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Emmys Dream Ballot+Predictions-Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

7 Sep

Welcome to my coverage of the 2013 Primetime Emmys. As it’s less than a month away, I’ve decided to start a series in which I offer up my dream ballot for each major category. Then, I’ll look at the actual Emmy ballot and offer a “Who should win?” and a “Who Will Win?” for each. I hope you enjoy! Today, we’ll be looking at….

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Dream Ballot

 Monica-Potter-of-Parenthood_gallery_primary MONICA POTTER, “Parenthood”
Potter’s arc in the past season is one that has been done to death in various television shows and movies, but she brings a new kind of vulnerability and complexity to it. Kristina Braverman is just searching for normalcy, and she can make you laugh and cry all at once.
emmy-watch-rectify  ABIGAIL SPENCER, “Rectify”
Spencer plays Amantha Holden, the sister of a man that’s been recently released from jail. She reaches out to him, trying to get through his hard exterior. Her quiet desperation and genuine love for him is beautiful to watch unfold, and their relationship is mesmerizing (just like Abigail Spencer).
196217268_1772603609001_AMC-InsideBB-S5-MakingOfEp504-FiftyOne  ANNA GUNN, “Breaking Bad”
Being the wife of a criminal mastermind is not an easy thing. Gunn is excellent at portraying the shock, confusion, and helplessness of Skyler White, to the point where her character almost gives up. Her performance in “Fifty-One” is one of the most heartbreaking and intense performances ever given.
Game-of-Thrones-Season-3-Catelyn-Stark  MICHELLE FAIRLEY, “Game of Thrones”
Cast members like Emilia Clarke get more recognition, but Fairley is the stand out in season 3. It’s a quieter, less showy performance, but everything eventually crescendoes until it explodes in “The Rains of Castamere”, one of the best TV episodes of all time. It also includes a heartbreaking performance by Fairley.
2013-04-30-rectify  ADELAIDE CLEMENS, “Rectify”
I usually wouldn’t nominate two from the same show, but Clemens’s performance is amazing. She becomes an emotional center of the show, depicting religion in a way that has never been done before on TV. It’s an unexpected, gorgeous, and nuanced performance.
Christina-Hendricks-of-Mad-Men_gallery_primary  CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, “Mad Men”
I’m still angry she didn’t win for “The Other Woman”. If she didn’t win for that, she won’t win for a season in which she has less of a major role. However, her time on screen is still well utilized, providing an excellent contrast to Peggy and being a great foil for many people in the office.
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Who should win? I can’t make this decision.
Others considered: Caroline Dhavernas, Joelle Carter, Emilia Clarke, Maggie Smith, Mae Whitman, Christine Baranski, Hayden Panettiere, January Jones, Kelly Macdonald, Elizabeth McGovern, Betsy Brandt, Erika Christensen, Lena Headey, Regina King, Melissa Leo, Madeleine Stowe, Lauren Graham, Maggie Siff, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Carpenter, Morena Baccarin, Bellamy Young, Annet Mahendru, Jessica Capshaw, Olivia Cooke, Olivia Munn, Deborah Ann Woll, Jessica Paré, Sandra Oh (This is an absolutely stacked category)
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On to the real nominations…
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 Morena Baccarin-Homeland
Christine Baranski-The Good Wife
Emilia Clarke-Game of Thrones
Anna Gunn-Breaking Bad
Christina Hendricks-Mad Men
Maggie Smith-Downton Abbey
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Who should win?
Gunn
Who will win?
Smith
Analysis: It’s about time the voters recognized the tremendous work of Anna Gunn, but Smith has the experience, and is riding off of last year’s win. I don’t think there’s much competition here, but if there’s anyone that can pull off an upset, it’s Gunn.
Credit to Sundance, AMC, NBC, HBO, Parenthood, Game of Thrones, Rectify, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad for all pictures. I own nothing.

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American Idol announces judging panel, immediately begins search for a new one

3 Sep

ryan-seacrest-weird-350x262

FOX has officially confirmed that the new season of American Idol will consist of new judges that will almost certainly be replaced. These judges are Harry Connick, Jr., Keith Urban, and Jennifer Lopez, who apparently got bored of being Jennifer Lopez and decided to return (who can blame her?).

This is Urban’s second year on the show, a feat only surpassed by spending three years on the show, at which point he will probably melt into his chair and be eaten by a mob of screaming idiots. Not to fear, though, as judges on American Idol now have a shelf life of “Not long”, or the equivalent of a quickie in terms of judging a singing competition.

All three will be paid a lot of money, and they will sit at that table and pander to the general public, completely ignoring the nobody singing on stage. They will also all be involved in some sort of romantic plotline, consisting of Keith Urban screaming “NICKI MINAJ IS A RAPPER” a million times over and Connick, Jr. and Lopez frolicking on the table while Randy Jackson watches and offers up some excellent advice: “You did good, dawg.”

Then, Americans will vote, people will be eliminated, Ryan Seacrest will remain rich, and American Idol will still be here in 50 years. However, the judging panel will consist of an infant, an extraterrestrial, and the souls of every human being that has ever enjoyed this show.

Credit to FOX Broadcasting Company and American Idol for all pictures. I own nothing.

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True Blood to end in 2014, presumably after the world is overrun by fairy-vampire-werewolf hybrids

3 Sep

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(Spoilers) In news that is three hours old, but has already caused thousands of True Blood fans to cry out in anguish, Brian Buckner, showrunner of the somehow still hit show, announced that the upcoming seventh season will be the last. At the words “seventh season”, the fans all thought for a minute, then nodded their heads as if to say “Yes, this is good.”

The final season, set to air next summer, will presumably involve the aftermath of Eric’s nude inferno ice glacier book-reading whatever the hell that was. This will consist of Eric standing in the background of every scene, nude and on fire, not noticed by any of the other characters. They will apparently have more important things to do, like having sex in the woods or being uninteresting.

Buckner insists that “as we take a final walk through Bon Temps together, we will do our very best to bring Sookie’s story to a close with heart, imagination and, of course, fun.” This is, of course, interesting wording, as Sookie’s walks usually lead to danger. I can only infer that heart, imagination, and fun will jump out of the woods and tear her to pieces, but not before she meets a random hot guy that wants to kill her.

The season will consist of 10 episodes, continuing the format of the last season.

Also, Alcide will be there and he’ll take off his shirt or something.

Credit for picture to HBO and True Blood. I own nothing.

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Emmys Dream Ballot+Predictions-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

29 Aug

Welcome to my coverage of the 2013 Primetime Emmys. As it’s only a month away, I’ve decided to start a series in which I offer up my dream ballot for each major category. Then, I’ll look at the actual Emmy ballot and offer a “Who should win?” and a “Who Will Win?” for each. I hope you enjoy! Today, we’ll be looking at….

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Dream Ballot

Nick-Offerman-of-Parks-and-Recreation_gallery_primary  NICK OFFERMAN, “Parks and Recreation”

It blows my mind why the Emmy voters would overlook such a fantastic character as Ron Swanson. He had a great year of food poisoning, wood-working, and wedding attending, and his relationship with Lucy Lawless’ character was unexpectedly sweet. He’s one of the best characters on television.

mikewhite3_small-f132f8391e4e2a1ddced6175f92b91954bcc74cd-s6-c30  MIKE WHITE, “Enlightened”

First of all, this is one of my favorite shows of all time, even though it only spanned a woefully short two seasons. White is also the creator of the series, but he’s also an amazing actor. His character is awkward, heartbreaking,, and complex, and he and Molly Shannon created one of the best, most beautiful TV romances you’ll ever see.

new-girl-schmidt  MAX GREENFIELD, “New Girl”

I probably would’ve given this slot to Jake Johnson, but he submitted for the “lead actor” category. Greenfield is great, though, conveying a hilarious outer demeanor and spewing a ton of hilarious quotes. However, he took it a step further this year as the show explored more of his past, in particular a young relationship that was funny and endearing.

girls_adam_8a.jpg.CROP.multipart2-medium  ADAM DRIVER, “Girls”

His character, and the show, are extremely polarizing amongst both fans and detractors. However, that’s because his performance is so fantastic. He did some amazing work at the end of the season, inspiring hatred, adoration, and discussion galore on the Internet, and his character arc was one of the most interesting on TV last year.

stefon-wedding-veil  BILL HADER, “Saturday Night Live”

While SNL hasn’t been consistently good in a while, Hader’s been the anchor of the cast. His farewell season ended with a bang, as the fan-favorite Stefon married Seth Meyers in an amazing segment that involved Anderson Cooper and all of Stefon’s club friends. He’ll be missed, for sure.

nup-155435-0604-jpg  RAINN WILSON/JOHN KRASINSKI, “The Office”

I know I’m cheating a bit here, but I just had to give them both credit. Krasinski has never been nominated for his work, which I find appalling, and Wilson hasn’t been nominated in a while. They both did fantastic work in this final season, especially near the end of the show’s run, and they deserve recognition for it. Jim-Pam was still the heart of the show, and you also can’t imagine the show without Dwight Schrute.

Who Should Win?

I’d narrow it down to Offerman and White, but I don’t know who I’d pick.

Others considered: Adam Pally, Damon Wayans, Jr., Ty Burrell, Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Tony Hale (Veep), Matt Walsh, Jack McBrayer, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, DJ Qualls, Luke Wilson, Simon Templeman, Chris Pratt, James Van Der Beek, Jason Gann, Jim Rash, Jeffrey Tambor

And on to the real nominations…

Ty Burrell-Modern Family

Adam Driver-Girls

Jesse Tyler Ferguson-Modern Family

Bill Hader-Saturday Night Live

Tony Hale-Veep

Ed O’Neill-Modern Family

Who should win?

Driver

Who will win?

Burrell

Analysis: Driver undoubtedly delivers the most complex, layered performance here, but I think it’s a safe bet that the Emmy voters will give the award to one of their Modern Family darlings; in this case, it’s Burrell.

Credit to NBC, HBO, FOX, New Girl, The Office, Enlightened, Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live, and Girls for all pictures. I own nothing.

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Emmys Dream Ballot+Predictions-Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

28 Aug

It’s Emmy season again! Welcome to my coverage of the 2013 Primetime Emmys. As it’s only a month away, I’ve decided to start a series in which I offer up my dream ballot for each major category (I’m only focusing on certain nomination fields, but I might lump some of the technical and writing/directing categories into one big post later on). Then, I’ll look at the actual Emmy ballot and offer a “Who should win?” and a “Who Will Win?” for each. I hope you enjoy! Today, we’ll be looking at….

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Dream Ballot

Jenna-Fischer-of-The-Office_gallery_primaryJENNA FISCHER, “The Office”

This was not Jenna Fischer’s best year on The Office, but it was a fantastic year. I’ll let that sink in for a bit. She’s been consistently wonderful, but astonishingly, she’s only been nominated once. In an up and down final season, she anchored a dramatic storyline that could make you roll your eyes in annoyance or burst into tears. No matter which it was, she was the glue holding the show together all the way to the end.

Jane-Krakowski-of-30-Rock_gallery_primary  JANE KRAKOWSKI, “30 Rock”

Although she wasn’t nominated last year, the swan song of 30 Rock was enough to bring her back into the fold. She did some fantastic work in the final few episodes of the series; constantly hilarious, constantly surprising, and constantly Jenna Maroney. I will always miss you, Rural Juror.

happy-endings-20120403040230005  ELISHA CUTHBERT, “Happy Endings”

Oh, Happy Endings. I miss you so much. I really hate that this was neither renewed nor picked up for a fourth season, but I’m thankful that the series was able to highlight Cuthbert’s comedic range. Alex grew into one of my favorite television characters, and she portrayed the awkwardness of her character in an excellent way.

anna-chlumsky-veep-emmys  ANNA CHLUMSKY, “Veep”

Amy is a sarcastic, hilarious character that I can never get enough of. Veep is the funniest show on TV when it comes to reaction shots, and Chlumsky is the queen of reaction shots. Every word that comes out of her mouth and every facial expression she makes is top notch comedy.

Aubrey-Plaza-of-Parks-and-Recreation_gallery_primary  AUBREY PLAZA, “Parks and Recreation”

Plaza has done some fantastic work with April, even while Amy Poehler gets all the recognition (don’t get me wrong, she deserves it all). Her twisted mind leads to hilarious lines, and the season really showcased all aspects of her character.

EDEN SHER  EDEN SHER, “The Middle”

I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of the show. However, I’ve watched enough episodes to know that Eden Sher is fantastic. She’s over the top, but doesn’t exude a sense of buffoonery at all. Her work is simultaneously heartbreaking, hilarious, and lovable, and she has an easy spot in the nominations.

 

 

 

WHO SHOULD WIN? Honestly, I don’t know. This is one of those categories where I’d be fine with any of them winning.

OTHERS CONSIDERED: Mayim Bialik, Judy Greer, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Julie Bowen, Zosia Mamet, Allison Williams, Eliza Coupe, Ellie Kemper, Cheryl Hines, Jessica Walter (Archer and Arrested Development), Kate McKinnon, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hanigan, Hannah Simone, Merritt Wever

On to the real nominations…

Mayim Bialik, “The Big Bang Theory”

Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”

Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”

Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock”

Jane Lynch, “Glee”

Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”

Merritt Wever, “Nurse Jackie”

Who Should Win?

Krakowski

Who Will Win?

Bowen

Analysis: Krakowski deserves it for the excellent work in the later parts of the final season, hilarious throughout and heartbreaking near the end. I don’t think the Emmy voters will break the Julie Bowen monopoly and honor Krakowski one final time, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they did so. Right behind her is Bialik.

Credit to NBC, ABC, HBO, Veep, The Middle, Parks and Recreation, The Office, 30 Rock, and Happy Endings for all pictures. I own nothing.

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Hello, I’m a polar bear.

23 Aug

Welcome to this blog. There are millions of other blogs out there, but you chose to look at mine. No, you did not just randomly come across it; you chose it. I will accept nothing less.

As for what we do here, I think the title’s pretty explanatory. I’m a polar bear, and yes, I do watch TV. I am obsessed with various forms of pop culture, in particular television and film, so I started this to get my thoughts down in writing. I am a member of the fabulous online community of The AV Club (which all of you should check out), and I wanted to do something similar to that.

What will we review? Lots of stuff. Our TV reviews will include American Horror Story, Dexter, Breaking Bad, The Bridge, The Americans, Wilfred, Louie, Justified, Parks and Recreation, Community, Sons of Anarchy, Hannibal, Orange is the New Black, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, Treme, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Archer, New Girl, Parenthood, Orphan Black, Person of Interest, The Walking Dead, Childrens Hospital, NTSF:SD:SUV::, Girls, Nikita, Strike Back, Veep, Banshee, The Vampire Diaries, How I Met Your Mother, Arrow, Revenge, Scandal, The Newsroom, Raising Hope, and others I can’t think of right now. Only some of these will have regular coverage, but I’ll try to get in some posts about all of them. I will also be reviewing new pilots, and may decide to pick up some more shows.

Our TV Classic reviews may include shows like The Shield, The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, Friday Night Lights, House, 24, Lost, Chuck, Terriers, Arrested Development, The West Wing, Fringe, Boston Legal, and others.

*I apologize, but many of these shows’ reviews will start in the middle of their seasons, as I am just starting to write. However, I will try to give some thoughts on the episodes before.

Our film reviews will include whatever movies I decide to watch at home or in the theater, and can be new releases or old.

I might also post some random stuff; fan fiction, thoughts on entertainment news, etc.

Enjoy.

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