An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as an Emmy, is a television production award, but more focused on the entertainment aspect of television. An Emmy is the television equivalent to the Academy Awards for film.
The 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be presented Sept. 23 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Jimmy Kimmel will be the host for his first time. The show will air live on ABC.
Here’s a list of the shows nominated for just a few of the categories. For the complete list, visit the LA Times.
COMEDY SERIES
“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
“Girls” (HBO)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“30 Rock” (NBC)
“Veep” (HBO)
Given that the only one of these comedies I watch regularly is “Modern Family”, I’d like that show to take home the golden trophy. But I know several people that absolutely love “The Big Bang Theory”. Big Bang is about a woman, played by Kaley Cuoco, who moves into an apartment and her neighbors are two brilliant but socially inept physicists. She is their life source to the normal, non-laboratory world.
And for people who don’t watch any of these shows and want to root for the underdog – “Veep” is brand new to HBO, having only aired 8 episodes when nominated. “Veep” stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Elaine from “Seinfeld”; so it has to be comical, right?
“Girls” is another new show to hit the HBO circuit. It’s a comedy about the experiences had by a group of girls in their early 20s; “from relationship trials to career tribulations”. Hey, I’m in my early 20s, maybe I could learn a thing or two from this show – what not to do, who not to do, when to do things – take from their mistakes if you will. Tim Goodman, of The Hollywood Reporter said this show is “one of the most original, spot-on, no-missed-steps series in recent memory.”
DRAMA SERIES
“Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
“Downton Abbey” (PBS)
“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
“Homeland” (Showtime)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
I’m at a loss here. I don’t have HBO as a channel and I don’t watch the other shows listed here. But I do know “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men” are front runners in this category; respectively having won six and 15 Emmys previously.
“Breaking Bad” is a show about a lack-luster chemist turned high school teacher turned crystal meth maker when he is given his death sentence from his doctor; terminal cancer. He risks his career and freedom to provide for his family.
“Mad Men” is an HBO series based in the 1960s. I’ve heard people rant and rave about the job well done getting the era just right. Their wardrobes alone are impressive, not to mention the acting skills it would take to hit a decade that occurred 50 years ago spot on.
Having been around just a couple years, “Downton Abbey” already has a long list of accomplishments as well. The show begins in the years leading up to World War I and follows the Crawley family and their servants. In 2011, the show entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the ‘most critically acclaimed television show’ for the year, becoming the first British show to win the award. It’s sounding as though “Downton Abbey” could be a contender in this category after all.
VARIETY SERIES
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)
“Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
“Real Time With Bill Maher” (HBO)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Is there anyone that thinks “SNL” shouldn’t win? Each week I watch this ‘variety series’, I think the writers are some of the most clever people on the planet. A couple weeks ago I watched a rerun of the episode in which Melissa McCarthy was the host – the first skit, the last one on this linked page, was hysterical.
REALITY PROGRAM
“Antiques Roadshow” (PBS)
“Jamie Oliver’s Food” (ABC)
“MythBusters” (Discovery Channel)
“Shark Tank” (ABC)
“Undercover Boss” (CBS)
“Who Do You Think You Are?” (NBC)
Again, I do not watch any of these shows. However, growing up, I was subjected to the “Antiques Roadshow” – my family was late into the cable-70-channel-television game. I am fairly certain though that the ‘Roadshow’ will not be the winner in this category.
Though, I can appreciate that there aren’t any truly trashy reality series in this category. Could you imagine “The Real Housewives of Orange County” winning an Emmy? I think that would honestly make me question what kind of people live in this country.
I was very intrigued as to what kind of show “Shark Tank” is so I did a little back ground checking. According to ABC, “Shark Tank” is a reality show in which a panel of entrepreneurs and business executives called “Sharks” consider offers from other entrepreneurs seeking investments for their business or product. I couldn’t have been the only one that actual sharks were involved… right?!
REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“Dancing With the Stars” (ABC)
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
“So You Think You Can Dance” (Fox)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Voice” (NBC)
I think the winner in this category will be a toss up between, “Dancing With the Stars”, “So You Think You Can Dance” and “The Voice”. Each of these three draw in a huge audience because there are few people that find dancing or singing talentless. Where on the others, and correct me if I’m wrong, it takes a special interest in cooking or fashion or just the great outdoors to be an avid viewer of those show. However, feel free to hold me to my predictions and comment after the Emmys to set me straight.
Additional reading: Emmy nominations 2012: Which stars and shows were snubbed?
Do you have any television shows you wish would have made the list? Let us know which are your favorites with a comment below.
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