The 2012 Emmy nominations are in: and we’ve got a lot to say about them. Okay, not true. We’ve got just a little bit to say. About a month ago, Heba and I shared our dream nominees with you…and now we’re back to talk a little bit about the official nominee list, including: who we’re rooting for, who we didn’t expect would get a nomination, and who we think was the biggest snub per category. But first, here’s a list of the nominees in the bigger categories (click here for the full list):
Comedy
Lead Actress:
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Lead Actor:
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Louis C.K., Louie
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Supporting Actress:
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Supporting Actor:
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ty Burell, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Series: Curb Your Enthusiasm; Girls; 30 Rock; Veep; Modern Family; The Big Bang Theory
Drama
Lead Actress:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Claire Danes, Homeland
Glenn Close, Damages
Lead Actor:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Supporting Actress:
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Supporting Actor:
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Jared Harris, Mad Men
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Series: Boardwalk Empire; Breaking Bad; Downton Abbey; Mad Men; Homeland; Game of Thrones
Y’all ready?
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Who we’re rooting for
Amy Poehler has been one of the most captivating underdogs for the last couple of years, underrated at best. If she doesn’t win the Emmy this year, it would honestly be blasphemy.
Since Heba chose Amy Poehler, I had to go with my runner up — but it’s a very close second. Let’s just put it this way: There’s a reason Julia Louis-Dreyfus is tied for most Emmy nominations.
Biggest snubs
Cougar Town and its cast continue to be ignored even though they’re TV’s adorable gem. It’s ridiculous that Cox has NEVER been nominated for an Emmy; do these people watch the same TV we watch?
After we posted our dream nominees post, I remember telling Heba that I completely forgot about Awkward. Not this time, guys. Awkward.‘s first season was such a pleasant delight and surprise, and Ashley Rickards absolutely shone through in it…it saddens me that this show didn’t go to a network that gets recognized.
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Who we’re rooting for
Always and forever, I would root for him even after he wins his 5th Emmy — and he will, mark my words. Without Parsons, The Big Bang Theory wouldn’t even be half the amazing show it is it today. And it sure as hell wouldn’t have been nominated for an Emmy.
The show may not garner all that many laughs, but Louis C.K.’s performance of…well, himself…is outright effortless, which I’m sure is hard to do when you’re not only in front of the camera, but directing, producing, editing, writing, and marketing et al. This one man show deserves credit where it’s due. And the buck stops at Louis C.K.
Biggest snubs
Joel McHale should be nominated for everything. That is all.
“There’s a reason Julia Louis-Dreyfus is tied for most Emmy nominations.”
Look at that, two NBC shows that will never be recognized (well, except for Community’s writing nod and Chuck’s stunt nods). I suppose I could have chosen Adam Scott in this category, but I still believe Zachary Levi helped solidify his titular character in a perfect tone for the series for five years. His co-star Yvonne Strahovski definitely deserves it, too. However, I couldn’t pick her.
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Who we’re rooting for
Let’s be clear, I hate Amy. And that’s why I’m rooting for Bialik. I actually love her as an actress and she managed to make me hate her character – something I think wasn’t far off from the writers’ expectations. It takes a lot of talent to make millions of people hate your character.
I actually went back and forth between Kristen Wiig and Sofia Vergara (say what you will, I think she’s the funniest part of Modern Family). But since this is Kristen’s last time being nominated for SNL, and seeing as she’s made me laugh so many times: I’m hoping she wins come Emmy night.
Biggest Snubs
This woman plays not one but TWO incredible characters on TV, two polar opposite characters and she kills them off brilliantly in each episode. How she was robbed of her Emmy nomination is beyond me.
At this point, we’re just choosing anything on NBC, apparently. Even though it wasn’t 30 Rock‘s best season, Jane Krakowski never once phoned it in, carrying the lewd, insane, almost cartoonish Jenna Maroney in the same hilarious speed. And as always, effortlessly so.
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Who we’re rooting for
I’m not a huge fan of New Girl, to be honest. But I am of Schmidt. I love Schmidt! So MG FTW.
This choice goes to Bill Hader. Everyone’s so busy talking about Kristen Wiig, people sometimes forget SNL‘s chameleon Bill Hader. The reasoning is simple: no one gets me to laugh as much on SNL than Bill Hader (and Eric Stonestreet has already won). For that, he deserves the win!
Biggest snubs
No actor is more worthy of a nomination than this man. He does his character, and his character’s condition(s), justice. His quirky, physical comedy is that only few can pull off. It’s sad that the cast of Modern Family, as amazing as they are, still dominate this category.
Heba, stop taking my choices, seriously! Well, regardless…he’s Ron Effin Swanson. And Offerman plays that so well, sometimes it’s hard to believe that it’s just a character. And even though Offerman offers (ha!) us laughs in spades, he also plays Ron’s heartwarming scenes beautifully — and his out of character ones even more so!
Comedy Series
Who we’re rooting for
Jim Parsons, you guys.
“Joel McHale should be nominated for everything”
The thought process is simple: I love Curb and I love 30 Rock, but I just don’t think they had their best seasons; and as much as I liked Veep, having watched HBO’s other comedy Girls just recently, it’s hard to deny the amazingly accurate and wonderfully whimsical vibe it executes so perfectly.
Biggest Snubs
Last season of Community was Dan Harmon’s last, so I idiotically hoped this lunatic of a showrunner would get the recognition he deserves. But as I said, it was idiotic. Brilliant comedians like this man will always be overlooked because they’re not conventional enough to be recognized.
I thought about listing all the different snubs here (
Louie,
Cougar Town, Community,
Happy Endings) but
Parks and Recreation HAS actually been nominated and isn’t overlooked by voters. Besides, how can a series that aired
the most hilarious scene on television this year NOT be nominated?
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Who we’re rooting for
C’mon, is anyone rooting for somebody else?
Nope, not me. I just couldn’t pick anyone else. This is Claire Danes’ to lose.
“This is Claire Danes’ to lose”
Biggest Snubs
Victoria freakin’ Grayson, TV’s most evil yet captivating character at the moment. Madeleine Stowe is everything Revenge is — intoxicating. The sad truth is that none of the women nominated is less deserving than Stowe to be on that list so I get why she was not considered this year.
I love John Noble, but I don’t really know if anyone is more deserving on the Fringe team than Anna Torv, who has played not just two different characters, but double because of different timelines, as well as the future, and… oh, yeah also just William Bell. No big deal.
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Who we’re rooting for
It wasn’t Don Draper, or Jon Hamm’s, best season on Mad Men this year. But I’m still convinced he was robbed of his win last year. I’m only hoping next September will make up for it.
If you watched the season finale of Homeland, I don’t see how you can choose anyone else.
Biggest Snubs
Was I too hopeful expecting Hugh Laurie to pull a Kyle Chandler? Probably. I never wanted him to win; I just wanted him to be nominated in honor of the 8 years of House he was awesome in.
I don’t not believe that Andrew Lincoln’s colleague Jon Bernthal also did an amazing job (he’s supporting), but Lincoln himself did fantastically as the leader of his troupe during the apocalypse — from tragic hero to the beginnings of a dark individual.
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Who we’re rooting for
Uhm, do you not know me? Of course I’m rooting for Christina Hendricks! No one other than her can make you cry with just one look from her eyes. She wasn’t in many episodes of Mad Men this year, but she was a scene-stealer in those she was actually in.
I hear this is the first time Anna Gunn gets nominated for an Emmy. Especially being on such an Emmy-loved show, I didn’t even think that was possible. Even January Jones snagged a nod (to be honest, I love Betty Draper and Jones as her but that’s ME). That aside, I’ve just started watching Breaking Bad and Anna Gunn has already proved her worth to me.
Biggest snubs
“Do these people watch the same TV we watch?”
Apparently Heba’s completely fine with the nominations. Not me. Damages almost got a complete snub — but Glenn Close still took that nod. I believe Close is very deserving, but someone who has never won is Rose Byrne, and while Damages is nothing without Close…it’s also nothing without Rose Byrne.
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Who we’re rooting for
In honor of his character’s death, really.
Once again, a newb here but Aaron Paul’s casting was perfect as drug dealer who’s all about the streets, yo.
Biggest snubs
WHAT? The LSD episode alone should have gotten this man an Emmy statue. I don’t get how someone as funny and heartbreaking as John Slattery could be ignored the way the Emmys did this year. It was arguably his best season on the show! How is Mr. Carson nominated and he isn’t?
John Noble plays quirky mental patient (and genius) Walter Bishop on Fox’s will-never-be-recognized Fringe. Perhaps the best thing about his performance is he plays Walter as an insane man, not just a man with a few quirks, so well — and then he double dips, playing Walternate, his nemesis from Over There.
Drama Series
Who we’re Rooting For
I want to root for
Homeland, I do. But
Mad Men‘s win will make it the show with the most Emmy wins for Best Drama and I NEED that to happen. It would probably mean nothing to Weiner, but it would mean the world to me.
“The Good Wife is as compelling as all the shows nominated”
“I have little faith Emmy voters won’t give it to Mad Men”
Homeland‘s freshman season was practically perfect — intriguing, mysterious, action-packed, heartbreaking, nerve-wracking, all while never insulting the viewers’ intelligence. Sorry, Heba, but with four consecutive wins and a fifth season that I keep hearing was kind of rocky for Mad Men, this is TOTALLY Homeland‘s category. Sadly, I have little faith Emmy voters won’t give it to Mad Men. Sigh.
Biggest Snubs
NO broadcast show was nominated this year for Outstanding Drama! Not even The Good Wife! It feels wrong and unfair. The Good Wife is as compelling as all the shows nominated, including the two favorites to win: Mad Men and Homeland. Did they not watch the Blue Ribbon Panel episode? Ugh.
Given the fact that Revenge has sort of become ABC’s flagship show-slash-new face of the network, I was actually really surprised that it didn’t get one nod. Like, at all. I mean, forget other cable dramas that should get recognition, I just figured Emmy voters would go “Ah, that Revenge thing everyone’s talking about. Yeah, let me vote for that.” But nope.
Now it’s YOUR turn: Who do you want to win come Emmy night — and who do you think got snubbed for a nod?
View Comments
Comedy: I def want Lena Dunham to win or Julia Louis-Dreyfus. I just can't choose between them! For the dudes Jim Parsons and Max Greenfield. The best comedy this year is without any doubt GIRLS, I doubt this one will actually win but I'm rooting for this freshman series. Like Heba, I thought it was horrible for them not recognizing Community. Ok, I didn't love it as much as the previous seasons. But still, it's one of the best comedies around!
Drama: Like you guys, I'm rooting for Clare Danes. It's a shame that Lena Headey didn't got any recognition for her work on Game Of Thrones! For the dudes I'm going with the Breaking Bad guys; Cranston and Esposito! It's actually a tie with Esposito and Dinklage, but I loved Esposito a bit more... Best drama goes to Breaking Bad, I'm a huge fan of Game Of Thrones but there's no denying that BB was just better..
Mini-series or Movies: I'm totally rooting for American Horror Story, even if they will loose to Hatfields and McCoys.So obviously I'm also rooting for Jessica Lange and Denis O'Hare. Conroy was also good, but Lange was superb! Also how did Once Upon A Time get a nomination for Visual Effects? Those are horrendous! What were they thinking!
Well to be fair, for a tv show, OUAT special effects are top-notch. Sanctuary, BSG, etc sort of "broke-through" the greenscreen usage to the tv show medium, but OUAT so far perfected it and managed to make a lot of Fairy Tale Land to look entirely believable.
I cringed everytime they used special effects, I actually think the effects are very bad. They should invest more money in their visual effects team and not in star gueststarring! And I'm sure the effects will improve as time goes on.. It's the only thing I really dislike at OUAT. But when you look at a show like Fringe or Continuum, they created a futuristic Vancouver which looks magnificent, I just cannot comprehend why anyone would nominate the visual effects of OUAT. Maybe OUAT received a nomination because they've created a whole fairytale world, I don't know really but I don't approve!
OUAT has the worst special effects. Pan-Am got nominated for special effects too!!!
Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree then. While I do agree that Continuum has quite creative fx, I certainly do not watch Fringe for CGI, I watch it for the actors and storyline and while they had some VERY awesome icky stuff in make-up and normal fx department, I find a lot of CGI there okay at best and try to not focus on it, because the rest of the show is great. Also yeah, Continuum and Fringe still use sets, mix and match real world and greenscreen, etc. OUAT fairy tale land is pretty much 99% green screen and yet manages to look real, which is why it is getting the praise.
Dinklage may win considering his material is lead material and I am little shock he got away with it when it was common knowledge he was made into the lead character.
I think he just submitted himself as a sup. actor because of last year. I think with a show like Game Of Thrones is difficult to be named a lead considering they're a dozen of people who get the same amount of screen time and material. In Game Of Thrones there's a thin line between a lead and sup. character, but Dinklage is def. a lead while Lena Headey/Emilia Clarke may be considered a sup. character. So I guess I'm ok with him being in a sup. actors category
there was an announcement made that he was to be the new lead because of last year's emmy win and the popularity of the character since Sean Bean was gone. My only problem is there was big announcement and he does appear first in the credits and imo he took someone else's spot (again I don't think he going to win as Giancarlo favored and should win).
For me it's a tie between Lena Dunham and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Max Greenfield and Jim Parsons! It's an outrage that Community didn't got recognized again, except in writing! It's still one of the best comedies, even if this season wasn't as good as usual! I'd like to see GIRLS win this year. With Drama: Clair Danes and Bryan Cranston! Again a tie with Esposito and Dinklage. I'm an avid GoT fan, but Esposito was better than Dinklage actually. So for Drama I'd like to see Breaking Bad win.
I'm rooting for everything American Horror Story. But it's going to be hard with series like Hatfields and McCoys and Game Change. I don't think they will win as a series, but Jessica Lange will most likely win for her role as Constance!
Also, how in earth did they nominate Once Upon A Time for best visuals! Oh god, those were truly horrendous!
For me, Revenge, Once Upon A Time and Fringe were the biggest case of Snubbing since the certain episodes of Buffy got completely ignored despite universal critical acclaim.
To be honest, I am kind of irritated with "obligatory" Mad Men and Good Wife nominations. By now it feels like an excuse to ignore other shows.
it got ignore for important things but I do recall Hush getting nominated for writing? It been while but yeah the actors were ignore and you would think David would have been nominated by now.
Yep. Hush got nominated because there was quite a huge outrage over snubbing possibility and a lot of critics raved about it for unique ideas and unheard of style of storytelling.
But while hush is great, certain episodes latter on completely topped it, got even bigger acclaim and yet Emmy nominations evaded them.
But yeah, actors(especially SMG, Marsters and Anthony Stewart Head) got constantly snubbed to ridiculous levels.
I am not sure about Marsters being snubbed except for his performance in Red. I think David was screwed in season 2 and 3. Head definitely got robbed for those 7 years. SMG got screwed over in season 5, The Body would have won her that emmy, well at least she already has the statue (as I believe it is same statue) for her daytime performance on All My Children. Which reminds me if Nashville is good and Jonathan Jackson gives the best bitch out on screen (here's to hoping), his name better on the ticket next year and I am not kidding.
Marsters provided a spectacular performance and pretty much made the character of Spike, giving him life and personality. He was top-notch at selling all those emotions boiling in him. Everything from Red and onwards should have been guaranteed emmy nomination at least.
David Boreanaz yeah, I agree. While his performance in S2 started out a bit wonky, he created one of the most enjoyable and easy to hate villains ever and his performance in ATS was even more brilliant. Not to mention all of the top-quality post-buffy work.
SMG pretty much was the actress with most facial expressions per second in the show, with phenomenal performance ranging from incredibly realistic and touching(Prophecy Girl, Body, Becoming) to hauntingly disturbing and deranged(Dead Things, Normal Again) and everything in between.The fact that she got one for all my children, but NOT for what is pretty much the pinnacle of her acting career is impossible to comprehend.
Since then I pretty much took all EMMY nominations with a grain of salt.
completely agree with you, except for OUAT.
I cannot believe Community got snubbed again SO BADLY. BBT is funny, but Community is streets ahead + NEVER gets recognition whereas BBT and Jim Parsons have been nominated so many times. It just seems ridiculously unfair to me.
Personally, BBT is more consistently funny (barring Bernadette and Amy most of the time). I'm ambivalent to Community's dramatic storylines but I love most of the high concept episodes (Abed as Jesus, timelines, conspiracy theory, video game, Law and Order, etc) I agree that Community is owed nominations and wins.
Maggie Q - Nikita biggest snub of all. Obviously, was never going to happen, but still.
I would have actually listed Maggie Q if she had submitted herself (even though it's never going to happen, I like listing C-Dub people), but she didn't. I agree with you, this season of Nikita showcased so much for Maggie Q. Absolutely perfect.
TIO SALAMANCA FOR ALL THE EMMYS!!!! DING DING DING ! ! !
I believe people would riot if Giancarlo does not win best supporting actor.
Also Peter Dinklage should have been in Lead actor so no he don't deserve it.
I am bit sadden that Paul Wesley didn't bother to submit, he imo had stronger material than Ian and Joseph did but I guess like Maggie Q, he realize the pointlessness of it (or maybe he realize despite his strong performance the storyline was contrived).
I am really scratching my head over what Ian would have submitted
On that note Jeff Perry and Kerry Washington should have gotten a nod.
And instead of Ashley for Awkward, I would have went with Jillian (Tamara) in supporting.
I am rooting for Max Greenfield for supporting though.
Once again, another fine choice that I probably would have listed if she had submitted herself. I definitely think Tamara is the more iconic character of the show (and besides, her timing is absolutely perfect), but I do think that Rickards plays all sides of the show fantastically…and she carries the show.
The only people from Awkward. that submitted were Ashley Rickards and Brett Davern (Jake).
https://www.emmys.tv/sites/emmys.tv/files/performer2012_1.pdf
I think Kerry Washington was deserving as well. I'm pretty sure we'll see her there next year. The show was too fresh and only had seven episodes; it'll most likely be on voters' radar next season.
Yeah I think Scandal may have been overlooked because it was so short and possibly would have made it if ABC decided to submit as a miniseries. So here to hope for next year for Miss Washington.
I assume Jillian didn't bother to submit but she would have been in my picks had she done so.
BTW Tvfanatic is doing their own and surprisingly tvd is getting alot of nods (for best drama, Ian getting nominations is not shocking but I think people are not aware actors have to submit a episode or two for consideration and I really need someone to tell me which episode he did that really has emmy nod written on it I can think of what Joseph and Nina would have selected).
I am also shocked Daniel Gillies didn't submit as a guest star and what was deal with Hugh Laurie getting snub like that, I thought that was common courtesy to nominate for their final year.
Hold it! Colin Ferguson and Cheryl Hines submitted so add them to my should been nominated. At least everyone from Gossip Girl has sense not to submit this year (yeah I am looking at you Mr. Crawford)
Is it just me or is some of the categories smaller this year?
I get the feeling that Heba's rather fond of Community and Mad Men.
Homeland is the only thing I'm really enthusiastic about here. Sadly, nothing in the comedy category is of any interest except New Girl (sort of) so I'll cheer for them. Nothing for Community sucks and what about The Drunk And On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour? Not really, but that would have been decent.
Fringe is snubbed again - what a surprise *rolls eyes*. I'm also bummed that Revenge is snubbed, too! Not to mention Neal Patrick Harris for HIMYM! I mean Max Greenfield over him? B-, please!