2007 Emmy Predictions Part 2: Best Comedy Series

Welcome back for the second installment of our Emmy predictions, where we do our damndest to sound like we know what we're talking about, when of course the Emmy voters offer appear to be blindfolded, drunk, pantless and sobbing about their gambling debts when they vote, so odd are their choices. Not always, though, not always. Last year they named "The Office" best comedy series, which was great. Of course, none of the show's cast won their categories, which seems a little, well, blindfolded and drunk. But as we said yesterday, some of them have a good chance this year, and the show could easily repeat. So. The nominees are...

NBC's "The Office" is pretty much the funniest show on television the last couple of years, although some people still have trouble sitting through some of its more squirm-inducing moments of Michael Scott idiocy. Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson, as Michael and his stormtrooper Dwight Schrute, have set some sort of new standard for sitcom insanity, with many of the employees of Dunder-Mifflin's Scranton office following closely on their heels. They're balanced out by the exquisitely normal John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer as star-crossed-not-yet-lovers Jim and Pam, who sweetly scheme against Michael and Dwight with an often unspoken teamwork that is delightful to watch. You can tell who gets my vote in this category, I guess. I also think it is the likeliest winner.

HBO's "Entourage" has been one of the smartest shows on TV, but it seems to have lost its way since the bitter hilarity of Agent Ari's firing from his firm. Jeremy Piven remains hilarious, but as others have pointed out, I really don't care of his kid gets into private school. The media swarm I saw at a press tour party this summer that Adrian Grenier remains a potent draw as Vince. But somehow the success of Vince's career seems to have sucked some of the fun out of this show, which began as the saga of a young wannabe and his posse learning the ways of Hollywood. That struggle seems to be pretty much over. Now their concerns are things like whether "Medellin" is going to be a hit at Cannes. Relatable? Not so much. I think "Entourage" is on the downslope. Of course, that might mean Emmy is finally ready to acknowledge it - but I don't think so.

ABC's "Ugly Betty" is a classic little show that could. The Academy loves underdogs, Hispanic is chic these days, so is fashion and, well, there's a teeny, tony chance that this show could pull a surprise here and in other categories. More likely, though, it will have to be satisfied with being nominated. The show taken from a telenovela stars America Ferrera as a less-than-stunning but smart and sweet young woman trying to make her way in the carnivorous world of a big fashion magazine. (And of course when you take off the glasses and get rid of the sweater vest...) It's been a modest surprise hit for ABC. But I'd give it the longest odds here.

NBC's "30 Rock" started out slow but has evolved into something funny and crazy like its Thursday-night mate "The Office," only in a lower key. Former "Saturday Night Live" stalwart Tina Fey created, stars and often writes the series, which is about a late-night NBC comedy show, delivering a far more believable picture of the insanity backstage than the far more self-important "30 Rock." And she has evolved into a sadly believable picture of a professional woman's romantic frustration. A terrific supporting cast starts with Alec Baldwin satirizing the hell out of himself and NBC as the pompous but perceptive egomaniac VP Jack Donaghy, and Tracy Morgan, just plain nuts. Still, I don't see this taking the big prize.

And thus we come to the final nominee, CBS' "Two And A Half Men." It's the only classic three-camera sitcom on the list, also the most predictable in its a setup-punchline format, and perhaps not coincidentally, the biggest hit. Some people find its popularity inexplicable. I have to admit I'm one of the large group who finds it pretty funny from time to time. Charlie Sheen is wrly self-satirizing as the boozy, lecherous Malibu jingle writer Charlie Harper, and Jon Cryer has the anxiety shtick down as his pent-up, nervous, divorced brother Alan. Note that they were both nominated in the acting categories, as were co-stars Holland Taylor (as their high-flying mother) and Conchata Ferrell (as Charlie's sardonic, long-suffering housekeeper). Sometimes you can just smell Emmy getting ready to make a move. The voters can be a pretty traditional group, and I think if any of these shows beats out "The Office," it's going to be the result of a groundswell of old-school support for "Men."

Comments

[Stars]

The Office FTW!

[Lisa]

Joel,

Great write-up. You already know my pick. The Office causes more soda spewing out your nose laughs while delivering up truly compelling will-they-won't-they romance than any other show has for a long time.