Winners!! 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards

With nominee-host Jane Lynch, an odd choice on the Academy’s part, at the helm of this year’s awards, the show took some unusual turns that were either pleasantly surprising or critically panned. As both ABC’s Modern Family and Downton Abbey (PBS’s Masterpiece Theater) can attest — with 5 and 4 wins, respectively, the most for all nominated programs — the 63rd edition of the Primetime Emmy Awards saw an unusual mix of expected shoo-ins and widely praised hopefuls leave with a statuette. I won’t spoil anymore of the excitement for you; check out the winners (in bold) and not-so-winners below.

Nominees! 63rd Emmy Awards

We all (should) know about the Oscars of TV awards and here is this year’s batch of nominees. Staying true to the status of “standard-bearer” for all TV awards shows, the Emmys have again garnered immediate criticism, congratulations, and confusion. Todd Haynes’s Kate Winslet-starring period piece Mildred Pierce leads all programs with 21 nominations. Mad Men leads all drama series with 19 nominations and Boardwalk Empire follows close behind with 18 nominations. Of the comedy series nominees, Modern Family takes first with 16 nominations and 30 Rock finishes a close second with 13 nominations. So, what do you think? Is this moving toward a more balanced field of popular shows, acclaimed pieces, and deserving work, or are the snubs too glaring to approve the field?

Outstanding Drama Series	Outstanding Comedy Series
Boardwalk Empire (HBO) Dexter (Showtime) Friday Night Lights (The 101 Network/NBC) Game of Thrones (HBO) The Good Wife (CBS) Mad Men (AMC)	30 Rock (NBC) The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Glee (Fox) Modern Family (ABC) The Office (NBC) Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Outstanding Miniseries or TV Movie	Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
Cinema Verite (HBO) Downton Abbey (PBS) The Kennedys (ReelzChannel) Mildred Pierce (HBO) The Pillars of the Earth (Starz) Too Big to Fail (HBO)	The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) Conan (TBS) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC) Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Winners from the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards

In case  you were busy and missed NBC’s early telecast of the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards’ ceremony, you can check out the list of winners below. As most people care only about the “big” awards (i.e. wins for actors and programs), only those appear below. If you want a complete listing of the winners, including the oft-ignored awards for writing and directing, check out the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards’ official site.

NOTE: Winners for each category appear in bold-face.

Outstanding Drama Series

• Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Dexter (Showtime)
• The Good Wife (CBS)
• Lost (ABC)
• Mad Men (AMC)
• True Blood (HBO)

Outstanding Comedy Series

• 30 Rock (NBC)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
• Glee (Fox)
• Modern Family (ABC)
• Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
• The Office (NBC)

Outstanding Miniseries

• The Pacific (HBO)
• Return to Cranford (PBS)

Outstanding Made for Television Movie

• Endgame (PBS)
• Georgia O’Keeffe (Lifetime)
• Moon Shot (History)
• The Special Relationship (HBO)
• Temple Grandin (HBO)
• You Don’t Know Jack (HBO)

Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series

• The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
• Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
• Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (NBC)

Ms. Emmy, It’s Your Move

Two days ago, I posted the nominees’ episode submissions for the Lead and Supporting dramatic actress Emmys. Well, Chris “Boomer” Beachem at boomer.awardsheaven.net has posted his predictions for each category of nominees (with episode titles provided by Tom O’Neil at goldderby.com). Below, I have provided the episodes that the Academy will consider when determining which actors, directors, writers, and producers will walk away with Emmys. As a side-note, performance, directing, and writing nominees submit one episode; each show nominated for the dramatic or comedic series Emmys submit 6 episodes to be considered, with 2 episdoes per DVD. Ms. Emmy, you’ve got all the tools you need, now it’s your turn to put together the (right) decision.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• 30 Rock – “Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001” & “Black Light Attack”, “Anna Howard Shaw Day” & “Don Geiss, America & Hope”, “The Moms” & “Emmanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land”
• Curb Your Enthusiasm – “Vehicular Fellatio” & “The Reunion”, “Denise Handicapped” & “The Table Read”, “The Bare Midriff” & “Seinfeld”
• Glee – “Pilot” & “Preggers”, “Wheels” & “Sectionals”, “The Power of Madonna” & “Home”
• Modern Family – “Pilot” & “Starry Night”, “Fizbo” & “Coal Digger”, “Come Fly with Me” & “Fears”
• Nurse Jackie – “Pilot” & “Tiny Bubbles”, “Ring Finger” & “Health Care & Cinema”, “Apple Bong” & “Monkey Bits”
• The Office – “Gossip” & “Murder”, “Niagara, Parts 1 & 2”, “The Lover” & “Secret Santa”

The Emmys’ Year of Change?

Last year, the Emmys, the “Oscars for TV,” continued their love-fest for perennial favorites like 30 Rock, Mad Men, Bryan Cranston, and Glenn Close. For the third straight year, critical juggernauts 30 Rock and Mad Men won the “Outstanding… Series” award, comedy and drama, respectively. Cranston and Close won their second straight “Outstanding Drama” actor and actress, respectively. All four nominees were nominated again this year, but not without their due. All four have continued to be critical darlings and thus deserved the nominations. So? What about the rest of the field?

Across the board this year, the nominees were favorites of the critics. Now, many of you may ask what do the critics have to offer that makes them more qualified than the average busybody to decide what’s good and what’s not. My article doesn’t focus on critics’ qualifications, so I’ll keep it brief. Not all of them are qualified to review as they do, but the majority of them have been around long enough to know what’s good TV and what’s not. As such, I consider them the main source in determining the nominees for awards. This year, more than any other, has proven that the AoTAS is taking critics’ opinions seriously, while also considering popular appeal.

Some of the good:

• Friday Night Lights vets Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler are finally up for lead actress and actor in a drama series. Only problem, why not the show for dramatic series?