Jewcy Picks the Emmy Winners

While the quality of television has been on the up, the shows that get nods from the Emmy committee seem to be the same.  But one fact remains year after year: a lot of Jews are involved one way or another. Will there be some new blood this year?

If you’re betting on the winners, here are our picks.

Writing for a Drama Series:

Mad Men: "Shut the Door and Have a Seat"

Mad Men: "A Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency"

The Good Wife: "Pilot"

Friday Night Lights: "The Son"

Lost: "The End"

Hope: It would be nice for Lost’s finale to win because in my opinion it was a fantastically written, satisfying finale.  However, last season’s finale of Mad Men, "Shut the Door and Have a Seat," was a perfect example of pitch-perfect TV writing, and it deserves the award.

Pick: Mad Men is always a safe pick for any Emmy.  The Emmy’s reverence for Mad Men can be over the top, but not when it comes to writing.  Mad Men, "Shut the Door and Take a Seat,"  deserves to win this category above the rest with Lost at a close second.

 

Writing for a Comedy:

The Office – "Niagara"

Glee – "Pilot"

Modern Family – "Pilot"

30 Rock – "Anna Howard Shaw Day"

30 Rock – "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter"

Hope: Glee, though entertaining, is annoying. The Office is in a lull and 30 Rock was good but not great. My hope is Modern Family.

Pick: 30 Rock, Anna Howard Shaw day.  Emmy voters when in doubt will go with 30 Rock, I think they like the way it sounds when the presenters say it, "30 Rock!"

 

Supporting Actress in a Drama:

Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris, Mad Men

Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma, The Good Wife

Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olsen, Mad Men

Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons, Damages

Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen, Burn Notice

Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, Good Wife

Hope: Christina Hendricks captivated America.  Bloggers and nerds and Blogger nerds are obsessed with her.  Her character requires a unique confidence most women could never pull off.

Pick: I have to go with Christina Hendricks, she’s the most dynamic on the list.

 

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series:

Jane Lynch  as Sue Sylvester, Glee

Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, 30 Rock

Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado, Pritchett Modern Family

Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper, Two and a Half Men

Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy, Modern Family

Kristen Wiig as Various Characters, Saturday Night Live

 

Hope: Though I’m not a huge fan of the show, I think the best character portrayal is Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester on Glee.

Pick: Jane Lynch will win.  Glee beloved by critics and fans and Jane Lynch is finally being recognized after a long career of hard work and due paying.

 

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:

Michael Emerson as Ben Linus, Lost

Terry O’Quinn as John Locke, Lost

Martin Short as Leonard Winstone, Damages

Andre Braugher as Owen, Men Of A Certain Age

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad

John Slattery as Roger Sterling, Mad Men

 

Hope: This is one of the categories I feel most strongly about.  Without a doubt, Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad deserves this award, he is one of the most talented young actors out there and his portrayal of Jesse Pinkman is brilliant.

Pick: Terry O’Quinn portrayed two people inside of the same body on Lost this year and it’s his last chance to win for the character of John Locke since Lost is over, I believe he will probably win.

 

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:

Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Modern Family

Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel, Glee

Ty Burrell, as Phil Dunphy, Modern Family

Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother

Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker, Modern Family

Jon Cryer as Alan Harper, Two And A Half Men

 

Hope: NPH has a superpower, it’s called, "awesomeness"

Pick:  NPH deserves the award for all the years he played Doogie.

 

Lead Actress in a Drama:

January Jones as Betty Draper, Mad Men

Kyra Sedgwick, as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, The Closer

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes, Damages

Connie Britton as Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights

Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, The Good Wife

Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson, Law & Order: SVU

 

Hope: This category upsets me greatly.  So many were overlooked, like the entire cast of Big Love.  I think January Jones is the weakest link on Mad Men, but she’s my favorite on this list.

Pick: Glen Close is a seasoned actress who will win this category until there comes another seasoned actress in a strong female role to challenge her.

 

Lead Actor in a Drama:

Jon Hamm as Don Draper, Mad Men

Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor Friday Night Lights

Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, Dexter

Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, House

Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard, Lost

Bryan Cranston as Walter White, Breaking Bad

 

Hope: I’d have to go with Michael Hall as Dexter.  He’s just a hair above Bryan Cranston this year.

Pick: I think Michael Hall will win.  Dexter’s last season was its best and biggest so far.  It seems like Everyone who’d been avoiding Dexter found their way to the show this year.  It’s hard to say, because Cranston on Breaking Bad is a total powerhouse, but I go with Dex.

 

Lead Actress in a Comedy

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, 30 Rock

Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton, Nurse Jackie

Lea Michele as Rachel Berry, Glee

Toni Collette as Tara Gregson, United States of Tara

Amy Peohler as Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell, The New Adventures Of Old Christine

 

Hope: Parks and Recreation had an amazing year and I believe it got snubbed for best comedy series.  Amy Poehler without a doubt deserves this award.

Pick: Edie Falco will probably win, because people in the Emmy voting age bracket adore her.

 

Lead Actor in a Comedy:

Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, Monk

Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester, Glee

Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

Steve Carell as Michael Scott, The Office

Larry David as Himself, Curb Your Enthusiasm

 

Hope: This is another huge category where I am very conflicted.  Larry David and Jim Parsons are both incredibly funny in their roles, as a Jew, it should be David all the way.  Looking at it from an acting standpoint, Jim Parsons deserves this award.

Pick: I think Jim Parsons has a real shot and it would be considered something of an upset if he won.  I go with Sheldon Cooper, half alien, half nerd from The Big Bang Theory.

 

Best Drama Series:

True Blood

Dexter

Mad Men

The Good Wife

Breaking Bad

Lost

Hope: Wow, the drama category is huge this year.  It’s a tough one for me between Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Dexter and True Blood.  The JFK episode of Mad Men however, puts it over the top, just barely over True Blood, who had fantastically magic last season.  I go with Mad Men in the end.

Pick:  Dexter.  I just don’t think they’re going to give it to Mad Men a third time even though it deserves it more so than last season.  True Blood has a long run ahead of it and will win this award in the near future. 

 

Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Modern Family

30 Rock

Glee

The Office

Nurse Jackie

 

Hope: Without a doubt, Curb Your Enthusiasm is most deserving of the award.  However, if the shows that were snubbed out of this category had been included, it would have been near impossible to pick

Pick: I think Modern Family will probably win this year, if not Glee.  Modern Family wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.  If Glee wins, I’ll be extremely disappointed.

 

Final Thoughts:  The Emmy’s this year are somewhat exciting but there are still too many let downs.  It’s the underdogs, people making, the off-the-wall, irreverent shows that make TV interesting.

There were some terrible snubs this year.  Although Big Love didn’t have its best season, the acting was impeccable.  Parks and Recreation, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Eastbound and Down and Party Down, were the most interesting provocative comedies this year, and yet there’s nary a peep from most of these shows at the Emmy’s.  In the words of Kenny Powers, Emmy’s, "You’re Fuckin’ out!"