Emmy Predictions: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Listed below are the ten semi-finalists for this category. Episodes submitted by performers 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.

Notably missing: Presumed sure things Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl) and Dana Delany (Desperate Houswives), Becki Newton (Ugly Betty), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

KRISTIN CHENOWETH, PUSHING DAISIES (Girth)
I was enamored with Chenoweth midway through the pilot episode of “Pushing Daisies”. I’m sure some voters feel the same way, yet I worry that some will find her impossibly irritating. Her episode submission is stellar, and her scenes with the sorely snubbed Chi McBride should only help her. With both Pressly and Delany out of the race, I think Chenoweth moves much closer to a sure thing, especially if Emmy voters love her show.

CONCHATA FERRELL, TWO AND A HALF MEN (Fish in a Drawer)
I was shocked when Ferrell first got nominated three years ago, and I’m still not over it. She’s funny comic relief, but as an actress I can’t say she’s trying too hard. She returned somehow last year though, so I guess voters just can’t stop laughing. She submitted that dreadful CSI crossover episode (the actual “CSI” installment was far better) where she’s being interviewed by a detective at the police station. If she makes it in over Chenoweth and Krakowski, which I fear she will, I’ll be really disappointed.

JENNA FISCHER, THE OFFICE (Fun Run)
Fischer finally broke through last year with a killer episode submission that somehow lost to Jaime Pressly (who this year got snubbed). I was initially wary of her episode choice, thinking that perhaps “Dinner Party” might be better, but I re-watched a series of clips between her and John Krasinski, and I think it’s a wonderful choice. Fischer is less showy than almost every actress in this category (save perhaps for Light), so her not being raucously funny might hurt her, but I think she’s safe.

JANE KRAKOWSKI, 30 ROCK (The Collection)
I was devastated and in shock when Krakowski missed out on even a nomination last year with her submission of the hilarious “Hardball” episode. Hopefully this year’s choice, where Kenneth starts being mean to her to get to keep eating, should do well for her, in addition to the ever-rising popularity of “30 Rock”. While I think she made a good episode choice, it seems people really loved that “me want food” bit from the premiere. With Pressly and Delany out of the way, Krakowski should have a slightly easier shot at breaking through. I’d like to be optimistic.

JUDITH LIGHT, UGLY BETTY (I See Me, ICU)
Light got nominated in the guest actress category last year for her performance on “Ugly Betty” before being promoted (I assume?) to series regular this year. While I’m sure her presence in many episodes was scarce, she plays a small but pivotal role in her submitted episode, and it’s quite a good one at that. She’s funny but also completely serious at the same time. I don’t think she’ll be ranked highly enough, and costar Vanessa Williams will surely overshadow her, but if she made it in, she’d be deserving based on the episode (after Chenoweth, Fischer, Krakowski, Smart, and Perkins).

ELIZABETH PERKINS, WEEDS (Risk)
Perkins got nominated the past two years, and this year her episode is almost the same as last year. She’s hardly in it, but the few scenes she is in she knocks out of the park. She’s great fun, and her interactions with Conrad and Heylia are priceless. She might have had trouble staying in with some of the competition, but with those aforementioned two out of the picture she should be safe.

AMY POEHLER, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (Tina Fey)
Ah, the wild card. Poehler is the first variety performer to be in this category, and even more importantly, the only variety performer in any of the comedy series categories this year. She’s definitely funny, and sharing scenes Emmy winner Tina Fey can’t hurt. I haven’t sent the episode (anyone know if they’re online somewhere), but I suspect the sketch format won’t help her, and I think she’ll miss the cut. It’s really a toss-up; I have no idea what could happen. She likely did pretty well with the popular vote.

JEAN SMART, SAMANTHA WHO? (The Girlfriend)
Smart, a recent Emmy favorite nominated two years running for her turn on “24”, is terrific on this new comedy. I wasn’t convinced she’d make the top ten, but I think once voters see her they’ll really like her. She’s also with the underrated Melissa McCarthy for most of her episode. I think she’s equally likely to make it or not. Emmy voters may see this as Christina Applegate’s show. One other factor hindering her is that the show itself isn’t quite that funny by this point. But she did get nominated for season six of “24” where she was considerably better than the material…

HOLLAND TAYLOR, TWO AND A HALF MEN (Media Room Slash Dungeon)
Taylor is almost like Stockard Channing in terms of getting recognized for just about anything. She won an Emmy for “The Practice” in the supporting category when she wasn’t even a full-fledged cast member (as far as I know)! And she’s been nominated for her infrequent if not funny appearances on this show two out of four years. Her submission pairs her with Charlie Sheen the whole time in an amusing scenario, but I have to hope that some more deserving candidates can get in instead of Taylor, who waltzes in and out of episodes seemingly in her spare time.

VANESSA WILLIAMS, UGLY BETTY (Bananas for Betty)
I don’t quite see why people like Williams so much. They do seem to love the character, and this is an appropriate episode for that. Pushing Betty White out of a cab is odd enough but viewers seem to have liked it. Many have said that the buzz for “Ugly Betty” has gone way down while it has only gone up for Williams. I’d argue the opposite in terms of my personal preference – I’ve come to enjoy the show more and more while watching selected episodes while Williams still doesn’t impress me quite that much.

Current predictions:
KRISTIN CHENOWETH, PUSHING DAISIES
JENNA FISCHER, THE OFFICE
JANE KRAKOWSKI, 30 ROCK
ELIZABETH PERKINS, WEEDS
VANESSA WILLIAMS, UGLY BETTY