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?
Is Dr Horrible the One? - VIDEO
Technically it is Buffy/Angel week, but all things Whedon have a way of just melding together into one big stew. So it’s a fortuitous bit of timing that a trailer for Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was released this week. For those still unaware of just what Dr. Horrible is, I think it was summed up best by Nathan Fillion in a recent interview. It’s about a super-villain (Neil Patrick Harris) who falls in love with a girl (Felicia Day), and the super-hero (Nathan Fillion) who blows it for him. The super-hero is kind of a dick. And… it’s a musical. I think it could be very much more than that. More on that, and the new trailer, after the jump.
First things first, have a look at the trailer.
Teaser from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.
Now, with the “One” I put in the post title I am referring to the first show to buck the system and really make it big. It’s an idea we have heard about many times before. When Firefly was canceled, fans clamored for a way to keep buying new episodes. There was also the Enterprise project where fans were trying to finance another season. There’s even currently another one trying to resurrect Jericho again. Clearly, there is some kind of a market for an alternative means of production.
And there are certainly a host of shows that have dipped their foot in the pool. Quarterlife made some noise with their trial run on the network, although that didn’t end so well. There are also a number of shows generating plenty of traffic from YouTube and the like. Felecia Day’s The Guild is a great example. I’d even throw the always entertaining Tiki Bar TV into the mix. Not to take anything away from any of those shows, but what this budding genre needs is that one big hit that transcends the niche of the internet and gets big exposure. If it can generate a pile of cash to prove it’s a viable process, that would be great too. Dr. Horrible has the potential to do just that.
Whedon told SciFi Wire that he anticipates releasing the show on the internet, followed by iTunes and DVD. I think that’s the perfect way to go about it. Releasing it for everyone on the internet, especially if it coincides with their panel at ComiCon, should get plenty of butts in the seats. And the one thing you can definitely say about Whedon fans, they are more than happy to spend money on DVDs, even if they’ve already seen the shows. The success of the Firefly DVDs is ridiculous. It’s a failed TV show that sold so many DVDs, they’re doing a special edition for Blu-Ray.
Of course, I could just be having an optimistic moment, being suckered in by my strange devotion to Captain Mal. And Dr. Horrible could just come and go and be remembered as a fun little bonus for all of those Whedon fans out there. Or, it could be a watershed moment. It will certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out. What do you say, target demographic. Will you watch Dr. Horrible, and more importantly, will you buy a DVD?
[ thanks James and Sarah ]
Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Trailer
A trailer for Joss Whedon’s 36-minute three-part SCi-Fi internet musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog has hit the interwebs. Neil Patrick Harris stars as the title character, a low-rent supervillain who’s trying to impress the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to (Felicia Day of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), defeat his nemesis, superhero Captain Hammer (played by Firefly’s Nathan Fillion) and gain entry into the Evil League of Evil. Whedon penned the musical with his brothers (Zack and Jed Whedon) during the writers’ strike earlier this year. Check it out below and tell me what you think in the comments!
CBS wants more Million Dollar Password
CBS has ordered six more episodes of Million Dollar Password. This is probably because the show, hosted by Regis Philbin, has become extremely popular. Over four broadcasts, Million Dollar Password placed first in ratings in its time period. It also placed first among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. The show is averaging 9.46 million viewers. Looks like CBS has the right idea with ordering up some more.
A few weeks ago, Joel talked about the appeal of Password. Perhaps, it’s the celebrities they secured to come play: Neil Patrick Harris, Rachel Ray, Betty White, Tony Hawk and Rosie O’Donnell. But I think it’s the power of the Regis. Everything that man touches turns to gold. Remember the craze that accompanied Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I can’t hear that theme music and envision the dramatic lights even now as I write this.
Million Dollar Password airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBS. Are you hooked enough to watch six more episodes?