Supporting comedy actor and actress finalists
Here come two more lists of the ten actors and actresses that are finalists for Emmy nominations in the supporting comedy categories. As with the other awards, there are some surprises on the list, and some notable omissions. For the ladies, the headline is that last year’s winner, Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), didn’t make the cut. Surprise finalists include Conchata Ferrell (Two And A Half Men) and Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live). I don’t mind seeing Conchata on the list because she is consistently funny on the show, but I don’t know that there is enough to her role for her to actually garner a nomination when you consider the competition.
On the other side of the coin, the defending champ, Jeremy Piven (Entourage), is back. None of the boys over at SNL managed to make the leap from Variety to Comedy that Poehler did.
There is one welcome surprise on the list, though. Fred Willard (Back To You) is in the running. Given the fate of the show, I expected it to be mostly forgotten by now, but Willard is always solid, and the acknowledgment of that is nice to see. I would have liked to see Tyler Labine (Reaper) in the running, but The CW, much like WB and UPN before it, might as well not even exist where the Emmys are concerned. The rest of the finalists, after the jump.
Supporting Comedy Actress
- Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies
- Conchata Ferrell - Two And A Half Men
- Jenna Fischer - The Office
- Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
- Judith Light - Ugly Betty
- Elizabeth Perkins - Weeds
- Amy Poehler - Saturday Night Live
- Jean Smart - Samantha Who?
- Holland Taylor - Two And A Half Men
- Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty
Supporting Comedy Actor
- Jon Cryer - Two And A Half Men
- Kevin Dillon - Entourage
- Justin Kirk - Weeds
- Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
- John Krasinski - The Office
- Jack McBrayer - 30 Rock
- Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
- Jeremy Piven - Entourage
- Fred Willard - Back To You
- Rainn Wilson - The Office
For me, choosing who I would like to see win the actress category is pretty easy. I’ll take Kristin Chenoweth all day. She has a crazy role, on a great show, and she regularly steals scenes. Even when they aren’t dressing her up in red, white, and blue sequined bikini tops. On the men’s side, I’m a little torn. Jack McBrayer is great on 30 Rock, but it’s hard to go against Neil Patrick Harris. What do you think? Omissions? Favorites?
Emmy Still Laughing at Jenna, Vanessa, But Jaime’s Name Is Mud
This is shaping up to be not much of a year for Emmy repeats (unless James Spader runs away with it again).
My Name Is Earl star Jaime Pressly, who was named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy in 2007, has been left off the shortlist of female laugh-inducers who stand a chance of hearing their names announced July 17, when the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences reveals all the nominees for the 59th Prime-Time Emmy Awards.
Meanwhile, the competition Pressly beat out last year has made the cut, according to another top-secret list obtained by the L.A. Times’ Gold Derby blog.
But Pressly’s in good company. Also in no danger of repeating last year’s glory is Lost’s Terry O’Quinn, Grey’s Anatomy’s Katherine Heigl and Extras’ Ricky Gervais, who apparently can’t stand to do more than two seasons of a critically acclaimed series.
Whether the writers’ strike left Pressly without a golden moment this season is a valid question, but Emmy voters obviously found enough to like in scenes belonging to 10 other actressesall of whom (minus Weeds’ Elizabeth Perkins), it should be noted, honed their craft on broadcast networks, while all of the other major acting categories have ventured almost equally into the nether regions of cable.
Returning to the list are Perkins, Two and a Half Men’s Conchata Ferrell and Holland Taylor, Ugly Betty’s Vanessa Williams and The Office’s Jenna Fischer.
Other familiar faces being considered include 30 Rock’s Jane Krakowski (who seemingly had a lot less to do in season two, but whatever), Ugly Betty’s Judith Light and Saturday Night Live’s Amy Poehler (sketch show performers have been moved form the variety/musical mix to the sitcom crowd).
Pushing Daisies’ Kristin Chenoweth and Samantha Who?’s Jean Smart round out the list.
Meaning, no Emmy love (again) for Desperate Housewives’ Nicollette Sheridan or (surprisingly) her new neighbor, Dana Delany; no change of fortune for Ugly Betty’s Ashley Jensen (who at least should have been nominated for Extras last year); no extra recognition for Pushing Daisies’ eccentric, aquatic aunts, Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene; and another thankless season for Monk’s girl Friday Traylor Howard.
Speaking of dipping into the cable pot, check out this list of contenders for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama:
- Keith Carradine, Dexter (Showtime)
- Charles Durning, Rescue Me (FX)
- Danny Glover, Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
- Robert Morse, Mad Men (AMC)
- Peter O’Toole, The Tudors (Showtime)
- Oliver Platt, Nip-Tuck (FX)
- Peter Riegert, Damages (FX)
- Stanley Tucci, ER (NBC)
- Glynn Turmann, In Treatment(HBO)
- Robin Williams, Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Blond-Ambition Tour
Hello, lovelies! It’s summertime and the TV-viewing ain’t easy, right?! (Raise your hand if your DVR is cold and lonely.) The good news? Some of our fave shows are getting back to work, and there are a few summer shows that don’t suck, so we have a few juicy tidbits to discuss today (thank you, Jesus), starting with…the Kristens!
Paul in Philadelphia: We needs us some resolution regarding Kristen Bell and season three of Heroes. Will she be a regular or not?
I’d say you needs you some grammars, but I know yous just being cutes. (Hee.) According to sources, Kristen Bell will not be a regular this season on Heroes, but she will appear in a recurring fashion, most likely for five more episodes. (Better than nada, no?) The only new regular is Cristine Rose as Mama Petrelli, who has a lot to do this season. Oh! And I just met up with Brea Grant, the new villain Speedster (otherwise known as Landry’s dread-headed cutie on Friday Night Lights) and she’s all kinds of awesome—and coming to our next Watch With Kristin Show, so stay tuned.
Miss Kitty: We’ve heard rumors about Heroes showing at least one hour of the premiere at San Diego Comic-Con. If the panel is only an hour long, then is that ruling it out? Thanks for any info you can dig up.
I’m told there will just be a Heroes sneak peek, not the full premiere.
Tessa in Austin, Texas: Any idea if Kristin Chenoweth will be singing on Pushing Daisies again? I love Anna Friel, but Olive totally makes that show for me.
Right there with you, babe. And the awesome answer is yes! I’m hearing that Kristin C. will have her very own “Sound of Music” moment, singing on a hillside, after joining the…wait for it…nunnery! Told, ya: awesome.
Quincy in New Jersey: I cannot wait for Project Runway to return! Any juice?
The fifth season starts up July 16 on Bravo, and while Bravo and Lifetime battle it out in court over the show’s move to Lifetime (one day later on July 17), the Weinstein Company is pitching around its third—yes, third!—Project spinoff (Project Triple Threat) to search for the best actor-singer-dancer. (The other two series in the works are Models of the Runway, about the models from Runway, and Project Pygmalion, which turns the winner into a high-class socialite.) And by the way, my good friends at Outfest asked me to remind you that if you’re in the L.A. area July 9-21, you can check out a new documentary by season-one winner Jay McCarroll (and a South Park sing-along). Hope to see you there.
Deidre in Ireland: When does the new series of Entourage start in the U.S., and do you have any scoop from it yet? I will be in L.A. and Vegas (can’t say that enough) on holidays for a few weeks from the middle of September. What are my chances of catching an episode from the new season?
Excellent because the series is back that very month! And if any of you can hop on a plane to Vegas right now, you might catch them shooting. Debi Mazar tells us: “Shawna’s back, and she’s kicking ass. I come in there, and I’m like the mama. I’ve shot a couple of episodes. And we’re actually going to Vegas this week to shoot some really exciting stuff.” My money’s on Vinnie to score with some honeys. (Safest bet in town.) Enjoy your trip, Deidre.
Gloria in Carson, Calif.: Is Shark really gone for good?
Yep, but as a consolation, I can tell you that the endlessly hot Kevin Alejandro (aka Danny Reyes on Shark, aka Santos on Ugly Betty) guests as a baddie on ep two of Burn Notice.
Krista in Montgomery, Ill.: Is Psych coming back this summer?
Yes, on July 18. And there’s a Dulé Hill-James Roday conference call coming up on Wednesday, so hit me up (gently) if you have burning questions about the pineapple gag, Shawn-Juliet, the future of Gus’ love life or anything else under the Psych-otic (see what I did there?) sun.
Phil in Elk Grove, Calif.: Do you have any updates on the cast of Life on Mars, ABC’s new fall drama? I heard recasting was in the works. Please tell me Lenny Clarke, Rachelle Lefevre and Colm Meaney from the original pilot haven’t been canned!
Not sure about Lenny Clarke, but as of last week Rachelle Lefevre’s role of Annie Cartwright and Colm Meaney’s role of Det. Gene Hunt are back on the open market. Sorry.
Shene in Chantilly, Va.: Will House ever have a romantic scene? Because it seems like if he got a little real love, things could turn good for him.
I would argue that he’s had plenty of romantic scenes, and I don’t think I’m the only one who would argue that, so I am opening up the floor for House-related romantic arguing. In the tradition of our Smallville and Lost love debates, if you’re a fan of House with either Cuddy, Cameron, Thirteen or Wilson, send in your 500-words-or-less essays in favor of the couple of your choice to tvdiva@eonline.com by July 7. (I know House will always love Wilson no matter what lady he hooks up with, but pretend it’s like Highlander and there can be only one.) We’ll post the best arguments from each side in an upcoming item!
Fiona in Baltimore: Hey, do you know anything about this show Hopkins? It’s set in my hometown so I’m intrigued. Is it any good?
It’s great. It’s a documentary/reality show set at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and I’m not ashamed to admit that the first episode made me cry more than once. It’s an unscripted version of ER or Grey’s Anatomy, and just like on those shows, a carefully selected ballad over a scene of vulnerability or pain will rip your heart out. Also, it’s distressing (but fascinating) to see “real” people suffer through medical crises that are fictionalized and therefore consequence-free on other shows. Internal bleeding on ER? No problemo—sure it’s a medical crisis, but Neela will save the day. Internal bleeding on Hopkins? Holy crap, can Dr. Mustafa save the day?
SPOILERS
Randall in Santa Fe, N.M.: Jack Coleman is a god. He’s back next season on Heroes, right?
Of course! And what’s totally amazing is that my wish of Zachary Quinto and Jack Coleman sharing loads of screen time is coming true. I’m hearing that Sylar is going to start working with H.R.G. I know. Whaaa? (They might beat out Sayid and Ben as TV’s least expected odd couple!)
April in San Francisco: I know I shouldn’t even be watching it, but can you please give us some more Gossip Girl dish?
Good news: Serena and Dan are hooking up in episode two. Hurrah! Bad news: They so are not long for this world. (Wah-wah.) Meanwhile, Nate’s dad continues to be a schmuck, and Nate continues to be the man of the family. And I’m also hearing that the boy Blair uses in a blatant attempt to make Chuck jealous is hot, and will do the trick!
Louisa in Dallas: I’m dying without Supernatural!
Well, rise from your deathbed, sweetie, and come back to the world of the living, just like Dean and Lazarus! The title of Supernatural’s season-four premiere is “Lazarus Rising,” and according to my bible, Lazarus is that guy Jesus raised from the dead. Methinks this one’s about Dean coming back from hell. Yay!
Gus-Lust in New York: Any news on Psych?
Just saw the season premiere. Cybill Shepherd joins the cast as Shawn’s mom, and of course, she immediately takes to inadvertently stirring things up. She makes Henry nervous and nerdy—he starts dressin’ real nice—and she learns all of Lassie’s secrets (and there are so many) when she is assigned to counsel him after he “drew his weapon” at his last four work assignments, “including a cat show.” I love this show.
Keith in Delaware: Is Smallville going to suck without Michael Rosenbaum this season? I know the answer, I think, but am hoping there is some kind of salvation.
Actually, I’m hearing some very cool things about the new season. The writers are going into more of the Metropolis/Lois-and-Clark storyline and moving away from Smallville. Clark is going to work at the Daily Planet, and with Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) coming back, you can bet your sweet booty that more members of the Justice League will be popping up again. Sounds good, yes? No? Comment below…
Greg in Tallahassee: Any word on Ryan on Brothers&Sisters?
He’s not yet been cast, but he is bringing a whole heap of new drama with him! Word is Holly (spawn of Beelzebub) gets all meddly and discovers the file on Ryan, which reveals where he lives (Bakersfield). Rebecca finds out and tells Justin who tells Nora (don’t you love the constant game of telly-tag in this family?) and Nora confronts Holly, which is a major showdown that’s so intense, it just might spell Emmy for Sally Field.
Paul K. in Kingman, Ariz.: Weeds!
My Guillermo crush grew to unmanageable proportions after seeing him in tonight’s episode: He teaches Ms. Botwin a thing or two about getting drugs (and his semilegal cousin who’s inside, riveted into a secret compartment in an SUV) across the border and he’s just hot to ridic proportions. Meanwhile, one of the Botwin clan is leaving the show, and soon, and courtesy of Nancy’s pillow.
Bobbie in Brisbane, Calif.: Any dish on my fave new show of last season, Samantha Who?
She’s going to maximum-security prison! Or…she might need to do some community service. This all goes down after a high-speed chase, and my money is on the charity option. You?
Alois in France: My favorite show, Stargate: Atlantis, is back next month! Do you have scoop?
I do, thanks to our new supersecret and rock solid SGA source (ahem, Jen’s little brother Mark, who’s seen the premiere). According to little bro: “It wasn’t quite as awesome as last season’s finale, but it was still a very good episode.” He also reports: (a) Col. Carter (Amanda Tapping) from SG-1 is a great addition to Atlantis but at the end of the episode they reveal that they are replacing her with Woolsey (Robert Picardo); (b) McKay (David Hewlett) helping Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) give birth is pretty intense scene; and (c) Michael (Connor Trinneer), the current villain, is defeated but it is clear he had a chance to escape on an enemy-captured Puddle Jumper. He could try to infiltrate Atlantis with its cloak and the technology of the Ancients on board. Thanks, JenBro!
Audrey in Lyon, France: Who is your favorite actor on One Tree Hill? (Girl and boy.) Thanks to answer. XOXO!
Funny, I’m getting a lot of questions like this lately, and I think it might have to do with me saying many of you will be pleased with whom Lucas picks, right? Anyhoo, if you look back, I think you’ll find an answer! In other OTH news, the writers are taking Brooke to a very dark place this season…Somebody, quick, flip a light switch.
Max in North Carolina: Secret Diary of a Call Girl is so hot! It nearly has porn status! What can you dish?
Yay for British porn! Er…I mean, British TV shows! I can tell you that someone in Belle’s life will find out what she does for a living and actually takes it very well…So well he wants to get in on one of the jobs. (Let’s hope he doesn’t meet the same demise as Will Tippin.) Also, we’ll see Belle moonlighting as a girlfriend, as a dominatrix and she’ll even get a little girl-on-girl action. (Wow, I feel dirty just writing about this show. Fun times.) We’ll also learn how Belle “accidentally” got into the business.
Army Wives: Would You Know My Name (season premiere)
The season finale for Army Wives last summer was a cliffhanger. It was an explosive, shocking and dramatic conclusion to a season filled with the characters’ ups and downs, the good times and the bad, the yin and the yang of the lives of military families on Fort Marshall in Charleston, South Carolina.
This season two opener is no less stunning. It was a powerful episode, as the tribe, as the Army spouses like to call themselves, deal with the aftermath of a suicide bomber walking into the Hump Bar determined to fulfill his mission and take all of them with him. The watering hole was filled with patrons, and the question fans wondered since then has been, who survived the blast?
The new show begins four days later, using Pamela’s radio show, Have At It, as a framing device to reveal what happened. It was interesting to hear the story told from Pamela’s point of view primarily because she wasn’t in the Hump Bar that night. However, as we learn later on, just because she wasn’t there doesn’t mean she’s not traumatized. Her comments about watching the TV for news of the tragedy was reminiscent of 9/11, watching the news with hopes that somehow it won’t be as bad as you know it is.
The episode unfolded like an onion, layer by layer, creating suspense as we wonder who made it out of the bar alive. As we find out, there were casualties.
When Pamela explains that someone as close as family has slipped away, and Denise is in the hospital and starts to cry, I suspected that we were going to hear that Claudia Joy was the victim. It would have been a hell of a shock considering that Kim Delaney is the biggest star in the show. So when her character appeared with her daughter Amanda at the train station to take her to college, it was a relief. Aside from some scratches and bandages, Claudia Joy and Amanda seemed fine.
Sally Pressman really stood out in this show. She’s looks like Kristin Chenoweth and Reese Witherspoon’s little sister, and she’s one of the best things about Army Wives. As Roxy, who’s usually such a happy, vibrant character, this episode was a chance to show her dramatic side. She was a complete wreck and desperately needed to know that Trevor, who deployed before the explosion, was all right. She’s in her pajamas for most of the episode, not bothering to dress. It was a good touch, better than if she were shown swigging from a bottle. Basically, Roxy’s incapable of moving from the house till she knows her soldier is safe. She’s also reacting to the fear that she faced death herself at the bar; staying at home in her jammies gives her the feeling that she’s safe when she knows that she’s not.
Ever the therapist, it’s Roland who counsels Pamela about her guilt feelings regarding Marilyn. In flashbacks, she relates what she wished she’d done for Marilyn, then what she actually did, which was giving her the keys to her car so Marilyn could meet Eddie at the bar. You can really see Pamela’s point of view, if she had intervened, George wouldn’t have found Marilyn at the bar. If he didn’t find her, George may not have blown up the bar. If only…
So the trigger didn’t go off the first time. Marilyn’s lover Eddie struggled with George and in those few moments, Roland saved Denise. Betty forced Roxy out the door. Amanda wouldn’t go without her mother. The scenes at the college took on a hazy, dreamlike quality then. “Why did you go into that bar, Amanda?” Claudia Joy asks, and her daughter answers, “For you, Mom.” She then adds pointedly, “Show me the mother and I’ll show you the child,” a tribute to the kind of parent Claudia Joy had been to her daughter.
The tears shed by Michael, the ultimate stoic solder, says it all. The patient could not be revived, and when Claudia Joy comes to in the hospital, it’s clear that Amanda didn’t make it. The pain of Amanda’s death is palpable.
This was a really sad Army Wives episode, minus the levity and good humor that balances most of the others. But for sheer emotional impact, this season opener packed a wallop. It’ll be interesting to see the fall out in the weeks ahead.
Other points of interest
— Pamela’s narration underscore the theme of Army Wives, the kinship among the soldier families, the connection and the support that is continually reinforced.
— Roland showed why he’s a stand up guy, apologizing to Joan for the affair he had while she was away. It looked like the first step towards a reconciliation…perhaps. She’s still not saying what she’s going to do about her pregnancy.
— Roxy mistook the CID investigators for U.S. Army reps there to tell her that Trevor’s dead. Knowing that Roxy is new to being an Army wife, this made a lot of sense. She always rails against the rules and regulations.
— They gave Betty a last name. The bartender who’s dying from breast cancer was one of the most severely injured in the blast. Ironically, she had no medical coverage and couldn’t pay for treatment of her cancer. The explosion landed her in a hospital bed. If she survives, will the doctors treat her breast cancer or not?
— When Denise and Pamela go to comfort Roxy with a bottle of wine, she opens the door and says, “It feels like I’m the wrong end of an intervention.”
— Wonderful moment with Claudia Joy and Amanda, when the mother admits she did regret leaving Harvard because she was pregnant with the daughter.
— Joan isn’t in uniform when Roxy confronts her, but she’s wearing an Army tee-shirt, her hair is pulled back, and she swiftly takes charge reminding Roxy that she is a Lt. Colonel and Trevor’s commanding officer. She then shows her Army Wives heart by assuring her that Trevor is still in transit to Iraq and that’s why he hadn’t contacted her.
— Trevor is too damn perfect. That DVD Roxy finds from him was sweet and romantic — and a complete fantasy fulfillment.
— Actress Kim Allen as Amanda looks like a mini-version of Kim Delaney — great casting.