Now that the 2012-2013 TV season is almost over, it’s hardly too early to start thinking about the Emmy nominations, which will be announced in July. Consider these preliminary thoughts rather than official predictions – look for those at the beginning of July. As always, chime in with your reactions and predictions in the comments, and don’t hesitate to let me know if I left any strong contenders off the list!
Last year’s eligible nominees:
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
This actress has now earned ten Emmy nominations, including three for her current role, and a win on her first try back in 1995 for “Cybill.” Through all the twists and turns this season, Baranski’s character has taken a compelling journey, and she has responded capably to the challenge. Expect her to be back since she’s an Emmy veteran and she’s one of the best parts of her pretty impressive show with minimal effort.
Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
Froggatt benefited from enormous enthusiasm for her show last year, and, though she’s probably the most kindhearted and likeable person on a show with many great characters, I don’t think she’ll be able to follow up on her nomination with another bid. This category is not as crowded as the corresponding male race, but Froggatt can’t compare to costar Maggie Smith, and I’m not sure voters will remember to include her again.
Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)
Gunn finally got nominated last year for her show’s fourth season, and I think she’s here to stay. She’s had a juicy role in the first half of the show’s fifth and final season, and, like her costars, I think she’ll benefit enormously from the fact that her show is hitting the airwaves for the last time right around the time that Emmy nominations are set to come out.
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
She was ignored for seasons one and two, but after three consecutive nominations, Hendricks is a sure thing in this race. While two of her costars, one a former nominee and the other a new addition to this race, might earn nominations this year, they both used to be in the lead race, while Hendricks has always been a dependable background anchor for the show, and continues to be. Count her in.
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Panjabi won for the first season of CBS’ law show, and she’s been back twice since then. There’s nothing to suggest that the show’s most curious character wouldn’t be nominated again, especially since she has this year had some new additions to her plotline, including a new employee with whom she didn’t always see eye to eye. Panjabi has always stood out on this show, and that hasn’t changed, which suggests she’ll stick around.
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Smith, who is a two-time Oscar winner, won the Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie race two years ago for her performance as the Dowager Countess of Grantham, and, last year, took this award home. Smith doesn’t always have much to do, but when she does, she steals the show without even trying. Expect her to return as a nominee and probably to win again too.
Past nominees:
January Jones (Mad Men)
Jones has only ever been nominated once – for the show’s third season in the lead actress category. She fits much better in this race, mostly because she only appears every few episodes, but she has had some standout episodes, most recently last week’s hour, and it’s entirely feasible that she’d be recognized again for playing a wholly transformed and deeply intriguing Betty Draper.
Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire)
Macdonald was a nominee for her show’s first season and then found herself snubbed last year for the show’s second season. Her work in season three was even better, but that doesn’t mean that Emmy voters will take notice of her after not nominating her last year. The show is still critically respected, and that helps her, but I don’t think it’s enough to get her back into the race.
New contenders:
Emily Mortimer and Alison Pill (The Newsroom)
If there’s anyone who deserves a nomination for Aaron Sorkin’s latest ensemble drama, it’s these two. Mortimer and Pill are excellent as devoted employees of a news network who often babble on with Sorkian dialogue and do a tremendous job of making it sound both comprehensible and crazy at the same time. I don’t know if both of them can get in, but it would be great considering they’re both reliable supporting players and these are fabulous roles.
Hayden Panettiere (Nashville)
As the cheerleader in “Heroes,” Panettiere wasn’t part of the Emmy craze that followed that show for its first season, but now she’s starring alongside Connie Britton, whose two nominations for two different roles in two years makes her a strong bet to return this year too. I’m not convinced that Panettiere’s country star belongs in this race, though this is where Golden Globe voters put her, and, if she can muster enough support, likely where Emmy voters will too.
Abigail Spencer (Rectify)
She should have been nominated a few years ago for her guest spot on “Mad Men,” but now Spencer truly steals the show on the Sundance Channel’s new series. Going against her is the fact that her show is on a network most people don’t know and her show aired only six episodes, but she might just be able to break through and earn a groundbreaking nomination for a small but superb performance.
Other possibilities:
Morena Baccarin (Homeland)
She was a possibility last year and now her chances are even better, considering Baccarin stood out in season two of Showtime’s smash hit as the wife of the returned prisoner of war growing ever more distant from her husband. Baccarin doesn’t command the screen like costars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, but love for a show can often trickle down to the supporting players, which gives her an edge against some of her competitors.
Monica Potter (Parenthood)
It’s astonishing that, in three years, NBC’s family drama has only ever earned one Emmy nomination, for guest star Jason Ritter. That may change this year following Potter’s committed performance as a cancer-stricken wife and mother, who stole many of the show’s scenes and helped to make her character endearing and compelling. History is not on the side of her show, but her role may help her overcome the odds.
No comments:
Post a Comment