Sunday, June 21, 2015

The Road to the Emmys 2015: Megan's Dream Emmys Ballot [Contributor: Megan Mann]


I love the Emmys because I love TV. This year I’m really hoping all of my favorites (ahem, Sons of Anarchy) get nominated, but sadly, whatever I seem to really love is always overlooked. It’s okay. I still get excited for whichever comedian they get to host the whole show. So here are my picks for my dream Emmys ballot!



Outstanding Comedy Series:
The Mindy Project
Galavant
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
House of Lies
Shameless

I think that House of Lies is beyond underrated. Maybe it's because it’s on a premium channel or maybe because it's because it doesn’t get a lot of promotion. I don’t know. Either way, it’s one of the funniest and smartest shows about corporate America. Plus, it’s got Kristen Bell. So, really, there's no downside. Shameless simply doesn’t get the award appreciation like it should. It’s so good and every actor in it is fantastic. It’s also set in Chicago, so represent. Galavant took everything about medieval times stories, made fun of them and set them to music. The end. Mindy is basically a genius and had me totally crying in last season's finale and Tina Fey writes Kimmy. It’s perfect.


Outstanding Drama Series:
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mr. Selfridge
Orphan Black
Sons of Anarchy

Everyone loves Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. They’ll continue to be nominated and maybe one of the actors will win, but I don’t think the shows themselves will win Outstanding Drama. House of Cards has me interested in politics in a way I never thought I would be and it’s smart and cunning. Mr. Selfridge is incredible and I wish it were nominated because it just makes me so happy. Orphan Black does not get the attention it deserves. It’s way too good and Tatiana Maslany plays like, a thousand different people. It’s sci-fi done so. well. Sons of Anarchy is my favorite show of all time and needs to finally be nominated now that it’s over. It’s only right.


Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle)
Chris Messina (The Mindy Project)

I have a huge love for Gael Garcia Bernal and I feel like he doesn’t get nominated for any of his brilliance. He should win just for being so amazing at what he does. Chris Messina is so, so funny on The Mindy Project and should get a shiny trophy for making me laugh with his character’s antiquated ideals and his interactions with Mindy.


Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
Kyle Chandler (Bloodline)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel)
Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy)
Jeremy Piven (Mr. Selfridge)

Kyle Chandler didn’t get enough praise for his work at Coach Taylor, so I would like to see him nominated for something as good as Bloodline. Jon Hamm is a standard nominee, but he’s just so amazing as Don Draper that it would be fitting for the final batch of episodes. Freddie Highmore frankly scares the crap out of me and I think that’s great. Piven is as equally and differently brilliant as Harry Selfridge as he was Ari Gold. Charlie Hunnam should be nominated and win because there was no better performance that his Jax Teller last season.


Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:
Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project)
Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

It makes me sad that two women as hilarious as Mindy Kaling and Ellie Kemper most likely will not receive nominations simply because they aren’t on shows that have the mass appeal as other ladies do. But they are truly hysterical on both shows and are so deserving. I absolutely love Amy Poehler and feel, if we let her, she would run the world and do it so well.


Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder)
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy)
Robin Wright (House of Cards)

I mean, do we need to even discuss the brilliance of both Viola Davis and Robin Wright? It’s almost criminal how good those two are, especially on these shows where the women are so strong. Elisabeth Moss has always done a great job as Peggy on Mad Men. Tatiana Maslany deserves every award ever for playing so many characters and playing them all so differently and just knocking it out of the park. Sadly, she often gets overlooked. Katey won the only Golden Globe nomination for Sons of Anarchy and she absolutely killed it this last season and deserves an Emmy nomination.


Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Adam Driver (Girls)
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation)
Adam Pally (The Mindy Project)
Andrew Rannells (Girls)

Tituss Burgess has some of THE best lines on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but sadly, I think both he and the series will be overlooked for more mainstream, network TV shows. Adam Driver is just so great as Adam on Girls and I practically screeched when Andrew Rannells came back to the series as a series regular. (He’s easily my favorite character apart from Shoshana.) Nick Offerman speaks words of truth and is just hysterical on Parks and Recreation and I nearly rioted when Adam Pally was leaving The Mindy Project. Everyone in this category gave such great performances.


Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Dayton Callie (Sons of Anarchy)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil)
Tom Felton (Murder in the First)
Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy)

Dayton Callie and Tommy Flanagan did things to my emotional state that I can scarcely describe throughout the seven season run of Sons of Anarchy, but they were beyond brilliant this last season. Nikolaj has grown on me over the last two seasons of Game of Thrones and duh, Peter Dinklage absolutely slays every scene he’s in as Tyrion. Vincent D’Onofrio was so intimidating on Daredevil and I always think that’s a great skill to have. Tom Felton was just crazy good on Murder in the First.


Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Kristen Bell (House of Lies)
Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory)
Zosia Mamet (Girls)
Kate McKinnon (SNL)
Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project)

Kristen Bell is perfect. We all know that. Mayim's Amy Farrah Fowler is the male equivalent of Sheldon but is, I think, a funnier character. Zosia is just... I mean. I could quote Shoshana every day and feel great about myself. If you don’t love Kate McKinnon, I don’t know what you’re doing with your life because she is one of the funniest and most entertaining women on TV right now. Xosha is so well written as Tamra and her delivery is always on point.


Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)
Amy Brenneman (The Leftovers)
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black)
Drea de Matteo (Sons of Anarchy)

Uzo and Laverne are perfect on Orange is the New Black. There’s nothing else to say but that. Daenerys is my favorite character and just so badass and Emilia is very clearly one with her character. Amy Brenneman can do absolutely no wrong in my eyes. Drea de Matteo was phenomenal on The Sopranos, but I think her character Wendy on Sons of Anarchy surpasses that. She was one of the only driving forces of good and light in a very tumultuous collection of circumstances. She was what the show needed to be redeemable.

So, basically, I am really pulling for Sons of Anarchy, Mr. Selfrdige, Orphan Black and The Mindy Project. Shows that will more likely than not be nominated, but a girl can dream, right? I still have Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Mad Men and a few others to keep me going. May the odds be ever in your favor, favorite shows of mine. And if they’re not, I’ll eat a lot of food to quell all of our sadness. It’s the least I could do.

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