Tag Archives: Emmys

‘Game of Thrones’ & ‘O.J.” lead Emmy nominations, ‘The Americans’ joins the race

News, Television, , , , , ,

Today the latest crop of Emmy nominations were announced, and they include the typical fare you’re used to seeing get recognized this time of year, as well as some welcome surprises and sour snubs.

HBO’s widely popular fantasy drama Game of Thrones earned a whopping 23 nominations, leading the pack by a narrow margin; FX’s The People Vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story (22 nods) and Fargo (18), as well as HBO comedy Veep (17) aren’t trailing far behind.

The following series vie for Best Drama: The Americans (!), Better Call Saul, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards, and Mr. Robot. That’s right–FX Cold War period drama The Americans, after four seasons on the air, is finally being recognized, and in more ways than one. In addition to landing in the Best Drama field, its stars Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell are in the race for Best Lead Actor/Actress. Both are facing some serious competition. Rhys joins Kyle Chandler (Bloodline), Rami Malek (Mr. Robot), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), and Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) in the Best Lead Actor category; Russell makes good company with Claire Danes (Homeland), Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder), Taraji P Henson (Empire), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black, for the second consecutive year!), and Robin Wright (House of Cards).

The following series are in contention for Best Comedy: black-ish, Master of None, Modern Family, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Veep. Best Lead Actors include Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Aziz Ansari (Masters of None), Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth), William H Macy (Shameless), Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley), and Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent). Best Lead Actresses include Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Laurie Metcalfe (Getting On), Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish), Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer), and Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie).

Over in the Limited Series field, American Crime, Fargo, The Night Manager, The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, and Roots were all nominated for a top prize. Yes, many of the OJ actors you loved watching in that series were nominated for their captivating portrayals including Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance, Cuba Gooding Jr, Sterling K. Brown, David Schwimmer, and John Travolta. Equally happy to report that AMC’s The Night Manager high praise also extends to its leads Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie.

The snubs that leave a sour taste in my mouth including the complete shunning of HBO’s The Leftovers, which came off an incredibly artistic and gripping second season featuring master-class acting and direction; the lack of love for A&E’s Bates Motel is appalling as leads Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore gave painstakingly breathtaking performances this year; also nada for Netflix/Marvel’s Jessica Jones and its stars Krysten Ritter and David Tennant, AMC’s Billions and its stars Paul Giamatti and Damien Lewis, and Netflix’s Orange is the New Black which is fresh off another solid season. And then, of course, there’s the yearly tradition of scratching one’s head over the lack of overall recognition for AMC’s The Walking Dead which year after year produces not only ratings gold but also creative powerhouse television. What makes all of these snubs somewhat more palatable is knowing that Louie Anderson squeezed into the race with a wholly deserved nod for his hysterical and nuanced turn as Zach Galifianakis’ mother in FX’s Baskets.

The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards airs live Sunday, September 18 at 7pm (EST) on ABC. Click here for the full list of nominees.

‘Game of Thrones’ & ‘Veep’ win big at record-breaking Emmys

News, Television, , , , ,

Andy Samberg of Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine proved to be a fun host at the 67th Emmy Awards. He opened the star-studded night with a pre-taped opening number very much in the vein of his classic SNL Digital Shorts; I related to the sketch about a rabid TV binge-watcher a little too much. It was absolutely hysterical, and Samberg would go on to stretch that funny and quirky tone throughout the rest of the telecast. Later, another pre-taped segment aired featuring Samberg, his Lonely Island crew, and Parks and Rec‘s Jim O’Heir spoofing the Mad Men series finale. There was even a point where the host shared his HBO NOW login information; friends confirmed that it actually worked! Feel free to try it now–using the login khaleesifan3@emmyhost.com and password password1–though be warned that by now someone has likely changed that information to keep the account locked down for him or herself. All in all, though this year’s Emmys ran in a very traditional format (there weren’t any out-of-left-field surprises, unless you count Tracy Morgan’s comeback appearance at the end), Samberg managed to keep audiences thoroughly entertained as a welcome stage presence.

Moving onto the actual awards, this was a record-setting year at the Emmys for myriad reasons. First let’s start with the night’s big winners. HBO’s Game of Thrones and Veep were crowned Outstanding Drama and Comedy, respectively, taking home the most coveted awards of the evening. Thrones won a total of 12 Emmys this year–that’s the most wins in a single year for a series. The previous record holder was The West Wing which won 9 Emmys in 2000. In addition to Outstanding Drama, Thrones also won for its writing (David Benioff and Dan Weiss, “Mother’s Mercy”), directing (David Nutter, “Mother’s Mercy”), and acting (Peter Dinklage). Veep, meanwhile, broke Modern Family‘s winning streak just as the ABC sitcom was hoping to secure a record-setting sixth consecutive win. The HBO comedy took home trophies recognizing its actors (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale) and writing (Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche, “Election Night”). The premium cable network that airs these shows had the best night: HBO took home a grand total of 14 Emmys (thanks, in part, to Olive Kitteridge dominating the Limited Series categories) and it managed to do something that hasn’t been done in 13 years. The last time the same network had two series that won the Outstanding Drama and Comedy trophies in the same year was back in 2002 when NBC did it with West Wing and Friends.

Elsewhere, the incomparable Viola Davis became the first African American to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for her role as Annalise Keating in ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder. Her historic acceptance speech was the best and most memorable of the night; if you missed it, you must watch it now. In addition to eloquently quoting Harriet Tubman, she went on to say this amazing line. “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.”

Also of note, it was the cast of Mad Men‘s final year to win an Emmy and at long last leading man Jon Hamm got the statue. Though he was nominated for his iconic role as Don Draper seven times before, it took lucky number eight to finally break the mold and come out on top. His awkward crawl to the stage made the wait worth it.

Click here to browse all of the winners (and losers) from this year’s Emmy Awards. Spoiler alert: Amazon’s Transparent did well, too. Continue reading ‘Game of Thrones’ & ‘Veep’ win big at record-breaking Emmys →

2015 Emmy nominations: ‘Game of Thrones’ & ‘American Horror Story’ lead the pack, ‘Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany joins the club

News, Television, , , , , , , ,

This year’s Emmy nominations are out and TATIANA MASLANY IS AMONG THEM! For years I’ve been drowning frustration that genre shows like The Walking Dead, Fringe, and Orphan Black aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. Today still, these shows aren’t up for Best Drama; in an alternate universe, Fringe did win the top prize and its star John Noble is a multi-trophy bearer. And yet, there is reason to celebrate because the leading lady of BBC America’s sci-fi clone frenzy, the one and only Tatiana Maslany of Orphan Black, was finally recognized for her truly incredible performances on the Graeme Manson and John Fawcett-created conspiracy thriller. She only plays like 10 different characters, each with their own set of personalities, quirks, and flaws. It’s something that demands to be seen to be entirely believed, and now the actress that makes it all come to life is centerstage at the Emmys.

Of course, the competition is mighty fierce. Orphan Black‘s Maslany is vying for Lead Actress in a Drama against Claire Danes (Homeland), Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder), Taraji P. Henson (Empire), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), and Robin Wright (House of Cards). Danes starred in a riveting, refreshed season of Homeland. Davis gave a knockout, emotionally punishing performance in Shonda Rhimes’ HTGAWM. Henson wowed audiences as the no-holds-barred Cookie in Empire‘s debut season. Moss has one last shot to win an actor award for Mad Men‘s final season. And Wright continues to impress as the steely Mrs. Underwood in Netflix’s still red-hot series House of Cards. Good luck, Tatiana. Not that you need it. But still.

The seven series nominated for Outstanding Drama include Better Call Saul, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards, Mad Men, and Orange Is the New Black. Yeah, it was a great year for TV. Nominated Lead Actors include Kyle Chandler (Bloodline) Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), and Kevin Spacey (House of Cards).

Over on the funny side, the following series are nominated for Outstanding Comedy: Louie, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Veep. Another tough category. Modern always wins. Parks ended its 7-year run on a (very) high note and deserves a series win. HBO’s Silicon Valley and Veep continue to conjure smart laughs. Transparent is a game-changer and put Amazon on the map with Netflix, and featured a tour-de-force performance by Jeffrey Tambor. And who could forget just how inherently fun and funny Kimmy Schmidt was in its breakout debut? Did somebody say Peeno Noir…

Funny girls up for Lead Actress include Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Amy Poehler! (Parks and Recreation), Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer), and Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie). Lead Actors: Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Louis C.K. (Louie), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Will Forte (Last Man on Earth), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes), William H. Macy (Shameless), and yes, Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent).

Elsewhere, John Ridley’s captivating ABC drama American Crime and Ryan Murphy’s FX fright fest American Horror Story: Freak Show dominated the Limited Series categories.

In total, HBO’s fantasy drama Game of Thrones racked up the most nods with 24, followed by AHS: Freak Show (19), Olive Kitteridge (13), Bessie (12), and the following three earned 11 nods apiece: House of Cards, Mad Men, and Transparent. American Crime and Boardwalk Empire nabbed 10 each, and rounding out the top ten is Veep with 9 nods.

With Tatiana in the race, it’s hard to nitpick this year. But I must, because there are plenty of worthy series and actors that got undeservedly snubbed this go-around. Showtime’s The Affair was completely shut out–not only is the drama worthy of most Outstanding, but its main stars Dominic West and Ruth Wilson give gripping performances that whole-heartedly deserve much love. FX’s The Americans also demands to enter the race, but once again it’s only guest star Margo Martindale who earns a seat at the table. The same can be said for Showtime’s Masters of Sex; guest stars and on-screen husband and wife Allison Janney and Beau Bridges were nominated for the guest roles but the show and its stars Martin Sheen and Lizzy Caplan aren’t mentioned. Zilch for A&E’s Bates Motel. Other snubbed actors? Carrie Coon (The Leftovers), Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and the entire cast of The Walking Dead.

The 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards airs live, Sunday, September 20 at 8pm (ET) on Fox. Click here for the full list of nominees.

2014 Emmys: ‘Breaking Bad’ & ‘Modern Family’ big winners, again

News, Television, , , , ,

For the second year in a row, Breaking Bad and Modern Family won Best Drama and Best Comedy, respectively, at the Emmys. The AMC drama claimed six trophies for its final season. In addition to winning the big one, Bryan Cranston was crowned Best Actor and his co-stars Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn were named Best Supporting Actors. Also, series creator Vince Gilligan won Best Directing for the finale “Felina” and Moira Walley-Beckett won Best Writing for the penultimate episode “Ozymandias.” Modern Family went on to win two more statues: one for Best Supporting Actor (Ty Burrell) and another for Best Directing (Gail Mancuso). Sherlock was also a big winner at Emmys scoring three statues that night for Best Lead Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Supporting Actor (Martin Freeman), and Best Writing (Steven Moffat). Elsewhere, Fargo won Best TV Miniseries and Best Directing and American Horror Story: Coven‘s Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates won Best Lead Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.

For the full list of winners, click here.

Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul & Julia Louis-Dreyfus make funny in ‘Pawn Stars’ parody

Hilarity, Video, ,

The Emmys are coming and the Television Academy sure knows how to spread the word. It’s produced this wildly entertaining and quite funny Pawn Stars parody reuniting Breaking Bad partners-in-crime Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. They star in the 6+ minute clip as Buzz and Randy Jackson of “Barely Legal Pawn” where they encounter celebrity client Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She’s looking to sell her Seinfeld Emmy because she wants to buy a private island, just like Celine Dion. Cranston’s comedic prowess shines here, and after some haggling the clip takes an expected twist in the end that Bad fans will rejoice over. So sit back and watch these Emmy-winning actors do their thing.

The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards hosted by Seth Meyers airs live Monday, Aug. 25 at 8PM (ET) on NBC.

2014 Emmy nominations: ‘Game of Thrones’ & ‘Fargo’ earn the most

News, Television, , , , , , , , , ,

On July 10 this year’s Emmy nominations were announced. HBO’s Game of Thrones leads the pack with 19 total nods, followed closely by FX’s Fargo (18), American Horror Story: Coven (17), and Breaking Bad (16). Snubbed yet again is Orphan Black‘s insanely talented Tatiana Maslany; also NBC’s Hannibal came up empty with zero nods with not even a recognition for its brilliant cinematography. Click here to view the entire rundown of nominees.

The 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards airs live, Monday, August 25 at 8PM ET on NBC hosted by Seth Meyers.

2013 Emmys: ‘Breaking Bad’ & ‘Modern Family’ big winners

News, Television, , , ,

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards were packed with expected and not-so-expected wins. Breaking Bad and Modern Family won Best Drama and Best Comedy–both deserved and mostly expected. Breaking Bad, riding high on its fifth and final season, was also celebrated for one of its supporting actresses in Anna Gun who plays Skyler White. Modern Family has now won the top prize four seasons in a row but none of its actors took home a trophy. Veep‘s Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale (the latter somewhat surprisingly) won Best Lead Actress and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy, respectively. Jim Parsons won Best Actor for his role in The Big Bang Theory and Nurse Jackie‘s Merritt Wever surprised everyone and won Best Supporting Actress. Speaking of surprises, over on the drama side Jeff Daniels of HBO’s The Newsroom won Best Actor and Boardwalk Empire‘s Bobby Cannavale won Best Supporting. Claire Danes went on to win her second consecutive Best Actress statue for Homeland.

For the full list of winners, click here.

Netflix touts 14 Emmy nods in this powerful promo

Television, Video, ,

Now here’s a cool clip that nicely summates Netflix’s rise in power with original programming. As previously reported, the streaming service collected 14 Emmy nominations among three of its shows; namely Hemlock Grove (2 nods), Arrested Development (3), and House of Cards (9). The Kevin Spacey political drama even managed to break into the Outstanding Drama category to be seated among popular cable series like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Homeland.

“Take a step back, look at the bigger picture; we have the opportunity to make history here,” says Spacey as House of Cards‘ Francis Underwood. With so many nominations, Netflix is poised to make a name for itself when the Emmys air September 22. Whether these series win or lose at the awards show, Netflix has already changed the game and that’s what makes this teaser feel so…empowering.

2013 Emmy nominations: ‘AHS: Asylum’ & ‘Game of Thrones’ collect most nods, Netflix enters the fray

News, Television, , , , , , , , , ,

Here we go. It’s Emmy season, everybody! Today the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations were announced to much fanfare, as always. For the second consecutive year, the show that picked up the most nods is American Horror Story: Asylum with 17; following close behind are HBO’s Game Of Thrones (16 nods) and Behind The Candelabra (15), Saturday Night Live (15), Breaking Bad and 30 Rock (13 apiece), Downton Abbey, Mad Men, and Modern Family (12 apiece), Homeland and Phil Spector (11 apiece), and Boardwalk Empire (10). The most intriguing turn of events: streaming service Netflix is a real Emmy contender racking up 14 nods for House of Cards (9, including Outstanding Drama Series), Arrested Development (3, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series), and Hemlock Grove (2).

Duking it out for Best Drama are Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game Of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards, and Mad Men. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Hugh Bonneville, (Downton Abbey), Damian Lewis (Homeland), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), and Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) are up for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Leading ladies include Connie Britton (Nashville), Claire Danes (Homeland), Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Kerry Washington (Scandal), and Robin Wright (House of Cards). In the Supporting Actor categories, Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire), Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Morena Baccarin (Homeland), and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) vie for the golden statue.

Switching over to the comedy categories, the following shows were nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series: 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, Girls, Louie, Modern Family, and Veep. Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Louis CK (Louie), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes), and Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) are up for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Leading ladies include Laura Dern (Enlightened), Lena Dunham (Girls), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation). Supporting funny people include Adam Driver (Girls), Jesse Tyler Ferguson/Ed O’Neill/Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Tony Hale (Veep), Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Jane Lynch (Glee), Julie Bowen/Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), and Anna Chlumsky (Veep).

And of course, there’s no going on without discussing those who were snubbed. Some that come instantly to mind: Parks & Rec, Happy Endings, and New Girl for Best Comedy (or at least recognition for their ensemble casts)…Hannibal is certainly worthy of Best Drama though being a poorly rated NBC drama it likely will never reach that peak, but perhaps stars Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen will soon receive some well deserved recognition…besides recognizing Margo Martindale for portraying Claudia aka Granny and its theme music, The Americans was pretty much left in the dark; though in its first season, the series is certainly Best Drama material and its stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are worthy of Best Actor nods…and even though it’s never expected it still stings that genre shows like The Walking Dead and Fringe are passed over come Emmy season; in fact, this marks the last opportunity to give John Noble an Emmy nod for playing the incomparable and incredibly impressionable Walter Bishop on Fringe–he’s always been a winner in my book.

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards airs live Sunday, September 22 at 8PM EST with host Neil Patrick Harris. Cop a list of all the nominees at the official Emmys website, and if I left off any of your personal snubs lemme hear it in the comment section below.

Neil Patrick Harris to host the 65th Emmy Awards

News, Television, , , , ,

Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Dr. Horrible) returns to host the Emmys for the second time when the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards airs Sunday, September 22 on CBS. The last time he hosted the awards show celebrating television was back in ’09. He’ll be hot off hosting this year’s 67th Tony Awards on June 9, his fourth turn at leading the awards show acknowledging the best on Broadway.

“I couldn’t be more honored and excited to be hosting this year’s Emmy Awards,” said NPH in a press release. “And what perfect timing – I’ll just do the exact same script I’m about to use for the Tonys. ‘And the Emmy for Best Revival of a Musical goes to Breaking Bad!’ See, told you it works.”

Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment, also released a statement. “Neil is the quintessential host – engaging, entertaining and a true showman – with a passion for celebrating the medium we all love. We’re thrilled for him to return for CBS’s broadcast of the Emmy Awards.”

In case you’re counting, NPH is a three-time Emmy winner; he previously took home the statue for guesting on Glee and for hosting the 2009  and 2011 Tonys. Here’s to hoping Dr. Horrible and Nathan Fillion’s Captain Hammer take over again!

2012 Emmys results: ‘Modern Family’ & ‘Homeland’ big winners

Hilarity, News, Television, Video, , , , , ,

On Sunday night, Modern Family and Homeland scored big wins at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards. The ABC comedy was awarded a total of four Emmys: Eric Stonestreet for Outstanding Supporting Actor; Julie Bowen for Outstanding Supporting Actress; Steven Levitan for Outstanding Director; and the show was named Outstanding Comedy. Elsewhere in comedy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) managed to beat Amy Poehler for Outstanding Actress; Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) rock his category to surpass Jim Parsons, Louis C.K., Larry David, and Alec Baldwin to win Outstanding Actor. Speaking of Louie, the comedian took home two Emmys–one for Outstanding Writing for the Louie episode “Pregnant” and another writing achievement for his standup special Live at the Beacon Theatre.

The Showtime political drama Homeland was awarded five Emmys: Claire Danes for Outstanding Actress; Damian Lewis for Outstanding Actor; Outstanding Writing for the “Pilot” epiosde by Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, and Gideon Raff; at the Creative Emmys the show picked up Best Casting; and lastly it broke Mad Men‘s impressive streak and won Outstanding Drama. Elsewhere in drama, Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) was crowned Outstanding Supporting Actress; Aaron Paul triumphed over his Breaking Bad co-star Giancarlo Esposito to win Outstanding Supporting Actor; and Tim Van Patten nabbed Outstanding Director for his work on Boardwalk Empire.

Other notable wins… the HBO movie Game Change swept the Miniseries/Movie category with five wins including Outstanding Actress (Julianne Moore), Outstanding Writing (Danny Strong), Outstanding Directing (Jay Roach), Best Casting, and it took home Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. The highly rated History channel miniseries Hatfields and McCoys won two Emmys and Jessica Lange nabbed Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role in FX’s American Horror Story. And like clockwork Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart won Outstanding Variety Series for the tenth year in a row.

Jump after the break to see all the night’s winners. Continue reading 2012 Emmys results: ‘Modern Family’ & ‘Homeland’ big winners →

Parker Posey teaches you how to give the perfect Emmy speech

Hilarity, Video, ,

Indie film star Parker Posey, recently off a guest star stint on FX’s Louie, teaches a class how to give the perfect Emmy speech. “The most important part of any actor’s career is the Emmy Awards acceptance speech,” says Posey posing as as legendary acting coach JA,N. Watch the very funny clip and you’ll get it. Posey is brilliant. Enjoy.

And just in case you were wondering, the Emmys air live this Sunday, September 23 at 7PM ET on ABC hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.