Tuesday, October 27, 2015

On Fandom

I turned 27 this past May. During my 27 years, I have rooted for 4 teams, one in each of the 4 major American sports leagues: the Mets in the MLB, the Jets in the NFL, the Knicks in the NBA, and the Islanders in the NHL. If you know a bit about sports, you may realize that none of those sports teams have won a championship in my lifetime.

The Jets won their one and only Super Bowl in 1969, 19 years before I was born. They have never even made another Super Bowl. In my lifetime, they have gone back and forth between being highly competitive (they played in the AFC Championship Game in 1998, 2006, and 2007) and a ridiculous joke (Bill Belichick resigning as head coach after 1 day to take the Patriots job, the "butt fumble," any of several Rex Ryan stories). But they have not won a championship in my lifetime.

The Knicks won the NBA title in in 1970 and again in 1973, 15 years before I was born. They have made two NBA finals in my lifetime; a dramatic 1994 finals against the Rockets in the first of the two mid-Jordan years, which was famously overshadowed by the O.J. Simpson car chase, and a quick loss to the first Duncan Spurs title team in the strike shortened 1999 season. They have been largely a punchline since then, highlighted by the sexual misconduct filled Isiah Thomas years. And they have never won a championship in my lifetime.

The Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups in 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983, the last of which was 5 years before I was born. The have made the playoffs eight times in the 27 years I have been alive, but have only won two postseason series, both in 1993. They have also been a joke, with their low attendance in their decrepit, if beloved, Coliseum,  and an offseason which had them hire a new GM, fire the GM just over a month later, and hire their backup goalie at the time as their new GM. And they have never won a championship in my lifetime.

The Mets won their first World Series in 1969 and their second in 1986, 2 years before I was born. The Mets spent most of the early 1990s as a bad team before peaking in the late 90s and losing in the World Series to the crosstown Yankees in 2000. They were the best team in baseball in 2006 but lost the NLCS in game 7 with the bases loaded. They followed that with historic collapses in 2007 and 2008 and the discovery that Bernie Madoff had destroyed the owners' finances. And they have never won a championship in my lifetime.

Tonight the Mets play in the first game of the World Series, against the Kansas City Royals. The Mets had not been in the postseason since 2006, and the World Series since 2000. 

I do not know if, a week from now, the Mets will have won the World Series. I have guesses and predictions, but I also know that in 27 years of fandom, none of my teams have ever won. I desperately want the Mets to win, but I also wonder how it will feel. For so long, I've defined a part of myself as this guy whose teams never win. I'm not saying it's a major part of my character or personality, but I also think it would be one of my first week's facts if I were a contestant on Jeopardy.

It is hard to understand why we put so much into a sports team, into a piece of laundry. There is no real reason for it. I root for these four teams because my parents root for these four teams. New York is not Cleveland; it is not a cursed sports city. Change my family a little bit and I could have, in my lifetime, 5 Yankees World Series wins, 3 Giants Super Bowl titles, 1 Rangers Stanley Cup, and a Nets...well the Nets wouldn't be an improvement. That's not even if I had lived somewhere else. It's just the luck of rooting for different teams from the same place.

Maybe the Mets win the World Series and I change my whole view of fandom. Maybe they lose, and I go another 27 years with no teams coming close. The unknown is why I keep watching. The expectation of losing is what makes it my fandom.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

2015 Emmy Predictions

Here are my 2015 Emmy predictions. My original plan was for each major category I would list why each actual nominee will win, and why they'll lose, who I want to win, and who I think will win. But Blogspot failed to save a bunch after I wrote them, so now I have that for the series categories, and brief, general thoughts and picks on each series acting category, and picks of who will win the other categories:

Outstanding Comedy Series
Louie:
Why It Will Win- Over the past 7 Emmys, only three shows have won comedy writing Emmys- Modern Family (twice), 30 Rock (thrice), and Louie (twice). In that same period of time, the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy has only gone to winners of that award- 30 Rock twice, and Modern Family five times. So Louie fits right in.
Why It Will Lose- Louie is in its fifth season and has already lost to Modern Family in this category twice. You need to go back to Everybody Loves Raymond in 2003 to find a show that won its first Comedy Series Emmy later than its 2nd season. If it was going to happen for Louie, it probably would have happened. Also, while cable dominates in drama, a cable comedy has only won the Comedy Series Emmy once, Sex and the City in 2001.

Modern Family:
Why It Will Win- It has literally never lost. Modern Family has won this award in each of its five seasons, even as its other nominations and wins have dropped.
Why It Will Lose- No series has ever won six series Emmys before, comedy or drama, consecutive or not. Only Frasier had won five, prior to Modern Family. Do Emmy voters really want to anoint Modern Family the winningest television series of all time?

Parks and Recreation:
Why It Will Win- The Emmys like final seasons. In the past decade, series Emmys have gone to the final seasons of Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Everybody Loves Raymond. This is a chance to send off a beloved series with a trophy.
Why It Will Lose- Unlike Breaking Bad*, The Sopranos, and Everybody Loves Raymond, Parks and Recreation has never won a series Emmy before. In fact, it's never won ANY Emmy before. It's only been nominated in this category once before, for the great third season. Bringing it back into the category is the send off that Parks is getting.

*Okay, technically Breaking Bad never won a series Emmy before its final season, thanks to the split fifth season. Still, Breaking Bad won prior to the award honoring its conclusion.

Silicon Valley:
Why It Will Win- Last year's surprise nominee comes off a buzzier second season, now armed with Director's and Writer's Guild nominations, a Golden Globe nomination, and a Critic's Choice win. And HBO is the only cable channel to win in this category.
Why It Will Lose- Even with the buzz and the other awards support, Silicon Valley actually has two fewer nominations this year than it had last year. The last show to win the Comedy Series Emmy without an acting nominee was The Wonder Years in 1988.

Transparent:
Why It Will Win- It won the Golden Globe for Comedy Series and leads all comedy series in nominations. It also won the Satellite and Director's Guild Awards. It's about a buzzy topic, and three of the past five series to win the Comedy Series Emmy won it in their first season.
Why It Will Lose- The Television Academy is not necessarily the most progressive group in the world, and for Transparent that can be a factor not only in subject matter, but in medium as well. No streaming show has won a series Emmy, and Amazon Studio's only Emmy win was a Daytime Emmy for preschool series Tumble Leaf earlier this year. And is it a comedy?

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt:
Why It Will Win- Tina Fey and Robert Carlock's last collaboration yielded Emmy wins in Comedy Series for its first three seasons. It's also flashy and new- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt debuted in March, 2015, 13 months after the pilot of fellow rookie nominee Transparent first became available.
Why It Will Lose- 30 Rock won three series Emmys, but they were all before Modern Family. It has the same streaming issue as Transparent, and does not have the advantage of voters feeling like they're making a statement by picking it. And while the series picked up several nominations, lead Ellie Kemper was passed over in favor of the lead of a different, non-nominated Netflix series.

Veep:
Why It Will Win- Veep has been building every year. The series and star Julia Louis-Dreyfus were nominated from season one, adding supporting players Tony Hale and Anna Chlumsky for season two, writing for season three, and directing this year. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won for Lead Actress every season so far.
Why It Will Lose- Like Louie, Veep has had several chances to dethrone Modern Family, to no avail. In fact, just re-read the Louie section with minor alterations- Veep is only in its fourth season, but it has already been nominated in this category three times before this year.

Who Should Win- Parks and Recreation. A fantastic final season of a great show deserves the send off.

Who Will Win- Modern Family. It's probably going to lose either this year or next year, but I'll say it gets the record. There's no other obvious pick.

Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul:
Why It Will Win- It's sort of the incumbent. The Breaking Bad spinoff takes the slot of the two time defending champion, and features largely the same creative team and a handful of the same actors. 
Why It Will Lose- Lou Grant was the last spinoff series to win the Emmy for Drama Series, in 1980, and even that was not a spinoff of a drama. Star Trek: The Next Generation and Boston Legal were both nominated, but never won. Better Call Saul is not Breaking Bad, and voters will likely not treat it as season 6.

Downton Abbey:
Why It Will Win- It still has some awards buzz. Downton Abbey surprisingly took the drama ensemble SAG award this year, and while that is by no means a precursor, it has agreed with the Emmy Drama Series winner four of the past seven years.
Why It Will Lose- Nobody cares about Downton Abbey anymore. Most of the buzz the show got this past year was about Maggie Smith saying she was leaving, the producers saying Maggie Smith wasn't leaving, and then the announcement that the show was ending. It hasn't won in its three years in this category, and Maggie Smith isn't even nominated this year.

Game of Thrones:
Why It Will Win- It has the most nominations, by a good margin, with 24. It has more acting nominations than it ever has before, with Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, and Diana Rigg. It has high ratings, critical buzz, HBO prestige, and it's the nominated series to air most closely to the voting period.
Why It Will Lose- It's been here every season and not only has it never won, it has lost to three different series, including two nominated this year. Additionally, no fantasy show has ever won in this category before. 

Homeland:
Why It Will Win- It also has a claim as a sort of incumbent, as the most recent series to win that's in this category. Homeland was the first show to beat Mad Men, and topped Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones in 2012 as well. It also got some critical praise for a rebound season.
Why It Will Lose- Homeland may have won in 2012, but it was not even nominated in 2014. The seven nominees in this category have combined for 27 seasons, and 24 of those seasons have been nominated in this category; the three seasons that were not nominated were Downton Abbey season 1 (nominated as a miniseries), Orange is the New Black season 1 (nominated as a comedy), and Homeland season 4 (not nominated at all.

House of Cards:
Why It Will Win- It has never lost to anything except Breaking Bad, and Breaking Bad is gone. Since its debut, there has been a large sense that House of Cards is the kind of prestige show made for Emmy wins, and with the Drama Series (and lead actor) spot open, now is its shot.
Why It Will Lose- It has yet to win much of anything. For its first two seasons, the awards haul for House of Cards has been Emmys for Directing, Casting, Cinematography, and Sound Mixing, a Writers Guild Award for New Series, Golden Globes for Best Actor and Actress, a Satellite Award for Best Actress, and a SAG Award for Best Actor. It's never won a Best Series award in any award show.

Mad Men:
Why It Will Win- Like Parks and Recreation, a beloved series in its final season, and this one has won the series Emmy four times before. It's back as a double nominee in the Writing category again after failing to get nominated either of the two previous seasons.
Why It Will Lose- Mad Men won the series Emmy for its first four seasons. Since then, it has failed to win an Emmy in any category, with decreasing nominations every year. And no drama series has ever won five series Emmys before.

Orange is the New Black:
Why It Will Win- It has momentum. It has had new episodes more recently than any of the other nominees. The fact that those episodes are not the ones that are nominated has little effect; people were talking about Orange while voting took place.
Why It Will Lose- It has been a long time since the nominated episodes of Orange did air. And it could not win against a weaker comedy field last year, this year's drama is a much tougher competition. And like Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and House of Cards, it needs to break the streaming ceiling.

Who Should Win- Mad Men. I actually preferred this season of Orange is the New Black to Mad Men, but it feels like Mad Men should win this.

Who Will Win- Mad Men. I have no confidence in this, and I wouldn't be surprised if its the show's only win of the night.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
The Contenders:
Louis C.K., Louie
Will Forte, Last Man on Earth
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
The Dark Horse:
William H. Macy, Shameless
The Long Shots:
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

C.K., Cheadle, and LeBlanc are frequent also-rans in this category behind the not-nominated Jim Parsons, but the extent of Louie nominations over those for the Showtime shows make him seem closer. Anderson was a bit of a surprise nominee, so it feels like the other two newbies join frequent Emmy winner C.K. as the favorites.

Who Should Win- Jeffrey Tambor. Transparent, almost all of which I watched last night, was not my favorite series, but Tambor's performance was exceptional.

Who Will Win- Jeffrey Tambor. One of several acting categories with no incumbent gets saved with a great performance joining the class.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
The Contenders:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
The Dark Horse:
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
The Long Shots:
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback

The Emmys love both Louis-Dreyfus and Tomlin, but much of the talk of this year has been the Amys, with Poehler's Parks finale and Schumer's explosion in the culture. Could Schumer ride Trainwreck to an Emmy in this category the way that Melissa McCarthy rode Bridesmaids a few years ago? 

Who Should Win- Amy Poehler. The always deserving SNL alum finally got some recognition for her role as Leslie Knope at the 2014 Golden Globes, but she deserves an Emmy for this show.

Who Will Win- Julia Louis-Dreyfus. There's no reason to believe she will not win this award.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

The Contenders:
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
The Dark Horse:
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
The Long Shots:
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan

Three men could claim incumbency to this award- Odenkirk has the followup role to Bryan Cranston's 2014 winner, Daniels was the most recent of these nominees to win, in 2013, and Chandler is the only nominee to win this award in his most recent nomination, although for a different role on a different show back in 2011. Hamm has been waiting for his time, losing Cranston (x4), Chandler, Daniels, and Damian Lewis over the run of Mad Men. And hey, Liev Schreiber is here!

Who Should Win- Jon Hamm. It's time.

Who Will Win- Kevin Spacey. It feels like he's just been biding time for Cranston to go away so he can win his Emmy and let House of Cards end.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

The Contenders:
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
The Dark Horse:
Claire Danes, Homeland
The Long Shots:
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Robin Wright, House of Cards

After years of critics calling her a snub, Maslany's nomination is her win. This looked like Davis' to lose through the winter, but Empire could be inescapable. And never count out Emmy favorite Danes.

Who Should Win- Elisabeth Moss. This maybe wasn't Moss' best season, but it was the season of this.

Who Will Win- Viola Davis. The one thing that, to me, gives Davis the edge is the success of Shonda actresses in the early days of Grey's Anatomy.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

The Contenders:
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Tony Hale, Veep
The Dark Horse:
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
The Long Shots:
Adam Driver, Girls
Keegan-Michael Key, Key and Peele

Braugher is an Emmy favorite on a show starring this year's Emmy host, but the show's lack of support elsewhere makes him weak, even as a contender. This is probably Burrell vs. Hale, unless the voting block goes all in on Kimmy Schmidt.

Who Should Win- Andre Braugher. There's a pretty good reason Braugher is an Emmy favorite.

Who Will Win- Ty Burrell. Modern Family isn't going to disappear entirely.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Contenders:
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Allison Janney, Mom
The Dark Horse:
Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
The Long Shots:
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Gaby Hoffman, Transparent
Niecy Nash, Getting On

This probably comes down to Bowen and Janney, two Emmy favorites. But if Veep has a big night, Chlumsky could grab this, and same with Krakowski for Kimmy Schmidt. And if there's a desire to honor SNL's big 40th season, McKinnon could sneak in.

Who Should Win- Kate McKinnon. McKinnon does not dominate SNL the same way that Kristen Wiig did, but she does so many things exceptionally well.

Who Will Win- Allison Janney. Perhaps her loss in the guest acting category is a sign of things to come, but I'm not sure there is any other reason to bet against her.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
The Contenders:
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
The Dark Horse:
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
The Long Shots:
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife

Banks has the episode to submit, and should have won two years ago when he was beaten by Bobby Cannavale. If Breaking Bad's Emmy success is going to continue through to Better Call Saul, this will be the place. But Mendehlson got rave reviews, and if this is House of Cards's year Kelly could take it.

Who Should Win- Jonathan Banks. Seriously, did you see "Five-O"?

Who Will Win- Jonathan Banks. Better Call Saul is not Breaking Bad, but this is the one spot where the success will continue.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
The Contenders:
Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
The Dark Horse:
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
The Long Shots:
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey

To call Emmy favorite Baranski and defending Golden Globe winner Froggatt long shots is probably foolish. Aduba won last year, but that was as a guest star in a comedy, albeit the same role in the same show. Headey and Clarke both failed to win when they were nominated separately each of the past two years, how will two nominees from the show affect this category?

Who Should Win- Uzo Aduba. Aduba's Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" is one of the most fascinating performances on television, comedic or dramatic.

Who Will Win- Uzo Aduba. Another category where I have no confidence, let's go with the woman with the Emmy statuette for her role before.

Who Will Win The Other Awards
Outstanding Variety Talk Series: 
Who Will Win- The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series: 
Who Will Win- Inside Amy Schumer.
Outstanding Limited Series: 
Who Will Win- Olive Kitteridge.
Outstanding Reality-Competition Series: 
Who Will Win- The Amazing Race.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: 
Who Will Win- Mark Rylance, Wolf Hall.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: 
Who Will Win- Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: 
Who Will Win- Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: 
Who Will Win- Mo'Nique, Bessie.
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: 
Who Will Win- The Last Man on Earth.
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: 
Who Will Win- The Knick.
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series: 
Who Will Win- The Colbert Report.
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special: 
Who Will Win- Olive Kitteridge.
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: 
Who Will Win- Transparent.
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: 
Who Will Win- Mad Men ("Person to Person").
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series: 
Who Will Win- The Colbert Report.
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special: 
Who Will Win- American Crime.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
ActorShow
2013-14 Nominees
Aaron PaulBreaking Bad
Jim CarterDownton Abbey
Josh CharlesThe Good Wife
Peter DinklageGame of Thrones
Mandy PatinkinHomeland
Jon VoightRay Donovan
2014-15 Predictions
Jonathan BanksBetter Call Saul
Jim CarterDownton Abbey
Peter DinklageGame of Thrones
Mandy PatinkinHomeland
John SlatteryMad Men
Jon VoightRay Donovan
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Alan CummingThe Good Wife
But I’m Probably Missing
Ben MendelsohnBloodline
Joe MortonScandal
But Ideally
Vincent KartheiserMad Men
Michael McKeanBetter Call Saul
And the Winner Will Be
Jonathan BanksBetter Call Saul
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
ActorShow
2013-14 Nominees
Anna GunnBreaking Bad
Christine BaranskiThe Good Wife
Joanne FroggattDownton Abbey
Lena HeadeyGame of Thrones
Christina HendricksMad Men
Maggie SmithDownton Abbey
2014-15 Predictions
Uzo AdubaOrange is the New Black
Christine BaranskiThe Good Wife
Lena HeadeyGame of Thrones
Christina HendricksMad Men
January JomesMad Men
Maggie SmithDownton Abbey
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Lorraine ToussaintOrange is the New Black
But I’m Probably Missing
Joanne FroggattDownton Abbey
Sissy SpacekBloodline
But Ideally
Kate MulgrewOrange is the New Black
Olivia MunnThe Newsroom
And the Winner Will Be
Uzo AdubaOrange is the New Black
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
ActorShow
2013-14 Nominees
Ty BurrellModern Family
Fred ArmisenPortlandia
Andre BraugherBrooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam DriverGirls
Jesse Tyler FergusonModern Family
Tony HaleVeep
2014-15 Predictions
Andre BraugherBrooklyn Nine-Nine
Ty BurrellModern Family
Jesse Tyler FergusonModern Family
Tony HaleVeep
Hugh LaurieVeep
Martin SheenGrace and Frankie
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Fred ArmisenPortlandia
But I’m Probably Missing
Ed O'NeillModern Family
Eric StonestreetModern Family
But Ideally
Nick OffermanParks and Recreation
Chris PrattParks and Recreation
And the Winner Will Be
Jesse Tyler FergusonModern Family
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
ActorShow
2013-14 Nominees
Allison JanneyMom
Mayim BialikThe Big Bang Theory
Julie BowenModern Family
Anna ChlumskyVeep
Kate McKinnonSaturday Night Live
Kate MulgrewOrange is the New Black
2014-15 Predictions
Mayim BialikThe Big Bang Theory
Julie BowenModern Family
Anna ChlumskyVeep
Allison JanneyMom
Jane KrakowskiUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Merritt WeverNurse Jackie
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Kate McKinnonSaturday Night Live
But I’m Probably Missing
Judith LightTransparent
Sofia VergaraModern Family
But Ideally
January JonesThe Last Man on Earth
Cecily StrongSaturday Night Live
And the Winner Will Be
Jane KrakowskiUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
ActorShow
2013-14 Nominees
Bryan CranstonBreaking Bad
Jeff DanielsThe Newroom
Jon HammMad Men
Woody HarrelsonTrue Detective
Matthew McConaugheyTrue Detective
Kevin SpaceyHouse of Cards
2014-15 Predictions
Jeff DanielsThe Newsroom
Jon HammMad Men
Terrence HowardEmpire
Bob OdenkirkBetter Call Saul
Clive OwenThe Knick
Kevin SpaceyHouse of Cards
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Timothy OlyphantJustified
But I’m Probably Missing
Kyle ChandlerBloodline
James SpaderThe Blacklist
But Ideally
Steve BuscemiBoardwalk Empire
Matthew RhysThe Americans
And the Winner Will Be
Jon HammMad Men
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
ActorShow
2013-14 Nominees
Julianna MarguliesThe Good Wife
Lizzy CaplanMasters of Sex
Claire DanesHomeland
Michelle DockeryDownton Abbey
Kerry WashingtonScandal
Robin WrightHouse of Cards
2014-15 Predictions
Claire DanesHomeland
Viola DavisHow to Get Away with Murder
Michelle DockeryDownton Abbey
Taraji P. HensonEmpire
Taylor SchillingOrange is the New Black
Robin WrightHouse of Cards
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Julianna MarguliesThe Good Wife
But I’m Probably Missing
Lizzy CaplanMasters of Sex
Ruth WilsonThe Affair
But Ideally
Elisabeth MossMad Men
Keri RussellThe Americans
And the Winner Will Be
Taraji P. HensonEmpire
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
ActorShow
2013-14 Nominees
Jim ParsonsThe Big Bang Theory
Louis C.K.Louie
Don CheadleHouse of Lies
Ricky GervaisDerek
Matt LeBlancEpisodes
William H. MacyShameless
2014-15 Predictions
Louis C.K.Louie
Don CheadleHouse of Lies
Matt LeBlancEpisodes
William H. MacyShameless
Jim ParsonsThe Big Bang Theory
Jeffrey TamborTransparent
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Anthony Andersonblack-ish
But I’m Probably Missing
Billy CrystalThe Comedians
Thomas MiddleditchSilicon Valley
But Ideally
Will ForteThe Last Man on Earth
Andy SambergBrooklyn Nine-Nine
And the Winner Will Be
Jeffrey TamborTransparent
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
ActorShow
2013-14 Nominees
Julia Louis-DreyfusVeep
Lena DunhamGirls
Edie FalcoNurse Jackie
Melissa McCarthyMike & Molly
Amy PoehlerParks and Recreteation
Taylor SchillingOrange is the New Black
2014-15 Predictions
Edie FalcoNurse Jackie
Jane FondaGrace and Frankie
Ellie KemperUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Julia Louis-DreyfusVeep
Amy PoehlerParks and Recreation
Lily TomlinGrace and Frankie
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Gina RodriguezJane the Virgin
But I’m Probably Missing
Lisa KudrowThe Comeback
Melissa McCarthyMike & Molly
But Ideally
Mindy KalingThe Mindy Project
Amy SchumerInside Amy Schumer
And the Winner Will Be
Julia Louis-DreyfusVeep

Drama Series
Show
2013-14 Nominees
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mad Men
True Detective
2014-15 Predictions
Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey
Empire
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mad Men
Orange is the New Black
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
The Good Wife
But I’m Probably Missing
Bloodline
Homeland
But Ideally
The Americans
Parenthood
And the Winner Will Be
Mad Men
Comedy Series
Show
2013-14 Nominees
Modern Family
The Big Bang Theory
Louie
Orange is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Veep
2014-15 Predictions
The Big Bang Theory
Grace and Frankie
Louie
Modern Family
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Silicon Valley
Veep
If the 2% Rule Comes Into Play
Girls
But I’m Probably Missing
The Comeback
Jane the Virgin
But Ideally
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Parks and Recreation
And the Winner Will Be
Modern Family