After a two-month vacation on an unidentified island, I have returned to find the annual Emmy nominations at my doorstep. As usual, there are some nods that make sense, but there are so many omissions that I want to scream a giant “WTF?” to those stupid nominators.
First and foremost are Tatiana Maslany, whose unbelievably amazing performance in nine roles on Orphan Black outshines any other leading actress, and James Spader, the main reason to even think of watching The Blacklist.
I have touted both of these shows and their stars since day one and this Emmy snub is outrageous — especially for Maslany, two years in a row.
While I’m griping, let’s also not forget Michael Emerson (Person of Interest), Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) and Bellamy Young (Scandal). All have given sterling performances — especially Young, so wonderful as the charming First Lady, Mellie Grant, on Scandal.
As for nominated (or not) shows, what happened to The Good Wife? Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski and Josh Charles all received Emmy nods — how can you nominate the actors and not the show? The Good Wife, which has been on life support for ages, reinvented itself this year and made itself must-see TV. Don’t even get me started on the best show on TV: Sons of Anarchy. What are these nominators thinking or not thinking?
So as not to be completely negative about the Emmys, the divine Allison Janney was nominated for both Mom and her guest shot in Masters of Sex. Is there anything she can’t do?
Kudos, also, to Orange is the New Black, the Netflix blockbuster that received an unprecedented 12 nominations, including one for Laverne Cox, the first openly transgendere woman so honored. In a field of openly gay nominees — Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sarah Paulson, Kate McKinnon — Cox’s nod is not only a feather in the cap of the LGBT community, but a great moment in Emmy history.
Berry Excited
Extant — which is so consistently mispronounced it makes me want to scream “WTF?” (see above) — is one of the more intriguing summer shows. In her much-hyped small-screen return, Halle Berry stars as Molly Woods, an astronaut who returns to Earth after a 13-month solo mission to find herself pregnant by someone, or something, who appears to be her late husband. Back on terra firma, she must readjust to life with her present husband John (the much-missed-on-TV Goran Visnjic) and her son, who is actually a humanoid robot designed by John. Adding to the drama is Camryn Manheim as Sam Barton, Molly’s friend and doctor, who keeps the secret of her pregnancy (for now), and Hiroyuki Sanada (so good in last season’s sci-fi drama, Helix) as Hideki Yasumoto, who heads the company that will develop the IA that John has created. Well, there you have it. Where all this is going, one can only imagine, but as Steven Spielberg’s brainchild, the Extant possibilities are endless.
This Week on the Tube
Check out ABC Family’s Chasing Life, starring Italia Ricci as April, a young reporter just beginning her career, when she learns she has leukemia. Not a tearjerker but a really well-done show about living life to the fullest.
Best TV Moment of the Week
The Derek Jeter commercial that ran during this week’s All-Star game brought buckets of tears from this die-hard Mets fan. I’ve never had much use for the Yankees, growing up as a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, but this is not about a team but the love of the game — seeing Jeter at bat for his last All-Star game is what baseball is all about. Well done, Cap: much “RE2PECT” for a great player.
From Soapland
For you As the World Turns and All My Children fans, handsome Walt Willey (Jackson Montgomery, AMC) is starring as Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside in Auntie Mame, with the beautiful and talented Colleen Zenk (Barbara Ryan, ATWT) as over-the-top actress and Mame’s BFF, Vera Charles. The show is at Walt’s theatre in Ottawa, IL, July 25 to 27.
Don’t Get Me Started
Scarier than The Walking Dead is that Amazon commercial with Gary Busey. Or maybe it’s just Gary Busey that’s scary? Seriously, dude, how much did they pay you to look that creepy? Talk to your lamp much?
