TV: Emmy Nominations 2005

The Emmy nominations are out, and it's a mixed bag. There's some great recognition for both new shows and old shows that have never been nominated in major categories before, and there's a lot of the same old crap that gets nominated year after year out of pure reflex.

The best news is Scrubs has finally, finally gotten a nomination for Best Comedy Series, and Zach Braff is up for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy. (Still grossly overlooked: John C. McGinley as Dr. Cox.) Also, both Glenn Close and the wonderful CCH Pounder have been nominated for The Shield, Close for Best Actress, Pounder for Best Supporting Actress.

The bad news: those were the only nominations for The Shield. Where's the Chiklis? Where's the Chiklis?? It didn't even make Best Drama, pushed to the side by the traditionally over-nominated 24 and The West Wing. The West Wing and Will & Grace nods are the prime examples of how far behind reality the Emmy voters are; both of those shows passed any worthiness of Emmy recognition a good three years ago. Will & Grace got fifteen nominations? Bitch, please.

And I see Desperate Housewives has taken the Ally McBeal position as the hour-long dramedy that steals all the comedy slots. Three Lead Actress nominations? (Sucks to be Eva Longoria.) And people are already saying Housewives got snubbed because Longoria and Nicolette Sheridan didn't make the cut. Dude, how greedy can you get?

Here's a list of the categories I care about, with a few more notes along the way.

Comedy Series

Arrested Development
Desperate Housewives
Everybody Loves Raymond
Scrubs
Will and Grace

The Will & Grace nom is a joke. Look outside your tiny little world, Emmys! Why not Reno 911!? Why not Entourage? I love seeing my two favorite comedies up there, Scrubs and Arrested Development, but I don't think Arrested has a shot in hell of repeating last year's win. Housewives will dominate, mark my words.

Drama Series

Deadwood
Lost
Six Feet Under
24
The West Wing

All predictable, even freshman Lost -- except for Deadwood. As great as it is, and it is crazy great, I wouldn't have bet money that it would get nominated. It didn't last year, after all. Now that it is, though, I think it's a lock to win. I mean, come on! Look at those other nominees. Only Lost should have enough buzz to be a challenge. The Emmy voters are clueless, but even they aren't clueless enough to give West Wing its fifth win. Are they? And you fans of The Wire, who made such dire predictions about what you call the best show on TV not getting any Emmy love -- well, good call there.

Lead Actor, Comedy Series

Jason Bateman - Arrested Development
Zach Braff - Scrubs
Eric McCormack - Will & Grace
Ray Romano - Everybody Loves Raymond
Tony Shalhoub - Monk

First two: good. Last three: bad. I always liked Everybody Loves Raymond, but that's an Emmy hog I'll be glad not to see at the Emmys next year. And Monk had an awful season, so bad it made Tony Shalhoub look bad. That's bad.

Lead Actor, Drama Series

Hank Azaria - Huff
James Spader - The Practice
Hugh Laurie - House
Kiefer Sutherland - 24
Ian McShane - Deadwood

Huff is a drama? I thought it was a comedy. Well, whatever. It's nice to see a category with mostly new and deserving faces. Hugh Laurie is fantastic in House, and his appearance here is the biggest surprise. I can't believe Ian McShane wasn't even nominated last year (and even worse, the Deadwood cast that did get nominated in 2004, Brad Dourif and Robin Weigert, didn't make it in 2005 -- that's crap!), but now that he's here, he should win, if there's any justice. He's the best actor in the best role on television.

Lead Actress, Comedy Series

Marcia Cross - Desperate Housewives
Teri Hatcher - Desperate Housewives
Patricia Heaton - Everybody Loves Raymond
Felicity Huffman - Desperate Housewives
Jane Kaczmarek - Malcolm In The Middle

These nominations are so predictable, it just makes me feel tired. Hatcher wins.

Lead Actress, Drama Series

Jennifer Garner - Alias
Patricia Arquette - Medium
Mariska Hargitay - Law and Order Special Victim's Unit
Glenn Close - The Shield
Frances Conroy - Six Feet Under

Glenn Close is a pleasant surprise; Patricia Arquette is an unpleasant one. And seriously, if you can't find someone better to nominate than Mariska Hargitay, you just ain't looking hard enough. May I suggest Deadwood's Molly Parker?

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series

Jeffrey Tambor - Arrested Development
Brad Garrett - Everybody Loves Raymond
Peter Boyle - Everybody Loves Raymond
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Sean Hayes - Will and Grace

Hopefully with Raymond gone next year, a few more Arrested Development actors can take their places. Take your pick: David Cross, Tony Hale, or best of all, Will Arnett as GOB. He's freakin' hilarious. Also, bump Hayes, get John C. McGinley in there. The Piven nomination is awesome. He's the funniest part in a very funny show.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series

William Shatner - Boston Legal
Terry O'Quinn - Lost
Naveen Andrews - Lost
Oliver Platt - Huff
Alan Alda - The West Wing

Okay, I believe you, Huff is a drama. Some good picks from Lost; I hope O'Quinn takes it. (But I bet Shatner will.) And I hate the way West Wing gets guest actors nominated as though they were regular castmembers. Not that Alda is undeserving (I have no opinion either way, since I stopped watching the show a couple years ago), it's just that he belongs in the Guest Actor category. Robbed: everyone on Deadwood. Seriously, everyone. But especially William Sanderson as E.B. Farnum, Brad Dourif as Doc Cochran, and Dayton Callie as Charlie Utter. Oh, and W. Earl Brown as Dan Dority. And Jim Beaver as Ellsworth. And John Hawkes as Sol. Like I said: everyone.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series

Doris Roberts - Everybody Loves Raymond
Jessica Walter - Arrested Development
Holland Taylor - Two and a Half Men
Conchata Ferrell - Two and a Half Men
Megan Mullally - Will & Grace

Look, I like Two and a Half Men, as unoriginal and formulaic as it is. But those two Supporting Actress nominations are the biggest "What the fuck?" entries on this list. Seriously: what the fuck? Where did that come from? You ignore Sarah Chalke and Judy Reyes on Scrubs and Portia de Rossi and Alia Shawkat (who is the funniest young actress on TV) on Arrested Development, and you pick those two?? Sure, they're both pretty good, but that's just so damn random. Especially when the show isn't nominated for anything else.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series

Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy
Tyne Daly - Judging Amy
Blythe Danner - Huff
CCH Pounder - The Shield
Stockard Channing - The West Wing

Who did Showtime blow to get all these Huff nominations? And what did I just say about West Wing and guest stars? Stockard Channing only appears every once in a while; she's a Guest Actress, and shouldn't be taking up space in this category, space which should go to Kim Dickens, Paula Malcomson, or especially Robin Weigert for Deadwood. At least CCH Pounder is in there.

The countdown to the Emmy broadcast on Sept. 18 begins! I bet I'll have a thing or two more to say at that time.