2010 Emmys: Drama

    Yesterday, the Emmy nominations for this year were released.  This is television's biggest awards show, and as a television reviewer, I couldn't help but be excited.  Sure, there were some snubs, but there were also some pleasant surprises.  With 51 days left until the statues are handed out on August 29th, there is plenty of time to examine who's up for what.  In this first in a series of articles, I'll look at the the big categories for Dramas.

Outstanding Drama Series: Breaking Bad (AMC), Dexter (Showtime), The Good Wife (CBS), Lost (ABC), Mad Men (AMC), True Blood (HBO).  Mad Men is favored to win for the third year in a row, so this category probably won't be much of a surprise.  However, The Good Wife got a lot of nominations, and seems to be quite the darling this year, so it could stage an upset.  It's a shame that Lost probably doesn't have a chance because it's a brilliant show that has garnered few major awards over it's six year run, despite the fact that it deserves them.  The other shows on this list are great shows, but considering they weren't able to break past Mad Men the last two years, and there weren't any gigantic, ground shaking changes, any more so than on MM, they aren't likely to do it this year either.  Too bad Friday Night Lights got the snub here.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC), Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime), Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights (NBC / DirecTV), Hugh Laurie, House (Fox), Matthew Fox, Lost (ABC), Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC).  This list pairs pretty closely with the one above.  I am most pleased with the long overdue inclusion of Chandler, but as he hasn't even garnered a nomination for the role before, I don't think it likely.  Cranston has already taken the award the past two years.  In my opinion, Laurie most deserves it.  He took Dr. House to new levels, yet again, this past season, and it's time he was recognized for it.  Hall not so long ago valiantly fought (and beat into remission) cancer while filming his show, and had some really exciting twists this past year on screen, so I could see him taking it.  Of all of the talented actors involved in Lost, Fox is not at the top of my list at all.  It's a shame he earned a nod while so many of his more deserving cast mates did not.  That being said, I'll take anything the Emmys will give Lost, as it's been so woefully underrepresented.  This is one category, though, that any of the nominees would be deserving choices.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT), Glenn Close, Damages (FX), Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights (NBC / DirecTV), Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (CBS), Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC), January Jones, Mad Men (AMC).  Half of this list is new this year!  That sure makes things exciting.  And there's some variety of shows and networks that weren't in the above two categories.  I hope this doesn't mean Emmy voters think women can't carry a Best Drama show.  I would disagree vehemently with that.  Close is the previous winner, but I don't know that she should win again.  Sure, she was fantastic, but with so many deserving actresses out there, I hate to see the same people win over and over, and other loose out.  But Damages has likely been prematurely canceled, so she may win it out of a sense of completion.  Britton, a first time nominee, would be my first choice, though I don't think her likely for the win.  Jones can star pensively with the best of them, but I don't think that is enough to earn her a statue.  Marguiles may be the favorite, with her new show getting so much attention, although Hargitay is long overdue, and has been nominated before without the win, so it could be time to make it up to her.  If Sedgwick wins, I'm not sure I can respect the Emmy voters' opinions anymore.

     The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will air live Sunday, August 29th at 8pm on NBC.