So this is a little off-topic for me but I saw something this morning and felt like I was on an episode of "What Would You Do?" Ah, there's my TV tie-in! Ever seen it? I've seen a few segments and it's actually really entertaining, and at times appalling. What Would You Do?
It's not uncommon to see a homeless person sleeping in a Duane Reade doorway or on some stoop when I'm walking to the gym at 6:15 in the morning. So when I saw someone on the ground just to the side of a restaurant doorway this morning, I didn't think much of it. But as I got closer and was passing by, I realized this guy was dressed in a suit, with his jacket slung over one of his sprawled out arms. Kind of odd. This was not a homeless guy, but rather (I was guessing at this point) some dude who got drunk and passed out.
I assume most of you, like me, have stories from college that might resemble this situation. No, they don't involve me! Even if I happen to have one drink too many (just one, I swear), I always manage to make it home--my real home, not outside, not the bathroom, not the front door, not the...--brush my teeth, take out my contacts and wash my face. Always. But not everyone is so responsible. Freshman year, a friend's boyfriend got super drunk, went back to his room and went to sleep. He woke up a short time later, walked into what he thought was the bathroom and urinated in what he thought was the urinal. Nope. It was the window seat on his roommate's side of the room. Whoops. At our 5 year reunion, an acquaintance of mine got drunk, went back to his motel and fell asleep in his room. Oh no, wait. He was lying outside the door to his room, thinking the doormat was his bed. Yeah.
But those are college stories, or, in the case of the reunion, someone reliving his college experience. The guy I saw was clearly not in college. He was probably about my age, maybe a little older. So, assuming drunken stupidity, I walked on by. A couple walking towards me with their dog also seemed to notice this guy. And I started thinking, well what if he's in trouble? What if he's not breathing? There were LOUD trucks going up the street and he wasn't moving or registering a thing. Should I have sprayed him with some water to wake him up? Can you imagine waking up on the sidewalk, possibly having had rats or roaches crawling on you in the night (blech-I cringe at the thought) and being totally disoriented, not to mention hung over? That would be massively embarrassing, no? I thought about it all the way to the gym and into the first few minutes of the class I was taking. I then proceeded to not think about it due to the workout kicking my butt at the time. When I passed by the at 7:30, he was gone. And there was no police barricade surrounding the spot he had been in, so clearly he did not die. And now I'm wondering how many people does this happen to every night? In a city like New York, I imagine this guy is not the only Drunky McDrunkerson who fell asleep on the sidewalk. I would hope other people have friends to get them home.
Should I have tried to help him? I don't know. This is New York, where a 4'11" guy walks around groping girls (watch out, ladies). So who knows what an embarrassed, hung over guy would do if he was abruptly woken up on a random street at 6:15 AM? Maybe nothing. Maybe he would have thanked me and went on his way.
Whoever you are, guy who slept on the street last night, I wish you well (and hope that you weren't robbed while passed out). But next time, get home safe.
What would you have done?
That's me--Miss Pep.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Looka my shakshouka!
Have you ever had shakshouka? Have you heard of shakshouka? It's a delicious dish of Tunisian origins, now very popular in Israel, made up of eggs cooked over a tomato-ey sauce with peppers, onions and spices. Josh and I were fortunate enough to have at our disposal the freshest of fresh veggies in the fridge to work with and threw in a few non-traditional ingredients in as well.
We started by chopping up and throwing farm fresh onions, red pepper, jalapeño and orange pepper into the pan. Our non-traditional item was a gorgeous golden squash that just really brightened up the whole concoction.
Then we added the tomatoes. We also threw in a little jarred tomato sauce that was in the fridge to thicken it up (plus I like it more saucy). Then, we added a number of spices at random. Salt, pepper, chili powder. I found some Hungarian paprika in the cabinet as well as some other yellow powder that smelled like it would taste fabulous in the shakshouka. I believe it was turmeric. Josh was across the room and missed this secret addition!
Then we cracked the eggs on top. I, unfortunately, broke one and take full responsibility for that shameful occurrence. Luckily we have a picture that cuts out the bad egg!
Then it was time to eat! Pita usually goes great with shakshouka but we had a baguette-type bread, toasty warm from the oven, as an accompaniment.
This dish is easy and oh so satisfying! You can spice it to your liking and cook the eggs to whatever consistency is your pleasure. I prefer runny, it just adds something extra rich to the mix. Enjoy!
We started by chopping up and throwing farm fresh onions, red pepper, jalapeño and orange pepper into the pan. Our non-traditional item was a gorgeous golden squash that just really brightened up the whole concoction.
Then we added the tomatoes. We also threw in a little jarred tomato sauce that was in the fridge to thicken it up (plus I like it more saucy). Then, we added a number of spices at random. Salt, pepper, chili powder. I found some Hungarian paprika in the cabinet as well as some other yellow powder that smelled like it would taste fabulous in the shakshouka. I believe it was turmeric. Josh was across the room and missed this secret addition!
Then we cracked the eggs on top. I, unfortunately, broke one and take full responsibility for that shameful occurrence. Luckily we have a picture that cuts out the bad egg!
Then it was time to eat! Pita usually goes great with shakshouka but we had a baguette-type bread, toasty warm from the oven, as an accompaniment.
This dish is easy and oh so satisfying! You can spice it to your liking and cook the eggs to whatever consistency is your pleasure. I prefer runny, it just adds something extra rich to the mix. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Philly Eats
I visited Philadelphia last weekend because my fiancee, Josh, is interning at a synagogue there for the summer. We had several food adventures while there, which included a delicious Philly Cheesesteak from Shank's, and homemade shakshouka, using the freshest of veggies from a local farm. You'll be seeing that post soon. But the highlight of our weekend (aside from housebreaking our hosts' puppies), was our Saturday night dinner. Although a close second would be seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (again, that's for another post). Read on for drool-worthy details...
Chef Michael Solomonov and his partners at Cook+Solo have created a surprising trio of restaurants in Philadelphia: Xochitl is a taqueria and tequila bar, Percy Street Barbecue is a Texas-style bbq, and Zahav is a modern Israeli masterpiece. I can't speak to the first two, but I had the delicious experience of visiting Zahav this past weekend. Zahav means "gold" in Hebrew and you can see its influences in the whole atmosphere of the restaurant. The decor is immediately inviting and comfortable, with golden limestone walls and floor, meant to look like Jerusalem stone, which gives the whole place a sort of golden glow. High ceilings and rustic furniture add to the overall relaxed feeling. Partway through our meal, the staff opened all the blinds in the restaurant, I can only assume so that patrons could watch the sunset? Not sure on that one. Maybe they just wanted more natural light.
It's a happy coincidence that Chef Solomonov was visiting the synagogue where Josh is interning and an even happier coincidence that they got to chatting recently and Josh was then able to alert said chef to our reservation on Saturday! Our table was "not quite ready" upon our arrival which gave Chef Solomonov a chance to come say hello and offer us a glass of cava (perfect for a hot day!)!
After perusing the menu for several minutes (and then a few more...there were so many intriguing options!), we decided to get the Tay'im menu, which means Taste of Zahav. With this option, we began the meal with hummus and salatim, a daily selection of 8 salads. The hummus is served with the most amazing laffa bread - thinner and more delicate than pita - baked so it comes out piping hot and sprinkled with za'atar (typical Israeli spice). The top salad for me was the beet and tahini salad. So pretty in pink! There was also a fennel salad that was to die for. Oh! And I almost forgot the tabouleh! Best tabouleh I've had! I believe there were apples and walnuts in it! I wasn't going to post the picture of it but now I will. Unfortunately the only camera we had with us at dinner was Josh's trusty iPhone, so please bear with the slightly-less-than-top-quality pics!
The next part of the Tay'im menu let us each choose 2 mezze dishes. With 13 possible options, I didn't know what to with myself! The moment I thought I chose the crispy haloumi, I found the fried cauliflower with chive, oil, mint and garlic! Cauliflower won that battle. And it wasn't one of those heavy fried dishes. It was light and crispy with the refreshing minty chivey sauce underneath. Amazing. To compliment what I thought would be a heavier fried dish I went with kibbe naya, which is raw lamb (kinda like steak tartar...but lamb. duh) with bulgur, black harissa, baby romaine. We went a little outside the box, which was fun. Josh chose the Gondi (chicken & chickpea dumplings, chicken broth, spring onions) and Mina. Oh Mina, you are so delicious. It was smoked brisket, brought over from the BBQ restaurant, cooked or garnished or something with coffee, and wrapped in matzah. Yes, matzah. Wow.
We were then presented with a gift from the chef, watermelon salad. Two kinds of watermelon, pink and yellow, served with Bulgarian Feta. So refreshing!
And if that wasn't enough, we still have 2 courses to go! We each chose one dish from the Al Ha'esh offerings, which are coal grilled dishes. Josh chose duck breast with lovage pilaf (not sure what that is, even now, after having eaten it! It was pretty much like a delicious rice), barberries (kind of like dried currants?) and asparagus. That was definitely one of my favorites of the night! Unfortunately, the picture is totally blurry! I chose Kofte, which were 2 beef and lamb meatballs. Probably my least favorite, yet not not good (get that?), dish of the evening. They were a little, shall we say...solid. Dense. That's the perfect descriptor for them. Dense. And another gift from the chef came in the form of a dish I had been agonizing over getting before I went with Kofte. So thank you, thank you Chef Solomonov for delivering to us the mouthwateringly good Royal Trumpet Mushrooms served with chickpea puree, lamb belly "shawarma," allspice. ohmygoodness. Yum. We forgot that the chickpea puree was chickpea puree and had a really tough time figuring out what this incredible yellow sauce was. It really didn't taste like chickpeas at all!
Chef Michael Solomonov and his partners at Cook+Solo have created a surprising trio of restaurants in Philadelphia: Xochitl is a taqueria and tequila bar, Percy Street Barbecue is a Texas-style bbq, and Zahav is a modern Israeli masterpiece. I can't speak to the first two, but I had the delicious experience of visiting Zahav this past weekend. Zahav means "gold" in Hebrew and you can see its influences in the whole atmosphere of the restaurant. The decor is immediately inviting and comfortable, with golden limestone walls and floor, meant to look like Jerusalem stone, which gives the whole place a sort of golden glow. High ceilings and rustic furniture add to the overall relaxed feeling. Partway through our meal, the staff opened all the blinds in the restaurant, I can only assume so that patrons could watch the sunset? Not sure on that one. Maybe they just wanted more natural light.
It's a happy coincidence that Chef Solomonov was visiting the synagogue where Josh is interning and an even happier coincidence that they got to chatting recently and Josh was then able to alert said chef to our reservation on Saturday! Our table was "not quite ready" upon our arrival which gave Chef Solomonov a chance to come say hello and offer us a glass of cava (perfect for a hot day!)!
After perusing the menu for several minutes (and then a few more...there were so many intriguing options!), we decided to get the Tay'im menu, which means Taste of Zahav. With this option, we began the meal with hummus and salatim, a daily selection of 8 salads. The hummus is served with the most amazing laffa bread - thinner and more delicate than pita - baked so it comes out piping hot and sprinkled with za'atar (typical Israeli spice). The top salad for me was the beet and tahini salad. So pretty in pink! There was also a fennel salad that was to die for. Oh! And I almost forgot the tabouleh! Best tabouleh I've had! I believe there were apples and walnuts in it! I wasn't going to post the picture of it but now I will. Unfortunately the only camera we had with us at dinner was Josh's trusty iPhone, so please bear with the slightly-less-than-top-quality pics!
The next part of the Tay'im menu let us each choose 2 mezze dishes. With 13 possible options, I didn't know what to with myself! The moment I thought I chose the crispy haloumi, I found the fried cauliflower with chive, oil, mint and garlic! Cauliflower won that battle. And it wasn't one of those heavy fried dishes. It was light and crispy with the refreshing minty chivey sauce underneath. Amazing. To compliment what I thought would be a heavier fried dish I went with kibbe naya, which is raw lamb (kinda like steak tartar...but lamb. duh) with bulgur, black harissa, baby romaine. We went a little outside the box, which was fun. Josh chose the Gondi (chicken & chickpea dumplings, chicken broth, spring onions) and Mina. Oh Mina, you are so delicious. It was smoked brisket, brought over from the BBQ restaurant, cooked or garnished or something with coffee, and wrapped in matzah. Yes, matzah. Wow.
And if that wasn't enough, we still have 2 courses to go! We each chose one dish from the Al Ha'esh offerings, which are coal grilled dishes. Josh chose duck breast with lovage pilaf (not sure what that is, even now, after having eaten it! It was pretty much like a delicious rice), barberries (kind of like dried currants?) and asparagus. That was definitely one of my favorites of the night! Unfortunately, the picture is totally blurry! I chose Kofte, which were 2 beef and lamb meatballs. Probably my least favorite, yet not not good (get that?), dish of the evening. They were a little, shall we say...solid. Dense. That's the perfect descriptor for them. Dense. And another gift from the chef came in the form of a dish I had been agonizing over getting before I went with Kofte. So thank you, thank you Chef Solomonov for delivering to us the mouthwateringly good Royal Trumpet Mushrooms served with chickpea puree, lamb belly "shawarma," allspice. ohmygoodness. Yum. We forgot that the chickpea puree was chickpea puree and had a really tough time figuring out what this incredible yellow sauce was. It really didn't taste like chickpeas at all!
Oh, dessert.
We forgot to take a picture and just dove right in! We ordered Poached Rhubarb with melon sorbet, white chocolate, nuts, and Almond-Apricot Rugelach with apricot sorbet, honey-roasted apricot. Thankfully, the waitress mistakenly brought us the wrong dessert in place of the rugelach. Instead we were delighted to see Kataifi with valrhona chocolate, labaneh ice cream, mango. Kataifi is a play on another middle-Eastern dessert, kanafeh, which I have had in Israel and LOVE. I belive Kataifi may actually be Greek. But Chef Solomonov's Kataifi is shredded phyllo with chocolate in the middle instead of a sweet ricotta and honey of the kanafeh. It was amazing. We also were given Halvah moose with chickpea praline and berries. I'm not a huge halvah fan, but this was INCREDIBLE!
We lingered over our dinner for a good two hours or so and I, for one, was sad when it was over! Not that I could have eaten anything else! I'm sure I'll be making a return trip, seeing as we have friends in Philly to visit. Next time, though, I'm going for the Mesibah dinner, which means "party time!" The main attraction to that is the whole-roasted lamb shoulder with pomegranate and chickpeas. Something to look forward to...
Friday, July 15, 2011
Good luck to the nominees. Except the ones I don't like.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I love award nominations. Especially Emmy nominations because they're all about TV! I watch TV far more often than I go to the movies, so come Oscar time, I usually haven't seen a wide range of the nominated films. But oh! The Emmys! It's like the world series for me and there are so many teams to root for! I almost missed the nominations yesterday morning because I forgot (for SHAME) they were on and was about to walk out the door when trusty Matt Lauer informed me the Emmy noms were a minute away! Yikes! So I parked my ready-for-work butt on the couch and waited for the games to begin! And cheer I did...but we'll get to that in a minute.
Yesterday's nominations were extra great because the presenters were two actors I love: Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy. Have you ever wondered how they choose Emmy nomination presenters. I have. Yesterday. Clearly we have all loved Joshua Jackson since the days of Pacey and Joey and Dawson. In fact, I have loved Joshua Jackson since he was Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks. But now he's on "Fringe," a sci-fi show I'm hooked on, yet I worry about because it got relegated to Friday nights and it's always in danger of being canceled. So how on earth did he get to be a presenter for the Emmy nominations? And why was he chuckling throughout the whole thing? I want to be in on his funny secret.
And Melissa. The loveable Sookie St. James from "Gilmore Girls." I'm so glad she's finally getting her time to shine. You might also remember she was, once again, a faithful sidekick in "Samatha Who?" with Christina Applegate. But if you haven't seen her in Bridesmaids...GO! She stole the show. And as an added bonus, she even gets to share highlarious scenes with her rea-life husband (which I didn't know until a friend told me). I haven't watched her new show "Mike and Molly," but it must be good because our girl got a nomination!! And, according to IMDB, she has signed on to an untitled Judd Apatow project. Damn, girl! You've come a long way! So I suppose the choice to have her do the honors yesterday made some sense. She's blowing up!
And now for today's challenge. Six degrees of separation: connect Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy in 6 TV shows or less!
On to the really important stuff. The actual nominations! I sat on my couch, first watching the predictions, thinking how I could totally go on the "Today Show" and talk about what shows and actors will and will not get nominated. Give me that job! The only problem is that I don't watch a few of the main shows that get nominated, so mypredictions would have been lacking some major players: "Mad Men," "30 Rock," "Big Bang Theory" and anything on HBO. I mean, I work at Showtime but only watch our shows because I can...for free. Oh, and by the way, I'm secretly super happy that Breaking Bad isn't eligible for this year's Emmys because it keeps beating out my favorites!
Below, some categories I care about with comments and predicted winners. For the full list of nominees, click here. By the way, please don't use my predictions as any kind of guide...they're probably all wrong!!
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jim Parson, "The Big Bang Theory"
Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory"
Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes"
Louis C.K, "Louie"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Major cheer (or, rather, gasp), sitting alone in my apartment for Matt LeBlanc! "Episodes" was a new Showtime show last year and if you haven't seen it, you should. Matt (oh yeah, we're on a first name basis since we met last October!) is really funny and non-Joey in character. But he won't win. Steve Carell should. I stopped watching "The Office" this year because I think it's past its prime. But his run on this how as a whole is just fantastic. I'm predicting him as the sentimental winner. I'm also predicting a Steve Carell win because I can't stand Alec Baldwin and get incensed when he keeps winning. While he is the major draw to "30 Rock" for most people, I have been unable to watch the show because of him. And I used to work at 30 Rock, so you'd think I'd be a huge fan. Not so.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
TImothy Olyphant, "Justified"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
MAJOR cheer for Michael C. Hall!! "Dexter" is one of my absolute favorite shows and I take advantage of working at Showtime by reading the scripts and watching the screeners before anyone else! And I rub it in! But he probably won't win. Another MAJOR cheer for Kyle Chandler!! "FNL" is another of my absolute favorite shows and I'm in complete denial that tonight is the series finale if you watch on NBC. If you watched on DirectTV, you've already finished. But he won't win (though I really really want him to). Cheer for Hugh Laurie. Love "House" but it's also getting to the point where it might need to end soon (sad face). I mean, Lisa Edelstein (who should have been nominated for an Emmy last year for her performance in the Cuddy-centric episode) isn't returning next season. What?? When major players start dropping out (hello "The Office") it's a bad sign. The only show in recent memory to survive lots of departures was "ER." BUT, Hugh Laurie gives some of the best award winner speeches - here's a gem - so he should win something, sometime. Predicted winner...tough one. I am torn between Timothy Olyphant and Steve Buscemi. Timothy because the show is new and shiny and Steve because it's kind of been his year in awards with that role. Haven't seen either show.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Laura Linney, "The Big C"
Melissa McCarthy, "Mike and Molly"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"
Martha Plimpton, "Raising Hope"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Big cheers for Laura Linney and Edie Falco! I watch both of their shows because of my job and do enjoy them. But they won't win. Wait. I take that back. Laura won the Golden Globe, and Edie won this award last year, and Showtime talent Toni Collette won it two years ago. So there's a shot - most likely for Laura. Big cheers for Melissa McCarthy but we've already discussed her. Tina Fey and her sister in all things funny, Amy Poehler, are both typical nominations. I think "Parks and Red" is gaining popularity as it goes on. I'm going to go with underdog Melissa on this one. She's gaining so much ground this year that it could just be her time.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton, "Friday Night Lights"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Kathy Bates, "Harry's Law"
Mireille Enos, "The Killing"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
MAJOR cheer for Connie Britton from "FNL!!" She was nominated last year as well and lost out to Kyra Sedgwick (who many think has been snubbed this year. I don't watch "The Closer" so I don't much care). Cheers for Julianna Margulies. I've been a fan since her "ER" days. And big cheers for Mireille Enos from "The Killing," which I love - controversial finale and all. I've seen a total of 3 or 4 episodes of "Mad Men" and I get really angry when it wins everything. And there's just something about Elisabeth Moss that irks me. I've only recently gotten into "SVU" so cheers for Mariska Hargitay. The winner? I'm gonna hope for more sentimentality from Emmy voters and put my money on Connie. Realistically, Julianna will get it.
Outstanding Comedy Series:
"The Big Bang Theory," CBS
"Glee," Fox
"Modern Family," ABC
"The Office," NBC
"Parks and Recreation," NBC
"30 Rock," NBC
MAJOR cheer (yet totally expected) for "Modern Family," which will take this. "Glee" went downhill for me for the most part this season. I actually think I forgot to watch the last couple episodes! We already know my feelings on "30 Rock" and "The Office." "Modern Family" is one of the best comedies on TV.
Outstanding Drama Series:
"Boardwalk Empire," HBO
"Dexter," Showtime
"Friday Night Lights," DirectTV (and NBC)
"Game of Thrones," HBO
"The Good Wife," CBS
"Mad Men," AMC
MAJOR cheer for "FNL!" BIG cheer, yet somewhat expected, for "Dexter!" Yay "The Good Wife." Eh on the others. Oh, how I wish "Dexter" or "FNL" would win!! But I predict "Mad Men." It apparently had a great season and its history at the Emmys would say it can win it. Over and over. And over.
To wrap things up on this gargantuan inaugural post, here are my predictions/hopes for other categories without major commentary:
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner: Chris Colfer, "Glee"
Hope to win (although I did like the whole Kurt storyline on "Glee"): any of the "Modern Family" gentlemen
Funny if he does win: John Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner: Jane Lynch, "Glee" (also hosting the Emmys - this should be awesome)
Hope to win: either of the "Modern Family" ladies
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Hope to Win: Alan Cumming, "The Good Wife"
Outsanding Host for a Reality Program
Winner: Jeff Probst, "Survivor"
Hope to win: Cat Deely, "So You Think You Can Dance"
So, good luck to all the nominees...unless I don't like you.
Yesterday's nominations were extra great because the presenters were two actors I love: Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy. Have you ever wondered how they choose Emmy nomination presenters. I have. Yesterday. Clearly we have all loved Joshua Jackson since the days of Pacey and Joey and Dawson. In fact, I have loved Joshua Jackson since he was Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks. But now he's on "Fringe," a sci-fi show I'm hooked on, yet I worry about because it got relegated to Friday nights and it's always in danger of being canceled. So how on earth did he get to be a presenter for the Emmy nominations? And why was he chuckling throughout the whole thing? I want to be in on his funny secret.
And Melissa. The loveable Sookie St. James from "Gilmore Girls." I'm so glad she's finally getting her time to shine. You might also remember she was, once again, a faithful sidekick in "Samatha Who?" with Christina Applegate. But if you haven't seen her in Bridesmaids...GO! She stole the show. And as an added bonus, she even gets to share highlarious scenes with her rea-life husband (which I didn't know until a friend told me). I haven't watched her new show "Mike and Molly," but it must be good because our girl got a nomination!! And, according to IMDB, she has signed on to an untitled Judd Apatow project. Damn, girl! You've come a long way! So I suppose the choice to have her do the honors yesterday made some sense. She's blowing up!
And now for today's challenge. Six degrees of separation: connect Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy in 6 TV shows or less!
On to the really important stuff. The actual nominations! I sat on my couch, first watching the predictions, thinking how I could totally go on the "Today Show" and talk about what shows and actors will and will not get nominated. Give me that job! The only problem is that I don't watch a few of the main shows that get nominated, so mypredictions would have been lacking some major players: "Mad Men," "30 Rock," "Big Bang Theory" and anything on HBO. I mean, I work at Showtime but only watch our shows because I can...for free. Oh, and by the way, I'm secretly super happy that Breaking Bad isn't eligible for this year's Emmys because it keeps beating out my favorites!
Below, some categories I care about with comments and predicted winners. For the full list of nominees, click here. By the way, please don't use my predictions as any kind of guide...they're probably all wrong!!
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jim Parson, "The Big Bang Theory"
Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory"
Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes"
Louis C.K, "Louie"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Major cheer (or, rather, gasp), sitting alone in my apartment for Matt LeBlanc! "Episodes" was a new Showtime show last year and if you haven't seen it, you should. Matt (oh yeah, we're on a first name basis since we met last October!) is really funny and non-Joey in character. But he won't win. Steve Carell should. I stopped watching "The Office" this year because I think it's past its prime. But his run on this how as a whole is just fantastic. I'm predicting him as the sentimental winner. I'm also predicting a Steve Carell win because I can't stand Alec Baldwin and get incensed when he keeps winning. While he is the major draw to "30 Rock" for most people, I have been unable to watch the show because of him. And I used to work at 30 Rock, so you'd think I'd be a huge fan. Not so.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
TImothy Olyphant, "Justified"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
MAJOR cheer for Michael C. Hall!! "Dexter" is one of my absolute favorite shows and I take advantage of working at Showtime by reading the scripts and watching the screeners before anyone else! And I rub it in! But he probably won't win. Another MAJOR cheer for Kyle Chandler!! "FNL" is another of my absolute favorite shows and I'm in complete denial that tonight is the series finale if you watch on NBC. If you watched on DirectTV, you've already finished. But he won't win (though I really really want him to). Cheer for Hugh Laurie. Love "House" but it's also getting to the point where it might need to end soon (sad face). I mean, Lisa Edelstein (who should have been nominated for an Emmy last year for her performance in the Cuddy-centric episode) isn't returning next season. What?? When major players start dropping out (hello "The Office") it's a bad sign. The only show in recent memory to survive lots of departures was "ER." BUT, Hugh Laurie gives some of the best award winner speeches - here's a gem - so he should win something, sometime. Predicted winner...tough one. I am torn between Timothy Olyphant and Steve Buscemi. Timothy because the show is new and shiny and Steve because it's kind of been his year in awards with that role. Haven't seen either show.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Laura Linney, "The Big C"
Melissa McCarthy, "Mike and Molly"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"
Martha Plimpton, "Raising Hope"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Big cheers for Laura Linney and Edie Falco! I watch both of their shows because of my job and do enjoy them. But they won't win. Wait. I take that back. Laura won the Golden Globe, and Edie won this award last year, and Showtime talent Toni Collette won it two years ago. So there's a shot - most likely for Laura. Big cheers for Melissa McCarthy but we've already discussed her. Tina Fey and her sister in all things funny, Amy Poehler, are both typical nominations. I think "Parks and Red" is gaining popularity as it goes on. I'm going to go with underdog Melissa on this one. She's gaining so much ground this year that it could just be her time.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton, "Friday Night Lights"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Kathy Bates, "Harry's Law"
Mireille Enos, "The Killing"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
MAJOR cheer for Connie Britton from "FNL!!" She was nominated last year as well and lost out to Kyra Sedgwick (who many think has been snubbed this year. I don't watch "The Closer" so I don't much care). Cheers for Julianna Margulies. I've been a fan since her "ER" days. And big cheers for Mireille Enos from "The Killing," which I love - controversial finale and all. I've seen a total of 3 or 4 episodes of "Mad Men" and I get really angry when it wins everything. And there's just something about Elisabeth Moss that irks me. I've only recently gotten into "SVU" so cheers for Mariska Hargitay. The winner? I'm gonna hope for more sentimentality from Emmy voters and put my money on Connie. Realistically, Julianna will get it.
Outstanding Comedy Series:
"The Big Bang Theory," CBS
"Glee," Fox
"Modern Family," ABC
"The Office," NBC
"Parks and Recreation," NBC
"30 Rock," NBC
MAJOR cheer (yet totally expected) for "Modern Family," which will take this. "Glee" went downhill for me for the most part this season. I actually think I forgot to watch the last couple episodes! We already know my feelings on "30 Rock" and "The Office." "Modern Family" is one of the best comedies on TV.
Outstanding Drama Series:
"Boardwalk Empire," HBO
"Dexter," Showtime
"Friday Night Lights," DirectTV (and NBC)
"Game of Thrones," HBO
"The Good Wife," CBS
"Mad Men," AMC
MAJOR cheer for "FNL!" BIG cheer, yet somewhat expected, for "Dexter!" Yay "The Good Wife." Eh on the others. Oh, how I wish "Dexter" or "FNL" would win!! But I predict "Mad Men." It apparently had a great season and its history at the Emmys would say it can win it. Over and over. And over.
To wrap things up on this gargantuan inaugural post, here are my predictions/hopes for other categories without major commentary:
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner: Chris Colfer, "Glee"
Hope to win (although I did like the whole Kurt storyline on "Glee"): any of the "Modern Family" gentlemen
Funny if he does win: John Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner: Jane Lynch, "Glee" (also hosting the Emmys - this should be awesome)
Hope to win: either of the "Modern Family" ladies
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Hope to Win: Alan Cumming, "The Good Wife"
Outsanding Host for a Reality Program
Winner: Jeff Probst, "Survivor"
Hope to win: Cat Deely, "So You Think You Can Dance"
So, good luck to all the nominees...unless I don't like you.
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