Emmy Nomination Preview 2011 - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy
Who will win for Best Actress in a Showtime Semi-Comedy?
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Last Year's Nominees:
Lea Michele, "Glee"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Toni Collette, "The United States of Tara"
Attrition: Farewell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Otherwise, everybody returns to what is easily the weakest field in the entire nomination ballot. Well, "weakest" is the wrong word. Thanks to Showtime and NBC, there are some spectacular actresses in this field. But it's definitely the shallowest field. There are only 24 submissions in this category, and that includes half the cast of "Desperate Housewives," Melissa Joan Hart for "Melissa & Joey" and Essence Atkins for "Are We There Yet?"
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupGuyITC
June 22, 2011 at 2:23AM EST Reply to CommentDan is right when he says that the category is thin in total nominees. I also think that it is thin in terms of greatness. I didn't have a hard time narrowing this down.
My only honorable mention goes out to Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope).
Here are my nominees (in no particular order):
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
Toni Collette (United States of Tara)
Laura Linney (The Big C)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Kelly Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory)
Courtney Cox (Cougar Town)
I'll take Poehler to win, while giving Collette some kind of other award for portraying 8 characters in a 24 minute show. That has to be some kind of record.
Razorback
June 22, 2011 at 2:23AM EST Reply to CommentHow much is WB or CBS or Kaley Cuoco's management paying critics to put her on these lists? I am not saying that she isn't entertaining on the show but how does she even register against these other competitors? There is nothing complex about her character. She doesn't deliver any subtext to her emotions that we have to figure out. Yet this year, Yvonne Strahovski played every emotion on the planet but since CHUCK is no longer the "cool thing" with you, you put this clown on instead?
dan Razorback - I praised Yvonne Strahovski to the sky in my gallery for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Because that's the category that she's submitted in, just as that's the category she was submitted in last year (when I praised her performance to the sky) and, I'm assuming, the years before that.
June 22, 2011 at 2:34AM ESTAnd by my count, Kaley Cuoco -- who I find frequently funny and entertaining -- is 10th in this gallery, a position that pretty much means "No chance of being nominated." For that evaluation, I haven't been paid by any outside source.
You seem a little grumpy this evening, sir.
-Daniel
forg Yvonne submitted for supporting and Dan had her in that gallery.
June 22, 2011 at 2:35AM ESTGuyITC Wow. You and I almost always agree, but not this time. While Cuoco is likely 6th on my candidate list, she makes it because her performance has improved quite a bit. Her having her own group of friends, learning how to interact with the guys, put up with Sheldon, and show restrained emotion about her situation with Leonard are impressive.
June 22, 2011 at 2:41AM ESTBefore this season? No chance. In a deeper field? No chance. Here? Sixth place is fine by me.
forg
June 22, 2011 at 2:33AM EST Reply to CommentAww you had Joanna Garcia for the other notable gallery pic, did you actually think she was good enough or you just want an excuse to have her picture? ;)
Yeah this is a thin field but I hope there's one "surprise" nominee and Lea Michelle gets the snub or 2 Showtime ladies making it instead of 3
dan Forg - Re: Ms. Garcia (or Mrs. Swisher now), I put her in the gallery *mostly* as an excuse to use her picture. I thought she was terrific on Privileged and I think I gave her her own gallery page that year. But she was never especially well-used on "Better With You." Not her fault.
June 22, 2011 at 2:38AM EST-Daniel
GuyITC
June 22, 2011 at 2:33AM EST Reply to CommentIn response to Dan's comments about categories...
Why is it that we are still categorizing United States of Tara as a comedy? It isn't even really a dark comedy anymore.
If Chuck and Glee can be hour long shows that are considered comedies, why can't we consider some of the Showtime shows dramas?
Following my train of thought... who decides which shows are in which categories anyway? Is it the network? The Emmy committee?
And once a show is in a category, can it switch? Could United States of Tara switched to being a drama for this season?
Also, has any of this changed over the years? Looking back, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (the truest form of "Dramedy") was classified as a drama for Emmy purposes. Was that simply because it was an hour long? It sure seems like there was more drama on Glee this season than there was on Studio 60. Whole episodes of Studio 60 went by without much drama at all, whereas Glee always has some drama (albeit stupid most of the time) thrown in each episode.
So my question (which now seems better suited for Firewall and Iceberg than an Emmy gallery) to you, Dan, is:
What gives?
dan GuyITC - It is, indeed, probably a question best suited for Firewall & Iceberg and it's a good question and I'll try to remember to bring it up in the Emmy podcast we'll probably do the week before nominations are announced...
June 22, 2011 at 2:36AM EST-Daniel
forg It's the network/studio that decided where they will submit the show.
June 22, 2011 at 2:40AM ESTThere are instances where they can change submission year to year one that comes to mind was Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham, first drama then comedy of course it didn't matter at all.
But I agree "Tara" is really a drama. I would also classify The Big C and Nurse Jackie as drama but they have "some" comedic elements unlike "Tara:. Collette is an amazing actress though
GuyITC Dan-
June 22, 2011 at 2:44AM ESTI'll make sure to remind you via Twitter before that episode.
MortalKombat14 It's safe to say that usually a show that mixes both comedy and drama will most likely submit as a comedy because there is no chance in hell a show like Glee would win best drama because it doesn't work as one.
June 22, 2011 at 9:11PM ESTforg
June 22, 2011 at 2:44AM EST Reply to CommentA long shot I know but as a Gilmore Girls fan, it would definitely be a delight if both "Lorelai" and "Sookie" will get nominations :D
downbound
June 22, 2011 at 5:17AM EST Reply to CommentI was under the impression that Secret Diary of a Call Girl was softcore porn. Does this mean Gigolo has a shot at Best Drama?
mike_johnson
June 22, 2011 at 6:05AM EST Reply to CommentBrooke Elliott has no chance in hell at a nomination, but I would do a cartwheel if she got one. No other performer on TV can sing, cry, laugh, charm, or sass nearly as well as Elliott does. The show is froth, but Elliott is amazing.
troopermsu
June 22, 2011 at 6:13AM EST Reply to CommentTina Fey is nothing like Betty White. Tina Fey is actually funny and talented.
Michelle
June 22, 2011 at 4:20PM EST Reply to CommentCan anyone admit that Tina fey is not really an actress and stop nominating and giving her awards as such? I mean, would you really knock Laura Linney and Mary Louise Parker out in favor of Fey?
Mike That's just the way it works with comedy emmys, good writing on a good show gets you award noms whether they are deserved or not. I mean, Jerry Seinfeld was nominated for 5 Emmys in Lead Actor.
June 23, 2011 at 9:24AM ESTAlthough to be fair to Tina Fey, she has to do a lot of work to carry the show when it's at the point where there are 3 funny characters (Baldwin, Morgan and herself) and about 20 people that are like nails on a chalkboard at this point (looking at you especially Jenna and Kenneth).
MIchelle
June 22, 2011 at 4:22PM EST Reply to CommentUgh....Tina Fey? Really? How did she get to be the second coming? Writer/producer okay....actress? NO!!!!