Central Perks.

NBC took advantage of the Olympics coverage and thus Fall TV season actually started a bit early this year, with NBC’s shows all premiering about a week or even a month before everyone else. In any case, the Emmys officially begin the fall season, and this year it’s a lot more fun that it has been in recent years. The past four years, Mad Men has won Drama Series, alongside Modern Family and 30 Rock winning the past five. This year, there are some serious contenders for Drama, while there’s a couple for Comedy. I’m very excited to see what’s up. Lots of new shows, lots of new people, it feels a lot fresher than usual this year.

Predictions after the cut!

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men

Who Will Win: Downton Abbey. No doubt the most interesting category this year, the category for best drama boasts two new formidable and legitimate threats to Mad Men’s record-breaking 5th straight win along with some usual suspects. Downton Abbey, moving from the miniseries category to drama series, makes it a new competitor here, and I definitely think it can steal the victory. The Emmy voters love their snooty British shows, and the surprise six (count it, six!) acting nominations shows how much support this show actually has. I am not in any way discounting Mad Men either. People obviously still love it, but are they ready to name it the best show in the history of television? We’ll see. But don’t forget Homeland which has been a huge hit for Showtime and the Emmys have awarded the crew before with 24. Breaking Bad is also huge at the moment, being the only show that is currently on air among the nominees. That’s strong competition and can win as well. HBO’s two dramas are just happy to be here. But honestly though, its a tight year and I’m hoping for some new blood to prevail.

Who Might Win: Mad Men. As I mentioned, many, if not all these shows could usurp Mad Men, but I will still pick them for a 2nd choice this year.

Who I Want to Win: Game of Thrones. My ultimate favorite show at this point in time. It won 6 Creative Arts Emmys last weekend, the most of any show this year, so that was pretty awesome. To surprisingly win Best Drama would be the cherry on top.

Extra comments: These are all very good to excellent shows. I do wish shows like The Walking Dead could sneak in here. Even Revenge which was the best new drama from the networks, or Once Upon a Time which was the highest rated new drama of the season and it was pretty amazing of a show too.

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OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Girls
Modern Family
The Big Bang Theory
30 Rock
Veep

Who Will Win: Modern Family. Sure there are a couple of new names here - both from HBO - but I don’t think that either could take down the reigning champion. However, it is neat to see two new shows enter the competition (though I am disappointed that Parks & Rec isn’t on here) both of which premiered late in the season.

Who Might Win: Girls. Though it is true that Modern Family’s reign will be tough to beat, HBO’s buzzy comedy from (four-time Emmy nominee, all from this year!) Lena Dunham has the best chance, I think, of doing so. Yes, the old white guy voters might not be watching the show, nor are they the target audience, but there are other voters and I think it has, or will have a strong support group.

Who I Want to Win: Modern Family/30 Rock. My two favorite comedies on air right now. As much as I’d love to see ModFam win again, I do slightly favor 30 Rock getting one more win before they end this season.

Extra comments: It’s kind of sad that the networks didn’t have any strong new comedies coming out this past season (except, arguably, New Girl) OR this coming season. The comedy series award is getting quite dull and I’m relying on the premium cables to bring in some new blood like Girls and Veep next year. Unless you know, they’ll nominate something like The New Normal (please no.)

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OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance?
Top Chef
The Voice

Who Will Win: The Amazing Race. The 8-time champion really doesn’t have a lot of new competition. Only The Voice is a newbie here (eliminating 9-time nominee American Idol) but I don’t expect that to come close to the TAR juggernaut.

Who Might Win: Top Chef. As the only one to knock off TAR in 2010, it stands the best chance of doing it again.

Who I Want to Win: The Amazing Race.

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OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Who Will Win: Bryan Cranston. After winning 3 in a row and then missing out on last year’s ceremony because his show was off the air, I think the Emmy voters are back on giving him a record-tying 4 wins.

Who Might Win: Damian Lewis. If you’ve seen his work on Homeland, especially in the penultimate episode, how can you say he doesn’t deserve it? He is all kinds of amazing. And I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks so.

Who I Want to Win: Damian Lewis. See above.

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OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Who Will Win: Claire Danes. I mean HOW can anyone beat her? She is outstanding on Homeland. Some of the best work I’ve seen in all the years I’ve been watching TV shows. Then again two years ago we all thought Julianna Margulies would win but she didn’t but did win the year after) so who knows, but we know the Emmy voters love Claire Danes as she had just won a couple of years back for Temple Grandin.

Who Might Win: Julianna Margulies. Never count out a former winner.

Who I Want to Win: Claire Danes. By far. She’s so good. Not even close.

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OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis CK, Louie
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Who Will Win: Louis CK. This is a tough category. I don’t see Parsons three-peating, nor Baldwin winning again. I’m going out on a limb and choosing Louis CK because this might just be a time when things are shaken up. I just find that Cryer nomination so odd and unnecessary.

Who Might Win: Jim Parsons. Threepeat? Maybe.

Who I Want to Win: By default, Alec Baldwin. Again because I want the 30 Rockers to get some love before they end their runs.

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OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

Who Will Win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Interesting fact, no woman has ever won the Emmy twice since Patricia Heaton won back-to-back in 2000 and 2001. So in other words, ever since we went into the 21st century, t’s been a new winner every year. Whether intentional or not, it’s a cool fact (the same goes for Supporting Drama actor actually, but they go even further back to 1996). One of them was Dreyfus, who won for less impressive Old Christine, so why couldn’t she win for her powerhouse performance in the HBO comedy? But…

Who Might Win: … if the pattern lives on, Amy Poehler will be the one to benefit from it. She’s well-loved by the industry, she had a near-flawless season as Leslie Knope, and this is the only way they can really fully make up for the snub of P&R for comedy series.

Who I Want to Win: I love/like 6 of these 7 women so much that I don’t care really which of those 6 win but in the order or wanting them to win - Poehler, Deschanel, Fey, Dunham, Louis-Dreyfus, McCarthy. Sorry Falco.

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OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Jared Harris, Mad Men
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Who Will Win: Giancarlo Esposito. As I mentioned above, no one has won this award twice since 1996. As much as I’d love for the Dink to break that streak, I don’t see it happening. Lots of buzz around Esposito, and from what I hear, it’s a great performance.

Who Might Win: Peter Dinklage. If there’s anyone who can break the streak, he might. He gives off a stunning performance in the Blackwater episode and plus the voters may need to give Thrones a big win on Emmy night.

Who I Want to Win: Peter Dinklage. DUH.

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OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey

Who Will Win: I’m torn. I could go with last year’s Miniseries winner Maggie Smith, but instead I think I’ll go with Mad Men’s first-ever acting Emmy win in Christina Hendricks.

Who Might Win: Maggie Smith. She won for Miniseries last year as I mentioned, and actors (as well as I do) love her. She’s the best thing on Downton, too.

Who I Want to Win: Joanne Froggatt. I was so surprised to see her nominated, It’d be amazing to see her win. I love her and her character.

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OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Who Will Win: The question here is will the Academy award each member of Modern Familylike they did for The West Wing and The Sopranos supporting cast? I’m not sold on them awarding each one just yet (but we’ll find out by Emmy night). For now I will go with a repeat win for Ty Burrell.

Who Might Win: Jesse Tyler Ferguson. One each for the cast? Could be.

Who I Want to Win: Anyone would be great. I like them all.

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OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Who Will Win: This is a very tough category. Any one of them could win. Joosten could win as she recently passed away and this would be a nice posthumous award (they’ve given Joosten a good number of wins for Guest Actress), Vergara could win to complete the supporting actresses for Modern Family, Bialik, a newcomer in this category could ride the Parsons train, Bowen could repeat, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Kristen Wiig will finally win an Emmy for her work.

Who Might Win: Julie Bowen to repeat.

Who I Want to Win: Kristen Wiig because she’s been MVP of SNL for a while and everyone else in this category has either won or have a chance to win later on, so I’ll root for Wiig.

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OUTSTANDING MOVIE/MINI-SERIES
American Horror Story
Game Change
Hatfields & McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Luther
Sherlock

Who Will Win: Game Change. I’m not a fan of smushing these two categories together mainly because they are just completely different anyway, but I get why they did it. HBO’s Sarah Palin-John McCain film is too good to not win, even beating the Emmy nomination leader this year in AHS.

Who Might Win: Hatfields and McCoys. Classic miniseries, well-received, would’ve probably won a separate Mini-Series category.

Who I Want to Win: Sherlock. I’m just glad they were nominated, after last year’s snubbing.

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The rest I’ll list in this order:

CATEGORY: Who Will Win ||| Who Might Win ||| Who I Want to Win
NOTE: The ones with names/episode names in parentheses means there were two people from the same show nominated or two entries from the same people.

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Modern Family (Levitan) ||| Girls ||| Modern Family (Levitan)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Girls ||| Parks and Recreation (Poehler) ||| Girls
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: Homeland ||| Breaking Bad ||| Homeland
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Downton Abbey ||| Mad Men (The Other Woman) ||| Homeland
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries/Movie: Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn ||| Idris Elba, Luther ||| Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Outstanding Lead Actress in a MIniseries/Movie: Julianne Moore, Game Change ||| Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn ||| Julianne Moore, Game Change
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries/Movie: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story ||| Ed Harris, Game Change ||| Martin Freeman, Sherlock

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And there we go. The Emmys are on Sunday night. If we’re to look at the Creative Arts Emmys, we may be in for some surprises, especially in the Acting categories. I would LOVE a huge surprise for Comedy OR Drama. It would be a nice shake up after the past few years of ease. Let’s have some fun, Emmy voters! And by fun means giving it to the right people. Hehe.

See you back here after the Emmy’s to see how well I did and how excited or disappointed I am with the winners!