If I had an Emmy ballot: What I would have done differently

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES:

Here where the Nominations first:
Better Call Saul

Downton Abbey

Game of Thrones

Homeland

House of Cards

Mr. Robot

The Americans

It’s great to see Better Call Saul on here especially after its excellent sophomore season on AMC, but why in the name of God is Homeland and House of Cards still here? Nobody cares anymore, especially on Card’s end where the showrunner departed after its fourth season. Both shows are going to be dragged out of their misery, and even ten years from now will people even remember them aside from the first excellent seasons they both had? Game of Thrones rebounded itself this season and Downton Abbey is going for the final farewell card, so I would knock out Homeland and House of Cards, add in The Leftovers and Rectify.

Both of those shows were not only some of the best on TV last year, but there’s a level of redemption found in both shows about trying to be better while trapped in a world of unfortunate circumstances. 2% of the Earth’s population departed in the Leftovers, Rectify has a man who spent most of his adult life in prison and once he’s released the townsfolk want to see him go back. It’s tough to watch, but they’re the most rewarding shows currently airing with both of them wrapping up their runs very soon.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES:

Black-ish

Master of None

Modern Family

Silicon Valley

Transparent

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Veep

There are five great comedies here, one that has no business in being relevant anymore, and one that creatively struggled with the new freedom given by the network. Modern Family has terrorized the Emmys enough, it’s over, you will never win again. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has great ideas, but it’s not quite there yet. Tackling racism and poking fun at how “PC” people are being these days was awful.

So I would knock out Modern Family and UKS, add in Lady Dynamite and You’re the Worst.

Both Lady Dynamite and You’re the Worst have something to unique to say about depression while simultaneously having some of the best comedic writing on TV. Maybe someday they will get recognized, it took four years until The Americans got on the ballot, so there’s hope.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR: COMEDY

Anthony Anderson

Aziz Ansari

William H. Macy

Thomas Middleditch

Will Forte

Jeffery Tambor

It’s all good here, solid lineup. Maybe if Review wasn’t ending on Comedy Central, I’d replace William H Macy with Andy Daly. Macy’s great on Shameless, but the best season for him to have won it was in season four with his near death experience. Daly’s character is constantly in the face of danger making for one of the most interesting, horrifying, and absolutely comical experience Comedy Central has ever done.

OUTSTANDING ACTOR DRAMA:

Bob Odenkirk

Kyle Chandler

Rami Malek

Kevin Spacey

Liev Schreiber

Matthew Rhys

Ray Donovan is awful. All I got. I would replace Liev Schreiber and add in Aden Young from Rectify.

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS-COMEDY:

Julia-Louis Dreyfus

Ellie Kemper

Tracee Ellis Ross

Laurie Metcalf

Amy Schumer

Lily Tomlin

Another solid lineup, they’re all great at what they do in their respectable shows*. JLD is probably going to win again although, I’d probably would have removed Amy Schumer and add in Aya Cash instead. Again, it’s a great lineup already.

*The entirety of Crazy Ex Girlfriend is still sitting on my ITunes account waiting to be downloaded. I’ll get to it before the new season starts in October.

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS-DRAMA:

Claire Danes

Viola Davis

Tatiana Maslany

Taraji P. Henson

Keri Russell

Robin Wright

Let’s keep the Rectify bandwagon going, Get rid of Claire Danes add in Abigail Spencer.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR- COMEDY:

Louie Anderson

Andre Braugher

Ty Burrell

Tituss Burgess

Keegan-Michael Key

Tony Hale

Matt Walsh

Timothy Simmons got robbed. This past season of Veep saw his character get elected into Congress and created the most ridiculous ad campaigns to go along with it. Probably would have been unfair to have nearly half the nominations go to Veep, but on the other hand the show really is that terrific. I’d remove Ty Burrell add in Tim Simmons.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR- DRAMA:

Jonathan Banks

Peter Dinklage

Ben Mendelsohn

Kit Harington

Michael Kelly

Jon Voight

Surprised Underwood hasn’t killed off Michael Kelly’s character yet. Anyways, I’d remove Michael Kelly and add in Christian Slater. There is no Mr. Robot with Slater and Malek. On top of the years of canceled series he’s endured (Mind Games, Breaking In, The Forgotten), he brings something to the table that’s so terrifying, it’s too good to ignore.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS: COMEDY

Anna Chlumsky

Gaby Hoffmann

Allison Janney

Judith Light

Kate McKinnon

Niecy Nash

Another solid lineup, just Togetherness wasn’t canceled so HBO could try to go for an Amanda Peet Emmy nomination.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS-DRAMA:

Emilia Clarke

Lena Headey

Maggie Smith

Maura Tierney

Maisie Williams

Constance Zimmer

Half of the nominations are for Game of Thrones, were all three characters went through great adversaries. Clarke’s character set fire to the Khals, Arya learned how to fight without the ability to see, and Cersei, destroys the Sept of Baelor in that incredible twenty minute sequence in the finale. Only thing to change here would be to remove Maura Tierney and add in Alison Wright.

LIMITED SERIES:

American Crime

Fargo

Roots

Night Manager

People VS. OJ Simpson

It’s sad that Horace and Pete missed the cut, as it’s one of the best shows of this year and was wildly ambitious. Releasing an email to subscribers on a cold morning in January saying how it’s only five dollars to watch an anti-version of Cheers with Paul Simon doing the theme song? Now that’s something. Anyways get rid of Night Manger, add in Horace and Pete.

LIMITED SERIES ACTOR:

Bryan Cranston

Benedict Cumberbatch

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Idris Elba

Tom Hiddleston

Courney B. Vance

Emmys may need to start separating this into two categories because this is ridiculous. No Patrick Wilson? Oscar Issac? Remove Bryan Cranston and Benedict Cumberbatch, add in Patrick Wilson and Oscar Issac. The fact the David Simon’s Show Me a Hero series was snubbed entirely amazes me. Even if HBO burned off the show in the span of three weeks, it was a very excellent miniseries that came in the dead of summer with Issac remembering the legacy of Nick Wasicsko in an honorable way. The second season of Fargo is a damn masterpiece to the Coen’s 1996 classic, and Hawley’s trip back to the 70s was a spectacular time with Patrick Wilson’s character being one of the small parts to it.

LIMITED SERIES ACTRESS:

Kirsten Dunst

Audra McDonald

Sarah Paulson

Lili Taylor

Kerry Washington

Go Fargo, go Kirsten Dunst.

OUTSTANDING VARIETY TALK SERIES

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Jimmy Kimmel Live

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

The Late Late Show with James Corden

Real Time with Bill Maher

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

This is the year of Last Week Tonight. Nothing else comes even close. Had a vote The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Bill Maher would be blasted off into space, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore would have been added instead.