Emmy Nominations: Comedy. Ha-Ha

My favorite segment of the Emmy Awards, beside from the (hopefully awesome) opening segment for the event, which is in 2 days. Many of comedy's finest are nominated this year. Here they are.  I also included a few more funny clips.

COMEDY SERIES

"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Girls" (HBO)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Veep" (HBO)

Who should win: Girls

My second choice: Veep

Who will win: Modern Family or Girls

Sin of omission: Happy Endings, Louie, Parks and Recreation

Of the three shows that should have been nominated for the top comedy category, it is still baffling that "Louie" failed to garner a nomination. its strong second season included some of the best half-hours of comedy in recent memory, even if it wasn't the ha-ha belly laughs that traditional sitcoms (The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family) churn out on an assembly line. (Line, funny joke, line, lame  joke, funnier joke, lame joke, line, funnier joke, laugh track). In retrospect, "Parks and Recreation'' failing to get nominated for the fourth season, which was dominated by Leslie Knope's campaign for city council, seems understandable, especially since the third season (which was nominated for Outstanding Comedy in 2011) is the series' best season (so far). ''Happy Endings'', which having a much stronger second season after an iffy debut (like ''Louie'' and "Parks and Rec") still has a way to go, but the chemistry between the cast and the show's often witty scripts could have at least been acknowledged. Or at least a nomination for Megan Mullally's guest turn as Penny's mom.

This is one of the best story lines from Season 4. Treat yo self!

I am sad that there are only 13 episodes (a short 7th season) left of this odd and beautiful masterpiece.

Why didn't they get nominated?

LEAD ACTRESS-COMEDY

Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in "Girls"
Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in "Mike & Molly"
Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day in "New Girl"
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton in "Nurse Jackie"
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in "Parks and Recreation"
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in "Veep"

Who should win: Amy Poehler. She knocks it out of the park every episode, especially in the comedic yet heartbreaking "Smallest Park", "The Debate", and the season finale "Win, Lose, or Draw"

My second choice: Lena Dunham. Without a doubt one of the most rewarding and brutally honest actors on television. She's also not afraid to put herself in uncomfortable yet comically rewarding situations.

Who will win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Sin of omission: N/A

Louis-Dreyfus could win her 3rd Emmy for her role as the always brilliant yet increasingly unlikable second-in-command in this satire from the creator of the superior "The Thick of It".



Girls: A satirical take on "Sex and the City" or a study in the lives of post-college adults who are not-quite grown up.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS-COMEDY

Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler in "The Big Bang Theory"
Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey in "Desperate Housewives"
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in "Modern Family"
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow in "Nurse Jackie"
Kristen Wiig as various characters in "Saturday Night Live"

Who should win: Kristen Wiig. The first female SNL player to earn an Oscar nomination, it was high time that Wiig had left her greener pastures (and maybe another opportunity to earn that shiny golden statuette). It's a bit odd to see her in the supporting category. Wiig, especially in latter half of tenure on "SNL'', was essentially the whole show in some weeks, even if some of her characters were growing stale.

My second choice: Sofia Vergara

Who will win: Sofia Vergara

Sin of omission: Gillian Jacobs for "Community", Zosia Mamet for "Girls"

Yes this is from a few years back, but this Kristen Wiig is a genius.



With host Channing Tatum

Here's why she should win.

LEAD ACTOR-COMEDY

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in "The Big Bang Theory"

Larry David as Himself in "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan in "House of Lies"
Louis C.K. as Louie in "Louie"
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in "30 Rock"
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in "Two and a Half Men"

Who should win: Louis C.K. All Emmy voters need to do is watch "Duckling" or that episode where bumps into his old friend who is contemplating suicide.

My second choice: Alec Baldwin. A gift from the comedy gods, week after week.

Who will win: Jim Parsons

Sin of omission: N/A

Louis C.K. is a genius.

SUPPORTING ACTOR-COMEDY

Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in "Modern Family"
Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker in "Modern Family"

Max Greenfield as Schmidt in "New Girl"
Bill Hader as various characters in "Saturday Night Live"

Who should win: Max Greenfield. He should win just for this segment alone.

My second choice: Bill Hader. I am surprised that he didn't leave along with Wiig and Andy Samberg, but someone has to stick around for the remainder of the election season to play James Carville and/or various Fox News talking heads. But then there is Stefon, one of the best Weekend Update guests ever. 

Who will win: Someone from "Modern Family"

Sin of omission: Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari for "Parks and Recreation", Danny Pudi for "Community", Tony Hale for "Veep"

Random note: Is it weird to consider James Van Der Beek's weird and hilarious version of himself in this category next year?

DIRECTING-COMEDY

Robert B. Weide, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Lena Dunham, "Girls"
Louis C.K., "Duckling"
Jason Winer, "Modern Family"
Steven Levitan, "Modern Family"
Jake Kasdan, "New Girl"

Who should win: Louis C.K.

My second choice: Lena Dunham

Who will win: Louis C.K.

Sin of omission: Amy Poehler for "Parks and Recreation" (for the episode "The Debate''), Fred Savage for "Happy Endings" (for the episode "Spooky Endings")

WRITING-COMEDY

Chris McKenna, "Community"
Lena Dunham, "Girls"
Louis C.K., "Louie"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"
Michael Schur, "Parks and Recreation"

Who should win: Amy Poehler for writing "The Debate", which she also directed herself (as Leslie Knope) and Paul Rudd (as Bobby Newport) in a televised debate for the election for city councilman (or woman).

My second choice: Michael Schur for writing "Win, Lose, or Draw", the season finale in which Leslie Knope first loses then wins over Bobby Newport for the vacancy in city council.

Who will win: Louis C.K. for writing "Duckling", in which Louie discovers his daughters packed a duckling in his luggage when he flies for a USO show in Afghanistan.

Sin of omission: Daniel Libman & Matthew Libman for writing "The St. Valentine's Day Maxssacre" (Happy Endings), in which the six friends struggle to get through St. Valentine's.