TV Mad Man

EMMY DAY!! Aren’t you excited to see who gets the gold, flubs the speech, charms us all, and wears their clothes to perfection (or not)? Well, I sure am and the Emmy’s are airing live coast-to-coast at 8eastern/5pt tonight on NBC, hosted by Jimmy Fallon. Here is a quick cheat sheet to the nominees and my picks to win…

Outstanding Comedy Series

“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” HBO

“Glee,” FOX

“Modern Family,” ABC

“Nurse Jackie,” Showtime

“The Office,” NBC

“30 Rock,” NBC

Outstanding Drama Series

“Breaking Bad,” AMC

“Dexter,” Showtime

“The Good Wife,” CBS

“Lost,” ABC (If the world was perfect pick)

“Mad Men,” AMC

“True Blood,” HBO

Outstanding Miniseries

“The Pacific,” HBO

“Return To Cranford (Masterpiece),” PBS

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS

Larry David as Himself, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” HBO

Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester, “Glee,” FOX

Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, “Monk,” USA

Steve Carell as Michael Scott, “The Office,” NBC

Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, “30 Rock,” NBC

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Bryan Cranston as Walter White, “Breaking Bad,” AMC

Michael C. Hall, “Dexter,” Showtime

Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor, “Friday Night Lights,” DirecTV

Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, “House,” FOX

Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard, “Lost,” ABC (If the world was perfect pick)

Jon Hamm as Don Draper, “Mad Men,” AMC

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Jeff Bridges as Jon Katz, “A Dog Year,” HBO

Ian McKellen as Two, “The Prisoner,” AMC

Michael Sheen as Tony Blair, “The Special Relationship,” HBO

Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton, “The Special Relationship,” HBO

Al Pacino as Dr. Jack Kevorkian, “You Don’t Know Jack,” HBO

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Lea Michele as Rachel Berry, “Glee,” FOX

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell, “The New Adventures Of Old Christine,” CBS

Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton, “Nurse Jackie,” Showtime

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, “Parks and Recreation,” NBC

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, “30 Rock,” NBC

Toni Collette as Tara Gregson, “United States of Tara,” Showtime

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, “The Closer,” TNT

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes, “Damages,” FX Networks

Connie Britton as Tami Taylor, “Friday Night Lights,” DirecTV

Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, “The Good Wife,” CBS

Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” NBC

January Jones as Betty Draper, “Mad Men,” AMC

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Maggie Smith as Mary Gilbert, “Capturing Mary,” HBO

Joan Allen as Georgia O’Keeffe, “Georgia O’Keeffe,” Lifetime

Dame Judi Dench as Miss Matty, “Return To Cranford (Masterpiece),” PBS

Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton, “The Special Relationship,” HBO

Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, “Temple Grandin,” HBO

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel, “Glee,” FOX

Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, “How I Met Your Mother,” CBS

Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, “Modern Family,” ABC

Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker, “Modern Family,” ABC (or anybody from Modern Family)

Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy, “Modern Family,” ABC

Jon Cryer as Alan Harper, “Two And A Half Men,” CBS

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, “Breaking Bad,” AMC

Martin Short as Leonard Winstone, “Damages,” FX Networks

Terry O’Quinn as John Locke, “Lost,” ABC

Michael Emerson as Ben Linus, “Lost,” ABC

John Slattery as Roger Sterling, “Mad Men,” AMC

Andre Braugher as Owen, “Men Of A Certain Age,” TNT

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse, “Emma (Masterpiece),” PBS

Patrick Stewart as Ghost/Claudius, “Hamlet (Great Performances),” PBS

Jonathan Pryce as Mr. Buxton, “Return To Cranford (Masterpiece),” PBS

David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock, “Temple Grandin,” HBO

John Goodman as Neal Nicol, “You Don’t Know Jack,” HBO

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester, “Glee,” FOX

Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy, “Modern Family,” ABC (Oh, how I wish another win for Modern Family)

Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, “Modern Family,” ABC

Kristen Wiig as Various Characters, “Saturday Night Live,” NBC

Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, “30 Rock,” NBC

Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper, “Two And A Half Men,” CBS

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen, “Burn Notice,” USA

Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons, “Damages,” FX Networks

Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma, “The Good Wife,” CBS

Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, “The Good Wife,” CBS

Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris, “Mad Men,” AMC

Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, “Mad Men,” AMC

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

Kathy Bates as Queen of Hearts, “Alice,” Syfy

Julia Ormond as Eustacia (Temple’s Mom), “Temple Grandin,” HBO

Catherine O’Hara as Aunt Ann, “Temple Grandin,” HBO

Brenda Vaccaro as Margo Janus, “You Don’t Know Jack,” HBO

Susan Sarandon as Janet Good, “You Don’t Know Jack,” HBO

For the official site, go to nbc.com/emmys

Two shows to spotlight tonight….

Life – 8/7c at 9/8c on Discovery and all Discovery Networks Two years ago, I was blown away by something I live in every day. Planet Earth. The BBC/Discovery series Planet Earth, presented a fantastic look at our planet, and I find myself watching the series at least twice a year. That series took 5 years, and many, many hours to produce and now the same people have done the same thing with the living that inhabit this planet.

Life is a 10-part series that will air on Discovery tonight, and on all of the partner channels such as Planet Green. I have had the pleasure to see the first two in advance that are airing tonight: Challenges of Life and Reptiles and Amphibians. The series is in one word: remarkable. There are really no other words to say how much this footage is unprecedented and you should really just check it out, instead of me writing about it. One for the books for sure.

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution – 10/9c on ABC With Brothers and Sisters not returning to its big 2-hour flashback episode on the 11th of April, ABC has planned a special two-part episode (review on Monday) of Castle that was to air tonight and tomorrow after Desperate Housewives. ABC changed their minds and has now schedule Castle to air on its regular night, and instead a sneak peek at the new series Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The first episode of the series which follows the English chef as he tries to change the food ways of the heaviest town in America is a well-made, compelling hour. It is lighthearted in its tone but serious in the story and really shows what terrible, terrible eating styles are going on in Huntington, West Virginia. It is a worth a look after DH, and it sure made me think about what kind of food I was eating with my family.

Olympics are ending, television is coming back, new episodes, new stars, and new shows will be entering the airways this week and beyond.

Closing Ceremonies – 7/6c on NBC I have been for the last two weeks mostly glued to the Olympics, for better or for worse, and tonight the 2010 games end and the countdown to London begins. NBC coverage can be frustrating to us on the west coast but I have enjoyed the talent and events they play at certain times. I can only hope that tonight’s event is co-hosted by the wonderful Mary Carillo like previous years, but have been unable to confirm that. Following the 3.5 hours is…

The Marriage Ref – 10:30/9:30c on NBC What looks like a hilarious program in a special sneak preview. The Marriage Ref is from Jerry Seinfeld, and features a panel of celebrity judges that range from Tina Fey to Maddona who judge actually couples problems. A 30 minute preview with Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, and Kelly Ripa airs after the ceremonies, and a fine comedian Tom Papa serves as the “Ref.” At first I was hesitant of this new concept series, but throughout the weeks I have come around. It will settle into its regular time slot, Thursday at 10/9c.

Brothers and Sisters – 10/9c on ABC Family drama will be very present on the site this week thanks to NBC’s new family series Parenthood, but the staple right now is still going over on ABC, and while the season of Brothers and Sisters has had its highs (Kitty’s cancer) and the low’s (Justin’s school life), I am still enjoying this year the most since Season 2 and tonight’s episode is no different. Whenever Nora and Holly (Sally Field and Patricia Wettig) get together you do not know what to expect and fans of the battling duo will be very happy tonight along with the political side as Kitty and Buffy (Cheryl Hines in a perfect southern role) as that becomes a staple in the series to come. The biggest draw for many however is the return of Gilles Marini, who plays Sarah’s french lover Luc who we saw last week as the artist of the painting that Sarah received without knowing. He is a gem on the program and I hope he continues to be a bright light (SPOILER ALERT: Gilles will become a series regular next year, so we will be seeing a lot more of him.)

Some notably new TV tonight….

How to Make It in America – 10/9c on HBO In the vein of his own show Entourage, Mark Wahlberg has joined in and is producing a New York based comedy for the network that centers around a group of friends as they try to hit it big in the Big Apple. I have seen the première episode which is available here at TV.com, and while I was not enthralled by it, I was not terribly disappointed thanks to my low expectations. The cast includes October Road alum Bryan Greenberg as the lead Ben, Kid Cudi, and a personal favorite Lake Bell as Ben’s ex, who you may have seen in shows such as Surface and Boston Legal. Martha Plimpton pops in as a recurring player and as I hear she is a huge highlight and I am excited to check her out. Premiering after the comedy is another new one in The Ricky Gervais Show based on his popular podcast this animated show brings the stories to life. Ricky is da bomb.

The Amazing Race – 8/7c on CBS The race is back on (plus it was also renewed for a fall cycle!), with brand new locations and some old favorites to revisit with new teams and of course good old Phil Keoghan. In the 16th installment of my favorite reality competition and Emmy favorite, Big Brother fans will at least recognize one team in Jeff and Jordan the sweet pair that met on this past summer’s season and are testing the TV relationship on the race. Should be a blast and after the show is Undercover Boss, settling in to its regular timeslot after last week’s “Super” première at 9/8c. The boss of Hooters goes in to test the managers and staff and may I say, we might see a FIRING. Awesome.

If you are not into any of those progams, the Olympics continue on NBC and last night’s primetime coverage featured some exhilerating action in the Moguls and Short Track. Go Team USA!

Also, NBC, where is the Olympic standard Jim Lampley? Al Michaels is doing an okay job in the daytime host position but I miss Jim’s nice comments about the event but one person that you can tell LOVES to be in Vancouver is the just great Mary Carillo who is now going from assignment reporter to late night host!

Your thoughts?!

Award season is about to be in full swing with the The Golden Globe awards being held this Sunday on NBC at 8 Eastern/5 Pacific, which kicks off the season and the SAG Awards coming the following week. Ricky Gervais is hosting The Globes which should be a hilarious night with drinking celebrities and great awards. There is also some great presenters tonight such as for the girls Taylor Lautner. Here are my picks for the Television nominees, and if you continue I have provided the movie noms as well.

Best Drama Series

Big Love, Dexter, House, Mad Men, True Blood

Will Win: Mad Men, Should Win: House

This favorite will likely become the first drama to win three straight wins, but Dexter had a killer season and could provide some competition.

Best Comedy Series

Modern Family, Glee, 30 Rock, The Office, Entourage

Will Win: Glee, Should Win: Modern Family

Glee has taken America by storm with its innovative storytelling style and popularity, but the best comedy in years is Modern Family with a stellar cast, and brilliant writing. I am happy with both but would love to see the Family take this one back home.

Best Actor Drama

Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Hugh Laurie (House), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Bill Paxton (Big Love)

Will Win: Jon Hamm, Should Win: Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie is doing some of his best work on House since Season 1 but the Academy will likely give Jon Hamm the award for his crittically acclamied performance as Don Draper

Best Actor Comedy

Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Steve Carell (The Office), Thomas Jane (Hung), David Duchovny (Californication), Mathhew Morrison (Glee)

Will and Should Win: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)

It would be nice to see Alec Baldwin not recieve this award but there is just nobody in this catergory so funny. I have no idea what Glee‘s Matthew Morrison is doing in here because he is not even close to being the best thing on that show.

Best Actress Comedy

Toni Collette (United States of Tara), Courtney Cox (Cougar Town), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Lea Michelle (Glee)

Will and Should Win: Courtney Cox

Courtney Cox is back and better than ever, and delivers a hilarious performance each week. She deserves it.

Best Actress Drama

Glenn Close (Damages), January Jones (Mad Men), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Anna Paquin (True Blood), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

Will and Should Win: Julianna Margulies

Juilanna is fantastic as her role as Alicia Florrick, the scorned wife of a head state attorney now back in the work place. Its captivating and moving, and is the perfect role for a win.

Best Supproting Actor

Michael Emerson (Lost), William Hurt (Damages), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), John Lithgow (Dexter)

Will Win and Should Win (Maybe): Michael Emerson

Ben Linus rules, and Michael Emerson will deservingly take the award as he did last year at the Emmys but I just hope that somehow Neil Patrick Harris pulls a victory because he is awesome.

Best Supporting Actress

Jane Adams (Hung), Jane Lynch (Glee), Rose Byrne (Damages), Janet McTeer (Into the Storm), Chloe Sevigny (Big Love)

Will Win and Should Win: Jane Lynch

Just. Plain. Funny. Brilliant.

Movie Nominees…. (more…)