A blog about television by TIME’s TV critic James Poniewozik.

TV Poll: You Are the Emmys

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announces the 2007 Emmy nominees tomorrow morning. Pretend that I am an angel, descended from Heaven, with the power to grant you a miraculous wish. Pretend that after you asked me for world peace and eternal life, I said that, ahem, sorry, actually I was a relatively weak angel, and I only had the power to allow you to chose one Emmy nominee, person or series, any category. Whom or what show do you pick?

  • Print
  • Comment
Comments (42)
Post a Comment »
  • 1

    Micheal Hogan from BSG for Best Supporting Actor, thanks.

  • 2

    kyle chandler for friday night lights

  • 3

    As long as The Wire gets *one* nomination, I'll be happy. Actor, writer, director, musical, animated short, whatever.

    If that's not eligible, though, I'm all about Spike Lee getting some recognition for 'when the levees broke'. That was some of the best journalism I've seen all year, regardless of medium.

  • 4

    The Colbert Report shouldn't be required to go through the nominations process --- the Academy should just proclaim by acclamation that its the best daily show on television, and deliver a truck load of statuettes to the loading dock for Comedy Central.

  • 5

    The Wire for Best Dramatic Series.

    Unfortunately, the best season of the best series ever created for American television didn't even make the list of 10 finalists for consideration leaked to theenvelope.com (24? Boston Legal? Really?). It seems like Friday Night Lights has become this year's low-rated critical darling, and it's a nice little show and certainly deserves to be nominated. But it's like a good hamburger to The Wire's filet mignon. Why is there such a bias against HBO and cable series in the Emmys? Sure, fewer people see these shows than the networks, but that didn't stop the Oscars from nominating Little Miss Sunshine or Pan's Labyrinth.

  • 6

    Grey's Anatomy, easily. And give Best Actress to Sandra Oh.

  • 7

    Battlestar Galactica, for something!

  • 8

    30 Rock for best comedy, hoping that this would get more people to watch it.

  • 9

    @fuzzy: I agree about The Wire--I think there is always the collective sense on the part of Emmy judges that there are only so many slots that should be filled by HBO shows, and those slots tend to go to the higher-buzz shows, be it SFU or SATC or, this year, the final season of The Sopranos. Perhaps The Wire will get a gold watch next time out.

    The problem is, more people who work in dramatic TV work for or with broadcast networks than cable, and there's a lingering sense that HBO has an unfair advantage, because of its pay audience and lack of restrictions. To which my reply is always, who gives a crap if it's fair? Awards like the Emmys should be about honoring the best, not "the best considering what they had to deal with." There's already an awards system for pleasing the most people commercilly--it's called the Nielsen ratings.

  • 10

    I would definitely give an Emmy to William Fitchner, the dude who played Alexander Mahone on Prison Break. He was an amazing addition to the cast, and totally sold and stole every scene he was in. If I had to pick his best scene of the season, it would be the scene where he convinces Haywire to jump from the tower.

  • 11

    I would have to go with Battlestar Galactica aslo. I read a story that Heros was in the running and I almost cried. I like Heros but it ain't no Battlestar. 24 and Grey's Anatomy were vurtually unwatchable this season. I would love for the members of the acedemy to actually watch tv.

  • 12

    Michael Hall (Dexter) for lead actor in drama. Coolest serial killer EVER. Or Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica) for lead actress.

  • 13

    Agreed that Grey's and 24 were unwatchable this season. And I had been a faithful viewer of both in the past. No emmys for either of them. I did give 24 every chance to improve, but wandered off mid-season on general principle.

    Also - the dude who plays Al Swerengen (sp?) on Deadwood should ALWAYS at least get nominated for an emmy. That dude rocks!

  • 14

    Alec Baldwin for Best Actor

  • 15

    Veronica Mars should get an Emmy shout-out for writing, if not Kristen Bell for Acting. That show has the best writing of any show I have ever seen. The show didn't seem quite as great as it had in the first 2 seasons, but the writing was still better than anything else on TV.

  • 16

    The Wire for best drama.

  • 17

    I think The Wire is consistently overlooked not because its on HBO, but because the cast is largely African American. My guess is that many Emmy voters simply assume that when a black actor plays a "street" role, it somehow doesn't count as acting.

    In reality, the fact that the actors on the Wire imbue their characters with such authenticity is reflection of their talent and the strength of the writing.

    Andre Royo as Bubbles. Robert Wisdom as Bunny Colvin. Chad Coleman as Cutty. If any of these underappreciated actors received a nomination, that would be a step in the right direciton.

  • 18

    In an effort to keep this from being a (rightful) echo chamber of BSG, Dexter, The Wire, and The Shield (especially Walton Goggins' tearful admission of having killed Lem), I have to go more plebian:

    Jack Coleman, of Heroes, for best supporting actor in his flashback heavy episode "Company Man".

  • 19

    Major Underdog Vote: Either Emily Deschenal (Dr. Brennan, "Bones") or David Boreanaz (Agent Booth, "Bones"), for lead actor/actress for the episode "Two Aliens in a Spaceship". My god. Normally I appreciate the acting in that show but don't think it is necessarily the cream of the crop. But that was a really great episode of a pretty good show, with perfect performances all around.

  • 20

    Michael Emerson (Ben), Terry O'Quinn (Locke) or Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) from LOST...any of those 3 has to be at least nominated.They're amazing actors.

  • 21

    Paris Hilton for providing content to Fox News on slow news days.

  • 22

    T.R. Knight on Grey's. He had a tough season — and I prefer to think that GA actually ended about halfway through the season. The end of it was (agreed on that second half only) unwatchable. But the first half, well, T.R. deserves it for the 2-part arc he had with his dad.

    And Dominic Monaghan from "Lost."

  • 23

    If they ignore ROME again, it will be because of sheer ignorance. The show was incredible. Not just an expensive period piece, but a fascinating character mix of real and fiction...kind of like RAGTIME on the Tiber. The whole cast was remarkable, but Polly Walker is the most deserving. It's funny, the most deserving woman on TV for years was another HBO matron, Frances Conroy. But the academy couldn't muster up any love for her either (or anyone else except for Patricia Clark's tiny contributions--twice in fact)

  • 24

    The Wire for, well anything. I prefer best drama.

  • 25

    Ian McShane, Best Actor, Deadwood. Gerald McRaney,Brad Dourif, Paula Malcomson, and Larry Sanderson, Best Supporting, Deadwood. Polly Walker from Rome. Deadwood, The Wire, and Rome for Best Drama. Throw in Lost and Friday Night Lights, and there's your 5.

Add Your Comment:

You must be logged in to post a comment.
Tuned In Daily E-mail

Get e-mail updates from TIME's Tuned In in your inbox and never miss a day.

Quotes of the Day »

Get & Share
JAMIE O'BRIEN, a competitor in the Eddie Aikau surfing competition in Oahu, Hawaii, on surfing the rare 40-foot waves that hit the island this week