The 63rd Primetime Emmy Nominations: That Show’s Still On?

The 2011 Emmy nominations were announced at the crack of dawn Thursday, causing television fans across the blogosphere to launch into a parade of equal celebration and protest surely to last throughout the summer until the envelopes are opened September 18. The inclusion of formerly ignored shows and actors among the list of this year’s nods matched the amount of gaping snubs for fan favorites, leaving the perennial recognition of awards veterans to go all but unnoticed (sorry, Alec). Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the WTF for all things Emmy this year’s major categories have to offer.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire
The Good Wife
Mad Men
Friday Night Lights
Dexter
Game of Thrones

Viewers living vicariously in Westeros are no doubt thrilled to see HBO’s fantasy smash Game of Thrones on the Outstanding Drama list, but the heartstring-tugging, long overdue appearance of Friday Night Lights is perhaps the most sentimental nod for this category in recent memory. While Mad Men’s reliably stellar season could garner it a fourth consecutive statue and Boardwalk’s Golden Globe win gives the Prohibition crime saga a slight edge, the always morbidly fantastic Dexter sadly never stands a chance and The Good Wife is likely a bridesmaid at this year’s awards. It may be a long shot, but as Coach Taylor would say, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Timothy Olyphant (Justified)

Hugh Laurie’s ingenious portrayal of the now-iconic misanthropic doc has never snagged him an Emmy, but this year’s ho-hum season of Huddy-filled House isn’t likely to break his losing streak. The absence of three-peat winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad didn’t air new episodes this year, making it ineligible for Emmy consideration) gave room for the welcome inclusion of Timothy Olyphant as Justified’s rogue cowboy cop. Again, Jon Hamm and everything Mad Men are nearly synonymous with the name Emmy by now, but Kyle Chandler proves a dark horse for his stellar work on Friday Night Lights’ final season. Buscemi and Hall? They’ll always have next year.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law)
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
Mireille Enos (The Killing)
Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: SVU)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)

While the omission of Mad Men’s January Jones has been met with little protest (or even acknowledgement, for that matter), the outrageous neglect of Sons of Anarchy’s Golden Globe-winning Katey Sagal has plenty of fans ready to go gangbusters on the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences. Despite Harry’s Law being neither a drama nor a good show, the great Kathy Bates snuck in on her thespian pedigree alone. Although Mariska Hargitay lacks an Oscar on her mantel, her closetful of Emmys makes her presence on the list of nominations as expected as the sunrise. Yawn. Here’s rooting for Britton, Moss or Margulies, all of whom portray strong, complex female characters with the unwavering conviction Emmy voters and viewers drool over. Unfortunately for Mireille Enos, the rapid decline in The Killing’s credibility after a shaggy dog season all but hammers the nail in her Emmy coffin.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)
Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Walton Goggins (Justified)
John Slattery (Mad Men)

Walton Goggins’ long-overdue Emmy recognition (these people did watch The Shield, right?!) almost makes up for the glaring absence of Fringe’s John Noble, who deftly weaves between Walter Bishop and his parallel universe persona, “Walternate,” with the ease of a true award-worthy professional. An acceptable trade is Breaking Bad’s sorely missed Aaron Paul for the fantastic Alan Cumming, who helps make The Good Wife better than that – it’s great. John Slattery’s one-liners are a staple of Mad Men’s cunning wit, and Andre Braugher could read the phonebook to voters and have a shot, but the nomination for Peter Dinklage delighted Game of Thrones fans, several of whom I suspect are Academy members. Nerds.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Michelle Forbes (The Killing)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Kelly MacDonald (Boardwalk Empire)
Margo Martindale (Justified)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)

Panjabi’s victory in this category last year was met with widespread cheer, but her character’s jumping-the-shark descent into soapy scandal might turn off voters from giving her a second statue, despite her continually compelling work. On the other hand, Hendricks’ and Baranski’s characters weren’t quite showy enough this season to nab a win, and Forbes will likely suffer the same Killing backlash as her co-star Mireille Enos. Justified’s fans would throw a parade for Martindale if she pulled it off, but as the lowest-profile actress on the list, she’d need a serious increase in publicity between now and September. That leaves Boardwalk’s MacDonald, so good in films from Trainspotting to No Country For Old Men, with the best odds on the list.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Glee
Parks & Recreation
The Big Bang Theory
30 Rock
Modern Family
The Office

Steve Carell’s departure may be the only reason The Office is hanging on in this category, but the overcrowding of other past-their-prime network comedies on this list is resulting in the serious snubbing of more deserving shows. Glee’s nearly unwatchable season premiere and flagrant disregard for character development should have disqualified it without question, and even the beloved 30 Rock is beginning to show its age. Where the hell is Community, whose second season showed more creative innovation and sharp writing than Ryan Murphy and the New Directions kids could dream of? What about FX’s jaw-droppingly hilarious Archer, or even the perpetually underrated, woefully titled Cougar Town? Sigh. At least Parks & Recreation made the cut, but this flaccid group of network comedies only reflects the sorry state of the Emmys‘ sense of humor. These are the six funniest shows on TV? This had better be a joke.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Laura Linney (The Big C)
Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope)
Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)

Even Edie Falco herself has expressed confusion toward her placement in this category, so the perpetually unfunny nature of the titular character on Nurse Jackie is duly noted, despite Falco’s powerhouse acting. Ditto Laura Linney, whose marvelous work just can’t make cancer funny. Go figure. Although completely un-comedic comedy roles often go rewarded in Emmyland, enter Amy Poehler for this year’s surprise win, partly because she’s on the only truly funny show of this bunch, but mostly because she just rules. McCarthy is deservedly riding high on her Bridesmaids triumph, but I know nary a soul who has watched Mike & Molly. Raising Hope’s fanbase is devoted but diminutive, all but erasing chances for Martha Plimpton.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Louis C.K. (Louie)
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)
Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

The Emmy-less Steve Carell certainly deserves a nod, if not a win, for his final season of The Office, but the real star of this list is the relatively unknown Louis C.K., whose brilliant show on FX makes the geeks behind Big Bang look even more out of touch with what’s cutting edge in comedy today. No offense to the immensely talented Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki (of whom I’ve been a fan since Roseanne), but C.K. and LeBlanc’s wry turns as fictionalized versions of themselves prove the Emmy drones might not be such sticks in the mud after all. As for you, Baldwin, I’m sure there’s a glass of scotch somewhere with Jack Donaghy’s name all over it.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
Jane Lynch (Glee)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)

Jane Lynch is quickly becoming the Mariska Hargitay of this category, and it’s only Glee’s second season. She absolutely deserved the first slew of awards, but it might be time to hang up Sue’s megaphone, at least during Emmy time. Krakowski flat-out nails the hilarious nuances of delusional egomaniac Jenna Maroney, but the bloom may be off the rose at 30 Rock. White and Wiig have both had fantastic years, career-wise, but their work outside the box, so to speak, is more noteworthy than the TV Land dreck and SNL drivel on which their talents are wasted. Of the two Modern Family ladies left standing, I give the edge to Vergara for her spot-on reaction shots alone. Bowen’s type-A mom has her moments, but Vergara’s caliente trophy wife delivers more consistent, organic laughter week to week.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ty Burell (Modern Family)
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Ed O’Neill (Modern Family)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)

This is simply a pity nomination for Jon Cryer, who has already won an Emmy for co-starring in one of the most archaically one-dimensional sitcoms in recent television history. I’d been hoping Sheen-gate would have given him a shot at a better vehicle for his talents, but now he’s stuck playing second banana to Ashton Kutcher for crying out loud, on the SAME SHOW to boot. Poor Ducky. Chris Colfer is simply darling and could score the win if the Modern Family quartet knocks each other out with split votes, but methinks Emmy voters have a soft spot for Ed O’Neill’s frustrated patriarch. Parks & Recreation fans, meanwhile, are staging a revolt in the name of Ron Swanson.

In the reality categories, an audible cheer was heard during the announcement of Cat Deeley’s name for Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program, meaning the British darling of So You Think You Can Dance gave Heidi Klum a big ol’ “Auf Wiedersehen” from this year’s Emmy ballot. Fellow nominee Ryan Seacrest will surely interview the winner at some point during the telecast, and Kathy Griffin will gloriously upstage whoever wins Best Reality Program over My Life on the D-List. If D-List does win, however, Griffin will undoubtedly upstage herself.

Kate Winslet’s HBO period drama Mildred Pierce scored the most overall nominations with 21, all but securing its Best Miniseries win with the likes of The Kennedys as its competition.

Finally, late-night fans will watch Conan O’Brien rejoin the ranks of Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert and, um, Saturday Night Live to vie for the Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series honors. Curiously absent David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel and expectedly absent Jay Leno will have to settle for making fun of the Emmy telecast the next night.

What do you think of this year’s Emmy nominations? What honored shows make a regular appearance on your DVR? Which ones make watching paint dry seem more enticing? Sound off in the comments section below!

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 18 at 8/7c on FOX.

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Photographs courtesy of ATAS/NATAS, NBC/Art Streiber/Bill Records, HBO/Helen Sloan and Fox/Adam Rose.

Originally published July 15, 2011.