Emmys: Who Will Go Home With the Gold?

Emmys 2010: Complete Coverage from B&C

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES


Modern Family and Glee are both wonderful, but they’re very different kinds of shows. The Office and 30 Rock have been strong contenders in the past. And then there’s Nurse Jackie. How does that fit with a musical? Geez, we wonder, should we create a third [category]? One thing I feel is missing are multi-camera comedies, especially considering both the quality and the success of multi-camera right now. The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men continue to be among the highest rated scripted shows.”

Curb Your Enthusiasm
• HBO

Glee • Fox
Modern Family • ABC
Nurse Jackie • Showtime
The Office • NBC
30 Rock • NBC

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

“Full disclosure; I was the production designer on The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien. First of all, there’s been a lot of conversation about this, that and the other thing. But [O’Brien] is one of the consummate entertainers of our time. For all the talk about getting even or one-upmanship, I think the membership just looks at him and says, ‘This guy is friggin’ brilliant. Let’s pay attention.’”

The Colbert Report • Comedy Central
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central
Real Time With Bill Maher • HBO
Saturday Night Live • NBC
The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien • NBC

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

Breaking Bad has a deep following, and True Blood, they’re fanatics. And Mad Men actually had a pretty good season. Lost is a sentimental [nomination]. But it’s also recognition of what that show represented creatively. The storytelling was so innovative. I think this is our last chance to recognize true innovation.”

Breaking Bad • AMC
Dexter • Showtime
The Good Wife • CBS
Lost • ABC
Mad Men • AMC
True Blood • HBO

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES

“[The Pacific] is an enormous contribution to recording our history. The commitment resource-wise and the amount of caring, passion and energy it took on the part of everyone involved is breathtaking. On the other hand, Cranford transcends its era and speaks to us in this era. It has a lot to say about fitting into a community. It’s a dressed-up costume drama thing, but it’s remarkable as well.”

The Pacific • HBO
Return to Cranford • PBS

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

“Lea Michele’s work is not as comedic as one might think. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has created a character that is so willfully Julia. For Toni Collette to shift between the roles that she plays and still maintain the independence of each one of those characters takes a special kind of skill. We know Edie Falco is an enormously accomplished actress. She’s created a level of sympathy for an acidic character. She could very well have a strong chance because she succeeds at a very difficult task.”

Lea Michele as Rachel Berry (Glee)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell (The New Adventures of Old Christine)
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton (Nurse Jackie)
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon (30 Rock)
Toni Collette as Tara Gregson (United States of Tara)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

“Could Julianna Margulies be more talented? She’s such a consummate professional. The work she has in this role, it’s not the flashiest. There’s no singing and dancing. But yet, she has such integrity with the way that she attacks the material.”

Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (The Closer)
Glenn Close as Patty Hewes (Damages)
Connie Britton as Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick (The Good Wife)
Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
January Jones as Betty Draper (Mad Men)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

“Larry David’s outlook on life is kind of in tune with the Zeitgeist of today: the absurdity of life. And you cannot forget what he has contributed as a writer to super-popular mainstream television. We see him narrowing down, and he’s refi ned the very essence of all of his work into this very platinum-quality vision. And it fills a certain psychological need. Larry David’s work speaks to so many of the experiences that we all live through. On the other hand, Matthew Morrison is just so cross-talented. When he sets up to do a dancing/musical segment that also advances the story line, he commits to it so completely. Jim Parsons and [Big Bang creator] Bill Prady have come up a totally new creation.”

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory)
Larry David as Himself (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester (Glee)
Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk (Monk)
Steve Carell as Michael Scott (The Office)
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy (30 Rock)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

“They’re all brilliant. Jon Hamm continues to invigorate that character when by now with a lesser performer, we would all be, OK, been there, done that, seen that, next. And yet he continues to engage us. Bryan Cranston does not have a sympathetic role entirely, but yet he makes it sympathetic. And how do you bridge that? He’s so complicated.”

Bryan Cranston as Walter White (Breaking Bad)
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House (House)
Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard (Lost)
Jon Hamm as Don Draper (Mad Men)