And the Award Goes To...(TV version)

TV is probably the most creative art form we have right now.

Go ahead, chew that over, you know I'm right. If William Shakespeare, Jackson Pollack or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were around today they would drop their respective quill/brush/baby grand piano and head out to a studio lot to start producing the real art. The time has now come where you don't need to even leave the house or quality entertainment or stimulating intellectual media. I for one, couldn't be happier and to show solidarity with the finest art form we have going right now, I am going to publish a Preview for the Primetime Emmy Awards, airing this Sunday. Pretty straight-forward: just a list of nominees in important categories, my picks and my commentary. Sit back, pop a TV dinner in the microwave and enjoy!

Outstanding Comedy Series

30 Rock

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Entourage

The Office

Two and a Half Men

The Pick: The Emmys have already told us that 30 Rock has this award in a stranglehold. Those 17 nominations seem to sending a pretty strong message. I would be very happy with either 30  Rock or Entourage, The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm would be okay and I will light myself on fire if Two and a Half Men wins

Outstanding Drama Series

Boston Legal

Damages

Dexter

House

Lost

Mad Men

The Pick: Boo to the Academy for listing Boston Legal and House under the Drama category! Anyone who has seen either of those shows can clearly tell you that they are NOT, in fact, dramas. Emmy will be attracted to the new shiny object of the bunch in Mad Men and having never seen the show, I can offer no commentary only to say that what I have seen does look excellent. But regardless, I am hard pressed to believe that any show could ever be better than Lost. It took a hell of a season for the Emmys to even nominate this once-in-a-lifetime show again (God knows why) and it deserves to win, just as it has every season of its existence. Oh and another side note: Dexter rocks.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin- 30 Rock

Tony Shaloub-Monk 

Lee Pace- Pushing Daisies 

Steve Carrell- The Office

Charlie Sheen- Two and a Half Men

The Pick- Please don't let Tony Shaloub win AGAIN. He is pretty funny and all but is it really necessary to give him the award every year. Oh well, at least he isn't Charlie Sheen. I am ambivalent toward Steve Carrell and Lee Pace, but one man I am not ambivalent toward is Alec Baldwin. Alec Baldwin has now taken the torch away from Will Arnett from Arrested Development as FUNNIEST MAN ON TELEVISION. Anyone who doesn't laugh til they pee watching the scene in 30 Rock where Jack Donaghy helps Tracey Jordan reconcile his daddy issues in therapy is someone I don't care to meet. So of course, Tony Shaloub will inevitably win his 598,272,092nd Emmy this year.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

James Spader- Boston Legal

Bryan Cranston- Breaking Bad

Michael C. Hall- Dexter

Hugh Laurie- House

Gabriel Byrne- In Treatment

Jon Hamm- Dom Draper

The Pick: The Academy will pick Hugh Laurie and it is hard to argue with their logic. He is the only thing that makes an entire show not only watchable, but pretty excellent. It is no small feat, especially for a man acting in a foreign accent for five years. Plus, he gives great acceptance speeches. I myself, will be campaigning hard for Michael C. Hall. He literally gives me goosebumps as forensics expert by day-serial killer by night, Dexter Morgan. Bryan Cranston was robbed in his Malcolm in the Middle years and is now even better on Breaking Bad. Jon Hamm is an interesting dark horse, Gabriel Byrne has no chance and I pray to God that the Emmys give James Spader the shaft but he can never be counted out

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Tina Fey- 30 Rock

Christina Applegate- Samantha Who?

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss- The New Adventures of Old Christine

America Fererra- Ugly Betty

Mary Louise Parker- Weeds

The Pick: What a difference a year makes. A category that was once the weakest is now, without a doubt, the strongest. I do not think there is a person who I can safely count out on this list. My gut tells me Louis-Dreyfuss won't win, simply because she did last year and the Emmys want to stay fresh. I think they go with Fey and I will certainly raise no objection. It is hard work playing the straight-person to an entire cast of loons and she does it as well as anyone. America Fererra would be a good dark horse candidate.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Sally Field- Brothers and Sisters

Glenn Close- Damages

Mariska Hartigay- Law and Order SVU

Holly Hunter- Saving Grace

Kyra Sedgwick- The Closer

The Pick: Booooooring. This list is just a who's who of women that the Emmys are fond of. Sally Field will win because I believe every Emmy voter secretly loves Brothers and Sisters and she is the only one on the list not playing the prototypical "tough chick". Not an awful choice but I think I would prefer Hartigay seeing as her show is the only one I ever really watch. Sedgwick has a shot as well.

Now here are my picks for (most of) the rest:

Outstanding Direction of a Comedy Series: The Office- Good Buy Toby

Should be: Entourage- No Cannes Do

Outstanding Direction of a Drama Series: Mad Men- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Should be: Mad Men- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Outstanding Reality or Competition Program: The Amazing Race

Should be: Project Runway

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Neil Patrick Harris- How I Met Your Mother

Should be: Kevin Dillon- Entourage

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Kristin Chenowith- Pushing Daisies

Should be: Kristin Chenowith- Pushing Daisies

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: John Slattery- Mad Men

Should be: Michael Emerson- Lost

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Sandrah Oh- Grey's Anatomy

Should be: Chandra Wilson- Grey's Anatomy

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series: Saturday Night Live

Should Be: The Colbert Report

Well, there you have it, be sure to come back Monday morning when I am contrite about how wrong I was.