My Dream Emmy Ballot: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

As you can see, my Dream Emmy Ballot experiment took a backseat to real life. I still want to get these out before the Emmy nomination announcements on July 19, so I'm giving it the old college try. Next up is Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and this is going to seem a bit by-the-book with a "not-so-surprising" surprise.

Remember, these picks are my "wouldn't it be nice" nominees and not real predictions because it's just easier to dream than try to face reality. If you want more legit insights, I'm sure you can find some online.

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
What can I say? I'm a fan of Zooey Deschanel and I pretty much enjoyed everything she did on New Girl and never tired of her adorableness. Sure, the show had some bumps early on, and Zooey became less of the draw as Max Greenfield and Jake Johnson took over, but she's still the core and I have zero problems admitting that I felt she was one of the six best comedic performances this year.

Leena Dunham, Girls
I don't really care for Girls, but much like Louis C.K., Leena Dunham deserves to be rewarded for getting her show on the air. Heck, she deserves a nomination just for putting up with all of the half-assed backlash that she had to endure, but also because her show had something to say and worthy of some of the hype even if it really didn't jive with me as a viewer. Plus, she (along with the aforementioned Louis C.K.) was responsible for the overuse of the word "auteur," and that should be worth something.

Tina Fey, 30 Rock
She's Tina Fey. That's all the convincing I need.

Lea Michele, Glee
Go ahead and blame my Glee bias for Lea Michele's inclusion on this list, but I sincerely thought that she had a good third season. Of course Rachel's character had some major missteps this year, (ex. the Christmas episode), but Michele still made her one of the most entertaining characters in my opinion. Glee's strong string of episodes towards the end that really showcased Michele's talents didn't hurt either.

Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
I added Martha Plimpton to my dream ballot for the same reasons I had Garret Dillahunt on my Lead Actor list. Virginia Chance also tip-toes the line of heart warming and absurd, and could easily be a cartoon character, but Plimpton somehow pulls it off and makes it all work.

Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation had another strong year, and it was mostly due to Amy Poehler. The whole "Knope for City Council" arc could have been too much to put up with, but Poehler was able to keep things crazy enough, funny enough and squishy enough that it didn't wear out its welcome. Her writing and directing chops were also spot on, and hopefully this will be her year to take home the gold.

So there you have it. Those would be my top six contenders for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series if I controlled the Emmys. Agree? Disagree? Who would your nominess be?

My Dream Emmy Ballot: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Nominations for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced on July 19, which means all of the TV experts have been putting out their predictions and/or ideal nominees. Since I fancy myself a wannabe expert, I've decided to put together my own dream Emmy ballots. I've already covered Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, so let's move onto Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Remember, these picks are my "wouldn't it be nice" nominees and not real predictions because it's just easier to dream than try to face reality. If you want more legit insights, I'm sure you can find some online.

Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory
I know, she's supposed to be the female lead but apparently she's tired of being shut out of the field so she tossed her name in the Supporting hat. While I jumped off the Big Bang bandwagon as quickly as I jumped on it, Cuoco's still one of the few bright spots on the show and one of the only reasons I keep checking in. Many feel she's been sidelined due to Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik's promotion to regulars, but she's the glue that keeps everything together and deserves some recognition especially since she should've picked up a Lead Actress nomination by now.

Elisha Cuthbert, Happy Endings
One of Happy Endings major successes of Season 2 was figuring out how to write for Elisha Cuthbert. While I didn't hate her character during the first season, she was one of the weakest links, and somehow things changed and she became one of the strongest elements of the show. Alex has become a little too flighty for my liking, but I can't help but burst out laughing every time Cuthbert eats or dances on my television screen. I'm not expecting Happy Endings to get any Emmy love, but one can hope.

Gillian Jacobs, Community
Somewhere along the way it became cool to hate Britta Perry, but I've always had a soft spot for her in spite of her faux bohemian shtick and I thought she had a pretty good run during Season 3. That being said, I do think that Gillian Jacobs benefited from the fact that Donald Glover had a great season because Britta and Troy's hinted at romance was one of the driving sub-plots this year. Regardless, Jacobs did some good work and I'd love it if she got some time in the spotlight.

Zosia Mamet, Girls
I need to come clean and admit that I didn't love Girls, or even liked it all that much, but I did get some serious enjoyment while watching Zosia Mamet's Shoshanna stubble her way towards losing her virginity. It could be argued that Mamet was there purely for comic relief, and I'm fine with that because the show seriously needed some levity to undercut the self-destructive navel gazing. While I fully expect Girls to get a lot of attention from the Emmys, I don't think that Zosia will be at the center of the hub-bub though.

Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation
I had a hard time picking the final entrant on my dream ballot, and I finally gave in to my first instinct and added Plaza because I enjoyed where she took April this season. When Parks and Rec started, April was one of the more one-dimensional characters, but she was given time to grow thanks to her relationships with Andy and Ron, but she became a real human being during this last season when she allowed herself to care about something and Plaza nailed the big moments.

Casey Wilson, Happy Endings
While Elisha Cuthbert was Happy Endings' Most Improved Cast Member, Casey Wilson was the Most Valuable Cast Member because she's what makes the show click thanks to her abbrevs and sad-sack tendencies that make her the most relatalbe of the bunch. Sure, she's just as crazy as the rest, but I don't think this show would be as popular if it wasn't for Casey Wilson. It's just too bad that Emmy voters will not observe the Fiscal Year of Penny.

So there you have it. Those would be my top six contenders for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series if I controlled the Emmys. Agree? Disagree? Who would your nominees be?

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 27: Don't You (Forget About Our Podcast)

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 27. After an impromptu hiatus, Kristal and I are back to chat about TV. This time around, we talked about AMC's newest Robert Kirtman adaptation, The Office's revolving door of ideas, Smash's new boss, two Texas boys heading to HBO, plenty of renewals, and of course what we've been watching and what we're looking forward to. As always, check out the breakdown for details.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:26

TV News: 1:27 - 24:05

• AMC adapting Thief of Thieves: 1:27 - 3:36
• The Office reboot: 3:37 - 8:44
• Smash's new showrunner: 8:45 - 12:40
• Woody Harrelson & Matthew McConaughey to HBO: 12:41 - 15:19
• Fringe renewed for 5th and final season: 15:20 - 21:07
• Girls and Veep renewed by HBO: 21:08 - 22:16
• The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and 90210 renewed: 22:17 - 24:05

What We're Watching: 24:06 - 43:27

• Glee: 24:07 - 32:20
• The Vampire Diaries: 32:21 - 39:56
• America's Best Dance Crew: 39:57 - 43:27

What We're Looking Forward To: 43:28 - 45:48

• So You Think You Can Dance: 43:28 - 44:49
• Sherlock: 44:50 - 45:58

Closing: 45:59 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

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