'Family Guy' surprises us all FOX It's Emmy Award nomination day and as always, we're insanely frustrated by the quality programs that are snubbed, the old standbys that got chosen out of habit and the general fact that Emmy voters once again prove they're not in touch with true TV fans. But at least this year, there were more big surprises than perhaps ever before, both good and bad, starting with the nomination of "Family Guy" for best comedy series.
That's incredibly huge when you consider that it's the first time an animated series made the list in 48 years -- since "The Flintstones" was nominated back in 1961. And while creator Seth MacFarlane and his team are no doubt shouting "Yabba Dabba Do!" in joy today, we can only wonder how the folks at "The Simpsons" are taking the news. That show's been hailed by both critics and audiences as a true pop-culture phenomenon for 20 years, and yet the Emmys never bestowed it with recognition in the best comedy category. D'oh! Eat their shorts, academy members.
Here's our complete look at what the Emmys got right and oh so wrong in each major category.
(View Photos of 2009 Nominees.)
Where's "The Big Bang Theory"? We're also bummed that "Chuck" and "Pushing Daisies" didn't get a spot instead of the completely undeserving "Entourage" and "Family Guy," which is several seasons past its brilliant, subversive prime.. Good for "Flight of the Conchords," but we're picking "30 Rock" for the win.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
We do adore Sheldon, so good for Jim Parsons. And Jemaine Clement was actually a welcome surprise. Steve Carell and Alec Baldwin deserve their spots, even though they are frequently nominated, but Charlie Sheen and Tony Shalhoub? Really? We'd have rather seen "Eastbound and Down" star Danny McBride, "Chuck" star Zachary Levi or "Pushing Daisies'" Lee Pace snag a spot instead.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
We would have subbed in Anna Friel from "Pushing Daisies" instead of Toni Collette and her multiple personalities, but otherwise, this category is pretty strong. We're pretty shocked that the Emmys like brassy Sarah Silverman as much as we do, and we're happy to have her in the running, mostly because we'd "love" to hear her bleeped out acceptance speech. But will it be a surprise to anyone at all when Tina Fey takes home the trophy?
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
We agree with three of these people -- NPH, Tracy Morgan and Jack McBrayer -- but the voters here totally lost us with Kevin Dillon and Jon Cryer. And while we used to adore Rainn Wilson, his Dwight schtick is wearing very thin. We were hoping to see some fresher faces in the mix, like Aziz Ansari from "Parks & Recreation."
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristen Wiig totally deserves her nod for the way she embodies her oddball characters. Ditto for Jane Krakowski as the wonderfully wackadoo Jenna. But while we love Amy Poehler, we're surprised that she's nominated for "SNL" since she was only on for part of the season. We also would have liked to have seen Alyson Hannigan get recognized for "How I Met You Mother." But most of all, we're psyched that petite songbird Kristin Chenoweth got nominated for "Pushing Daisies."
The absence of riveting biker gang series "Sons of Anarchy" from this list is one of the biggest snubs of the year, along with the exclusion of "Battlestar Galactica" for its final season. We're also pretty shocked that Golden Globe nominee "True Blood" is nowhere to be found on any of the major nominations, and that a lackluster season of "House" found a place in this heavy-hitting drama category. And lets not forget the consistently amazing "Friday Night Lights." Oh, wait, the Emmy voters did. Again.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
We're not entirely unhappy with this category, though it is a true shame that "The Shield" star Michael Chiklis and "Battlestar Galactica" star Edward James Olmos didn't get rewarded for their work on the final seasons of their programs. But Simon Baker was an unexpected, yet pleasant addition. We just hope that Hugh Laurie doesn't take the prize this year, because this was a mediocre season of "House."
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
No Mary McDonnell? That's an outrage. Her intense work on the final season of "Battlestar Galactica" as a dying president was some of the finest acting on TV this season. And while we're not her biggest fan, we're pretty surprised that Golden Globe winner Anna Paquin was overlooked for her role on "True Blood."
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Michael Emerson truly deserves recognition for his performance as the creepy Ben Linus. Jon Slattery is great on "Mad Men," but it's his co-star Vincent Kartheiser who makes our skin really crawl. Where's his nom? Aaron Paul is a wonderful addition to the category, but we're surprised that "True Blood" breakout star Nelsan Ellis didn't get a nod. We're also flummoxed that not one, but two "Boston Legal" actors were nominated. When will America be finally free of that show?
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Rose Byrne is by far the weak acting link on "Damages," so she really doesn't seem like Emmy nominee material to us. And while Cherry Jones is generally awesome, this season's "24" standout was Annie Werschling. Do voters actually watch, or just pick the big names? The "In Treatment" ladies are deserving stars, and if two people had to be nominated for "Grey's Anatomy," we're glad it's these two and not Katherine Heigl.
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
Will this be the year that "Idol," the most popular TV show of this generation, finally wins? We're betting that "The Amazing Race" will steal the Emmy for the umpteenth year in a row. And if we had our druthers, "So You Think You Can Dance" would have taken the "Dancing With the Stars" spot, as it is the far superior dancing program.
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
No Cat Deeley for "So You Think You Can Dance"? That's unforgivable. She's the most adorable and gorgeous host on TV. And though we didn't expect it, we're glad to see Padma and Tom co-nominated for "Top Chef," because they really work best as a team.
Bo-ring. We have to wonder if they just cut and paste these noms from previous years. We'd have liked to see "Real Housewives of New York City" or even something wildly unreal, like "The Hills," included on this list.
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