Dream Emmy Ballot 2011: Lead Actress in a Drama

Connie Britton - "Tami Taylor", Friday Night Lights

Julianna Marguiles - "Alicia Florrick", The Good Wife

Elisabeth Moss - "Peggy Olson", Mad Men

Katey Sagal - "Gemma Teller Morrow", Sons of Anarchy

Anna Torv - "Olivia Dunham", Fringe

Jeanne Tripplehorn - "Barb Henrickson", Big Love

Britton has always been wonderful, and the final season of Friday Night Lights was no exception - I particularly loved her scenes with Aimee Teegarden as Tami processed the fallout from Julie's romantic debacle. Marguiles was great all season, but she completely knocked it out of the park in the final episodes after Alicia learned about Peter and Kalinda. Some actors get a single-episode showcase so good that they deserve a nomination solely on those merits - I truly believe "The Suitcase" was an episode like that for Moss, showing Peggy with all her ambition and regret, her anger and wistfulness. Sagal served as an important connective thread throughout a season of Sons of Anarchy that sometimes felt like it was meandering off into tangents, always reinforcing the importance of family - both by blood and by choice. Torv gave shades and nuances that carefully defined the two Olivias as similar but not identical women, and then added a killer Leonard Nimoy impersonation to boot. (If this were the Daytime Emmys, she'd be golden - they love dual roles.) Tripplehorn was the saving grace of Big Love's final season, crafting a beautiful portrait of a woman struggling with deep ambivalence regarding her religion and her faith.

Honorable Mention: Mireille Enos, The Killing; Kathryn Erbe, Law and Order: Criminal Intent; Hayley Hasselhoff, Huge; Lena Headey, Game of Thrones; January Jones, Mad Men; Melissa Leo, Treme; Anna Paquin, True Blood; Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy; Maggie Q, Nikita

I wouldn't be surprised to see: Kathy Bates, Harry's Law; Dana Delany, Body of Proof; Emily Deschanel, Bones; Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters; Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit; Angie Harmon, Rizzoli and Isles; Piper Perabo, Covert Affairs; Emmy Rossum, Shameless; Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer; Sarah Wayne Callies, The Walking Dead

Week in TV: February 20-26

Big Love

- Sometimes on Big Love, the plot machinations feel so improbable or indelicately deployed that they've kept me from enjoying the show (ahem, fourth season) but sometimes they represent such deliciously bad decision-making on the parts of the characters that it's my privilege as a viewer to sit back and gleefully yell "Bad idea!" at the television. I can't decide which Cara Lynn and her teacher or Ben and Rhonda is a worse couple. On the one hand, Cara Lynn's teacher is an adult who seems to recognize that he should know better, but also...can't stop himself from exploiting what Cara Lynn has pretty clearly explained as some epic Daddy issues? And in this corner, Rhonda Volmer, certifiable crazy person! Both seem like situations destined to deteriorate quickly and spectacularly and I can't wait.

- Speaking of certifiable crazy people, how much do I love Barb's sister Cindy and her particular brand of passive aggression? Sooo much. Obviously, I'm rooting for Barb in this situation, but over the course of the series Judith Hoag has made her own little art form out of Cindy's self-righteous condescension towards Barb, and I'm so glad that they found space for her in this last stretch of episodes.

Gossip Girl

- The pop culture references on Gossip Girl aren't always deployed with a whole lot of nuance, so it was nice to see that little snippet of Blair and Dan watching The Philadelphia Story without any extraneous commentary. It's not an obvious connection to make, but once the show gave that little nudge, it's practically impossible to not see Tracy and Mike as Blair and Dan's antecedents (and the great vibe between Meester and Badgely as an update of the repartee between Hepburn and Stewart).

- The actual specifics of the business dealings around Bass Industries are a little oblique to me, but I have to say that I'm digging Michael Boatman's work on the show. Something about the tone of his performance gives the whole storyline a very eighties-primetime-soap throwback feel. Very Dynasty. I hope someone ends up throwing a drink in his face.

- Digression! Why doesn't Gossip Girl have awesome old-school credits with a great theme? When you watch Dynasty or Dallas, they have such great theme songs and credits sequences that are, like, three minutes long and they create this great ambiance of fabulousness.

Okay, maybe it just seems like three minutes compared with those pathetic pale imitations of show themes they've got these days, but - Jewels! Brandy snifters! Joan Collins! (I love the Dynasty theme so much, you guys. I kind of want it to be the ringtone on my phone.) Doesn't it seem like there should be some sort of situation here that involves the various Gossip Girl actors swiveling dramatically towards the camera, or descending long staircases or gallivanting around in formalwear? Serious lost opportunity there.

Week in TV: January 30-February 5

Big Love

- I really, really want this season to end with Barb running away to start her own sect of feminist Mormons. Actually, finding Adam Beach first and then running away. (Intermittently, I want Barb to smother Bill with a pillow and then run away to start her own feminist sect. But in this episode the caroling scene and the scene where Bill directly confronts Alby reminded me that he's not a horrible, self-involved person all the time.)

- What kind of ice rink has a Couples Skate to "Knowing Me, Knowing You"? I mean, sure, everyone loves ABBA (that may actually be my favorite ABBA song), and it made for a great moment in the show, but isn't that kind of thing supposed to be romantic? I think a song that starts out with the lyric "No more happy laughter" kind of defeats the purpose. I guess "God Only Knows" would've been a bit too meta, though.

- I love Heather (and Tina Majorino), but I'm a little disappointed that she didn't use her time away at college to engage in some personal reflection and decide to stay away from the Henricksons forever. Run, Heather! Save yourself!

- Anne Dudek generally brings awesomeness wherever she goes, but they've really been using her well on this season of Big Love. That scene in the shelter where Lura wearily removes her fake eyelashes was such a quiet, beautifully executed character moment.

Skins

- Before this season started, "Chris" was the episode I was most curious to see. While I think "Cassie" and "Jal" (the second and third episodes of the first series of the original) are better overall episodes, the first UK "Chris" lays a lot of emotional groundwork that sustains arcs that carry through to the end of the second series, and presents an important moment of pathos for a character who up until this point was mostly a goofball. Like the pilot, this episode frequently hewed uncomfortably closely to its predecessor, but I think Jesse Carere acquitted himself well following in Joseph Dempsie's footsteps.

- This episode, more than the others, made me think that this show could be great in its own right if the writers worked more to recognize the strengths of this group of actors and tailor the roles to those strengths. James Newman in particular seems to have somewhat softer edges than Nicholas Hoult in the role of Tony (especially in the ongoing arc of US Tony and Tea as opposed to UK Tony and Maxxie), and if the writing of the character reflected those differences, then Newman wouldn't always fall short in comparison.

Community

I was eating dinner when I watched this, and I laughed so hard at Joel McHale's delivery of "Maaaarrrrr" that I choked on my food. That's right - this Community was so funny that it almost killed me. The excellence of the Dungeons and Dragons game made up for the irritation generated by the horrifying behavior they've been writing for Pierce.

Also Watched: 90210, Chuck, Gossip Girl, Greek, RuPaul's Drag Race, Hellcats, The Good Wife, Cougar Town, Off the Map, Top Chef, Parks and Recreation, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, 30 Rock, Private Practice

Week in TV: January 23-29

Big Love

- I was a little worried after the premiere, but this episode was much more reminiscent of Season Three in focusing on women and the different ways that they're affected by the patriarchal hierarchies that shape society in the show. I especially liked the way this episode brought in Barb's mother - sometimes new information introduced late in a show's run can feel implausible or overly convenient, but Nancy's history as a former ERA advocate both made a lot of sense and explained a lot about her and her relationships with Barb and Cindy.

- This might just be me not remembering anything that happened in the fourth season, but what happened to Joey and Wanda? I didn't realize until this episode that Shawn Doyle and Melora Walters aren't listed in the opening credits anymore.

Greek

If nothing else, this last stretch of episodes was totally validated by the excellence of this week's Beaver-centric episode. Not only was it a great showcase for Aaron Hill, who's been an all-star of a supporting player throughout the show's run, but it was also stuffed full of Greek-type awesomeness, like the return of Katherine and Stripper Heath. If you'd asked me during the preceding hiatus whether I missed Greek, I probably would've shrugged indifferently, but this episode really exemplified the way the show created and perfected its own little niche in the television schedule.

RuPaul's Drag Race

- Before this season started, I was thinking to myself, "You know, I kind of wish they would bring Shangela back like Daniel Franco on Project Runway. If nothing else, that totally excellent turn on Terriers seems like more than enough justification for a second chance." AND THEN MY WISH CAME TRUE!

- Vanessa Williams is kind of perfect as far as guest judges go. I don't know about you, but I think presenting at the Golden Globes plus being a Drag Race judge makes up for the fact that she was totally shafted by not being included in the Miss America 90th anniversary reunion. (I also liked how Delta Work's "Kwanzaa realness" dovetailed so nicely with my December 26 post.)

Skins

I'm of two minds about Tea's role as the one American character who appears to be dramatically different from their UK counterpart. On the one hand, television can definitely use more young lesbian characters (this EW timeline that accompanied their recent Gay Teens on TV cover story really clearly marks the disparity), and while the plot of this episode felt laid on a little thick at times, the scene with Tea's grandmother describing her past was genuinely affecting. On the other hand, the show draws so significantly from its predecessor that it feels strange to have just one character who's so different from their antecedent. Tea's relationship with the boys in the group is tinged with a sort of wink-wink lasciviousness that makes it a disappointing companion to Maxxie's relative place within the UK group, and I wish they would've maintained Maxxie's interest in theater in the translation, as opposed to making her a cheerleader.

Off the Map

I want to like this show - there are actors I really, really like in it - but after three episodes, the premise remains a bit off-putting. I understand wanting to give each character a compelling backstory, but the collective tragedy of it all makes it seem like the only doctors the people of this unnamed South American country can get are unbelievably emotionally damaged. Like...well-adjusted people who've worked through their issues (and speak Spanish) are too good for this jungle clinic? Or the people running the clinic don't care if the doctors use the patients to work through their heavy personal business?

Nikita

Can I be totally shallow/lame for a minute? As a former viewer of The Young and the Restless, (okay, I still watch sometimes but not very frequently) I was really excited that they reunited Thad Luckinbill and Lyndsey Fonseca here. They always had really great chemistry, which is part of why I've never really been able to buy anyone else playing Colleen on Y&R. I mostly approach shows with serious intent and an analytical mind, but I'll be honest - there's a part of me that's just a big softy shipper at heart.

Parks and Recreation

Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure this is the episode where Ben Wyatt became my new Fake TV Boyfriend. And sick Leslie Knope became my new most favorite thing ever.

Also Watched: 90210, Gossip Girl, Hellcats, Cougar Town, Community, The Office, 30 Rock, Bones

Week in TV: January 16-22

Big Love

I don't think there's been another television protagonist I've wanted to punch in the face as much as Bill Henrickson. Not Don Draper. Not Sookie Stackhouse. There's something about Bill's smug obliviousness in the face of the sheer misery he inflicts on others nearly everywhere he goes that makes me wish I could physically reach into the television and smack him. And like many of the episodes in the fourth season, this premiere didn't offer enough of a balance of other characters and plots to make him slightly tolerable. I'm trying to be optimistic about the writers bringing it all to a good close this year, but that idiot is testing my patience.

Skins

- I don't think I realized quite how many times I'd watched the original Skins pilot from the UK until I watched MTV's take. Because the mirroring of shots and dialogue was seriously jarring and the lived-in quality that the young British actors brought to their characters was largely absent. I'll keep watching, mainly because I'm interested to see whether the show can forge an identity that's unique, but right now I'm mostly doubtful.

- So, if you're going to completely reshoot your first episode with an entirely new cast, why on earth would you keep what is easily its worst subplot? Not only were the scenes with the drug dealer still tonally inconsistent with the rest of the material, but they completely botched the play on words with his name. Of all the slang they elected to keep in that's distinctly and obviously British, they change that?

Parks and Recreation

I don't really have much specifically to say about this particular episode, just that having Parks and Rec back is like a soothing balm for the soul. And I wish I could have the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness in poster form. Get on it, NBC store!

Also Watched: How I Met Your Mother, Chuck, Greek, Lights Out, The Good Wife, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Off the Map, Top Chef, Community, 30 Rock

Emmy Thoughts

You know how sometimes you get into this groove of watching YouTube video after YouTube video, clicking through the related links until it's 2:30 in the morning and you're not quite sure how that happened? That happened to me last night. I'm totally ready to forgive The Hollywood Reporter for maybe giving my computer a virus (like two years ago - I have no real proof, just paranoid suspicions) because these Emmy Roundtable videos are gold.

I love the "Shut. UP!" faces on Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and Mary-Louise Parker when Sarah Silverman is talking about auditioning to play Jonah Hill's mother. Because, for real? That's probably one of the most concise summaries out there of what's wrong with the mainstream film roles available for actresses nowadays.

More discussion of age and how it plays out for actresses in film versus television. Personally, I wouldn't mind taking every "Best Actress in a Drama" nominee from this year who's not Elisabeth Moss or Glenn Close and replacing them with Jones, McDonnell, Paquin and King. On a completely shallow note, how fabulous does Mary McDonnell's hair look?

Writer/showrunners kind of fascinate me. They were essentially able to take their own creative energy and transform it into industry power. This roundtable has two of my faves, Alan Ball and Matthew Weiner - during the weeks when True Blood and Mad Men are both airing, I will just be losing my shit all the time all day long every Sunday. Talk about a two-hour block of heaven. Also, even when I disagree with her creative decisions, I still love Shonda Rhimes.

I love Weiner's unqualified disdain for spoilers. I'll try to be good this season, really!

So, I'll try to keep the Emmy commentary as brief as possible, since it's the kind of thing I can expound upon at length.

The Good

Big Love gets a Best Drama nomination - the Emmys can seem so stagnant sometimes that it's truly shocking when a show that's been airing for a few years gets recognized for stepping its game up. Big Love is probably one of the few shows that seemed to truly benefit from the writers strike, using the time to acknowledge and integrate the real-life compound raids in Texas. The result was an unbelievably rich season that explored the role of women in the show's patriarchal world to previously unplumbed depths.

How I Met Your Mother gets a Best Comedy nomination - the critical attention lavished on shows like Arrested Development and 30 Rock has resulted in those sitcoms that follow a more traditional format being maligned in turn. (My parents, for whatever reason, always seem kind of shocked that I like this show. My dad has, more than once, asked a skeptical, "You watch that?" to which I somewhat manically reply, "Watch it? I love it! I have all the DVDs! And a fake Robin Sparkles concert tee!") HIMYM is living proof that a laugh track does not preclude awesomeness. This past season was a bit disjointed, but I'm glad that they're finally getting recognition.

Elisabeth Moss gets a Best Actress nomination - as I said above, the Best Actress in a Drama category was kind of a letdown. Moss' nomination was the pleasant surprise in the category. Unable to resist the pull of my DVDs, I rewatched the second season of Mad Men and found myself drawn in again to Moss' portrayal of Peggy contending with her family, her religion and her boundless ambition. And then there's her soul-crushing monologue at the end of "Meditations in an Emergency," the season finale. (I'd post the clip if I could find it.) Unbelievable stuff.

Jeremy Piven goes unnominated - more fallout from the mercury poisoning debacle? Please, please, PLEASE let this be Neil Patrick Harris' year.

Jack McBrayer, Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski get nominated; Kristin Chenoweth gets nominated

The Annoying

Little major-category love for Pushing Daisies - truthfully, was I really expecting any? Not really - the last three episodes aired at 10 pm on Saturday nights in June - but it still stings. They did get a fair number of nominations in the Creative categories, which at least shows that someone recognized some of the show's merits.

No love for the ladies of Big Love - Jeanne Tripplehorn did get nominated for her five-minute doppelganger act as Jackie O in Grey Gardens, which I suppose is something. However, I can't believe that there wasn't one spot in the Supporting Actress category for any of Big Love's unbelievable actresses. Look: I like Rose Byrne a lot - more than many other people do - and I don't think she's a bad actress. As the Duchesse de Polignac, she's one of my very favorite things about Marie Antoinette, and I think most people's quibbles with her work on Damages are more about the character than her acting. However, I can't in good faith say that she deserved an Emmy nod over anyone from Big Love.

No acting nominations for Generation Kill - the miniseries/movie acting categories often read like academy members just searched the eligibility list for names they recognized and used those to fill their ballots. It's a shame that no one from GK's less-famous ensemble got nominated - their work was so good that I kept watching even when I knew I had no idea what was going on. Hopefully, this summer's dramatic uptick in popularity for True Blood means that Alexander Skarsgard will be recognized for his all-around awesomeness in the future.

John Slattery over Vincent Kartheiser? Look, I love John Slattery as much as the next person - he manages to imbue Roger Sterling with so much humor and charm that it's hard to dislike him even when he's being an unimaginable sleazebag. However, Kartheiser deserves to be recognized for his continually stellar work - he makes Pete Campbell's bottomless need for approval so tangible as to be uncomfortable to watch. In the best way possible.

Mark Moses goes unnominated - the Guest Actor category is a weird place, a mix of one-offs by actors more well-known for their film work, former cast regulars returning to reprise their roles and actors who appear in multi-episode arcs. For whatever contractual reasons, Moses was a guest actor in Mad Men's second season, but he was a major factor in making that season as excellent as it was. The simultaneous attempts to exert power at Sterling Cooper and to hold on to his sobriety made Duck a compelling character, and Moses made him stand out even among a crowd of unabashedly ambitious people, all the way through to his season-ending implosion.

Hope Davis over Alison Pill? - well-acted but emotionally cold vs. well-acted and deeply emotionally affecting. Though I thought her performance was one of the year's best, I didn't automatically assume that Pill would be a nominee. However, since the nominations of Davis and Dianne Wiest show that some people were watching In Treatment, I'm baffled as to how Pill could not be nominated.

The Grave Miscarriages of Television Academy Justice

Cat Deeley goes unnominated - watching So You Think You Can Dance last Wednesday, I thought to myself, "Surely Cat Deeley will be nominated for a Best Reality Host Emmy." It's sort of an intangible factor - a warmth Deeley lends to the show, remaining positive without simpering or being patronizing to contestants. The reality categories need some shaking up in general - I still love The Amazing Race, but it plateaued a few seasons back. The television academy needs to get on its game and recognize the excellence of SYTYCD and its unparalleled host.

Battlestar Galactica goes unrecognized in major categories - such is the plight of the cult TV lover. "Maybe this year," you hope, willing others to see what you see in a little-watched show. The critics often agree, and what fans there are are intensely devoted. I hoped that maybe, in the last season of the show, when the acting was always top-notch, someone, anyone from the cast might get a nod. Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos pulled out some of their best work this time around, and though it ultimately can't take away from the quality of their performances, I'm sad that the academy didn't see fit to honor the final stretch of BSG episodes.

I just shouldn't make any comments about brevity anymore, because apparently it's a lost cause.