A look at the 2011 Emmy nominations

This morning the Emmy nominations were announced, and they were nothing super surprising. It had the usual nods to past-their-prime yet popular series and the requisite nod to one or two new cult shows.

Best Drama:
Boardwalk Empire
Friday Night Lights
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

I'm not sure if I'm surprised or not that "Justified" didn't sneak in there. While the performances were phenomenal, sometimes the story meandered and the female distractions on the show of the Winona variety didn't help. I am thrilled "The Walking Dead" didn't get a nod. Visually stunning, it just doesn't have the writing or acting to back it up. I don't quite get all the love for this show as it's always seemed cliche and bland to me.

Best Comedy:
Modern Family
30 Rock
Glee
The Office
The Big Bang Theory
Parks and Recreation

Yeah, I'm pretty ticked about the "Glee" nomination. I don't know what Emmy's problem is, but they seem to handle drama pretty well while having a hard time with comedy. They often repeatedly honor shows way past their prime which makes me feel like they don't even watch the shows regularly. "Community" and "Cougar Town" should be a slam dunk in this category. The inclusion of "Glee" over "Community" is, in my humble opinion, unforgivable. Kudos on the "Modern Family" love, though. I already foresee it winning again, as it should. It's one of the most consistent shows on this list.

Drama Actress:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Mireille Enos, The Killing.

I don't know who Mariska Hargitay is sleeping with to keep getting nominated every year. Probably the awards whore Tony Shaloub did. Anna Torv from "Fringe" should have taken that spot. Like John Noble, she ably handles two very different roles, displaying fantastic range. I'm really happy to see January Jones left out this time. After "X-Men: First Class," I'm convinced she, unlike Torv, does not have much range in her acting skills. I'm already predicting Margulies takes the award.

Comedy actor:
Steve Carell, The Office
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Louis C.K., Louie
Johnny Galecki, Big Bang Theory

Drama actor:
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Laurie, House
Timothy Olyphant, Justified.

Nothing too bizarre here. In fact, were these practically the same nominations for the Golden Globes? No complaints on my part.

Comedy actress:
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Laura Linney, The Big C
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly.

Supporting drama actor:
Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age
John Slattery, Mad Men
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Walton Goggins, Justified.

While I don't think he had that much to do this year, I am beyond thrilled that Walton Goggins got a nomination. In some small way, it sort of kind of eases the pain of all the years he didn't get recognized for "The Shield." He owns any scene he's in and a nomination is well deserved. John Noble from "Fringe" should have been nominated, but I'm not entirely sure who to take off.

Supporting comedy actor:
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Chris Colfer, Glee

I'll admit, I held out hope that Nolan Gould, the boy who plays Luke on "Modern Family" would get a nom. His comedic timing and delivery are perfect and he's often my favorite part of each episode. In lieu of him, I'm still cheering for Ty Burrell. He could split his own vote, though, considering all the (absolutely deserved) nominations for "Modern Family." Either Danny Pudi or Donald Glover from "Community" should have taken a spot. With so many standard sitcom characters around (the doofus, the horndog, the bimbo, the precocious kid), those two make a unique sitcom that much better with truly one-of-a-kind characters.

Supporting comedy actress:
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

Wow, they really dug deep for some nominations for this category and yet they still missed Busy Phillips' hilarious performance on "Cougar Town." She could have been the one-dimensional, stereotypical bimbo but she turns that character into so much more.

Supporting drama actress:
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Margo Martindale, Justified
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men.

I think there would have been riot if Martindale wasn't nominated. Furthermore, I think there might be a riot if she doesn't win. She was in a league of her own this year. I had no idea she could do what she did in making the truly terrifying mama bear of the Bennett clan.

As for the miniseries categories, it's really hard to take them seriously. I'm not saying there aren't worthy miniseries, but there are so few each year that they all get nominated because that's all there is to choose from.

Overall, I'd say the "Community" snubs bother me the most. I'd be okay if there was one or two noms just to acknowledge how great the underrated comedy is, but it was overlooked entirely. The Busy Phillips snub annoys me too, mainly because a lot of the actual nominees are in no way handing in better performances than her. The nomination that makes me the happiest is Walton Goggins for "Justified." It's nice to see a show sneak in there that doesn't have a rabid fan base like "Glee" to help put it in the public eye.

Okay, I lied. The snub that bothers me more than anything else is "Southland." Great cable shows without huge cult fanbases often get forgotten, but that doesn't mean they weren't great. Shawn Hatosy put in one of the best performances in drama television this year as Sammy Bryant, aka the detective having the worst year ever. Michael Cudlitz also stepped it up, portraying what could have been a one-note, gruff cop stereotype. Unlike "Community," it seems like the professional critical community forgot about "Southland" as well, despite more and more applauding it during its run.

At the end of the day, every year it's the same thing - I feel like the people voting in the Emmys barely watch TV.

ABC Wednesday - nutty neighbors, dopey doves, and product placement

"Modern Family" - Slow Down Your Neighbors"Modern Family" returned with a strong episode this week that revolved mainly around crazy (and crazy hot) neighbors. James Marsden guest starred as the hot tub intruder Barry while Claire fought to slow down a reckless speeder. Meanwhile, Jay tried to teach Gloria to overcome her fear and ride a bike. Each storyline was solid and had plenty of hilarious gems. Honestly, I can take or leave the stunt casting. But that being said, Marsden was still fun. And still smoking hot. I loved Mitchell and Cam's pre-credits sequence.

Best Quotes:

Cam: "Mitchell, there's a stranger in our hot tub!
Mitchell: "Who is it?"
Cam: "You do know what 'stranger' means, don't you?"
Mitchell: "Oh my god, how long has he been there?"
Cam: "I saw him exactly one second before you, you know everything I know."
Mitchell: "Okay, I'm calling 911."
Cam: "I'm getting my bat."
(They get a good look at 'the stranger')
Mitchell: "Maybe we're overreacting."
Cam: "Yeah, he could have a very good reason."
Mitchell: "We should at least say 'hello.'"
Cam: "It's only polite."

I have to say that they use Luke perfectly on this show. He's turning into my favorite Dunphy.
Luke (scoffing): "Police. Order a pizza and call the cops, we'll see who gets here first."

Phil: "'Luke, I am your father!' That's what I said to you when you were coming out of your mom's lady parts."

Claire trying to remember the car's license number while Phil wrote down an address was great. "Okay, 10-4. This could be my best year since 2006!"

Jay: "Two-thirds of my house can't do what a billion Chinese do."

Phil: "Bring it, Laura. You want to test me? I've been tested my whole life. They could never find anything."

Cam: "You do this every time we meet a new friend. They say one thing you don't like and you just write them off."
Mitchell: "I do not!"
Cam: "Oh really? What about 'But-Yet Rachel'?"
Mitchell: "'I'd love to go, but yet I don't feel like parking.' It's either 'but' or 'yet', not both!"
Cam: "You're lucky no one's kicked your butt, yet. What about Thomas? You wrote him off because he serves the salad after the meal. Which, by the way, is very common in Europe."
Mitchell: "What part of Europe is he from? Pretentious-stan?"
Cam: "Okay, fine, keep judging. Don't let anyone in. I could care less."
Mitchell: "I think you mean you couldn't care less because if you could care less it means that you care a little bit."
Cam: "All right. I'm going into the hot tub. If I stay in here one more minute my head is literally gonna explode."
Mitchell: "Well I hope not because if you mean literally-"
Cam: "-I don't feel safe in my own home!

Mitchell (about his tendency to roll his eyes): "I once saw a picture of myself at a friend's poetry slam, and all you could see were the whites of my eyes."

Jay: "We're riding bikes, we're not training police dogs."

Luke as a teacher was my favorite thing in this episode.
Luke (offering to teach Gloria to ride a bike): I never taught anyone anything. But my playdate canceled, so I was wide open.

Phil: "I wish I were one of those people who thrives on the danger of leading a double life - you know, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Hannah Montana."

Phil: "Claire was furious. She said I betrayed her on every level. So, I called the florist, and I have ordered one dozen Mylar balloons. Good luck staying mad, honey!"


"Cougar Town" - No Reason to Cry
"Cougar Town" is still at the top of its game, silly and quirky as ever. I'm so happy to have the Cul-de-Sac Crew back! I loved the running gag of Andy and Ellie providing fake names to screw the other person over. At first I thought that they were a one-note couple, but they're really cute together. Especially when they're trying to escape "Jules' friend prison." The changing of the coffee sizes was fantastic as well and I knew instantly I had to include Laurie's entire speech for the quotes section. I wish the Emmys or someone official would recognize how awesome Busy Phillips is on this show.

I know the whole Diet Dr. Pepper product placement is going to ruffle feathers among people who go crazy over that sort of thing. To them I say 'get over it!' I rather a show do product placement like this than awkwardly make the characters suddenly all drink the same drink all the time. I thought it made perfect sense in context, for the character of Bobby as well as in the context of him wanting a sponsorship for his golfing. I loved Travis' little "is someone filming this?" comment as Bobby went on about Diet Dr. Pepper. I think people overreact anytime any real product is mentioned or shown in a positive light. I know I've gladly extolled the virtues of Coca Cola before and I don't find it unrealistic for a person to talk about a drink they love. If you can't just do the lingering shots of certain brand names on a show, then I prefer the writers try to be a little creative about it. I was never bothered by the "Chuck" Subway product placement because I know people who willingly rave about the place. Just be happy that primetime shows aren't nearly as awkward as soap operas are with their product placement.

Best Quotes:

Title this week was a long one! "New Year's Resolution: Embrace Our Stupid Title & Lose Six Pounds "Cougar Town" (We love it!)"

Jules: "It's so cool that you and Kirsten are staying for a movie."
Travis: "You said if I didn't, you wouldn't give me money for food."
Jules: "Just say 'you're welcome,' dude."

Jules: "Oh, sweetie, Grayson and I are a better couple than you."
Travis: "Well this sounds like a healthy road to go down with your mom."

Jules: "Grayson, pop quiz! What is my favorite food? What makes me really sad? Who's my celebrity crush?"
Grayson: "Veal, veal again, and Vince Vaughn."
Jules: "Nailed it!"
(Later)
Grayson: "How many did I really get right?"
Jules: "None, but you knew to lie and that's why we work!"

Bobby: "You see those guys over there? One of them just might be a Diet Dr. Pepper executive."
Travis: "Or just a doctor with the last name Pepper. I mean, the odds are about the same."

Tom (after the dove/frying pan collision): "Did someone have a pillow fight out here?...Whoa, there's a dead bird. And a real sad one right next to it."

Andy: "I know it sucks. But this is what happens when doves cry."

Travis: "My dad isn't just my dad. He's part of the Cul-de-Sac Crew. You meddle with one of them, the entire group responds. They're a collective consciousness, like the Children of the Corn."

Jules (after Grayson isn't appropriately sad about the dove dying): "If it was a person, would you still make jokes?"
Grayson: "Probably, because it meant they died sprinting into a frying pan."
Jules: "I bet that's how Bobby goes."

Bobby, while freaking out about the world, screws up his putt. "Will the Internet ever be safe again? Some experts say NO!" And I loved that all the next putt needed was a "DARFUR!" to get shaken. And later, "yeah baby! The world sucks but who cares!"

A perfect example of the difference between men in women in relationships:
Jules: "You get why murdering two animals would make me spiral right?"
Grayson: "I don't."
Jules: "Deep down, you're probably feeling just as sad as I am."
Grayson: "I'm not."
Jules: "You're gonna change someday."
Grayson: "I won't."

Grayson: "You know, I think you're a little emotional right now so I think the smart thing for us to do would be to just chill, not get into any deep conversations."
Jules: "Do you even think we're right for each other?"
Grayson: "Thanks for listening."

Grayson: "Put Big Carl down."
Jules: "No, he understands me!"

Kirsten: "Are we really at a dead lizard's funeral in your mom's yard?"
Travis: "You did this to us."

Grayson (to Jules): "You're an idiot. You're worried that we're not alike enough to be together. One of my favorite things about us is how different we are. It's the couples that are different that really work. I mean, look at these freaks (to Ellie and Andy). His favorite movie is "Die Hard." And she's a horrible person. I've been scared to say this, but all those ways that you're different from me...that's why I love you. I love you Jules."

And now, Laurie's crazy brilliant order at the coffee shop! You can tell they had so much fun with this one and Busy Phillips handles it wonderfully. (It's on Youtube, too, if you feel like watching it)
Laurie: "Oh hey Rache, now bear with me, I have to order for everyone. Okay, I'll have one Soy Largey, one teeny tiny, one teeny teeny tiny unleaded, one Plain Jane, extra yum, (what the hell make it a double yum), a Baby Joey, a Midnight with a Full Moon - hold the pumpkin, a medium coffee, I need a Heavy D in a travel mug please, two Crazy Ivans, a Sauron's Eye. Also I need a 'Damn!' and an iced 'Damn!', a Sneaky Pete, a double drip with a snip of whip, and a frap cap heavy on the (makes crushing sound). Oh, and let's see what's fresh...okay, well I'll take three raisin happy muffins, a French mustache, and, ick, a fart muffin - that is not for me. Oh, and I forgot to order my own coffee! Can I get a Taye Diggs, which is black and extra strong and smooth but also very sweet?" (Barista stands frozen in place) "Would it be easier if I just came back there and made it myself?"