Outstanding Actress – Comedy

The Nominees: Lena Dunham (GIRLS), Edie Falco (NURSE JACKIE), Melissa McCarthy (MIKE & MOLLY), Taylor Schilling (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), Amy Poehler (PARKS AND RECREATION), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (VEEP)

Will Win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
I honestly think that as long as VEEP stays at such a high quality that Dreyfus is a lock to win this award. And it is not an undeserving accolade either because she is perfection as Vice-President Selina Meyer.

Should Win: Amy Poehler
Dreyfus is deserving but Poehler deserves it even more. She should have been given the award much sooner for bringing such a wonderful character as Leslie Knope to life but I think this year she will play runner-up to Dreyfus and Poehler’s Outstanding chance of winning will come at next year’s Emmys since this upcoming season is PARKS AND RECREATIONS last.

Got Robbed: Emmy Rossum (SHAMELESS)
Half of this year’s nominees are totally unworthy. Lena Dunham is and always will be terrible, Edie Falco is nominated for past achievements and McCarthy is nominated because of her likability and film career because no one thinks she does more than phone it in on MIKE & MOLLY. So any of those women should have been bumped off the list for Emmy Rossum who gave the best performances of her career in this past season of Showtime’s SHAMELESS.

Outstanding Actor – Comedy

The Nominees: Ricky Gervais (DEREK), Matt LeBlanc (EPISODES), Louis C.K. (LOUIE), Jim Parsons (THE BIG BANG THEORY), Don Cheadle (HOUSE OF LIES), William H. Macy (SHAMELESS)

Will Win: Jim Parsons
Aside from that bizarre win for Jon Cryer in 2012 (that seemed like The Emmys wanting to take a shot at Charlie Sheen) this award belongs to Jim Parsons and I don’t see that changing this year.

Should Win: Louis C.K.
Louis C.K. should win and if The Emmys were serious about showing they are in tune with the times and not just looking to reward the same old sitcom stalwarts then he would definitely be getting this award. However I don’t see those old fuddy duddies giving an edgy comic like C.K. an award.

Got Robbed: Robin Williams (THE CRAZY ONES)
I may have been one of the few who watched and enjoyed THE CRAZY ONES (I tend to follow Sarah Michelle Gellar anywhere…yes, I am a sad Buffy Stan) and loved Williams’ frenetic energy in the lead role. And also would have been a nice coda to his career to go out being recognized for his comedic chops.

Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy

The Nominees: Julie Bowen (MODERN FAMILY), Kate Mulgrew (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), Allison Janney (MOM), Kate McKinnon (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE), Anna Chlumsky (VEEP), Mayim Bialik (THE BIG BANG THEORY)

Will Win: Allison Janney
The Emmys love Allison Janney and so do I. She is one of the best character actresses working today. The Emmys love her enough to give her an award for that terrible sitcom she works on though, while I can’t even make it past 5 minutes of it. I guess Emmy love is unconditional love.

Should Win: Kate Mulgrew
I was pleasantly shocked by Mulgrew’s nomination because, despite red being one of my favorite characters, I thought her playing a crusty old Russian broad was not one of the roles that would stand out to Emmy voters as much as other roles on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. But she got the nom and out of everyone on the list I feel she deserves it most. This woman has been acting for decades and she was still able to pull this type of revelatory performance out of her hat. That is talent.

Got Robbed: Chelsea Peretti (BROOKLYN NINE-NINE)
Peretti steals every scene she is in on BROOKLYN NINE_NINE and that is a monumental feat considering the strong cast she works with. I would have been perfectly fine with her getting Janney’s slot in these nominations.

Outstanding Supporting Actor – Comedy

The Nominees: Andre Braugher (BROOKLYN NINE-NINE), Ty Burrell (MODERN FAMILY), Fred Armisen (PORTLANDIA), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (MODERN FAMILY), Tony Hale (VEEP), Adam Driver (GIRLS)

Will Win: Tony Hale
He won last year and I don’t think The Emmys are ready to stop rewarding him for his seriously funny portrayal of the Vice-President’s bag man plus Hale is great in the role so him winning won’t sting too much.

Should Win: Andre Braugher
It is hard being the straight man in a comedy because you have to work a bit more to garner laughs than the more in your face comedic actors. Braugher has perfected being a funny straight man in his role of Captain Holt on BROOKLYN NINE-NINE. His dry and deadpan delivery of his lines never fails to hit the mark.

Got Robbed: Nick Offerman (PARKS AND RECREATION)
To quote the indomitable Amy Poehler in regards to Offerman’s snub: “It’s a hot load of bullshit that he didn’t get a nomination”, she said that in 2011 and it stands every year that The Emmys fail to nominate the man who brings Ron “Fucking” Swanson to life.

Outstanding Series – Comedy

The Nominees: LOUIE (FX Network), MODERN FAMILY (ABC), ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix), SILICON VALLEY (HBO), THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS), VEEP (HBO)

Will Win: TRUE DETECTIVE
ORANGE has been such a pop culture touchstone that I don’t see any way that it loses this award. To it’s credit it is a funny (at times bittersweet) show with some of the best performances from the most eclectic cast in TV.

Should Win: VEEP
I like ORANGE but I love VEEP and I have not seen a better comedy in the past two years. From it’s lead all the way down to it’s awesome guest stars (Gary COle really stands out), VEEP has been solid from Episode one with no bad or even slow episodes to taint its greatness.

Got Robbed: SHAMELESS
This may have been the most drama filled season of SHAMELESS but it may also have been its best. The acting was top notch, the writing was impeccable and these characters that we have grown to know and love over the course of several seasons were all put in new situations that not all of them were capable of rising to meet.  SHAMELESS not getting an Emmy nom was shameful. Yeah, I went there.