Final Emmy Predictions

I’m having a few last minute jitters. I’d like to predict Mary McDonnell for “Battlestar Galactica”, but I’m just not sure it will happen. I’m still not certain whether the fifth Best Drama Actor nominee will be Gabriel Byrne or Bryan Cranston, but I’m convinced it won’t be both. I know I should be safer and swap out “Dexter” and “Entourage” for “Boston Legal” and “Two and a Half Men”, respectively, but I’d like to hope that fostering change is possible and that maybe it will happen this year. I also really think that Naveen Andrews has a better shot than many are giving him credit for, and that he could easily end up the 6th nominee in the Drama Supporting Actor field. Otherwise, I’m fairly happy with my predictions, and hoping for the best. Nominees are announced Thursday morning at 8:30am, and I’ll be on right away with some brief first reactions. I may have to wait until the evening on Thursday to offer my full thoughts on all the categories, but I’ll get to that as soon as I can.

Final predictions:

Best Drama Series
DAMAGES
DEXTER
HOUSE
LOST
MAD MEN

Best Comedy Series
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
ENTOURAGE
THE OFFICE
PUSHING DAISIES
30 ROCK

Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series
GABRIEL BYRNE, IN TREATMENT
MICHAEL C. HALL, DEXTER
JON HAMM, MAD MEN
HUGH LAURIE, HOUSE
JAMES SPADER, BOSTON LEGAL

Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series
GLENN CLOSE, DAMAGES
MINNIE DRIVER, THE RICHES
SALLY FIELD, BROTHERS & SISTERS
HOLLY HUNTER, SAVING GRACE
KYRA SEDGWICK, THE CLOSER

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
TED DANSON, DAMAGES
MICHAEL EMERSON, LOST
WILLIAM SHATNER, BOSTON LEGAL
JOHN SLATTERY, MAD MEN
BLAIR UNDERWOOD, IN TREATMENT
(6th nominee: NAVEEN ANDREWS, LOST)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
CANDICE BERGEN, BOSTON LEGAL
ROSE BYRNE, DAMAGES
RACHEL GRIFFITHS, BROTHERS & SISTERS
SANDRA OH, GREY’S ANATOMY
CHANDRA WILSON, GREY’S ANATOMY

Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN, 30 ROCK
STEVE CARRELL, THE OFFICE
LARRY DAVID, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
DAVID DUCHOVNY, CALIFORNICATION
TONY SHALHOUB, MONK

Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, SAMANTHA WHO?
AMERICA FERRERA, UGLY BETTY
TINA FEY, 30 ROCK
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, OLD CHRISTINE
MARY-LOUISE PARKER, WEEDS

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
JOHN KRASINSKI, THE OFFICE
JACK MCBRAYER, 30 ROCK
JEREMY PIVEN, ENTOURAGE
RAINN WILSON, THE OFFICE

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
KRISTIN CHENOWETH, PUSHING DAISIES
JENNA FISCHER, THE OFFICE
JANE KRAKOWSKI, 30 ROCK
ELIZABETH PERKINS, WEEDS
VANESSA WILLIAMS, UGLY BETTY

Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series
KEITH CARRADINE, DEXTER
PETER O’TOOLE, THE TUDORS
STANLEY TUCCI, ER
GLYNN TURMAN, IN TREATMENT
ROBIN WILLIAMS, LAW & ORDER: SVU

Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series
ELLEN BURSTYN, BIG LOVE
ANNE DUDEK, HOUSE
CYNTHIA NIXON, LAW & ORDER: SVU
JURNEE SMOLLETT, GREY’S ANATOMY
MIRA SORVINO, HOUSE

Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
WILL ARNETT, 30 ROCK
BEAU BRIDGES, MY NAME IS EARL
MATTHEW BRODERICK, 30 ROCK
MATTHEW MODINE, WEEDS
DEAN WINTERS, 30 ROCK

Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
POLLY BERGEN, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
EDIE FALCO, 30 ROCK
CARRIE FISHER, 30 ROCK
AMY RYAN, THE OFFICE
ELAINE STRITCH, 30 ROCK

Best Directing for a Drama Series
LOST, “The Constant”
MAD MEN, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”
DAMAGES, “Pilot”
BOSTON LEGAL, “The Court Supreme”
THE WIRE, “-30-”

Best Writing for a Drama Series
MAD MEN, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”
DAMAGES, “Pilot”
LOST, “The Constant”
MAD MEN, “Nixon vs. Kennedy”
HOUSE, “House’s Head”

Best Directing for a Comedy Series
PUSHING DAISIES, “Pie-lette”
30 ROCK, “Rosemary’s Baby”
THE OFFICE, “Goodbye Toby”
THE OFFICE, “Fun Run”
CALIFORNICATION, “Pilot”

Best Writing for a Comedy Series
PUSHING DAISIES, “Pie-lette”
30 ROCK, “Rosemary’s Baby”
30 ROCK, “Greenzo”
THE OFFICE, “Dinner Party”
THE OFFICE, “Branch Wars”

Best Miniseries
JOHN ADAMS
THE COMPANY
CRANFORD

Best Made-for-TV Movie
BERNARD AND DORIS
RECOUNT
AS YOU LIKE IT
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
AN AMERICAN CRIME

Best Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie
PAUL GIAMMATI, JOHN ADAMS
RALPH FIENNES, BERNARD AND DORIS
KEVIN SPACEY, RECOUNT
DANIEL RADCLIFFE, MY BOY JACK
TOM WILKINSON, RECOUNT

Best Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie
PHYLICIA RASHAD, A RAISIN IN THE SUN
JUDI DENCH, CRANFORD
LAURA LINNEY, JOHN ADAMS
SUSAN SARANDON, BERNARD AND DORIS
VANESSA REDGRAVE, THE FEVER

Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie
KEVIN KLINE, AS YOU LIKE IT
MICHAEL KEATON, THE COMPANY
TOM WILKINSON, JOHN ADAMS
JOHN HURT, RECOUNT
ALFRED MOLINA, THE COMPANY

Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie
LAURA DERN, RECOUNT
ALFRE WOODARD, PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS
EILEEN ATKINS, CRANFORD
SARAH POLLEY, JOHN ADAMS
AUDRA MCDONALD, A RAISIN IN THE SUN

Best Directing for a Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie
JOHN ADAMS
THE COMPANY
RECOUNT
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2
FIVE DAYS

Best Writing for a Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie
JOHN ADAMS
CRANFORD
RECOUNT
BERNARD AND DORIS
EXTRAS: THE EXTRA SPECIAL SERIES FINALE

Best Variety Special
Barry Manilow: Songs from the Seventies
George Carlin: It’s Bad for Ya!
James Taylor: One Man Band
Justin Timberlake: FutureSex/Love Show
Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell

Best Variety Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Late Night with Conan O’Brien
Saturday Night Live

Best Variety Performance
George Carlin, It’s Bad for Ya!
Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report
Kathy Griffin, Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell
Barry Manilow, Barry Manilow: Songs from the Seventies
Tracey Ullman, Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union

Best Reality/Competition Program
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

Best Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Dirty Jobs
Dog Whisperer
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

Best Reality Host
Tom Bergeron, Dancing with the Stars
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Ty Pennington, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

And, just for fun:

Best Music & Lyrics
Flight of the Conchords, “Bret, You’ve Got It Going On”
High School Musical 2, “You are the Music in Me”
The Jimmy Kimmel Show, “I’m Fucking Matt Damon”
The Jimmy Kimmel Show, “I’m Fucking Ben Affleck”
Saturday Night Live, “Iran So Far Away”