2015 Emmy Nominations: Who Should Win?
Pieces of art shouldn't be pitted against each other like gladiators in a coliseum, but that doesn't mean Hollywood won't continue to do it year after year in order to assign perceived value to one thing over another. The Oscars aren't for another eight months, so until then, we turn our attention to the small screen: the 2015 Emmy Award Nominations were announced this morning.
I watch a decent amount of TV, but I'm not even close to being well-versed in all of these shows. But this is the internet — do you think that's going to stop me from weighing in with my opinion about who should win? Ha!
Here are the nominees for the major awards, with my pick for who should win in bold, with the occasional brief commentary added when I feel like it.
Outstanding Comedy Series
Louie
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep
What can I say? I love this show.
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Downton Abby
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards
Mad Men
Orange Is The New Black
This is the last year of eligibility for Mad Men, so go ahead and give it to them. If it was going up against better seasons of OITNB or Game of Thrones, I'd change my tune, but both of those shows were slightly off their games, so give it to Weiner.
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight
Late Show
Tonight Show
Obviously.
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
Drunk History
Inside Amy Schumer
Key & Peele
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live
I love Key & Peele, but their most recent season was unquestionably their worst yet, so I've gotta go with the woman of the moment on this one.
Outstanding Limited Series
American Crime
American Horror Story Freak Show
Olive Kitteridge
The Honorable Woman
Wolf Hall
Didn't see any of these, but Wolf Hall has the most evocative name.
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
The Voice
Top Chef
Dancing With the Stars
The Amazing Race
So You Think You Can Dance
Project Runway
As someone who used to work in reality TV (it's just as awful as you think), I have to go with the only choice that has any actual value.
Outstanding Animated Program
Archer
Bob’s Burgers
Over the Garden Wall
The Simpsons
South Park
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Hamm was outshined by Bryan Cranston for years, so give him this one as Don Draper's last hurrah.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Danes, Homeland
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Haven't seen the show yet, but I'd say Henson deserves it for all the love I'm seeing out there for Empire.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is The New Black
This was down to Aduba or Hendricks for me, but even though Hendricks had some tough scenes in Mad Men's last season, Aduba was the beating heart of an otherwise iffy season of OITNB.
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda, The Blacklist
Michael J Fox, The Good Wife
F. Murray Abraham, Homeland
Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards
Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex
Pablo Schreiber, Orange Is the New Black
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
Rachel Brosnahan, House of Cards
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
Khandi Alexander, Scandal
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Louis C.K., Louis
Don Cheadle, House of Cards
Will Forte, Last Man on Earth
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver, Girls
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tony Hale, Veep
I wonder how Jordan Peele feels about not getting an acting nod alongside his TV partner here. But I've always thought Keegan had the edge in the acting department, and he's convincingly able to play a myriad of different characters even if the sketches aren't brilliant 100% of the time.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Niecy Nash, Getting On
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Allison Janney, Mom
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent
Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
McKinnon is one of the only things keeping SNL worthwhile viewing for me. She's amazing.
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Mel Brooks, The Comedians
Paul Giamatti, Inside Amy Schumer
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
Bradley Whitford, Transparent
Jon Hamm, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
The reveal that Hamm was playing this character was fantastic, and he owned the absurd comedy in that role.
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Gaby Hoffmann, Girls
Pamela Adlon, Louie
Elizabeth Banks, Modern Family
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory
Tina Fey, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Adrien Brody
Ricky Gervais
Timothy Hutton
Richard Jenkins
David Oyelowo
Mark Rylance
He starred in Nightingale all by himself. Nothing else needs to be said.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman
Felicity Huffman, American Crime Story
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Queen Latifah, Bessie
Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge
Emma Thompson, Sweeney Todd
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Richard Cabral, American Crime
Denis O’Hare, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Finn Wittrock, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Michael Kenneth Williams, Bessie
Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge
Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Regina King, American Crime
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Angela Bassett, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Mo’Nique, Bessie
Zoe Kazan, Olive Kitteridge
This choice is admittedly out of spite for all of the Ryan Murphy shows in this category.
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Americans, “Do Mail Robots Dream Of Electric Sheep?”
Better Call Saul, “Five-O”
Game of Thrones, “Mother’s Mercy”
Mad Men, “Lost Horizon”
Mad Men, “Person to Person”
I thought this was one of the best episodes in the series, and I enjoyed it a lot more than the finale. But maybe that's just me.
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Episodes, “Episode 409″
The Last Man On Earth, “Alive In Tucson (Pilot)”
Louie, “Bobby’s House”
Silicon Valley, “Two Days of the Condor”
Transparent, “Pilot”
Veep, “Election Night”
Silicon Valley continued to get better and better as the season went on, culminating in an awesome finale. Such great TV.
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire, “Eldorado”
Game of Thrones, “Mother’s Mercy”
Game of Thrones, “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”
Homeland, “From A to B and Back Again”
The Knick, “Method and Madness”
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
The Last Man On Earth, “Alive In Tucson (Pilot)”
Louie, “Sleepover”
Silicon Valley, “Sand Hill Shuffle”
Transparent, “Best New Girl”
Veep, “Testimony”
If only the rest of the first season could have been as joyously amazing as The Last Man on Earth pilot.
Agree? Disagree? I'm sure I don't need to tell you to sound off in the comments below. (Thanks to Uproxx for the list.)