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“Family Guy”?
“Family Guy”?!
“FAMILY GUY”!!??
Yes, indeed. There’s a different whiff to this year’s Emmys, wouldn’t you say?
When a show this rude, crude, and towering with ‘tude gets a nod as best comedy, then I think we can all agree that Sunday’s “61st Primetime Emmy Awards” are not the Same Old Emmys. Much is about to change. Much probably has to.
First, a given: This is a very strong field, overall. But that doesn’t boost numbers, and, as producer Don Mischer explains, “Our goal is to maintain the integrity of the Emmys and to make the show more connected to mainstream audiences.”
So, we’ve got Neil Patrick Harris as host and clips of popular shows that wouldn’t normally get an invite to this party. At the recent TV critics’ press tour, Harris said, “I want the show to be as classy as it can be — to keep things at a tight clip.” Bless you, Neil. We’ll hold you to your word.
Here are my picks.
DRAMA
NOMINEES: “Big Love” (HBO); “Breaking Bad” (AMC); “Damages” (FX); “Dexter”; (Showtime); “House” (FOX); “Lost” (ABC); “Mad Men” (AMC)
WILL WIN: “Mad Men”
SHOULD WIN: “Breaking Bad.” The pain, the pain of having to make a pick here, but picks must be made and “Bad” was the best hour drama on TV last year.
COMEDY
NOMINEES: “Entourage” (HBO); “Family Guy” (FOX); “Flight of the Conchords” (HBO); “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS); “The Office” (NBC); “30 Rock” (NBC); “Weeds” (Showtime)
WILL WIN: “30 Rock”
SHOULD WIN: “30 Rock.” There is no conceivable logic for “Family Guy” on this list — if only because “The Simpsons” one of the greatest showsS in TV history, has never made it. “30 Rock’s” the safe choice, easy choice and — frankly — right choice.
ACTOR/COMEDY
NOMINEES: Jim Parsons, “Big Bang Theory” ; Jemaine Clement, “Flight Of The Conchords”; Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”; Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”; Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men”
WILL WIN: Baldwin
SHOULD WIN: Parsons. Does anyone know how good Parsons is? But Emmy members don’t like to contradict themselves, so it’ll be Alec again.
ACTRESS/COMEDY
NOMINEES: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures Of Old Christine”; Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?”; Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program”; Tina Fey, “30 Rock”; Toni Collette, “United States Of Tara”; Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds”
WILL WIN: Collette.
SHOULD WIN: Collette. Upset! And a richly deserved one.
ACTOR/DRAMA
NOMINEES: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” ; Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”; Hugh Laurie, “House”; Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment”; Simon Baker, “The Mentalist”; Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
WILL WIN: Byrne.
SHOULD WIN: Byrne. A cruelly competitive category, but Byrne was spectacular.
ACTRESS/DRAMA
NOMINEES: Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters”; Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”; Glenn Close, “Damages”; Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”; Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”; Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace”
WILL WIN: Close.
SHOULD WIN: Close. I’m tempted to use a really bad pun here — that this race ain’t even close — but I won’t. An easy pick.
ACTOR: MINISERIES/MOVIE
NOMINEES: Kevin Kline, “Cyrano de Bergerac”; Brendan Gleeson, “Into the Storm”; Sir Ian McKellen, “King Lear”; Kevin Bacon, “Taking Chance”; Kiefer Sutherland, “24: Redemption”; Kenneth Branagh, “Wallander: One Step Behind”
WILL WIN: Gleeson.
SHOULD WIN: McKellen. Most voters likely didn’t see “Lear,” so McKellen is robbed.
ACTRESS: MINISERIES/MOVIE
Chandra Wilson, “Accidental Friendship”; Shirley MacLaine, “Coco Chanel”; Drew Barrymore, “Grey Gardens”; Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens”; Sigourney Weaver, “Prayers For Bobby”
WILL WIN: Weaver.
SHOULD WIN: Barrymore. The most interesting category of this year’s Emmys. Weaver’s story of a repressed mother and her gay son will checkmate Barrymore, who was brilliant.
MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE
NOMINEES: “Coco Chanel” (Lifetime); “Grey Gardens” (HBO); “Into the Storm” (HBO); “Prayers For Bobby” (Lifetime); “Taking Chance” (HBO)
WILL WIN: “Grey Gardens”
SHOULD WIN: “Grey Gardens.” No contest.
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61ST PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS
Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS. Live from L.A.‘s Nokia Theatre
PRE-SHOWS: Ryan Seacrest, Giuliana Ran- cic host “Live From the Red Carpet” (6-8 p.m., E!); Carrie Ann Inaba, Chris Harrison handle “Live at the Emmy Awards” (6-8 p.m., TV Guide Network).
