7
Feb

The Best TV Performances of 2024

Zach Galifianakis, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Eva Longoria in Only Murders in the Building

ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
Only Murders in the Building
The show more than doubled its main cast. Not only did producers bring in Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Levy and Eva Longoria as actors playing our trio in a movie about the Arconia, they also added heretofore unseen residents of the building’s second tour. These included the always reliable Richard Kind, Kumail Nanjiani and Griffin Dunne. On paper, this could be a classic “too many cooks in the kitchen” scenario. But these consummate professionals made it look easy, even when they were playing decidedly unprofessional folks.

Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
It can be easy to forget just how good Larry David is as at what he does. Only he could have stolen shoes from a Holocaust museum. Only he could have reunited the Seinfeld cast. Only he could have turned a death threat into a career opportunity. Only a man this funny could make selfishness an art form. In his final season, he was hailed as a hero, then spent the entire time showing exactly why that wasn’t true.

Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Brunson is sometimes forced to be the “straight man” in her own show. But while her performance as Janine has always been solid, she took it to another level in Season 3, as her character gained confidence by taking on a challenging new job with the school district. Proving she could make a difference on a bigger stage gave her the self-esteem boost she needed to return to Abbott with a newfound swagger.

Sean Patton in English Teacher

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Sean Patton, English Teacher
While creator/star Brian Jordan Alvarez and his pal Stephanie Koenig announced themselves as stars, Patton immediately stole every scene he was in as doofy but surprisingly progressive coach and P.E. teacher Markie. Hopefully this is just the start of bigger things for him.

Paula Pell in Girls5eva

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Paula Pell, Girls5eva
While the entire ensemble was magnificent, I have to shine a light on Pell, who was just a tiny bit higher than her castmates this season. Gloria sets off to have a late-in-life ho phase, hoping to take advantage of the group’s tour to sleep her way through every lesbian stereotype possible, of which there are 178(!), but learns perhaps too late that anonymous fun is only fun for so long.

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6
Feb

The Best TV Shows of 2024, Part 2

BEST COMEDY SPECIAL

Anthony Jeselnik

Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All (Netflix)
There was essentially no difference between this special and the show I saw at the Majestic Theatre in 2023. But it didn’t matter. This was another strong hour from the most unapologetically dark comedian in America. His refusal to play it safe for 20-plus years means he had no problem calling out his peers who spend most of their sets whining about not being able to use slurs or punch down. And he even had a stellar trans joke!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Valorie Curry and Chace Crawford in The Boys

The Boys – “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son” 
This season of The Boys veered closer to reality than ever. But it also made for a bumpy ride, with the episode immediately following this marking an icky nadir for the series. Yet it could only be a letdown after an episode that packed in so much, including a deliciously nasty wrap-up to the leak subplot, a tearful farewell for a minor character, and… uh… flying, mutated sheep.

Jerry Seinfeld in Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm – “No Lessons Learned”
Did you expect anything else from Larry David? In this hilarious final season, he was hailed as a folk hero for violating Georgia’s (very real) electioneering laws by giving his friend a bottle of water. But of course Larry David is no hero. And this episode gave the actual Larry David a chance to revisit his controversial Seinfeld finale with an exhilarating do-over.

Cara Bossom and Clive Owen in Monsieur Spade

Monsieur Spade 
If nothing else, this exquisite miniseries stayed true to Dashiell Hammett’s confusing plots. Clive Owen was magnificent as a Sam Spade who just wants to enjoy a glass of wine and a nude swim in the French countryside. But his idyllic life is disrupted when six nuns are brutally murdered at a nearby convent. The mystery will eventually come to involve a child prodigy, a missing witness, former French Resistance officers, and an old flame of Sam’s.

Colin Jost in Pop Culture Jeopardy!

Pop Culture Jeopardy! 
Don’t worry. The flagship is doing just fine, now under Ken Jennings’s sole leadership. But this spin-off is less for true trivia buffs and more for casual viewers. Colin Jost is quite affable as host, and the new quirks (like teams of three and the Triple Play clue) make for a delightful, if not exactly challenging, watch.

Ruth Wilson in The Woman in the Wall

The Woman in the Wall 
This BBC import had the hooks of a lot of mystery box shows. But every new revelation was gut-wrenching, and the ending was satisfying but not exactly cathartic. In a country where abuse, secrets, and shame hang over it like the cloudy weather, there are answers to be found, but you may not like them.

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5
Feb

The Best Shows of 2024, Part 1

For the first time in more than a decade, I didn’t watch enough TV to do a full top 10, plus favorite comedy specials and honorable mentions. Due to some changing life circumstances, there just wasn’t enough time to keep up with several old favorites and some of the most acclaimed new shows (Shogun and Baby Reindeer, in particular). But I did make time to dive into some certified classics (Lost), cult favorites (Detroiters) and one show that will be very important when its second season debuts in 2025 (Severance).

Oswalda Cobblepot and Batman in Batman: Caped Crusader
Rogue, Jubilee, Storm, Wolverine, Beast, Morph, and Forge in X-Men '97

10. Batman: Caped Crusader (Prime Video) | X-Men ’97 (Disney+)
It would have been so easy for these shows to cruise by on nostalgia, and fend off critics who would be accused of not having fun. But the creative forces behind both refused to phone it in. Taking inspiration from their ’90s counterparts but pushing them in bold new directions, they took their characters and storytelling seriously.

Kayvan Novak in What We Do in the Shadows

9. What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
This last season was certainly no letdown, but it only occasionally reached the super-high highs it achieved in past seasons. The focus on Guillermo allowed for some terrific growth on his part, as well as a solid parody of Gordon Gekko/Jordan Belfort wannabes, but its strongest moments came from Nandor (who suffers a nervous breakdown early in the season) and Colin Robinson (who was absolutely on fire an episode that parodied The Warriors). I will miss this merry band of horny misfits, but will cherish the absurd good times.
Standout episodes: “The Railroad,” “Nandor’s Army,” “Come Out and Play” 

Busy Phillips, Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Paula Pell in Girls5eva

8. Girls5eva (Netflix)
It’s sadly no surprise that this little-seen show about a forgotten girl group got dumped one streamer and canceled by another. But this hilarious road trip season gave each character a chance to shine, and provided for some incredible guest turns (including John Early and Cat Cohen). It even gave “Fort Worth” its own weirdly perfect theme song.
Standout episodes: “Fort Worth,” “Bomont,” “New York” 

Lisa Colón Zayas and David Zayas in The Bear

7. The Bear (Hulu)
A pretty great half a season. Though it got a little repetitive as it approached its finale, the show still found a way to surprise and delight me, starting with its nearly wordless season premiere. And whether or not Season 4 sticks the landing, we’ll always have masterful half-hours like the Ayo Edebiri-directed, Tina-focused flashback “Napkins.”
Standout episodes: “Tomorrow,” “Doors,” “Napkins”

Tyler James Williams and Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary

6. Abbott Elementary (ABC)
You’ll notice these are all Season 3 episodes, and that’s because I haven’t had time to catch up with the show’s fourth season yet. Despite strike-related delays and truncations, this season gave Janine a chance to spread her wings with a district job. That role – and her decision to return to Abbott – gives her the confidence to throw a party at her tiny apartment, and boldly express her affection for Gregory.
Standout episodes: “Career Day,” “2 Ava 2 Fest,” “Party”   

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20
Jan

Final Oscar Picks 2025

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked
BEST PICTURE
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown 
Conclave 
A Different Man 
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez 
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Wicked 

Dark Horse: A Real Pain 
Long Shot: The Substance 
Total Shock: Juror #2 

The skinny: I know eight of these are correct, but two – A Different Man and Nickel Boys – are probably dead wrong. I'm counting on the former being about actors and the latter being the most critically acclaimed movie of the year to be enough to put them among the final 10. But they're likely to be pushed out in favor of A Real Pain, which I thought fell just short of greatness, and The Substance, which seemingly has just as many fans as haters.
Brady Corbet
BEST DIRECTOR
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist 
Edward Berger, Conclave
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez 
Ramell Ross, Nickel Boys 

Dark Horse: James Mangold, A Complete Unknown 
Long Shot: Coralie Fargeat, The Substance 
Total Shock: Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two 

The skinny: If Nickel Boys misses in Best Picture, Ramell Ross will not find himself an Oscar nominee again (he was previously nominated for the lyrical documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening). It would probably be a bad look for this line-up to be all white guys, but A Complete Unknown has the momentum, and the always reliable James Mangold picked up a DGA nod. But the most likely female nominee is Coralie Fargeat, and The Substance would have to be nominated for Best Picture first.
Timothée Chalamet (center) in A Complete Unknown
BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown 
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing 
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave 
Sebastian Stan, A Different Man 

Dark Horse: Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Long Shot: Daniel Craig, Queer
Total Shock: Hugh Grant, Heretic 

The skinny: Sebastian Stan finds himself in an unusual position. He's got two acclaimed performances. A Different Man is the more complex of the two, but with Trump taking office again this week, a movie critical of him may draw fresh eyes. If the former has the success I'm currently predicting, he's in. But Stan has been very open about how Hollywood has refused to do big Q&A's and events with him out of fear, which has apparently drawn him a lot of sympathy. But it's also possible that means his two performances cancel each other out. And that would lead Daniel Craig or Hugh Grant – two beloved British actors who have never been nominated before – securing either of their films' lone nominations.
Mikey Madison in Anora
BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez 
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths 
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance 

Dark Horse: Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl
Long Shot: Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here 
Total Shock: Zendaya, Challengers

The skinny: There are seven women competing for five spots. Two divisive musicals are basically guaranteed nominations, and Mikey Madison still looks poised to run away with this. So that means only one woman in her 50s born outside North America (Jean-Baptiste or Torres) will make it, and only one woman in a movie about how showbiz has little use for women of a certain age (Moore or Anderson) will make it. And none of those would be nearly as fun as Zendaya in Challengers.
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18
Jan

The List: Top 10 ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Episodes

This anniversary may be hard to believe, but Schitt’s Creek premiered 10 years ago this week. This Canadian production aired in the U.S. on the mostly ignored cable channel Pop (which you may remember as the TV Guide Network). Slowly but surely word-of-mouth – and huge exposure when past seasons aired on Netflix – turned it into one of TV’s warmest and funniest shows.

Initially playing on the wealthy Rose family’s poor fit in the titular working-class town, the show really took off in Season 3 when its selfish characters learned to view their new home as a place to adore, not a pit stop on the way back to the big time. It also delivered two of the best romances the small screen has had in the last decade. So here are my 10 favorite episodes. With the exception of one, all of these are bound to put a big smile on your face.

Annie Murphy with uncredited co-stars in Schitt's Creek

10. “Grad Night” (Season 3, Episode 13)
Few sitcoms did better season finales than this show, which will be pretty obvious by the high number of them on this list. While Alexis getting her GED wasn’t my favorite arc, her pride at doing something for herself pushed her to transform from a selfish socialite to a mature, confident CEO. But this episode also contains the first beautiful moment in one of the best romances on television of the past decade: a lovely first kiss between Patrick (Noah Reid) and David.

Dan Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Annie Murphy, and Eugene Levy in Schitt's Creek

9. “Happy Anniversary” (Season 2, Episode 13) 
The moment the show went from good to great. During a rare dinner at somewhere other than Café Tropical, the Roses run into some of their old, snobby friends. What starts as a nice reunion quickly devolves when the asshole couple starts ragging on their new town. Rather than refuse to make waves, Johnny stands up for his adopted home and its inhabitants. It all ends with a joyous dance as the whole family realizes this is now home.

Annie Murphy, Sarah Levy, Emily Hampshire, Noah Reid, Dan Levy, and Catherine O'Hara with uncredited actors in Schitt's Creek

8. “Meet the Parents” (Season 5, Episode 11)
One of the show’s smartest decisions was not to have its LGBTQ+ characters deal with small-town homophobia. This freed them – mostly Patrick and David – to experience all the other (sometimes cliché) issues couples face. In this episode, Patrick’s parents visit for the first time. The awkwardness comes from Johnny and Roland’s innate ability to make things uncomfortable, not from outdated attitudes. When Patrick finally comes out, on his own terms, it’s extremely moving.

Dan Levy and Catherine O'Hara in Schitt's Creek

7. “Open Mic” (Season 4, Episode 6)
Few things have a lower floor than a white guy with a guitar, especially one playing a cover song by a woman. It’s one step above “Anyways, here’s ‘Wonderwall.'” But in this glorious episode – which includes perhaps Moira’s most famous mispronunciation – Patrick closes out Rose Apothecary’s first open mic night with an absolutely heart-melting rendition of Tina Turner’s “The Best.” It truly was.

Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy in Schitt's Creek

6. “The Presidential Suite” (Season 6, Episode 8)
While Johnny and Roland’s dueling Kennedy impressions and Patrick’s unintentional Trump cosplay never fail to make me laugh, what makes this episode so great is Annie Murphy and Dustin Milligan. After their weekend-long reunion is cut to a few short hours, Alexis and Ted make the heart-wrenching decision – over way too much dairy – to go their separate ways. It’s a huge step of maturity for a woman who once sang “I’m a little bit tipsy/When I drive my car.”

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6
Jan

The Best Songs of 2024

Below are my top 50 songs of the year. Check out the Spotify playlist here.

James Bay – “Easy Distraction”

Beyoncé – “16 CARRIAGES”

Bullion feat. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Rare”

Cage the Elephant – “Out Loud”

Ethel Cain – “Punish”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please”

Charli xcx – “360”

Cloud Nothings – “Common Mistake”

The Decemberists – “All I Want Is You”

Deep Red – “Blue Eyes”

Disclosure – “She’s Gone, Dance On”

Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather” 

Father John Misty – “Screamland”

FIT – “liars, cops, and thieves.”

Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding – “Free”

High Vis – “Mind’s a Lie”

Brittany Howard – “Prove It to You”

Iron & Wine feat. Fiona Apple – “All in Good Time”

Jordana – “Like a Dog”

Justice and Tame Impala – “Neverender”

Kaela – “The Herbalist”

Emily Keating feat. David Ramirez – “What If I Don’t”

Khruangbin – “A Love International”

Lenny Kravitz – “Human”

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile”

Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”

Miranda Lambert – “Alimony”

Lecrae – “Die for the Party”

Lego Indiana Jones – “When U Sleep”

Magdalena Bay – “Death & Romance”

MGMT feat. Christine and the Queens – “Dancing in Babylon”

Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”

Pet Shop Boys – “Beauty has laid siege to the city”

Caroline Polachek feat. Weyes Blood – “Butterfly Net”

Jessica Pratt – “Life Is”

Addison Rae – “Diet Pepsi”

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – “Match Point”

Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”

Olivia Rodrigo – “scared of my guitar”

St. Vincent – “Flea”

Still House Plants – “M M M”

Sun Kil Moon – “All the Artists Live in L.A.”

Taylor Swift – “Clara Bow”

TV Girl and George Clanton – “Summer 2000 Baby” / “Take a Trip”

Kamasi Washington feat. André 3000 – “Dream State”

Waxahatchee feat. MJ Lenderman – “Right Back to It”

The Weather Station – “Neon Signs”

WILLOW feat. St. Vincent – “pain for fun”

Jamie xx feat. Robyn – “Life”

“Weird Al” Yankovic – “Polkamania!”

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4
Jan

The Anniversary Albums Project: Best of 2024

New music has lost a lot of hold on me over the last few years. And six years ago I decided that instead of trying to keep up with it all, I’d look back at music history and listen to the albums celebrating milestones. Some of these I’d heard before, but many I had not. This made it much more enjoyable to discover and rediscover classics instead of just whatever was being dumped onto Spotify every Friday.

So below are my top 10s from each year I covered, along with some honorable mentions.

1974

Radio City's Big Star
  1. Big Star – Radio City
  2. Van Morrison – It’s Too Late to Stop Now
  3. Randy Newman – Good Old Boys 
  4. Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark
  5. Sparks – Kimono My House 
  6. Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 
  7. Tangerine Dream – Phaedra 
  8. Kraftwerk – Autobahn 
  9. Roxy Music – Country Life
  10. Brian Eno – Here Come the Warm Jets | Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • Jorge Ben – A Tábua de Esmerelda
  • Cluster – Zuckerzeit 
  • Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco – Celia & Johnny 
  • Al Green – Al Green Explores Your Mind 
  • Gil-Scott Heron & Brian Jackson – Winter in America 
  • Bob Marley and the Wailers – Natty Dread 
  • The Meters – Rejuvenation 
  • Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic
  • Richard & Linda Thompson – I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight 
  • Tom Waits – The Heart of Saturday Night 
  • Barry White – Can’t Get Enough 
  • Stevie Wonder – Fulfillingness’ First Finale 
  • Various Artists – Phantom of the Paradise (Original Soundtrack Recording) 

1984

Prince and the Revolution's Purple Rain
  1. Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain 
  2. The Replacements – Let It Be 
  3. U2 – The Unforgettable Fire 
  4. R.E.M. – Reckoning 
  5. Metallica – Ride the Lightning
  6. Madonna – Like a Virgin 
  7. Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade 
  8. Harold Budd & Brian Eno – The Pearl 
  9. Manuel Göttsching – E2-E4
  10. The Smiths – The Smiths  

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields – Amadeus (Original Soundtrack Recording)
  • The Blue Nile – A Walk Across the Rooftops
  • Bruce Cockburn – Stealing Fire 
  • Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome 
  • Bob Marley and the Wailers – Legend
  • Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime 
  • Pretenders – Learning to Crawl
  • Run-D.M.C. – Run-D.M.C. 
  • Sade – Diamond Life 
  • Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A.
  • The Time – Ice Cream Castle
  • Vienna Art Orchestra – The Minimalism of Erik Satie
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2
Oct

The List: Top 10 ‘Modern Family’ Episodes

Modern Family premiered 15 years ago, launched as part of ABC’s risky attempt to throw on four all-new comedies on the same night. The biggest of the quartet (Hank, starring Kelsey Grammer), didn’t even make it to the winter, while the others (including The Middle and Cougar Town) filmed more than 200 and 100 episodes, respectively. But none of them got the attention and acclaim of this show, which won five consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series. It definitely lost its fastball as it continued, but regularly produced plenty of laughs, right up until the end. Here are the best episodes, with apologies to “Message Received” and the final minutes of “Fulgencio.”

10. “Connection Lost” (Season 6, Episode 16)
While single-camera comedies weren’t yet the default when the show premiered in 2009, Modern Family didn’t really do anything revolutionary with its technique. But in this form-breaking episode, told entirely on Claire’s laptop screen, the show found a brilliant way to keep the cast separate while delivering a layered story complete with great visual gags.

9. “Crazy Train” (Season 7, Episode 21)
Because this was one of the last sitcoms to do full 22-episode seasons for more than a decade, any chance to move beyond the three family homes was a welcome one. On a train ride from L.A. to Portland, the family has brief encounters with numerous passengers. This might be the single most densely plotted episode the show ever did, with a subplot for every single character (though Cam and Phil are paired, as are Mitch and Claire). This could often be the show’s Achilles heel – trying to cram far too much story into 22 minutes – but every story has just enough time to speed by with some great jokes, including a Titanic parody.

8. “Goodnight Gracie” (Season 4, Episode 24)
Death, sadly, is a part of life. And while nearly every grandparent (or great-grandparent) got an emotional farewell episode, none of them hit quite as hard as this season finale. Everyone flies to Florida for the funeral of Phil’s mother. Jay reconnects with an old flame. Cam fits right into the retirement community as the mahjong circuit’s newest gossip queen. And Mitch finds renewed passion for criminal defense. But Phil and Alex have a much harder time. Their final words from the dearly departed confuse and frustrate them, until a powerful finale that made it impossible not to tear up.

7. “Baby on Board” (Season 3, Episode 24)
Extended parodies are hard to pull off, especially if the show doesn’t try them regularly. But this miniature telenovela had just the right amount of shocking reveals and melodrama. Cam and Mitch bring Gloria along to translate with the family of a woman who has agreed to let the couple adopt her new baby. But things aren’t so straightforward at this joyous occasion, with exciting highs and devastating lows for the trio.

6. “Strangers on a Treadmill” (Season 2, Episode 4)
A genius set-up with a perfect payoff. Instead of agreeing to a murder, Mitch and Claire agree to save each other’s spouses from embarrassment without hurting Cam and Phil’s feelings. Much like the Hitchcock movie that inspired its title, things go from bad to worse when one party doesn’t keep up their end of the bargain. This was the sort of sharply scripted and brilliantly acted highlight the show regularly turned out in its early years, and won Julie Bowen her first Emmy.

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25
Sep

Emmy Re-Do: 2014

Apologies for the delays. Between scheduling conflicts and technical difficulties with the site, it took a little longer to get this one out there.

COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – Season 7
Louie (FX) – Season 4
Modern Family (ABC) – Season 5
Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) – Season 1
Silicon Valley (HBO) – Season 1
Veep (HBO) – Season 3

Should have won: Veep
Not even nominated: Community (NBC)

Another ruthless and outstanding from Veep was easily the best of this bunch, as Selina’s began her ignominious presidency. The other nominees were certainly solid, but not nearly as sharp.

And while the fifth season of Community was hardly its best, a rebound from a misbegotten fourth season is much better than whatever Sheldon Cooper and friends were up to.

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Louis C.K., Louie (“Model”)
Don Cheadle, House of Lies (“Wreckage”)
Ricky Gervais, Derek (“Episode 6”)
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes (“Episode Six”)
William H. Macy, Shameless (“Lazarus”)
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (“The Relationship Diremption”)

Should have won: William H. Macy
Not even nominated: Stephen Merchant, Hello Ladies

In a category filled with shows I didn’t watch, this one’s a little tricky. While I never fell in love with Shameless – which still has a large fanbase – there’s no denying William H. Macy’s astonishing performance as the slovenly, alcoholic patriarch of the Gallaghers. He deserved to win at least once.

I was probably the only person to watch Stephen Merchant’s melancholy rom-com Hello Ladies, but he deserved a nomination over any of these gentlemen.

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Lena Dunham, Girls (“Beach House”)
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie (“Super Greens”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (“Crate”)
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly (“Mind over Molly”)
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (“Recall Vote”)
Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black (“The Chickening”)

Should have won: Taylor Schilling
Not even nominated: Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project

Was Orange Is the New Black really a comedy? Honestly, it depends on the season and the episode. In its first season at least, it definitely was. And while JLD deserved every single one of her awards, they should have spread the love. Schilling was the audience surrogate to a world many didn’t know, and she perfectly captured the horror and joy of her new experiences.

This category had a lot of stagnation in this era, one that easily could have been broken up by Mindy Kaling, whose show hit its stride in the second season.

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15
Sep

Emmy Predictions 2024: Drama

FX’s decision to move Shōgun to Drama Series is looking to be a fruitful one, as it’s already racked up the most wins for a show in a single year, and that’s just from the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. I sadly haven’t seen it yet, so while I’m sure it is the crowning achievement everyone has said it is, I’m picking some longtime favorites in the “Should Win” blocks. But of course I wouldn’t have to be doing that if the Academy had nominated The Curse for anything.

DRAMA SERIES
3 Body Problem (Netflix)
The Crown (Netflix)
Fallout (Prime Video)
The Gilded Age (HBO)
The Morning Show (AppleTV+)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)
Shōgun (FX)
Slow Horses (AppleTV+)

Will and probably should win: Shōgun
Could win: The Crown
Should have been nominated: The Curse (Showtime)

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Idris Elba, Hijack
Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Walton Goggins, Fallout
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun
Dominic West, The Crown

Will win: Hiroyuki Sanada
Could win: Gary Oldman
Should win: Dominic West
Should have been nominated: Nathan Fielder, The Curse

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Anna Sawai, Shōgun
Imelda Staunton, The Crown
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Will and should win: Imelda Staunton
Could win: Anna Sawai
Should have been nominated: Emma Stone, The Curse

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