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Saturday, September 21, 2013

Alternate Universe Awards





Anyone who has been perusing the internet over the last week can attest that every website has been throwing out predictions for this Sunday's Emmy Awards. You all are probably getting sick of it,  so I attempted to mix it up a little.

Looking over the different nominees in all the categories, hemming and hawing over making my own guesses, I couldn't get other actors and shows I love that were not even nominated out of head.
In a mash-up of sorts, below are both predictions for the winners, plus some other suggestions for your consideration. Think of it as who would get nominated/win in an alternate universe.
     
[Forgive me, creativity didn't strike for every category - if one of my picks matches a nominee, it reflects who I WISH would win.]



LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
  • Kevin Spacey, House Of Cards, Netflix
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad, AMC    
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey, PBS
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom, HBO
 Jon Hamm, Mad Men, AMC
    Damian Lewis, Homeland, Showtime
       
In An Alternate Universe...Peter Krause, Parenthood, NBC
    
         To be completely honest, it's a toss up between Spacey and 
         Cranston. Two time Academy Award winner Spacey has the 
         edge, because it's KEVIN SPACEY. The Emmy voters have 
         waited centuries for him to grace the TV screen. 

         
         Breaking Bad is still qualified for awards next year, so 
        Cranston still has time to win his fourth for playing Walter 
        White.




LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES:
  • Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men, AMC  
    Connie Britton, Nashville, ABC
    Claire Danes, Homeland, Showtime
    Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey, PBS
    Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel, A&E
    Kerry Washington, Scandal, ABC
    Robin Wright, House of Cards, Netflix

    In An Alternate Universe...Monica Potter, Parenthood, NBC

    Claire Danes could once again have this one in the bag (she does get to expertly crazy up the screen), but I can't help but throw all my energy towards believing Elizabeth Moss will finally get acknowledged for playing go-getter Peggy. Although, if Jon Hamm has never won either...





    SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
    • Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad, AMC
    Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire, HBO
    Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad, AMC
    Jim Carter, Downton Abbey, PBS
    Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones, HBO
    Mandy Patinkin, Homeland, Showtime

    In An Alternate Universe...Norman Reedus, The Walking Dead, AMC

    No actor has gone through as much pain and suffering as Aaron Paul playing Jesse Pinkman. If Cranston can't win this year, definitely look for Paul to be a shoe-in.



      SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
    • Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey, PBS
    Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad, AMC
    Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones, HBO
    Christine Baranski, The Good Wife, CBS
    Morena Baccarin, Homeland, Showtime
    Christina Hendricks, Mad Men, AMC

    In An Alternate Universe...Madeleine Martin, Californication, Showtime
      
    No one has committed to walking head on into a pool, full of desperation, better than Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, until Skyler White (played by Anna Gunn) calmly crashed into her pool, flowy dress and all. It could be Gunn's year (rightfully so), but I can't ignore the fact that minxy Maggie Smith, with her witty banter, continues to bewitch the world.



    DRAMA SERIES 
  • Breaking Bad, AMC
  • Downton Abbey, PBS
    Homeland, Showtime
    Game of Thrones, HBO
    House of Cards, Netflix
    Mad Men, AMC  
     
    In An Alternate Universe...The Walking Dead, AMC  

    Personally, it would be triumphant for Mad Men to win Best In Show, but if they didn't last year (Season 5 was spectacular storytelling), than we won't see that win probably till its final season. In that regard, no show as a complete entity - writing, directing, acting - is more extraordinary than Breaking Bad.



     
    LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
    • Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock, NBC
    Jason Bateman, Arrested Development, Netflix  
    Louis C.K., Louie, FX    
    Don Cheadle, House of Lies, Showtime      
    Matt LeBlanc, Episodes, Showtime    
     Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory, CBS   

     In An Alternate Universe...Jake Johnson, New Girl, Fox 
      
    Earlier this year we said goodbye to Jack Donaghy, and it feels like those voters will want to do the respectable thing and send the show off right.  



     
     LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
    • Tiny Fey, 30 Rock, NBC
    Lena Dunham, Girls, HBO    
    Laura Dern, Enlightened, HBO      
    Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation, NBC    
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep, HBO    
      Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie, Showtime  

    In An Alternate Universe...Amy Poehler, Parks and Rec, NBC   
     
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus is adored, but ditto to the above - 30 Rock finished off brilliant and zaney just as fans hoped.



      SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
    • Ty Burrell, Modern Family, ABC
    Adam Driver, Girls, HBO    
    Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family, ABC    
    Ed O'Neill, Modern Family, ABC    
    Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live, NBC    
    Tony Hale, Veep, HBO     

    In An Alternate Universe...Chris Pratt, Parks and Rec, NBC  
     
     Modern Family continues to dominate the nominations, even with the show declining in the funnies and overall quality. Ty Burrell is one reason I have stuck with the show, and many others feel the same way.



     
    SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
    • Sofia Vergara, Modern Family, ABC
    Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory, CBS    
    Jane Lynch, Glee, Fox
    Julie Bowen, Modern Family, ABC      
    Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie, Showtime    
    Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock, NBC      
    Anna Chlumsky, Veep, HBO

    In An Alternate Universe...Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock, NBC    
     
    As the actual best supporting actress will never be acknowledged (Krakowski's fame obsessed Jenna is like no other character on TV), I throw it to Vergara. Because...she's on Modern Family and has never won before? Sure, that's a good enough reason.


     
      COMEDY SERIES
    • 30 Rock, NBC
    The Big Bang Theory, CBS    
    Girls, HBO   Louie, FX      
    Modern Family, ABC    
    Veep, HBO    

     In An Alternate Universe...Parks and Rec, NBC  
     
     This is a toss up - 30 Rock will be acknowledged somewhere. If the lead actor's don't win, it definitely feels right for the series. Never count out another Modern Family sweep though.



     
      LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
    • Michael Douglas, Behind The Candelabra, HBO
    Matt Damon, Behind The Candelabra, HBO    
     Toby Jones, The Girl, HBO    
     Benedict Cumberbatch, Parade's End, HBO      
    Al Pacino, Phil Spector, HBO       

    In An Alternate Universe...Evan Peters, American Horror Story, FX  
     
    Baby Boy! With his shiny teeth, uber tan, and glittering piano, Michael Douglas dazzled in the role of Liberace. No question - he already won.


     
    LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
    • Jessica Lange, American Horror Story, FX
    Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter, Showtime  
    Helen Mirren, Phil Spector, HBO     
    Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals, USA     
    Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel     

    In An Alternate Universe...Laura Linney, The Big C, Showtime   
     
    Jessica Lange can play anything convincingly, even a nun with a torrid past who is trying to run a mental institution in the 1950s that houses a serial killer, and a Nazi performing tests on the patients. 


     
    SUPPORTING ACTOR IN MINISERIES OR MOVIE
    • Zachary Quinto, American Horror Story: Asylum, FX
    James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum, FX      
    Scott Bakula, Behind The Candelabra, HBO    
    John Benjamin Hickey, The Big C: Hereafter, Showtime  
    Peter Mullan, Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel    

     In An Alternate Universe...Rob Lowe, Behind The Candelabra   
      
    This is a category full of talented actors (I'm a huge fan of Benjamin Hickey), but as described above, the plot of American Horror Story perfectly set the stage for the entire cast to shine in hugely creepy roles. Zachary Quinto's character was especially layered, and is definitely award worthy. Even though Rob Lowe was...for lack of better words...robbed, Quinto winning would be quite respectable. 


     
    SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN MINISERIES OR MOVIE
    • Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Asylum, FX
    Imelda Staunton, The Girl, HBO    
    Charlotte Rampling, Restless, Sundance Channel    
     Alfre Woodard, Steel Magnolias, Lifetime   

    In An Alternate Universe...That girl who plays Chummy, Call The Midwife, BBC  
      
    Even with the other actors from American Horror Story set to win, no one deserves it more than Sarah Paulson. If you're anxious about watching this graphic and terrifying show, believe me, Paulson's performance alone makes it all worthwhile.


     
    MINISERIES OR MOVIE
    • Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel 
    • American Horror Story: Asylum, FX 
      Behind The Candelabra, HBO
      The Bible, History Channel
      Phil Spector, HBO
      Political Animals, USA
       
      In An Alternate Universe...Ghost Shark, SYFY
       
      Top Of The Lake, directed by Academy Award winning director Jane Campion, is too artsy and compelling to not be honored in some way, and it could steal this award away from Candelabra (directed by another high profile person, Stephen Soderbergh).
        
        
      Print out your ballots, check off predictions, and tune into the Emmy Awards tomorrow night!

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