Category Archives: NBC

June 14, 2007 · 3:37 pm

The ‘Little Mosque on the Prairie’ That Could: NBC shows interest in CBC Comedy

When CTV’s ‘Corner Gas‘ was picked up by WGN in the United States at some point last year, it was a bit of a surprise: not only is Corner Gas outrageously Canadian, it’s also not that funny…although I guess that that makes it fit right in at an American superstation, no? It didn’t seem like it had anything to make it stand out for an American audience outside of being a quirky attempt to play off of Canada’s reputation south of the border. However, things are different for CBC’s ‘Little Mosque on the Prairie’: it has a buzzworthy cultural commentary at its centre, and is apparently actually quite humorous. And, it appears that Ben Silverman (New Head of Programming for NBC Universal) is interested in the series for the American market.

For clips from the first season (Almost the entire shows, actually) and for some fascinating discussion on the various intricacies and cultural issues raised within the series, head to Little Experiences…, here on WordPress.

First off, I would expect to see the series picked up by USA Network (Irony is fun) as opposed to NBC proper, considering that NBC lacks a comedy slot and the production values aren’t quite ready for primetime network television (Just sayin’). Also, The CW is launching ‘Aliens in America’ on its Monday comedy block that covers a young pakistani who ends up smack dab in the middle of a suburban nightmare; two shows with such similar themes would be a bit overkill. However, even if only on USA Network, this would still be a huge coup for the show, and for CBC. The idea of having one of their own series picked up by an American network shows that their development cycle is putting out shows good enough to expand their market range, right? Right?

Actually, CBC might well be very, very nervous right now. Because Little Mosque on the Prairie is thus far the only successful, new, original, CANADIAN series they’ve launched in quite some time. And if that show is co-opted and taken into an American audience, what it proves is that CBC isn’t making content uniquely for Canadians when it can so easily be taken south of the border. This, anyways, will be the argument from the CBC critics out there. And I don’t know how I feel about it.

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June 14, 2007 · 2:43 pm

Trading Places: The TV Shows That Should Switch Writers for One Week

If CBS gives the go-ahead, producers of two of the network’s highest rated programs might be switching writing staffs for a week. However, perhaps surprisingly, these two shows are Two and a Half Men and CSI:. One is a light-hearted innuendo-laden comedy. The other is a procedural drama that only occasionally wanders into the comedy realm. This is perhaps the greatest idea ever.

Now, I have no idea how it would work out for either show (Which excites me), but it does have me thinking: which other TV series should swap writing staffs for a week? And I came up with all sorts of options, but here are two to get us started.

‘The Office’ and ‘CSI: Miami’

This would address the question I’ve been dying to have answered: would CSI: Miami be more or less funny if the humour was intentional? Horatio Caine is basically the most ridiculous character on television, and through the joys of YouTube his unintentional humour has become a cult sensation. However, what would happen if the hilarious writers of The Office got to write lines actually meant to be funny, meant to elicit laughter. I’m imagining Horatio talking a lot like Dwight while investigating the recent marijuana incident…and it’s basically cracking me up right now. As for the other side of the coin, I think it would be interesting to see whether the CSI: Miami writers are actually capable of being funny…my bet is on no, but the other side would be totally worth it.

‘Heroes’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica’

Admittedly, this one is somewhat less about comedy. However, I think that this would be a very interesting experiment because I think that Heroes’ writing staff would learn a lot about character development and sustaining multiple storylines. While Battlestar has its slow episodes, its characters have been so well developed that they often don’t resonate. If Heroes writers could pick up on that, they might be able to survive an entire season at a stronger pace. Meanwhile, I would love to see what Ronald Moore and David Eick could do in the Heroes universe considering their success on the Sci-Fi series.

Okay, so that’s it from me on this subject (I have more, don’t get me wrong, but I figure I should give people a cchance). Are there any other shows that you think might be ready for a crossover opportunity? Is there another show you think might benefit from The Office’s hilarity or one that could be helped by Lost’s mythology? What writers do you think should spend time on Wysteria Lane with some desperate housewives? Are there any writers that you think might benefit from spending some time in Jericho? Feel free to comment below.

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June 14, 2007 · 11:00 am

For Your Consideration: Supporting Actresses – Hayden Panettiere and Jenna Fischer

[In Week Two of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actress awards in both drama and comedy. Today, we present our seventh and last set of candidates. For last week’s Supporting Actor candidates, and all of the Supporting Actress candidates, Click Here]

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Hayden Panettiere (Claire)

Heroes

When I previewed Heroes’ pilot back in August, I had the following to say about Hayden Panettiere’s performance as Claire: “The texas cheerleader is perhaps the most grating of the characters, although there is still nothing inherently negative there.” I don’t really know what that even means to be honest with you, but I do know that my opinion of Claire turned around drastically as the series went along. Perhaps more than any other character, Claire allowed us a glimpse at someone coming to term with their powers in a real way, without the grand world-saving idylls of people like Peter or Nathan. While her story started as her against her father, it was clear as time moved forward that he was simply protecting her…and then it all made sense. As part of this ensemble cast, Hayden Panettiere got to be the only actress to understand her powers not through some sort of contrived plot device, but through natural progression and understanding as the season wore on. I might not have been squarely in her court in the beginning, but I am now willing to submit Hayden Panettiere for Emmy consideration.

There is something instantly appealing about Claire, even if I found her grating in the beginning. A young girl realizing she has powers, she is forced to face the perils of high school while also hiding her true self from all those around her. This period provided some good material for Hayden: her on the autopsy table was a moment to remember, and her friendship with Zack was certainly one of the show’s most convincing outside of Hiro and Ando. However, that period of Claire’s life was really just the life she knew; as she struggled to figure out her relationship with her parents, she became curious. As she became officially part of the Petrelli clan after meeting her fire-starting mother, suddenly she was faced with a different dilemma: now that she knew who her real family was, where did her true allegiance lie?

And that is where the character came to a real high point. Now an integral part of the series mythology not just due to the ‘Save the Cheerleader, Save the World’ talk, Claire was forced to choose a side between her new family (Led by her triumphant hero Peter) or to remain loyal to her father as she knew him, Noah Bennet. As Claire’s story came into full view, it was clear that Panettiere was up to the task. Claire’s discovery of her true past, and of her true future, were compelling almost entirely because Panettiere never allowed the role to completely overcome her. Whereas other actresses might have been unable to handle the transition gracefully, I came to believe Claire’s transformation from high school cheerleader to world-saving heroine because it never jumped to extremes or gave into its gimmick (I’m looking at you, Ali Larter). While Heroes’ cast is certainly diverse, none of the other supporting actresses can claim as solid a season as Hayden Panettiere, and it’s why she is most likely to gain Emmy attention.

Episode Selection: “Company Man” (Aired February 25th, 2007)

Remember last week where I discussed how this is the episode for which Jack Coleman (Mr. Bennet, Claire’s father) should be considered for an Emmy? Well, I have to say the same for Panettiere, who holds her own in this episode that gives her what I believe is her most genuine hero moment of the entire series. With her father in jeopardy, Claire shifts into full-on hero mode by going out of her way to help her father and save them all from a nuclear meltdown. By establishing her love for her adopted father, even in the wake of his betrayal of her, Claire was given just as much depth in this episode as her father. Panettiere waltzes through it all with a sense of childhood playfulness in the flashbacks and genuine heroism in the present, without playing things too harshly in the process. It is a strong performance, and one that is likely to garner her Emmy attention once her dramatic conclusion arrives at the end of the episode.

YouTube – “Company Man”

Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Jenna Fischer (Pam)

The Office

Oh Pam. In my first attempt to write this paragraph I really just wanted to talk about Pam as if she actually existed and I could in some way shape or form influence her. I think that is what has always been what makes Pam interesting: her ability to be so damn real you want to reach through your screen and strangle her for being such an idiot, especially this season. I think this says a lot about Jenna Fischer’s character, because she always made me care: not always in the best ways, mind you, but I always felt that Pam’s fate was important to me personally. And this season, I watched Pam spiral into a place that wasn’t happy, and saw as everyone around her basically treated her like she was just another character. If she had stayed in that rut all season, I don’t think I could have possibly considered her for an Emmy award…but then the end of the season happened. Those final two episodes were everything they needed to be for Pam: a chance to speak her mind, and a chance to return to her old self. And in the process, Jenna Fischer finished a character arc worthy of Emmy consideration.

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June 13, 2007 · 11:35 am

For Your Consideration: Supporting Actresses – Adrianne Palicki and Becki Newton

[In Week Two of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actress awards in both drama and comedy. Today, we present our sixth set of candidates. For last week’s Supporting Actor candidates, and an index of all candidates, Click Here]

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Adrianne Palicki (Tyra)

Friday Night Lights

In a sea of supporting actress candidates, selecting Adrianne Palicki for Friday Night Lights was difficult. Much of my praise for Zach Gilford last week actually doesn’t apply to Palicki at all: his performance is about subtlety and teenage anxiety, whereas Tyra Collette is brash and acts far closer to Palicki’s real age of 24. However, what I realized as the season went on is that Tyra is a character with a great deal of depth beyond her apparent surroundings. While early season storylines had her sleeping with young oil executives (Which was sketchy for a 17-year old and never quite fit), she developed into a much stronger character as the season wore on. She may have been that bad girl who was on the wrong side of the tracks, but by midseason she was the girl who acted tough because her life was falling apart around her. While she might not excel at playing a teenager, Adrianne Palicki excelled at playing a girl who faced trouble with her head held high until she just couldn’t handle it anymore. And that performance is worthy of Emmy attention.

Tyra is the requisite bad girl, in direct contrast to Minka Kelly’s sugar sweet Lyla Garrity. She’s the bad influence on the coach’s daughter Julie, the love interest for resident bad boy Tim Riggins, the object of the nerdy Landry’s desires, and the special project for Guidance Counselor Tami Taylor. However, somehow Palicki managed to make each of these relationships incredibly compelling. Her scenes with Julie were playful, being just subversive enough without being deplorable. Her relationship with Riggins is complicated, with her feelings being varied and wavering at a realistic pace. Her scenes with Landry provided some great comedy late in the season, and working with Tami showed the bad girl side of Tyra breaking down.

And yet, I think the scene that I most enjoyed was Tyra heading into Jason Street’s hospital room with a bottle of liquor and shooting the shit while getting plastered. She was there to make a statement, screw with Lyla’s head, and yet she never quite took it to the level of outright “I’m going to screw your boyfriend”. She was this bad girl, so capable of being so, and yet she had some sense of a moral guideline. That moral guideline became even more clear as her academic future and her strained relationship with her mother became clear, including her battles with her boyfriends. Suddenly, her early season actions gained context they did not have before, and the result was that Palicki’s performance seemed that much better in hindsight. She is no household name, but Palicki crafted a character in a way that is worthy of Emmy consideration.

Episode Selection: “Mud Bowl” (Aired March 28th, 2007)

I don’t want to call this episode Emmy bait, because that takes away from Adrianne’s strong performance…but it was Emmy bait. Waiting for Landry at a fast food joint in the pouring rain, Tyra encounters a rather creepy male. As Landry is late, Tyra gets up to leave and is followed by the man who attempts to rape her. She fights him off with a cigarette lighter, and falls into Landry’s arms as he arrives. Palicki’s performance in the episode is incredibly powerful in what could have been a tough storyline to pull off, and she’s also great in the rest of the episode as she warms up to Landry and all of his charm. To see this “bad girl” devolve into a mess following this traumatic situation was one of those moments where you realized how real Friday Night Lights was, and Palicki’s portrayal of Tyra is what makes that possible in this episode. But since that scene can’t be watched, here’s a scene of Tyra interacting with Matt and Landry.

YouTube – “Mix Tape”

Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Becki Newton (Amanda)

Ugly Betty

A lot of what I discussed about Michael Urie’s performance in Ugly Betty goes as well for Becki Newton. She was also introduced as a catty coworker who would attack Betty mercilessly, and was as one-dimensionally funny as a character could get early in the season. However, like Marc, Amanda grew throughout the season into someone more caring, compassionate, fragile. Perhaps realizing that Betty wasn’t herself interesting enough to carry every storyline, B Plots began going the way of Marc and Amanda, and the result was three-dimensional characters that stood on their own accord. While she might not be a big name like Vanessa Williams, Becki Newton was always up to the task of being a vicious critic when necessary while always being able to show Amanda’s more sensitive side. That ability to balance conniving and concerned, caring and villainous, puts Newton into consideration for an Emmy Award.

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June 9, 2007 · 12:04 pm

For Your Consideration: Supporting Actresses – Autumn Reeser and Jane Krakowski

[In Week Two of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actress awards in both drama and comedy. Today, we present our second set of candidates. For last week’s Supporting Actor candidates, and an index of all candidates, Click Here]

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Autumn Reeser (Taylor)

The O.C.

I’m basically going really far out on a limb here, but there is a definite theme with today’s selections and Autumn Reeser fits right in. Introduced as a stuck up villain for Mischa Barton’s Marissa who hooked up with the evil Dean Hess (It was embrassing for all involved), Taylor was a character left as almost purely one-dimensional…but then something happened. As the third season progressed, she began to change; her mother was seen as a tyrant, and she began to pursue a friendship with Seth, Summer and the gang. As the show progressed into its 4th season, now Marissa free, Autumn Reeser was made a regular cast member. And, as a result, she became the scene stealer the show was clearly looking for. She was smart, funny, insanely charming, and she managed to make a relationship between Taylor and Ben McKenzie’s Ryan work far better than it should have. Basically, Autumn Reeser was one of the main reasons for The O.C.’s creative resurgence, and even though it’s a long shot and I once found her insufferable, I am going to put her under consideration for an Emmy Award.

The challenge for any new regular cast member, even one who was recurring before, is integrating into the existing cast. This, it seems, was Reeser’s calling. She managed to have memorable scenes with pretty much every single character. She had fantastic banter with Kirsten and Sandy, unconventional girl talk with Summer, the usual humour from Seth, and, of course, an actual relationship with Ryan. There was even some fantastic Julie/Taylor moments in there as well. And every single time, she stole the scene: when Taylor was in a scene, chances are she was the focal point.

And yet, Reeser always gave her a certain vulnerable side, never quite becoming entirely the neurotic mess Taylor usually is. On a show that often fell apart, Taylor was always consistent in her actions, and I think that any Emmy voters who see an episode of The O.C. for Emmy consideration will see her as a shining beacon of hope amongst teen soapiness. Even as an admitted fan of the show this season, I know that she has little chance of standing out. But, she basically knocked every scene out of the park, and in terms of supporting performances I can’t help but consider her seriously. A lot of things saved The O.C. this year, but Autumn Reeser deserves a large portion of the credit.

Episode Selection: “The Sleeping Beauty” (Aired November 30th, 2007)

This episode isn’t actually her Emmy submission, as she decided to submit one of the more dramatic performances from the utterly awful story arc with her French husband showing up. However, this early season episode proved to me that this reboot of the show could work, and basically make the Taylor/Ryan relationship believable in one fell swoop. She has funny scenes with the Cohens, with Kaitlin Cooper, and of course with Ryan. She is funny, engaging, heartbroken, nervous…it’s a tour de force performance, and isn’t all caught up in annoying French husbands like she is in The French Connection. She manages, here, to be an emotional connection for the audience. The fact that she makes a contrived relationship work in this manner is deserving of Emmy attention, simple as that.

YouTube – “The Sleeping Beauty”

Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Jane Krakowski (Jenna)

30 Rock

I have said some unkind things in the past about Jane Krakowski’s Jenna. I believe, at multiple points, I wondered whether she was really necessary for the show’s dynamics after she was absent for a few weeks. And, to be honest, the show was better without her. However, in retrospect, I think that my favourite 30 Rock episodes feature Jenna in some capacity. It’s weird, because while I dislike her character in comparison to Liz, Jack, Tracy…she’s still a part of this cast. She’s almost always the butt of the joke, but I think that you need someone like that to be around. Often the victim of poor writing, when the writing was good Krakowski always lived up to the material. While part of me feels she was extraneous to the show’s best elements, the episodes that featured her brought some of the show’s best comedy. It wasn’t the most individualistic comedy performance of the year, but I think it should at least be considered.

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June 8, 2007 · 11:00 am

For Your Consideration: Supporting Actresses – Elizabeth Mitchell and Melora Hardin

[In Week Two of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actress awards in both drama and comedy. Today, we present our first set of candidates. For last week’s Supporting Actor candidates, and an index of all candidates, Click Here]

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet)

Lost

We first met Elizabeth Mitchell’s Juliet at the beginning of season three, as she became Jack’s all-purpose wrangler if you will. She brought him sandwiches, she played him Bob Dylan-style video tapes in an attempt to seize control, and she assisted in surgeries despite only being a fertility specialist. Throughout that six-episode mini-arc, this was all we knew about Juliet. Mitchell’s portrayal was certainly strong, but the character was just another Other as far as we could tell. However, with “Not in Portland” (The first episode back from hiatus), Juliet was thrust into the centre of the Others’ history, and Mitchell was up to the task. Throughout the remainder of the season, she became an intricate and powerful part of this ensemble, and at season’s end she was still as complicated and engaging as ever. Much like Michael Emerson, Mitchell had an incredibly tough task ahead of her. And, like Emerson, she stepped up to the plate with a performance worthy of Emmy consideration.

Juliet could have been a fairly mediocre character in the wrong hands. She has been used as a disruptive influence in the relationship between Jack and Kate, and became “the other woman” to the castaways as well when Jack brought her back to camp following their adventures. And yet, Mitchell always managed to create a character that we outwardly liked, even when they were doing somewhat evil things. When we learned that she was still working for Ben as she took Sun to the medical hatch, we as viewers wanted it to be false, wanted there to be some kind of explanation. Mitchell’s portrayal made us want to like her, something that could have been difficult considering who the Others are.

This season of Lost was all about humanizing the Others, providing them a perspective on this island. Without performance like Mitchell’s, I think the Others might have remained faceless villains, incapable of becoming part of the show’s mythology. Juliet became someone we outwardly liked through a complex back story, a relatable situation trapped between two sides, and by never completely showing her cards. The show asked a lot of Mitchell, and she stepped up every single time. I was never bored with Juliet, and I’m not sure I will ever be. Elizabeth Mitchell is now an integral part of Lost’s ensemble, and her ability to weave Juliet into the show’s complicated storyline is Emmy worthy.

Episode Selection: “One of Us” (Aired April 11th, 2007)

Juliet’s second episode worth of back story, One of Us is a tumultuous journey through her time on the island, coinciding with her present struggle to become part of the culture at the beach. It is a fantastic portrayal from Mitchell that gives her a wide range of scenes that would pull any Emmy voter into her direction. She has so many that I had an incredibly tough time picking just one. Her nervousness before she heads to the island? Her breakdown after yet another woman dies during childbirth? Her smackdown of Sayid and Sawyer as she gather the medical equipment? All of them are noteworthy, but the one I must showcase is where she confronts Ben about his tumour. He had promised to cure her sister of cancer, and yet he has it himself: Juliet is unpleased, and Mitchell’s portrayal is honest and just fantastic. This is an acting tour de force, and it cannot be ignored.

YouTube – “One of Us”

Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Melora Hardin (Jan Levinson)

The Office

I believe that one of the greatest disservices of this television season was the character homicide of Jan Levinson on NBC’s The Office. After three seasons worth of strong, subtle performance from Melora Hardin, she was turned into a boob joke and a serious case of the crazies. While it provided some comedy, sure, what was always entertaining about Jan was how she walked the line between neurotic mess and corporate role model. Her relationship with Michael was her trying something new, trying to find stability where there was none. If she was the comedic form of humpty dumpty, she had a great fall at the end of the season. But, I hope that Emmy voters will be able to remember how to put Melora Hardin’s subtle and entertaining comic performance back together when it is time to submit their ballots.

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June 6, 2007 · 10:14 am

For Your Consideration: Supporting Actors – Harve Presnell and John Pyper-Ferguson

[In Week One of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actor awards in both comedy and drama. Today, we present our sixth set of candidates. For all candidates, Click Here]

Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Harve Presnell (Lew Steziak)

Andy Barker, P.I.

Not very many people watched Andy Barker P.I. It’s understandable: this midseason replacement came and went with only four airings in its timeslot on Thursday nights. Facing Grey’s Anatomy and CSI, the show failed to gain any ratings traction and never became a watercooler success. It is therefore somewhat unfortunate that the performance of Harve Presnell as Lew Steziak, a cranky old man who has long retired from the private eye business but finds himself being dragged back in. I don’t know what it is about Presnell’s performance, but he manages to capture jaded old man so very well without falling too far into senility. His performance is exactly what I’d like to become when I’m older: cantankerous, grumpy, angry, and yet aware that I could be less angry. And, while he’s certainly a long shot, I think that Presnell at least needs to be considered.

It’s not even that Presnell had a huge dramatic moment, or that he had the most hilarious line possible. He just had this way about him, this delivery, that continually brought something unique to this comedy. Although only airing for six episodes, the show created many unique characters who made up quite the team, but I think I’d most like to meet a real life Lew Steziak, in the flesh. I would put the performance up there with an acting master class by any means, but from a comic perspective I think Presnell brings just the right amount of everything to the role. And, well, I can’t really expect much better than that from a 74-year old, can I? Not likely.

Episode Selection: “The Lady Varnishes”

In this episode, perhaps the wittiest of the show’s takeoffs of old murder mystery films (The Lady Vanishes), this episode features Amy Sedaris as a one-legged (She has a wooden leg, which she varnishes) as a long lost love of Lew’s. It’s a cute episode, and Presnell is good in it with Ed Asner as his arch nemesis as well. However, Andy Barker isn’t big on the YouTube. So, head over to NBC.com to watch the complete episode, and enjoy this clip of Presnell from the hit musical “Paint Your Wagon”.

YouTube – “Paint Your Wagon”

Supporting Actor in a Drama

John Pyper-Ferguson (Joe Whedon)

Brothers & Sisters

Brothers & Sisters is a show about an extended family dealing with the death of its patriarch and all of its other problems. This family is a bloody mess, and they all know it. As a result, I always feel the worst for those who chose to be a part of it. They married these people, and found that they had married into a crazy house. As a result, I also feel the most for these actors who have to react in a natural fashion to the problems that this situation creates. And, as a result, I have chosen to highlight John Pyper-Ferguson, who plays Sarah Walker’s husband Joe, for Emmy consideration.

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June 6, 2007 · 7:34 am

Television Critics Pile on the Praise for the Shows I Like

The annual TCA awards are pretty much the exact opposite of the Emmy Awards.

Television Critics Association Nominations – Variety.com

Television Critics are, for the most part, much better informed on the actual quality of network and cable television as opposed to being completely ignorant to various entertaining programs. As a result, these are awards that actually give us an indicator of who gave the best performances, not just who submitted the best episode. And, let me tell you: the result is an intense race that creates categories impossible to decide upon.

Program of the Year

“American Idol” (Fox)
“Friday Night Lights” (NBC)
“Heroes” (NBC)
“Planet Earth” (Discovery)
“The Wire” (HBO)
“When the Levees Broke” (HBO)

This is such a bizarre category, because it’s really more defined as programming from I guess a…I don’t even know what it means. Either way, you’ve got reality television, family drama, Sci-Fi drama, Nature Documentary, gritty HBO drama, and a Katrina documentary. That’s a diverse mix of shows right there. Are they looking for something new, something powerful…I don’t even know.

Comedy Series

“30 Rock” (NBC”)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central”)
“Entourage” (HBO”)
“The Office” (NBC”)
“Ugly Betty” (ABC”)

This category is just unfair, TCA. The Office against The Daily Show? Throw 30 Rock into the mix and you’ve got an impossible decision to make. I really have no idea how I’d decide on this one, and I for one support separate variety categories just to keep this conundrum from taking place.

Drama Series

“Friday Night Lights” (NBC”)
“Heroes” (NBC”)
“Lost” (ABC”)
“The Sopranos” (HBO”)
“The Wire” (HBO”)

We don’t know how much this will coincide with Emmy’s list, but I feel for certain that three of these shows will be named on July 19th. The Wire is one of those shows that has never garnered Emmy attention due to its lack of Network coverage, and without star power or pedigree it might have trouble breaking through at the Emmys. However, the amount of critical attention given to the series might make it something to catch up on this summer.

New Program

“30 Rock” (NBC”)
“Dexter” (Showtime”)
“Friday Night Lights” (NBC”)
“Heroes” (NBC”)
“Ugly Betty” (ABC”)

Umm, TCA? Are you following my viewing habits or something? I doubt they are, but these five shows are likely to make it onto my respective Drama/Comedy Emmy FYCs in July, and are probably my top 5 new shows of the season. I’m especially happy to see Dexter getting some love, it is most deserved.

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June 5, 2007 · 10:45 am

For Your Consideration: Supporting Actors – John C. McGinley and Zach Gilford

[In Week One of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actor awards in both comedy and drama. Today, we present our fifth set of candidates. For all candidates, Click Here]

Supporting Actor in a Comedy

John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox)

Scrubs

John C. McGinley really never gets a fair shake when Emmy time rolls around. Dr. Cox, the character he portrays on NBC’s Scrubs, is hilariously funny through most of the episodes, but he is at his best when the series demands dramatic material from him. When Dr. Cox just a few seasons ago lost three cancer patients due to an infection that he missed, he sunk into a deep depression from which he was unable to escape. When his best friend and brother-in-law passed away, he went through an entire episode imagining him to be there, leading him through his life and making up for mistakes along the way. These episodes were touching, emotionally powerful…but not comic. And, as a result, he has struggled in this category. Well, this season lacked such a poignant moment for the character, but I still believe that he is an unsung hero that should be considered for an Emmy nomination.

What Dr. Cox does so well is to basically serve as the sarcastic doctor, a mentor who has not yet become so jaded as to refuse to mentor others, and as someone who is always there to call J.D. girl’s names and let his opinion be known. I’ve written in the past about how I feel Scrubs hasn’t aged well (If I haven’t, I’ll have to do so when the show premieres in September), but I think that McGinley has magically overcome this problem. While other characters seem to spin in circles, McGinley seems to be able to navigate a fairly interesting path for his character even though his brand of humour can often be the most stereotypical.

That sense of humour, however, remains fresh. His long-winded rants about J.D. and others’ incompetence, his refusal to become part of the personal lives of the doctors around him, and his general sarcasm all make him funny and entertaining, while he remains able to humanize himself through his own life with two kids, an ex-wife who he hates and loves at the same time, and an inner heart of gold. McGinley never seems to get lost in the character, or lost in the other characters’ inability to mature over six seasons. McGinley, as the most consistent character in the show’s ensemble, deserves to be recognized more than its lead, who often sits back and watches as McGinley berates him with aplomb. And that, my friends, is why John C. McGinley deserves serious Emmy attention for his comic performance.

Episode Selection: “My House” (Airdate: January 4th, 2007)

Now, I don’t know if I would have selected this episode myself (It is somewhat lacking in some of Dr. Cox’s best qualities), but the premise behind the episode is one that could affect Emmy voters. Faced with two medical mysteries (Four if you count Carla and Eliot’s problems), Dr. Cox becomes the NBC equivalent of House. This quasi-crossover appeal should engage voters, and there are some strong moments for the character, but I think that the episode is just a bit too dull. Hugh Laurie’s performance of House is brilliantly comic within a dramatic setting. Here, McGinley is understated in a show that values absurdist comedy (Too often, to be honest). As a result, I think it won’t gain traction as a comic performance…but stranger things have happened. Via YouTube, here is his final diagnostic, House style.

YouTube – “My House”

Supporting Actor in a Drama

Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen)

Friday Night Lights

When I wrote a review of the Friday Night Lights pilot, I classified Matt Saracen as something akin to a contrived cliché in character form. Backup quarterback, never played a game in his life, throws footballs through a tire, takes care of his ailing grandmother, and in a moment of tragedy he is forced to step up and put the weight of an entire town on his shoulders. Within the context of the pilot, it was certainly a cliché series of events. However, what I did not realize at the time was that the show was also asking for a lot of weight to be placed on Zach Gilford’s shoulders, and much as his character led the Dillon Panthers to State so too did Gilford take this character and portray him as a real teenager, with real anxiety, and with real heart. And even in his understated fashion, without a single breakout scene to blow Emmy voters away, this young actor absolutely deserves to be considered this award season.

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June 4, 2007 · 11:00 am

For Your Consideration: Supporting Actors – Rainn Wilson and Jack Coleman

[In Week One of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actor awards in both comedy and drama. Today, we present our fourth set of candidates. For all candidates, Click Here]

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Rainn Wilson (Dwight)

The Office

While sentimental types might support John Krasinki’s Jim, it is Rainn Wilson’s Dwight that remains, and will always remain, the show’s supporting comic center. Jim’s pranks may initiate the laughs, but it is always Dwight reaction that gives me the most enjoyment. The fact that Rainn Wilson wasn’t nominated last year despite the utterly fantastic work in “Dwight’s Speech” is outrageous, and therefore it is only fitting that he be given a shot at an Emmy this year.

Without Dwight, The Office would not function the way it currently does. Michael would be infinitely less funny if he didn’t have someone hanging off of his every word. Jim would be a juvenile prankster if Dwight’s reactions weren’t so funny that we forget about the idiocy of it all. And, in those moments where Dwight is asked to step up to the plate and be his own starring character, he knocks them out of the park. His relationship with Angela has always been played subtlely, and it is often one of the show’s best qualities.

Rainn Wilson always brings a quality to the character that makes him more likable than he really should be; while there is no question Dwight is a decent guy at his core, Wilson always ensures that we see that just enough to make it work. Whether he’s trying to capture a bat, trying to take over the Office, or actually succeeding in doing so, Dwight is always played with just the right amount of nerdiness, naivety, and gusto. A scene-stealer in every possible way, Rainn Wilson deserves credit for bringing Dwight to the screen each week with an Emmy Nomination.

Episode Selection: “The Job” (Airdate: May 17th, 2007)

Currently, Wilson’s episode entry is the early-season episode “The Coup,” nominated for a Writer’s Guild Award. While a decent episode, and featuring some solid Dwight comedy, it doesn’t work as well for me as the recent season finale as the highlight of Dwight’s absurdity and humanity. “The Job” features Dwight finally having his dream come true: Michael appoints him boss, and he gets to run The Office his own way. Even though I have some problems with the way the season finale played out, Dwight’s part in it was indicative of some of the character’s best qualities, and Rainn Wilson knocked it out of the park. While individual Dwight moments certainly resonate more than any single episode, this one certainly brought a lot to the table for the character comedically. The Coup certainly has more of a character arc, but the hour-long finale has more overall moments for voters to remember.

YouTube – “The Job”

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama

Jack Coleman (Mr. Bennet)

Heroes

Although the academy will not be handing out awards based on an entire season’s work, the journey of Jack Coleman over the span of this past year has been one of the most intriguing in all of television. Introduced as a shadowy villain without a name, Noah Bennet quickly became a conflicted father, a reluctant conspirator and, eventually, a hero in his own right. When we finally learned his first name in the show’s season finale, one felt that a real arc had been created: this person who we barely knew but 22 episodes ago was now perhaps the character we knew the best. And it is Jack Coleman’s portrayal of this character that makes him deserving of Emmy Award recognition.

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