By: Bill Cushing – July, 2013
The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 18th, and every year I like to review the past year in TV and give my Emmy Wish List.
This is my list of performances and shows that I really hope get recognized by the Television Academy. The nominations are certain to include people like Jon Hamm for Mad Men, Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad, and Claire Danes for Homeland, just to name a few. However, there is always that one performance you really want to be recognized. So I may not cover every category, just the ones where I really feel the chances of someone being overlooked exists. So here we go.
Monica Potter, Parenthood, NBC – Monica Potter’s performance as Kristina Braverman and her battle with breast cancer was touching and memorable. Given that this outstanding series has only received one nomination in the past, I’m trying to be optimistic that Potter will get a nod for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series here.
Michael Cudlitz, Southland, TNT – The category of Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is likely to include names like Aaron Paul for Breaking Bad, Mandy Patinkin for Homeland, and Peter Dinklage for Game of Thrones.
This is such a tough category because there literally more than a dozen actors that deserve to be nominated this year. The one performance that I’m really hoping gets recognized this year is Michael Cudlitz as Officer John Cooper in TNT’s Southland. Not only does he deserve a nomination, he deserves to win. This was the best acting job on TV this year, hands down.
Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory, CBS – As far as network shows go, it doesn’t really get any better than The Big Bang Theory. This comedy has surpassed Modern Family over the last couple of seasons as the funniest show on network TV. Kaley Cuoco has really become a stand-out among one of TV’s strongest ensembles.
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel, A&E – As I wrote about in last month’s column, Bates Motel on A&E was one of the more pleasant surprises of this TV season. A very entertaining series. One of the main reasons that it was so enjoyable was the performance of Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates, the mother of the psycho himself, Norman Bates. She steals every scene she is in. Farmiga isn’t just good in this role, she’s… insanely good!
Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead, AMC – So far, The Walking Dead, has yet to garner any major nominations in its first 3 seasons. Not a surprise though because the academy has largely ignored horror/sci-fi series over the years, snubbing shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Fringe. It’s about time The Walking Dead was recognized and Andrew Lincoln is the cast member that deserves to be nominated. Lincoln’s performance as Rick Grimes is the glue that holds this show together. His heartbreaking meltdown after the death of his wife was one of the best acted and most memorable scenes of the year.
Parenthood, NBC & The Walking Dead, AMC – There couldn’t be 2 shows more different than NBC’s Parenthood, and AMC’s The Walking Dead, however they have two things in common. They are both among TV’s Best Drama Series and so far, neither of these shows has received a Best Drama Series nomination. They are long overdue.
Parenthood is coming off its best season to date and no series on TV has more heart. The Walking Dead has defied the odds. Whoever would have thought that a show about a zombie apocalypse could be so good. I still think Breaking Bad should win, but I would love to see these two excellent series get some recognition.
Do you have any questions about TV? Email me at BillsTVTalk@gmail.com. I will answer all of your questions and will feature some of the questions I receive in a future column.
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