Emmy Nomination Predictions for Comedies

I don’t have time to do a lengthy write-up for the Comedy categories, so here are some much shorter explanations for them.

Comedy Series:

It seems to me that 4-5 of these are locks:

1.      Modern Family (ABC)

2.      Girls (HBO)

3.      The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

4.      30 Rock (NBC)

5.      Louie (FX)

I’ve heard that 30 Rock isn’t going to make it on, but I think that’s ridiculous. In my opinion, it’s the most consistently funny series on television. The first 3 are locks. Louie has been a favorite in the past to make it on the ballot, and this year seems to be the year it finally breaks into the category. The contenders for the final spot essentially boil down to Arrested Development, Veep, and Parks and Recreation. Out of those, Arrested Development seems the most likely, but don’t count Veep out. It surprised last year and could do it again. Parks and Rec is really a long shot, but I absolutely adore the series, so go die in a hole if you don’t like seeing it there.

There are a bunch of missing series here (I’m only going to list the ones that I gather are worth it, not just the popular ones):

-Archer (FX) starring voices of H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, and Amber Nash

-Awkward (MTV) starring Ashley Rickards

-Community (NBC) starring Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs, Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Chevy Chase, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong

-Enlightened (HBO) starring Laura Dern

-Episodes (Showtime) starring Matt LeBlanc

-Happy Endings (ABC) starring Eliza Coupe, Elisha Cuthbert, Zachary Knighton, Adam Pally, Damon Wayans, Jr., and Casey Wilson

-Nurse Jackie (Showtime) starring Edie Falco

-Suburgatory (ABC) starring Jeremy Sisto, Jane Levy, Ana Gasteyer, Rex Lee, Carly Chaikin, Allie Grant, Chris Parnell, Alan Tudyk, and Cheryl Hines

-The Middle (ABC) starring Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, and Eden Sher

-The Mindy Project (Fox) starring Mindy Kaling and Chris Messina

So my final predictions are:

1.      Modern Family

2.      Girls

3.      The Big Bang Theory

4.      30 Rock

5.      Louie

6.      Arrested Development

First One In: Veep

Lead Actor in a Comedy:

There are 3, okay 4, locks:

1.      Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock

2.      Louis C.K. as Louie in Louie

3.      Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory

4.      Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth in Arrested Development

This leaves 2 spots open. The race seems to be down between 3 or 4 people. Don Cheadle looks like he’s in decent to repeat last year’s nomination as Marty Kaan in House of Lies. I don’t see Jake Johnson getting onto the ballot as Nick Miller in New Girl. I just don’t. That leaves one spot for either Matt LeBlanc or Jon Cryer to wrangle. Now I’m hoping beyond all hope that LeBlanc takes the spot. Two and a Half Men was never all that funny, and it’s just plain ridiculous and stupid and unnecessarily vulgar now that Charlie Sheen is gone (which is just plain weird). Here’s my obligatory sentence stating how much I absolutely hate The Big Bang Theory, think it’s an incredibly unfunny show and how much I resent Jim Parsons for having had so much success saying the names of legitimate physics stuff. Everyone involved in the making of that show as well as in its deification should be taken out behind a building and shot until unrecognizable. Baldwin, fortunately, looks like he could take home the win this year since he’s almost assuredly going to submit his fantastic performance in the double-length series finale. I couldn’t be happier for what is one of my top 5 favorite comedic characters of all time.

Other deserving players:

-Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt in Parks and Recreation

-Jeremy Sisto as George Altman in Suburgatory

-Joel McHale as Jeff Winger in Community

-Neil Flynn as Mike Heck in The Middle

-Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger in Parks and Recreation

Once again:

1.      Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock

2.      Louis C.K. as Louie in Louie

3.      Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory

4.      Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth in Arrested Development

5.      Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan in House of Lies

6.      Matt LeBlanc as Matt LeBlanc in Episodes

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:

There are, I hope, 5 locks here:

1.      Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Vice President Selina Meyer in Veep

2.      Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in Girls

3.      Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock

4.      Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation

5.      Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day in New Girl

Now I wish that Deschanel weren’t the lock and that there were really 6 locks in this category, but what can you do. The perfect category would also include Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie and Laura Dern in Enlightened in place of Deschanel, whose little act is getting quite annoying, at least for me. Falco looks to be the most likely to get in, followed by Dern and Melissa McCarthy, an incredibly funny woman, in the disgustingly unfunny Mike and Molly.

Other deserving ladies:

-Ashley Rickards as Jenna Hamilton in Awkward

-Jane Levy as Tessa Altman in Suburgatory

-Martha Plimpton as Virginia Chance in Raising Hope

-Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin in Weeds

-Mindy Kaling as Dr. Mindy Lahiri in The Mindy Project

-Patricia Heaton as Frankie Heck in The Middle

-Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth Fünke in Arrested Development (why she chose this category is beyond me)

-Sutton Foster as Michelle Simms in Bunheads

Once again:

1.      Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Vice President Selina Meyer in Veep

2.      Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in Girls

3.      Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock

4.      Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation

5.      Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day in New Girl

6.      Edie Falco as Nurse Jackie Peyton in Nurse Jackie

Supporting Actor in a Comedy:

This a ridiculous and stupid category. I love and hate this category. All of the Modern Family men deserve recognition here, except for O’Neill because he ends up just wasting his nomination on terrible episode submissions. That being said, there are absolutely no concrete locks, though Eric Stonestreet and Ty Burrell in Modern Family seem quite sure, as does Jeffrey Tambor in Arrested Development. I’m going to go ahead and pick Will Arnett in Arrested Development and Simon Helberg in The Big Bang Theory. This leaves the single remaining spot open to O’Neill or Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and I’m going to go with Ferguson. I just don’t see, Max Greenfield of New Girl or Bill Hader of SNL repeating nor do I see Adam Driver of Girls getting in.

Other deserving men:

-Alex Karpovsky as Ray Ploshansky in Girls

-Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford in Parks and Recreation (not as much as in past years, but whatever)

-Chris Messina as Dr. Danny Castellano in The Mindy Project

-Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation (far more than in the past)

-Danny Pudi as Abed Nadir in Community

-Donald Glover as Troy Barnes in Community

-Jack McBrayer as Kenneth Parcell in 30 Rock

-Jim Rash as Dean Pelton in Community

-Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth in Arrested Development

Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation

-Seth Meyers as various characters (mainly Weekend Update anchor) in Saturday Night Live

-Tony Hale as Gary Walsh in Veep

-Tony Hale as Buster Bluth in Arrested Development (he didn’t submit himself for consideration for this)

-Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan in 30 Rock

Once again:

1.      Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker in Modern Family

2.      Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in Modern Family

3.      Jeffrey Tambor as George Bluth in Arrested Development

4.      Will Arnett as Gob Bluth in Arrested Development

5.      Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory

6.      Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in Modern Family

Supporting Actress in a Comedy:

There are 3 locks here by my reckoning:

1.      Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in Modern Family

2.      Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development

3.      Allison Williams as Marnie Michaels in Girls

Beyond that, it’s somewhat of a crapshoot. I don’t see Merritt Wever of Nurse Jackie repeating her surprise nomination from last year, and white Betty White is always a threat to get a nomination given her stature as a 17-time nominee and 5-time winner, I don’t see the 91-year-old getting the nod. That really leaves 3 spots for 5 women. The one I hope immensely will get in is Jane Krakowski in 30 Rock, who is one of my top 10 favorite TV comedy characters ever. She was snubbed awfully last year, and I hope that doesn’t keep her off in this her final year of eligibility. Sofia Vergara looks like she might be in a position to be upset for a nomination this year, especially given her absolutely terrible episode submission choices in past years, but I doubt that will happen. The final spot comes down to being between Zosia Mamet in Girls, who I just don’t think has received enough buzz and the two ladies from The Big Bang Theory: Mayim Bialik and Kaley Cuoco. Bialik got a nod last year, but evidently she had far less to do this year while Cuoco had more. Therefore, I’m going with Cuoco in the final spot.

Other deserving ladies:

-Alia Shawkat as Mae “Maeby” Fünke in Arrested Development

-Alison Brie as Annie Edison in Community

-Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer in Veep

-Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate Dwyer in Parks and Recreation

-Carly Chaikin as Dalia Royce in Suburgatory

-Casey Wilson as Penny Hartz in Happy Endings

-Cheryl Hines as Dallas Royce in Suburgatory

-Eden Sher as Sue Heck in The Middle

-Gillian Jacobs as Britta Perry in Community

-Kate McKinnon as various characters in Saturday Night Live

Once again:

1.      Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in Modern Family

2.      Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development

3.      Allison Williams as Marnie Michaels in Girls

4.      Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney in 30 Rock

5.      Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in Modern Family

6.      Kaley Cuoco as Penny in The Big Bang Theory

That’s all there is. There ain’t no more. I’m not going to do the guest positions because they’re a waste of my time as somebody that had received 0 buzz gets on while the absolute favorite to get a nomination gets left off. Nominations come out one month from tomorrow, so I’ll be doing some recap toward the beginning of the month and toward the middle of the month.