Hey guys,
Like many of you I woke up to the some good/some bad/some ridiculous Emmy Nominations this morning and so I thought I'd write a little post about some general thoughts on the comedy aspect...
Leading Comedy Actor a.k.a The One With The Pointless Nomination
This is by no means stating that there is anything wrong with Johnny Galecki's performance in 'The Big Bang Theory' and he is a terrific member of the ensemble, but when you put him next to Jim Parsons I would wager that 100 out of 100 people would say he was the lesser lead. That's not a negative, it's just that he isn't even the best leading character on his own show! So why when there are so many comedies out there that have no recognition would the Emmys waste one of their six leading comedy actors on a performance that isn't even the best in its own show. Based on what I've read through this morning and some of the shows I've watched it seems farcical to lose one of the potential 'Community' leads amongst other shows as Johnny Galecki will never win.
Some decent nominations in the category are of course Jim Parsons who is consistently funny, and I'm pleased that Steve Carell's final few episodes where he shone have made him worthy of a nomination. I also thought Matt LeBlance was very good in 'Episodes' which was very hit and miss... Alec Baldwin is the perfect example of 'sticking-him-in' because he's been in every year so far. Unadventurous is the word!
Supporting Comedy Actor a.k.a The One That's Messed Up
People should just look at that list and laugh to avoid weeping. It's the perfect example of farcical voting and just utterly plain pathetic. There's six nominations to cover the finest in comedy on television and they put in four(!) nominations from the same show, a supporting actor in a show that's long past its peak and isn't that great and the customary copy and paste from last year. Modern Family does not have four of the best comedy performances in a supporting role, and even it it does, much like Johnny Galecki's nomination it's wasted space. It lacks creativity and spectrum and it also alienates a lot of television fans in one quick go. Why hasn't 'The Office' or 'Community' or 'Parks & Recreation' or 'Bored To Death' or any other shows with equally strong supporting characters got any love? No reason. It's poor...
Supporting Comedy Actress a.k.a The One That's Offensive To Supporting Actresses
No offence but to nominate a sketch show actress for a comedy award associated with great performances, development and a recognisable character is offensively bad. Kristen Wiig is great, but if they want to nominate someone from a show that throughout the rest of the nominations is called 'Variety, Music Or Nonfiction Programming' then they need to create a new category. In fairness, I think recognising these type of performances would be a great new category, but I'm against adding them to the comedy categories...
Leading Comedy Actress a.k.a The One That's Just About Right
Sure it has some un-originality, but mixing 'Mike & Molly, 'Parks & Recreation' 'Raising Hope' & 'The Big C' shows some of the spark that the other categories lack, even if Tina Fey and Edie Falco make up some typical and predictable nominations...
Best Comedy a.k.a The One That Highlights The Problems
Evidence that even shows that maybe past their peak and should make way for the better, more original and fresh shows still get votes because that's just what happens at the Emmys; for examples see 'The Office' & '30 Rock'.
It's nice to see 'Parks & Rec' and 'The Big Bang Theory' getting some love but for 'TBBT' season four was its weakest by far and yet it gets its first nomination. This just shows that it takes too long for the Emmys to appreciate shows; they should have been giving 'TBBT' love the last two years rather than now, and shows like 'Community' should be getting their love now.
The other nominations for 'Glee' and 'Modern Family' are probably justified as they are quite fresh and popular but everyone knows that both series could have had a stinker of a season and they still would have been listed.
I'm sure some will agree, some will disagree with my thoughts, but I really think that the comedy nominations need some work and re-thinking as they just aren't working at the current time.
There are some problems in the drama categories as well, but I hope that someday I'll be pleasantly surprised with the comedy nominations, rather than predictably disappointed...
Adam
Emmys 2011 - The Comedy Nominations a.k.a The Ones Which Need Analysing
14 Jul 2011
Cancelled Shows Community Episodes Glee Mike and Molly Modern Family Parks and Recreation Raising Hope SpoilerTV Article The Big Bang Theory
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Let me know what you think. Do you agree/disagree on anything?
ReplyDeleteNicely put together, have to agree on pretty much every count.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, I've watched more comedy now than ever before this year. (What happens when I don't change channels) agree with you on lead actress and comedy categories. Don't know about the others to disagree.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely disagree with you on Season 4 of BBT being its weakest. Season 3 was. By a landslide. The best decision the show ever made was bringing in Mayim Bialik and promoting Melissa Rauch to a full-time character. It gave Penny so much more material to work with, and Mayim developed the role as a lot more than the "female Sheldon"
ReplyDeleteFor Lead Actress, replace Melissa with Courteney Cox and they have it right. And I agree Supporting Actress is messed up. Supporting Actor, which MF guy do you take out? Maybe Jesse Tyler Ferguson, but that's it, and Emmy voters wouldn't have the stones to replace him with Nick Offerman, anyway.
Really I think that the one that bothers me most is the Supporting actor category. I watch and really enjoy modern family, but I don't think all four of those deserve the nomination. It's much like 30 Rock before it. A Media darling that everyone professes to love while its not THAT good and thus Emmy voters put it in and create a monopoly. I am sure we will see Modern Family all over the Emmy's like this for the foreseeable future.
ReplyDeleteThe Middle, Cougar Town, Bored To Death, HIMYM are all as good or better than Modern Family and all have a great supporting cast that deserved to be nominated over some of these Modern Family actors.
You speak the thoughts in my head so well. ;)
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should considered applying a SpoilerTV maximum to the number of people from the same show in each category?
Adam, you've written everything that I was thinking. I don't know what I was hoping for but the actual nominations are somewhat a disappointment especially the supporting actor category-- it is almost like they should have created a new category altogether for the actors of Modern family if they couldn't make up their minds. Last year's snuff of Ed O'Neal who is a great actor in the award season (I think that it was him...can't be sure) was probably a determining factor.
ReplyDeleteWhich brings me to my next point-- why can't there be a clause that states that only one actor per show can get nominated. I just feel like so many actors were cheated out of the chance to be nominated because the supporting actor category gave four nominations to actors from the same show
I agree about Galecki. Let's face it. He's the straight man to Parsons' clown. That never turns out well for the straight man. If Dean Martin was alive he'd tell you the same thing about his time with Jerry Lewis.
ReplyDeleteI'd start ranting about Always Sunny getting screwed (especially Kaitlin Olson) but I've done enough of that today. :)
I do not understand Chris Colfers nomination, he offers barely any comedy at all.
ReplyDeleteRon Swanson not being nominated was the biggest shock for me, he's been brilliant.
Leonard is probably the 4th funniest male character in TBBT so that was a big shock to me when I saw them too. Thought that Amy Farrah Fowler might of got a nod as supporting actress as she has been great this year.
30 Rock has had a week season so don't think any of them deserved their nods.
Community and Walking Dead hard done by too
I agree with much of what you're saying, but I don't think they should nominate new and fresh just because they are new and fresh. Sometimes the veteran shows are simply better than everything else.
ReplyDeleteThe nominators always seem to be one year behind as a rule. Great season deserving of reward, then they get ignored and win in the next year... or following years for past work. Just how the system works. People can't be up to date on every episode of every season so they catch up or start watching the "new" nominees and then in the future they may actually win.
For a show or actor to get nominated and win in their first year it has to be a truly extraordinary show/performance, have massive amounts of buzz, or be a down year in that specific category.
I'm not sure who the nominating pool is for the Emmys compared to the Oscars, but the devoted fan will always be more knowledgeable and current than those that nominate our beloved shows. It's the one flaw in a critic controlled awrd system. It is till miles ahead of any fan controlled voting though.
If the fans voted we would have perennial winners like Lisa Edelstein and Jensen Ackles.. No Thank you!
"I do not understand Chris Colfers nomination, he offers barely any comedy at all."
ReplyDeleteIt's the same situation with Edie Falco on Nurse Jackie. Nurse Jackie is basically a half-hour drama yet its in the comedy category and so is Edie Falco. Colfer's (and Falco's) best performances are much more drama than comedy but, it is what it is. The Emmy people can be real stupid.
I thought Mike & Molly was one of the best new sitcoms in years and Melissa was the main part of that. I don't have a problem with the nomination I guess.
ReplyDeleteI love Cougar Town , but I think the supporting cast makes the show NOT Cox honestly. I think she is one note and over the top.... just like on friends.
I agree about the female shut out on TBBT. Any or all o them should have been in the mix for nominations in their respective categories. I think Glaecki is the last of the boys I would nominate from TBBT, however I found it a pleasant surprise they choose him I guess. There is an art to being a straight man and they don't get enough recognition. That said, I always think of the funnyman before the straight man like everyone else.
Yeah I don't see many nominations on Glee other than Jane Lynch, who in my opinion, had a down year.
ReplyDeleteMost aren't brilliant dramatically or comically. Heather Morris is the one stand out comically for me and maybe could get a nomination.... and the guest stars. The main cast? Not so much.
This is the most sensible Emmy Article ever, I agree with literally everything you're saying (minus one small point), firstly, can I just commend you for being the only person in the world to comment, how can there be two leads in one series? It's such an obvious question but it's always overlooked.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, even though four of the six supporting comedy nominations were for Modern Family, I believe them right, I honestly think this is the best put together cast in years, so I agree with that.
The year behind thing is really annoying this year though, because Sean Bean deserved to be nominated for GoT and now his character is dead so there's no chance of him getting recognition next year. Him being snubbed is one of my biggest problems with this years Emmys, along with the supporting actor category being dominated by one show.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly agree with the supporting actor comments. It just seems completely ridiculous to me that out of all the comedy series on TV, and all the talented actors on those shows, they couldn't create some variety in that category. Community for example stars several supporting actors who are more than deserving of a nomination but have been snubbed. And much as I love Chris Colfer, his work is more dramatic than comedic so it feels like he's in the wrong category.
ReplyDeleteDisagree about Glee. Community should be there instead.
ReplyDeleteBut Modern Family has that won already.
I agree with Ed O Neill, Ty and Stonestreet. Not sure about Mitchell.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm positive Ty Burrell is going to win that award. He's easily the funniest guy on Tv.
I can not BELIEVE how many nominations Glee got. Glee was HORRIBLE this season.
ReplyDeleteWell, if I have to be honest, I have to say that you're right about a lot of the things you wrote, but deffinately not all... I can't agree for example that shows or actors who have been nominated a lot of times shouldn't get nominated..If they're good they should get the respect and chance they deserve... For example Alec - I thing the kind of entertainment he provides is unique and I thing he deserves every nomination... Also - Kristen Wiig - yes, it was suprising nomination for me, but she is hilarious and after all the category is for a comedy actress and she is by definition a comedy actress in a tv show.. I couldn't agree more about all Modern family statements, however.. nicely put, and to be honest I got really annoyed that they had their whole cast nominated in the supporting actor category..
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't undestand is, why should shows like "The Office" and "30Rock" make way for the new and fresh ones... If the new and fresh ones, however, are better - that's another thing.. I don't think there was a new show that actually outdid those two, so for me their nomination was something not so suprising or irritating...