Predicting the Emmy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy

All this week I'll be predicting who will receive Emmy Award nominations, based on the Top 10 lists that were revealed by theenvelope.com. Stay tuned for more categories!

*Who will be nominated
+Who should be nominated

*Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"
+Justin Kirk, "Weeds"
*+Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"
*+John Krasinski, "The Office"
Jack McBrayer, "30 Rock"
+Tracy Morgan, "30 Rock"
*Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"
Fred Willard, "Back to You"
*+Rainn Wilson, "The Office"

Horrible oversights:
Donald Faison, "Scrubs"
Richard Chavira, "Desperate Housewives"

PREDICTING THE EMMY AWARD NOMINEES: ALL CATEGORIES

Year End: Ten Best Non-Reality TV Shows of 2007

I would've imagined I'd have tons of options when considering my ten favorite non-reality shows of the year, but when I sat down to make this list, the well was surprisingly dry. Even some of the shows I included (Weeds, Grey's Anatomy) didn't have perfect seasons, but when looked at in the bigger picture, they still made the cut.

Here's my list...

1. Friday Night Lights
2. Brothers & Sisters
3. Mad Men
4. Damages
5. Lost
6. Weeds
7. Desperate Housewives
8. House
9. The Office
10. Grey's Anatomy

What was your favorite TV show in 2007? Leave a comment and let me know!

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Predicting the Emmys: Best Comedy Series

I'm still giving my predictions for the 2007 Emmy Awards. Who was overlooked? Who should win? And who's gonna win?

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty

Overlooked:
Desperate Housewives
Weeds

Should Win: The Office

Will Win: Ugly Betty

Potential Spoiler: 30 Rock

Two and a Half Men doesn't stand a chance (I hope!) and Entourage didn't have it's strongest season last year, which makes this a three-way race between newbies Betty and Rock and last year's champ The Office. The folks from Dundler-Mifflin deserve to win again, in my opinion, but Betty has charmed so many I'm guessing the ABC dramedy will go home with the award (if for no other reason than to get Salma Hayek onstage to accept). If the voters think giving America Ferrera the Best Actress trophy is enough recognition, however, don't be surprised if 30 Rock sneaks into the winner's circle.

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Predicting the Emmys: Supporting Actress in a Comedy

For the next two weeks, I will be giving my predictions for the 2007 Emmy Awards. Who was overlooked? Who should win? And who's gonna win?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men
Jenna Fischer, The Office
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

Overlooked:
Becki Newton, Ugly Betty
Judy Reyes, Scrubs
Nicolette Sheridan, Desperate Housewives

Should Win: Elizabeth Perkins

Will Win: Vanessa Williams

Potential Spoiler: Holland Taylor

If you removed both of the Two and a Half Men ladies from the equation, I'd be happy seeing the award go to any of the four remaining contenders. The Emmys love classy old dames, though, so don't be surprised if former winner Taylor sneaks into the winners circle. Fischer is the heart and soul of The Office, but her work may be too subtle to compete with the comedians in this category. Perkins is nothing short of extraordinary on Weeds, and no one gets more laughs on Earl than Pressly, but I'm guessing voters will want to reward Williams for her hysterical work as the ultimate bitch Wilhemina on Ugly Betty. At least we know she'll be wearing something fabulous when she accepts the award!

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'The Office' Is Coming to TBS

This goes in the 'who knew?' category -- The Office is coming to TBS!

The American version of the British sitcom will join the comedy line-up on the basic cable station starting Tuesday September 11, with back-to-back episodes of the series' first two offerings at 10PM. Two subsequent episodes will air every Tuesday.

Get ready for some basic cable Jim, Pam, Dwight and Michael!

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What 'The Office' Staff Did This Summer

NBC is featuring a very funny promo for the upcoming season of The Office that features the staffers talking about what they did over the summer.

Season 3 of the show comes out on DVD next week...can't wait!

NBC Announces Fall Premiere Dates

NBC has announced the premiere dates for it's fall season. Here they are!

(New shows are in capital letters)

SEPTEMBER 11
"The Biggest Loser" (8-10 PM)

SEPTEMBER 17
"Deal or No Deal" (8-9 PM)

SEPTEMBER 24
"CHUCK" (8-9 PM)
"Heroes" (9-10 PM)
"JOURNEYMAN" (10-11 PM)

SEPTEMBER 25
"The Singing Bee" (9:30-10 PM)
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (10-11 PM)

SEPTEMBER 26
"Deal or No Deal" (8-9 PM; marks Wednesday debut)
"BIONIC WOMAN" (9-10 PM)
"LIFE" (10-11 PM)

SEPTEMBER 27
"My Name Is Earl" (8-9 PM)
"The Office" (9-10 PM)
"ER" (10-11 PM)

SEPTEMBER 28
"Deal or No Deal" (moves to new day, 8-9 PM)
"Las Vegas" (9-11 PM)

OCTOBER 4
"30 Rock" (8-8:30 PM)

OCTOBER 5
"Friday Night Lights" (9-10 PM)

OCTOBER 25
"Scrubs" (9:30-10 PM)

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Predicting the Emmy Nominations: The Comedies

There's still about a month until this year's Emmy Award nominations are announced, but since the 2006-2007 television season has come to an end, I thought it would be fun to try and predict who will and won't make the cut.

This list actually includes two sets of predictions -- who I think should be nominated, and who I think will be nominated. Last week I looked at the Drama prizes, now it's time for the comedies -- the prizes for Best Comedy, Best Actor and Actress in a Comedy, and Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Comedy. Here goes...

Best Comedy Series
Which of NBC's stellar comedy line-up will make the cut? Will Desperate Housewives sneak onto the list, despite a creatively uneven season? Will Entourage snag a nod?

Should Be Nominated:
30 Rock
Entourage
The Office
Scrubs
Ugly Betty

Will Be Nominated:
30 Rock
Desperate Housewives
My Name is Earl
The Office
Ugly Betty

Best Actor in a Comedy
I would love to see Entourage's Adrian Grenier snag a nomination, but is it really likely to happen? Multiple winner Tony Shaloub, last year's champ Steve Carrell, and tabloid magnet Alec Baldwin's nominations seem like foregone conclusions, but will Extra's Ricky Gervais or Scrubs' Zach Braff make the cut?

Should Be Nominated:
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Zach Braff, Scrubs
Steve Carrell, The Office
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Adrian Grenier, Entourage

Will Be Nominated:
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Zach Braff, Scrubs
Steve Carrell, The Office
Jason Lee, My Name is Earl
Tony Shaloub, Monk

Best Actress in a Comedy
America Ferrera has to be considered the frontrunner in this category, although you can never rule out a Desperate Housewives onslaught (in my opinion Eva Longoria and Felicity Huffman are the worthiest contenders). I think we can also expect a first-time acting nod for Tina Fey, and a return nomination for Mary Louise Parker and last year's winner Julia Louis Dreyfus.

Should Be Nominated:
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Eva Longoria, Desperate Housewives
Mary Louise Parker, Weeds

Will Be Nominated:
Julia Louis Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Mary Louise Parker, Weeds

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
This category is packed full of deserving fellows, including the boys from Entourage and most of the cast of both The Office and Scrubs. With all of the competition, will Neil Patrick Harris get recognized for his hysterical work on How I Met Your Mother?

Should Be Nominated:
Kevin Connolly, Entourage
Donald Faison, Scrubs
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Justin Kirk, Weeds
John Krasinski, The Office

Will Be Nominated:
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Justin Kirk, Weeds
John Krasinski, The Office
Jeremy Piven, Entourage

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Several of the ladies from Ugly Betty could hear their names called on July 19th (Vanessa Williams, Becki Newton, and Rebecca Romaijn, among them), but will Nicolette Sheridan get her first-ever nomination? How about Scrubs' hysterical Judy Reyes, or The Office's Jenna Fischer and Melora Hardin?

Should Be Nominated:
Jenna Fischer, The Office
Becki Newton, Ugly Betty
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Judy Reyes, Scrubs
Nicolette Sheridan, Desperate Housewives

Will Be Nominated:
Jenna Fischer, The Office
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Jamie Pressley, My Name is Earl
Nicolette Sheridan, Desperate Housewives
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

Click to read Predicting the Emmy Nominations: The Dramas

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Idol Thoughts on NBC's Schedule

After this week is over, and all of the networks have presented their fall schedules, I will be giving my thoughts on all the new shows announced by the networks. But, for now, here are some initial thoughts on NBC's schedule (which you can view by clicking here):

-Of course, I am thrilled that Friday Night Lights will be returning (it was far and away my favorite new show of the year). Even though Friday has become a little bit of a wasteland for network shows, I actually think it is a wise move for the show to air on the day of the week featured in it's title (NBC's marketing department must be happy!) and it may actually benefit from the low expectations that come from airing on Friday night. I would have preferred the 9PM slot instead of the 10PM slot, but, hey, the show's coming back, so no complaints here.

-How sad is it that from 12 comedy pilots, NBC could only pick up one, and for midseason no less? They certainly weren't lying when they said the sitcom is dying. Having said that, the Earl/30 Rock/Office/Scrubs is a high quality combo -- if only more people would watch!

-I'm glad to see Law and Order back on the schedule (albeit at midseason), and I'm glad Law and Order: CI (my least favorite of the Law and Order family) is the show moved off-network (to USA). Supposedly the cast of the original L&O will be returning, intact.

-I can't say I'm thrilled (on paper, at least) with the new shows NBC will have in the fall. Bionic Woman sounds like the surest thing, and I'm looking forward to Lipstick Jungle (which will premiere midseason), but the supernatural slant in Journeyman and Chuck seems a bit off-putting to me. Haven't the NBC suits noticed that the ratings for Heroes (unquestionably one of this season's few success stories) have severely declined over the course of the season? These kind of shows are inherently designed for a cult audience, and if NBC is trying to put themselves back on the map, I'm not sure either of these programs will help much.

Life, on the other hand, features a strong cast (Chicago Hope's Adam Arkin, Sleeper Cell's Melissa Sagemiller, The L Word's Sarah Shahi) and an interesting spin on police procedurals.

More on these new shows later in the week...

What do you think of NBC's schedule?

NBC Announces Fall Schedule - Friday Night Lights to Fridays, Law and Order Renewed

From NBC's press release:

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2007-08

*New programs in CAPS (with the exception of "ER")

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
9-10 p.m. "Heroes"
10-11 p.m. "JOURNEYMAN"

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. "The Biggest Loser"
9-10 p.m. "CHUCK"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
9-10 p.m. "BIONIC WOMAN"
10-11 p.m. "LIFE"

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. "My Name Is Earl"
8:30-9 p.m. "30 Rock"
9-9:30 p.m. "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. "Scrubs"
10-11 p.m. "ER"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "1 vs 100"/"THE SINGING BEE"
9-10 p.m. "Las Vegas"
10-11 p.m. "Friday Night Lights"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
9-11 p.m. Drama Series Encores

SUNDAY (Fall 2007)
7-8 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8-11 p.m. "NBC Sunday Night Football"

SUNDAY (January 2008)
7-8 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m. "Medium"
10-11 p.m. "LIPSTICK JUNGLE"

2007-08 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

New Dramas

"JOURNEYMAN"-- From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Kevin Falls ("The West Wing") and Emmy Award-winning director-producer Alex Graves ("The West Wing"), "Journeyman" is a romantic mystery-drama about Dan Vasser (Kevin McKidd, "Rome"), a San Francisco newspaper reporter and family man who inexplicably begins to travel through time and change people's lives. Along the way, he also must deal with the difficulties and strife at work and home brought on by his sudden disappearances. However, his freewheeling travels through the decades reunite him with his long-lost fiance Livia (Moon Bloodgood, "Day Break") -- which complicates his present-day life with wife Katie (Gretchen Egolf, "Martial Law") and their son. Reed Diamond ("Homicide: Life on the Street") and Charles Henry Wyson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") also star. "Journeyman" is a production of 20th Century Fox Television. Falls is executive producer and writer; Graves is executive producer and director of the pilot.

"CHUCK" - From executive producer, Josh Schwartz ("The O.C.") and executive producer-director McG ("Charlie's Angels," "We Are Marshall") comes a one-hour, comedic spy thriller about Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi, "Less Than Perfect") - a computer geek who is catapulted into a new career as the government's most vital secret agent. When Chuck opens an e-mail subliminally encoded with government secrets, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data into his brain. Now, the fate of the world lies in the unlikely hands of a guy who works at Buy More. Instead of fighting computer viruses, he must fight assassins and international terrorists. With the government's most precious secrets in Chuck's head, Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin, "My Bodyguard") of the NSA assumes the responsibility of protecting him. His partner is the CIA's top agent (and Chuck's first date in years) Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strzechowski, "Gone"). They'll keep him safe by trading in his pocket protector for a bulletproof vest. Also starring are Joshua Gomez ("Without a Trace") as Chuck's best buddy Morgan and Sarah Lancaster ("What About Brian?") as Chuck's ever-supportive sister Ellie. Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak wrote "Chuck," which is produced by College Hill Pictures and Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television.

"BIONIC WOMAN" - Struggling as a bartender and surrogate mom to her teenage sister, Jaime Sommers (Michelle Ryan, "EastEnders") didn't think life could get much harder. But when a devastating car accident leaves her at death's door, Jaime's only hope for survival is a cutting-edge, top-secret technology that comes at a hefty price. With a whole new existence and a debt to re-pay, Jaime must figure out how to use her extraordinary abilities for good, while weighing the personal sacrifices she will have to make. Ultimately, it's Jaime's journey of self-discovery and inner strength that will help her embrace her new life as the Bionic Woman. Also starring are: Mae Whitman ("State of Grace") as Becca, Jaime's younger sister; Miguel Ferrer ("Crossing Jordan") as Jonas, the man who employs Jaime's boyfriend; Chris Bowers ("Rescue Me) as Will, Jaime's boyfriend, who performs the operation; Will Yun Lee ("Witchblade") as Jae, the specialized operations leader; and Molly Price ("Third Watch"), as Ruth, Jonas' second-in-command. "Bionic Woman" is produced by NBC Universal Television Studio and executive-produced by David Eick ("Battlestar Galactica"), Glen Morgan ("The X-Files"), Michael Dinner ("Kidnapped") -- who also directed the pilot -- and Jason Smilovic ("Lucky Number Slevin"). Laeta Kalogridis ("Birds of Prey") is also an executive producer on the pilot.

"LIFE" -- From Rand Ravich and Far Shariat, the executive producers of the feature film "The Astronaut's Wife," and David Semel, who directed the pilot of NBC's "Heroes," "Life" is a new drama about a detective who is given a second chance. Damian Lewis ("Band of Brothers") stars as complex, offbeat Detective Charlie Crews, who returns to the force after years in prison, thanks to close friend and attorney Constance Griffiths (Melissa Sagemiller, "Sleeper Cell"), after serving time for a crime he didn't commit. The cast also includes Sarah Shahi ("Rush Hour 3") as Charlie's skeptical, demanding partner, Robin Weigart (HBO's "Deadwood") as their hard-hitting lieutenant, and Adam Arkin ("Chicago Hope") as former cellmate Ted Early. "Life" is an NBC Universal Television Studio production. Rand Ravich is executive producer and writer; Far Shariat is executive producer; David Semel is executive producer and director on the pilot

"LIPSTICK JUNGLE" - Based on the best-selling novel by Candace Bushnell ("Sex and the City"), this fun dramedy follows three high-powered friends as they weather the ups and downs of lives lived at the top of their game. Nico (Kim Raver, "24"), editor-in-chief of a hot fashion magazine, wants to replace her boss as CEO. Movie exec Wendy (Brooke Shields, "Suddenly Susan") finds even her most earnest efforts may not be enough to balance career and family. And free-spirited designer Victory (Lindsay Price, "Beverly Hills, 90210") longs to make her dreams come true, and maybe find Mr. Right along the way. Armed with humor and strength, these three modern New York women support one another through the triumphs and tears that are all part of making it big in the Big Apple. Written by executive producers DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler (both for "How I Met Your Mother," "Three Sisters") and based on the book by Bushnell, "Lipstick Jungle" is from NBC Universal Television Studio. The pilot is directed by Gary Winick ("13 Going on 30").

New Comedy Series

"THE IT CROWD" - Ever wonder what's up with those quirky techies who come to fix the office computer when no one's around? "The IT Crowd" is an offbeat series, based on the critically acclaimed British comedy, that offers a humorous behind-the-scenes peek at the people who truly keep the office humming. Roy (Joel McHale, "The Soup") and Moss (Richard Ayoade, "The IT Crowd" -- U.K.) are the misunderstood masters of their high-tech domain, but they lack the people skills to befriend anyone but each other. Their company's head is Denholm (Rocky Carrol, "Chicago Hope"), who wants the IT department to stay segregated and forever banished to the basement. Executive producers are Moses Port ("Just Shoot Me"), David Guarascio ("Just Shoot Me"), Joe Port (NBC's "The Office"), Joe Wiseman ("The Office"), Graham Linehan ("The IT Crowd" -- UK) and Steve Tao ("Red Doors"). Gail Mancuso ("Scrubs," "30 Rock") directed the pilot. "The IT Crowd" is produced by NBC Universal Television Studio.

New Alternative Series

"THE SINGING BEE" - "The Singing Bee" is a variety-competition show that challenges contestants to accurately sing the lyrics to popular songs -- even when the band stops playing. In this karaoke showdown, there's no middle ground for partially correct answers -- contestants must be perfect or they're out. Family-friendly, broad in appeal and conducive to playing (and singing) along at home, "The Singing Bee" features popular, recognizable music that inspires hilarious wrong answers and amazing performances by those rare contestants who somehow manage to get every word right. "The Singing Bee" is produced by the Gurin Company and Juma Entertainment, LLC. The executive producers are Phil Gurin (NBC's "Miss Universe" franchise) and Robert C. Horowitz ("Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials Top 40 Countdown").

"WORLD MOVES" -- From executive producer Randy Jackson ("American Idol") and the creators of the World Hip Hop Championship comes one of the most visual and captivating performance competition shows ever to hit TV. Thousands of dance teams from around the world will audition for their shot to come to Los Angeles and compete for a global championship and an international touring contract. The live television event features young teams of five to seven members demonstrating their athleticism, creativity and innovative choreography in a presentation that highlights both the competition and the personal drama unfolding within each team. Viewers from across the globe will vote via the Internet, by text message, or by phone to eliminate one team each week. Ultimately, it's not just about winning a competition; "World Moves" involves stories that change lives and bring the world together. From Warner Horizon Television, the series is executive-produced by Jackson ("American Idol," Dream Merchant 21 Entertainment), Rob Lee (President, Bayonne Entertainment, "Blow Out," "House of Carters"), Howard Schwartz ("Hip Hop International, World Hip Hop Championship), Karen Schwartz (Hip Hop International, World Hip Hop Championship) and Harriet Sternberg (Dream Merchant 21 Entertainment).

There's No Crying at 'The Office'

Note: This post is not related to American Idol...from time to time, I'm going to throw in my thoughts on the world of television, movies, and theater. Hey, its my blog, I can do what I want!

So, I just finished watching Season 2 of 'The Office." I was very resistant to even watching the show in the first place, since I'm not a big fan of sitcoms, but from episode 1 this show won me over. I mean, its comic genius, it really is. Steve Carell is brilliant, and Rainn Wilson as Dwight is always good for a hoot and a holler. Among other things I'm kind of obsessed with Dwight and Angela's secret love affair, Michael's obsession with Ryan, and anything and everything that Stanley does. This show literally makes me laugh out loud.

But what really sucked me in was Jim and Pam (the effortlessly appealing Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski). Their journey, from innocent office-place flirtation to Jim's declaration of love and the instant-classic kiss at the end of Season 2's finale, was alternately giddiness-inducing and totally heartbreaking. Even though I had read ad nauseam about "the kiss," I was still totally blown away, and as tears welled up in Jim's eyes when he finally told Pam about his feelings for her, I found myself grabbing for a tissue as well. This is one of the best portrayals of will-they-or-won't-they that I have ever seen.

I haven't watched any of Season 3's episodes, but I'm sure complications are bound to rise up. But for now I'm in a bit of Jim-and-Pam heaven.

Side note: I know, I know, I need to watch the British version. Maybe I'll get around to it at some point. But for now, I'm so ensconced in the US branches of Dunder Miflin that I don't want anything to taint that. Sue me.