Make an Argument
Why the Emmys are shaping up to be doozies
By Eric Hughes
July 7, 2010
Hey! Those were just the shoo-ins! Ready for more?
Have a good shot
- Damages: Damages has earned a nomination every year it’s been nominated, and its third season tallied a higher score on review aggregator MetaCritic than either season that aired before it. While a third nomination is likely in the cards, I can’t help but think its sagging ratings will harm its chances more than they did in 2008 and 2009.
- Friday Night Lights: Ask yourself: Have you ever run into anybody that has said anything remotely close to, “Hey, avoid Friday Night Lights if you know what’s good for you”? Didn’t think so. I’m not sure what amazes me more: That the series, now in its fourth season, has never been nominated for Best Drama, or that I’ve still yet to watch a single episode of a show that many people I know in multiple social circles swear by.
- The Good Wife: I’d argue The Good Wife is CBS’ most buzzed-about drama. And that’s no easy feat when you consider it airs on the same network as NCIS, NCIS: LA, CSI and The Mentalist – better known as television’s #1-4 highest rated scripted programs in total viewers.
- House: House has been nominated for Best Drama four years straight, yet has failed to win the prize outright. With other series potentially bumping House out of contention by earning first-ever Best Drama nods, I’ll go ahead and blame voter fatigue for the reason the academy fails to nominate it. I do, however, think the hospital procedural has a better shot at a nod than my “dark horse” candidates.
Justified: Timothy Olyphant is one sexy beast. Period. Oh, and this one’s also got near universal acclaim.
Sons of Anarchy: Sons of Anarchy has to be one of the most underrated dramas on television. Save for an Emmy nod last year for its theme music, the high-octane series has yet to bag a nomination for anything else. (That goes for the Emmys, as well as any other major awards show). The acting in this thing is killer (Katey Sagal deserves five Emmys for her work in season two) and I’d argue its entertainment value rivals that of any other show on television.
True Blood: AKA the series that saved HBO. Last year, the academy failed to take True Blood seriously. I don’t blame it. Its first season was fun, but bumpy. Season two, however, was popcorn television at its best.
Dark horses
- Big Love: Big Love’s nomination for Best Drama last year was about a shocking as The Reader’s nod for a Best Picture Oscar in 2009. I chose to include it here to cover my bases, yet I can’t imagine Big Love earning a second straight nod. Industry buzz seems to be way higher for so many other shows, including a handful on its network alone.
- Treme: Treme may have struggled in the ratings, but it earned the respect of its parent network when HBO picked up the series for a second season soon after its debut episode. Treme is also the brainchild of the same dude who created The Wire, a series many think to be the best television show of all time. The academy never nominated The Wire for Best Drama. Will it buck the trend with Treme?
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