"John Adams" Big Emmy Winner for 2008

While plezWorld was immersed in Sunday Night Football (watching the Cowboys throttle the Packers), the rest of the television universe was doling out little gold statues to the best that tv had to offer for the past 12 months.

It was not surprise to me that "John Adams" - the HBO mini-series - would rack up the lion's share of the awards while setting an Emmy record with 13 wins (from its 23 nominations), including Paul Giamatti as John Adams (Best Lead Actor in a Mini-Series), Laura Linney as Abigail Adams (Best Lead Actress in a Mini-Series), Tom Wilkinson as Ben Franklin (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series), and Kirk Ellis (Outstanding Writing for a Mini-Series). I received a boxed set of the mini-series for my birthday, one of my favorite gifts.

I made some bold prognostications a few months back when the Emmy nominations were first announced, so I guess many of you are wondering how I fared. Check the box below, the winners are in BOLD print:

Notable Emmy Winners:

COMEDY
COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Rainn Wilson, The Office

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Jean Smart, Samantha Who?
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

DRAMA
DRAMA SERIES
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
James Spader, Boston Legal

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ted Danson, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

REALITY
REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Howie Mandel, Deal or No Deal
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY
VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Show With David Letterman
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
Bill Maher: The Decider
George Carlin: It’s Bad For Ya!
James Taylor: One Man Band
Kathy Griffin: Straight To Hell
The Kennedy Center Honors
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project


MINISERIES or MOVIE
OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MOVIE
The Andromeda Strain
Cranford
John Adams
Tin Man

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE
Bernard and Doris
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
A Raisin In The Sun
Recount

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Ralph Fiennes, Bernard And Doris
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Paul Giamatti, John Adams
Kevin Spacey, Recount
Tom Wilkinson, Recount

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Judi Dench, Cranford
Catherine Keener, An American Crime
Laura Linney, John Adams
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun
Susan Sarandon, Bernard And Doris

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Bob Balaban, Recount
Stephen Dillane, John Adams
Denis Leary, Recount
David Morse, John Adams
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Dame Eileen Atkins, Cranford
Laura Dern, Recount
Ashley Jensen, Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
Audra McDonald, A Raisin in the Sun
Alfre Woodard, Pictures Of Hollis Woods

The list of Emmy Winners can be downloaded here.

Read the CNN.com account of the Emmy awards here.


plez sez: i guess i need to hang a "Out of Order" sign on my old crystal ball when it comes to picking Emmy winners... the only one i got right was "John Adams"!

well, i did limit my winners to the shows that i actually watch and this year i have been watching "Mad Men," which is surprisingly well made and produced. there's always next year!

BEST COMEDY SERIES: 30 Rock
plezWorld PICK: Curb Your Enthusiasm

BEST DRAMA SERIES: Mad Men
plezWorld PICK: Damages

BEST REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM: The Amazing Race
plezWorld PICK: Project Runway

BEST REALITY SERIES: ???
plezWorld PICK: Extreme Makeover

BEST VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES: The Daily Show with John Stewart
plezWorld PICK: Real Time with Bill Maher

BEST MINISERIES: John Adams
plezWorld PICK: John Adams

BEST MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Recount
plezWorld PICK: Recount

i just have to reiterate my feelings on this subject: for the past five seasons, The Wire has been by far the best drama that i've watched. it was gritty. it was realistic. and this past season was its last season... the emmy gods really messed up for not recognizing this groundbreaking program.

Emmy Nominations - plezWorld Style

plezWorld doesn't watch much regular television (most of the time, I'm watching a recorded show on the DVR or vegging out with CNN or C-SPAN). So the Emmy Nominations gives me a chance to see if the few shows that I've followed throughout the previous year have garnered any acclaim.

Damages (FX) and Mad Men (AMC) made history this morning, becoming the first two basic cable shows ever to be up for best series, both doing so after just their first season - The Sopranos, a perrienial Emmy winner until it was axed last season, was on HBO, which is a paid cable service. The HBO mini-series, John Adams, led all nominees with 23 nominations.

Notable Emmy Nominations:

COMEDY
COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Rainn Wilson, The Office

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Jean Smart, Samantha Who?
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Will Arnett, 30 Rock
Shelley Berman, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Steve Buscemi, 30 Rock
Tim Conway, 30 Rock
Rip Torn, 30 Rock

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Polly Bergen, Desperate Housewives
Edie Falco, 30 Rock
Carrie Fisher, 30 Rock
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Sarah Silverman, Monk
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock


DRAMA
DRAMA SERIES
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
James Spader, Boston Legal

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ted Danson, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Charles Durning, Rescue Me
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Oliver Platt, Nip/Tuck
Stanley Tucci, ER
Glynn Turman, In Treatment
Robin Williams, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ellen Burstyn, Big Love
Diahann Carroll, Grey's Anatomy
Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck
Anjelica Huston, Medium
Cynthia Nixon, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit


REALITY
REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Howie Mandel, Deal or No Deal
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

REALITY SERIES
Antiques Roadshow
Dirty Jobs
Extreme Makeover
Intervention
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List


VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY
VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Show With David Letterman
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
Bill Maher: The Decider
George Carlin: It’s Bad For Ya!
James Taylor: One Man Band
Kathy Griffin: Straight To Hell
The Kennedy Center Honors
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project


MINISERIES OR MOVIE
MINISERIES
The Andromeda Strain
Cranford
John Adams
Tin Man

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE
Bernard and Doris
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
A Raisin In The Sun
Recount

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Ralph Fiennes, Bernard And Doris
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Paul Giamatti, John Adams
Kevin Spacey, Recount
Tom Wilkinson, Recount

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Judi Dench, Cranford
Catherine Keener, An American Crime
Laura Linney, John Adams
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun
Susan Sarandon, Bernard And Doris

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Bob Balaban, Recount
Stephen Dillane, John Adams
Denis Leary, Recount
David Morse, John Adams
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Eileen Atkins, Cranford
Laura Dern, Recount
Ashley Jensen, Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
Audra McDonald, A Raisin in the Sun
Alfre Woodard, Pictures Of Hollis Woods

Entertainment Weekly Online lists all of the Emmy nominations here.

Read the New York Times account of the Emmy nominations here.


plez sez: i take great pains to only record shows/series/movies/sports that i have a genuine interest, and i will eventually watch in its entirety. the beauty of the DVR is that i can watch 2 or 3 episodes back-to-back without commercials, which enhances the experience.

some shows are a slam dunk (like John Adams) and there will are some notable omissions (The Wire). but i will polish off the old crystal ball and regale you with my skills of prognostication. i will only pick the best shows - based on my knowledge of them - i will leave the actors/actresses alone, as i don't watch enough of these shows to make an informed decision... actually, my winners will more than likely be the shows that i watch. if i watched it, it had to be good!

"Drumroll, please!"

BEST COMEDY SERIES: Curb Your Enthusiasm
this was easy, even though, i would've gone with Weeds if it had been nominated. which begs the question, why wasn't it nominated, because it comes on Showtime?!? it is easily the funniest show going... i'm recording season three now.

BEST DRAMA SERIES: Damages
from episode one to the end, this was a taut thriller, with plenty of blood (nod to Dexter), more legally challenging than Boston Legal (which should be in the comedy category), and Glenn Close was the SHIT!

BEST REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM: Project Runway
personally, i like programs where the competitors have to have a real skill (unlike Survivor), they don't rely public sentiment over talent (like American Idol and Dancing With the Stars), and there's little in the way of luck (like Deal or No Deal).

BEST REALITY SERIES: Extreme Makeover
okay, the few times i've watched it, it brought me close to tears of joy when a deserving family was given a new lease on life with a renovated home... they pick some good scenarios.

BEST VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES: Real Time with Bill Maher
it's just the coolest of the late night genre... and Bill Maher keeps it real!

BEST VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL: N/A
hell if i know... i didn't see any of them.

BEST MINISERIES: John Adams
someone (and i'm not saying any names) deleted the timers on my DVR for the last four parts of this miniseries. i threw such a hizzy-fit, i received the boxed DVD set for my birthday... i'm watching it for the fourth time since my birthday (which was less than a month ago)! i love history, especially Colonial American History.

BEST MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Recount
i have it recorded, i just haven't watched it yet... but plezWife says it's awesome!

i just have to say, for the past five seasons, The Wire has been by far the best drama that i've watched. it was gritty. it was realistic. and this past season was its last season... the emmy gods really messed up for not recognizing this groundbreaking program.

plezWorld presses the "OFF" button on the crystal ball...