The 2010 Emmys are coming up on Sunday! The popcorn's purchased, the champagne's chilling in the fridge, and our DVRs are set (for reliving the best acceptance speeches). Plus, our Emmy picks are in!
See who our editorial staff members have selected to win in this year's big drama and comedy categories, and see how your picks stack up.
See Complete List of Nominees >> Outstanding Drama SeriesMeghan:Dexter AND
Breaking Bad I know they can't tie, but in my dream world, the Emmys would recognize that both series posted their best seasons (and the best seasons on TV) this year, and reward them both. If I have to choose, John Lithgow's bone-chilling Trinity Killer and
Dexter's truly shocking season 4 finale give it an edge in my book.
John:Dexter
Mad Men has won this category two years in a row and is the obvious frontrunner, but thanks to John Lithgow's amazing performance in Dexter's fourth season, I think the Emmys may be willing to take a chance on a daring underdog.
Jen:Mad MenI know, I know.
Mad Men has already won the last two years, and maybe the Emmy voters should give another show a chance. But I still think
Mad Men's going strong and is deserving of the top honor once again.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama SeriesMeghan:Michael C. Hall,
Dexter He's got the Golden Globe and the SAG awards for this season of
Dexter under his belt already, and deservedly so. But I waffled for a long time trying to pick a horse in this stacked race. All of these men could go home, and deserve to go home, with the gold for their stellar performances this year.
John:Michael C. Hall,
DexterHe won the Golden Globe and the SAG Award this year for the best season yet, so it would be a fitting end to the awards calendar to add an Emmy to his mantle.
Jen:Michael C. Hall,
DexterI know this might seem like a contradiction after my Outstanding Drama Series pick, but I have to agree with my colleagues here: Hands down, Michael C. Hall should be adding an Emmy to his list of awards for the year for his stellar work on
Dexter.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesMeghan:Connie Britton,
Friday Night LightsIt's about time that the Emmys lauded the talent and unmatched chemistry of my favorite TV couple, Coach and Mrs. Taylor. They inexplicably didn't recognize
FNL in the drama series category, but some fanfare for Connie Britton, who consistently shines as the ever-strong Tami Taylor, would definitely ease the pain of the slight.
John:Julianna Margulies,
The Good WifeThe Good Wife is the surprise Emmy darling of the season, and Margulies has a great chance to unseat two-time Emmy winner Glenn Close with her fearless and authentic performance.
Jen:Julianna Margulies,
The Good WifeI loved Juliana Marguiles on
E.R. and think she's equally deserving of praise for her work as Alicia Florrick on
The Good Wife, having already been recognized by the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild for the role.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesMeghan:Aaron Paul,
Breaking Bad After coming up short last year (and watching co-star Bryan Cranston take home two trophies in a row), it's Paul's due this time around. His work as Jesse Pinkman, not just on this but on all seasons of
Breaking Bad thus far, has been just as powerful as Cranston's.
John:Martin Short,
DamagesIn a very strong category, I give the edge to the comedic actor who delivered a perfect dramatic performance that was complex and spectacular.
Jen:Martin Short,
Damages
Short's incredible staying power in this industry combined with his stellar appearance on
Damages makes him tops for me to take home the trophy.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesMeghan:Christina Hendricks,
Mad Men The AMC juggernaut got nominations all around, including two in this category, but the never-before-nominated Hendricks stole the show this season on
Mad Men and should steal the trophy as a result.
John:Christine Baranski,
The Good WifeI honestly have no clue who will win this category, so I'll go with the woman who won an Emmy for her comedic work on Cybil, since voters love when actors play against type.
Jen:Christina Hendricks,
Mad Men
In such a talented ensemble cast, it can be tough to stand out, but Christina Hendricks managed to in a big way this season as Joan Harris--and not just because of her bombshell good looks.
Outstanding Comedy SeriesMeghan:Modern Family No matter who wins, I will be yelling at my TV over the most egregious snub of the season:
Parks and Recreation's absence from this category. But that doesn't mean these nominees are unworthy, and for a consistently hilarious, touching and strong first season as performed by a truly dynamic ensemble cast,
Modern Family deserves this recognition.
John:Modern FamilyWhile Glee has all the buzz,
Modern Family is funnier and better when put to a side-by-side comparison.
Jen:Modern FamilyDespite being a die-hard Gleek, I've got to say
Modern Family all the way in this category. It never fails to make me actually laugh out loud from week to week--and unfortunately, as much as I love
Glee, I can't say the same about it.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Meghan:Steve Carell,
The Office However uneven this season of
The Office was, Carell's work as the still hapless Michael Scott was the consistent high point of every episode. After four consecutive nominations and no wins, both Carell and Scott deserve the win.
John:Jim Parsons,
The Big Bang TheoryThe funniest performance on TV will finally win out thanks to the hilarious episode he submitted for consideration where Sheldon gets drunk and accepts an award.
Jen:Steve Carell,
The Office
The Office has been sort of ... off this season, which makes it all the more amazing that I'd still see Steve Carell as the most outstanding in this category.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Meghan:
Amy Poehler,
Parks and Recreation
I've made it a personal crusade to tell everyone I know (and strangers,
too) just how amazing
Parks and Recreation season 2 was, thanks in no
small part to Poehler's portrayal of the layered, sympathetic but still
hilarious Leslie Knope. Seeing Poehler earn a well-deserved Emmy for her
underrated show should seriously help my cause.
John:
Edie Falco,
Nurse Jackie
Emmy voters won't care that this is the least funny performance in the
category, they'll simply fall in love with Carmela Soprano all over
again and give her a fourth Emmy.
Jen:
Toni Collette,
United States of Tara
Despite the fact that Toni Collette also took home the statue last year,
I'm still so enamored with her performance on
United States of Tara, I
say give it to her again. She deserves it (though, like John's pick, I
don't know that
funny would be the key word to describe Collette's
performance).
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesMeghan:Ty Burrell,
Modern Family All the
Modern men could easily be front-runners in this category, which is solidly rounded out by the alternately vulnerable and hilarious Chris Colfer and the always charismatic Neil Patrick Harris (sorry, Jon Cryer, but ...
no). But if you didn't fall in love with Burrell's clueless, energetic so-uncool-he's-totally-cool Phil Dunphy this season, you should check your sense of humor's pulse.
John:Neil Patrick Harris,
How I Met Your MotherAny of the three
Modern Family men deserves to win, but I fear they'll split votes and let NPH take his third Emmy of the year. He'll also benefit from the fact that he submitted the episode that ends with his big musical number, "Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit."
Jen:Eric Stonestreet,
Modern FamilyI had a tough time with this category, vacillating between
Modern men Eric Stonestreet and Ty Burrell and
Glee's Chris Colfer. But I kept coming back to the outlandish Cameron Tucker--here's hoping you get the statue, big guy.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesMeghan:Jane Lynch,
GleeShe's the out-and-out favorite, and for good reason. After one season of
Glee, Lynch not only stole the screen in just about every scene in which she appeared, but she also turned her character, Sue Sylvester, into an icon. It's been a good year for our beloved Jane Lynch, and barring some sort of divine intervention on behalf of one of the
Modern ladies, it's about to get better.
John:Jane Lynch,
GleeI would be shocked if Lynch didn't win. She has the breakout character of the breakout show of the year and everyone loves her.
Jen:
Jane Lynch,
Glee
This is the category for which
Glee really deserves the trophy. The way I "C" it, Jane Lynch wasn't just the breakout star of the show--she was the breakout star of the entire television season.
What do you think of our picks? Who are your top picks to win? Shocked that Lost didn't make it into our mix? (We actually were too!) Let us know in the comments below!(Image courtesy of ABC)