Emmy unveils the Best Drama Actor semifinalists
Another day, another list of 10 semifinalists from the Emmys. This time, it’s the Best Actor in a Drama.
There are a lot of the usual suspects on the list (which will be knocked down to five nominees in the next round), including actors from Dexter, Mad Men, Grey’s Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, and House. One show that’s not represented is Lost. I thought Matthew Fox did some great work this season, especially his drunk/screwed-up scenes.
After the jump, the list of the ten semifinalists (also check out those in contention for Best Actress - Comedy, Best Supporting Actor - Drama, Best Comedy, and Best Drama).
Best Actor - Drama semifinalists
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Denis Leary (Rescue Me)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
James Spader (Boston Legal)
Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy)
Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment)
Eddie Izzard (The Riches)
So who do you think they missed on this list? Who shouldn’t even be on the list? Great to see Jon Hamm and Michael C. Hall here, and I think they’ll be two of the final five.
I’m psyched for another session of In Treatment
I squealed with delight upon learning that I’ll have the pleasure of more therapy sessions with Dr. Paul Weston. In other words, HBO has renewed the half-hour drama In Treatment for a second season.
Is it bad that I’m overly excited by this news? Clearly, I need to get out more. But the soulful doctor, played by the even-more-soulful Gabriel Byrne, has got the art of listening down to a science. He can be my therapist any day.
Based on the Israeli series Betipul, the show follows the psychoanalyst through his week in a real-time scenario. From Monday through Thursday, we get to eavesdrop on sessions with each of his patients. On Friday, Paul meets with his own therapist, Dr. Gina Toll, played by the always wonderful Dianne Wiest. It’s a fascinating look into the minds of both patients and therapists.
The second season of In Treatment will feature a whole new set of clients for Paul, and I can’t wait to see who they are. HBO is also moving production of the show from Los Angeles to New York. Production on the new season is scheduled to start in the fall for a 2009 premiere.
Executive producer Warren Leight, who recently inked a deal with HBO, will helm the season, along with Rodrigo Garcia, Hagai Levi, Stephen Levinson, and Mark Wahlberg.
More presenters announced for the Tonys
CBS has secured even more celebrities to grace the stage at Radio City Music Hall next Sunday. Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment), Julie Chen (Big Brother), Harry Connick, Jr. (Will & Grace), Laurence Fishburne, Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds), David Hyde Pierce, Lily Tomlin and John Waters (Til Death Do Us Part) have been added as presenters. These actors and actresses (and, er, Julie Chen) will join an already stellar list of presenters and host Whoopi Goldberg.
I have to admit it. I’m getting a little excited for The Tonys. I usually find them boring. The performances are fantastic but the awards in between are a bit of a snore. However, this cast of presenters is intriguing. I’ll at least be flipping back and forth hoping to catch the performances and my favorite stars.
The 62nd Annual Tony Awards will be held on Sunday June 15th from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
In Treatment not officially dead yet, may get Leight injection
I’m sure I’m not the only one who assumed the HBO nightly series In Treatment, featuring Gabriel Byrne, Blair Underwood, Josh Charles and Dianne Wiest among others, was pretty much going to be a done in one. I really enjoyed the tension they managed to create with essentially two or three people sitting in a room and talking, and while critical acclaim pretty much affirmed that I am brilliant (like I needed their help), the ratings didn’t follow.
While official word on the show’s fate still hasn’t come, what is trickling around is that HBO is this close to signing Law & Order: Criminal Intent executive producer Warren Leight (see me holding my fingers really close together), with the intention of putting him on In Treatment should it get the pick-up, which ups the odds of said happening tremendously. I can’t imagine the show costs a tremendous amount to produce, aside from paying the top-notch actors they brought on board. Aside from Byrne and Wiest, we’d likely be looking at a new cast of patients with all new conflicts.
Maybe they should cast Britney Spears as one of his patients. She wouldn’t even have to act that hard to portray a trainwreck.
Paul: “So tell me how you’re feeling right now, Britney.”
Britney: “Oh my god, no one understands me. I just wanna see my kids, you know.”
Paul: “You don’t see your kids?”
Britney: “Oh sure, I see them when I’m at Kevin’s house.”
Paul: “Kevin’s your ex-husband.”
Britney: “Uh-huh.”
Paul: “So he lets you see them.”
Britney: “Oh, he don’t know I’m there. See, I come by at night, all sneakily like. I have my people bring me a jumbo trampoline and I set it outside their window–”
Paul: “I’m sorry. Did you say a trampoline…?”
Britney: “Uh-huh. Are you even listening to me, Paul?”
Paul: Sorry, Britney. I am listening. Please, continue.”
Britney: “Okay, so I’m jumping up and down on the trampoline so I can see the kids through the window, but it’s hard for the camera crew to get any good shots because it’s dark.”
Paul: “The camera–”
Britney: (glares)
Paul: (waves hand) “Sorry. Go on.”
Britney: “So I have Alex turn on the sprinkler system, but he has to do it quiet, and then we have to get the lighting set up but subtle you know. So there I am in my white negligee jumping with the water hitting me and the cameras are trying to get it because I had this great idea for a video–”
Paul: “Britney. Sorry. Are we still talking about your kids?”
Britney: “Mama’s gotta get paid, Paul!”