The 2005 Emmy ceremony created both good will and bad. Good will came in the form of fresh faces in the acting categories, with new shows like “Lost,” “Huff” and “Desperate Housewives” picking up wins. Bad will came, as it usually does in Emmy Land, in the form of bland repeat nominees.
Many performers and shows popped for the umpteenth time (Sean Hayes anyone?) when others were arguably more deserving of recognition.
Perhaps it was this staleness in nominations that’s led to declining Nielsen ratings for the award show’s annual telecast.
This year was supposed to be different. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced a new policy designed to retool voting in six major Emmy categories, including lead acting and series honors for both comedy and drama programming.
Under the new system, a popular vote within the Academy narrows down the field to fifteen finalists in each category, up ten slots from the previous five. Then a panel of judges would screen episodes of each of the performers and shows selected and narrow down the field to five finalists. It seemed a step up from the popularity contests of recent years that habitually rewarded the shows and performers with the highest ratings.
But the solution only half-worked. There were unexpected names on the nominee lists, but many were left-field. Old names once again weighed heavily on the ballot, and everywhere there were omissions upon glaring omissions.
2005 winners James Spader, Patricia Arquette, Felicity Huffman and “Lost” are all gone from their respective categories. So are James Gandolfini and Edie Falco. Also missing are Zach Braff, Jason Lee, Lauren Graham, Kristen Bell, Hugh Laurie and the entire cast of “Lost.”
The new voting didn’t affect the category of Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries, but one wishes it had. Ellen Burstyn scored a scandalous nod for a 15-second appearance in the HBO film “Mrs. Harris.” Clearly, the system still needs shaking up.
Here’s a look at contenders in some of the major categories:
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Megan Mullaly (Will and Grace), Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds), Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), Alfre Woodard (Desperate Housewives).
Should win: Pressly.
Will win: Perkins and Pressly are dark horses, but this is Mullaly’s last chance to capitalize on her show’s swan song.
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Sean Hayes (Will and Grace), Jeremy Piven (Entourage).
Should win: Arnett or Piven.
Will win: Jon Cryer could score here for what’s actually a leading role; otherwise, look out for Piven.
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Candice Bergen (Boston Legal), Blythe Danner (Huff), Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy), Jean Smart (24), Chandra Wilson (Grey’s Anatomy).
Should win: Smart.
Will win: Oh seems like a safe choice, but I wouldn’t rule out Smart’s First Lady coming out on top.
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda (The West Wing), Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos), Gregory Itzin (24), Oliver Platt (Huff), William Shatner (Boston Legal).
Should and will win: Itzin, though everyone’s a threat here besides former winner Imperioli.
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Steve Carell (The Office), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Kevin James (The King of Queens), Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men).
Should and will win: Carell.
Leading Actress in a Comedy Series
Stockard Channing (Out of Practice), Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine), Debra Messing (Will and Grace).
Should win: Kudrow.
Will win: Kaczmerak gets a parting shot or Louis-Dreyfuss further breaks the Seinfeld curse with a golden statue.
Leading Actress in a Drama Series
Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under), Geena Davis (Commander in Chief), Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: SVU), Allison Janney (The West Wing), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer).
Should and will win: Sedgwick.
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Christopher Meloni (Law and Order: SVU), Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), Denis Leary (Rescue Me), Martin Sheen (The West Wing), Kiefer Sutherland (24).
Should win: Leary. Krause, or Sutherland.
Will win: Neither Sutherland nor Sheen has won, so it’s Bauer versus Bartlett to the bitter end.
Comedy Series
“Arrested Development,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Office,” “Scrubs,” “Two and a Half Men.”
Should win: “The Office.”
Will win: Anyone’s guess. All but “Curb” have a solid chance.
Drama Series
“24,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House,” “The Sopranos,” “The West Wing.”
Should win: “24,” for what might have been its best season to date.
Will win: “Grey’s Anatomy,” TV’s most popular drama of the minute.
Catch the actual winners when the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards air live Aug. 27 on NBC.