Golden Globes 2013: Nominations

Best Television Series — Drama 
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom

Best Television Series — Comedy Or Musical 
The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama 
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama 
Connie Britton, Nashville
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 
Kevin Costner, Hatfields and McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Toby Jones, The Girl
Clive Owen, Hemingway and Gellhorn

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television 
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
Sienna Miller, The Girl
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Ed Harris, Game Change
Danny Huston, Magic City
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series — Comedy Or Musical 
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series — Comedy Or Musical 
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis C.K., Louis
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television 
Game Change
The Girl
Hatfield & McCoys
The Hour
Political Animals

Emmy for Richard Harrow?

Question: Any Emmy buzz for Jack Huston as Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire? I know you weren't the biggest fan of the show this season, but I find Huston's performance stunning. Every time he takes the screen — whether it's romancing under the boardwalk or ruthlessly shooting up gangsters at Gillian's — I can't help but watch and cheer for him. He's come so far along from the guy ready to kill himself in the woods. If not an Emmy for him, would any of the other Boardwalk cast be contenders this year? — Danielle 

 Matt Roush: I'm sure there will be buzz, and deservedly so. He is one of the few engaging characters left on the series, and this season gave Huston a chance to shine in both of Richard's guises: as a tragic/romantic figure and as a stone-cold killer (the massacre at Gillian's was a remarkable set piece). But the competition in the ranks of supporting drama actors is always fierce, and his performance, while haunting, is also so quiet and contained (even when he's being a one-man army) that it may be overlooked. In terms of likely nominees, while I'm over Nucky and find him a less compelling figure by the season, Steve Buscemi being the high-profile star of an HBO series always makes him a contender. And while I mostly found this season's villain Gyp Rosetti to be laughably cartoonish, there's no doubt that Bobby Cannavale fully committed to playing this psycho fearlessly in a huge (possibly too huge) performance, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's singled out this year.

Read the full Ask Matt column here.

Game of Thrones Season 3 filming in Essaouira, Morocco!

Yesterday, I was watching this behind-the-scenes trailer for the upcoming season of Game of Thrones and about 30 seconds in, something caught my eye.

Wait - I've been here!

I knew Game of Thrones often films in Morocco (for Daenerys' scenes mostly I believe) and this looked strikingly similar to the ramparts in Essaouira, one of the stops on my trip to Morocco last January. 

I did a little Googling, and sure enough, the GoT team was filming in Essa in October! So cool! Here are more set photos from their time filming on the ramparts. 

Will be cool to see those scenes in the show and know that I was there too!

Click here to see more pictures and read about my trip to Essaouira!

Boardwalk Empire: WIll Richard and Julia reunite?

Boardwalk Empire's season finale was..... SPOILER ALERT..... bloody. Pretty sure like 100 people died. But most importantly,

The Richard and Julia romance ended on an unsettlingly ambiguous note. Do you have big plans for them heading into Season 4?

I can’t really say. Certainly, both of them will still be on the show. Where that storyline goes you’ll have to tune in next September.

Sooooo September countdown starts now?

Read more about next season on TVLine.

Do you like 'midseason finales'?

Today's EW.com poll was on mid-season finales. (I voted 'yes', as you can see.) Funny thing is, I was just thinking of this last night as I watched the Once Upon a Time mid-season finale. 

At first, I thought it was just to build hype. To get people to watch. To build some sort of suspense. It's just a ploy on behalf of the network. It doesn't mean anything except to draw us in. (And, for the record, that 'no' choice was winning this poll with 64% when I voted.)

But then I got to thinking about the old debacle of Lost  and the season that showed a new episode and then a couple repeats and then another new episode and how much it SUCKED. And how the next year, when they announced that they would show consecutive sets of episodes, but with a HUGE break in between, people were horrified. (people = me, in this case)

Then I got to thinking about one of my all-time favorite episodes of Lost - the 3rd season's 'I Do.' The episode was to serve as a 'mini series finale' before the break, ending with the cliffhanger of Jack yelling, 'Kate, damn it, run!' over his walkie, mid-surgery on Ben. 

I'm not saying Lost is the first show to have a mid season finale..... but it's the first one I remember. And Lost is one of the first shows I recall showing two blocks of episodes with a long break in between. 

Nowadays, that's the norm for most longer series (not cable shows like Mad Men, Justified, Boardwalk Empire, etc that usually only have 12-episode seasons to begin with). Premiere in the fall, break for the holidays and come back in the spring. 

The key there is 'come back' - shows need to do something to get  fans excited enough to come back after months of waiting. It isn't just the network labeling the show a 'mid-season finale'. It isn't just the network adding suspense with that title in the commercials. It's the episode itself. IT needs to be suspenseful. It needs to draw people in and get their attention. 

In fact, I bet that if you watch a bunch of older series on DVD, you wouldn't be able to pinpoint a mid-season climax, but with most new series, you would. 

Once Upon a Time's Mid-Season Finale

A couple of thoughts on Once Upon a Time's mid-season finale from last night....

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched it yet....

#1 I thought we could stop following Aurora and Mulan now? I mean... they have NOTHING to do with the main plot or anyone in Storybrooke. What do we care if they can save Phillip?

#2 and speaking of Phillip.... what's the plan here? Both ladies are in love with him (although, I'm questioning their love for each other. It's weird.), so what will they do when he wakes up? Will they be sister wives?

#3 Why did Hook fight so hard for the compass if he knew he had that bean and that Cora had the rejuvenating water? I wish it had taken them more than 3 seconds to put two-and-two together. 

#4 I was getting the impression that Regina failed to stop the whole killing storm thing? She seemed shocked when they made it through. I'm confused. 

#5 So Gold had the ink all along and could have escaped his cell? And he pretty much orchestrated this whole curse nonsense? Why? I don't get it. It makes sense now, looking back, but at the time of his imprisonment, wouldn't he have wanted to resurrect Belle (did he not assist Regina in trying to revive her love? Why wouldn't he do the same for his? Even though unbeknownst to him she wasn't really dead... Why wouldn't he go after Hook? I'm just saying, ole Rumps had a lot of enemies and vengeance to be sought. Why sit around in a cell? Continuity....

#6 On the other hand, I guess that explains why he and Regina seemed to be the only ones not impacted by the 'forgetting' part of the curse. Maybe you had to know it was coming to overcome it?

#7 Anyone else feel bad for Regina at the end? I kind of liked her and Henry's relationship that was developing. 

#8 Looks like Emma is getting a new jacket when the show comes back! RIP Ugly red leather!

GIRLS Season 2 Trailer

YES.

Carrie Underwood is not Maria Von Trapp

Let me start by saying I have nothing against Carrie Underwood. Even though I'm not a country fan, I think she's an excellent singer.

But she is no Maria Von Trapp.

For one, she's too pretty. Julie Andrews is pretty, yes. But she had this plain jane, girl next door quality that Carrie just doesn't have (anymore. Maybe when she started on Idol she had it... but now she's gone glam). I know Hollywood have really ugged up some pretty people - Charlize Theron in Monster, Mariah in Precious - but I just don't know if you can make Carrie look... simple.

And she can't act. People have a big problem with the fact that she is not in range as the original Maria, but I don't know anything about that kind of stuff. My problem is her (lack of) acting skills. Take this performance of 'The Hills Are Alive' for example,
 
Stunning, sure. But lifeless. She is just belting out the lyrics. She does not look like she is on a Broadway stage. She does not look like she understands the meaning behind her words. She's just saying singing them.

To play the part of Maria, you have to actually be able to play a part... not just sing the songs.

Who would be better?
For Maria, you need someone simple, with a bit of innocence. This is a women who, remember, joined a convent at a young age. Sure, she's a free spirit... but you're comparing her to a bunch of nuns!

My vote would be for Anne Hathaway or Amanda Seyfried or even a Broadway up-an-comer. (And Hugh Jackman for Georg, obviously. Yes, I realizing I'm just recasting Les Mis. Whatever). Carrie can play the baroness or something.

Casting Changes Coming to The Mindy Project

"Amanda Setton, who portrays Shauna, the sexy receptionist, will be written out of the show entirely mid-season, and Anna Camp (Gwen), who recently starred in Pitch Perfect, is being bumped from series regular to recurring, a rep for Fox confirmed to EW in news first reported by TVLine."

via EW.com

I can do without Shauna (except wait - what about her crush on Danny? I was really looking forward to exploring that more!), but I really really like Gwen.

First of all - she was on True Blood. And that's awesome. But more so, she might possibly the voice of reason, the most realistic character on The Mindy Project.

Mindy is a great twentysomething character. I see so much of myself and my friends in her. She's crazy, single, boy-obsessed, career-obsessed. We've all got a little of that in us.

But we've also all got a Gwen. 

A best friend that (seemingly) has got it all together. She's the married one. The one with kids. And a nice house straight out of West Elm or C&B. And she's got great hair. And great clothes. She probably does paleo or crossfit or something. She's the anti-'Mindy'... without being the opposition, like Danny.

I know Gwen isn't completely off the show - just moving from regular to recurring - but I'm hoping that's as far as it goes. We don't need another Up All Night situation.

Chevy Chase is leaving Community!

Rejoice!

In the beginning, Chase was the reason I wanted to watch Community. He's a comedic legend. I grew up with Clark Griswold. I love(d) him.

But Pierce's character has fallen flat for me, and Chevy's character off-screen could be (IMHO) to blame for Harmon's exit.

I'm happy to see him go (rumor is there is one more episode to shoot and he will not be in it), but how will they explain Pierce's exit? Recently, I came up with some ideas as to how to get Chevy Chase off of Community.

What's going to happen to Mockingbird Lane?

Question: Just caught Mockingbird Lane on Hulu and I must know what is next for the series! How were the ratings for this "Halloween Special?" Did it inspire any other networks to pick the show up? Or for NBC to at least make a mini-series out of it? I need more Bryan Fuller in my life, and two seasons of Pushing Daisies on DVD is not enough. — Danielle 

Matt Roush: No new news on this front that I'm aware of, which probably doesn't bode well for Mockingbird Lane's long-term future. The pre-Halloween showing of this "busted pilot" did OK by Friday standards and helped boost Grimm that night, but given the costs and risks involved in keeping the show going, I'd be surprised if NBC resurrects it at this point. (And forget anyone coming to the rescue; it's too pricey for Syfy, and one of the main reasons this revival happened in the first place is that The Munsters is an in-house Universal property.) But good news on the Bryan Fuller front: He's attached to Hannibal, which is still waiting for a midseason slot on NBC but is destined for better treatment than Mockingbird Lane ever got. 

Via TV Guide 

'Elementary' after the Super Bowl. Why I'm surprised and what I would have picked.

It was just announced that Elementary would air immediately following the Super Bowl on CBS. (See TV Guide breaking news)

While I really like Elementary, I'm surprised by this choice.

First of all, the show is kind of.... involved.... for the prized time slot. In recent years, it's been Glee, The Voice, The Office. All had punchy openings that got people's attentions right after the game. All are the type of show you can catch a scene, grab a beer, argue about the game, catch another scene, have a laugh, grab another beer, and so on.

The opening sequence of Elementary will be Holmes doing something weird, Lucy Liu asking him what he's doing and him getting a call from the NYPD to come check out a case. Riveting, huh? And you better not leave your TV because if you miss a scene, you're going to be confused.

Beyond that, the show is smart and has been a pretty big hit for CBS but it's the #2 new show on TV.... behind another CBS hit, Vegas.  

Why not air your #1 new show? You know, the one with freakin' Dennis Quaid? The one that has that fantastic 1960s Las Vegas scenery? An opening scene in a casino, with a mob shooting or explosion or something is sure to make more of an impact than Holmes and Watson in their dingy old house.

Better choices would have been....
Comedy - 2 Broke Girls, Big Bang Theory
Reality - Amazing Race, Undercover Boss or Survivor
Or a procedural with a little more punch - NCIS, Hawaii Five-O

Also - Do the networks like take turns every year or something? NBC, Fox, now CBS? I don't follow sports much, so does the contract for who gets to air these events go up for renewal every year?

Dexter, meet Sal Price.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about my disappointment in Louis Greene's death on Dexter. I really thought Louis was the intellectual adversary the show needed.

Last night introduced crime writer Sal Price. Will he just be another casualty? Or could this be the new Louis? (And if so, why the hell didn't you just keep the first Louis? Harrumph.)

As I see it, there are a few possible scenarios here (in order from most likely to least likely):

Most likely: Hannah kills Price because she knows he's writing about her. Then Deb is like "OMG Dexter! Hannah killed my BF and she's going to get away with it! You better kill her because she deserves it!" And then Dexter is like "Shit. I don't want to kill my new GF. Sad face."

Likely: Dexter kills Price because he sees that Price is writing about the Bay Harbor Butcher. Let's face it, Dex is not being as careful as he thinks. Quinn started to suspect him previously, and LaGuerta is getting close. Deb found that picture from the wedding. And Dex fudged the police report Price is using in his book. Rather suspicious, don't you think?

If this is the way it goes, I really hope it waits until next season. We've rarely had a chance to make a connection to characters before the are killed/written off (Case in point: Mike Anderson, Lumen, Anton, Lundy, Brother Sam etc).

Least likely (but it would be awesome): Price brings down Dexter with his book. After all, Dexter was inspired by books, right? I think this would actually be a cool end to the series next season.

Will Community still have holiday episodes?

Question: Community always has amazing Halloween and Christmas episodes, and if they'd premiered on October 19 (the actual date, not the state of mind), I assume they would have stuck with tradition and knocked it out of the park again. Any idea how far production runs on the series? Did they already film/write Halloween or Christmas episodes? What will happen to those now that the show isn't premiering until February? — Danielle 

 Matt Roush: I'm told Community has produced holiday-themed episodes for this season, covering Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas. But it comes with the territory for this show to have "timeline" issues, so the expectation is that they'll all air at some point when Community returns, and we can just pretend the timing makes sense. At least we'll get to see them, and on Thursday nights no less, which already seems a small miracle, no matter how long the delay.

Look at me! My question in TV Guide!

Up All Night going multi-camera, live audience

"This was an idea we and Lorne came to in order to infuse the show with more energy," NBC entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said in a statement. "We know what the multi-camera audience does for the live episodes of 30 Rock, plus after seeing both Maya [Rudolph] and Christina [Applegate] do SNL within the past few months, we knew we had the kind of performers — Will Arnett included — who love the reaction from a live audience. We think we can make a seamless tradition to the new format."

Read the full article at TVGuide.com.

[Sigh.]

It seems as if the network is doing anything and everything it can to try to save Up All Night-  and I don't blame them! Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph - this show should be gold, right? Yet despite the stellar cast, the show struggled last year and already has gone through big changes this year, eliminating 'The Ava Show' storyline altogether.

All these changes worry me because I really, really love this show. And I've talked to friends of mine with kids (ie twentysomethings) and they love it, too.

Do I think this new format is the answer? Eh..... I don't know. Will they have to redo the sets to accommodate an audience? Will there be a laugh track?

Community, airing Oct 19th - er, someday.

Hi. Let's talk for a minute about how absolutely brilliant Community is. Take this video, for example -


Community was supposed to premiere last night, Friday, October 19th. But NBC pushed back its premiere date. Which is lame. (And, also smart, because I was watching the Cardinals game anyway.) But Community isn't just going to sit back and not say anything about it. And they're not just going to be polite about it. Oh, and they are going to be not quiet and not polite about it on NBC's own website. BRILLIANT, I say.

Best digs-
"We don't for it for them, we do it for the fans."
"Even though the powers that be agreed to out the premiere on October 19th, they couldn't decide where to put October 19th."
"Annie's Boobs wanted her own show!" Referring to the monkey named 'Annie's Boobs', which, in turn, is referring to the ridiculous show with a better time slot and more network support, Animal Practice.

And Best YouTube comment goes to 'NBC Britta'ed October 19th!' ha.

The New 'Up All Night'

Inspired by reading this post on TVGuide.com....

TVguide thinks Up All Night sans 'Ava Show' cuts back on all the over-the-top antics and scenarios and brings the characters back down to earth. But honestly, as much as I agree with that - I also miss the workplace drama.

The reality in being a new parent - and in life in general - is that it isn't JUST your homelife with your friends and family. We spend 40+ hours at work every week. And when we get home from work, we're either stressed out from it or spend time talking about it with our significant others, friends, family, roommates, etc. Work is a HUGE part of life. And most TV shows ignore it.

They have one 'work drama' episode each season. Or they show characters in suits to imply that they are employed. Or they have a mention of work here and there. The only show I can think of that offers balance between working and living is 2 Broke Girls or a drama like Justified. (Can you think of others?)

I'm not saying Up All Night's first season was perfect. But yes, I miss Reagan having a part of her life that is NOT Chris and Amy. This season, it seems like the couple has infinite time to spend together and with their kid. When are they working?

I'm hoping to see...
- more of Chris and Reagan's brother's business (LOVE him by the way! Great addition to the cast!)
- Reagan have more conflicts as to how to be a stay-at-home mom, and feel the urge to get back to work. Maybe she starts blogging or opens an Etsy shop or something. She seems too ansty and ambitious to not channel that somehow.
- Ava get some direction in her life. Forget Missy, Ava is the real casualty here from the show's cancellation. I don't like her living episode to episode, hoarding and then dating and then finding old friends.

666 Park Avenue: Is Gavin the devil?

In arguing with a friend over whether or not Gavin was 'the devil,' I stumbled upon a couple possibilities I hadn't thought of before...

(1) What if Olivia is really the evil one and he's just doing her bidding. The last episode sort of put my mind at ease on that one, but still, it would be a good twist.

(2) What if Gavin is working for someone else. The guy in charge rarely does his own dirty work, after all. Does Gavin have a boss?

And speaking of Gavin.... how much do you think of John Locke when watching this show? Or rather, the Smoke Monster, I guess. But when he starred down that elevator shaft and a light shot out? Um, hello. It's the hatch!!

666 Park Avenue = Lost

'Revolution' should focus on the past; better acting

Yes, I've been watching Revolution. I feel like all my other weird-TV-show friends have hoped off the bandwagon, but I'm not ready to yet. (And let's face it, I probably won't. I watched Flashforward and The Event til the end, didn't I?)

Revolution isn't so bad, but there are some major fixes that need to occur for me to keep watching to enjoy watching more. 

1. Let's focus on those flashbacks. The past few episodes, I've been most intrigued by how this world, and these characters came to be. Monroe was 'family' to Miles, willing to trek across the country with him? It was Miles that realized they could be the law in a lawless land.... but to help people, not hurt them? Capt Neville told his son (his son!!) never to punch people... until the blackout when he went at it with a thieving neighbor, unleashing his inner badass? That stuff is awesome. I want more about the evolution (see what I did there?!). I want to know how this world came to be and what happened to our government and these families and the cities. I want to know it all. 

2. My least favorite people on the show are Miles and Charley - the two main characters. Uh.... that's a problem. I'm bored with them. And they are bad actors. (Which, by the way, was blatantly clear when Miles had to interact with Neville, the amazing Giancarlo Esposito.) I'm okay with Neville/Danny, the Google guy, heck even Elizabeth Mitchell (I think she's a bad actress too, but her storyline is intriguing at least). But the two main characters annoy the hell out of me. 

I'm disappointed in you, 'Dexter.'

Why did you kill Louis?! 

You've had this storyline that's gone under the radar, threading itself into Dexter's path since last season. A guy who maybe knows more about Dexter than meets the eye. A guy that Dexter can't/shouldn't just get rid of by killing because he hasn't killed anyone (we assume), and thus, doesn't fit the code.

As much as you want to try and claim that he was just a petty kid who was mad that Dex didn't like how video game, I don't believe it. Let's look at the timeline here....

S6:E4 is when Masuka learns that the hand is being sold online.
S6:E5 is when Louis is hired and tells Masuka that he cannot find who bought the hand (which, as we will learn later, is him).
S6:E7: Louis shows Jamie the video game.
S6:E9: Louis has Jamie over to his apartment and we see the arm in his possession.
S6:E10: Louis shows Dexter his video game and Dex tells him it's terrible.
S6:E11 Louis mails the hand.

So, sure, maybe Louis mailed the hand to Dexter because he was legitimately mad that Dex hated on his video game. But WHY did he buy the hand to begin with? WHY did he create a video game about serial killers, putting emphasis on the Bay Harbor Butcher and seek approval from Dexter? And WHY was he so obsessed with Dexter from the get-go (asking Jamie if Dexter was as cool at home as he was at work)?

The guy was creepily obsessed with Dexter from the beginning, and now, BAM, with a shot to the head from some thug, he's dead.

I remember when Louis' story first started to develop, I thought, "Oh man, this is it. This is going to be the guy that takes down Dexter Morgan. It won't be a ruthless killer, or the law. It will be someone smart. And someone Dex can't just get rid of because he doesn't fit his code."

And now? Now you've killed off this smart antagonist in favor of one that dresses up like a bull and kills women in a maze. Seriously?


PS. This blog post would not have been possible without the help of the extensive Dexter Wiki. Fellow TV addicts, I salute you.

Also, check out this post on Louis from CliqueClack. It's awesome.

"When is it okay to reveal a spoiler?"

This issue is getting increasingly contentious because more and more TV viewing is happening later and later after a show first airs. Between DVRs, DVDs, OnDemand and streaming services, it’s not unusual to find somebody who’s really excited because they just started watching the first season of AMC’s Breaking Bad, which debuted four years ago (spoiler alert: Walt and Jesse are still alive!).

Read the EW article.

This is something I've struggled with. (yes, 'struggled'. You know you take TV watching seriously when you legit worry about shit like this in your free time.)

In the old days, it was easy to decide spoiler or no-spoiler. If I was writing a recap of a show that aired the night before, it was not a spoiler. It already happened. If I was writing about an article or message board or theory or rumor or something, it was most likely in spoiler territory.

I even put up this nice little warning-

But these days, everyone is DVRing (including myself) or waiting until the DVDs come out or catching on to brilliant series long after they've started (I don't hate on this... I've participated in a fair share of MegaVideo benders for Dexter, Mad Men, etc.). It is making it harder and harder to figure out what's a spoiler and what's not. 

For example (WARNING! SPOILER's AHEAD!!!!), Was Lexi dying on Grey's a secret? What about who wins DWTS or American Idol or whatever? What about who goes home on The Challenge? The fact that Deb saw Dexter kill someone? In general, I believe that if it already aired, it's fair game. It's your responsibility as a viewer to avoid so called 'spoilers' for events that already happened. Would you get pissed at ESPN for talking about how won the World Series because you haven't checked the score yet? (Spoiler Alert: It's going to be the Cardinals. #12in12)

There are some BIG spoilers for some BIG shows that I refuse the reveal. They concern Game of Thrones' first season, Boardwalk's finale last season and Dexter's Trinity season. All of those episodes are long past. So, why not share? Because they were so big. And so shocking. And blew my mind. And I want others to share in that experience. I want my friends to get hooked on these shows and see those episodes and be all like 'OMG Danielle. When _____ does _____ to ______?! That was fucking insane."

This is what it means to be a TV enthusiast like myself. 

Are New Girl's Nick and Jess the New Ross and Rachel?

Yes.

"I don't think the show is built on the will-they-or-won't-they aspect of their relationship," Meriwether tells TVGuide.com. "I think that we can go where we want with it because it's just a show about this group of people and these friendships. What are the obstacles of them actually getting together? At a certain point, it just feels like you're throwing fake obstacles in their path. So I just feel like we're trying to be honest with their story more than thinking about the Moonlightingcurse or anything like that." 

Read the TV Guide Article.

"Why ABC's 666 Park Avenue Is Not American Horror Story Lite"

Read the full TV Guide article. 

I saw this article on TVGuide.com and just had to stop. As I was watching the second episode of 666 Park Avenue last night, that was exactly what I was thinking.

It was the scene where Jane is in the basement, looking at the wall and asking the exterminator (may he RIP) to demo the wall. Something about it just screamed Connie Britton and family at that big, mysterious house. As the episode goes on, you start to realize the Drake is a character in itself (think The Island, The House, etc.).

I just couldn't get AHS out of my head.

Can we fire Chevy Chase?

"The hours are hideous, and it's still a sitcom on television, which is probably the lowest form of television," he told the Huffington Post UK. (via TV Guide)

I also think it is important to note that Chevy followed the above quote with, "I think the reason I have stuck around is because I love these kids, the cast - they are very good. It's not like I am working with the great innovators of all time, but at the same time, they are my friends." So at least he isn't a total jerk.

But, for serious? Can we fire Chevy Chase on Community already? He already totally mucked up the show by getting Dan fired + Pierce is my least favorite character.

Let me be clear in saying that I do adore Chevy Chase. I think 80s Chase was a total dreamboat. I just finally watched all of Fletch recently and got a serious girl crush on him. But Pierce Hawthorne is not that Chevy Chase. In no way, shape or form. He has funny lines from time to time... but in general, he's terrible. I get the character - an aging entrepreneur going back to school. It's actually quite logical. But they've just done nothing with Pierce.

Here are my three options to solve the problem:

1. Make Pierce graduate. Shocker! While everyone else is caught up in zombies, paintball and blanket forts, Pierce actually took extra classes and is eligible to graduate early. Goodbye Pierce!

2. Reinvention, version 1. Is there some way to show what could have been? And make Pierce into the Chevy Chase we all know and love? Some sort of flashback or flash sideways or alternate reality?

3. Reinvention, version 2. We've seen glimpses of 'evil Pierce.' You know, the guy who teams up with Chang. The one from the western paintball episode. The one that is 'out' of the group. Can we get Pierce as a villain? Can we get him teaming up with Chang or Goodman or something to bring the group down?

My Favorite Emmy's 2012 Moment

New Fall Show Review: Animal Practice

When the NBC Fall Trailers were released, I didn't even mention Animal Practice. You'd think a vet show would be an obvious choice for me, right? But there was just something about it that didn't impress me.

Then I heard it was the same monkey from the Hangover. And that it was probably going to be the one comedy that lasted of this season's crop of new shows.

So I gave it a go.

And wasn't impressed. I don't think I laughed or smiled once.

The main vet is just so snarky and rude - he isn't lovable. Even Dwight on the Office has his moments, right?  There are SO many comedies out now (Thanks, Modern Family, Glee, etc for resurrecting the sitcom), that you need to be really good to stand out.

And this? It just doesn't.

Maybe they need cuter animals.

New Fall Show Review: Ben & Kate

Caught the premiere (airing 9/25) of Ben & Kate online last weekend and it's secured at least a few more episodes of DVR space.

Made me chuckle more than a few times, has a nice storyline between brother and sister (the aforementioned Ben and Kate), some great supporting cast members in their friends and an iinsanely cute kid.

But hi, not sure I can handle Ben's teeth or Kate's unwashed, badly dyed hair.

Battle of the Seasons Premiere

I watched the premiere in parts - the first 18 minutes online during my lunch break, and the last hour-ish at home at midnight - so forgive me if these thoughts are rather fragmented. 

These people are young. Wes and Alton are like, 'my time.' I didn't even watch St. Thomas, so I don't know they're names. 

Could they really not find another 4-person season? Mixing Nany and Dustin with Alton and Trishelle is just weird when everyone else is from the same season. Could they really not find another season with 4 people willing to compete? 

Could we have tried....

A real Las Vegas 2.0 - Heather, Leroy, Naomi, Cooke, even Mikey? They weren't available?

Hollywood - Would have been awkward since Joey just died, but Kim, Nick, Dave, Brianna, and Brittani have all been on Challenges before. 

Sydney - Cohutta, Dunbar, Isaac, KellyAnne and Shauvon have all been on Challenges. And, come on, who wouldn't love to see a Wes and KellyAnne reunion?! 

Denver - Colie, Jenn, Davis, Tyrie? I just did the casting for you. 

Key West - Possibly the best possible casting for a battle of the seasons. Take your choice between Johnny, Tyler, Svetlana, Janelle, or Paula. 

*I chose not to go back further than this simply because the next older cast not represented was Philadelphia... and CJ looked old the last time we saw him. 

Dear Sarah and Chet, your strategy is ridiculous. The strongest guy and strongest girl should immediately make an alliance to stick together. Saying that you want to make it to the end with the weaker of the two guys on your team, when you are obviously a strong girl? That's stupid. 

Relationship update: 

Austin - Danny and Melinda, still divorced. The betrayal of Wes and Danny is apparently water under the bridge, though. 

Cancun - Jonna and Jasmine BFF? Weren't they just on Rivals?

NOLA - Jemmye gave Knight's clothes away after her cheated on her. But these two are adorbs. And so funny. And I want them back together. 

San Diego - Zach and Ashley are done-zo (and now he's hooking up with Jonna. That's going to end badly). And apparently Frank and Zach are BFF now, too?

Wes, it was nice to have you back.... I love/hate Wes. Love him for the drama, but generally hate him as a person. This season though, he's the only guy that really knows how to give a good interview, and thus, the only funny person (so far). His statement that all the new kids will listen to him because they are 'fans'? Awesome / awful. 

Albeit, briefly. Is it okay that I'm a little disappointed Wes went home first? I mean, you couldn't have written it better - 'strongest' and most experience player gets sent home early, leaving a divorced couple as teammates - but, like I said, he's a character. It seems odd to not have him around. 

Way to underwhelm us, FreshMeat. I wanted the mystery team - no matter who they were - to come in with a sense of entitlement, a sense of power. These people were never in a house or a bus or anything - Freshmeat contestants were chosen just to compete. I don't want them losing. I don't want them to have drama. I almost wish they didn't live in the house with every one. I want them to just show up and compete. Something more like CT and Tina were in the elimination rounds a couple season's back. I want enforcers. 

New Fall Show Review: Revolution

Revolution doesn't technically premiere until 9/17, but it was available OnDemand (and I think it is on Hulu too), so I figured I'd get ahead of the game and check it out.

Did you / do you like any of the following shows:
The Event
FlashForward
LOST
Alcatraz
Fringe
Terra Nova

If you answered 'yes' to any of those, you might as well give Revolution a shot.  It'll probably get cancelled (like 4/6 of those did), so hey, it isn't a big commitment anyway.

In case you missed the bazillion promos - basically we lose all power/energy. Like... no lights, no cars, and apparently, they don't even have pens (watch for the guy from Breaking Bad/Once Upon A Time writing with a giant pencil at one point).

And hey! We get this awesome shot of East St. Louis 15 yrs from now with busted up playgrounds!

Good try, Revolution, but East St. Louis already sort of looks like that. 

I know, I know. How does that make sense? If we know how electricity was invented - why don't we just reinvent it? If we know how wind energy works - why not just use that? It makes absolutely zero sense. According to my boyfriend, this is a show 'for people who don't understand science.'

I'm not too caught up on details. It's a TV show! Who cares! But my issue is this - it needs to be believable, if only for a little while. The first 40 minutes of LOST were completely possible. Plane crash on an island. Sure, a lot of people survived, but whatever. It's a show. It wasn't until the very last few minutes of the pilot that we heard the monster in the jungle. We were intrigued. We realized that wait - this wasn't just a modern day Gilligan's Island. This is something more.

Revolution just isn't smart enough. The comment 'this is a show for people who don't understand science' is a real problem. LOST pushed viewers. When it came out, TV was getting dumber and dumber. Reality was king. But LOST dared to be the thinking-man's show. It had literary references you had to Google to understand. It had Easter eggs hidden in nearly every episode. We saw all of its predecessors dumb themselves down to help the audience understand - Flashforward always replayed scenes that were referenced, instead of just hoping their viewers would remember what happened two weeks ago. Terra Nova blew its budget with 'cool' dinosaurs instead of focusing on plot and character. Revolution is heading towards the same fate.

We do get a lot of LOST-y feelings from the show. 'Juliet' plays mom to 'Charlie' and wife to 'Ben.' Hearing her say their names in the very first scene of the show made me feel like I was watching LOST all over again. The music sounds similar, there's a plane (and believe me, I searched for 'Oceanic' on the side) and it ends with someone sending mysterious messages on a computer that could have flew out of the Hatch when it exploded and landed in this lady's attic. I wanted so badly for her to respond to the final "So.... Now what?" message with "4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42."

BUT WAIT - mysterious messages? I thought they didn't have power? 

Oh yes, now you're hooked, eh?

New Kids on the (Glee) Block

Brody - I know another Glee hunk who made his debut singing in the shower! Hello, Finn 2.0! Brody's a tough act for me.... He comes off a little arrogant in the beginning (The 'yeah, I'm straight' comment), which is distinctly not Finn-like. But then he's all encouraging and sympathetic to Rachel... which is a little weird to me. He's a junior. Who met this freshman in the bathroom one night. And what? She's his protege or something? Why does he care? I'm a fan of his looks, and their chemistry, but not the character... yet.

Unique - I know he/she isn't technically 'new' but happy to have him be a full time member of the club, and, I'm assuming, a regular on Glee. He was my pick to win the first season of The Glee Project anyway. Now... when do we get to see Blake? And how do we get rid of Mr. Dreadlock-Dead-Eyes?

Marley (and mom) - First off - Marley is the new Rachel. She's pretty, dorky, and a helluva good singer. But what stole the show for me was that scene with the lunch lady / her mom. That.broke.my.heart. Ladies and gentleman - it's Kurt's dad + Coach Beiste combined. But is she always going to wear that hat? Because that's going to be an issue. I vote for a Sugar makeover!

Kate Hudson -She's a bitch yes, but we all know she's just doing it to make Rachel stronger. She's obviously not that bad ass considering she was so nice to that TA Benji, has a drinking problem and is eager to prove she's still got it. My question- if you were trying to hide your drinking from students, why make an elaborate blended Malibu drink in the dance room? Come on, Kate!

Jake - He's a good singer, and good looking... I just want him to be more than a furniture-throwing brute. And fast. Also, please tell me we get to have a Noah / Jake meeting?!

Kitty - Believe it or not, by far my favorite addition. TV Guide mentioned that Glee needed to show her soft side soon, or she'd become a villain like last seasons' Sebastian. I'm sorry, what's wrong with a villain? I loved Sebastian. I miss evil Terri and crazy Sue. Kitty is snarky and hilarious. Keep her!

... And where is everyone else?
The big question this season is if Glee can juggle McKinley and the rest of the graduated members sprinkled across the country. In the first episode, the back and forth between Ohio and New York worked fine. Kurt was still back at home, and his numerous and frequent (albeit phony) phone calls with Rachel kept the connection between the two cities relevant.

But what about now that he is in NYC too? And what about when we're flipping to LA or Louisville (or St. Louis) to see our other Glee alums? And what about people like Emma and Beiste that we didn't even see in the first episode?

Between that and all these new characters... I'm worried.

New Fall Show Review: The New Normal

The New Normal has three things I love:

Justin Bartha. My dream dog. And (spoiler alert!) my dream puppy.

So, yes, of course I'm going to watch it every.single.week.

Besides liking the concept, it also has that quick-witted, kind of silly, Ryan Murphy humor I (used to) love about Glee. Don't talk during The New Normal, or you might miss a great line from this stellar cast.

Justin Bartha, obviously an A+. Andrew Rannells is great. The mom/daughter duo is adorable and genuine (+ the Grey Gardens impression in the second episode rocks). Ellen Barkin is actually a lot.... meaner.... than I thought. I know she was supposed to be sort of racist/close-minded. But this is serious. And kind of scary. It makes me nervous.

Also, major kudos to NeNe of Real Housewives fame who is killing it on this show and on Glee. There IS life after reality!

New Fall Show Review: Go On

I'll be honest, I wasn't really impressed with the promos for Go On that were airing during the Olympics. It just didn't look.... funny.

But I've figured something out watching the first two episodes.

It wasn't funny because I didn' know these people yet. I hadn't fallen in love with the characters. But once you know 'em, you love 'em. 

And in that regard, Go On was smart. They got to the characters REALLY quick. Did I think it was a little odd that within minutes of joining his therapy group, Chandler Bing was leading them in a frenzied bracket challenge - dubbed 'March Sadness'? Yes, yes I did. But after that, I was hooked. I loved these people.

The second episode smartly shifted focus to the non-therapy characters - Chandler's assistant and John Cho (who, in my book can do no wrong. And he did FlashForward).

Go On, premiered during the Olympics to 16.1 million viewers and a 5.6 rating in the adults 18-to-49 demographic, and this week, pulled in a respectable 9.6 million viewers and a 3.4. (via TVGuide)

It isn't exactly LOL funny. (Although, it did get quiet a few chuckles out of my boyfriend.) But it's heartwarming and will make you smile and it doesn't have to be zany and quirky to be smart comedy.

Go On is officially on my DVR list.

Oh, and yes, I will continue to refer to him as Chandler Bing. Get used to it.

Pretty Little Liars Finale, Or 'I Knew It Was....!'

WARNING: I'm not holding back. I can't. I won't. This post contains HUGE spoilers about the Pretty Little Liars finale. 

"Awwww hell no."

Those were my exact words when I heard the gun go off. The whole time, I had a feeling it was going to be Caleb who was shot. I mean, he had a gun. In the preview, Hannah was hysterically crying. Just makes sense. But then, the way things were shaping up, I thought maybe I was wrong and it was just creepy cousin/Mya stalker. (That doesn't really explain Hannah's crying then.... whatever.)

Let's look on the bright side... he isn't dead yet. If they kill him. I'll be PISSED.

After all, the girls need a knight in shining armor to protect them from..... TOBY?!?!?!

I knew it was him.

I've just always thought he was super creepy and up to something. And he just happened to come back that day that all the shit was going down? The whole time he was (hooking up) with Spencer, I thought, 'Man, how much would it suck if he was the 'betrayer'.' Rather poignant, don't you think? Since Spencer has been accusing Emily's significant other?

Speaking of Emily's significant other/creepy - I still don't like Paige. And raise your hand if you thought creepy cousin/Mya stalker was a weirdo from the get go. [My hand is raised, FYI] While we're at it, keep you hand up if you think Mya was a creepy weirdo, too!

[Hand, raised.]

The Women of the Newsroom

I've been reading a lot of criticism of the women on The Newsroom, and just felt compelled to weigh in. 

Many are complaining that the women are weak, lovesick. That Sorkin is obsessed with this Don/Maggie/Jim subplot (and so is 'News Night' EP Mac). Mac is more concerned about what Will said at the end of that deleted voicemail than the fact that his being high on air might be revealed or that they are using it to take down Leona and her son. Sloan, the most stone cold of the bunch, comes clean that she's got a thing for Don (ew, by the way) and then insists they never make eye contact at work again because she's mortified. 

But isn't this realistic? Aren't you allowed to be the best EP in the business and still worry about what your ex (who you're still in love with) is thinking? Isn't it normal to be a twenty something caught between the comfortable choice and the friend who might be more? And - especially when you're working with these people - isn't it normal to think about that at work? To let those feelings, conversations affect you from 9am-5pm?

If all this isn't normal..... I might be in trouble. 

True Blood Finale: Season 5

WARNING: This post contains details from the True Blood season finale. Read at your own risk. 

While I checked my watch more than once during the episode (it kind dragged....), I have to admit, my mouth was left wide open at the end. Literally.

I read an interview last week (that I can't find now...) with creator Alan Ball (or a writer maybe?) about how usually, True Blood's big climactic moment comes in episode 10 or 11, and then the finale is more about cleaning up the mess and setting the wheels in place for next season. Whoever it was said that this season was going to be a cliffhanger.... and it was.

(SPOILER TIME! I warned you.)

Seeing Bill drink Lillith's blood, melt away, and then rise from the pool of blood was And Eric yelling 'Run' was quite the cliffhanger. You can't run from vampires, much less one that is their re birthed deity. And what of Eric? He tried to stop Lillith/Bill. What will this ruler do to him now? Is Eric still stronger because he is older? What chance do good vamps have against Bill and the broken Authority now? Next season should be titled, Where Have All the Good Vamps Gone?

As for the rest of our Bon Temps buddies....

Russell, may he RIP. Not really. As much as I hate Russell, was that death really befitting one of the greatest True Blood villains of all time? Not to mention, one of the best actors the show has seen? I mean... Eric staked him before the opening credits even rolled. Just seemed too easy. Too unimpressive.  Honestly, seeing how things shaped up at the end of the episode, I would have liked to see some Bill / Russell interaction. Isn't God Bill on Russell's side now? Can Russell share power? Especially with someone charged with killing him?

Sookie should have ran to Eric before Jason. Just sayin. I know Jason is her brother... but Eric just saved her and her fairy friends.

Mr and Mrs. Stackhouse are not how I imagined. I always thought they would be more kindhearted like Sookie or Gran, so to hear them talk about vampires the way the did, encourage Jason to kill them all, ridicule Sookies' naivete... I'm just surprised. But are they they real thing? Or just figments of Jason's subconscious? I guess he could be making them to tell him what he wants to hear. I did love seeing his Rambo side come back again!

And speaking of Jason, the only upside to his 'death to all vampires' stance was his reaction to Jessica. She finally comes around and he tells her he could never love her. I love that and can't wait to see how it develops next season. Jessica and Jason have this bond - not only because he drank her blood - but because they lost Hoyt together.

Poor Andy. 4 kids? That's going to be hilarious. 

Uh, Sam and Luna aren't in the clear yet. That was awesome that they killed that vampire and exposed the Authority on live TV.... but they are still in the building! And Sam is naked! And Emma is a dog! And it was on TV, so those bodyguards know exactly where to find them. Let's hope they get up to the roof or wherever Jason and Eric and friends were headed....

Who is this girl that Alcide is in love with? What about Sookie? That was a total tease having them almost get together this season. And then next thing you know, he's off with some other chick! I know Eric glamoured him and said he couldn't like Sookie... but still. No one wants to watch a show about a werewolf and his wolf girlfriend. Also, how the heck will Alcide being pack master have any relation to the bigger storyline? Is it destined to be one of ....

The forgotten/useless story lines: Lafayette. Terry and Arlene and the demon. Warlow. CORRECTION. Get thee to HBO Go for a tease about next season and Warlow!!! 

Finally, is Hoyt gone for good? I hope so. Don't get me wrong, I love Hoyt. But he had such a touching send-off. If he comes back.... I hope it is in the season finale next year. Or in a season after that or something.

Glee Poster: Who's going to St. Louis?!

A new poster for Glee came out last week, and while everyone else is asking, 'Where's Quinn?!' I just want to know who is heading to St. Louis!

Rumors are saying it's either Santana - who was supposed to go to Louisville, not St. Louis, but people are suspecting the Glee dept. messed up the name.... - or Finn - who is in St. Louis looking at army records (we have army records here?). 

Perhaps, though, it could be someone else entirely. One of the other seniors taking a detour in STL on their way elsewhere? Maybe one of the new kids is a transfer from St. Louis?

Also, I feel obligated to point out that while the St. Louis sign is pointing east of Lima.... We're actually to the west. Just thought I should clear that up.

Grey's Anatomy Season 9 Trailer

The MOST devastating moment? Really?

As much as seeing Lexi die totally sucked. And as much as I'd hate to lose Arizona or Mark (although I'm guessing one or both of them is a goner)... The plane crash just didn't seem like that big of a deal to me.

Maybe it was because I was too distracted by the total LOST ripoff?

No, I think I'm just in Christina's camp on this one. She seems unfazed by the crash (same feeling here, obviously) and just wants to leave 'Seattle Grace Mercy Death.'  Let's face it.... that hospital is the new Wisteria Lane. Disaster after disaster after disaster. I'm beginning to think I should never go to Seattle. I might drown on a ferry or stabbed by an icicle or get eaten by a lion!

Grey's has had some real chilling moments. George's death, the shooting. Moments that I'll never forget.  I'll remember where I was watching, who I was watching with, what I was thinking. I still get chills watching this trailer. I don't think you can top those 'devastating' moments with disasters. It was about the characters, the storytelling.

The plane crash was just about... the plane crash.

NBC's Olympic Coverage

Give NBC a break, people. 

Except for that Today Show Missy Franklin promo, I think they've done a pretty good job of not showing information before it's shown in prime time. In fact, I've laughed at the 'look away' warnings I see during the day online and on the broadcasts. 

And stop complaining that other countries are watching free via YouTube and we have to pay for cable to watch live streaming (#firstworldproblems). This sh*t is expensive and someone has to pay for it. I don't know how the other countries afford it. I don't know how it all works. But I support television networks year round - not just when a show comes out that everyone is talking about or when Ryan Lochte is swimming for gold. I don't feel bad for you. Stop thinking everything can/should be free. 

We need to face it. Everyone is consuming news/entertainment (I'm not sure which the Olympics qualify as) differently. Some people want it all live and streaming and as it happens. Some people only want to see it in prime time. NBC is trying their best to cater to both crowds. 

What would you have them do? Create two websites? One with 'spoilers' and one without? What about the obscure sports like weight lifting or canoeing or skeet shooting that aren't shown in prime time? Are we to never discuss those results because they weren't shown at an optimal time? Those only get prime time coverage if Americans win gold. 

And what's really a 'spoiler' anyway? It's already happened.... how long before it isn't a spoiler anymore? If I choose not to look up/watch USA Men's Gymnastics until I have free time on Wednesday, is it really NBC's fault that I found out they failed miserably in the finals? 

Oops... spoiler. 

(Sorry I'm not sorry.)

Emmy Snubs (in my humble opinion...)

Would have loved to see nominations in some capacity for...
Fringe. I know it's sci fi, but we've all accepted Game of Thrones! Can't John Noble or Anna Torv get some love?
Justified. This drama has me at the edge of my seat every week. Raylan, Boyd Crowder, the opening credits. Something desereved a nomination.
Wilfred. It's a smart, dark comedy, which obviously doesn't play well against LOL shows like Modern Family. But come on! It's original.
Happy Endings. It's at least funnier than Veep, IMHO.

I'm surprised these guys didn't get nominations...

Matt LeBlanc on Episodes. I don't watch, but feel like critics are raving about him every week in EW and TV Guide. 

Hugh Laurie on House. He's been a regular in the drama category, but was snubbed in his final year. 

John Slattery on Mad Men. I always think he is brilliant, but that LSD trip this season? Awesome work. 

I think it is weird that...

They moved Missing to a mini-series, when I'm pretty sure it was just a series that got cancelled. 

SNL is in the regular comedy categories and not variety show. I guess they did away with that variety/musical category and weren't sure where to put it. Just think it is hard to compare the work of actors playing one character/story over the course or a season vs actors playing multiple characters/stories each week. 

Also worth noting...

Not a lot of play for network TV, particularly in the drama category. Ouch. 

American Idol didn't get nominated. Double ouch. 

2012 Emmy Nominees: My picks

The 2012 Emmy nominees were announced this morning. Check out my picks...

Outstanding Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory • CBS 

Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO 

Girls • HBO 

Modern Family 

30 Rock • NBC

Veep • HBO

Girls is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. It's my #1 pick, but I'm not sure it can beat favorites 30 Rock (starting it's last season) and Modern Family. 

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Girls • HBO Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath

Mike & Molly • CBS Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn

New Girl • FOX Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day

Nurse Jackie • Showtime Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton

Parks And Recreation • NBC Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope

30 Rock • NBC Tina Fey as Liz Lemon

Veep • HBO Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer

Tough category. I don't think Lena is ready yet, although she is hysterical. I think Zooey is pretty much playing herself, although I enjoy it. Also really love Julia on Veep. My pick, even though I don't watch it, is Amy for Parks and Rec. 

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory • CBS Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper

Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO Larry David as Himself

House Of Lies • Showtime Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan

Louie • FX Networks Louis C.K. as Louie

30 Rock • NBC Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy

Two And A Half Men • CBS Jon Cryer as Alan Harper

I'm not sure how much it's acting when I think he is supposed to be playing himself.... but Louis. Hands down. (And speaking of playing himself, are people surprised Matt LeBlanc didn't get an Episodes nod? Thought critics loved that show.)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory • CBS Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler

Desperate Housewives • ABC Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey

Modern Family • ABC Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy

Modern Family • ABC Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett

Nurse Jackie • Showtime Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow

Saturday Night Live • NBC Kristen Wiig as various characters

Hmmm... Julie and Sofia are hi-larious on Modern Family. Seriously. But I'd love to see Mrs. McCluskey take it for her work on Desperate - not just this season, but throughout the series. Tough when you play a more dramatic role on a comedy though. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Modern Family • ABC Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett

Modern Family • ABC Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett

Modern Family • ABC Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy

Modern Family • ABC Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker

New Girl • FOX Max Greenfield as Schmidt

Saturday Night Live • NBC Bill Hader as various characters

Just to overthrow Modern Family, let's say Max... just for fun. And because I love Schmidt. But seriously, anyone from Modern Family can and should take this home. 

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Community • Remedial Chaos Theory • NBC 

Girls • Pilot • HBO 

Louie • Pregnant • FX Networks 

Parks And Recreation • The Debate • NBC

Parks And Recreation • Win, Lose, Or Draw • NBC

Community. Best.Show.on.TV. 

Outstanding Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire • HBO 

Breaking Bad • AMC 

Downton Abbey • PBS 

Game Of Thrones • HBO

Homeland • Showtime

Mad Men • AMC

How will I choose?! Personally, I watch (and love) Boardwalk, Game of Thrones AND Mad Men. Any of the three could win and I'd be ecstatic. But I also know critics/viewers are obsessed with the other three nominated shows too. This one's any one's game. 

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Damages • DirecTV  Glenn Close as Patty Hewes

Downton Abbey • PBS Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley

The Good Wife Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick

Harry's Law Kathy Bates as Harriet Korn

Homeland Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison

Mad Men Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson

I should say Elisabeth Moss, since I'm a huge fan of hers on Mad Men, but actually found her to be kind of whiny and annoying this season. I know critics adore Claire Danes? Let's go with that. 

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire • HBO Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson

Breaking Bad • AMC Bryan Cranston as Walter White

Dexter • Showtime Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan

Downton Abbey • PBS Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham

Homeland • Showtime Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody

Mad Men • AMC Jon Hamm as Don Draper

As much as I love Dexter and Jon Hamm.... I vote Cranston or Buscemi this year. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Breaking Bad • AMC Anna Gunn as Skyler White

Downton Abbey • PBS Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham

Downton Abbey • PBS Joanne Froggatt as Anna

The Good Wife • CBS Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma

The Good Wife • CBS Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart

Mad Men • AMC Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway Harris

Joan! Joan! Joan! 

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Breaking Bad • AMC Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman

Breaking Bad • AMC Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo 'Gus' Fring

Downton Abbey • PBS Brendan Coyle as John Bates

Downton Abbey • PBS Jim Carter as Mr. Carson

Game Of Thrones • HBO Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Mad Men • AMC Jared Harris as Lane Pryce

I pledge my allegiance to House Lannister (or at least, to Peter). But also wouldn't mind if Gus from BB or Lane Pryce from Mad Men won. 

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Downton Abbey • Episode 7 Homeland • Pilot • Showtime

Mad Men • The Other Woman • AMC
Mad Men • Commissions And Fees • AMC 

Mad Men • Far Away Places • AMC


Mad Men's The Other Woman or Commissions and Fees should win this one. Breathtaking episodes. 

You'll notice I left out some categories - directing, for example. My problem is, I don't know enough about those categories. Bad TV lover, I know. I just know that I would end up picking my favorite shows just because they are my favorite. 


And as far as movie/mini-series, I only want American Horror Story (that's a mini series?) or Hatfields and McCoys to win. All the awards. And I like all the 'variety show' (aka late night type shows) nominees, so I have no opinion really about that. 

Also, shout out to Hell on Wheels nomination for main title sequence! I love opening credits.