Emmy Breakdown: Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series, or Why Tina Fey Will Win Again

Emmy time is rapidly approaching: we are just 9 days away from the big show, and I am WAY behind on my Emmy breakdowns. With that in mind, let's take a look at the Lead Actor and Actress in a Comedy categories. If you've followed these races before, you'll feel a bit of deja vu: 8 of the 12 nominees are repeats. Let's start with the men:

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
And the nominees are:

• Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell as Michael Scott, The Office
• Jermaine Clement as Jermaine Clemaine, Flight of the Conchords
• Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory
• Tony Shaloub as Adrian Monk, Monk
• Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, Two and a Half Men

This is the fourth nomination for Carell and Sheen, the third for Baldwin, who won last year, and the seventh, yes SEVENTH for Shaloub, who has won THREE TIMES BEFORE. I don't watch Monk, so that astonishes me. Oh yeah, and it's the first nomination for Parsons and Clement, but neither have a prayer of winning, so we won't spend too much time on them. I don't watch Flight of the Conchords, but I've seen some Big Bang Theory, and I find Parsons' character Sheldon very annoying but I also don't think the show would work without him. That being said, I think Emmy voters are going to go with one of the repeat nominees. Here's a question for you: what blackmail does Charlie Sheen have that gets him a nomination every year? I get that Two and a Half Men is the highest rated sitcom on the air, but it's just not that funny, and Sheen is certainly one of the least funny parts of that show. He does not deserve the perpetual nominations, I'm sorry. Shaloub has won three times in the past, and I don't know that Monk is as buzzworthy as it once was (was it ever?), so I'm counting him out. That means the race comes down to Carell and Baldwin. Who should win? Let's look at some evidence:





Do I even need to say anything? I love Carell, but Michael Scott is ridiculous and constantly teteering on the edge of being heinously irritating. Alec Baldwin all the way baby.

Who Should Win: Baldwin
Who Will Win: Baldwin

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
And the nominees are:

• Christina Appelgate as Samantha Newly, Samantha Who?
• Toni Collette as Tara Gregson, The United States of Tara
• Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, 30 Rock
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell, The New Adventures of Old Christine
• Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin, Weeds
• Sarah Silverman as Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program

This is the 4th nomination for Louis-Dreyfus, who won in 2006, the 3rd for Parker and Fey, who won last year, the 2nd for Applegate, and the first for Collette and Silverman. Applegate's show has been canceled, so I think the nomination is as much as she'll get. I haven't watched Weeds in a while, so I will defer my judgment on Parker to one of our commenters, who I know will have an opinion (I still don't think she wins, though). I love Louis-Dreyfus, so, so much, but mostly because of this:



That being said, she's pretty funny as Old Christine, so I wouldn't count her out. I think Collette is great, although I do not watch her show, but I know she plays a woman with multiple personality disorder and awards shows tend to eat that kind of shit up like candy. The real wild card in this race is Silverman, who I find hilarious. I think you have to really like her brand of humor, though, or else she just comes off as annoying. That being said, the fact that she even got nominated makes me think she has a lot more supporters than anyone expected. But, let's be honest, this is Tina Fey's trophy to lose, and gosh darnit, there is just no way in hell that's she losing it. Not after this:



It takes a very, very, very special actress to pull off that kind of scene without seeming self-conscious or awkward or whatever. Fey totally sells it. And this is just one of many examples from this season. Remember when she made cheese stew for Don Draper and then he caught her in the bathroom? Or what about when she joined the women's fight club? Or tried to date the little person so she wouldn't feel guilty about thinking he was a child? Also, and I know this shouldn't affect my opinion, but it does: Tina Fey is the freaking head writer and exec producer of this show, so really she's spending less time honing her craft than the others. Given that, isn't it even more awesome that she's so much better than them? My hat goes off to you, Ms. Fey. Well played, sir, well played.

Who Should Win: Tina Fey
Who Will Win: Tin Fey (Oh Yeah!)


Check back Sunday for my analysis of the Outstanding Comedy Series race.