The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees for the 2008 Emmys.
While Damages (FX), Dexter (Showtime) and Mad Men (AMC) all scored nominations for best Drama, The Wire‘s only consolation was a nomination for best writing for the series finale.
I must confess that while I am disappointed, I don’t feel the level of outrage that I did last year, simply because season five was, IMO, the weakest season of The Wire. Don’t get me wrong, it was still damn good television, but not getting nominated is hardly the travesty that last years snub was. The nomination for writing was fitting since the show has consistantly delivered a level of writing that has not previously been seen on television.
Now lest anyone think I have no beefs: Why was Boston Legal nominated? I am a fan of Denny and Alan, but season four was not simply the weakest of the show, but it was not even good television. The writing was lackluster and the constant cast changes have left them with unfamiliar characters with limited chemistry. This is an excellent example of the voters sticking with the familiar instead of the deserving.
BL should not have even been in the final ten, let alone honored with a nomination.
Damages not only got a best Drama nomination, but Glenn Close (Lead Actress, Drama) Ted Danson (Supporting Actor, Drama) and Zeljko Ivanek (Supporting Actor, Drama) all were nominated, and the pilot episode was nominted for writing.
Dexter saw star Michael C. Hall pick up a nomination for Lead Actor.
Before I post the nominees, I have to say I really would have liked to see The Wire get one specific nomination: Andre Royo’s performance as Bubbles was both inspiring and heartbreaking. It is a true crime that he was not nominated for Supporting Actor.
Other noteworthy nominations, as far as crime drama goes, were Holly Hunter (Saving Grace), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) and Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) joining Glenn Close in the Lead Actress, Drama catagory.
Here are some of the catagories, go to the Emmy site for a complete list.
Outstanding Drama Series
“Boston Legal” (ABC)
“Damages” (FX)
“Dexter” (Showtime)
“House” (FOX)
“Lost” (ABC)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
Outstanding Comedy Series
“30 Rock” (NBC)
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
“Entourage” (HBO)
“The Office” (NBC)
“Two and a Half Men” (CBS)
Outstanding Miniseries
“The Andromeda Strain” (A&E)
“Cranford” (PBS)
“John Adams” (HBO)
“Tin Man” (Sci Fi)
Outstanding Made-for-TV Movie
“Bernard and Doris” (HBO)
“Extras: The Extra-Special Series Finale” (HBO)
“The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” (Lifetime)
“A Raisin in the Sun” (ABC)
“Recount” (HBO)
Lead Actress, Drama
Glenn Close, “Damages”
Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: SVU”
Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
Lead Actor, Drama
Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment”
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Hugh Laurie, “House”
James Spader, “Boston Legal”
Lead Actress, Comedy
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?”
America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”
Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds”
Lead Actor, Comedy
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Lee Pace, “Pushing Daisies”
Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men”
Supporting Actress, Drama
Candice Bergen, “Boston Legal”
Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers & Sisters”
Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment”
Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Supporting Actor, Drama
Ted Danson, “Damages”
Michael Emerson, “Lost”
Zeljko Ivanek, “Damages”
William Shatner, “Boston Legal”
John Slattery, “Mad Men”
Supporting Actress, Comedy
Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies”
Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live”
Jean Smart, “Samantha Who?”
Holland Taylor, “Two and a Half Men”
Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty”
Supporting Actor, Comedy
Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men”
Kevin Dillon, “Entourage”
Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”
Jeremy Piven, “Entourage”
Rainn Wilson, “The Office”
Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica: Six Of One
Michael Angeli, Written By
Damages: Pilot
Todd A. Kessler, Written By
Glenn Kessler, Written By
Daniel Zelman, Written By
Mad Men: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Pilot)
Matthew Weiner, Written By
Mad Men: The Wheel
Matthew Weiner, Written By
Robin Veith, Written By
The Wire: 30
David Simon, Teleplay By/Story By
Ed Burns, Story By
I am a little confused by the nomination for Boston Legal, I'm beginning to suspect it's something of a farewell gift to the show. Because by this time next year it'll have been finished for half a year and forgotten by the public.
I totally agree with you over Andre Royo, but I don't feel the final season of The Wire was the weakest. The first one is the weakest as it's such a hard entry point for the viewer.
Anyway, here's what I'd like to see win from the various categories I care about.
Dexter, Curb, Michael C. Hall, Tina Fey and of course -30-.
If -30- doesn't win I'm going to throw something out of my window. That finale was the most amazingly bittersweet experience I've had while watching TV since the finale of Six Feet Under. The closing montage and the final words still hold with me to this date. It was more than I could have hoped for as an end to a spectacular series.
Each season of Boston Legal has been weaker than the previous.
Once upon a time, it was an enjoyable show…now it is sad.
I would love to see Glenn Close win the Emmy, Damages is great.
I have not seen all of season five of The Wire, but Royo was always good.
I still feel the wire got the shaft. I find it very telling that when I speak with people who work or have worked in print news, they all say that unfortunately Simon's, Burns et al portrayal of the state of newspapers is closer to the money than any other they've seen. When season five was introduced to a wider media blitz than it had gotten before, many reviewers (not all) held back on this fact. Whether in the interest of keeping their job or from a complete sense of denial, that part of the story was if not scoffed at glossed over. And media has rather become all, even as actual sources continue to be whittled away. We do not live in the world of All the President's Men anymore. The WIRE will remain the best show in the history of television for some time. The fact that Emmy chose never to honor it with the possible exception of a writing award this September, is proof that like everyone else in America, they have been effectively dumbed down.
Very cool site!
I think The Wire should have at least been nominated, they deserved that much.
While I agree with some of what Ruth said, I do agree that this was the weakest season of the show.
I think they were pretty acurate in their comments about the print media, but it does not change the fact that the shows seemed less focused.
Damages all the way!
Michael,
Thanks for the praise!
As I said, I think an Emmy for writing would be quite fitting for The Wire. While the acting is outstanding, it is the writing that made the show the best.
Personally, I'm a fan of Dexter. I'm just happy to see it get some attention.