Friday, August 30, 2013

AFT Awards: Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

This is the fourth category of the 7th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2012-2013 seasons. Finalists and semi-finalists are included to recognize more of the impressive work done on television today. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series



Last year’s nominees: Kat Dennings, Zooey Deschanel, Lena Dunham, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Amy Poehler

Emmy nominees: Laura Dern, Lena Dunham, Edie Falco, Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Amy Poehler

Semi-finalists: Krysten Ritter (Apartment 23), Dreama Walker (Apartment 23), Natasha McElhone (Californication), Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project)

Finalists: Dakota Johnson (Ben and Kate) was cute and endearing mostly because of her apparent need to make every situation awkward. Lena Dunham (Girls) charged through some of her character’s less sound plot developments by keeping her eternally self-obsessed and intent on creating drama. Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) grew as a person in her show’s final season after so many misadventures, and her final transformation was her most compelling trick. Tina Fey (30 Rock) saw her show through to the end with her individualistic zaniness, and it’s clear that she always had a great time doing it. Emmy Rossum (Shameless) worked up the courage to speak her mind occasionally while still remaining the same parental figure always more responsible for her family than for her own well-being.

The nominees:

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) took sarcasm to a new level with her unapologetically rude and hilarious series-steering performance. Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) was quirky and adorable as she explored a new romance and continued to live a life filled with slapstick. Tamsin Greig (Episodes) started off from a different vantage point and navigated her American life with a new energy and curiosity. Laura Dern (Enlightened) embodied her show’s individualistic spirit and helped lead it on its course towards true social change.

The winner:

Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) was on fire as she experienced her first year holding public office, and it was great to see her creativity and overenthusiasm gush into her new position.

Next up: Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

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