Every year, I look at the Emmy’s nominations and always have the same reaction. There are always a few shows that I have never heard of, or have no interested in. Then, there are always shows absent that were unkindly snubbed. This year, given I have more free time, I thought I would devote September to television and catch up on the nominees. For fun, instead of predicting the winners, I thought creating my own nominations would be more of a challenge and fun. This way I can pick the winner on who I feel deserves the attention and appreciation.
After researching the rules of the Emmys for a series to be eligible; a show must have aired new episodes between June 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020. I am applying the same rule to my nomination list and to make this more of a task, I am only picking five shows and/or actors per category. Please keep in mind that I have not seen every show that is out there. Only recently, have I started watching Insecure, which is hilarious, but I am only on the second season, so technically I cannot nominate the show. Also, I have not seen Succession or the 4th Season of Better Call Saul, even though I have heard great things, I cannot put these shows on my list.
Grab a snack, here we go!
*(nominated for a 2020 Emmy)
Limited Series
*Little Fires Everywhere
*Mrs. America
Defending Jacob
*Unorthodox
*Watchmen
Honorable Mention: Unbelievable
2020 has been a great year for diverse, unique, political, and interesting limited series and one of my favorite categories of the year. Little Fires Everywhere was a surprisingly addictive dramatic adaptation of the book that was extremely well written and acted. Mrs. America is one of my personal favorites because the acting was top notch from a stellar cast, and told the history of the Women’s Movements, which is still relevant today.
Unbelievable is a great limited series on Netflix and I would highly recommend the show, however it didn’t make my list since, I have to mention one of my personal favorites that has not received the acknowledgement or appreciation it desires and that’s, Apple’s TV, Depending Jacob.
Unorthodox is a limited series on Netflix that completely blew me away with only four episodes and the acting from lead actress, Shira Haas took me by surprise. The front runner of this category is Watchmen, an HBO limited series that is a sequel based off the graphic novel. Watchmen is one of the most creative, rare, and relevant series I have enjoyed with some shocking twists and turns.
TV Movie
*El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
*Bad Education
Lead Actress, Limited Series/TV Movie
*Kerry Washington, Little Fire Everywhere
Reese Witherspoon, Little Fires Everywhere
*Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
*Shira Haas, Unorthodox
*Regina King, Watchmen
Honorable Mentions:
Michelle Dockery, Defending Jacob
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Normal People
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie is a strong category this year as I had eight fantastic actresses on my list and narrowing down to five was challenging. I feel Reese Witherspoon was snub this year with her performance of Elena Richardson, so I made sure she made the cut. Kerry Washington shined as Mia Warren and had excellent chemistry and tension with Elena (Witherspoon) in Little Fires Everywhere. Cate Blanchett is one of the best actresses working today and she was perfection in Mrs. America. Regina King is always amazing and was engaging in Watchmen. The winner for me is newcomer Shira Haas as she took me on Ester’s journey in Unorthodox.
Lead Actor, Limited Series/TV Movie
Chris Evans, Defending Jacob
*Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
*Paul Mescal, Normal People
*Mark Ruffalo, This Much I Know Is True
Sacha Baron Cohen, Spy
Let’s take the time to talk about the actors who are not nominated this year and should be. First, there is Sacha Baron Cohen in Spy on Netflix. Cohen takes on a serious role and delivers and more people should be taking about this beautifully written, based on a true story, limited series on Netflix. Second, there is Chris Evans in Defending Jacob who does an excellent job in his role as a father, who would do anything he could to protect his son. No question in my mind, Mark Ruffalo, one of my all-time favorite actors does a fantastic job playing duel roles, as twin brothers in the heartbreaking book to series adaptation of This Much I Know is True. I am 100% bias and Ruffalo wins, hands down!
Supporting Actress, Limited Series/TV Movie
Megan Stott, Little Fires Everywhere
*Margo Martindale, Mrs. America
Allison Janney, Bad Education
*Jean Smart, Watchmen
*Toni Collette, Unbelievable
Honorable Mentions:
Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America
Sarah Paulson, Mrs. America
Merritt Wever, Unbelievable
I had to include Megan Stott this year from Little Fires Everywhere because her performance as Izzy was raw, powerful, and heartbreaking all in one. I am anxious in following Stott’s career as she is a talented young actress. Mrs. America was full of powerhouse actresses and it was difficult only selecting one on my list. Everyone in Mrs. America was outstanding, but I went with the amazing Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug. Allison Janney is always fantastic and was amusing in Bad Education. Toni Collette is remarkable and delivers a powerhouse performance in the underappreciated limited series Unbelievable. The standout performance for me is Jean Smart in Watchmen, as she took her character to the next level and was one of the most interesting characters.
Supporting Actor, Limited Series/TV Movie
Jaeden Martell, Defending Jacob
Tim Blake Nelson, Watchmen
*Jovan Adeop, Watchmen
*Louis Gossett Jr., Watchmen
Noah Emmerich, The Spy
Tim Blake Nelson did not receive an Emmy’s nomination for his performance as Looking Glass in Watchmen even though this category is stacked with actors from Watchmen this year. Everyone was great in Watchmen, however, I want to give a shout-out to Nelson, so his praised and recognized for his performance. Jaeden Martell is a young star on the rise and already has an impressive resume, and delivers another fantastic role playing the quiet, mysterious, Jacob in Defending Jacob. The winner in this category in my opinion would be Jovan Adeop in Watchmen, as his performance in “This Extraordinary Being” took me on an emotional journey.
Directing, Limited Series/TV Movie
*Little Fire Everywhere, Find A Way
Defending Jacob, Job
*Normal People, Episode 5
*Watchmen, This Extraordinary Being
Watchmen, See How They Fly
Writing, Limited Series/TV Movie
Little Fire Everywhere, Picture Perfect
Mrs. America, Betty
Defending Jacob, Job
*Watchmen, This Extraordinary Being
Unbelievable, Episode 1.7
Honorable Mentions:
Little Fires Everywhere, Find a Way
Mrs. America, Houston
Watchmen, See How They Fly
Comedy Series
*Dead to Me
*Schitt’s Creek
After Life
*What We Do in the Shadows
*The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Honorable mentions:
Never Have I Ever
The Kominsky Method
Black-ish
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
The Good Place
Only picking five shows was problematic as 2019-2020 has been a strong year for comedies. After Life is a personal favorite of mind as each episode is heart-felt and hilarious. I am sad to see no love or appreciation for After Life this year from the Emmys. Trying to pick a winner in this category was hard for me, as I could not choose between the beloved Schitt’s Creek and What We Do in the Shadows. The best thing I discovered from watching most of the nominations this year was What we do in the Shadows. I have not laughed that much in a long time after watching a show, it is brilliantly written, and the performances are hysterically wonderful. The ending of Schitt’s Creek was beautiful, hilarious, and emotionally as I have not cried for fictional characters like David and Patrick in a long time.
Lead Actress, Comedy
*Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
*Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
*Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
*Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
*Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Honorable Mentions:
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Never Have I Ever
Alison Brie, GLOW
Kristen Bell, The Good Place.
Last year, I wanted Catherine O’Hara to win an Emmy and since it is her last year to win an Emmy for her performance as Moira Rose she MUST win! Catherine O’Hara brings Moira Rose to life and makes me laughs every time I watch Schitt’s Creek. I am strongly rooting for O’Hara tonight to take home the Emmy! However, there are several remarkable comedic performances of the year that should not be overlooked. Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini give the powerful performances in some of the most dramatic, comedic, tense, and heartbreaking scenes as Dead to Me. Tracee Ellis Ross in Black-ish can always make me laugh with her wit and facial expressions. Rachel Brosnahan is always wonderful and has deserved her Emmy’s wins but this year, let us celebrate someone else.
Lead Actor, Comedy
*Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
*Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Ricky Gervais, After Life
Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
*Ted Danson, The Good Place
Let us talk about how Ricky Gervais is utterly comical in After Life, a show Gervais created that’s both serious, heart-felt, and hilarious. One scene, I will be laughing out of loud and then the next, I am shedding a few tears. Andy Samberg has always been quirky and while Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a typical network sitcom, I cannot help but love Samberg and the show. So, I decided to put Samberg on my list to receive recognition. This year, as Schitt’s Creek ended I am rooting for Eugene Levy, the legendary actor and comedian to take home the Emmy for Best Actor.
Supporting Actress, Comedy
*Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek
Natasia Demetriou, What We Do in the Shadows
*D’Arcy Carden, The Good Place
*Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
*Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Honorable Mentions:
Emily Hampshire, Schitt’s Creek
Betty Gilpin, GLOW.
There is a reason why Alex Brostein has already won two Emmy’s for her performance as Susie Myerson in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, she is flawless. Brostein keeps on getting better and I loved her character, Susie’s perfect one-liners and her facial reactions. As much as I love everyone else in this category, no one comes close to Brostein. This year, I had to include the fantastic Natasia Demtrious as Nadja in What We Do in the Shadows. Someone explain to me, why she is not included because Natasia deserves to be.
Supporting Actor, Comedy
*Dan Levy, Schitt’s Creek
*Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Deon Cole, Black-ish
Kayva Novak, What We Do in the Shadows
*Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Honorable Mentions:
James Marsden, Dead to Me
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Harvey Guillen, What We Do in the Shadows
Manny Jacinto, The Good Place
William Jackson Harper, The Good Place
Based off my long honorable mentions, I had a long list of actors who were fantastic this year. Everyone listed deserves the recognition and praise. However, this I am 100% bias and rooting for Dan Levy in Schitt’s Creek. He is loveable, hilarious, and created a fantastic show and character. I do think Levy has a good chance of winning tonight, and I certainly hope Levy wins.
Guest Actress, Comedy
Sarah Levy, Schitt’s Creek
*Maya Rudolph, The Judge
Jane Lynch, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Guest Actor, Comedy
Marc Evan Jackson, Brooklyn Nine-Nine & The Good Place
Directing, Comedy
*Schitt’s Creek, Happy Ending
After Life, Episode #2.06
What We Do in the Shadows, Collaboration
What We Do in the Shadows, Nouveau Theatre des Vampires
*The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, It is Comedy or Cabbage
Writing, Comedy
*Schitt’s Creek, Happy Ending
After Life, Episode #2.06
*What We Do in the Shadows, Collaboration
What We Do in the Shadows, Nouveau Theatre des Vampires
*Whenever You’re Ready, The Good Place
Honorable Mentions:
Never Have I Ever, said I’m sorry,
Dead to Me, Where Do We Go from Here
Schitt’s Creek, Start Spreading the News,
What We Do in the Shadows, Colin’s Promotion.
Writing is one of the most important components in creating a great show. Looking at my top five in the category, I am asking myself why I am torturing myself with picking a winner? Honestly, I love every single one of these episodes for very different reasons. If I must pick a winner, I will go with another great show ending this year, The Good Place. Honestly, the last episodes, “Whenever You’re Ready” is one of my favorite endings to a beloved show. The Good Place was heartfelt, deep, and still funny. As much as I loved the ending to Schitt’s Creek, I want to spread the love to celebrate The Good Place too!
Drama Series
*The Crown
Mindhunter
The Good Fight
*Ozark
Animal Kingdom
Honorable Mention:
Stranger Things
First let me talk about my picks that are not even nominated this year. The Good Fight is fantastic, and I finally reminded my mother enough to watch the show. The problem with The Good Fight is not enough people know this show exists since it is on CBS All Access. I highly recommend The Good Fight; it is well written and highly entertaining. Animal Kingdom is another underrated show that is keeps getting better and more interesting each season. My favorite show is Mindhunter on Netflix which is loosely based off the creation of the behavior science unit at the FBI, as two detectives study serial killers. I highly recommend Mindhunter and is my pick for the Best Drama of 2020.
Lead Actress, Drama
*Olivia Colman, The Crown
Anna Torv, Mindhunter
Christine Baranski, The Good Fight
*Laura Linney, Ozark
*Zendaya, Euphoria
Honorable Mentions:
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
I will keep this short and sweet; it is Laura Linney’s year to take home the Emmy. The last three episodes of Ozark, Linney’s performance blew me away as I have not seen any performance come close to what she delivered.
Lead Actor, Drama
Jonathan Groff, Mindhunter
Holt McCallany, Mindhunter
*Jason Bateman, Ozark
*Billy Porter, Pose
Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Honorable Mention: Finn Cole, Animal Kingdom
Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany need to be recognized and acknowledge for their brilliant performances as Holden Ford and Bill Tench as they create the foundation of the show. It is ashamed their performances are being overlook. Even though it is hard to pick a clear winner, I would have to pick Holt McCallany as the winner in this category due to his storyline in the second season of Mindhunter.
Supporting Actress, Drama
*Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show
*Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
*Julia Garner, Ozark
Ellen Barkin, Animal Kingdom
Honorable Mentions: Meryl Street, Big Little Lies, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, The Morning Show and Zoe Kravitz, Big Little Lies.
I was excited to see Julia Garner win last year for Ozark and Garner deserves to be nominated again this year as well. Helena Bonham Carter is always fantastic and shines as Princess Margaret in The Crown. One main reason why Animal Kingdom is enjoyable is because of Ellen Barkin’s performance as Smurf. It is a shame that the Emmy’s have not appreciated her dynamic performance as the devious criminal, Smurf. That is why I am picking Ellen Barkin as the best supporting actress in a Drama.
Supporting Actor, Drama
Noah Schnapp, Stranger Things
*Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
*Mark Duplass, The Morning Show
Tom Pelphrey, Ozark
Shawn Hatosy, Animal Kingdom
The biggest snub this year at the Emmys is that Tom Pelphrey is not nominated for his spot-on performance as Ben Davis in Ozark. Davis was a huge part in the third season of Ozark and one big reason on why I loved the third season more than the previous seasons. Pelphrey deserves to be nominated and win! So, I am giving him my fake Emmy! Also, I am nominating Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things because Schnapp is one of the best younger actors working and I feel does not get as much recognition as he deserves. Let us not forget about Shawn Hatosy in Animal Kingdom, which I almost did. Hatosy does something not many actors can do and that is make me terrified but also empathic of a character.
Guest Actress, Drama
Janet McTeer, Ozark
Lisa Emery, Ozark
Emily Deschanel, Animal Kingdom
Guest Actor, Drama
Josh O’Conner, The Crown
Damon Herriman, Mindhunter
Dacre Montgomery, Stranger Things
Directing, Drama
*The Crown, Aberfan
The Crown, Tywysog Cymru
*Ozark, Fire Pink
Ozark, All In
Smurf, Animal Kingdom
Honorable Mentions:
Mindhunter, 2.5
Stranger Things, The Battle of Starcourt
Animal Kingdom, Ghosts
Writing, Drama
*The Crown, Aberfan
Mindhunter, 2.5
*Ozark, Fire Pink
*Ozark, All In
Animal Kingdom, Ghosts
No question, no debate, Ozark’s Fire Pink was one of the best written and directed episodes, I have experienced in a long time! I will be rooting for Ozark in this category however, I will not be disappointed if The Crown wins for the episode Aberfan, as that is the second-best episode, I have seen this year.
KLKLOVESART 