Now that we've had a few days to process the Emmy award nominations, do we have any outrage left over?Though we’re a film site, it’s unwise to ignore proclaimed golden age of television we’re living in -- even if the arguments that TV is greater than film is wholly suspect -- especially when so many movie stars keep on crossing over. So we surveyed Team Experience with the following questions:
- win you're most rooting for?
- most baffling nomination?
- most compelling category?
- better luck next year?
- which Oscar-winning actress?
Which Oscar Winner Are Your Rooting For For Emmy: Helen, Jane, Jessica, Maggie or Melissa?
Read our collective responses and answer the same questions after the jump. No small screen coverage is complete without your comments, TV being so communal.
JOSE
Win: Jane Kra-freaking-kowski. It’s time! I’m stupidly hoping, she’ll have Cheno’s Pushing Daisies luck (Broadway star getting TV award for last season of critically acclaimed show). Not that it’s a “thing” but, hey, there’s a precedent.
Most Baffling: Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery for Downton Abbey. I love them both, but seriously?
Compelling Category: Best Actress in a Miniseries/TV Movie. I need Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake) to win, because…well, she’s impressive! But I also want Laura Linney to win to make up for Melissa McCarthy stealing her Emmy. And then we also have Mirren and Weaver and Lange doing mesmerizing work! I think this is always my favourite category.
Better Luck Next Year: Parks and Recreation and Nick Offerman. :(
Which Oscar Winner: Mirren, Fonda, Lange, Smith, Leo: Can I say I’m rooting against Maggie Smith instead?
MICHAEL
Win?: I’m pulling for Breaking Bad across the board, but I would jump up and cheer loudest for a Jonathan Banks for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. TV veteran Banks took a character that was supposed to be a one-off and built him up into an essential part of the show through the sheer power of his presence.
Most Baffling: No room for so many of the dozens of brilliantly directed episodes of Veep, Parks and Recreation, New Girl or Enlightened but they manage to squeeze in a nod for Glee? I thought everyone had moved on from that one.
Compelling Category: With cable TV’s increasingly strong production values the Emmy’s cinematography category is becoming as compelling as the Oscars. How do you choose between the gorgeous, atmospheric worlds of Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, House of Cards and Mad Men? Well, that’s easy, you vote Breaking Bad – it’s the most visually arresting show ever made. But still, an incredible line-up.
Better Luck Next Year: I get that there is a glut of quality show these days, but not a single nominations for Justified? Not even Walton Gogginss’ jaw-dropping work as Boyd Crowder? Boo. Boo, I say.
Which Oscar Winner: I’m rooting for Melissa Leo because her raucous turn on Louie was explosively funny, but also as a stand-in for Louie’s phenomenal season of guest stars including unforgettable turns from Parker Posey and David Lynch.
ABSTEW
Win: Sarah Paulson in American Horror Story for Outstanding Supporting Actress in Miniseries / TV Series. I haven’t been her biggest fan in the past, but I felt she did her best work to date this season as the plucky reporter/unwitting inmate/power lesbian – Lana Winters. And unlike Jessica Lange who creates her characters to maximize awards potential, gobbling up scenery and getting backstory monologues that bring the story to a halt, Paulson’s Lana propelled the story forward and was nothing but compelling.
Most Baffling: Anything for The Big Bang Theory. I just don’t get the appeal of that show, or any of the CBS comedies really. Oh, and Scott Bakula for Behind the Candelabra. I almost forgot that he was in that. But, crazy-faced Rob Lowe still haunts my nightmares. Where is his nomination?!
Compelling Category: The Emmys are frustrating in that they find something like and stick with it. But, I am pleased with the Outstanding Drama Series nominations especially Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Homeland and the introduction of the new Netflix series House of Cards.
Better Luck Next Year: Parks and Recreation for Outstanding Comedy Series and Nick Offerman for Supporting Actor. Why they continue to ignore the show for anything other than Amy’s regular nominations is beyond me.
Which Oscar Winner: I can’t wait for another round of Melissa Leo’s self-paid “consider me” ads…but, I’m going with Jane Fonda. I have not seen a single episode of The Newsroom but I love her too much not to go with her. We lost her for so long in the nineties that I’ll get her in any way I can. I’ve even seen Monster-in-Law and Georgia Rule.
PAOLO
Win: Kerry Washington for Scandal. She’s the first lady of network TV. Or, she should be.
Most Baffling: 30 Rock’s writing nominations. They’ve done better.
Most Compelling Category: Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series because I can actually keep up with those and I like laughing which most of these have managed to achieve.
Better Luck Next Year: Kelly Macdonald in Boardwalk Empire. But I’m biased.
Which Oscar Winner: Jessica Lange in American Horror Story: Asylum. She’s the only one of the lot who’s truly deserving of a win.
DEBORAH
Win: Christina Hendricks. Honestly, Mad Men has been shut out of acting so thoroughly by the Emmys. But rights, it should Jon Hamm, but she’s just as good with less material.
Most Baffling: Harry Hamlin in Mad Men. Such a trifle of a role to be recognised.
Most Compelling Category: Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. It’s really interesting with Hendricks, Morena Baccarin, Maggie Smith, Christine Baranski – impressive group of women.
Better Luck Next Year: Jon Hamm, because maybe the swan song season of Mad Men will get him some love. And maybe get some love for the unfortunately never nominated Vincent Kartheiser.
Which Oscar Winner: The only one of these I watch is Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey, but I think Jessica Lange winning would be cool as shit.
GLENN
Win: “Hang the Moon” from Smash for original song. I know the hip choice is “The Rural Juror” (30 Rock), but it would be a fond farewell to Smash to see arguably its finest contributors (songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman) win a statue for one of their finest moments., after that I think there’s going to be a whole subsection of the internet hoping Adam Driver can take down supporting actor in a comedy for Girls.
Smash - Bernadette Peters - Hang the moon by Gavrilo_Rabrenovic
Most Baffling: All it took for Enlightened to get a nomination for Laura Dern was to get axed! It’s a wonder why with a field of six, and plenty of viable contenders just outside the nomination pool, the voting committee choose now to nominate her. Unless they felt bad for not nominating her last year when they still had a chance to parley any awards success into viewers.
Most Compelling Category: Best Actress in a Drama. Oh, sure, Claire Danes will probably take her second win in a row for Homeland but did anyone think Homeland’s second season was as good as the first? With six – SIX – other contenders that are either beloved (Britton) or on big zeitgeist hits (Dockery, Washington, Wright), owed (Moss), or just clearly super excellent enough to somewhat snag a surprise nomination (Farmiga, my personal dhoice) maybe her win isn’t quite as set in stone. And, hey, you know Julianna Margulies is pulling some crazy voodoo backstage on her.
Better Luck Next Year: The aforementioned Laura Dern doesn’t have a hope (remember when Julia Louis-Dreyfyss won an Emmy for The Old Adventures of New Christine because she was literally the only nominee whose show hadn’t been axed or ended?), but there won’t be a “next year” for her.
Which Oscar Winner: abstain.
DANIEL
Win: I say it every year, but it bears repeating: all reality TV hosts should be as gracious, enthusiastic, genuine, and full of personality as the luminous Cat Deeley. In every moment of So You Think You Can Dance, you wish that you were a contestant just so you could be her friend. Now THAT’S great hosting.
Most Baffling: I know no one who doesn’t love Jane Lynch, but what did she even DO on Glee this season?
Most Compelling Category: Guest Actress in a Drama Series. You’ve got Margo Martindale as the sole representative of the incredible cast of The Americans, Diana Rigg’s delicious Olenna Tyrelll on Game of Thrones, Jane Fonda’s supreme scenery chewing on The Newsroom, Joan Cusack’s always touching and hilarious Sheila on Shameless and Carrie Preston’s shoulda-been-Emmyed-at-least-twice-over Elsbeth Tascioni on The Good Wife. Not to mention the always awesome Linda Cardellini on Mad Men which I don’t watch but have heard good things about. Honestly, if it weren’t for Carrie Preston not having an Emmy for this role as yet, I wouldn’t know who to vote for.
Better Luck Next Year: The Americans and New Girl, easily two of the best shows on TV, regardless of genre. And, of course, our beloved RuPaul – the mainstream will catch up to the genius of Drag Race some day.
Which Oscar Winner: Jessica Lange deserves that Emmy for her drunken rant during the movie on American Horror Story’s “Nor’easter” episode ALONE. Not to mention, “The Name Game”.
DAVID
Win: Jon Hamm in Mad Men. It's unusual for me to care about the male acting categories, but, contrary to the major flow of opinion, I've found this season of Mad Men electrifying, fascinating, maddening, and deeply wonderful. I said after Hamm's monologue at the end of 'The Flood' that something is seriously wrong if he doesn't win the Emmy, and everything since has only compounded that opinion.
Most Baffling: Jeff Richmond, Tina Fey & Tracey Wigfield, Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics category for 'The Rural Juror'. Never in a million years would I have given the Emmys enough credit to expect a nomination for something as absurdly brilliant as this. 30 Rock will indeed be greatly missed.
Most Compelling Category: Happily, Lead Actress in a Drama Series seems like quite the tough call this year. You'd call Danes a sure thing, if the second series of Homeland hadn't veered off so wildly; does Dockery win by default, or does Washington ride her show's booming popularity, or does Moss finally get that trophy? The equivalent Comedy category is better quality, but Fey's on her way out and she's got room for one more gong.
Better Luck Next Year: I'm just going to have to sit on my hands until they finally recognise the flawless work Nick Offerman is doing in Parks. And the entire supporting cast, for that matter. And the show itself.
Which Oscar Winner: Honestly? I don't watch any of their shows. Can we pretend Diana Rigg won an Oscar? (I don't watch her show either, but it's Diana freakin' Rigg.)
ANDREW
Win you’re most hoping for: I’m rooting for The Good Wife in any way possible. It’d be excellent if it continues its trend of picking up one acting statue a year with a win for Preston or Baranski in their respective categories but the one category where its peerless among its competitors is Outstanding Casting. The legal world of Chicago is as large as Westeros, as full of crooks and villains as Washington in House of Cards and Homeland and as filled with legends and excellent newcomers as Downton. On its fourth consecutive nomination I think it’s time they get the prize.
Most Baffling: Emelia Clarke’s nomination for Game of Thrones is still the one I’m trying to wrap my head around. It’s not even my general lack of excitement towards the show on a visceral, other than key omitted ladies in this packed category (Kelly Macdonald, Gretchen Mol, January Jones, Archie Panjabi, Monica Potter) there are the ace contenders on her own show she’s working against (Headey and Fairley) I’m trying to think of anything significant she’s done this season other than release dragons and glare stonily at her enemy.
Most Compelling Category: All the major categories I love on the drama side have that one albatross bringing them down. The writing and directing categories for drama would be excellent without Downton Abbey, so that the one category that truly fills me with joy is Outstanding Casting for a Drama series. The nominated field of Game of Thrones, Homeland, Downton Abbey, House of Cards and The Good Wife is rather stellar.
Better Luck Next Year: It’s a real shame that the well constructed season 3 of Boardwalk Empire (my favourite show of the season) could only manage major nominations for supporting actor and directing. Will Kelly Macdonald and Steve Buscemi and the show manage return nominations? Will Michael Shannon and Gretchen Mol ever break in?
Which Oscar Winner: I love watching Jessica Lange accept awards as much as I love watching her act. I remember when she won that Emmy for Grey Gardens she sadly smiled noting how grateful she was at her age to find such rich role. And now in that short space of time, she’s heading to maybe a third Emmy! Ryan Murphy may be many things but so long as he continues giving Jessica Lange roles worthy of her I will rejoice.
That's it (for now) for Team Experience's reactions to the Emmy nomination. Your turn! Who are you rooting and gunning for on Emmy night? Which Oscar winner do you hope adds (another, in some cases) Emmy to her trophy cabinet?