2012 Primetime Emmy Awards Review – Repeat Performance

Shows, Top Story

I know. I totally dropped the ball on the Emmy Awards this season. I usually like to do my own predictions, and hold a contest. Unfortunately, none of that happened. But for good reasons! I just started a new job this week, working for a small local non-profit (so totally my jam). And there was a big event on the weekend, so I was even busier than usual for a first work week. The blog had to be sacrificed a little.

The Show

But I did watch! I did, and I tweeted. And then I went to bed and promised to catch the rest on DVR this morning, which is what I’m doing right now! I found the show really boring, for a few reasons.

First of all, yeah, the actual awards? So predictable – very similar to last year’s. And Jimmy Kimmel, he’s reeeeally not my cup of tea. The funniest parts of the show were courtesy of other people. A handful of presenters made me laugh (thanks Mindy Kaling/Melissa McCarthy and Tina Fey/Jon Hamm) and the best parts of the night were when nominees had teamed up – the gag about Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Amy Poehler switching speeches made me laugh (and made me sad/mad that Amy herself hadn’t won), and Jimmy Fallon tackling Jon Stewart as he walked up to the stage was great.

The biggest stinker of the show was Kimmel’s “prank” to try and make people on Twitter tune into the show. He asked that everyone tweet “OMG! Tracy Morgan just passed out on stage! Turn on ABC now!” – then, when they did, Morgan was laying on the stage as people went about their business. Yeah, hilarious. My tweet wasn’t quite as Kimmel had requested:

Suddenly, Klout is going to think I am oddly influential about Jimmy Kimmel. Or bombs. Only time will tell.

OK, on to the awards themselves. Here are the nominees and winners, along with my own commentary of course.

DRAMA

Homeland

Drama Series: Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Homeland, Game of Thrones
Winner: Homeland
This one wasn’t a surprise to anyone as the night wore on, because Homeland was cleaning up. I think a lot of people previous to Emmy night would have been predicting Breaking Bad or Mad Men, but Homeland was always a contender. Everyone tells me it’s an excellent show, so I’ll certainly try to check it out soon.

Lead Actor Drama: Steve Buscemi in Boardwalk Empire, Michael C. Hall in Dexter, Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad, Hugh Bonneville in Downton Abbey, John Hamm in Mad Men, Damian Lewis in Homeland
Winner: Damian Lewis in Homeland
Again, I don’t watch Homeland and do watch the other shows, so it’s tough for me to have an opinion here. The faces on the other nominees were something else. I have to say though, I think it’s a crime that no one from Mad Men has ever won for acting when it’s such a well-acted show.

Lead Actress Drama: Julianna Marguiles in The Good Wife, Michelle Dockery in Downton Abbey, Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men, Kathy Bates in Harry’s Law, Claire Danes in Homeland, Glenn Close in Damages
Winner: Claire Danes in Homeland
Ditto. I’m sure they’re both very good, but since I haven’t watched yet it’s hard for me to say how I feel.

Supporting Actor Drama: Aaron Paul in Breaking Bad, Giancarlo Esposito in Breaking Bad, Brendan Coyle in Downton Abbey, Jim Carter in Downton Abbey, Jared Harris in Mad Men, Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones
Winner: Aaron Paul in Breaking Bad
I had a bittersweet feeling about this, because I LOVE Aaron Paul and what he does on that show. Just love him, and I’m glad he won. But I was still fuming about the John Slattery nomination snub.

Homeland also took home a win for drama writing, while Boardwalk Empire scooped up directing.

COMEDY

Comedy Series: Curb your Enthusiasm, Girls, 30 Rock, Veep, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory
Winner: Modern Family
This is the category that gave me the most pre-Emmys rage, and thusly contributed to my lack of interest in this year’s awards. No Parks and Recreation nomination is just a crime, and I am SO TIRED of seeing Modern Family dominate year after year. It is a perfectly fine show, but not the consistently best work in TV comedy. Yet it wins, year after year. Sigh.

Lead Actor Comedy: Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, John Cryer in Two and a Half Men, Louis C.K. in Louie, Jim Parsons in The Big Bang Theory, Don Cheadle in House of Lies, Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock
Winner: John Cryer in Two and a Half Men
Why? Why do they keep handing awards to Ducky for the worst show on TV? Argh. One of the major problems with this category is that my favorite comedies are ensembles, and everyone likes to enter in the supporting category for that, even when you might consider them leads.

Lead Actress Comedy: Zooey Deschanel in New Girl, Lena Dunham in Girls, Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie, Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation, Tina Fey in 30 Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Veep, Melissa McCarthy in Mike and Molly
Winner: Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Veep
Sigh. It’s not that I don’t like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, but I just don’t think the first season of Veep achieved anything close to what I’ve seen on Parks and Recreation. I love the character of Leslie Knope and I want to see Amy win this. So I’m mad.

Supporting Actor Comedy: Ed O’Neill on Modern Family, Jesse Tyler Ferguson on Modern Family, Ty Burrell on Modern Family, Eric Stonestreet on Modern Family, Bill Hader on Saturday Night Live, Max Greenfield on New Girl
Winner: Eric Stonestreet on Modern Family
This category is dominated, nominations-wise, by Modern Family every year now. Last year, Ty Burrell won. The year before that it was Eric Stonestreet. So they’re not even spreading the love among that one show. If I had to choose among the Modern Family family, I would have chosen Jesse Tyler Ferguson. But this category just frustrates me.

Supporting Actress Comedy: Mayim Bialik on The Big Bang Theory, Merritt Weaver on Nurse Jackie, Julie Bowen in Modern Family, Kristen Wiig in Saturday Night Live, Sofia Vergara in Modern Family, Kathryn Joosten on Desperate Housewives
Winner: Julie Bowen on Modern Family
Yes, again.

Modern Family also won in directing, but Louis C.K. snuck in and won for writing.

VARIETY

Variety Series: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Real Time With Bill Maher, Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Winner: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
I was rooting for Jimmy Fallon, but I appreciated Stewart’s speech.

The Tony Awards won for Variety Special Directing and the guy accepted from the control booth, and Louis C.K. won for Variety Special Writing.

MOVIE/MINISERIES

Movie or Miniseries: Game Change, American Horror Story, Hemingway & Gelhorn, Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia, Luther, Hatfields & McCoys
Winner: Game Change
I love Sherlock and was rooting for that, followed by Luther, followed by Game Change. So yeah. I’m mildly unimpressed.

The acting awards here were dominated by Hatfields & McCoys and Game Change, plus Jessica Lange for American Horror Story.

REALITY

Tom Bergeron won for host – I’ve never liked him, but Jeff Probst wasn’t even nominated this year and I wasn’t rooting for anyone in particular. The Amazing Race won for Reality Competition. Once upon a time, I believed the show deserved all the awards it was getting, but it’s gotten very predictable over the past few seasons.

Alright guys, you know what I think so head to the comments and hit me with your thoughts on the Emmys.


You can follow Jill at her blog, couchtimewithjill.com, or on Twitter @jillemader Jill has been an avid fan of TV since the age of two, when she was so obsessed with Zoobilee Zoo that her mother lied and told her it had been canceled. Despite that setback, she grew up to be a television aficionado and pop culture addict.