors made my picks (or predictions), I think it would be great for Netflix to win something. If not this year, I’m sure it’ll receive more nominations for next year; the first season of Orange Is The New Black is eligible for the 66th Emmys, while House Of Cards and Hemlock Grove are both coming back, and they may make more Arrested Development (although that would probably be a couple of years away yet). I’ve really enjoyed their original content so far, as well as it providing easy access to a lot of other great stuff, and I think they deserve some recognition. Netflix is changing the way we watch TV, some think for better, others think for worse. I personally love what Netflix is doing, and it’s a huge achievement for them to have garnered the first Emmy nominations for original online-only television.