2009 Emmy Nod Impressions: Comedy

We're going to try to group these together as logically as possible as we provide our take on the announcements. First up is comedy. If these lists look longer than in years past, they are, since nearly every category has an expanded nominee list.

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
30 Rock
Weeds

Deserving:
HIMYM - This is long overdue, and well deserved. It's no secret that it is the official show of bambat, it's refreshing to finally see such a fantastic show get its due.

30 Rock - Continues to be one of the funniest shows on television. That's what this category is about.

Undeserving:
Entourage - My feelings on this show have been made clear several times. Even if you are going to nominate it, according to everyone who watches it this was its worst year. Makes no sense.

The Office - I'm a fan of this show, and will be until the end, but this season was mediocre at best. Not that I'm surprised it was nominated.

Family Guy - This puzzles me. Everyone thinks FG has gone downhill, and while I don't necessarily agree I'm shocked that it was nominated here.

Snubs:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - No surprise, since its far too crass for Emmy voters to give it any credit, but it's probably the most laugh-inducing show on television.

Chuck - I was a little shocked to see so little love for this show, I guess I'll just have to be content with the fact that it was renewed.

Pick: HIMYM in a walk, though 30 Rock will probably take it again.

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Jemaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

Deserving:
Alec Baldwin - Check out this clip if you don't believe me.
Jim Parsons - Diamond in the rough. Hilarious character on an otherwise mediocre show. He's the real deal.

Undeserving:
Charlie Sheen - This show sucks.

Snubs:
Zachary Levi - I can't believe Chuck wasn't shown more love, but I'm not really surprised.
David Duchovony - Was it the sex addiction?

Pick: Jim Parsons - When I made my picks I had him in the far more stacked supporting category. He's an easy pick for me here.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program

Deserving:
Tina Fey - Show's great, she's hilarious. It's Tina Fey, come on.
Mary-Louise Parker - I mostly appreciate her for her dramatic work. She's also hot.

Undeserving:
Sarah Silverman - Not funny and this show was stupid.

Snubs:
Honestly can't think of another actress I would even nominate

Pick: Tina Fey - She'll win easily, 30 Rock is an Emmy machine.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
Rainn Wilson, The Office

Deserving:
NPH - The clear favorite, and not just because he's hosting. Friend of the blog NPH should have won this already, but he will this year.
Tracy Morgan - Consistently outrageous and hilarious, can't really quibble with any of the 30 Rock nominations.

Undeserving:
Kevin Dillon - This show sucks. He sucks.
Jon Cryer - This show also sucks.

Snubs:
Jason Segal - I might have picked him over most of these guys, but if HIMYM was only getting one nod, than NPH is the choice.
Anyone from Scrubs - You suck, Emmys.

Pick: NPH - For reasons too obvious to even state.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Kristin Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

Deserving:
Kristin Chenoweth - Mike loves Pushing Daisies. Even I acknowledge Chenoweth is a great talent.
Jane Krakowski - I've been over this.

Undeserving: Can't really knock anyone, this is a weak category

Snubs:
Caitlin Olsen - SOMEONE from this show should be nominated for something
Cobie Smulders - She's severely underrated, more than just a pretty face.

Pick: Kristin Chenoweth

Emmy nominations announced

Sorry for the giant list, but here are you nominees for the 61st Annual Primetime Emmys. We'll be bringing you impressions and analysis throughout the day.

COMEDY

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
30 Rock
Weeds

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Jemaine Clement, Flight of th Conchords
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
Rainn Wilson, The Office

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Kristin Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alan Alda, 30 Rock
Beau Bridges, Desperate Housewives
Jon Hamm, 30 Rock
Steve Martin, 30 Rock
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, 30 Rock
Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Gena Rowlands, Monk
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock
Betty White, My Name Is Earl

DRAMA

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Big Love
Breaking Bad
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
Michael Emerson, Lost
William Hurt, Damages
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Rose Byrne, Damages
Hope Davis, In Treatment
Cherry Jones, In Treatment
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Edward Asner, CSI: NY
Ted Danson, Damages
Ernest Borgnine, ER
Michael J. Fox, Rescue Me
Jimmy Smits, Dexter

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Brenda Blethyn, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Carol Burnett, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Ellen Burstyn, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Sharon Lawrence, Grey's Anatomy
CCH Pounder, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

REALITY

REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Padma Lakshmi (Host) and Tom Colicchio (Co-Host), Top Chef
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

REALITY SERIES
Antiques Roadshow
Dirty Jobs
Dog Whisperer
Intervention
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List
MythBusters

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Show With David Letterman
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush
Ricky Gervais: Out of England
Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut a Bitch
The Kennedy Center Honors
Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger

MINISERIES OR MOVIE

MINISERIES
Generation Kill
Little Dorrit

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE
Coco Chane
Grey Gardens
Into The Storm
Prayers For Bobby
Taking Chance

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
Kevin Kline, Cyrano de Bergerac (Great Performances)
Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm
Sir Ian McKellen, King Lear (Great Performances)
Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Redemption

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
Sigourney Weaver, Prayers For Bobby
Chandra Wilson, Accidental Friendship

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Len Cariou, Into the Storm
Tom Courtenay, Little Dorrit
Ken Howard, Grey Gardens
Bob Newhart, The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice
Andy Serkis, Little Dorrit

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House Of Saddam
Marcia Gay Harden, The Courageous Heart Of Irena Sendler (Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presentation)
Janet McTeer, Into The Storm
Jeanne Tripplehorn, Grey Gardens
Cicely Tyson, Relative Stranger

List via EW

Funny + Hot = Series Regular. Makes sense.

For those following the continued reworking of Scrubs into a medical school drama, there is good news today in that one of last year's interns Denise (played by the lovely Eliza Coupe) has been cast as a series regular. While this isn't surprising news, it is certainly welcome:

Coupe joins a refreshed ensemble that will include three or four new regulars in addition to returning vets Donald Faison and John C. McGinley. Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes and Ken Jenkins are expected to make guest appearances.

Given that Coupe was one of the few interns in the past few years who was actually likable and funny (also Aziz Ansari's far-too-short turn as Ed the Intern) I think its a good direction for the show to take. She's also not bad too look at, which will in some small way make up for the trauma of the departure of Sarah Chalke. No word yet on who the "big name" they're getting is, although we not it will NOT be Lauren Graham, despite earlier speculation. Also no word on whether next season will be better or worse than the Scrubs porno. At the very least, they did just take one small step towards approaching that level of sexy. Good job, Scrubs.

via Ausiello Files

Fighter of the Nightman

I'm a big fan of shows deciding to pursue unique and creative marketing avenues, so in that spirit I give you the latest promo for the new season of FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This show has always been big on the viral marketing, even going so far as to work their youtube videos into the show itself. bambat is a big supporter of It's Always Sunny, as you can read in our recent Summer of Couch piece. Getting fans to sing Dayman, probably the unofficial theme song of the show at this point, is a neat gesture and shows that these guys know what they're on about. Season 5 premieres September 17th on FX.

YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION

A couple days ago, the first trailer for NBC's Day One was "leaked". And by leaked, I mean was released by someone with access to a decent quality version. Here's the show in a nutshell, from NBC.com:

In the aftermath of a global event that devastates the world's infrastructures, a small band of [sexy] survivors strives to rebuild society and unravel the mysteries of why the event took place and what the future has in store.

Told from the point of view of an eclectic [read: there's an Asian guy and a black chick] group of neighbors in a Van Nuys, California apartment building, this journey of survival will show us that hope is found in the smallest of victories and heroes are born every day.

As the headline suggests, I was impressed by this trailer. The special effects especially. I would like to direct your attention to a few key moments.

1:01- Hilarious pratfall.
1:06- Riling up the 9/11 survivors.
1:34- The great Xander Berkley.
2:10-14- The gag-worthy tagline.
2:23- Horrible fake CPR.

Keep an eye on this one. Unfortunately it doesn't premiere until March of 2010, so you'll have to think of something else to do in the mean time. I suggest finding a hobby. Do people still collect things? Stamps? Post cards? Lady's fingers? Up to you.

PUT ON SOME UNDERWEAR, I CAN SEE YOUR CLIPS

Clip of the week comes early this week, because this was just too good not to share immediately. Maybe you remember stories like Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Snow White, and other Mother Goose yarns. Wouldn't it be great to see them in cartoon form? Been there done that, you say? Seen it? Well not like this you haven't. It's called Once Upon a Girl and I would buy it, but I'd rather wait for the Blu Ray. I like my antiquated porn to have as much resolution as possible.

Not funny actor gets not funny sitcom

Jon Heder, who has done basically nothing since criminally overrated "Napoleon Dynamite" has apparently landed a deal to star in a ten-episode series on Comedy Central about a nerd. What range. The details:

"Napoleon Dynamite" star Jon Heder has landed a sitcom deal at Comedy Central.

The network has ordered 10 episodes of a new scripted comedy starring Heder as an out of work computer IT specialist who returns to his small home town and moves back in with his parents and younger brother.

The project is from Gary Sanchez Productions and Debmar-Mercury.

My how the not mighty have remained completely stationary in... not mighty-tude... Don't ask me what the title of this show is, since apparently it doesn't have one. Since there is nothing funny about Jon Heder, and there is nothing inherently funny about an out of work nerd living with his parents, I can probably safely take a pass on this show. If I want to experience the magic of a loser who hangs out in a basement and plays video games, I have my own life.

[Ed.- He failed to mention the show is being produced and written by Chris Henchy (HBO's Eastbound and Down), Adam McKay (Anchorman, Stepbrothers), and Will Ferrell (Saturday Night Live and I think that's it). Heder doesn't exactly light my fire either, but those other guys are like Zippos. -Mike]

via The Live Feed

Yeah I watched ABC Family, wanna fight about it?

I hope everyone had a good long weekend, I know I did. Contrary to internet rumor, bambat still exists, and is back from our brief vacation from our unpaid non-job. We're kicking off a new segment today: Pilot Impressions. This seems pretty self-explanatory, but for you morons: We watch pilots of new shows. We write about them. The end. Since this is the Summer, most of these shows are going to be terrible. That's just how it goes.

First up is a little show we previewed a while back, ABC Family's re-boot of 10 Things I Hate About You. So you can get your giggles out of the way upfront: Yes, I programmed my DVR to record this program. Yes, I then watched this program. And yes, I am now going to spend my time writing about it. Whoever told you I had a life was obviously misinformed.

Anyway, if you've seen the movie from back when Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles' career were both still alive, then you've basically seen the pilot. And by that I mean that they essentially took the exact same plot and re-filmed it with less talented actors. They also made sure to modernize it with topical contemporary references to texting and Facebook. No mention of the big gossip that someone tweeted yet, but it's only a matter of time.

Keep in mind that this is an adaptation of a movie which was a loose adaptation of a Shakespeare play in the first place. In other words, we've reached the maximum saturation point of being derivative. If this show gets a spin-off, God will kill an autustic kitten. It goes without saying that each iteration was worst than the last, and yes, this was pretty bad.

The cast is full of people I don't recognize, which is just as well considering a quick glance at their imdb entries revealed a litany of prior ABC Family appearances. I think it should be a law that if you have two or more Hannah Montana alums in one place at any time, you have to pay a fine to the FCC. The only one I knew was Dana Davis, who was in Heroes briefly. She wasn't any good here either. That said, there was definitely some jailbait talent here, which those who know me are aware is a key factor.

Anyway, I can't waste another minute writing about this. In summation:

Rating: 3 out of 10

Wasn't funny or clever. Some of the chicks were alright looking. Didn't throw my remote.

Odds I'll watch another episode: 0

Odds I'll watch another episode and not tell anyone: 50/50

After all, let's face it, I have no life.

CLIP IT IN THE BUD

Slow day today. It's a holiday after all. This is your weekly clip post.

One of Alec Baldwin's funniest scenes on 30 Rock:

The Summer of Couch Part IV: It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Note: This is part four in our ongoing series The Summer of Couch


Show: It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Network: FX
Still on Air: Yes
Seasons: Four (Fifth premiers in the fall)
Episodes I got through: All of them
Rating: 5/5

What I Loved: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of those shows that people have been telling me for years that I have to see. I've caught episodes here or there, but it never really got me hooked. The Summer of Couch provided me with an excellent opportunity to prove myself wrong, and did I ever. I've gone through the entire four seasons over the last week or so, only stopping to tend to the basic necessities of life. To call the comedy brilliant wouldn't be doing it justice, the show my be a bit slapstick and over the top at times, but its one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. And that's really all a comedy should be. There's no real progression in the story, no real character development, and yet somehow it doesn't matter: Because you can't stop laughing the entire time. It might not be the best comedy on TV, but it is without a doubt the most outrageously funny. The episodes are also so self-contained with the outrageous schemes of the gang that they're basically endlessly re-watchable. And I plan to re-watch them. Endlessly.

What I Hated: Really, nothing. The characters of Dee and Mac aren't quite as funny as the other three, but it really only seems that way because the others are so unbelievably brilliant. The show can be a bit too low-brow at times, but at this point we're really just splitting hairs.

The Verdict: Plainly, I loved it. It seems so far in the Summer of Couch that I'm either loving these shows or hating them. Hopefully soon I will have a completely ambivalent reaction to one, but its not today. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is unbelievably fantastic. Its recently been renewed for several more seasons at 13 episodes each (really the perfect number, since it never feels like they're reaching to come up with a plot) so the show will be around to enjoy for a while longer. Thanks to all those who recommended this show, it was well worth it.

Clip: