Sunday, June 29, 2008

Emmy Shortlist Thoughts.

Click here for the lists. Keep in mind, I haven't seen the full seasons of almost any of these shows.

COMEDY
Curb Your Enthusiasm (I like this show enough, but it's not really brilliant. It's broad humor done by the guy who did Seinfeld, so it reads as non-broad. If it's chosen, though, I'm not really offended.)
Entourage (I love Entourage, mostly for Jeremy Piven, and he's fantastic in the episode they chose, "The Day Fuckers." I think it's his submission tape. That said, it wasn't the best episode ever.)
Family Guy (I used to love it, but it's really a stupider, broader Simpsons. It's better than The Simpsons is now, but can't compare to it at its height. Though, yeah, I can't deny it's, in its better moments, really funny.)
Flight of the Conchords (Hilarious, zany, and pretty brilliant. My third favorite in this category, but I don't think it has a chance in hell at the nomination and I'm amazed it even made the shortlist.)
The Office (Duh. Best show on television.)
Pushing Daisies (I'm not as enamored of it as others - it rips off Amelie and Burton's aesthetic a lot - but it's totally charming and sweet. And it's got Raul Esparza.)
30 Rock (Second-best show on television. I maintain it has no right beating The Office, but it will anyway.)
Two and a Half Men (one of the worst shows on television. Its continued inclusion in the Emmy nominee list explains why the Emmys are considered such a joke.)
Ugly Betty (it's terribly enjoyable, but it had an awful sophomore slump.)
Weeds (the past season was terrible, but Mary-Louise Parker is fantastic as ever.)

I'm glad they left off Desperate Housewives, which I've hated since the beginning. Scrubs is incredibly uneven, but I wouldn't have complained if they put it over Two and a Half Men. Fuck, they should have put anything over Two and a Half Men. How I Met Your Mother would have been a great choice.

DRAMA
Boston Legal (I've never watched an episode in my life. This is still on?)
Damages (Glenn Close is fantastic, and the show seems pretty darn good.)
Dexter (never watched. Michael C. Hall, be on some show that doesn't creep me out.)
Friday Night Lights (only watched once and it was good, heard great things)
Grey's Anatomy (very weak pre-strike, quite strong post-strike)
House (a glorified procedural, like Law and Order. Hugh Lawrie bores the shit out of me.)
Lost (I haven't ever tried watching this show. The Office sucks up enough of my time.)
Mad Men (what I saw was great, but I think, like Judd Apatow, the creators/producers of this show either have great dirt on or gave an amazing blowjob to the fellows at Entertainment Weekly magazine, because it's always proclaiming how AMAAAAZING Mad Men is, and how it's one of the all-time great shows. After one season. That's what people said about Heroes last year, guys, so let's just hold the applause for now, okay?)
The Tudors (it's okay. Entertaining. Not really great.)
The Wire (I've never seen any consecutive episodes, but I've seen a few here and there and what I saw was really, really good.)

PREDIX
Comedy - 30 Rock, The Office, Pushing Daisies, Two and a Half Men, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Drama - Boston Legal, Damages, Grey's Anatomy (Lost?), House, Mad Men