Primetime Emmy Nominations: Who Will Win

The September 18 Emmys are still a long time away, but the nominations were announced last night. Here’s our expert analysis on who will win, who should win, and who got snubbed.

BEST DRAMA SERIES

Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

Who Will Win: Mad Men. This is there year to break through the Breaking Bad wall. Boardwalk has a strong chance as well, but I think the boys at SCDP are going to be happy come Emmy night.

Who Should Win: Friday Night Lights. The final season of FNL was not its best (season 1 or 4), but was still very good, and getting a symbolic win in its last season would be great to see. Don’t hold your breath though.

Who Was Snubbed: Justified. Seriously, how was this show forgotten?

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
30 Rock
Parks and Recreation

Who Will Win: Too Close to Call. This is a really tight category, where any of these shows could take the statue, but…

Who Should Win: Parks and Recreation. Hands down the funniest show with the best cast. The show went nuts this year, with no weak episodes, and if it doesn’t win, I’ll go on a hunger strike (or probably just be mad for a few days).

Who Was Snubbed: Community. The show had a few brilliant episodes this season, including a few that were light on the wacky humor that helped build the shows fanbase, but heavy on tremendously done storytelling. A shame it didn’t get a nod.

BEST DRAMA ACTOR

Timothy Olyphant, Justified
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Who Will Win: Jon Hamm. It’s his year to hold the statue before Cranston comes back. And honestly, if you saw the episode “The Suitcase,” you’ll have no problem agreeing with me.

Who Should Win: Kyle Chandler. Like FNL in the Drama Series category, this would be symbolic, though Chandler was pitch perfect in his final season as Coach Taylor, and deserves it outright.

Who Was Snubbed: This category is surprisingly tight. Not much you can argue here.

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Mariska Hargitay, SVU
Mirelle Enos, The Killing
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Who Will Win: Elisabeth Moss. If you saw Hamm in “The Suitcase,” you know Moss deserves an Emmy for her work too. She’s past due, and this will be her year.

Who Should Win: Connie Britton. If I had a vote, I’d vote for Moss, but Britton spent five years doing phenomenal work as Tammy Taylor, and it’s sad to see her come away from it all empty handed.

Who Was Snubbed: January Jones, Mad Men. I’m not the biggest January Jones fan, and Betty didn’t have much to do this season, but when she was on screen, the whole mood of the scene changed. Betty was fascinating to watch this year, thanks in large part to Jones.

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

Who Will Win: Amy Poehler. Tina Fey might surprise, but I think this is Poehler’s year. She was very good all season, and I think that will be hard to ignore.

Who Should Win: Amy Poehler. Seriously. She was great.

Who Was Snubbed: Alison Brie, Community. Annie is one of the sweeter, more fun characters on TV right now. Just watch her try and be someone else in the bar night episode, you’ll see what I mean.

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Steve Carell, The Office
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Louie C.K., Louie

Who Will Win: Steve Carell. He hasn’t won an Emmy yet for playing his most iconic roll, and this is the last chance. Voters won’t forget that.

Who Should Win: Louie C.K. It seems like an odd nomination, but it’s sort of Louie‘s consolation prize.

Who Was Snubbed: Joel McHale, Community. The longer he’s on Community, the better he’s getting.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Who Will Win: Ty Burrell. It’s gotta be someone from Modern Family, and it might as well be the most consistently funny.

Who Should Win: If not Burrell, Eric Stonestreet. After Phil, Cam is among the funniest characters on TV.

Who Was Snubbed: A long list here, including Danny Pudi, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Rainn Wilson, all of whom did fantastic work this season on shows that were not Modern Family.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Walton Goggins, Justified
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age

Who Will Win: John Slattery. Like I said, it’s Mad Men’s year to break through the Breaking Bad wall.

Who Should Win: Walter Goggins or Peter Dinklage. Both were fantastic, but will certainly be forgotten come voting time.

Who Was Snubbed: Not to bring in more Mad Men, but the more the show has gone on the more I like Vincent Kartheiser as Pete, who has yet to get a nomination.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

Who Will Win: Kristen Wiig. This will be her anointment into stardom, much the same way Tina Fey (and hopefully Amy Pohler) got her first Emmy en route to a successful movie career. She deserves it too.

Who Should Win: Julie Bowen. Claire isn’t a likable character without her.

Who Was Snubbed: Rashida Jones, Parks and Recreation. Poor, beautiful Anne.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale, Justified
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Who Will Win: Christina Hendricks. This is a really tight category full of deserving actresses, but she’ll have the Mad Men luck behind her.

Who Should Win: Margo Martindale. If you’ve watched Justified, you know why.

Who Was Snubbed: No one here. Fantastic group of actresses.

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Kennedys
Mildred Pierce
The Pillars of the Earth
Too Big to Fail

BEST VARIETY SERIES
The Colbert Report
Conan
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM
Antiques Roadshow
Undercover Boss

OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION
The Amazing Race
American Idol
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef

Justified – “The Moonshine Wars”

Deadwood excluded, the western is kind of a dead genre on TV. On the one hand, this isn’t really that surprising – the western has all but disappeared from the media landscape – but at the same time its weird because westerns were such a crucial part of television when it was first getting started. But at least there is Justified to carry the torch. Like Deadwood, Justified stars Timothy Olyphant in a role that he is perhaps even better suited to. His Raylan Givens was one of the best inventions of 2010, a mix of charm and barely suppressed rage with a cowboy hat to boot.

“The Moonshine Wars” (whose title comes from an Elmore Leonard book, just like Givens himself) got off to a bit of a wonky start but recovered down the stretch. If nothing else, it was the same, reliably entertaining show that we came to love last year.

The episode picks up right where last season’s finale left off, with Raylan, Boyd, and Ava in a shootout with some people from the Miami cartel. Boyd and Raylan both go after the only survivor and, although Boyd seems to catch her first, Raylan ends up getting her, sending Boyd to the hospital, and flying down to Miami to face off with the cartel head. After a Raylan-esque ultimatum, his old boss comes in and gets the cartel head to agree to back off Raylan. The guy also offers Raylan his old job back, apparently because Art wanted someone to take Raylan and his body count off his hands. This part was a little tedious and, while I understand they still had to resolve last season’s unfinished business it was a little dull to sit through. But eventually we got back to Kentucky and it was time for the second season proper to start.

This week’s case sent Raylan to Harlan County with Rachel (who barely did anything in the first season despite supposedly being one of the main characters) to hunt down a sex offender named Jimmy Earl Dean (never trust a man with three first names). After a typically Justified scene where Dean threatened a young girl before getting a face full of barbed wire, Raylan and Rachel roll up to the girl’s father’s house. He called the tip in, thinking it would be anonymous, but didn’t want to be seen talking to law enforcement. So Raylan and Rachel snoop around a bit and find out that Dean was working for the Bennetts, a violent family of pot dealers who also happen to be this year’s antagonists. Mags (Margo Martindale) is the matriarch of the family, whose sons include Dickie (Lost’s Jeremy Davies). Eventually Dean kidnaps the girl and tries to escape with her, but Raylan tracks him down and has a particularly strong showdown with him at a gas station before taking him in. But, meanwhile, Mags and Dickie poison the girl’s father for calling the police.

There were three things I loved about “The Moonshine Wars.” First was the way the episode recalled Winter’s Bone with its depiction of a strong-willed girl and the insular, distrustful community that she lives in. The Harlan County of “The Moonshine Wars” felt far more fleshed out than it did in the first season, and I really got a strong sense of what it was like living there. Second, the writing in this episode was top notch. The slow build of the scene where Dean first attacks girl or the low-key writing of the final scene made for a tense and exciting hour of television, even when Raylan wasn’t on-screen. Finally, I thought Martindale and Davies were absolutely fantastic additions to the cast. Martindale, known for playing matriarchal older women like her character on Dexter, made for a really great villain by not straying too far from that comfort zone. What makes Mags such a frightening and compelling bad guy so far is that, even when she poisoned the guy, her demeanor didn’t change to an overtly evil one. She’s still the same person following her own code (not unlike Raylan). As Dickie, Jeremy Davies has toned down his nervous, ticy style while remaining the same unpredictable presence on-screen. He brought a great energy to the show and his scene with Raylan seemed to hint at a lot of history between the two.

But most of all, I’m just glad to have Raylan Givens back. His calm, confident demeanor, whether he’s staring down a drug kingpin or spraying a pedophile with gasoline, and the way he’s able to talk and talk and put criminals at ease is totally unique among TV crime-solvers. If “The Moonshine Wars” is any indication, we should be in for another strong season.

Jonah’s Score: 76
TUiW Grade: B+

Other notes:

-What do we make of Boyd, who we saw at the end working in a coal mine?

-Another touch I enjoyed was Margo’s “apple pie” and the stories about her family’s history making moonshine.

-Did anyone else notice that Raylan was drinking Ale-8, a Kentucky soft drink that is a favorite in my household?

TUiW Best of 2010: The 15 Best TV Episodes of 2010

Presented in no particular order, our 15 favorite episodes of TV from 2010.

Mad Men – The Suitcase
If there was one episode of television that may have won its stars an Emmy, it was “The Suitcase,” a beautifully performed, perfectly written hour of television. Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss were extraordinary, their chemistry never better, as Peggy and Don spend a night battling and bonding in the SCDP offices. Mad Men has had several top notch episodes, but few can rival “The Suitcase.” (M)

Community – Modern Warfare
Community had several solid episodes leading up to “Modern Warfare,” but it was there that the show reached the creative peak of its first season. “Modern Warfare” is part parody, but there is also a lot of reverence to the source material thrown in. There are so many hilarious little details and references throughout the episode, which gets better and better with each viewing. (M)
Read Michael’s original review here.

Lone Star – Pilot
The big comment most critics had regarding the pilot for Lone Star was that it was a great idea for a movie, but maybe not a TV show. Given the show’s swift demise, we’ll never know, but the first episode was about as entertaining as any TV show or film you’ll find. Great performances from Jon Voight and newcomer James Wolk drove a compelling, self contained episode that unfortunately will have to stand on its own as a great piece of TV. (M)
Read Michael’s original review here.

Boardwalk Empire – Boardwalk Empire
When you hire Martin Scorsese to direct the first episode of your TV series, this is what you get. The extra-long series premiere of Boardwalk Empire was jam-packed with gangland violence, political intrigue, and fascinating historical tidbits, all administered at such a quick pace that viewers understandably got whiplash once the show settled into a slightly more sedate weekly pace. From the apocalyptic ringing-in of Prohibition to the staccato, rim-shot scored stick-up sequence, “Boardwalk Empire” was a tense, exciting glimpse into a world that I couldn’t wait to spend more time inside. (J)
Read Jonah’s original review here.

The Walking Dead – Days Gone By
One of the most anticipated new shows of the fall, The Walking Dead delivered a chilling, highly entertaining first episode that instantly won it a legion of fans. Functioning just as well as a standalone story as it did a pilot, “Days Gone By” is about as cinematic as you can get on television. If nothing else, “Days Gone By” did a fantastic job of quickly luring in a loyal fanbase that made the show one of basic cable’s biggest. (M)

Party Down – Party Down Company Picnic
“Party Down Company Picnic” takes the show’s cast out of their bowties only to find that there is no escape from the tedious cycle of boredom that is their lives. Henry breaks up with Uda and steps down as Team Leader, Ron’s attempts at climbing the ladder put him right back where he started – occupying the now vacant Team Leader job – and Party Down gets their asses kicked by Valhalla. In an inspired second (and tragically, final) season, few episodes wrung as much laughter out of as much pain as this one did. (J)
Read Michael’s original review here.

30 Rock – Brooklyn Without Limits
People (like myself) who were ready to give up on 30 Rock after a substandard season were jumping the gun, as the show has come roaring back in 2010. Nowhere was the resurgence clearer than “Brooklyn Without Limits,” a piece of vintage 30 Rock mayhem, complete with a guest star (John Slattery) who feels put to use well without dominating the episode. Add to that Lemon’s new jeans and Jenna’s insecurities and “Brooklyn Without Limits” was another worthwhile addition to the series. (J)

Better Off Ted – Lust in Translation
We decided that there weren’t really enough Better Off Ted episodes in 2010 for us to put it on the series list, so this will have to stand as our tribute to one of our favorite fallen shows. “Lust in Translation” featured a premise that was classic Better Off Ted, complete with an angry-voiced multi-translator, a talking frying pan, and a panoply of Three Stooges references. From Phil and Lem’s realization that they are evil scientists to the triumph and heartbreak of Lindabagel, “Lust in Translation” is a reminded of how sharp and funny Better Off Ted could be and how sad it is that its gone. (J)
Read Jonah’s original review here.

Lost – Happily Ever After
The joy of Lost is the joy of discovery and adventure, the feeling that the boundries of the show’s world are limitless and ever-expanding. Every time a new piece of mythology was introduced or a new question asked, viewers’ minds started racing, imagining all the possibilities that existed. It is not shocking that the best episodes of the show, then, are the ones that asked questions, not the ones that answered them. So “Happily Ever After” gets our vote over the still-terrific-no-matter-what-anybody-says finale because it was vintage Lost: Desmond and the audience stranded in a strange world whose very existence was a mystery to us. And by grounding that mystery in the show’s sweetest love story, Lost made “Happily Ever After” as moving as it was intriguing. (J)
Read Jonah’s original review here.

Parks and Recreation – Telethon
“Telethon” worked in everything from a harrowing look into Jerry’s sex life (shudder) to ex Indiana Pacer small forward Detlef Schrempf while maintaining its focus on classic P&R elements like Leslie’s boundless enthusiasm and Ann and Mark’s relationship. The series of callbacks (Pawnee Today, Sweetums, Mouse Rat) and the endless parade of one-liners (“there are two kinds of diabetes but only one kind of caring: type one caring”) make “Telethon” feel like a summation of everything that made season two so special. (J)
Read Michael’s original review here.

The Office – Niagra
Jim and Pam have always been at the emotional center of The Office, so it’s not a huge surprise that their wedding would be the best episode in a season of the show that was less than stellar. It was a sweet, funny episode that was reminiscent of the show’s peak, and helped remind us why we fell in love with The Office in the first place. (M)

Breaking Bad – One Minute
Breaking Bad does tension like no other show currently on TV. So when the twin assassins who seemed to be the season’s main concern turned their attention to DEA agent Hank, all while Hank’s life is collapsing around him. From his violent confrontation with Jesse to his heartbreaking confession to his wife, Hank finds himself coming to the sad realization that he can no longer be a cop anymore, which only makes it that much more tense that two reapers are coming for him. Then a mysterious phone call and a Breaking Bad-style chain of causation turn the tables on the cousins. The fact that, while all this is going on, the show still manages to find time to take Jesse and Walt’s relationship to a new place and work in some vintage Saul Goodman smarm is icing on the cake of what may be the most tense episode of television ever. (J)

How I Met Your Mother – Rabbit or Duck
With a plethora of call backs and references and classic HIMYM troupes throughout, “Rabbit or Duck” was a classic episode of the show that helped salvage a lackluster season. The main story of Robin falling in love with co-worker Don bringing the emotional thread and the b-story of Barney and his always ringing cell phone bringing the laughs, “Rabbit or Duck” is a complete episode, one that can be enjoyed from all angles. (M)
Read Michael’s original review here.

Modern Family – Truth Be Told
Modern Family deserved all the praise it got for its first season, as highlighted by “Truth Be Told,” an episode in which all of the show’s strengths are put on display. There aren’t many weak links, and the physical comedy of Phil evading his ex-girlfriend while Claire remains oblivious was one of the funniest bits the show did. Coming in the second half of the season, “Truth Be Told” solidified Modern Family as the best new comedy of they year. (M)
Read Michael’s original review here.

Justified – Pilot
More pilots should be like Justified’s zippy and thrilling introduction. Of course, most pilots don’t have the benefit of being adapted from Elmore Leonard short stories. Portraying US Marshall Raylan Givens gives Timothy Olyphant a character right in his wheelhouse, an easy-going man of righteousness and violence with a seething anger burning underneath the surface. Raylan returns home and quickly butts heads with Boyd Crowder, an old coal-mining buddy of his played perfectly by Walton Goggins. The pair’s cat-and-mouse game unfolds over the course of the hour and comes to an exciting conclusion that wisely keeps both men around to antagonize each other for the remainder of the season. As an introduction to Justified’s world or just as an hour of TV, “Pilot” works on just about every level. (J)

TUiW Best of 2010: Honorable Mentions

Micmacs

It’s that time of year folks! Jonah and Michael have spent the last couple weeks debating the best of 2010, and this week, we’ll unveil our picks! We start today with our personal Honorable Mentions, the ones that didn’t make our master lists, but our personal ones. Stay tuned the rest of the week for our official picks!

Jonah’s Picks:

Film: Micmacs

Jeunet’s latest film is inspired by everything from Buster Keaton to Pixar, blending it with an Ocean’s 11 style heist into a movie that is whimsical and fun and just a little sad. If you found Amelie too precious, Micmacs won’t change your mind, but if you’re already on board with Jeunet, you should hunt down Micmacs immediately.

Film Performances: Jeff Bridges, True Grit

Unfortunately, we had to make these lists without seeing all the 2010 releases that are still making their way around the country. So consider this a placeholder a nod towards a film that we’re both eagerly anticipating.

TV Show: Justified

Few new TV characters crackled to life in 2010 the way Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder did. The fish-out-of-water premise and early case of the week structure were a little frustrating, but by the time the show moved to its season ending masterplot, the elements blended together to make the most compelling cop show on TV right now.

Album: The Books, The Way Out

On their first album in five years, The Books pushed their aesthetic in bold new directions, layering electronic, funk, and even hip-hop to make the catchiest sound collage record of all time. Stand-out tracks like “A Cold Freezin’ Night” and “I Am Who Am I” make for an aggressive counterweight to gentler stuff like “Thirty Incoming.”

Song: Caribou, “Odessa”

“Odessa,” the most accessible song off of Swim, is also a perfect tone-setter for the record that follows. “Odessa” establishes a mournful atmosphere, layered in disco and pop, as it depicts a breakup in oblique terms.

Michael’s Picks:

Film: Rabbit Hole

The more I thought about John Cameron Mitchell’s latest film, the more I found that I liked it. It’s a brooding film, one in which its characters are always on the verge of meltdown, but for a film about a couple dealing with the loss of their child, it doesn’t drop into melodrama like so many other similar films. It’s a gorgeously filmed and phenomenally acted film that may not get the attention it deserves, but is well worth your time.

Film Performance: Mia Wasikowska, The Kids Are All Right

While her higher profile co-stars stole the show, Wasikowska delivered a great performance as a girl just trying to figure out who she is at a time of great change in her life. There’s a naturalism in her performance, a sense that for a young actress, she’s incredibly comfortable in front of the camera, announcing her as a next great talent.

TV Show: Friday Night Lights

Long critically adored, Friday Night Lights goes into its final season riding high. There are few shows on TV that are as good at moving characters in and out of its plot as effectively as FNL, and even less that draw out such terrific performances from such young actors. I’ll be said to see Coach and Tammy go, but at least they’re going out with another strong season.

Album: Broken Social Scene, Forgiveness Rock Record

Call them a sentimental pick, but I thought BSS delivered a fantastic fourth record. It may not be as high up there as some of their previous albums, but Forgiveness Rock Record shows a significant amount of growth for a band that has been so fractured and constantly moving as BSS. If nothing else, it has some damn catchy songs.

Song: Titus Andronicus, “A More Perfect Union”

If there was one song this year that didn’t make our list that I kept listening to over and over again, it was this epic track that kicked off The Monitor. It’s songs like this that make it easy to argue that Titus Andronicus, like Ted Leo before them, are the indie punk descendents of Bruce Springsteen.

Television Critics Association Awards Nominees Released

If you’re like us here at TUiW, you’ve probably been dying the last few days waiting for a little entertainment related news. Well we finally have a little something to break up our Summer TV Club! The Television Critics Association announced the nominees for their awards today, and while they aren’t the most prestigious of awards, they are the first of the season to hand down nods. Here are the nominations, along with a little TUiW analysis:

Individual achievement in drama:
Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad,” AMC)
John Lithgow (“Dexter,” Showtime)
Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife,” CBS)
Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” AMC)
Katey Sagal (“Sons of Anarchy,” FX)

A bit of a wide open category. Lithgow and Cranston are the defending champs in the Emmy Best Dramatic Actor category, and I’d think that Cranston has a slight edge given the adoration over this season of Breaking Bad. Julianna Marguiles is probably the dark horse here, given that her show is on a network and too has been loved by critics. Smart money’s on Cranston though.

Individual achievement in comedy:
Ty Burrell (“Modern Family,” ABC)
Jane Lynch (“Glee,” Fox)
Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation,” NBC)
Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS)
Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family,” ABC)

Another wide open race in a great category. I’m not the biggest Glee fan, but Jane Lynch has lifetime support from me, and Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet are equally deserving. If I had to pick, I’d pick Ron Fucking Swanson, to win, but that has a lot to do with my undying love of Parks and Rec more than anything else. Jim Parsons’ character on The Big Bang Theory is the most annoying of them to me, but critics seem to love that show, so don’t count him out at all.

Outstanding achievement in news & information:
“30 for 30” (ESPN)
“America: The Story of Us” (History Channel)
“Life” (Discovery Channel)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)
“The Rachel Maddow Show” (MSNBC)

While it’s hard to root against the Daily Show, the ESPN 30 for 30 series has been consistently great each time. Maddow gets the sole news entry here. Suck it Glen Beck!

Outstanding achievement in youth programming:
“Dinosaur Train” (PBS)
“iCarly” (Nickelodeon)
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (Cartoon Network)
“Word Girl” (PBS)
“Yo Gabba Gabba” (Nick Jr.)

I’m rooting for the show called Dinosaur Train because that sounds AWESOME.

Outstanding new program:
“Glee” (Fox)
“Justified” (FX)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Parenthood” (NBC)
“The Good Wife” (CBS)

I think this is really a showdown between the two hottest new shows in the land, Modern Family and Glee, but I wouldn’t discount The Good Wife, which got higher critical acclaim than I would have expected. Really for the last year however, it’s been all about Glee and Modern Family, and I’d be surprised if one of the two didn’t win (Ed. Note: Hopefully Modern Family. I understand the appeal of Glee, but it doesn’t really do it for me).

Outstanding achievement in movies, miniseries and specials:
“Life” (Discovery Channel)
“Temple Grandin” (HBO)
“The Pacific” (HBO)
“Torchwood: Children of Earth” (BBC America)
“You Don’t Know Jack” (HBO)

HBO seems primed to take home an award for…something. All three of their nominees here are about on the same plane, and since HBO never loses in this category, I think it will be one of those three.
Outstanding achievement in drama:
“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
“Lost” (ABC)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“Sons of Anarchy” (FX)
“The Good Wife” (CBS)

An interesting set of shows for sure. Lost is probably out of the running because its end infuriated so many, and Sons of Anarchy doesn’t seem like it would take the cake. The Good Wife has an outsider’s chance, but my money is on Breaking Bad. While Mad Men too has a really great shot, Breaking Bad has reached a point where nearly every new review calls it the best episode the show has ever done. If they’re going to overtake they’re slightly older sibling, this is the year.

Outstanding achievement in comedy:
“Glee” (Fox)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Parks and Recreation” (NBC)
“Party Down” (Starz)
“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)

First and foremost, I’m thrilled to see Party Down get nominated, and included in such a strong group. That being said, I think this is the category where the loser of the Best New Show category gets their win. The Big Bang Theory is hugely popular, but from the TV Critics Association stand point, they’d be fairly hypocritical not to give it to one of their two most adored shows. I’d vote for Parks and Rec, and I have a feeling its in play, but I think this really again boils down to Glee and Modern Family.

Career achievement:
James Garner
Bill Moyers
Sherwood Schwartz
William Shatner
Dick Wolf

It’s a career achievement award for a reason. Anyone’s game.

Heritage award:
“24”
“M*A*S*H”
“Law & Order”
“Lost”
“Twin Peaks”

I’m surprised to see both Lost and 24 mixed in with M*A*S*H and Law & Order (either of which will win), but Twin Peaks stands out too as the odd duck here.

Program of the year:
“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
“Friday Night Lights” (DirecTV/NBC)
“Glee” (Fox)
“Lost” (ABC)
“Modern Family” (ABC)

No Mad Men?! Sacrilege! But in all seriousness, I see Breaking Bad or Modern Family as front runners, with Breaking Bad having the edge. Glee has a shot, but I think the other two had a bit more substance to them as far as overall program of the year. Lost will again encounter the problem of having so many people angry at their finale, but it has a shot if more voters loved it than hated it. Friday Night Lights was tremendous this season, but the fact that this is its sole nomination says to me that the voters are concentrated on the other shows in the category. I think the folks at Breaking Bad will be going home happy.

Let us know your thoughts! Who should win?