Least favorite Emmy nominated performances

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 7/25/14 at 11:44pm

I remember a year-and-a-half ago, there was a thread about people's least favorite Oscar nominated performances. Most users had similar thoughts while other had opinions I completely disagreed with. Now I think we should talk about our least favorite Emmy nominated performances:

* Lea Michele in 'Glee': Too many reasons why this is one of least-favorite Emmy nominated performances.

* Chris Colfer in 'Glee': WAY TOO MANY reasons why this is one of my least-favorite Emmy nominated performances.

* Tracey Morgan in '30 Rock': Very unfunny performance after a while.

* Will Forte in '30 Rock': Really enjoyed him on 'Saturday Night Live', but I did not like the way his character was written at all on this show. In fact, his character was one of the reasons why the show went downhill. Fred Willard and Will Arnett deserved an Emmy nomination much more that year than him.

* Jon Cryer in 'Two and a Half Men' - His character became very unlikable after a while.

* Jim Parsons in 'The Big Bang Theory': I tried to like this performance, but now all I can say is that this is a VERY OVERRATED performance. I'm not a fan of it at all. I think Matthew Gray Gubler's performance as Dr. Spencer Reid on 'Criminal Minds' is better representation of people with Asperger's Syndrome.





Updated On: 7/26/14 at 11:44 PM

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 6:21am

Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey. She plays yet again the crotchety, old British grande dame (a la A Room with a View, Sister Act, Tea with Mussolini, Gosford Park). She's on autopilot in that series and yet they continue to throw Emmys at her, while ignoring better candidates (e.g. Monica Potter in Parenthood).

[Roscoe]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 7:39am

If Maggie Smith was as good on DOWNTON ABBEY as she is in any of the works mentioned, I'd have no problem with her winning those Emmys -- at her best she's one of the real greats, but in DOWNTON she's just showing up for the paycheck.

And Kevin Spacey continues to pull the wool over the eyes of an entire industry by puking up the same rote literally monotonous performance he's tossed off in every other film he's ever been in. Let him rot.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 10:23am

Maggie Smith has Christina Hendricks' Emmy. If she is not going to show up to these things and at least acknowledge these exist, she either needs to stop submitting or PBS needs to because it is such bollocks she gets spots of such a talented field let alone win one in the year Hendricks had.

Cryer winning for 2 1/2 Men was bad but Comedy Lead Actor is kind of a mess as of late. Usually they just fell for an actor and gave him the award for a good 5 years running and now comedies have become so ensemble driven they seem to have trouble rounding out the category. Still managed to leave out Andy Samberg, however.

Nothing recently tops the last 2 consecutive years of Drama Lead Actor wins. Damien Lewis as Sgt. Brody was awful on the show, always was, and he did not have 'I'm playing a clinically insane person' like Claire Danes and then you have Jeff Daniels' win which seemed to be 'HBO has the largest segment of employees on the voting block and they vote for their own' deals.

I'm still mad Jane Krakowski never won and I don't begrudge Morgan or Forte getting nominated. Morgan in his only Emmy years were in a category that gave love to Jeremy Piven, Kevin Dillon, Rainn Wilson, and NPH, so I think the Emmys were hardly too concerned about tired supporting characters getting nominated. Arnett as Devon Banks was a good joke in earlier seasons but it's not some tragedy he lost nods when Forte ran with the absurdity- sorry to people who put their foot on Jenna Maroney-based absurdity. Deservedly nominated.

Elisabeth Moss in Top of the Lake losing to one of the American Horror Story ladies I could take but the category fraud of Laura Linney in the TV/Mini-Series for The Big C was just so typically Emmys.

Updated On: 7/26/14 at 10:23 AM

[Melissa25]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 12:09pm

Jon Voight in Ray Donovan. Ugh.
And to think that Craig T. Nelson and or Peter Krause from Parenthood were overlooked is a crime.
Stagemanager - I totally agree with you about Monica Potter. She has been brilliant.

[east side story]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 12:37pm

Elisabeth Moss losing for Top of the Lake still saddens me.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 1:08pm

Elisabeth Moss losing for TOP OF THE LAKE is one of the big Emmy travesties. And yes, I'm still not over the fact Jane Krakowski didn't win for 30 ROCK, it's probably one of my all-time favorite comedy performances.
Glad someone mentioned Jeff Daniels, as that was the first person who came to mind when I read the title of this thread. It was so ridiculous that he won. Ditto Maggie Smith for showing up to the set and delivering some lines in DOWNTON ABBEY.
There's so many this year, I can't recall all of them, but off the top of my head: Maggie Smith, Jim Carter, and Jon Voight.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 1:48pm

Martin Sheen never winning in the 7 years The West Wing was on the air remains a travesty. Especially for his work in season 2 (Two Cathedrals).

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 3:41pm

I'm still not kind of over Steve Carell never winning for 'The Office', especially for his final season. That was a big mistake at the 2011 Emmys. To me Parsons winning that year over Carell was the biggest upset at an awards show since Grace Kelly won the Academy Award in 1954 over Judy Garland. It was just as bad as Courtney Cox never getting nominated once for 'Friends'.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 4:10pm

I think Laura Linney winning for the Big C was a make-up for her (and the other women nominated who were all superior) loss to Melissa McCarthy for that awful show Mike and Molly.

I loved Top of the Lake and I liked Moss in it, but I didn't love her in it. Plus her accent kept going in and out and apparently the New Zealanders and Aussies who watched it on imdb thought her accent was horrific and wondered why they didn't cast a local.
Updated On: 7/26/14 at 04:10 PM

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 4:17pm

As long we're bitching about overlooked performers, it's a shame that Kelly Bishop was never recognized for her work on Gilmore Girls.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 4:30pm

^ I love Kelly Bishop and I thought she deserved a lot of recognition for GG. I also thought she had an excellent scene in the movie An Unmarried Woman. I was not expecting that performance from her at all and was pleasantly surprised when it happened.

However, as unfair as this is to Ms. Bishop and to a lesser extent Lauren Graham, I am happy that her being ignored meant that Gilmore Girls itself was ignored. I really enjoyed that first season, but its success afterwards turned it into the the most overrated, self-aware and proud, too quirky to be real, and annoying pieces of television ever. It was just "Talk talk talk" with no sense or opportunity for comedic timing for most of the actors.

When I caught up with it years ago after having not seen it for years and heard a House of Flying Daggers reference, I was like this show has really only become about how many pop culture references can they interject into the show.



Updated On: 7/26/14 at 04:30 PM

[strummergirl]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 5:12pm

I think the Emmys really scoffed at the notion anything on the WB was good. So they ignored Joss Whedon and his shows and The Gilmore Girls. It was not that long ago that any non-HBO cable/specialty station ever had a real chance to break through at the Emmys and even HBO shows like The Wire only got nominations for writing which in retrospect is crazy considering some of the best written, realized, fleshed out characters came on that show, largely thanks to great performances from Michael K. Williams and Idris Elba.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 7:59pm

Maggie Smith has Christina Hendricks' Emmy. If she is not going to show up to these things and at least acknowledge these exist, she either needs to stop submitting or PBS needs to because it is such bollocks she gets spots of such a talented field let alone win one in the year Hendricks had.

I don't understand why she won't stop submitting her name if she's not going to show up. Candice Bergen did just that when she kept inexplicably winning (5 times in all) in the '90s for Murphy Brown; she said she wanted to let others have a chance. Heck, even Smith's co-star, Brendan Coyle, hasn't submitted his name after Season 2, because he said he didn't think he was worthy. Why won't Smith offer the same courtesy to others? In the end, it's her final decision whether her name is submitted for consideration.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 7:59pm

Maggie Smith has Christina Hendricks' Emmy. If she is not going to show up to these things and at least acknowledge these exist, she either needs to stop submitting or PBS needs to because it is such bollocks she gets spots of such a talented field let alone win one in the year Hendricks had.

I don't understand why she won't stop submitting her name if she's not going to show up. Candice Bergen did just that when she kept inexplicably winning (5 times in all) in the '90s for Murphy Brown; she said she wanted to let others have a chance. Heck, even Smith's co-star, Brendan Coyle, hasn't submitted his name after Season 2, because he said he didn't think he was worthy. Why won't Smith offer the same courtesy to others? In the end, it's her final decision whether her name is submitted for consideration.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 12:16am

I think Maggie Smith was fine this season, but I'm glad to see Joanne Froggart finally being nominated. I hope that Michelle Dockery finally wins one year, but who knows. I'll add Paul Giamatti to the groanworthy list for his work on the Christmas special of "Downton Abbey."

I want Christina Hendricks to win within the next two years, as well as Jon Hamm. Both have turned in great work, especially Hendricks the past few seasons. Don Draper is an iconic role and Hamm has been consistently fantastic. It's not likely, but Kiernan Shipka also deserves to be nominated, making Sally Draper a major role that could have been a throwaway. If she was not such a strong actress her role would not have been expanded to the level it is today.

I also belong in the small camp that believes that Madeleine Stowe deserves at least a nomination for "Revenge," as well as Hayden Panetierre for "Nashville." They may be on the soapiest primetime shows, but they turn in great work. Add Lana Parilla from "Once Upon A Time" to the list!

jane Krakowski not winning is still one of the biggest Emmy snubs in recent history, same with Vanessa Williams on "Ugly Betty."

I'm really pulling for Robin Wright to win for Best Leading Actress while House of Cards is still turning out new seasons. My other big hope is for Uzo Aduba to win for guest actress. Hopefully Samira Wiley will be nominated next year for her work on season two. And I know she's won before, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus is giving the best comedic performance on television right now.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 12:34am

"I think Laura Linney winning for the Big C was a make-up for her (and the other women nominated who were all superior) loss to Melissa McCarthy for that awful show Mike and Molly."

In a category of Fey and Poehler not to mention Martha Plimpton and Edie Falco, no not even then would she seem right as the choice.

"I loved Top of the Lake and I liked Moss in it, but I didn't love her in it. Plus her accent kept going in and out and apparently the New Zealanders and Aussies who watched it on imdb thought her accent was horrific and wondered why they didn't cast a local. "

Neither did Peter Mullan or Holly Hunter but I dare you say just because none of those three were locals that it really deterred from the vision Jane Campion had and achieved with Top of the Lake.

"It's not likely, but Kiernan Shipka also deserves to be nominated, making Sally Draper a major role that could have been a throwaway. If she was not such a strong actress her role would not have been expanded to the level it is today."

It's that kind of thing where I wish they did away with Guest Emmy, any one-shot big star can get one, and let people in the ensemble but not main supporting get spots. It makes sense for large ensembles like Mad Men and Orange is The New Black. Shipka and a lot of actors in those kinds of ensembles often get lost in the shuffle because they're not too major to get through the nominations process in big categories but to put them in Guest still feels like category fraud.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 2:13am

Well, Holly Hunter's character wasn't from New Zealand or Australia.

Anyway, I remember the year Melissa McCarthy won for Mike and Molly. I somehow ended up seeing all the episodes that all of the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series submitted. I usually don't have that luxury. As a reminder:

Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie") - "Rat Falls"
Tina Fey ("30 Rock") - "Double-Edged Sword"
Laura Linney ("The Big C") - "Pilot"
Melissa McCarthy ("Mike and Molly") - "First Date"
Martha Plimpton ("Raising Hope") - "Say Cheese"
Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation") - "Flu Season"

I can honestly say that Linney's work in the pilot (if not the rest of the series) was really one of the strongest acted and hilarious performances of that list. I think people don't like giving the Comedy Award to an actress who happens to find herself in a comedic/dramatic role. It was going on for a while the likes of Toni Collette and Edie Falco winning (ok, only twice). Instead they rather see actual comediennes in clear comedies win it.

Poehler and McCarthy had a similar comedic storyline (where both were derailed by drowsy medicine), but Poehler was much more winning than McCarthy (plus the writing on P&R was just better). I loved Fey's episode where her and Matt Damon broke up but she's been funnier. Edie Falco was great the first season of Nurse Jackie, but that show has gotten less and less funny. It's really evolved into something different and I found the second season to be lacking. That episode wasn't an exception. Martha Plimpton was hilarious in that episode (and all of season 1 of Raising Hope before the novelty of that show wore off and the writing because much less sharp). Anyway, even though I would have gone with Linney, I would not have minded if either Poehler, Fey, Plimpton would have won. They were outstanding. Falco was better than McCarthy, but she was better the previous season when she won.

Speaking of Poehler, it's a shame she never won. However, now with P&R waning and with Julia Louise-Dreyfus absolutely killing in the role of her career in Veep (yes, it's an even better role for her than Elaine from Seinfeld was), I can't say Poehler should win an Emmy now.

Btw, people wuz robbing for the Wire and bashing the Emmys always entertained me because despite all the talk about how critically-acclaimed it was, The Wire was consistently ignored by almost all awarding bodies and even the critics awards out there ignored it for the most part. Not that one can't criticize the Emmys for not recognizing something you think is brilliant, but it's sort of disingenuous to single it out as if they were the only awarding body to do so.

Let's face it, the Emmys are huge so only the shows with the hype and large amounts of media attention or ones that have a large, significant fan base (that appeal to the older voters in the industry) will get the nods. An internet-led campaign for Emmy attention won't be enough. I.E. Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black. It's obvious that that sort of show will take a while for the unhip Emmy voters to get wind up and then warm up to. I mean it's a large and mostly unregulated voting body (although I heard the Emmys more than any other awarding body does have a system to ensure people watch the nominees). Look at the BBW polls during Tony time. I'm sure a lot of the winners of those popularity polls would be scoffed at by many people here.



Updated On: 7/27/14 at 02:13 AM

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 2:21am

I think Maggie Smith was fine this season, but I'm glad to see Joanne Froggart finally being nominated.

Froggart was nominated two years ago -- I was rooting for her, because she did great work in Season 2 -- but she lost to Smith, who won her consecutive second Emmy for the show.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 4:31am

The acting that Froggart did after the rape story line was top notch. I hope that it is her year.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 1:26pm

McCarthy won largely because of the Bridesmaids after-glow. The Emmys like nothing more movie stars being honored by them.

I think The Big C was pretty bad and ranks very low in the Showtime era, particularly in context of the work by Toni Collette, Mary Louise Parker, and Edie Falco on those other, better programs. I hate saying that because I love Laura Linney, but that was not a show worthy of her. Plus I hate obvious category fraud which was exactly the case with that program's final season.

"Well, Holly Hunter's character wasn't from New Zealand or Australia."

And other than, she won an Oscar for a previous Jane Campion film there was no point for why she was non-Aussie/non-Kiwi. Just in The Piano alone Campion had Harvey Keitel as a Scotsman sailor and Hunter as mute Scotswoman, a role that had been offered from everybody from Sigourney Weaver to Isabelle Huppert. Her filmography often does cast actors not regionally specific by origin for their role, another one would be Paul Schneider in Bright Star, and clearly it has worked in the favor of her films.

"Not that one can't criticize the Emmys for not recognizing something you think is brilliant, but it's sort of disingenuous to single it out as if they were the only awarding body to do so."

As this is a body that honors specific seasons and specific episodes, often the Emmys feel like they are on auto-pilot more than any other major awards body. Same actors, same shows always winning or being nominated.

The Wire is not even a show I particularly care to get into 'greatest show that ever happened' or gold standard for this so-called 'golden age of television' and froth at the mouth discussing but it clearly had champions in the writers branch that clearly fell on deaf ears other branches. A bit like how Mad Men often won for their writing and yet has somehow never won for acting despite some of the best performances and most realized/lived-in characters on TV. Over time I would say some shows get reputations which ultimately boxes them in from attaining proper kudos in other categories. Only film comparison I can think of like that is that Wes Anderson films are only nominated for script and nearly nothing else despite so many other merits and great performances to boast.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 4:26pm

Elisabeth Moss was simply mesmerizing in TOP OF THE LAKE, who cares about her accent? If that's what you want to reduce her performance down to, good for you, but plenty of us appreciated the performance for the layered, thought-out, incisive character study that it was. Simply astonishing.
Oh, and don't even get me started on Laura Linney on THE BIG C. That pilot was awful, and her character was terrible. It was as if Showtime had cut and pasted random parts from the scripts of WEEDS, NURSE JACKIE, and US OF TARA, and turned it into a show. Linney is one of the best of her generation, but that show was not worth her time, and definitely was not worth an Emmy nomination, let alone a win.
McCarthy only won because of BRIDESMAIDS, Amy Poehler not winning, now that's a travesty. Really, the Emmys are probably the worst award group out of the Oscars, Tonys, and Emmys, hell, I even like the Globes better. Emmys tend to award the person that pisses me off the most.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 4:48pm

^ I'm sure they do it on purpose. Updated On: 7/27/14 at 04:48 PM

[little_sally]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 10:29pm

I still can't get over the fact Nick Offerman has never been nominated for Parks and Recreation.

[AC126748]

Posted: 7/27/14 at 10:37pm

Frances Conroy never winning for SIX FEET UNDER chaps me still. Particularly the year she was beaten by Patricia Arquette for MEDIUM--truly a ridiculous Emmy win there.

Also, recently Ellen Burstyn winning for her lazy, self-indulgent performance in POLITICAL ANIMALS over Sarah Paulson.