2014 Comic-Con: Thursday's TV Panels

So, we had initially planned our Thursday TV panels to start in the Indigo Ballroom, but when the line for Ballroom 20 was super-short at 8am, we headed into that instead. So, rather than see Betty White and the USA Dig panel, we were treated to 24 with Kiefer Sutherland, Under the Dome with a good chunk of the cast, and a screening of CBS's new drama, Scorpion. Not sticking around for Reign, we headed out and about to do all sorts of fun Comic-Con things before hitting an evening panel on the Psychology of Cult TV Shows. Included below are some highlights from these four events - look for more in-depth articles in the future. And, be sure to follow us on SmugMug, on Twitter or on Facebook for the latest throughout Comic-Con!

24, with Kiefer Sutherland and Jon Cassar.
- filming in London was very different. Sutherland talked about how many rules there are when it came to having weapons on the set, but onlookers were permitted to crowd outside the scenes and watch filming! At one point, 2,000 people watched a scene, then crossed the street for the next one!
- Sutherland wrote the backstory for Jack to become more aggressive and have less to fight for... so he didn't have to cover up his tattoos anymore.
- Sutherland likes Boardwalk Empire and Ray Donovan.
- Sutherland once jumped out of a car to help an elderly woman being mugged in Los Angeles. But, being Jack Bauer didn't work out... he interrupted a student film! 
- If Sutherland was cosplaying, he'd be a stormtrooper.
- He and his father never talk about work, even though they just made a movie together!

photo: Jonathan Bredemeyer

Under the Dome, with Mike Vogel, Dean Norris, Rachelle LeFevre, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Eddie P. Cahill (not Mackenzie Lintz), and Neal Baer.
- They just finished filming the season six days ago.
- 16 characters died in the first season. The second won't be quite as high, but once they start to fall, they'll fall fast! But, they can still make appearances, as ghosts and the like.
- It was hinted at that maybe a character will break out of the dome this season... and as Barbie appears to fall into a deep cave at some point in the near future, maybe it's him!
- Speaking of Barbie, his backstory is coming - we'll both meet his father AND learn that he turned away from life as a trust-fund baby!
- A fan asked each of the panel members to state who they would choose to have with them if they had to live under a dome. Vogel chose Chuck Norris, Norris chose Britney Spears, LeFevre chose Clive Owen, Koch said Dean Norris, Ford said his best friend, and Cahill said his wife.
- Viewers WILL find out what was in Melanie's locker when Angie died. 

photo: Jonathan Bredemeyer

Scorpion, with Walter O'Brien, Elyes Gabel, Robert Patrick, Katharine McPhee, Nick Santora, Nicholas Wooten, Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, and Justin Lin.
* we will be reviewing the pilot in a future post.
- Walt may have a nemesis in the show, but the real O'Brien no longer does.
- McPhee talks about filming a tough scene by explaining that the car wasn't moving at all but they had to pretend there were high speeds, traffic, etc.

photo: Jonathan Bredemeyer

The Psychology of Cult TV Shows, with Janina Scarlet, Travis Langley, Ali Mattu, and Billy San Juan.
- TV shows can be educational and healing in ways folks don't normally think about. We learn messages like persistence along with the characters.
- The representation of war on TV makes audiences more compassionate and knowledgeable.
- When two people share a fandom (like a television show), they can become fast friends.

** find more pictures of these panels, plus others, the exhibit floor, and off-site events at our SmugMug site!

The 2013 Golden Globes: Times are Changing

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

In four years, this site has never talked about the Golden Globe Awards. They've been around since 1944 and annually award excellence in film (14 categories) and television (11 categories). They're not one of the "big four" awards, which is probably why I've always dismissed them as "not counting" like the big boys do. Others discount them because the members who determine the winners are foreign journalists. Really. The 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association all live in Southern California and are accredited by the Motion Picture Association of America but write for newspapers and magazines elsewhere.

Regardless of who is picking the winners, some people embrace the Golden Globe Awards as part of the "Award Season," which ends with the Oscars each year. For those who aren't cinephiles, the Academy Awards (Oscas) don't mean a whole lot, aside from possibly giving you a film or two to put on your bucket list. The Golden Globes, on the other hand, tend to appeal to a broader audience because of its mix of television and movie awards. Sure, Argo and Les Miserables took the big awards home in the silver screen division, but many expected that sort of thing. The bigger surprised were from the small screen categories.

Golden Globe Awards © HFPA facebook.com/GoldenGlobes

You may already be aware of the winners from last night's ceremony, but did you realize that they are almost exclusively from premium cable channels? Broadcast networks and the main cable networks had many nominees to boast, but when the hammer fell, so did they. Take a look: 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Homeland (Showtime) *winner
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Downton Abbey Season 2  (PBS)
The Newsroom (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Claire Danes, Homeland (Showtime) *winner
Connie Britton, Nashville (ABC)
Glenn Close, Damages (Audience Network)
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey Season 2 (PBS)
Julianna Magulies, The Good Wife (CBS)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Damian Lewis, Homeland (Showtime) *winner
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom (HBO)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Girls (HBO) *winner
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Episodes (Showtime)
Modern Family (ABC)
Smash (NBC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Lena Dunham, Girls (HBO) *winner
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (FOX)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
Tiny Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (NBC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Don Cheadle, House of Lies (Showtime) *winner
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
Louis C. K., Louie (FX)
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes (Showtime)
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Game Change (HBO) *winner
The Girl (HBO)
Hatfields & McCoys (History)
The Hour (BBCAmerica)
Political Animals (USA)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Julianne Moore, Game Change (HBO) *winner
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO)
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Sienna Miller, The Girl (HBO)
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals (USA)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys (History) *winner
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock (BBCAmerica)
Woody Harrelson, Game Change (HBO)
Toby Jones, The Girl (HBO)
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey Season 2 (PBS) *winner
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville (ABC)
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife (CBS)
Sarah Paulson, Game Change (HBO)
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family (ABC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ed Harris, Game Change (HBO) *winner
Max Greenfield, New Girl (FOX)
Danny Huston, Magic City (Starz)
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland (Showtime)
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family (ABC)

FOX didn't have a single winner. Neither did ABC, CBS, NBC, or the CW. PBS took one award. ONE. So, of the broadcast networks, only one out of eleven awards went to a show that the general public had a fair chance at seeing. History, a cable network, picked up a single win as well. I don't know how much every provider charges for History, but U-Verse includes it in all packages at and above $57/month. The remaining nine categories were all swept by HBO (with five) and Showtime (with four), networks which are additional costs for cable subscribers. Some quick internet research shows that HBO is about $13 extra per month, and Showtime is about $14 more per month. So, illegal downloading aside, what percentage of the population was familiar with the vast majority of the winners? How upset were the people around your office water cooler today when they couldn't talk about House of Lies, Girls, or Homeland? I know that it definitely limited some of the conversation that I witnessed today, and it made me think...

I mean, there's a reason that Game of Thrones was the show most pirated in 2012! People don't have access. The way that the premium channels took the Golden Globes really forces some perspective on the futures for those networks... was this a strange coincidence or is it a trend? During a time when so many people have been discussing the disparity in our nation's socioeconomic classes, will the elite be the only ones talking about awards shows? Last fall's Emmys gave us 12 broadcast winners, 8 cable winners, and 10 premium network winners in the non-creative categories. Premium did better than cable, but only got one-third of the total awards, allowing more of the general public to be aware of "what's best" and take part in conversations about the ceremony.

No, I don't think that the premium networks should be excluded from these awards. But the playing field isn't exactly level, either. What you can say and show at 8pm on ABC is not the same as what you can say and show at 10pm on HBO. The goals for the networks aren't the same. So many things work differently, from censorship to funding to audience demographics. If this is a taste of where "good" television is going, what is going to happen next?

News Roundup: Renewals & Scheduling

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Renewals & Scheduling:
SyFy has renewed Total Blackout for a second season, which will begin Tuesday, November 13th.

TNT has renewed Falling Skies for a third season.

Disney renewed Good Luck Charlie for a fourth season.

MTV has renewed Teen Wolf for a third season.

Larry King Now is available on Hulu already.

Oxygen has I'm Having Their Baby premiering tomorrow, Monday, July 23rd, at 11pm ET/PT. This docuseries will look at adoption stories.

Logo's new Absolutely Fabulous special will premiere in the US on Wednesday, July 25th at 10pm ET/PT.

MTV's WakeBrothers will debut with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, July 25th at 11pm ET/PT.

Oprah's Lifeclass returns with new episodes at 10pm ET/PT on Sunday, July 29th and Sunday, August 5th on OWN.

A&E's Shipping Wars returns for a second season on Tuesday, August 7th at 9pm ET/PT.

TLC's United Bates of America, following the mega-family from Tennessee, premieres Monday, August 13th at 9pm ET/PT. If you've already been following the Bateses, you may be interested to learn that Zach and Sarah have ended their courtship. [TheTalkingBox will be giving this cable series a try.]

TLC also has Big Tiny premiering that night, Monday, August 13th, at 10pm ET/PT. This show is about the world's smallest siblings, who are in their twenties and live in Illinois.

Also coming Monday, August 13th are Hoarders and Intervention on A&E, beginning at 9pm and 10pm ET/PT, respectively.

History's Top Gear will begin its third season on Tuesday, August 14th at 9pm.

Lifetime has Prom Queens joining their lineup beginning Tuesday, August 14th at 10pm ET/PT.

ABC has Time Machine Chefs coming Thursday, August 16th at 9pm. No electricity or running water for these chefs!

OWN has Lovetown, USA premiering at 10pm ET/PT on Sunday, August 19th. It takes place in Kingsland, Georgia, with two acclaimed matchmakers.

The Real Ghostbusters joins FEARnet on August 18th.

BBC America's Copper comes Sunday, August 19th at 10pm ET/PT. This original series follows an Irish immigrant cop in the Five Points neighborhood of New York, set just after the Civil War.

Switched at Birth is back on ABCFamily starting Monday, September 3rd at 8pm ET/PT.

The third season of HBO's Boardwalk Empire begins Sunday, September 16th at 9pm ET/PT.

The third season of HBO's Treme begins Sunday, September 23rd at 10pm ET/PT.

The latest incarnation of the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles begins Saturday, September 29th at 11am on Nickelodeon.

Style is now carrying Sister, Sister in reruns.

News Roundup: You Really Gotta Take a Look...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

There has been a TON of news, what with the cancellations, the renewals, the pick-ups, and the talks of new pilots coming in the future. I have no doubt that this is the longest news roundup that TheTalkingBox has ever done, hence how I couldn't even pick a few things to headline the title! Anyway, hope you find something that interests you!


Renewals, Cancellations, & Scheduling:
Revenge and Suburgatory received the go-ahead for full 22-episode seasons. Happy Endings has gotten an order for six more episodes.

Hart of Dixie, Ringer, and Secret Circle all got full-season pick-ups as well.

NBC gave Harry's Law another six episodes, bringing the total up to 19. They did the same for Prime Suspect.

FX has picked up a fifth season of Sons of Anarchy.

MTV's Ridiculousness has received a second season.

Adult Swim picked up a second season of NTSF:SD:SUV, a 15-minue cop procedural parody.

Cinemax's Strike Back got renewed for a second season.

The Simpsons was renewed for seasons 24 and 25, but the cast had to agree to a pay cut to keep the show going.

So You Think You Can Dance was renewed for a ninth season, and the news went out on Twitter.

A&E renewed The Glades for a third season.

Haven was renewed for a third season.

Boardwalk Empire got renewed for a third season by HBO.

MasterChef was renewed for a third season by FOX.

The CW canceled H8R and will air repeats of The Ringer in that slot. [I think this was my favorite news this time around!]

ABC canceled Charlie's Angels.

NBC canceled Free Agents.

Memphis got canceled.

CBS canceled How to be a Gentleman, shortly after banishing it to a Saturday night slot.

Rules of Engagement now airs Thursdays at 8:30pm.

Fear Factor will be back December 12th. [NBC Entertainment Press Release]

Showtime released a bunch of premiere dates....House of Lies on January 8th, Shameless on January 8th, Californication on January 8th, From the Sky Down on October 29th, The Last Play at Shea on November 11th, Saint Misbehavin' the Wavy Gravy Movie on November 17th, and Thespians on November 10th.

CNBC's Best Jobs Ever will premiere Thursday, November 3rd. Some jobs that will be featured include Victoria's Secret photographer, Hollywood Stuntwoman, High-End Car Purveyor, and a Music Teacher. [CNBC Press Release]

CNBC's Pepsi Challenge will premiere Thursday, November 10th. This original documentary will give viewers a look at the food labs of the snack and beverage giant, and especially what they're doing to take a healthier approach in the future. [CNBC Press Release]

Cast & Plot Updates:
Abby found out she was adopted on NCIS! Oh, and she has a new brother.


Lily's father, Barney's mother and brother, and MARSHALL'S FATHER will appear in the October 24th episode of How I Met Your Mother. [Marshall's father died last year, if you forgot...]

Nick Jonas and Bernadette Peters will appear on Smash on NBC in the Spring.

Jaleel White will host a game show in SyFy, called Total Blackout.

Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff:
Interested in A&E's Bag of Bones miniseries? The Stephen King thrilled now has some promos available.

A terminally ill man who has decided to be mummified now stars in a documentary.

McDonald's is launching an in-restaurant channel, which will feature local sports, movie previews, and human interest stories.

Seth MacFarlane, who has a ton of things going these days, thinks that Family Guy is near the end of its life cycle - "I think seven seasons is about the right lifespan for a TV series."

It's not finalized, but Downton Abbey will likely get a third season.

Is a screening of the Grimm pilot coming to a city near you?

Mandy Moore will be in an upcoming single-camera family comedy for ABC.

A television version of Zombieland may come to FOX.

It looks like there may be a Friday Night Lights movie.

Netflix is in talks to potentially bring back Reno 911!, which was canceled two years ago by Comedy Central. And, speaking of Netflix, they will be getting a bunch of shows for streaming, including The Walking Dead, Portlandia, The Increasinly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, My Fair Wedding, Bridezillas, Girls Whole Like Boys Who Like Boys, and Braxton Family Values. Netflix also struck a four-year deal with The CW to stream past seasons of The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and Nikita. Supernatural and 90210 will be added in January as well, plus Ringer, Hart of Dixie, and The Secret Circle next fall... plus new shows not even yet aired. Oh, and one more thing about Netflix? They've decided to do away with the split in service (also known as Qwikster for DVDs and Netflix for streaming) and stay as one cohesive unit... for now.

2011 Primtetime Emmy Awards Winners

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Well, folks, that wraps it up for another year. And just in time, too! As we've mentioned both here and on Twitter, the new television season is underway, with many shows premiering over the next two weeks! But before we are completely obsessed over what's going to make it and what's not worth our time, let's take a final look at last year's outstanding shows, writers, directors, and actors.

As I did with the Creative Arts winners, I'm going to list the categories in the order that I predicted them last week, and give a thought or two after each winner.I got 9 / 35, so just over 25%. Surprisingly, that's about how I did with my Creative Arts predictions, haha. Oh, and, speaking of which, although I thought I wrapped up all of the awards handed out last week, I apparently did not. A few of the categories below were awarded at the Creative Arts ceremony. Oops.

Outstanding Comedy Series
Modern Family
- As I mentioned, "big money is going to be on Modern Family." And, it won. Too bad, since my vote was on The Big Bang Theory.  

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
"Caught in the Act" from Modern Family by Steve Levitan, Jeffrey Richman
- As I sit here and shake my head at Modern Family sweeping the Comedies, I'm secretly pissed that I can't stand this show and it just keeps winning.

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Modern Family "Halloween" by Michael Alan Spiller
- This one I'm hurt by. I thought that How I Met Your Mother's "Subway Wars" was just so well done. It figures that Modern Family would snub it. But, boo anyway! In all fairness, I did predict that this would be the episode of Modern Family that would earn the Emmy.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory
- Right show, wrong actor. I'm not upset, though. As much as I enjoy Johnny Galecki, I can see Jim Parsons taking home the award.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in Mike & Molly
- Yes, I picked Amy Poehler for her performances in Parks and Recreation, but I'm so happy for Melissa McCarthy that it doesn't matter. Congratulations to McCarthy, as I've loved her since Gilmore Girls and can't wait to see Bridesmaids on DVD!

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in Modern Family

- Four nominees from Modern Family... the odds were there. Too bad for Jon Cryer, though.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in Modern Family
- Guess I really took a beating here. I went with Betty White, thinking Jane Lynch of Kriten Wiig would probably steal it from beloved Betty. It wasn't either of them... but congrats to Julie Bowen!

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Justin Timberlake, Host on Saturday Night Live
- I was between Justin Timberlake and Matt Damon, and picked the wrong one. Close call though, and excellent performances all around!  

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly Holliday in Glee
- I don't really do Glee, as my regular readers know. But, I picked Kristin Chenoweth... the wrong guest, the right show. C'est la vie.

Outstanding Drama Series
Mad Men
- Figures. Mad Men beat my Boardwalk Empire. Not doing too great so far here.

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
"Always" from Friday Night Lights by Jason Katims

- I was SO CLOSE to going ti Friday Night Lights, but I went Game of Thrones. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Oh, and congrats to Jason Katims!

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire "Pilot" by Martin Scorsese
- Another win for Boardwalk Empire, and another win for me! Oh, and for Martin Scorsese.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights
- Got blindsided here. Didn't see it coming. Too bad for Steve Buscemi, in my opinion. 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in The Good Wife
- Apparently I'm on my game in the Dramas! I'm so happy for Julianna Margulies, too!

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones
- I pushed for the right candidate! Though I did hear a lot of gruff on Twitter regarding how Dinklage did not thank George R. R. Martin in his speech.... 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett in Justified
- what? who? um, okay. Sorry, Christina Hendricks. 

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Paul McCrane as Josh Peyton on Harry's Law

-A little bummed that Michael J. Fox didn't take it, but life goes on. 

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Loretta Devine as Adele Webber on Grey's Anatomy
- Loretta Devine had my vote and brought it home! Yes!

Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
Downton Abbey
- It didn't let me down! Downton Abbey for the win!

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special
Downton Abbey by Julian Fellowes
- I tried to push Sherlock only a couple of times (not like it got a ton of nominations...), but it failed. Again. I support Downton Abbey for the win, though.

Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special
Downton Abbey "Part 1" by Brian Percival
-I don't know why I went with Cinema Verite when Downton Abbey was a contender. Temporary loss of intelligence? #dumbmoment?

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Barry Pepper as Bobby Kennedy in The Kennedys
- There was some great acting on The Kennedys, let's not lie. But, apparently Barry Pepper's was better than Greg Kinnear's.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce in Mildred Pierce
- I wanted Elizabeth McGovern to win. I do enjoy Kate Winslet in general, but this was not my favorite of her roles. Congratulations to her just the same.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Guy Pearce as Monty Beragon in Mildred Pierce
- Another case of "right show, wrong actor." I went with Brian F. O'Byrne, though Guy Pearce took the win. You win some, you lose some. Moving on... 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey
- I went with most adorable (Evan Rachel Wood). Apparently that wasn't the way to go. But Maggie Smith winning sounds just as good!

Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming
Freedom Riders by Stanley Nelson
- I didn't see Gettysburg losing this one. Oh well. Nice win for Freedom Riders.

Outstanding Special Class - Short-Format Nonfiction Programs
Jay Leno's Garage- Although it was a blind category for me, it seems my instinct for Jay Leno's Garage was lucky.

Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- Meh. As I mentioned before, "I have a really difficult time enjoying late-night shows." So I'm pretty apathetic that Conan didn't win. 

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Series
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- Again, I don't do late-night shows, so I had no big impetus to choose The Colbert Report, other than I've seen Colbert do a show in person. So, no hard feelings that Jon Stewart's show won. 
 
Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special
64th Annual Tony Awards
- I couldn't have gone with any other winner on this one, and I'm not alone. Again, awesome job with the 64th Annual Tony Awards, especially showing the behind-the-scenes clip on the writing of Neil Patrick Harris' closing rap.

Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series
Saturday Night Live "Host: Justin Timberlake" by Don Roy King
- I kinda picked the Saturday Night Live with Justin Timberlake on principle, but it won! 

Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert (Great Performances) by Lonny Price
- I wanted the Tonys here, too. But I love some Sondheim, so yay.

Outstanding Reality Program
Deadliest Catch
- I'm rather intrigued by this one. Not that I was really staunch in my selection of Undercover Boss, but I didn't realize how beloved Deadliest Catch was. Perhaps I'll give it a try...? 

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race
- Yay! A correct pick! wooo!

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Jeff Probst, Survivor
- I know this was the "duh" choice, but I didn't want to back it. Go figure.

2011 Primetime Emmys, Part 2: Dramas

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Continuing on, today we look at all of the Primetime Drama Emmy Award nominees. Just a few days until the ceremony, so get excited!!

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men
- There are a lot of outstanding dramatic programs on television these days. Of course, I still miss the delights of ER, but these are still some fine candidates. I think I'm going to take a lesson from my Creative Arts predictions and go with Boardwalk Empire.

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
"Always" from Friday Night Lights by Jason Katims
"Baelor" from Game of Thrones by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss
"Pilot" from The Killing by Veena Sud
"The Suitcase" from Mad Men by Matthew Weiner
"Blowing Smoke" from Mad Men by Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton
- We're in one of those situations where I'm not in love with any of the nominees for this category. I'm close to going with Friday Night Lights, but I'm going to go with Game of Thrones.

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire "Pilot" by Martin Scorsese
Boardwalk Empire "Anastasia" by Jeremy Podeswa
The Borgias "The Poisoned Chalice / The Assassin" by Neil Jordan
Game of Thrones "Winter is Coming (Pilot)" by Tim Van Patten
The Killing "Pilot" by Patty Jenkins
- The picking between Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones never stops. This time, I'm going with the pilot for the former.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in Dexter
Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in House
Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens in Justified
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men
- Steve Buscemi in Boardwalk Empire. done.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton as Tami Taylor in Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in The Good WifeKathy Bates as Harriet "Harry" Korn in Harry's Law
Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden in The Killing
Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in Mad Men
- I personally feel that Julianna Margulies has emerged on The Good Wife. But I'm sure Elisabeth Moss will give her a run for the money...

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones
Josh Charles as Will Gardner in The Good Wife
Alan Cumming as Eli Gold in The Good Wife
Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder in Justified
John Slattery as Roger Sterling in Mad Men
Andre Braugher as Owen in Men of a Certain Age
- I'm going to push for Peter Dinklage, even if it does make me look like I'm trying too hard for Game of Thrones.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Kelly Macdonald as Margaret Schroeder in Boardwalk Empire
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart in The Good Wife
Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett in Justified
Michelle Forbed as Mitch Larsen in The Killing
Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris in Mad Men
- I think I might be selecting a fan favorite in Christina Hendricks for her work on Mad Men, but I guess that's okay.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Bruce Dern as Frank Harlow on Big Love
Beau Bridges as Nick Brody on Brothers & Sisters
Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning on The Good Wife
Paul McCrane as Josh Peyton on Harry's Law
Jeremy Davies as Dickie Bennet on Justified
Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper on Mad Men
- I love it when there's a good guest on a show. So determining who the best guest was can turn into a tricky dilemma. Here, I can't see past Michael J. Fox, especially on such a quality program like The Good Wife.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Mary McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydoe in The Closer
Julia Stiles as Lumen Pierce on Dexter
Loretta Devine as Adele Webber on Grey's Anatomy
Randee Heller Miss Blankenship on Mad Men
Cara Buono as Faye Miller on Mad Men
Joan Cusack as Sheila Jackson on Shameless
Alfre Woodard as Ruby Jean Reynolds on True Blood
- I'm torn here. I think that three of these lovely ladies are deserving for their efforts. But (and maybe this is because of all the State of Georgia I've seen lately), Loretta Devine has my vote for Grey's Anatomy.

2011 Creative Arts Emmy Award Winners

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Last night, on Reelz, the winners of the Creative Arts Primetime Emmys were announced. Today, let's see how I did, and how you might have done! I'll let you guys know in advance... as per my usual, I didn't do too well. Looks like I scored 14 / 61. Or, if I give myself half-credit on Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series and Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic), 15 / 61, which is still under 25%, LoL... Let's just hope I do better next week with the rest of the awards!

The categories are in the order in which I predicted them originally, and I've listed the winners, with my own thoughts after each category.

Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series
Hot in Cleveland "Sisterhood of the Traveling Spanx," "I Love Lucci: Part Two," & "LeBron Is Le Gone"
- Well, I mentioned that, although I ultimately chose the How I Met Your Mother submission, Hot in Cleveland was my second choice. So, I support the win.

Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series
Boardwalk Empire "Pilot"
- I mentioned that the detail in this show really made it stand apart here, and apparently I wasn't the only one who thought that way!

Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie
Mildred Pierce- I knew I wasn't really qualified to make an educated guess on this one, so it's pretty easy to see that my pick of Downton Abbey just didn't hold up.   

Outstanding Art Direction for Variety, Music or Nonfiction Programming
2010 MTV Video Music Awards
- A winner that I didn't see... they're bound to pop up all over the place. Apparently the art direction was better here than in Gettysburg, but I'm honestly still a little skeptical.

Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series
Two and a Half Men "Hookers, Hookers, Hookers" - Steve V. Silver, Director of Photography
- I knew there were some wonderful candidates, however betting on Rules of Engagement apparently wasn't the way to go.

Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series
Boardwalk Empire "Home" - Jonathan Freeman, Director of Photography
- I mentioned that all of the Boardwalk Empire nominees blended together for me... I guess "Home" just stood out more for some people. Regardless, The Good Wife was not a good pick.

Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie
Downton Abbey "Part 1" - David Katznelson, DFF, Director of Photography
- from my prediction: "there's something beautiful about Downton Abbey that I think gives it an edge here."

Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations "Haiti" - Zach Zamboni, Todd Liebler, Directors of Photography
- Maybe I was just too Gettysburg-happy in my choices...

Outstanding Cinematography for Reality Programming
Deadliest Catch "Redemption Day" - Cinematography Team
- This was one of the blind categories for me, so I can't say I'm all that surprised that something beat my Top Chef choice.

Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
American Masters "John Muir in the New World" - Garth Neustafter
- It's generally not a safe move to choose an animated feature when a non-animation feature is up for the same award. So, Family Guy falls. Worse things have happened. 

Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Mildred Pierce "Part 5" - Carter Burwell
- As brilliant and enriching as Sherlock: A Study in Pink was, Mildred Pierce apparently beat it in the eyes of others. 

Outstanding Music Direction
Harry Connick Jr., In Concert on Broadway (Great Performances) - Harry Connick Jr., Music Director

- Sad as it may be, I'm going to hide my poor selection of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards behind my original claim that "I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that I'm rather clueless in this category." 

Outstanding Original Music & Lyrics
Saturday Night Live "Host: Justin Timberlake" (Song: "Justin Timberlake Monologue") - Katreese Bares, Seth Meyers, Justin Timberlake, John Mulaney
- Well, it was Saturday Night Live. It was just Justin Timberlake as host rather than Jeff Bridges. 

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
The Borgias (Trevor Morris)
- Big fail for my Camelot. 

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series
So You Think You Can Dance "Season 7 Finale (Part 2)"

- Meh. I still can't stand any of the entries for this category, so I'm not upset that Conan didn't win.

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special
53rd Annual Grammy Awards- Another loss on my part because I didn't actually see the nominee that won. The Grammys must have rocked, though, to beat the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
Glee
- Glee did have the advantage that they cast a LOT of people as guests on that show. So, no big pains that The Big C did not win.

Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire- I don't know. I had said that "this one is really difficult for me," but I really thought that Game of Thrones was a contender here. So this is probably one of the first times I'm a little stumped and saddened that my pick did not walk away victorious. 

Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special
Mildred Pierce- Again, I fail due to lack of knowledge. My selection of Too Big to Fail ended up not making the cut.

Outstanding Costumes for a Series
The Borgias "Lucrezia's Wedding" - Gabriella Pescucci, Costume Designer, Uliva Pizzetti, Costume Supervisor
- What did I say? "I'm not familiar with "Lucrazia's Wedding." So, of course it won. That's the way it goes. Sorry, "Anastasia."

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series
Mad Men "Christmas Comes But Once a Year"
- Here, again, a bit put off. I didn't even justify my vote for Game of Thrones because I felt like it was the clear winner. Apparently not.

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special
Dancing with the Stars "Episode 1106"
- Cheers to a win for me!

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie
The Kennedys- Two wins in a row! See, I think I know something about hairstyling! Game of Thrones SHOULD have won earlier, LoL!

Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)

Boardwalk Empire "Pilot"

- I had mentioned that I was between the pilot for Game of Thrones and the pilot for Boardwalk Empire, ultimately going with the former... while the latter walked away with the award. Tough call all around.

Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
Saturday Night Live "Host: Jon Hamm"
- A winner that I didn't see. sigh. too bad, Dancing with the Stars.

Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
The Kennedys
- Once again, lack of knowledge trapped me with going Mildred Pierce instead.

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a SpecialThe Walking Dead "Days Gone Bye"
- I should have known. Dead things always have an advantage in these areas, LoL. Too bad, Game of Thrones, too bad.

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire "Pilot"
- I got it wrong (went with Dexter), but it doesn't faze me that something else won.

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Comedy Series (Single or Multi-Camera)
How I Met Your Mother "Subway Wars"
- I'm just going to keep my same remarks from before... "This is one where, if I'm wrong, it's because I really don't know what I'm doing. I think that the picture editing for How I Met Your Mother's "Subway Wars" was amazing." 

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie
Cinema Verite
-More near-blind, more bad guesses. This time, I brought down Mildred Pierce with me.

Outstanding Short-Form Picture Editing
The 2010 ESPY Awards "Images Piece"
- I didn't watch the ESPY Awards. I watched the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, but apparently they didn't measure up. 

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Special (Single or Multi-Camera)
Lady GaGa Presents The Monster Ball Tour - At Madison Square Garden
- a correct guess.

Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming
Freedom Riders
- another correct guess. I'm not doing all that bad with picture editing... LoL. 

Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming
Deadliest Catch "Redemption Day"
- Of course I start to fall as soon as I begin to celebrate. No award for Project Runway this year.

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series

Boardwalk Empire "Pilot"

- well, I did say that I struggle with sound editing, so maybe my pick of The Walking Dead wasn't ideal. Oh well. 

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
The Pillars of the Earth "The Work of Angels"
- Again, I said Mildred Pierce, and it was wrong. 

Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-camera)
Gettysburg
- yay! one right for sound editing!
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
House "Bombshells"
- I missed in sound mixing... guess I'm not surprised. Though I did think that Glee stood more of a chance.

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie
The Kennedys
- The Kennedys took it over my Mildred Pierce. I think I go too Mildred Pierce-happy, LoL.

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
Family Guy "Road to the North Pole"
- For some reason, this holiday episode of Family Guy is doing well... and I thought it was ridiculous. Sorry, Parks and Rec!

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or Special
American Idol "Finale"
- My hypothesis that The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards made the most sense here apparently didn't pan out.

Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming
Deadliest Catch "Redemption Day"
- Clearly my angle at picking showing that have music didn't work... American Idol was trumped.

Outstanding Nonfiction Series
American Masters
- Well, I guess it's not that strange that American Masters would beat out Anthony Bourdain. 

Outstanding Nonfiction Special
Gettysburg
- I thought I was getting a little too focused on Gettysburg, but apparently not. I'm not sure why Jaws was my gut instinct, anyway.  

Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming
Gasland by Josh Fox
- Boo for "A Letter to Elia / Reflecting on Kazan" not winning. I liked that American Masters piece!

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Futurama "Lrrreconciable Ndndifferences" - Maurice LaMarche
-called it!

Outstanding Animated Program
Futurama 
- It's not my favorite show, but I guess Futurama can top my South Park pick at times.

Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program
Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa
- It was a brilliant piece and I'm glad it won. Hopefully it will continue to be a highlight of the holidays in the future. 

Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media

Oscar Digital Experience
- I was torn, but went with something that won, so that makes me happy. 

Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series
Boardwalk Empire "Pilot"
- You know, it seems that Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones are squaring off a lot this year, and I just keep going the wrong way.

Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special
Gettysburg
- guess I didn't put my foot in my mouth after all! (Reminder, this was what I predicted: "Gettysburg is such an obvious choice to me that I hardly feel the need to finish the list. [Yes, I realize I may have put my foot in my mouth...]").

Outstanding Stunt Coordination
Southland "Graduation Day" - PeeWee Piemonte, Stunt Coordinator
- And I failed miserably in this one. I didn't even have Southland in my top two. Too bad, I think there was some nice stunt work on Spartacus.

Outstanding Main Title Design
Game of Thrones
- Here I went the other way. I went Boardwalk Empire and it was Game of Thrones.

Outstanding Choreography - TIE!!
So You Think You Can Dance Routines: Alice in Mia-Land "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" - Mia Michaels, Choreographer
So You Think You Can Dance Routines: "Scars" - Tabitha D'umo, Napoleon D'umo, Choreographers
- I had a pretty good chance of losing, since I went with Dancing with the Stars when ALL of the other nominees were from So You Think You Can Dance. Oh well. It was interesting to see a tie, tho!

Outstanding Technical Direction Camerawork, Video Control for a Series
American Idol "Finale"
- Fail for SNL. That darn AI always getting in the way...

Outstanding Technical Direction Camerawork, Video Control for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special
Don Pasquale (Great Performances at the Met)- Here was another case where I didn't know what I was doing. Not upset that The Kennedy Center Honors lost. 

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
The Kennedy Center Honors
- However I should have stuck with The Kennedy Center here, rather than Bette Midler. 

Outstanding Special Class Programs
64th Annual Tony Awards
- I thought that they deserved to win and they did. Yay!

Outstanding Special Class - Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Programs
The Daily Show Correspondents Explain
- Whoops. But I guess this isn't one of my skilled arenas. Sorry, 30 Rock!

Outstanding Children's Program
A Child's Garden of Poetry
- I wasn't thrilled with the nominees, and I'm not upset that Victorious lost.

Outstanding Children's Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee "Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics"
- I've always thought that Nick News does a great job. I look forward to their 9/11 project as well.

The Creative Arts Primetime Emmys, Part 4

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Today we're at the end of our posts previewing the Creative Arts Emmys. They air tonight on the Reelz channel (which, unfortunately, does not seem to allow DVRing). The Creative Arts awards do not receive the same recognition that the other Primetime Emmys do, primarily because the awards are generally for the people and work done behind-the-scenes and behind-the-camera. Still, the effort put forth in these areas is extremely important to the success of these television programs, and I believe that they deserve just as much exposure. After looking at all of the Emmys that fall mostly under broad categories, today we go over the remaining awards.

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Desperate Housewives "Come On Over for Dinner" - Brenda Strong
Futurama "Lrrreconciable Ndndifferences" - Maurice LaMarche
The Looney Tunes Show "Jailbird and Jailbunny" - Bob Bergen
Moguls & Movie Stars "The Birth of Hollywood" - Christopher Plummer

Robot Chicken "Catch Me if you Kangaroo Jack" - Seth Green
The Simpsons "Donnie Fatso" - Dan Castellaneta
- Voices amaze me. Truly, they do. Perhaps it's because I personally don't have much talent in this area, but great voice-overs are like artwork to me. I think that there are some wonderful candidates here, and I'm going to support Futurama for the win.

Outstanding Animated Program
The Cleveland Show
Futurama
Robot Chicken "Star Wars Episode III"
The Simpsons
South Park- I honestly don't understand how The Cleveland Show was nominated - it can't hold a candle to some of the other nominees. I think that the past season of South Park was one of the more memorable, so it gets my vote.

Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program
Adventure Time "It Came from the Nightosphere"
Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa
Regular Show "Mordecai and the Rigbys"
Robot Chicken "DP Christmas Special"
SpongeBob SquarePants "That Sinking Feeling"
-Sometimes the Emmy categories get me giddy with excitement. This is one of those times! Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa was brilliant last year, and a highlight of the holidays.

Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media
ABC's Grey's Anatomy Sync
Conan O'Brien Presents: Team Coco
Fringe : Division
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Oscar Digital Experience- I think there are two selections which stand out above the rest, but I am struggling to choose between them. I guess I'll go with Oscar Digital Experience, though I'm not 100% sure.

Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series
Boardwalk Empire "Pilot"
The Borgias "The Poisoned Chalice / The Assassin"
Game of Thrones "Fire and Blood"
Stargate Universe "Awakening"
The Walking Dead "Days Gone Bye"
- The visual effects in Game of Thrones are exhilarating!

Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special
Gettysburg
Mildred Pierce "Part Five"
The Pillars of the Earth "Witchcraft"
Sherlock "A Study in Pink"
- Gettysburg is such an obvious choice to me that I hardly feel the need to finish the list. (Yes, I realize I may have put my foot in my mouth...)

Outstanding Stunt Coordination
Game of Thrones "The Wolf and the Lion" - Paul Jennings, Stunt Coordinator
Hawaii Five-0 "Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau" - Jeff David Cadiente, Stunt Coordinator
Southland "Graduation Day" - PeeWee Piemonte, Stunt Coordinator
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena "The Bitter End"
- Hoorah for categories where I'm fairly knowledgeable enough to make a reasonable hypothesis! The award goes to Spartacus, though I almost gave it to Game of Thrones. 

Outstanding Main Title Design
Any Human Heart - Paul McDonnell, Designer; Hugo Moss, Art Director; Justin Lowings, Animator
Boardwalk Empire
Game of Thrones
Rubicon
Too Big to Fail- For someone who loved the premise and beginnings of Boardwalk Empire, I sure haven't picked it too often in its categories. But, here is stands alone, I think.

Outstanding Choreography
Dancing with the Stars Routines: Jive "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" - Mark Ballas, Choreographer
So You Think You Can Dance Routines: Alice in Mia-Land "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" - Mia Michaels, Choreographer
So You Think You Can Dance Routines: "Mad World" - Stacey Tookey, Choreographer
So You Think You Can Dance Routines: "Collide" - Travis Wall, Choreographer
So You Think You Can Dance Routines: "Scars" - Tabitha D'umo, Napoleon D'umo, Choreographers

So You Think You Can Dance Routines:"Oh Yeah" - Mandy Jo Moore, Choreographer
- You're kidding me, right? While it wouldn't be the most difficult thing to do, I'm just not going to go watch a bunch of So You Think You Can Dance episodes. So, I'll just go with the Dancing with the Stars option, which I'm sure has oomph.

Outstanding Technical Direction Camerawork, Video Control for a Series
American Idol "Finale"
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart "Episode 15135"
Dancing with the Stars "Episode 1104A"
Saturday Night Live "Host: Justin Timberlake"
30 Rock "Live Show (West Coast)"
- A lot happened on the Justin Timberlake-hosted episode of Saturday Night Live, so I'm going to award it for the technical direction there.

Outstanding Technical Direction Camerawork, Video Control for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special
83rd Annual Academy Awards
Don Pasquale (Great Performances at the Met)
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards
The Kennedy Center Honors
Lady GaGa Presents the Monster Ball Tour: at Madison Square Garden- I'm not well-informed on this one, either, but I'll support The Kennedy Center Honors for the award.

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On 
Carrie Fisher in Wishful Drinking
The Kennedy Center Honors
Lady GaGa Presents The Monster Ball Tour: at Madison Square Garden
The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway- Bette Midler, guys. How can you not?

Outstanding Special Class Programs
83rd Annual Academy Awards
The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards
64th Annual Tony Awards- This category kind of weirds me out a bit. Essentially, we're dedicating part of an awards ceremony to recognizing another awards ceremony. I mean, I guess it's okay to do, but it's still a bit odd. Plus, they cover such different things, so I find it awkward to compare them side-by-side. All of that said, I think that the 64th Annual Tony Awards deserves it!

Outstanding Special Class - Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Programs
The Daily Show Correspondents Explain
30 Rock: The Webisodes- I think that webisodes in general are doing a lot in promotions of various programs. Ergo, 30 Rock it is in this case.

Outstanding Children's Program
A Child's Garden of Poetry
Degrassi "My Body is a Cage, Part 2"
iCarly "iGot a Hot Room"
Victorious "Freak the Freak Out"
Wizards of Waverly Place "Wizards vs. Angels"
- I don't know that these are the very best representatives of children's programming, but I suppose that I'll pick Victorious out of this crowd.

Outstanding Children's Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Masterclass
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee "Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics"
- I've always thought that the Nick News series has been wonderful. I believe that they do wonderful things in areas that aren't approached objectively by many. Cheers to their special on "Kids of Alcoholics."

The Creative Arts Primetime Emmys, Part 2

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Plugging away at the Creative Arts Emmy Award nominees. Today we take a look at the categories in Lighting, Casting, Costumes, and Hair & Makeup. Stay tunes, we have one part going up tomorrow and one part on Saturday before the awards ceremony! (which is being broadcast on Reelz by the way!)

THE LIGHTING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series
American Idol "Finale"
Conan "Love Gets Liposuctioned"
Jimmy Kimmel LiveDancing with the Stars "Episode 1204A"

Jimmy Kimmel Live "Michel Gondrey Directs"
Saturday Night Live "Host Justin Timberlake"
So You Think You Can Dance "Season 7 Finale (Part 2)"
- Conan is going to take my vote on this one, even though it can be difficult to select a winner when you can't stand anything from any of the entries!

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special
83rd Annual Academy Awards
53rd Annual Grammy Awards
Lady GaGa Presents The Monster Ball Tour - at Madison Square Garden
- I actually noticed the lighting on the 83rd Annual Academy Awards when I watched them, so naturally that makes the most sense to me!

THE CASTING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
The Big C
Glee
Modern FamilyNurse Jackie
30 Rock- Honestly, the only choice that stands out to me in this category is The Big C, so I'm standing behind that to win!

Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
The Killing
Mad Men- This one is really difficult for me. I think that the casting decisions in the majority of these shows are very well thought-out. I'm really having a difficult time picking one, but since I've seen the cast of Game of Thrones in person (thank you, Comic-Con), I'm going with them... they just scream their characters.

Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
Mildred Pierce
Too Big to Fail
Upstairs Downstairs
- As I mentioned in the previous post about the Creative Arts Emmys, I'm often faced with categories where I'm not uber-familiar with any of the nominees. In this particular case, Downton Abbey is the only one where I could give an educated guess, and I'm not thrilled with their casting, in all honesty. This leaves me with just images and promos I've seen here and there, which can give you some insight, but not a ton. Selecting Too Big to Fail might not be the wisest choice in the eyes of those more well-verses in these options than I, but that's what I'm going with.

THE COSTUMES, HAIR, & MAKEUP CATEGORIES
Outstanding Costumes for a Series
Boardwalk Empire "Anastasia" - John Dunn, Costume Designer,; Courtney McClain, Chris Peterson, Assistant Costume Designers
The Borgias "Lucrezia's Wedding" - Gabriella Pescucci, Costume Designer, Uliva Pizzetti, Costume Supervisor
Game of Thrones "The Pointy End" - Michelle Clapton, Costume Designer, Rachael Webb-Crozier, Costume Supervisor
Glee "New York" - Lou A. Eyrich, Costume Designer, Marisa Aboitiz, Costume Supervisor
Mad Men "The Beautiful Girls" - Janie Bryant, Costume Designer, Giles Gale, Costume Supervisor
- Here's a tricky one. There are some truly beautiful costumes in these series! While I'm not familiar with "Lucrazia's Wedding," I will pick Boardwalk Empire's "Anastasia" from the remaining nominees.

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series
Boardwalk Empire "Pilot"
Game of Thrones "A Golden Crown"
Glee "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle"
Mad Men "Hands and Knees"
Mad Men "Christmas Comes But Once a Year"
- I feel like this is one of those times when the answer is just so clear to me that I have no true reason to justify it to myself: Game of Thrones it is!

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special
America's Got Talent "Episode 529"
Dancing with the Stars "Episode 1106"
iCarly "iStart a Fan War"
The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway
Saturday Night Live "Host: Anne Hathaway"
- As a personal (and tangential) gripe, I have a very difficult time with episodes that are only identified with a number. In cases like this I think they should go to a Friends-type situation and name things "the one with..." or "the one where..." Moving past that, I will go with Dancing with the Stars, even though the episode nominated falls under that irksome category.

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie
Cinema Verite
The Kennedys
Mildred Pierce
The Pillars of the Earth- And I'm almost blindly guessing here, and it is yet another area where I pretty much feel obligated to go with the entry with which I am most familiar (provided I feel it fits the award, as it does here): The Kennedys.

Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
Boardwalk Empire "Pilot"
Game of Thrones "Winter is Coming (Pilot)"
Glee "The Rocky Horror Glee Show"
Mad Men "The Rejected"
True Blood "9 Crimes"
- Makeup is hard, guys. I'm not even going to lie. I haven't worked with it extensively, but I have studied it some and have a few good resources on how to create certain effects. And, I'm torn between the first three nominations on the list, though I know there will be many people rooting for the bottom two as well. As someone who is actually a Rocky Horror scholar of sorts (I know it's a bit ridiculous. But I wrote my thesis on it.), I both agree with the nomination here and shy away from promoting it. Honestly, I thought that they could have done better. And, that's why I'm going to settle on Game of Thrones here, though both that pilot and that of Boardwalk Empire are wonderful contenders.

Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
Dancing with the Stars "Episode 1205"
How I Met Your Mother "Bad News"
iCarly "iStart a Fan War"
The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway
Saturday Night Live "Host: Jon Hamm"
- I've seen the "Bad News" episode a few times, and nothing stands out to me there, so I can't back it. I was a big Pee-Wee fan as a child, but I've really only read reviews and seen a handful of photos for the Broadway show. With the remaining contestants, I think the winner should be the Dancing with the Stars episode, though I think there might have been a better episode in that series for this competition.

Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
Cinema Verite
The Kennedys
Mildred Pierce
The Pillars of the Earth- Same situation as before - I am partially trapped because of a lack of knowledge. I'm going Mildred Pierce on this one, though I don't have much ground upon which to stand.

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special
The Cape "Razer"
Game of Thrones "A Golden Crown"
Glee "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle"
Grey's Anatomy "Superfreak"
The Walking Dead "Days Gone Bye"
- Prosthetic makeup is one of those things of beauty in my eyes. It's difficult to look at and not marvel at the work that went into doing it. Maybe it all started when I was a young girl watching PBS and saw a special on how the prosthetic makeup was done for StarTrek, but it truly has never ceased to amaze me. I'm going with Game of Thrones here, though I have not seen The Cape and I know that Grey's is a strong force, too.