Gold Derby

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Category: Dexter

Emmy pundits' video slugfest: Who'll win lead actor in a drama?

August 24, 2010 |  7:15 pm
Dexter Michael C. Hall news-1

Chris "Boomer" Beachum, Rob Licuria (AwardsHeaven) and I give the best performances this Emmy season trying to pretend we know who's going to win lead actor in a drama: Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights"), Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad"), Matthew Fox ("Lost"), Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") or Hugh Laurie ("House M.D.")? After you watch us fret over the various wild cards in this race, read our written analysis here.

Also watch our video slugfest over who'll win best drama actress, best comedy and drama series, best supporting drama actor, supporting drama actress, supporting comedy actor, supporting comedy actress, the guest acting categories and best reality host.

Photo: Showtime

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Can Michael C. Hall add Emmy to Globe and SAG wins for 'Dexter'?

August 24, 2010 |  3:30 pm
It's not often that I let myself be bulldozed into a prediction, but Chris "Boomer" Beachum and Rob Licuria (AwardsHeaven) make such a compelling argument for Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") to win the Emmy for lead actor in a drama that, OK, I admit I'm stealing their predix.

But I do so with queasiness. As they attest, this contest is a tossup. However, I do quarrel with two of their views. They rank Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") too high and Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights") too low. Hamm, I think, has no chance to win. He has one nice scene in his Emmy episode when he cries while recalling his brother's suicide. Big deal. (Uh, oh -- that sounds so callous, doesn't it?) Chandler's episode is the loudest, most bombastic, as he bullies his high-school football players. Sometimes the biggest acting prevails. Click here to watch Boomer, Rob and I dish this race via webcam video.

Michael C Hall GG 2010 LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA: ROB'S PREDIX
1. Michael C. Hall, "Dexter" ("The Getaway")
2. Hugh Laurie, "House" ("Broken")
3. Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad" ("Full Measure")
4. Jon Hamm, "Mad Men" ("The Gypsy and the Hobo")
5. Matthew Fox, "Lost" ("The End")
6. Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights" ("East of Dillon")

ROB'S COMMENTARY: My e-mail to Tom and Chris last week was something like "Help me, I can't make heads or tails of this category! It's too difficult!" After re-watching all of the episodes in succession, I haven't changed my tune. I don't recall a category in recent Emmy history so stacked with wonderfully chosen episodes showcasing stunning dramatic masterpiece performances from the cream of the crop of TV dramatic acting.

It pains me to put Kyle Chandler in sixth place. His work in this episode is absolutely fantastic. Two scenes in particular, as he address and/or scolds his team, are wonderful. He would be a winner in any other year, and the sixth spot is by no means a slight on him at all, but somebody has to fill up the slots, and by comparison, I think that the show he is on, the network, and the relative small screen time, do hurt his chances a little.

Similarly, Matthew Fox is absolutely amazing in the "Lost" finale. The last 15 minutes in particular are mesmerizing, devastating and emotionally pitch-perfect. If the episode was whittled down to his scenes alone, he would be much more competitive, but voters have to sit through a double episode, where Fox is not featured for long stretches of time. Surely that will disadvantage him. Again, I stress that he could easily win, if voters respond to the emotion of the final scenes like I did. Watch him die on the jungle floor as the plane flies over his pained-but-happy face and tell me that he doesn't deserve the Emmy.

Jon Hamm has never had a better chance at winning the Emmy that this year. In his episode, the gruff, tough exterior of his Don Draper persona is smashed away by the unwelcome reveal to his wife about his true identity and shameful past. Another masterclass in acting, everything he is feeling is right there on his face. I was blown away by his performance, and thought it would be enough to win him the Emmy, until I saw a few of the other guys in this category.

Bryan Cranston, technically (based on this episode alone) should probably be lower on this list. I don't think it is anywhere near as good as his previous submissions or even some of the other episodes of the third season of "Breaking Bad" ("Fly", for example). But, as a two-time consecutive past winner on a Drama Series-nominated show, I think that he automatically has a bit of an edge over the other guys in this category. And don't get me wrong, the penultimate scene in the episode is dynamite. Don't be surprised if he wins again.

Hugh Laurie has a whole movie-length episode to showcase his character's battle with mental illness, and he doesn't disappoint. The range is there, the characteristics of Dr House that fans and critics alike have grown to cherish are there. The screen time is definitely there. There's even some impact. I initially thought that he might have the front-runner status because there is a perception out there that nobody is more overdue that him. Yet, I just couldn't bring myself to put him in 1st place.

That's because Michael C Hall finally has the episode with which he will likely (finally) take that Emmy that has so far eluded him. Coming off a Golden Globe and SAG win, and John Lithgow's earlier Guest Actor triumph, I think this is Hall's year. The episode does not disappoint -- range, screen time, impact especially with the final haunting scene in the bathroom -- Hall nails it. However, because this category has made me crazy over the last few days, I choose him with a caveat and that is ANYBODY in this group can win this award. I won't be surprised, and would have loved to submit a 6-way tie. But for now, with the proviso that I had to pick a winner, I'm siding with Hall, squeaking over the line in front of Laurie, with Cranston always a deserving threat for another win, and Hamm, Fox and Chandler my sentimental favorites.

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA: BOOMER'S PREDIX
1. Michael C. Hall, "Dexter" ("The Getaway")
2. Hugh Laurie, "House" ("Broken")
3. Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad" ("Full Measure")
4. Jon Hamm, "Mad Men" ("The Gypsy and the Hobo")
5. Matthew Fox, "Lost" ("The End")
6. Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights" ("East of Dillon")

BOOMER'S COMMENTARY: All six men deserved to be nominated, and every one of them deserves to actually win this category. That fact is abundantly true based on their incredibly well-chosen episode submissions but also for their seasons and overall contributions to their shows. It is the finest group of nominees and episodes I can remember. Analyzing the category and ranking the nominees is agonizing. Here is my best effort.

Continue reading »

Can 'Mad Men' make it three in a row at the Emmys?

August 23, 2010 |  4:14 pm

Chris "Boomer" Beachum and Rob Licuria (AwardsHeaven) agree that "Mad Men" will win best drama series at the Emmy Awards for the third year in a row. If this series set in the 1960s prevails, it would equal the achievement of "The Defenders," which owned this award for three years from 1962. The Brit hit "Upstairs Downstairs" won three times in the 1970s (1974, 1975, 1977) while "Hill Street Blues" collared this award a record four consecutive times beginning in 1981. "The West Wing" matched that streak starting in 2000. And "L.A. Law" received a winning verdict four times (1987, 1989-1991) over its eight seasons.

Matthew Weiner Emmys 2008 DRAMA SERIES: BOOMER'S PREDIX
1. "Mad Men"
2. "Dexter"
3. "Lost"
4. "The Good Wife"
5. "Breaking Bad"
6. "True Blood"

BOOMER'S COMMENTARY: The only truly dead candidate in this race is "True Blood", which has no other major nominations and very little support to win such a big award. While "Breaking Bad" certainly has passionate supporters and has an outside shot at winning, I just don't think it can possibly get around the even bigger support for its other four competitors.

Now that takes us to some very serious discussions about four shows that could easily win for drama series, depending on which voters make up this panel and what they are seeking. If they want a traditional legal drama with great acting, writing and lots of polish, they will vote for "The Good Wife." If they are looking for possibly the best fantasy/character-driven drama of the past decade, plus one that probably had the highest degree of difficulty in finishing off six seasons of expectations, they might give another Emmy to "Lost." If they want to reward one of the most buzzed shows of the season, complete with two powerhouse performances by John Lithgow and Michael C. Hall, the voters will go for "Dexter."

Because there are three major contenders waiting in the wings, my Emmy history book (in my head) indicates that there are just too many options to unseat a two-time winner like "Mad Men." While some of us found the third season a little slow at times, the best episodes (which were all submitted to the judges), were some of the finest hours of this past television season. Generally, a show has to take a big dip in quality OR have just one alternative for voters to rally around in order to unseat a great champ like "Mad Men."  I think Matt Weiner and company win their third in a row and should be congratulated for another wonderful season.

Matthew Weiner Emmys 2009 DRAMA SERIES: ROB'S PREDIX
1. "Mad Men"
2. "The Good Wife"
3. "Dexter"
4. "Lost"
5. "Breaking Bad"
6. "True Blood"

ROB'S COMMENTARY: Having now watched all of the episodes submitted by the six series in contention, three things are quite clear to me. Firstly, "True Blood" will not win this category and the producers should be happy with the nomination and invite to the party. Secondly, the producers, networks and studios behind the episode submission choices for "Dexter," "Lost" and "Breaking Bad" were very smart and did in fact pick the best of what they had to offer. All three shows will be competitive and could easily sneak over the line for the win depending on the combination of episodes that each voter viewed during the voting period.

Dexter had what I consider to be its best season so far, and voters who receive its season finale in their reel will be hard-pressed not to be tempted to vote for it. "Lost" is a TV icon that finally finished its run amid an earthquake of hype. Some didn’t love the finale as much as they would have liked, but I can’t find anyone who doesn’t recognize how audacious and ambitious it was, much like the show as a whole. My suspicion, however, is that some of the episodes might alienate viewers who aren’t very familiar with the show’s plotlines. "Breaking Bad" was in my opinion the most satisfying drama series on the air last season. Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte, Giancarlo Esposito, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt and Bob Odenkirk ripped it up like no other cast did, and the show went to places that I never thought it would. Just mesmerizing. It is certainly a dark horse. Maybe too dark, though?

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We give John Lithgow the bad news about his Emmy goof

August 22, 2010 |  7:47 am

Backstage at the Creative Arts Emmys, I gave John Lithgow the bad news that he accidentally thanked HBO instead of Showtime when he won best guest actor in a drama series for "Dexter." He gets genuinely upset at first, then wonders if he's being kidded, then seems to accept the news again. At the end of his discussion with reporters on many topics in this video, he returns to his goof and asks again, "Did I really thank HBO instead of Showtime?"

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Emmy pundits' video slugfest: Best drama and comedy series

August 17, 2010 |  7:02 am

While dishing the Emmy race for best drama series, Chris "Boomer" Beachum, Rob Licuria (Awards Heaven) and I discuss how different the voting system is compared with that of the acting categories. Understanding the process is essential to making an intelligent prediction.

Breaking bad emmys 1

Every year, about 300 members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences serve as judges of best drama or comedy series. They're asked to watch two sample episodes of the six nominees, and the question we pundits must ask is this: Do they really watch all 12 before checking off their ballots? (To see a full list of episode submissions, click here.)

We know that voters do watch all of the episodes when judging the acting races. Upsets happen in those categories all the time, and they're usually triggered by powerhouse episode submissions by the likes of Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") or Toni Collette ("United States of Tara"). But that's different. Only actors can judge fellow actors. They take their "craft" very seriously, which means they make a point of watching all episodes. However, judges only have to watch one episode per nominee in the acting races.

Asking voters to judge two episodes in the series contests may be too much. If so, upsets are probably far less likely because results reflect popular industry sentiment. If that's true, then which shows are ahead this year to win best drama and comedy series? Personally, I believe the battle over best drama series is among "Mad Men," "Lost" and "Dexter," and the comedy contest is a three-way race among "Modern Family," "30 Rock" and "Glee." Am I wrong to dismiss the hopes of "Breaking Bad" and "Nurse Jackie"?

After viewing this webcam, also see our discussions of these Emmy races: best supporting drama actor, supporting drama actress, supporting comedy actor, supporting comedy actress, the guest acting categories and best reality host.


Photo credit: AMC

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Podcast: Kyle Chandler on 'Friday Night Lights' finally scoring at the Emmys

August 16, 2010 |  6:44 am
Kyle Chandler Emmys-3

"I'm happy to be in the same barn with all these other cats," Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights") says in our podcast chat about being nominated for best drama actor at the Emmys opposite Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad"), Matthew Fox ("Lost"), Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") and Hugh Laurie ("House"). "It makes me walk a few inches higher off the ground, believe me."

To listen to the audio of our podcast, click on the right-pointing arrow below.

Chandler is not merely in the company of prestigious rivals, he has a real chance to beat them. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly predicts Chandler will prevail, and Tucker may be right. Chandler picked a good episode of "Friday Night Lights" to give to Emmy judges — "East of Dillon," in which he has a powerful locker-room scene, bellowing to the high-school football team he coaches, "If you don't want to be here, get out of my house!" Actually, Chandler didn't really pick the episode himself, as he revealed in our podcast. "I let other people choose it because I couldn't go through the whole season and objectively try to pick something," he says. "I asked people who are respected and who are involved with the show.

"My strategy was to have no strategy," Chandler says in reference to his Emmy candidacy. Though he took a hands-off approach to episode selection, he nonetheless paid attention to the shrewd Emmy campaign run by DirecTV, which included sending all 14,000 members of the TV academy DVDs of the complete fourth season as NBC aired them just weeks before Emmy voting.

"I saw a lot of the material before it went out," he says. "I thought it was fantastic for that support. That's what it's all about. Standing behind the product. To go out there, do all that and pull it off, we've all got our hands in the air."

Photo: NBC / DirecTV

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Emmy favorites, according to Yahoo

August 12, 2010 |  1:54 pm

Never mind which TV shows and stars are favored by Emmy voters. Yahoo measured the lists of Emmy nominees according to which ones were searched most by their Web browsers during the eligibility period spanning June 1, 2009, to May 31, 2010.

Yahoo emmy

TOP SEARCHED BEST SERIES, DRAMA

1. "Lost"

2. "True Blood"

3. "Dexter"

4. "Mad Men"

5. "Breaking Bad"

6. "The Good Wife"
 


TOP SEARCHED BEST SERIES, COMEDY
1. "Glee"

2. "The Office"

3. "Modern Family"

4. "30 Rock"

5. "Nurse Jackie"

6. "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
 

TOP SEARCHED BEST ACTOR, DRAMA
1. Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
2. Hugh Laurie, "House"

3. Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"

4. Matthew Fox, "Lost"

5. Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"

6. Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights"

Continue reading »

'Modern Family' and 'Mad Men' sweep Gold Derby TV Awards

August 11, 2010 | 12:35 pm

Winners of the seventh annual Gold Derby TV Awards were unveiled Tuesday night in a ceremony held in our forums' chat room. Posters in our message boards voted to heap three trophies upon "Modern Family," including best comedy series, ensemble acting and supporting actor (Ty Burrell).

Though "Glee" lost best comedy, it reaped four consolation prizes: supporting actress and breakthrough performer of the year (Jane Lynch), guest actor (Mike O'Malley) and guest actress (Kristin Chenoweth).

GoldDerby Award

Biggest surprise: Victory by Courtney Cox-Arquette ("Cougar Town"), who isn't nominated for an Emmy this year (and has never been, for that matter). She beat Emmy nominees Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie"), Tina Fey ("30 Rock"), Lea Michele ("Glee") and Amy Poehler ("Parks & Recreation").

"Mad Men" led among drama skeins, claiming best series and supporting actress (Elisabeth Moss). "Dexter" nabbed best actor (Michael C. Hall) and  guest actor (John Lithgow).

All winners listed below. To see a rundown of nominees plus the reax of our forum posters, click here. Many thanks to our forum moderators Chris "Boomer" Beachum, Rob Licuria, Andrew Pickett and Matt Noble for organizing the awards procedure.

COMEDY SERIES:
"Modern Family" (ABC)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Courteney Cox-Arquette as Jules Cobb on "Cougar Town"

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory"

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester on "Glee"

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on "Modern Family"

COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS:
Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes on "Glee"

Continue reading »

Emmy predix: 'Lost' will win best directing award

August 9, 2010 |  7:48 am

"Lost" won the Emmy for directing once before, back in 2005 when the show won best drama series. Now it'll claim the trophy for helmers again, according to our gurus Chris "Boomer" Beachum and Rob Licuria (AwardsHeaven), who rank the nominees according to likelihood of winning.

Lost tv news

ROB'S PREDIX
1. "Lost" ("The End," directed by Jack Bender)
2. "Mad Men" ("Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency," directed by Lesli Linka Glatter)
3. "Dexter" ("The Getaway," directed by Steve Shill)
4. "Breaking Bad" ("One Minute," directed by Michelle MacLaren)
5. "Treme" ("Do You Know What It Means" [pilot], directed by Agnieszka Holland)

BOOMER'S PREDIX
1. "Lost" ("The End," directed by Jack Bender)
2. "Treme" ("Do You Know What It Means,"  directed by Agnieszka Holland)
3. "Mad Men" ("Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency," directed by Lesli Linka Glatter)
4. "Breaking Bad" ("One Minute," directed by Michelle MacLaren)
5. "Dexter" ("The Getaway," directed by Steve Shill)

NOTE: An earlier draft of this blog post incorrectly stated that "Lost" never won an Emmy for directing. The fix has been made.

Photo: The "Lost" cast. Credit: ABC

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Inside track: Emmy acting races for drama series

August 7, 2010 | 12:35 pm

If you don't receive the Los Angeles Times' print edition, you don't see The Envelope's print supplements covering the Emmy derby. Here's a bit of what you're missing — Gold Derby's rundown of the acting races among drama series.

Remember: The Emmy is different from the Oscar, Grammy and Tony, which are decided by popular ballot. It's a juried award. Teams of 50 to 200 actors choose the winner of each performance category after viewing DVDs of sample series episodes or full TV movies and miniseries. When trying to predict the winners, you must know the episodes, which are cited next to programs' titles on the lists below.

Hugh Laurie House M.D

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights" ("East of Dillon")
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad" ("Full Measure")
Matthew Fox, "Lost" ("The End")
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter" ("The Getaway")
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men" ("The Gypsy and the Hobo")
Hugh Laurie, "House" ("Broken")

SPOTLIGHT: Two-time winner Cranston faces serious challenges from Hall, who recently won the Golden Globe and SAG Award, and Chandler, who gives an explosive performance in his episode fuming at his football team, "If you don't want to be here, get out of my house!" Having the longest episodes may benefit Fox, who entered the "Lost" finale, and Laurie, who undergoes Vicodin detox in a two-hour "House" special.

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
January Jones, "Mad Men" ("The Gypsy and the Hobo")
Connie Britton, "Friday Night Lights" ("After the Fall")
Glenn Close, "Damages" ("Your Secrets Are Safe")
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU" ("Perverted")
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife" ("Threesome")
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer" ("Maternal Instincts")

SPOTLIGHT: Close has won for the last two years, but beware: Margulies is an awards darling. She won an Emmy for "ER" (1995) and recently romped at the Golden Globes and SAG for "The Good Wife." Her Emmy episode submission is strong, featuring a quiet crying scene when faced with rumors of her husband's infidelity.

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