Entertainment

Bounty of TV riches makes Emmys hard to predict

Posted August 24, 2014 5:45 am

By Lynn Elber & Frazier Moore Associated Press

“True Detective” is a frontrunner for best drama at the Emmys and both its stars — Matthew McConaughey, left, and Woody Harrelson — are up for best actor.

Truth be told, we're both perplexed about which Emmy nominees will carry trophies home from Monday's ceremony.

Allow us to explain. There was so much great TV last season that standout prime-time shows including “The Good Wife” and “Scandal” and stars Michael Sheen (“Masters of Sex”) and James Spader (“The Blacklist”) didn't even make the cut as nominees.

Those who did are, for the most part, richly deserving. But now how to choose among them?

Then there's this year's notable trend of shape-shifting, with programs squeezed into categories that could give them better odds of winning — even if the fit might raise viewers' eyebrows.

Cases in point: Netflix's prison-set “Orange Is the New Black,” which despite its dark content is vying with the likes of “Modern Family” for comedy laurels, and HBO's “True Detective,” which looks to all the world like a miniseries yet is gunning for “Mad Men” and other open-ended dramas.

Thanks, TV academy, for keeping us all guessing!

Even so, this pair of TV devotees are game to try to read the minds of Emmy voters and, in a bit of bravado, offer up our choices for the best of the best.

Here are the contenders and our own sometimes clashing, sometimes matching picks for seven major categories:

Drama series

Lynn Elber

Should win: “Game of Thrones.” An epic series from epic novels. Drop the anti-fantasy bias, Emmy.

Will win: “True Detective.” Such a brilliant miniseries. But we quibble, and voters won't.

Frazier Moore

Should win: “True Detective.” Grim, gritty, wickedly addictive.

Will win: “True Detective.” How could Emmy snub this true masterpiece?

Comedy Series

Elber

Should win: “Louie.” Honesty is the best policy — and so brutally funny.

Will win: “Modern Family.” It's big-hearted and on broadcast TV. Old school wins one.

Moore

Should win: “Louie.” Emmy needs to kick the “Modern Family” habit.

Will win: “Veep.” Emmy will kick the habit — by rewarding the wrong show.

Actor, Drama Series

Elber

Should win: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad.” His deserving swan song, powerful to the end.

Will win: Matthew McConaughey. Impeccable performance. Plus he seduced Oscar, so how can Emmy resist?

Moore

Should win: Matthew McConaughey, “True Detective.” Edges out co-star Woody Harrelson only because he got to play two roles — not just one — brilliantly.

Will win: Jon Hamm, “Mad Men.” Enhanced his character's palette with new colors this season. With time running out for him, the Susan Lucci tease will end.

Actress, Drama Series

Elber

Should win: Kerry Washington, “Scandal.” Carries a mad, mad world on her shoulders with aplomb.

Will win: Robin Wright, “House of Cards.” Goes beat-for-beat with Kevin Spacey. That's impressive power.

Moore

Should win: Kerry Washington, “Scandal.” Fiery, fearsome, outrageous and yet lovable.

Will win: Robin Wright, “House of Cards.” She plays a chilly, not blazing, D.C. powerbroker. Her cool will rule.

Actor, Comedy Series

Elber

Should win: Don Cheadle, “House of Lies.” Comedy is hard? Not in the hands of this supremely versatile actor.

Will win: William H. Macy, “Shameless.” Emmy feels better saluting his depraved dad for comedy than drama.

Moore

Should win: William H. Macy, “Shameless.” A great actor in a go-for-broke performance. Plus, a great head of hair!

Will win: Louis C.K., “Louie.” More comedy, more soul than his rivals in this unique artist's portrait of himself.

Actress, Comedy Series

Elber

Should win: Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation.” Wittily brings can-do perkiness back to TV.

Will win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep,” HBO. But let's get real: a me-first politician rules again with voters.

Moore

Should win: Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation.” Her performance radiates sunshine even Emmy snubs can't dim.

Will win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep.” But she's pressing reasonable term limits for Emmy's largesse.

Miniseries

Elber

Should win: “Fargo.” A glorious movie made new by TV's narrative form.

Will win: “Fargo.” Emmy won't miss a chance to remind all that drama's heyday is on the small screen.

Moore

Should win: “Fargo.” A Tiffany egg of a miniseries in its painstaking perfection. Plus it's bitterly hilarious.

Will win: “Fargo.” Emmy has moments of myopia, but it ain't blind.

HBO's "Game of Thrones" faces still competition from "True Detective" in the Emmy race for best drama.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus might just pull a three-peat if she takes home another Emmy for best actress in a comedy series for her role on HBO's "Veep."

FX's "Fargo," starring Billy Bob Thornton, looks to freeze out the miniseries competition this year at the Emmys.

Her show "Scandal" may not have been nominated, but star Kerry Washington is up for best actress in a drama series.

Will William H. Macy win the Emmy for his role as a depraved dad in "Shameless?"

"Shameless" star William H. Macy, left, is up for an Emmy for playing a depraved dad to a mess of kids - including St. Charles native Ethan Cutkosky as son Carl, right.

The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards

Airs at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, on CBS

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