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.

"Cougar Town" - a salute to the Cul-de-Sac Crew

"Cougar Town" has basically no plot these days. The name is misleading and pointless. The characters never go to work. We never see Ellie and Andy's infant son. Travis is home every weekend despite going away to college. There aren't really many romantic entanglements or new love interests. There's hardly ever more than one occasional guest star. The show is completely aware of its faults and unreal aspects. It's all about a bunch of adults who act like kids, except for the copious amounts of wine they drink every episode. And it's one of my favorite shows on television right now.It's just the definition of 'silly fun.' You want to hang out with these people. For them, adulthood means drinking wine and playing Penny Can or one of the other hundred games they make up. This most recent episode, "Lost Children," exemplified this basic core of the show - friends having a blast. They played one big grown-up version of hide-and-seek. In the process, they snooped around their friends' houses, encountered "Waiting for Superman" (which is not about Superman), and dealt with some conflicts along the way. "Cougar Town" isn't genius. It isn't meticulously crafted like "Arrested Development" or random and non sequitur heavy like "Family Guy" or "Scrubs," but instead it could follow "Seinfeld"'s motto - it's a show about nothing. But, like "Seinfeld" taught us, a show about nothing can be incredibly hilarious and entertaining. "Seinfeld" derived humor from everyday life and relatable humorous situations, while "Cougar Town" derives humor from a make-believe version of what we wish our lives were like.

"Cougar Town" is getting the solo love-fest this week because "Modern Family" was a repeat. I will point out that "Modern Family" has definitely had a creative upswing in the latter half of its second season. My fears were unfounded and the writing is top-notch and whip-smart again. That being said, "Cougar Town" isn't just the highlight of my Wednesday, it's the highlight of my week.

Best quotes:

This week's title: Do we have to do this joke forever? "Cougar Town"

Travis: "Mom, I'm trying to fix the TV, but I need to know what you did to break it."
Jules: "I just pushed one of the buttons on the remote and it went to black."
Travis: "Mmhmm. And then?"
Jules: "After it went black, I pushed about a hundred other buttons and then I plugged and replugged a bunch of wires."

Travis (about "Waiting for Superman"): "It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a depressing expose about the failing public school system."

Barb: "You used to be one of us - stalking prey without mercy or shame."
Jules: "When are people going to understand? That's not who I am anymore. I mean, what do I have to do? Change my name?"
Barb: "You'll be back! The filth is strong within you!"

Everybody's 'trucker whoo'

Moving target Penny Can!

"Tossing copper" as new slang for Penny Can

Jules (on not being able to watch the documentary): "Damn it. I wanted to feel smart tonight. Smart and depressed about the world. Not dumb and happy like always."

Travis (talking about an article from his Psych class): "Adults can reduce their stress levels by embracing the activities they loved when they were little kids."
Grayson: "So we should all go hide in the shower and watch my babysitter pee?"
Jules: "No no no, this is good. I mean, not your thing. We're going to have to talk to a professional about that."

Laurie: "I love me some beef and bubbles. Oh! That should be our detective names! He's Beef, a grizzled ex-marine with a secret - he's a vegetarian. She's Bubbles, his plucky hot partner with a secret of her own - she's Beef's daughter. Together, they fight crime and each week, maybe they grow a little bit closer together."

Bobby: "We might as well watch this fake boring Superman documentary."
(later)
Bobby: "You know what's scarier than Lex Luthor? The decaying public education system that's cheating our young people out of a future."

Jules: "Now, you have an outside perspective of the Cul-de-Sac Crew. How do you see us?"
Travis: "Well, I see you guys as a bunch of old people with surprisingly good skin given the amount of wine and sun you take in."
Jules: "Yeah, I think the alcohol preserves us."

Grayson: "Hey, look, Travis' ironic t-shirt collection! 'Hey, I'm moody and sarcastic and I'm home for the tenth straight weekend because I don't understand how college works!'"

Ellie: "Look, when Andy's parents first moved here from Cuba they scraped up enough money to send him to prep school. So in walks this husky, balding 11 year old with a whole fried fish for lunch. He got terrorized by pretty boy D-bags like you named Wyatt or Deckland. And every time you tease him you remind him of those guys. Don't feed into it and you'll be fine."
Grayson: "No problem. Except for I just tied him to a tree, I gotta go get him."

Tom: "Why aren't you at college?"
Travis: "You know, Tom, I...don't...know."

Grayson: "Put my ice cream away and go get some wine and pillows and hide from Jules in the truck. I gotta go get Andy because I tied him to a tree."

Grayson: "Okay, so I probably shouldn't have tied you to a tree."
Andy: "Since I'm Cuban it's almost a hate crime."

Grayson: "Most of those cool guys, they're like me - divorced, struggling through life, peaked at 18..."
Andy: "Wow, you're a total loser."
Grayson: "What? No, I got Jules now."

Jules: "I swear to God, I will burn this whole Cul-de-Sac down!"

Bobby: "So ya'll bag on Sam once we left?"
Grayson: "What could we possibly say about her? We met her for like two seconds."
Bobby: "Well, that's all you're gonna get because she dumped me. Go ahead."
Ellie: "Bad hair, weird nose, thick neck."
Grayson: "She shook my hand with her fingertips. What are you, the Queen of France?"
Laurie: "Her face made me want to learn how to box."

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?"

ABC Wednesday - Chirp Chirp, Bang Bang

I'll only be covering "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" since I only watched the season premieres of the other two and never want to have to watch "Better With You" ever again. But the second hour of ABC Wednesday's comedy line-up is like a gift from above, filled with great pop culture shout-outs and fun characters doing what they do best.

"Modern Family" - "Chirp"
This week's episode found Claire and Hayley sick, Phil hunting for a chirping smoke detector, Jay and Gloria celebrating a mysterious anniversary, and Cam and Mitchell fighting about Lily's acting debut. I normally love Cam and Mitchell, but their storyline was the weakest in this episode. It's unfortunate because normally the show fires on all cylinders, but even when one storyline is weaker, the episode is still pretty good. The smoke detector was used to great comedic effect, with it chirping and secretly saying that Phil isn't a man, because men are in charge of the smoke detectors. When Claire's gym buddy comes to return her lost cell phone and he says that Claire never mentioned she had a husband, the smoke detector chirps and it's a perfectly timed moment. Meanwhile, an old but reliable gag was going on between Claire and Hayley, when Claire tried to convince her daughter not to settle down with Dylan or else she will regret it. (Sidenote: I was thrilled to see the return of Dylan. He's great in small doses though). Of course Hayley didn't get that Claire was talking about her and Dylan, she thought Claire was talking about Phil. Jay had a heartwarming little moment with Manny but I also loved his confusion over which anniversary he was celebrating with Gloria, since she celebrates every little moment in a relationship.

Best of:

• Jay saying he "took care of Jack" and Gloria asking if he killed him.
• Gloria insisting that Jay's "resort wear" was more like "last resort" wear
• Hayley reassuring Dylan that he "doesn't have to conceive of a world without [her]"
• Luke wanting to sell the "organ" and asking Phil to drive him to the black market.
• Jay trying to get Gloria to finish his sentences and expose their plans for the night (unsuccessfully)
  
• Dylan's sex dream about Claire. Made even funnier later by Hayley telling him "I'm just in bed with my mom. Stop freaking out! It is not coming true!"
  
• Every time the smoke detector chirped, especially the last time that sent Phil into a destructive rage
• Luke in the background trying to eat a cookie with the space helmet on.
  
  

"Cougar Town" - "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)"
If I could recommend only one show for a person to watch this week, it would be "Cougar Town." It had its usual mix of crazy gags but added in a "Spaced" reference and a brilliant homage to "The Usual Suspects." It was Jules' birthday and, naturally, this was turned into a big contest between everyone trying to get her the best gift. Travis and Bobby had their own odd adventure conquering a neti pot, which is apparently some fancy thing for clearing up congestion.

Best of:

• "(Modern) Cougar Town" this week. I absolutely adore the opening credits gag. It's a small, self-aware way to address the title debate.
  
• Calling sensitive men "sensies." A nice "Scrubs" callback.
• If a couple actors hadn't already crossed over from "Scrubs," I would wish that they took place in the same universe. I'm not sure what that would mean though...maybe some guest spots from alumni as their old characters.
  
• Jules takes her Disney characters very seriously. It was mighty impressive, rattling off the dwarves' names that fast.
  
• Laurie finding an app for dramatic sound effects. Sabotage should always be announced in fabulously dramatic fashion.
  
• Jules forcibly changing Grayson's age, especially since it makes her absolutely NOT a cougar!
• Andy and Jules, Hot Dog and Stick!
• The visual gag of Bobby's nose leaking.
• Laurie tricking Grayson and winning the contest.
• Bobby asking about Travis' neti pot. "Is this another one of those snooty college things like that picnic basket you take to the shower?"
• Jules laying down the law about her birthday. "Okay, a few birthday ground rules: no gag gifts, no gift cards, and nothing that I'm supposed to love because it's charitable. Laurie, I'm still pissed you saved an elephant in my name!"
• Bobby: "Hey College! I'm calling you College now because you go to college." Travis: "Yeah I pieced that together."
• Barb's appearance, wanting to tell Jules "about my trip to London and all the time I spent under Big Ben." Andy led her away with "look! A high school track team hosing each other down!"
• Ellie: "Jules, he's an evil genius. He's Keyser Soze!" Jules: "No he's not!" Ellie: "Yes he is!" Jules: "He's not! God! (pause) Who's Keyser Soze?"
• Ellie sitting Jules down to watch "The Usual Suspects." Jules: "You told me before it started that Kevin Spacey was Keyser Soze and I was still surprised! Wait, was he Keyser Soze?" Ellie: "Yes!" Jules: "Alright, so the crippled guy was his evil twin?" Ellie: "No, same guy!" Jules: "Well let's just agree to disagree."
• Jules: "I know you want me to believe Andy is Kiefer Doozy" - even after Ellie makes Jules watch the movie.
• The flashback to Andy making up a story about his grandmother based on random things behind Jules. Also, the parody of the ending where they show that Andy really was faking his sprained ankle. Andy as an evil genius was unexpected but fantastic.
• After Bobby comes back from the hospital. Travis: "So you poured this whole pitcher directly into your lungs? I mean, at some point you must have know you were drowning. Why didn't you stop?" Bobby: "Bobby Cobb never quits!" Travis: "Not even at killing himself?" Bobby: "Not even. That stupid college death pot!" Travis: "Still not a college thing." Bobby: "Whatever, man, it's still the most dangerous thing on my boat." Travis: "Really? I'm going to spin around and say the first thing I see. Loaded flare gun on a jar full of gasoline!" Bobby: "Well that's for when the rats come!"
• Later, Bobby: "You ever looked death in the eye, Trav?" Travis: "Well now that that jar of gasoline has a flaming can of Sterno next to it, I'd have to say yes."
  
• Travis: "Dad, let me list some actual college things, like indie bands, freshman 15, dabbling in lesbianism (that's for girls), encouraging girls to dabble in lesbianism (that's for guys), ramen noodles, keggers, having a black roommate that makes you feel self-conscious about singing all your favorite rap songs..."
  
• Travis walking in on the Finger Guns Mexican Standoff, asking "what are we doing? Somebody tell me what we're doing!"
  
• The final Finger Gunfight. Utterly silly, but all the better because it was a reference to "Spaced." Bill Lawrence confirmed it, even though Travis said "I love 'Spaced'" as he was falling.
  
• Because it's awesome, Entertainment Weekly posted a whole article about the reference and posted all the videos of it and in reference to it: "Cougar Town" does "Spaced"-inspired finger gun shootout: Watch!"

ABC Wednesday - the many flavors of sitcoms (from awful to awesome)

"The Middle"
Cut above the average sitcom, but still no 'Modern Family'
I caught a few episodes of this at the end of the last season and was mildly amused by it. It's the attempt to make a sitcom about a lower middle class family struggling to make it in the Midwest. I do like the addition that it's set in Indiana (not just because that's where I'm currently located), because it's nice to have a show that isn't set in California, New York, or Texas. Other states do exist, and not just as comedic fodder when someone wants to set a show or movie in "the sticks." Setting it in the Midwest makes is more relatable. However, I wasn't very impressed by their premiere. I thought they had better episodes in their first season. There were a few things I enjoyed, like the metaphor about class level as having an "above-ground pool" life vs. an "in-ground pool" life. The biggest laugh moment for me was when the mother runs after her son's discarded backpack that was put in the dump truck, yelling "Stop, my son's best friend is in there!" I also liked the mother urging the kids to go outside and enjoy the summer, only to find them shooting arrows into their pool where she immediately yells at them to go back inside and watch TV.

I don't think this show is as non-stop hilarious as "Modern Family," but it's good for a chuckle or two. One of the downsides of it, though, is this show makes me never ever want to have children. The parents are stressed and exhausted trying to support three weirdo kids and it's like they were forced to take on this horrible burden and they're just barely getting by. Their daughter is incredibly annoying. I'm sure this is all more relatable if you are a parent with irritating yet endearing children and understand the "reward of parenthood." Also, I hate the overused "precocious child says humorous, worldly things" character, so I'm glad 2/3 of their children aren't like that. My last complaint is even more valid since I live in the Midwest and know how inaccurate this is - TV shows NEVER pay attention to when the sun is out and when it isn't. If your entire family gets up to have breakfast at 6:54 in the morning, the sun is not out and shining like it's noon! Yes, it's a tiny thing, but it annoys me to no end. It would even work in the storyline, if your kids are complaining about getting up early, and they could comment that the sun isn't even up yet so that day hasn't started, so why should they, etc. I guess I would feel differently if I worked on the lighting crew.

"Better With You"
More like 'Better Without You'
I keep having to correct myself - this is not the Kelsey Grammar sitcom "Back to You" and it's not the "Will & Grace" fictional soap "Along Came You." Unfortunately, after viewing the painfully mundane pilot, I'm still unlikely to remember which is which. I had faith that ABC might be able to fill that one last slot with one more quality comedy, but that was clearly asking too much. "Better With You" is exactly like every other standard sitcom in that you have a grating laugh track and obvious set-up/immediate punchline structure that aims for big laughs. I guess it's good someone is laughing, even if it's a fake laugh track. Some of the punchlines were slightly humorous and chuckle-inducing, but the intrusive anonymous boisterous laughter quickly killed any chortles.

This show had that frantic, nervous, mile-a-minute pace that lots of sitcoms have, like there are people offstage with guns ready to shoot any actor who doesn't COMMIT and deliver laughs. Or maybe they're going so fast so they can deliver rapidfire punchlines - when you can't deliver any solid jokes, just deliver multiple quick awful ones and maybe they'll add up to a real laugh! Great lines like "How do I look?" "Not fat!" go by quickly so you don't tend to linger on how painful they really are. You can move on to the next joke about Ben becoming "Uncle Ben." You know, like the rice? Har har har. It seemed like there were a lot of pop-culture jokes too, perhaps in an effort to be topical or relatable. On top of it all, the actors were incredibly bland sitcom people, hardly distinguishable from one another. Except for the fact that the blonde girl's voice sounded remarkably similar to Sarah Chalke's (aka Elliot Reed from "Scrubs.") Anyway, if you love sitcoms with tired jokes and you have a really short attention span, you'll love this show.

"Modern Family"
Back and Better Than Ever The highlight of the night. This show is so smart and perfectly crafted that it just makes you happy. More than just providing a chuckle here and there, it really does resonate (in addition to delivering laugh after laugh). It has heart without becoming saccharine and gets big laughs without hitting you over the head with cheesy punchlines. After watching something like "Better With You" where I felt like I lost brain cells just listening to it, "Modern Family" truly is a breath of fresh air. A recap of the plot would be mundane, so I'm going to just list the best moments.

• Claire telling Phil to get rid of their old car. Claire: "We're not giving it to Hayley. It's way too easy to fit a mattress in the back." Phil: "Remember?" (Perfect comic timing here)


• Phil: "You can insult a lot of things about me...but don't insult my selling. That crosses a line. What line? Oh, you don't see it? That's because I just sold it!"
  
  
• Cam: "Every home-improvement project we've undertaken has been a near-death experience." "If an accident does happen, I hope he kills me, because I don't think I would be a very inspiring disabled person."


• Phil's mnemonic devices to remember names. "He looked like that drummer from Foreigner, a foreigner is from France, which rhymes with ants, ants ruin a picnic, which rhymes with - 'hi, Nick!'"


• Claire feeling nostalgic. "Look at them - a minute ago they were babies, and now they're driving, and soon we'll all be dead.


• Jay remembering building bookshelves with Mitchell. "That was my Vietnam. And I was in Vietnam."


• Luke finding a picture of his Mom at the Rose Bowl parade. "Mom you looked really pretty. So what happened?"..."I mean, what happened in the game?"


• Mitchell saying "in cahoots."


• Sofia Vergara's accent. Other shows would rely solely on that to make her funny, but she's talented as a comedian anyway. But her accent still makes her lines that much funnier.


• The Dunphy family catastrophe in the car. That was so well executed. The chaos of that scene was fantastic, my favorite being Hayley continuously stepping on Phil's seatbelt, choking him. "What's the plan Phil?!" "At least I'm trying to do something!"
  
  
• Manny and his dating. "We like to play Six Degrees of Sir Francis Bacon."


• Phil selling the car in the end, explaining how you sell by leaving out key points. "They don't make them like this anymore...for legal reasons!"


• The bird flying into the princess castle with Mitchell trapped inside. Hilarious reference to last season.
  

"Cougar Town"
The overlooked gem of a relationship sitcom (that refuses to ditch the misleading name)
Seeing the title card come up with "(Still) Cougar Town" was a perfect way to start the episode. Yeah, it's keeping the crummy title, but it's still the same show underneath. If you're lucky enough to get past that, you're rewarded with a great end to the night. I didn't really like the stunt casting of Jennifer Aniston, because it was just to get "Friends" fans in there, but she was alright. I just hate stunt casting that leaves fans of the actor loving it but regular fans of the show wondering why the show is acting out of character. But the rest of the episode was great, and I'll go ahead and list the great moments here too.

• (Still) Cougar Town. That was a great, small way to address the title issue.


• Travis asking the adults about their new game. "How is that a drinking game?" "Because we drink while we do it!"


• "Adios alkies."


• "Graysonship."


• Dan Byrd in general as Travis. They keep talking about him leaving for college but I hope so badly he isn't actually leaving the show. He's amazing here and a great contrast for all the wine-drinking, sexed up adults.


• "Esteves Festeves." "I'm thinking about re-inventing myself in college." There were a few too many 80s references from Travis. Not that many people that age are as obsessed with the 80s as, say, I am, so it's obviously the writers wanting to reference their childhood. It just gets inserted into the show a little awkwardly by having characters make references that are way too old for them. Not that I mind it too much.


• Aniston asking about Jules' boyfriend. "Didn't he try to choke you? I must be confusing him with another patient." Am I crazy, or was that totally a "Grey's Anatomy" reference?


• The movie game. Fantastic.


• Laurie talking to Travis about college. Laurie: "Please tell me by 'all-nighters' you mean partying and not studying." "Can't it be both?"


• He didn't get much time this episode, but I still love Bobby. He could get one line and it would still be hilarious.


• Grayson in the tree. "You're really bald from up here!" to Andy.


• Laurie and Ellie. "Imaginary hat." [mimes tipping a hat] "Imaginary opera gloves. [mimes putting on gloves] What is this, what are we doing?"


• The incense smoke in the later scene with Aniston.


• Big Joe. Why do they even bother pouring the wine into glasses anymore?


• The giant Dog Travis is still a great sight gag.


• Bobby's David Caruso.


• "Al Gore does a powerpoint presentation on Madonna's naked body." "An Inconvenient Truth or Dare!"


• Aniston's anger exercises. "My anger is a puddle and I step out of it."

Some last minute, pre-Emmy Emmy thoughts

The Emmys are this Sunday and I'm actually happy with the nominations. Well, happier than I've been in past years. Since lists of nominees are posted all over the Internet, I'm just going to list the categories I'm going to comment on.

Outstanding Drama Series

Lost
Breaking Bad

Dexter
Mad Men

True Blood

The Good Wife

I think we can just give this one to "Lost" right now, since the Emmys love to give send-off awards for shows that are leaving and had a lasting impact on popular culture. I really hope they don't do this, as I think "Lost" has seen better days and was rewarded for those better days already. This most recent season was rushed, uneven, and rather unfocused. You could feel the writers trying to wrap up storylines as quickly as they could to appease fans when we now know that there was no master plan all along and they just made up most of their answers just for the sake of answering something. Now, I wanted answers and a satisfying conclusion, but "Lost" was at its best when the focus was entirely on the characters. I would love to see "Dexter" finally get its due, especially since it came off a stellar season. I would hate to see "Dexter" never win the Emmys it deserves because it was eclipsed by bigger pop culture sensations. "Breaking Bad" or "Mad Men" are possibilities, neither of which would upset me. They're both excellent shows and they deserve the critical praise they get. The Emmys love "Mad Men," so I wouldn't rule that out completely. "True Blood" getting nominated was enough to make me gag, but I don't anticipate an upset. I regret to say I've never seen "The Good Wife" and can't really comment on it either way.

Outstanding Actor in a Drama

Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)

Hugh Laurie (House MD)
Michael C Hall (Dexter)

Matthew Fox (Lost)

Hamm, Fox and Laurie are consistently good, but Hall and Cranston are in a league of their own, in my humble opinion. I would bet Chandler is in the latter group as well, but I've never seen "Friday Night Lights." I'm a bad TV addict for this, I know, but all the critical praise in the world doesn't make me interested in some Texas football family small-town drama. Cranston would make me happiest for the win for his work on "Breaking Bad." I finally caught up with this show this summer and he is truly remarkable in that role.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Beau Bridges (The Closer)
Ted Danson (Damages)
John Lithgow (Dexter)
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
Dylan Baker (The Good Wife)
Robert Morse (Mad Men)
Gregory Itzin (24)

I'm still biased because of my love of "Dexter," but this really should be John Lithgow's award. Critics and viewers alike were blown away by his role as the Trinity killer. He should win the award just for the Thanksgiving episode alone.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Mary Kay Place (Big Love)
Sissy Spacek (Big Love)
Shirley Jones (The Cleaner)
Lily Tomlin (Damages)
Ann-Margret (Law & Order: SVU)
Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)

The only reason I list this one is because of Elizabeth Mitchell's nomination. Seriously? I love her, and I loved her in past seasons, but did she even have fifteen minutes of screen time in the last season?

Outstanding Comedy
Glee
Modern Family
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Nurse Jackie
30 Rock
The Office

By now, everyone knows this is a race between "Modern Family" and "Glee." I can't shake the feeling that "Glee" is going to take it because of the media adoration, but "Modern Family" was consistently funny and well written. I'm no fan of "Glee," but I did watch most of the season in an effort to see what people love about it. I can understand its appeal for a certain demographic, but the show is very uneven and, with the exception of Jane Lynch's love-it-or-hate-it snarky bitch role, it's just not that funny.

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Matthew Morrison (Glee)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

I only posted this list because of the craziness that is Tony Shalhoub getting nominated again. Did "Monk" even air this year? I'm not as invested in the comedies as I am the dramas just by nature of what shows I watch, but I don't want to see him take this award one more time, even if it is the last time he could.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

Someone from "Two and a Half Men" must have some incriminating information or something, because someone has to be getting blackmailed for that show to keep getting Emmy recognition. There are a lot of people behind Colfer, and he is funny sometimes on that show, but I have a hard time getting past the character as it's such a complete and total stereotype walking. Same with Lea Michele and her character. I feel like people have pulled off their cliche characters better in other programs. I think this award should and probably will go to Ty Burrell for his work as Phil Dunphy. He nails that character, and much as I love Stonestreet, Burrell is the stand-out. The clever writing helps, but it would be nothing without Burrell's absolutely spot-on delivery.

I have nothing to say about reality, as I don't watch any, but I'm still really pissed that "Torchwood: Children of Earth" wasn't nominated for the miniseries category. I can't blame this on the Emmys, however, since The Powers That Be didn't submit "Torchwood" for consideration. I don't understand this for one second. The five-part miniseries was brilliant and deserves recognition. It should go down in television history as one of the best sci-fi programs ever just for the recent miniseries event.

As far as snubs go, "Cougar Town" is my most egregious snub. Busy Phillipps should have been nominated, without a doubt. Emmy voters should know better than to be turned off by a bad title. I'd also add "Ugly Betty" and, more specifically, Vanessa Williams to the snub list. The show had a creative resurgence in its last season and Williams was always excellent, as was Michael Urie. The Emmys keep giving "Monk" awards and even recognized Kristin Chenoweth's performance on the by-then deceased "Pushing Daisies" last year so "Ugly Betty" shouldn't have been overlooked just because it's over. It's also refreshing this year to see some deserved snubs, like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives" being largely ignored. And rightly so. I love those shows still, but they didn't deserve nominations.

I'll most likely return with a post-Emmys article, reviewing what thrilled me and what enraged me. I'm not expecting much from the host this year, since it's Jimmy Fallon. But anyone is better than reality show hosts.

"Chuck" - "That's us in 30 years"

Hooray! Finals are over and I can get back to focusing on what really matters: great TV. (I've got a lot of blogging to catch up on. I'm the catch-up girl. Not to be confused with the ketchup girl. [I love you Lorelai Gilmore]). "Chuck vs. the Role Models" was a nice break from studying. Some might call it a filler episode, as it was part of the additional episode order when they had to stretch out the season (you know, when NBC realized it was screwed and needed at least one show with a solid fan base). But I don't care - not every episode can be as pivotal as the last few. And at the end of the day, I just want more "Chuck." It's one of those shows I can just sit back and relax with. This week's fun guest stars were Fred Willard and Swoosie Kurtz. As a big fan of "Pushing Daisies," I loved hearing Kurtz say things like "don't be a booze snob." Along with the fact that Willard was just on "Modern Family," all I could think is "in 30 years, Sarah and Chuck are going to turn into Aunt Lily and Phil Dunphy's Dad."

The set-up of shadowing the almighty spy couple was a tad contrived, as was the General ordering Morgan trained, but I'm willing to overlook that. This is the kind of show where you suspend your belief and I think these things were completely within the show's established boundaries of craziness. You just knew something was up when the veteran spies "screwed up" the mission early on. You knew some sort of double-cross was going to happen and I initially thought they really had triple-crossed Chuck and Sarah in the end. It seemed logical: pretend to betray your younger partners, coax the bad guy out of hiding and into the open where you can nail him, then admit that it was the plan all along. But no, it was just a double-cross, but then they had a change of heart. I wasn't completely satisfied with the wrap-up of that conflict and I felt like Willard and Kurtz were a little underused, but it was still incredibly entertaining so I won't bother nitpicking here. In the end, Sarah and Chuck moved in together while getting a little warning from their would-be mentors: "The CIA has a way of breaking young idealists. Especially if they're in love."

Meanwhile, Casey and Morgan are going through their spy training, which was also pretty funny to watch. If nothing else, Morgan can BS his way out of a lot. And run. Is it weird that I was really really hoping "Wipe Out" would play as Morgan ran from the tiger, a la "The Sandlot?"

I'm liking how they're handling Ellie and Awesome. I thought their leaving would mean less of them, because I couldn't figure out how they would tie in an Africa storyline to the main stuff in Burbank. I'm assuming that maybe they were meant to be in Africa over the summer break, but when they got the additional episode order, they wrote in a storyline for them? Either way, I'm happy with how they handled it. Although I was really nervous they were going to work some sort of love triangle there after focusing on that one guy. It's hard to pull off love triangles, (Sarah-Chuck-Bryce=compelling, Sarah-Chuck-Shaw=meh) and even harder to do when the core couple is so...excellent. I'm ready to see where this dastardly plotline goes. Although, wouldn't Awesome and Ellie have been taking malaria pills and known that it was weird to get malaria anyway? Or does that just happen sometimes anyway? I'm no doctor. It's just wonderful to see Ellie and Awesome together and happy for the most part. (Sidenote: Awesome looked very nice in the rain. Can it please rain more on this show?)

Random other thoughts:

• Ellie, with all your concerns about Africa and Doctors Without Borders, have you never seen "ER?"


• Morgan's dream sequence. Absolutely loved it.


• It's fun to see how much better Chuck has gotten at extemporaneous lying on a mission, but he's still the same old Chuck, evidenced by moments like....


• ...the ordeal with the tiger. "I am not letting you shoot a tiger. They are endangered and majestic."


• Did Sarah and Chuck really think handcuffs would hold two seasoned CIA agents? The second I saw that I was waiting for the moment they would escape.


• Awesome's nickname from the native people, which translates loosely to "Doctor Super-Fantastic White Person." Genius.


• And randomly, "Friday Night Lights" is still on? I kept seeing commercials for it during the break and was really surprised. If they can manage to keep that show on the air, surely they can keep "Chuck" around too.