Listed below are the ten semi-finalists for this category. Episodes submitted are listed in parentheses after their names. Beware of minor spoilers for the episodes described. Nominees are pictured in order of likelihood of getting nominated, and listed below alphabetically.
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (The Bat Mitzvah)
Larry David continues to offend pretty much everyone he meets in HBO’s current longest-running series, which has managed to get nominated the past few seasons despite an irregular, far-apart schedule. “The Bat Mitzvah” offers a typical taste of David’s humor, and, aside from some off-color mocking of mentally challenged people, it should appeal to voters. There is also the statistic that, without fail, HBO has been nominated in one of the Best Series categories since 1993. The prospects for “The Wire” aren’t good, and “Curb” probably has the best shot out of the three HBO comedies up for the top prize in this category.
ENTOURAGE (The Day Fuckers)
I seem to be almost alone on my prediction for a repeat nod for “Entourage”. The HBO series finally made it in last year for its third season, which wasn’t nearly as good as its second. While this season got off to a slow start with the filming of Vince’s latest movie “Medellin”, it picked up later, and I think “The Day Fuckers” is the best episode the show has to offer from this year. It’s entertaining and features strong plotlines from the guys and from superagent Ari, who also submitted this episode. I think it’s too soon for “Entourage” to depart from the lineup, but I’m also aware that that isn’t how it works. There’s no automatic nomination, as fans of “Six Feet Under” can tell you when the show was horrifically snubbed (worst in Emmy history, in my mind) for its final, excellent season, after previous nominations for all of its seasons. My bet is that “Entourage” sticks around a bit longer.
FAMILY GUY (Padre de Familia)
This year’s most surprising inclusion is also its first: the show was previously eligible in only the animated category, but due to a Star Wars-themed special, it was able to submit here as well this year. “The Simpsons” tried this back in the early nineties for a few years with no success. I despise “Family Guy” and didn’t like the submitted episode much, but I did laugh a few times. From what I’ve heard, the panels went nuts for it and really seemed to love it. I can’t imagine it was popular enough either with voters or panels to score within the top five. Its episode is raunchy, crude, and distasteful. The question is – is it funny enough to make up for those risks? My answer: no.
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (Sally Returns)
My excitement about the inclusion of this show almost made up for my disappointment about the previous show making it in. The third HBO show in this category tells the story of a two-man New Zealand folk parody duo who live in New York City and break out into song twice an episode. The songs are undeniably brilliant, and the show is thoroughly amusing. I’m not surprised that it didn’t go over well at panels, but my hope is that if it made it this far, it can go the distance. Unfortunately, I’ve decided to be (more) realistic this year, and thus the hilarious and superb “Flight of the Conchords” can’t make my predictions for this category. Rest assured, however, that I will be absolutely ecstatic if somehow this show does manage to get nominated.
THE OFFICE (Local Ad)
The NBC workplace comedy won this award two years ago and returned with a repeat nomination last year. The show’s fourth season was harshly interrupted as the first casualty of the writers’ strike in November, and certain episodes (Survivor Man, The Deposition) are best left forgotten. I personally enjoyed the hourlong episodes at the beginning of the season, though many didn’t. Most fans suggested submitting the season finale, “Goodbye Toby”, but I think “Local Ad” is a far wiser choice. It’s a typical hilarious episode which doesn’t require any intrinsic knowledge of the characters to fully appreciate it. The best thing it has going for it is the teamwork by the cast. They’re all used so well and the local ad in the episode comes together just as seamlessly and surprisingly well as the episode itself. “The Office” is in for a nomination.
PUSHING DAISIES (Pie-lette)
This season’s most inventive new show is actually a dramedy, which sets it vastly apart from all the other contenders in this category (save for “Weeds”). It’s fascinatingly imaginative, though I’m sure that there are an equal number of people who hate it as there are who love it. The pilot is the show’s submission, which is a fantastic choice especially since there were few episodes to choose from because it didn’t return after the strike began. While it did take me more than episode to fully love the show, I was certainly intrigued enough by the first installment to appreciate its quality. It’s a gamble, but I think “Pushing Daisies” can make it in.
30 ROCK (Cooter)
Last year’s winner won based on its stellar episode selection. Many are wary this year of the choice of the season finale over the more universally-loved “Rosemary’s Baby” or “Greenzo”. I think the show chose a great episode, which plays particularly well after “Family Guy”, demonstrating how to be blatant and funny without being a joke to death. There’s no way “30 Rock” is getting snubbed, and I’m fairly confident that, unless voters really love “Pushing Daisies”, the folks over at TGS can bring home another trophy, with the right episode choices (I’ll post my recommendations later).
TWO AND A HALF MEN (Rough Night in Hump Junction)
I liked this show back when it first started, but in the five (!) years since then, it’s deteriorated a whole lot. I tuned out when it started interfering with “24” and I couldn’t muster the energy to program my second VCR. I did see a number of episodes this year, all uniformly bad, save for one fantastic installment which really surprised me. “Rough Night in Hump Junction” was not that episode. Hold the phone, Charlie’s a womanizer? And he sleeps with lots of women? Enough already. My hope is that Emmy voters will realize this show just isn’t funny anymore. When I tally up the nominees I expect, there’s isn’t room for “Two and a Half Men” anyway. I know that I should be less optimistic and swap “Entourage” out for “Men”, but I’m going to go out on a limb here.
UGLY BETTY (Something Wicked This Way Comes)
This show was on fire last year, but has lost almost all of its buzz in its second year. I actually found that I enjoyed the show a good deal watching all of the submitted episodes by performers. The chosen installment is fine, but it’s not as good as “Bananas for Betty” or “A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding” might have been. About a quarter of the episode is part of the play “Wicked” and voters’ enthusiasm could be heavily influenced by their feelings towards the stage production. Before watching episodes, I thought “Ugly Betty” would miss out due to a drastic drop in quality, now I think it will be simply because of others ahead of it.
WEEDS (Go)
It’s a pity that such a stellar submission has to go to waste. “Weeds” has never done as well as it should with the Emmys, earning a directing nod, two nominations for Elizabeth Perkins, and one for Mary-Louise Parker over its two previous seasons. Its third season improved largely over the second, in my opinion, and was capped off with a truly fantastic season finale. Sadly, there’s no way “Weeds” can be nominated. For starters, the episode is knee-deep in plot which voters who aren’t regular viewers will find altogether confusing. The show features a drug dealer as its heroine, which can’t go over well, and if it hasn’t gotten nominated by now, it’s highly unlikely it ever will. Not this year, anyway.
Current predictions:
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
ENTOURAGE
THE OFFICE
PUSHING DAISIES
30 ROCK
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