Analysis of Emmy Nominations

The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards will be presented on September 23, but the nominations were released last week.  There were many surprises, not the least of which was the surprise hit, American Horror Story, receiving the most amount of nominations (17) tied with Mad Men.  Below is a summarized list of the nominations and some of my thoughts on who may, or should, win.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

Boardwalk Empire

Breaking Bad

Downton Abbey

Game of Thrones

Homeland

Mad Men

This category is definitely between the highly praised veteran show Breaking Bad and the new spy thriller Homeland, which the critics find very ingenious.  My favorite is the British hit Downton Abbey, but it would be a long shot.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

30 Rock

The Big Bang Theory

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Girls

Modern Family

Veep

This category really belongs to Girls, the new risky HBO comedy that succeeded with flying colors this season, its first.  Modern Family won the Emmy the last two years, but its most recent season was definitely a low point for the show--maybe because of Sofia Vergara's horrible acting.

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE

American Horror Story

Game Change

Hatfields & McCoys

Hemingway & Gellhorn

Luther

Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

Ah, so this is how American Horror Story got all of those nominations; it was submitted as a miniseries instead of a drama series (It wouldn't have picked up many nominations as a drama, considering its mediocre reviews compared to the high praise of other dramas.)  As for this category, it's a tough one to predict, but I'll go out on a limb and guess Sherlock.

OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race

Dancing with the Stars

Project Runway

So You Think You Can Dance

Top Chef

The Voice

The Amazing Race wins every year.  Enough said.

For a more complete list of nominees, including actors, directors, writers, and hosts, visit http://www.metacritic.com/feature/2012-primetime-emmy-award-nominees