Emmy Race: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

This is the first in a daily series of Emmy predictions, focusing on a specific category and outlining the most likely 10 or 15 contenders, with an analysis of their chances and the episodes chosen as submissions for consideration. Predictions will be revisited in July as the Emmy nomination announcement approaches.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Last year's nominees:
CHERYL HINES, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (show did not air this season)
ALFRE WOODARD, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (character did not appear on show this season)
JAIME PRESSLY, MY NAME IS EARL
ELIZABETH PERKINS, WEEDS
MEGAN MULLALLY, WILL & GRACE (winner - show ended last season)

This year's top contenders:
NICOLLETTE SHERIDAN AS EDIE, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
The dramedy's fifth housewife, a strong contender who missed out on a nomination for her work on the show's first season, returns to the spotlight in this season first as a hapless mother and then as a woman desperate to find love with her friend Carlos. Her work was solid, and she has yet to choose an episode to submit. I would recommend "Gossip", which showcases some of her finest dramatic and comedic acting together. The season finale would also be a good choice.

JAIME PRESSLY AS JOY, MY NAME IS EARL (1 nomination)
I personally despise this show, and from the few episodes I have seen, I do not think Pressly is anything special. Emmy voters disagree, however. The show's lone acting nominee last year has a great chance of returning despite the relatively low buzz on the show, especially in respect to its NBC Thursday night companions. I have little else to say here, other than that she is likely in.

JENNA FISCHER AS PAM, THE OFFICE
Fischer continues to do great work as her character develops more and more. The show's most visible female character has the best shot at a nomination for that specific reason, that she is the only female credited in the cast and the only one with a large role in each episode. Her submission of the Michael-centric "Grief Counseling" is a bit baffling, and she would probably have had better luck with the season enders "Beach Games" and "The Job." Nonetheless, she is past due, and I expect a large recognition of "The Office" this year at the Emmys.

SARAH CHALKE AS ELLIOT, SCRUBS
For six seasons now, Chalke has played the neurotic and controlling Elliot. The writing for her character has gone downhill recently, but Chalke continues to give it her all. She overshadows costar Judy Reyes (Carla) in most of her episodes, and plays very well onscreen with John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox) and Ken Jenkins (Dr. Kelso). The musical episode of "Scrubs" should gain the show lots of recognition this year, and hopefully Chalke should benefit, despite her submission of the lackluster (at least comedy-wise) episode "My No Good Reason."

JANE KRAKOWSKI AS JENNA, 30 ROCK
This is a prime example of submitting the perfect episode for consideration. Krakowski's character usually gets shafted in favor of the other three leads (Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Tracy Morgan), but in "Hardball", Jenna got herself into several situations where she misspoke, causing catastrophic consequences for her image. The scene where she mistakenly declares that the U.S. should use military forces to hunt Barack Obama, and that she is voting for Osama in the next election, seals the deal. Hopefully this great performance will get recognized.

CONCHATA FERRELL AS BERTA, TWO AND A HALF MEN (1 nomination)
I stopped watching "Two and a Half Men" way back when "24" started airing at the same time. I had always enjoyed Berta's entertaining appearances every so often, but had never given much thought to her receiving any awards attention (I assumed Melanie Lynskey, as Rose, would get whatever recognition). But then two years ago, I was shocked when Ferrell was announced as a nominee (I didn't even know who she was, I had to look her up). Basically, I would say she is a backup nominee, barring any supporting actresses with larger roles. This year, I would think she is out, but the Emmys really love this show, at least recently.

HOLLAND TAYLOR AS EVELYN, TWO AND A HALF MEN (1 nomination)
Holland Taylor is one of the actresses that the Emmys would recognize for nearly anything, almost as most as Stockard Channing (more on her in posts to come). Taylor won a Supporting Actress Emmy several years ago for "The Practice" for what was essentially, as far as I know, a guest-starring role. She was nominated, along with Conchata Ferrell, in this category two years ago, for her hilarious yet limited-in-screen-time work on "Two and a Half Men." I will place her under the same umbrella as Ferrell, a nominee in a time of need.

REBECCA ROMJIN AS ALEXIS, UGLY BETTY
I could not bear to watch any more of this show after the pilot, so I cannot comment on Romjin's work or her character. From what I hear, I believe she plays a transsexual, which is always a plus for getting a nomination. She has not gotten much attention from awards groups in the past, with the exception of the Saturn Awards (for Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Horror) going crazy for her as Mystique in "X-Men" (2000) and awarding her a trophy over Ziyi Zhang in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." I cannot really tell whether she will garner a nomination this year.

VANESSA WILLIAMS AS WILHELMINA, UGLY BETTY
As with Romjin, I cannot really comment on Williams because I do not watch the show, other than to say that I thought her character in the pilot was dumb and poorly portrayed. I do think that Williams is a not-so-great actress who has been waiting for this kind of role to reap much awards attention (her role in "Boomtown" a few years ago might have done that, had the show's second season lasted more than six episodes). I think she will ride the "Ugly Betty" wave to a nomination.

ELIZABETH PERKINS AS CELIA, WEEDS (1 nomination)
I can honestly say that Perkins delivers one of the freshest and greatest performances in a comedy series that I have seen in the past few years. I have only seen the first season (I am waiting for the second on DVD, coming out five days after the nominations announcement), but if her work in the season 2 premiere is any indication, she is definitely and deservedly in. I was surprised she did not win last year, but I would love to see it happen this year.

My current predictions:
NICOLLETTE SHERIDAN, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
JENNA FISCHER, THE OFFICE
JANE KRAKOWSKI, 30 ROCK
VANESSA WILLIAMS, UGLY BETTY
ELIZABETH PERKINS, WEEDS

Tomorrow: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.