Team Experience: Collective Emmy Ballot, Comedy
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at 8:24PM HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT: RED SHOES WILL BE UP IN THE MORNING. RUNNING LATE !
See Part 1 for Drama
Here's Part 2 of 2... COMEDY!
Eleven members of our team, those most excited by television, turned in full Emmy ballots. So here is what we communally hope for when the real Emmy nominations are announced. Nomination ballots are due tomorrow, June 26th so if you happen to be an Emmy voter, check out our FYC series (shameless plug). The Emmy nominations will be announced on July 16th though who knows why it takes them over three weeks to tally the results. Slackers.
Comedy Series and acting races after the jump...
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
- Broad City
- The Comeback
- Jane the Virgin
- Parks & Recreation
- Transparent
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- Veep
Nineteen different series received votes in this category with Veep amassing the most overall support. No tiebreaker was needed as these 7 received the most votes. Looking and Togetherness which are both in the grey zone of "are they drama or comedy?" are comedies according to Emmy (thanks to their 1/2 hour length) and that's what we go by. They were your two near miss "honorable mentions" in this category. There were zero votes for actual Emmy darlings Big Bang Theory & Modern Family and almost none for the well regarded Silicon Valley the latter of which did surprise me.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
- Ilana Glazer - Broad City
- Ellie Kemper - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- Lisa Kudrow - The Comeback
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep
- Amy Poehler - Parks & Recreation
- Gina Rodriguez - Jane the Virgin
- Lily Tomlin - Grace & Frankie
Even our tiebreaking round resulted in a tie here so it's a seven wide category. Just behind this hilarious group of seven was Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer). Meanwhile I will have to have WORDS with Team Experience about Younger and Getting On. Apparently they're not watching because how else to explain Getting On getting so few votes in any of the acting categories and how else to explain Sutton Foster's measly two votes. She is absolutely adorable and funny and heartbreaking on Younger (as she was previously in the also awards-shunned Bunheads.)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY
- Louis CK - Louie
- Will Forte - Last Man on Earth
- Jonathan Groff - Looking
- Andy Samberg - Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Adam Scott - Parks & Recreation
- Jeffrey Tambor - Transparent
Anthony Anderson was a near miss here for Black-ish. The big news though is this: All hail Jeffrey Tambor from Transparent. He's the only actor or show in any of the 10 categories we polled to land on every single ballot. Does this inarguable consensus on the quality of his work mean he's a mortal lock for an Emmy nomination or the frontrunner for the win or both?
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
- Anna Chlumsky - Veep
- Gaby Hoffman - Transparent
- Jane Krakowski - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- Kate McKinnon - Saturday Night Live
- June Diane Raphael - Grace & Frankie
- Lauren Weedman - Looking
There was a four way tie for the sixth slot here which June Diane Raphael from Grace & Frankie won with an extremely narrow margin. She is a bitchy delight on that show, though, from a supporting cast that doesn't always otherwise work. you must agree. The runners up, all with a lot of support, were: Melanie Lynskey (Togetherness), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and Carol Kane (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
- Andre Braugher - Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Tituss Burgess - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- Jaime Camil - Jane the Virgin
- Tony Hale - Veep
- Robert Michael Morris - The Comeback
- Nick Offerman - Parks & Recreation
- Reid Scott - Veep
Another tiebreaker round of voting couldn't get the category down to just six nominees, so it's our second comedy category with one extra nominee. The closest "almost ran" here was Hugh Laurie for Veep. But Veep was very well represented all told so don't feel too bad for him.
I hope these imaginary nominations were fun for you to ponder. Or perhaps it made you angry. If so, weep not, I'm sure the Emmys will give you all the Modern Family your heart longs for!
You can see our full ballots here if you're interested!
Also: Our "About" page is finally complete so you can put faces and identities to posts if you're curious about Team Experience. You'll be most familiar with the "weekly contributors" but beyond that is all the people you read from time to time whenever we do these special projects or themes or top tens or years of the month or who hop in and out.
Reader Comments (40)
YES to Veep, Kimmy Schmidt and The Comeback!
Also just stop saying that overrewarding shit. Is that even a thing when we are talking about Julia Louis-Dreyfus?
And look, I am a prestige TV watcher, cause I don't like Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory. LOL
I was looking to see Daniel Franzese nominated. But great picks overall.
Reid Scott has been better in previous seasons. Despite deserving of awards recognition seasons two and three. Season four is simply not nomination worthy. You guys certainly like your cute guys because I think his cuteness is what got him in.
Timothy Simons and Sam Richardson are more worthy for inclusion.
I really don't like Kimmy Schmidt.
Veep for Comedy, can't believe it hasn't won yet, and Best Supporting Actress. Anna Chlumsky was fantastic this season. I would go Julia Louis-Dreyfus, but she's won the last three years and I would like to see some equally deserving ladies get the Emmy win. Would LOVE to see Andre Braugher win for Best Supporting Actor. As for Best Actor I have to horse in the race, so I'm kinda whatever happens happens.
I wish Tracee Ellis Ross could get more support for Black-ish, I think she's so great.
Hopefully Schumer is left off the Emmy ballot too. But I do wish Getting On was getting more attention. Those three actresses are doing stellar work.
Poor Emmy Rossum...always snubbed
I love Transparent and think Jeffrey Tambor does a fine job (especially as the end as Maura's true personality starts shining) but I think all three siblings are A+ incredible, not to mention Kathryn Hahn, and Carrie Brownstein, and Alexandra Billings, etc. etc. etc. I worry that Tambor is the place Emmy voters will congregate and I think that sucks. Glad you guys voted for Gaby Hoffmann at least.
Please let Lisa Kudrow get the nomination and win this year. That was really superb, layered work she did on "The Comeback".
#emmyforrogelio!
Interesting that so many members of Team Experience voted for Tomlin but not Fonda (I agree, Lily is clearly the MVP). I wonder if the result would be the same with the Emmy voters, who gravitate toward big movie stars who do TV, at least when it comes to nominations. They've already nominated Fonda a couple of times recently, for The Newsroom.
Glad to see Parks recognized for its stellar final season.
These pre-Emmy nomination posts have been fun. I hope you do them again next year.
I wonder if leading-man-of-the-moment Chris Pratt won't get in as supporting comedy actor for Parks&Rec , just like Melissa McCarthy got nominated (and won!) when she had her movie breakthrough with Bridesmaids a few years back.
Niecy Nash is genius on Getting On.
Eden Sher in The Middle
Tracee Ellis Ross and Lawrence Fishburne in Black-ish
That is all.
Nat -
I enjoy how you set up the spreadsheet so you are giving the side-eye to all the other ballots.
Lol @ Michael C., agreed! I adore Sutton Foster with my entire heart but really, how can we be faulted when there are such absurd riches in lead comedy actressing right now? There's no one on that awesome (7-wide!) list who I could justify booting and yet I'm still bitter about the incredible Constance Wu and Tracee Ellis Ross missing out, too. It's a good problem to have, I suppose. I hope the Emmys find themselves covering similar territory!
I'd like to give a little love to Black-ish here, too, which clears so many of the hurdles new comedy series tend to have in finding their voice and has from the jump been confident and witty blend of the broad family comedy and sharp cultural commentary. Plus, little Marsai Martin who plays Diane is a budding genius of comic delivery, and if the Emmys had a best child/young adult actor like some movie critics groups she should be a shoo-in.
That series line-up is a very female/LGBT-friendly line-up indeed. You can sort of tell who this voting group consists of (not a criticism).
I like Adam Scott just fine on Parks but is he really nom worthy?
And I know no one cares about New Girl anymore but I think Jake Johnson and Max Greenfield are both still doing great work.
I saw the first few episodes of Black-ish and oh my god Anderson was so shrill and annoying that I quit the show. Apparently he and the show got better so maybe I should give it another chance.
Michael C. I noticed that, too! I love looking at everyone's ballots, but to all you people who voted for Jane the Virgin in Best Series and/or Gina Rodriguez & Jaime Camil, how could you leave out Yael Grobglas?!?!? Even in the first episode she refuses to make Petra a complete bitch (even though she plays a complete bitch so well), and she only gets better from there in finding all the different shades of that character.
I'm also really surprised (and deeply saddened) I was the only one who voted for Daniel Franzese on Looking.
I will totally admit to not watching as much comedy as I used to, making this ballot much more difficult to fill out than usual. Plus, I still watch (and mostly enjoy) Big Bang Theory and Modern Family, but I think those two shows have been more than amply rewarded over the years, so I decided to stay away from them. Even if I do think Sarah Hyland and Mayim Biyalik are totally deserving of love in Supporting Actress. While I do adore Sutton Foster, I haven't watched Younger. Haven't watched Getting On either, despite my love for its cast.
I'm more attuned with drama series, and have therefore been horribly negligent in my comedy watching - Transparent, Kimmy Schmidt, Veep, Broad City - haven't watched a single episode of any of them! That's going to be my TV project for this summer.
But I'm delighted to see the broad support for Parks & Recreations, one of my all time favorite comedies, a show that was criminally ignored in its prime (and after) by Emmy Voters, and went out on such a glorious series of high notes. How Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman don't have multiple Emmys under their belts is mystifying and upsetting.
Michael C -- someone noticed ;)
DJDeeJay -
Agreed. Even when New Girl has been wobbly the cast remains sharp. Voted for Johnson. Greenfield was one of my runners up. The supporting competition was just too stiff.
Can we have a three-way tie for Lisa, Julia and Amy?
(Haven't seen Jane the Virgin yet.)
Great choices. Only sad to see nothing for You're the Worst.
Adam Scott definitely.
As for Black-ish, I'd submit them all for consideration, but especially Ross and supporting secret weapon Deon Cole.
Michael C. - Ah, yes, I see that now. Nice! But yeah, I could see how Greenfield could get crowded out.
DJDeeJay - I actually voted for Lamorne Morris, who I thought was just stellar this season. Still think Greenfield and Johnson are doing great work, but it's Winston who usually steals the show for me. LOVE New Girl.
Denny - very cool! Yeah, I think Morris is great. He's been SO underused but he actually had more to do this season than any previous season so that makes sense.
I think everyone has noticed that your line-up is very female/LGBT-friendly, which is unsurprising to anyone who frequents this sight, although it's a little jarring that a lot of people are hard on the Emmys for doing exactly what you guys are doing here: showing your tastes!!! Awards are basically imperfect exercises in collective taste, so if the Academy's tastes gravitate toward Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory (two shows I still love, though I admit both have seen better days) well, that's just what happens, just like your tastes gravitate toward these shows (a pretty great list regardless!!!). Are you going to be picking winners?
Come on, the lead actress could've been a multicultural set of nominees with both Constance Wu and Tracee Ellis Ross in the mix besides Rodriguez, just as Randall Park and Anthony Anderson in lead actor, because there's no way that's happening at the Emmys,
Also, instead of Niecy Nash in supporting you've got a white woman portraying a woman of color in whiteface.
Really, how white are the people voting for these?
Anyway, I second whoever said Eden Sher.
Swap out Ellie Kemper in lead for Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish) and this whole roster is damn near perfect for me. And it's so much better than what we're likely to get from the actual nominations. I'm glad someone is putting Lauren Weedman and June Diane Raphael's names into the ether. My fingers and toes are crossed for both of them.
Richter -- i totally hear what you're saying (although our team is more diverse than it appears we do have some straight writers but not everyone voted!) but even so... i think people with more sophisticated tastes (i.e. us. haha and many people who really care about the arts as opposed to half paying attention) are more cognizant of who is doing good work in a particular season than Emmy voters are. I've never understood how they can't notice this among their most beloved shows.
for examplle: everyone konws that Mad Men is like my favorite thing other than cats and movies, but I would NOT have nominated the exact same people from it for every season. Same with Dowton Abbey (which i used to love as much as Emmy). and I dont undersatnd why they can't adjust because voting for Person C on a show as opposed to Person B every time is still voting for that Show A that you love, you know?
and for the record i would have also nominated Modern Family for lots of things in its first season. But now it feels like so much repetitive shtick.
Me34 -- well... part of the problem is what people are watching (which is the same issue any voting body has -- they don't watch everything). As for Niecy Nash I think she is BRILLIANT in "Getting On" but she didn't make my ballot because it was just too crowded in that category. In fact I had her in my original ballot until I realized that Borstein was considered "supporting" (which is crazy) so Borstein bumped her because she's given so much more to do and she's brilliant as well (it's basically a lead role).
i'm sad that i seem to be the only person watching that awesome peculiar show.
nevertheless in regards to diversity I hear such good things about Blackish and Fresh Off the Boat that I will give each a spin (unless they have laugh tracks - someone let me know if it's safe to proceed).
No laugh tracks included, Nathaniel. I also would love to see Jenifer Lewis get some guest actress love for Black-ish, though I don't know if she's been in more episodes than are allowed.
The only explanation for Constance Wu not being on every ballot must be that it's underseen. She is undeniable. [Insert Penelope Cruz "geen-i-uss" gif here.] Also can't believe I'm the only one who voted for Randall Park. But again, what a rich field!
margaret - i am right there with you with the love for wu! so, so incredible and hope she gets in. i would've included park in lead, but according to emmy ballots he's going supporting and i already had to narrow my choices down in that category.
no melanie lynskey, guys?! for shame.
i also wanna give some love to becky ann baker in this past season of GIRLS. she's always a treat (and should've been nominated for freaks and geeks years ago), but with the storyline of her husband coming out she was beyond brilliant.
@Michael and DJDeeJay Max Greenfield and Jake Johnson weren't even submitted for the Emmy nominating ballot! Such a shame.I think they're great too.
Squasher88 - Really? That's so bizarre, especially they have been in the past (and Greenfield was nominated). I wonder why they wouldn't bother this year. They both had a really good season. Do you have the link to who was submitted?
Squasher -- i could've sworn i saw them on the ballot. weird.
djdeeday -- you can see the ballots here under "performers"