IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS: Dying Is Easy...Comedy Is Hard

With the new Fall Season looming, I of course have various thoughts on the new crop of shows the major networks are offering the public.  Some of the Dramas look interesting (Elementary, Last Resort, Nashville), some of them look ho-hum (The Mob Doctor, half of The CW's new shows), others are more in the middle (Revolution, Vegas, Chicago Fire) and others look downright awful (666 Park Avenue, Made In Jersey, the other half of the The CW's new shows).

But the real issue I'm having trouble with this Fall is the new batch of Sitcoms four of the major networks are giving us.  Let's face it: the Sitcom is dying.  While shows like Modern Family, Parks and Recreation and The Big Bang Theory are trying their hardest to save the art form from its life support status, cable shows and network "dramedies" are definitely changing the face of TV Comedy.  Which is why it saddens me that with 9 new Sitcoms premiering on Broadcast TV this Fall, only about a third of them look like they have the potential to be the next 30 Rock (which is sadly saying "Goodbye" to us after this year!).  And believe me when I just say "have the potential."  Based on what I've seen, even the ones that can be called "Good" have a long way to go before they reach the status Tina Fey's gem has.  So today, I want to take you through the 9 new Sitcoms and give you my first impressions of them based on their trailers, network promotions and (in some cases) their first episodes (5 of the new Comedies have their pilots available on Hulu.com and I will let you know which ones!).

Let's start with CBS!
Partners
Premieres: September 24
Regular Time Slot: Mondays at 8:30 PM
Premise: Two friends/business partners, one straight and the other gay, are closer with each other than with their significant others (in other words, a bro-mance!).
Impressions: If this seems like familiar territory for a Sitcom, it certainly is for its creators: Dave Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the minds behind Will & Grace (who have had a close friendship ever since they wrote for Seinfeld and Friends).  The cast seems likable: Numb3rs' David Krumholtz and Ugly Betty's Michael Urie play the best buds; while One Tree Hill's Sophia Bush and Superman Returns star Brandon Routh play their respective significant others.  And it seems like it will fit in with CBS' other hits like The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and last year's break-out 2 Broke Girls.  Yet there is something about this show that just seems like "Been there, done that."  It is basically Will & Grace, where "Grace" has been changed to "Greg."  It could pass for decent, however it could really tank.  It's on a delicate precipice.
Grade: B-/C+

That's it for CBS' new Sitcom (yes they only have one new Sitcom!). Let's move on to ABC!
The Neighbors
Premieres: September 26
Regular Time Slot: Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Premise: A typical suburban family is thrown for a loop when they realize their seemingly nice new neighbors are space aliens.
Impressions: This just looks horrible.  It looks like a bad version of a bad 1980s Sitcom (like a bad version of ALF, which is odd because I always thought ALF was the bad version of ALF!).  It even stars Square Pegs' Jami Gertz!  Maybe this IS a bad 1980s Sitcom!  Wait a minute...has Disney finally perfected Time Travel?!?!  It certainly seems that way!
Grade: D

Malibu Country
Premieres: November 2
Regular Time Slot: Fridays at 8:30 PM
Premise: Country superstar Reba McEntire plays a country singer who, after a divorce, moves her family from Nashville to Southern California (and the SPOILER is her character's name: Reba!).
Impressions: As much as I like Reba McEntire and her forays into "acting" (her turn on Broadway as Annie Oakley earned her well-deserved raves!), she never seems to be able to play any character that isn't a variation of herself.  And while I found her previous Sitcom quite charming (it's becoming more and more popular in Cable syndication!), this one should just be titled Reba in L.A. or Reba Takes On Hollywood or some variation that involves Reba and the Greater Los Angeles area.  We'll have to wait until November to see if this show can survive.  On a side note: It is always great to see the brilliant Lily Tomlin.  And Sara Rue and Jai Rodriguez are each charming enough to get some laughs and attention.  I will say Reba has an eye for getting good co-stars (more on that later!).
Grade: C

From the House of Mouse to the House that Rupert built, next up is FOX!
Ben and Kate
Premieres: September 25
Regular Time Slot: Tuesdays at 8:30 PM
Premise: The title characters are brother and sister.  They have a bond that no one (including their quirky behavior) can break.
Impressions: Initially, when I saw the trailers back in May, this was the show I wanted to root for and wanted to like.  It's trailer isn't overwhelmingly impressive, but its premise is the most intriguing.  I have yet to watch the full pilot, but I have seen plenty of clips.  And overall, it seems like the show will ultimately be Kate (the extremely likable Dakota Johnson) meeting wrong guy after wrong guy week after week; while her clownish, irresponsible brother Ben (a somewhat hilarious Nate Faxon) ineptly tries to care for her wise-beyond-her-years young daughter (We Bought a Zoo's adorable Maggie Elizabeth Jones).  I have hopes, but they could easily be dashed.  Airing between FOX hits Raising Hope and New Girl certainly couldn't hurt!
Grade: B-

The Mindy Project
Premieres: September 25
Regular Time Slot: Tuesdays at 9:30 PM
Premise: The Office supporting player Mindy Kaling steps into the spotlight as a top doctor whose love life needs the kind of work she puts into her career.
Impressions: Of all the new Sitcoms, this is the ones the critics say to watch.  I have seen half of the pilot and she certainly is a star.  Yet I am getting this strange "Déjà vu" feeling.  It feels like when they offered her this Sitcom, they told her they wanted to see her as a Meg Ryan-ish Ally McBeal type.  And that genre has never really thrilled me (though I initially adored Ally McBeal back in its first few years and When Harry Met Sally... is still rightfully lauded as a hallmark of the genre!).  If this Sitcom is to be a hit, it will have to be on the shoulders of its Grade A star (who honestly was one of the best parts of The Office over the last few years!).  And it is possible, FOX was able to do it last year with New Girl and its Emmy-nominated star Zooey Deschanel!  Maybe some of that magic can rub off on Mindy (let's hope!).
Grade: B

Both shows' pilots are available for viewing on Hulu.com.
And lastly, the network with the most new Sitcoms this Fall: NBC!
Go On
Premieres: September 11
Regular Time Slot: Tuesdays at 9 PM
Premise: Matthew Perry stars a sports radio show host who, after the loss of his wife, must attend several hours of group therapy.
Impressions: After watching the pilot in August (NBC gave a sneak peek during the Olympics!), I can safely say that this new show has the most impressive cast of the Fall season.  In addition to Perry (who hasn't had a TV hit since a little show called Friends!), the therapy group features Tony-winners Laura Benanti and Julie White, Everybody Hates Chris' Tyler James Williams (who is growing into a really good actor!) and always delightful character actors Suzy Nakamura and Bill Cobbs.  Harold and Kumar's John Cho has a small supporting role as Perry's sarcastic and bottom-line boss.  This show has the most potential of all the Sitcoms this Fall, which means it will probably get cancelled before it can really develop.
Grade: B+

The New Normal
Premieres: September 11
Regular Time Slot: Tuesdays at 9:30 PM
Premise: From Glee creator Ryan Murphy, a gay couple enlists the help of a single mother to expand their family.
Impressions: Ryan Murphy has proven he is good at launching an interesting series (Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story and, of course, Glee).  It's just that once you get passed the usual excellent first episodes, the bloom comes off the rose faster than you can say let's do a Led Zeppelin and Barbra Streisand Mash-Up!  The cast (which includes National Treasure's hilarious Justin Bartha, The Book of Mormon star Andrew Rannells and the amazing Ellen Barkin) is certainly not something to overlook.  And the characters seem like typical Murphy-like characters (Barkin is like a richer, snobbier version of Sue Sylvester, if that exists!).  However, Murphy likes to get message-y.  Glee has become a referendum on teen bullying and expressing who you are (and why it makes you special!).  This show seems to be along the lines of what defines a family and all children need is love to grow into the best they can be.  We've heard all this before, yet in an Election year where both parties are putting "family values" on the table, it seems like we all need to hear it more often.
Grade: B-

Guys With Kids
Premieres: September 12
Regular Time Slot: Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Premise: The title pretty much says it all.  It's about fathers and their daily life as dads.
Impressions: This Jimmy Fallon-produced show has a few things going in its favor.  It's a Family Sitcom in a day and age where not many of those exist.  It features the very likable Anthony Anderson alongside blast-from-the-past Tempest Bledsoe (Vanessa from The Cosby Show) as his loving and patient wife.  However, in 2012, playing with the "Guy taking the Mommy role" stereotype just comes off as un-appealing.  If this were back in the 1980s, on the heels of the Feminist movement, it might have had a fighting chance.  But here we are in the 21st Century and: Yes, men can be responsible Fathers without looking like complete and utter morons.  But what can I expect from the same company that idolizes Jimmy Fallon?
Grade: C-

Animal Practice
Premieres: September 26
Regular Time Slot: Wednesdays at 8 PM
Premise: Weeds' Justin Kirk stars as a House-like veterinarian who loves animals but just can't stand people (maybe PETA can sponsor the show!).
Impressions: What can you say about a show where a theatrically trained, Emmy-nominated actor gets to recite one-liners to a character named Dr. Monkey?!?!  Not even the very charming Joanna Garcia-Swisher (who co-starred on Reba as McEntire's cheerleader daughter!) can save this train wreck.  But as I like both Kirk and Garcia-Swisher (and the sneak peek had great ratings the night of the Olympics Closing Ceremonies!), this show might have a chance of making it through a full season before it gets chopped next May.
Grade: D+

Both Go On and Animal Practice aired their pilots during the Summer Olympics, so they are available on Hulu.com.  NBC has also made The New Normal pilot available on Hulu.

There you have it.  The new Sitcoms that the major networks hope will help save the dying genre.  I don't know what that says about Audience taste or Network standards, but it definitely feels like there is some apathy in the air.  I guess that old saying is true: Dying is easy, its Comedy that is hard!

10 FAVORITES (57): There's No Cliché Like Old Clichés

You know when you're at a party, and you're telling a friend about a great Movie or TV program you just saw.  You're getting really into it and everyone can see by the look on your face how much you enjoyed this artistic endeavour you witnessed.  You finish telling the story and how much you loved seeing something so fresh and new...then there's that one person at the party who says: "I've heard that story before!"  Hello, I am that one person!  Or at least I often feel like that person.  We are in a day and age where no story is new and everything seems recycled.  Development departments at most studios and corporations now won't shell out big bucks to produce or publish a Movie, TV Show or Book where the plot elements aren't at least somewhat familiar (and proven to be familiar with a large audience!).  People like what they know.  Change is uncomfortable and too risky (especially where a lot of money is concerned!).  These plot elements that these execs love so much fall under a rather dubious nomenclature: Cliché.  A Cliché is a type of story that is done so often that its dramatic effect has waned to the point of nothing (or almost nothing).  It can be a character or a plot element or the entire plot itself or even the way in which the plot is presented.  It doesn't matter what it is, it's probably a Cliché.  Now, as a writer myself, I've never had a problem with utilizing clichés in my own work or seeing them in the work of others (unless they are poorly executed!).  The trap really is that most clichés are double-edged swords (and I'll explain that as we go along today!).  There really are too many to list here (you might want to try looking at tvtropes.org for a couple other examples!).  So for this weeks 10 FAVORITES, I've decided to run through some of the most common and/or the ones that always seem to attract my attention.  And its at this point that I'm going to stop putting an accent on the "E" in "Cliché " because it's annoying and comes off as really pretentious!

THE 10 MOST POPULAR CLICHES

CLICHE #10
Breaking the Routine
This one mostly applies to TV Shows, especially ones that decide to do something different for "Sweeps."  Sometimes the show decides to change its format for say one episode (The West Wing, 30 Rock and M*A*S*H all did it!).  Sometimes the writers want to bring a challenge to the actors like do a whole musical episode (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy!) or have their characters pull a Freaky Friday (watch next week's Glee, if you don't believe me!).  And then there are the shows that enter a whole "Alternate Timeline" or "Parallel Universe" for an episode or two (Bones, Friends, the entire third season of Fringe and any Treehouse of Horror episode of The Simpsons).  All of these examples are some form of what I call: Breaking the Routine.  By the way, NBC's Community has done every single one of these things (because it's awesome!).

CLICHE #9
The Never-Before-Seen Twist
Law & Order used this tagline more often than they used the "Ripped From the Headlines" tag.  This cliche is often used on TV proceedurals especially in the respective network's promos for the episode in which it is used.  They tout it like it is the most outrageous and surprising thing you've ever seen since the last time the show pulled this trope.  The so-called "Twist" comes out of nowhere within the story, though these days most people can see it coming from a mile away.  In fact since 1992's The Crying Game, no "Twist" is as surprising as that one!

CLICHE #8
Basic Stereotypes
In the old days, Movies and TV Shows utilized a lot of ethnic stereotypes (see Gone With the Wind or Speedy Gonzalez cartoons or any Western where the Native Americans were prominent characters!).  As the years went by and studios were under pressure to be more politically correct, shows like All In the Family, Barney Miller and Murphy Brown utilized those stereotypes cleverly and weaved them into their humor.  As we moved into the 21st Century, a whole new crop of stereotypes showed up: The gay guy, The nerd and (most recently) The sarcastic hipster.

CLICHE #7
The Call is Coming from Inside the House (aka You Trusted the Murderer!)
My name for this cliche is actually the name of the old urban legend (used in horror films like Black Christmas and When a Stranger Calls) that has the poor frightened girl in more danger than she realizes.  But in my definition of this cliche, I refer to "the House" as basically the hero's (or heroine's) life.  In most mysteries or horror movies now, the serial killer ends up being someone that the leading lady or the investigator has trusted the whole time. Remember the ending of Scream, the first one (SPOILER ALERT!!!).  The murderous "Ghostface" turned out to be trusting Neve Campbell's brooding and smoldering boyfriend (wickedly played by Skeet Ulrich) and his metero-goofus friend (played by perennial goofus Matthew Lillard) - the two friends were in it together to kill Drew Barrymore and just got off on the terror they struck in the town.  On TV: NCIS, CSI, Bones and Castle have all used it at some point or another.  In fact, FOX's Emmy-winning 24 thrived on this cliche.

CLICHE #6
Unseen Characters
Here, Google these names: Vera Petersen, Maris Crane, Stan Walker, Mrs. Wolowitz, Carlton the Doorman and Wilson Wilson.  All of these are examples of TV characters that we often hear about (and in some cases even hear their voices!), but we never fully see their faces.  Usually it is because an actor could not physically be cast in the role, because the description of the character went so over-the-top in some physical attritbute that no actor or actress could fit that part without disservicing the character.  Whatever the reason, these characters get used in sitcoms often.

CLICHE #5
The Beauty and the Schlub
Tale as old as time...and it goes right "to the moon!"  It's basically a variation of the Beauty and the Beast tale in which a beautiful wife is married to one of the schlubbiest guys you will ever meet.  Witness the classic sitcom The Honeymooners (and it's animated parody The Flintstones).  It has been used several times over the years (Marge Bouvier was apparently one of the prettiest girls in high school when she met Homer J. Simpson!), however in the late '90s there was a slight twist on it.  It started to seem that comedy writers decided to up the shall we say nagging quality of the wife and the ineptitude of the schlubby hubby (look at Everybody Loves Raymond or The King of Queens or even Family Guy and all of the couples on Modern Family!).  It almost could be called "The Shrew and the Schlub!"

CLICHE #4
Team So-and-So Vs. Team The Other Guy (aka The Basic Love Triangle)
The Love Triangle has been around for centuries, dating all the way back to Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (are you Team Rebecca or Team Rowena?).  But it wasn't until recently that it has taken on a whole new dynamic, and all you fangirls out there know darn well what I am talking about.  It's like the fans of the book or movie have to join a "team" of other fans who root for the relationship that they want to see happen (even if both choices look like their the same pile of milquetoast, sorry Twihards!).  If you don't believe me about the influence that Stefenie Meyer's Twilight has had over the last couple years, just look at the latest book-to-movie phenomenon The Hunger Games.  Suzanne Collins' popular trilogy has taken on the same kind of fan base and therefore main character Katniss Everdeen must pull a Bella Swann and chose between her two leading men.

CLICHE #3
24 Hours Earlier... (aka How We Got Here...)
Remember Sunset Boulevard's format, with the story unfolding after you know that the narrator lies in a pool dead from a bullet in the back.  Writer-Director Billy Wilder was praised for his trailblazing technique.  Since then, it has been used so many times in so many different ways (usually with some kind of title card that says "24 Hours Earlier" or "2 Days Ago" or "Many Moons Prior").  Every crime proceedural since the '90s (from The X-Files to NCIS to Law & Order: SVU to Criminal Minds to this week's season finale of Castle!) has used this at least once.  Even sitcoms have taken a shot at it (a classic Wings episode parodied Mr. Wilder, while the short-lived FOX show Grounded For Life seemed to use it all the time!).  And dramas like LOST and The West Wing used it a couple of times, especially during Season Premiere or Season Finale time!

CLICHE #2
Will They? Won't They?
This can be referred to as the Maddie and David or the Sam and Diane or the Booth and Brennan or (my personal favorite recently) the Hermione and Ron.  Sexual tension between two characters can be quite palpable and can even make the audience really root for the relationship to move forward.  But, as I said above, cliches can be double-edged swords and none are more double-edged than this one.  It divides people more than the above Love Triangle fangirls do.  If they go forward and have the relationship, two camps pop up.  One saying they've "Jumped a Shark" (witness Who's the Boss?) and the other shouting "Hooray" and creating cute nicknames (Glee's Finchel).  If they don't get together, the same two camps pop up.  Audiences are disappointed that the writers are dragging it out and critics are often applauding the choice not to jump into bed.  It changes the dynamic of the series, and some shows survive it while most shows flounder in the change.

AND...
CLICHE #1
Ensign Red Shirt
Poor Ensign Red Shirt!  He's that guy that the show hired to basically be the other guy that is NOT the main character that goes into the dangerous situation with the rest of the crew and pretty much doesn't come out alive.  The name of the trope comes from the classic sci-fi series Star Trek in which almost every landing team consisted of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and -well, you guessed it!- Ensign Red Shirt (he doesn't need a real name, because basically he's not important!).  Ensign Red Shirt has changed with the times though.  On Star Trek: The Next Generation, he became Ensign Yellow Shirt.  And on most crime proceedutals, he is often Officer Whats-his-name or Agent That Guy.  And most often we learn a little something about him just before he bites it.  It's like the writers feel guilty so they have the main character talk to him like they're old buddies.  And he always has something he has to be ready for by the weekend (like his daughter's piano recital or a family reunion he isn't looking forward to or an anniversary dinner with the wife!).  You know an Ensign/Officer/Agent Red Shirt is gonna kick the bucket when he mention's little Katie's piano recital!  Poor Officer Red Shirt!

10 FAVORITES (56): Jumping Sharks

Television is a vast landscape with shows that are around for all of five minutes to shows that seem to go on forever (and ever...and ever!).  For the ones that go on too long, there is a name for that.  It is a delightful little trope that has made its way into our cultural lexicon: Jumping the Shark.  There is even a whole website devoted to figuring out exactly when TV shows (past and present!) indeed "jumped the shark."  This year, a couple of the shows that would have been considered shoe-ins for this category announced their impending departure (House M.D. and Desperate Housewives).  And some of the more popular "bubble shows" have been announced for renewal but with the caveat that next year will be their last.  But there are several other shows that are currently airing on Network TV that deserve a good reprimand.  They have waded their way into Shark-Jumping Territory and they should take a page out of Fringe's notebook and think about calling next season their "Swan Song."  This week's 10 FAVORITES are devoted to that group of shows that have, in effect: Jumped the Shark.  (QUICK NOTE: I have not ranked this list, as that might cause too many heated discussions. So they are listed somewhat alphabetically.)

TV SHOWS THAT HAVE

JUMPED THE SHARK

BONES

When the show first started, there was clear sexual tension between Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth (perfectly played by Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz).  But now that the two characters have finally hooked up and it has resulted in a child, the tension is not as good as it used to be.  The cases are still "fresh" (excuse the term when referring to dead bodies!), but the changing dynamic is quickly getting old.  The two are now literally a married couple (without actually being married!) and they have now gone into the territory that shows like JAG and The X-Files did by diffusing the unspoken sexual tension with actual sex.  Plus the revolving door of "squinterns," which once breathed new life into the show, has now lasted longer than most normal internships. 

THE CSI FRANCHISE
The original has already been renewed for next year, but CBS is beginning to hem and haw when it comes to its two spin-offs.  Both shows have now suffered from abnormal hiatuses this year and original CSI has gone through almost as many cast changes and departures as the original Law & Order (the NBC franchise that inspired CBS to have one!).  While Ted Danson may be playing completely against type and Elizabeth Shue weekly shows why she was an Oscar-nominated actress, CBS might want to consider next year the last for one of their flagship procedurals.

GLEE

I'm going to rant a bit here, folks.  Because this one is definitely on its way to shark-jumping territory (if its not there already!).  The first season was too phenomenal that nothing they could have done would have lived up to it.  So a less-than-stellar second season and an all-over-the-map third season has made the show more disconnected and out-of-touch from what the audiences really want.  And, as far as I'm concerned, they still haven't done the worst they could do.  Yes, this year's Christmas episode was one long "WTF!" and that mid-season jumble filled episode with an attempted suicide and a climactic car crash were definitely over-the-top.  But all of that will pale in comparison to what the creators seem to have planned for the McKinley High students post-Graduation (all the charming Disco or Whitney tributes and cameos by Whoopi and LiLo aren't helping!), since rumors abound that its "senior" stars including Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith have 7-YEAR CONTRACTS!  Seriously, who hires an actor to play a High School student for 7 YEARS?!?  Apparently FOX does.

GOSSIP GIRL

The show has definitely made its stamp on the culture (when President Obama references you in a speech, I think you've made it!).  But after 5 years, stars Blake Lively and Leighton Meester are exploring their burgeoning film careers.  And once you lose your sexy stars, the show will completely fall off the radar (which is something this fifth-place Network cannot afford for one of their flagship shows!).

GREY'S ANATOMY

For many fans of this medical soap opera, the show "Jumped the Shark" last year with its mega-musical episode that centered on the tuneful delusions of the near-death Dr. Callie Torres (the fabulous Tony-winner Sara Ramirez).  Now, with rumors that stars Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy!) and Ellen Pompeo (who just happens to play the Grey in Grey's Anatomy!) might not sign on for next year, the show might just lose the strong storylines and heartwarming characters that once brought female audiences in droves to the show a few years ago.

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT

My father religiously watched this show.  He even loves catching this show in its many reruns on USANetwork.  He was very pleased back in 2006 when star Mariska Hargitay won an Emmy Award as Best Actress in a Drama Series (and my father NEVER cares about the Emmys!).  But this year's big cast change (re: the exodus of Cristopher Meloni's stone-faced and complicated Detective Elliot Stabler), has made him abandon the NBC procedural he once championed.  After almost 15 years, maybe creator Dick Wolf should let next year's "Special Victims" be the last ones of the Peacock's profitable franchise.

THE OFFICE

It has already been said by many others...and I'm gonna repeat it: Steve Carell's departure was a blow to this show's dynamic.  Now, it seems that Ed Helms (who was "promoted-from-within" to replace Carell) is eyeing a similar departure (or at least threatening to behind-the-scenes!).  The show has won awards.  It has taken over a prime spot on TV (once owned by the likes of Cheers and Seinfeld!).  It has made comedic all-stars of most of its cast.  It is time for Scranton's Dunder-Mifflin office to close its doors and that "mockumentary" crew to pack up and go home.

REALITY COMPETITION SHOWS

Let's just face it.  The luster is gone.  The bloom is off this rose.  There are really just too many reality shows to say which ones have passed their prime (Idol, DWTS, ANTM, Celebrity Apprentice...just to name a few!).  Most of these shows are in their 8th or even 12th season and they keep using the argument that "Reality TV is cheaper than Scripted TV."  Well, that argument is wearing really thin when promotions for Idol and DWTS cost as much as the budgets on New Girl or 2 Broke Girls.  And then you see the hosts, trainers and judges of these various shows signing on for über-million dollar contracts that would make the casts of Seinfeld and Friends jealous.  Time for these shows to hang up their mirrorballs, stop "firing" celebrities and live with the "Idols" and "Top Models" they've already given us.

THE SETH MACFARLANE SHOWS

Even MacFarlane himself has stated that his landmark sitcom (Family Guy) should have ended years ago.  Now he could be saying this to get people to focus on his other two shows (which, let's face it, are often not as good as Family Guy) or to promote his other projects (his upcoming film Ted or his proposed reboot of The Flintstones).  No matter what his motives are, Family Guy and American Dad! are beginning to show their age and without the original, spin-off The Cleveland Show would just not make sense.

TWO AND A HALF MEN

The show was already on "hollow legs" when Charlie Sheen was drunkenly slurring his way through scenes between angry diatribes aimed at creator Chuck Lorre.  Now with Ashton Kutcher, though the show is still extremely popular in ratings, that can be likened to how people love to watch the beginning of a car accident.  I think the viewers are just hanging in there until the show fails completely (if Kutcher doesn't sign on for next year, we may suffer through a revolving door of "Men" getting paid way too much to take Sheen's place!).

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS: The Silver FOX

When I was little and it came to Broadcast Television, there were ONLY 3 networks: The Alphabet (ABC), The Eye (CBS) and The Peacock (NBC).  By the mid-to-late 1980s, each of "the big three" had cornered their own niche audience.  ABC aired several family-friendly shows (like The Wonder Years and Full House) plus other more mature fare for their 10PM time slots (see Moonlighting or thirtysomething).  CBS seemed to have a wider audience but with special attention to both older demographics (especially with their Sunday schedule: 60 Minutes and Murder, She Wrote) and female audiences (with primetime soaps like Dallas and female-led sitcoms like Designing Women).  And then NBC, who also had a wide audience, aired shows that were especially popular with both the critics AND the Emmy Awards (sitcoms like Cheers, The Cosby Show or The Golden Girls and dramas like Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere or L.A. Law).

But there seemed to be one audience that was being ignored, at least as far as the powers-that-be at the 20th Century Fox studio were concerned.  Several people (who were around college-age), were looking for programs that catered to their humor, to their style or even to their subversive nature.  And so, a fledgling network was born.  And now 25 years later, "the big three" have expanded into "the big four" (technically "the big five" when you count The CW, but it's not their anniversary!).  In honor of FOX's 25th Anniversary, I would like to take you through their brief history by sharing with you what I believe are the 25 shows that have shaped FOX into what it is today.  Some of them you could probably name right off and others are more like afterthoughts, but all 25 of them made their mark in the network's landscape and helped to re-shape what modern Television is all about.

IN THE BEGINNING...

Married...With Children

21 Jump Street

The Simpsons

These are the shows that birthed FOX.  Married...With Children first aired on April 5, 1987 and 21 Jump Street aired a week later.  The Simpsons first aired as animated shorts between the sketches on Tracey Ullman's comedy-variety show (which aired after Married...With Children) before gaining their very own animated sitcom two years later (a show that is still running today, by the way!).  Married... was especially different as its humor was extremely controversial and graphic showing the complete dysfunction of the Bundy clan.  21 Jump Street, which is now more famous for launching the career of a man named Johnny Depp, was compared in its gritty style to NBC's Hill Street Blues but had a younger appeal.  And as mentioned earlier, the history of The Simpsons is in some way the history of FOX itself.

LEGAL REALITIES
America's Most Wanted
COPS
With a subversive sitcoms (both live and animated) and gritty cop dramas, FOX wanted to jump-the-gun (no pun intended!) before the reality show blitzkrieg.  With both the FBI-led America's Most Wanted and the police docu-series COPS, FOX really was a forerunner before the other networks decided to produce cheaper (and more popular) reality shows.

STEAMY SPELLING SOAPS

Beverly Hills, 90210

Melrose Place

When Johnny Depp left 21 Jump Street to have a film career, FOX needed some shows that had the same youth/teen appeal.  Enter Aaron Spelling (who had massive hits with ABC like Charlie's Angels, Dynasty and The Love Boat).  He was also looking to market programs to a teen audience (and one that could feature is young daughter in the cast!). With the original 90210 in 1990 and Melrose Place two years later, Spelling seemed to define teen viewing in the 1990s.

SKETCH-Y DIVERSITY

In Living Color

MADtv

By the early 1990s, NBC had cornered the market in comedy-variety with Saturday Night Live (which by then had been running over 15 years!).  FOX began with a variety show starring Tracey Ullman, but when that show's animated shorts eclipsed it in popularity, Ullman found herself without a job.  But a few years later, comedian Keenan Ivory Wayans and his pals (including his brother Damon and sister Kim) created a sketch comedy series that appealed to a different audience...a multicultural audience.  With its brash style and SNL-like sketches, the young cast of In Living Color became comedy superstars (especially Jim Carrey, then known as "James Carrey").  They even had hip-hop dancers known as the Fly Girls that personified their show's style (one of them was a young Jennifer Lopez!).  In Living Color's popularity inspired FOX to try their hand at late night variety (to compete with SNL) and thence MADtv was born.

BRING IN 'DA FUNNY

Martin

Living Single

Fresh off the success of In Living Color, FOX wanted to have more comedy shows that appealed to African-American audiences.  Comedian Martin Lawrence, with his many different personalities, had a very successful sitcom that centered around his in-your-face style.  To follow that, Living Single focused on the lives of 4 single African-American women (which included rap star Queen Latifah, former Facts of Life star Kim Fields and In Living Color regular Kim Coles).  Both shows are still quite popular in syndication on various cable networks and are fondly remembered by those of us who grew up with these shows that helped change the face of sitcoms in the '90s.

RE-DEFINING THE GENRES (AND THE EMMYS!)

The X-Files

Ally McBeal

As I said above, NBC seemed to have the Emmy market covered with shows like Cheers, L.A. Law, Seinfeld and E.R. throughout my growth into adulthood.  But FOX was fearless in trying to gain support from audiences and critics when it came to getting awards.  With the sci-fi drama The X-Files, FOX had a major contender.  Audiences took to it with rabid fascination and soon the awards followed.  Emmys finally recognized it with a Best Drama Series nomination in its third season (1995) and two years later star Gillian Anderson won Best Actress in a Drama (making it the first major Emmy for FOX to win!).  To follow that, David E. Kelley's romantic-dramedy Ally McBeal caused a pop culture fervor with its short skirts and dancing babies.  The show became the first FOX series to win the top prize in 1999 when its second season received Best Comedy Series over the likes of Friends, Frasier and Everybody Loves Raymond.

THE SIMPSONS HAVE SOME COMPANY

King of the Hill

Family Guy

The Simpsons opened so many doors for FOX and they knew it.  In the late 1990s, the network started to build around the flagship series by creating an entire night of animated shows.  Of the many animated sitcoms that have popped in and out around The Simpsons' popularity, two of them seemed to stick with audiences (and even some critics!).  King of the Hill,  from Beavis and Butt-head creator Mike Judge, had a homespun humor and was more sitcom-oriented than even The Simpsons (with lessons learned at the end of every episode for both conservative propane dealer Hank Hill and his march-to-his-own-drummer son Bobby).  Then there is Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane's raunchy and even-more subversive sitcom with its cutaway gags and ten-times the dysfunction of anyone in The Simpsons' hometown of Springfield.  Both shows seemed to strengthen The Simpsons' popularity (and quality!) and therefore made themselves more prominent in the minds of those wanting a break from typical live-action fare.

STAR-MAKING COMEDIES

That 70s Show

Malcolm In the Middle

Not to be completely dominated by animated sitcoms, FOX wanted to branch out with ensemble-heavy live-action comedies.  With a nostalgic throwback (like its inspiration Happy Days), That 70s Show made stars out of its young ensemble which included Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.  The show, which ended its run in 2006, is still extremely popular in syndicated airings.  It is one of FOX's most popular shows in syndication (third only to The Simpsons and Family Guy).  FOX's other popular live-action sitcom was Malcolm In the Middle.  Similar to Married...With Children by showing the chaos of a semi-dysfunctional family, the show was very popular with audiences and garnered several Emmy nods for the two actors playing the parents Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston.  Both actors have since shown their character-actor mettle on various projects from sitcoms to dramatic series to films (with Cranston winning 3 Emmys - so far! - for his dramatic work on AMC's critical hit Breaking Bad).

THE NEW CENTURY BRINGS MORE EMMYS

24

Arrested Development

In the 2000s, bolstered by the major Emmy wins The X-Files and Ally McBeal garnered in the previous decade, FOX was not going to let it lie at just those two.  With the action-packed spy-thriller series 24, FOX had a series that grabbed the critics' attention with its fascinating hook.  The entire season of the show (24 episodes) was one hour of one day, constituting the series to basically flow in "real time."  Season 5, known as "Day 5" in show's lexicon, was the highest rated season and won Best Drama Series (over major contenders like NBC's The West Wing and HBO's The Sopranos) as well as Best Actor in a Drama for star Kiefer Sutherland.  As for Arrested Development, the short-lived but critically-beloved sitcom, the show put FOX back on Emmys radar after Ally McBeal ended.  In 2003, Arrested Development's first season beat out Frasier and Everybody Loves Raymond to the Best Comedy Series prize.

FOX'S NEWER YOUTH APPEAL

The O.C.

American Idol

In the 2000s, the youth culture that FOX first appealed to back when it first began was now what you would call middle-aged.  To grab that younger market that has since become an all-important demographic in the ratings race, FOX went back to "square one" with an Aaron Spelling-style teen drama.  For four years in the middle of the decade, The O.C. became a pop culture phenomenon especially with teen audiences as the show centered around rich teens in Orange County and their bitter rivalries.  But FOX's major hit with younger audiences was a little show that was basically a singing competition.  American Idol, which was the U.S. version of the European hit Pop Idol, has dominated FOX Broadcasting over the past decade.  With its crazy judges (Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul!) and star-making eliminations (from Kelly Clarkson to Carrie Underwood!), the show's power cannot be denied.  Even with new judges (including former Fly Girl Jennifer Lopez!), the show still manages to garner the attention of a massive audience that craves reality competitions.  Idol even has its copycats from NBC's The Voice to FOX's new Simon Cowell-import The X-Factor.

FOX'S PROCEDURAL STAPLES

House M.D.

Bones

Who said CBS could be the masters of procedural Television?  FOX, thanks to both The X-Files and 24, have built part of their current reputation around shows that solve the case within the hour, the procedural.  And they went beyond the typical police procedural that CBS was so good at (see CSI or NCIS).  They branched it out into medical science and forensic anthropology.  Led by a more dramatic Hugh Laurie, House M.D. was about a grouchy and people-repellent diagnostician who could solve any case put before him no matter how strange.  After 8 years, Laurie is hanging up his cane and stethoscope as Dr. House after garnering 6 Emmy nominations (with a possible 7th to come!).  Bones, House's sometime partner, centered on the genius-like mind of forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence "Bones" Brennan and her knack for solving crimes with her FBI partner Sealy Booth.  The character was loosely based on a lead character from the books by noted anthropologist Kathy Reichs (Brennan being a character she loosely based on herself!).

RE-DEFINING THE GENRES (YET AGAIN!)

Fringe

Glee

Like The X-Files did in the 1990s, Fringe is once again re-defining what a sci-fi drama can be about.  Part procedural (like Bones) but also part soap-opera drama (with its romantic entanglements and familial estrangements), Fringe is a complete original with its exploration of parallel universes and Roswell-ian creatures.  The show has a large and vocal fanbase that has kept this "bubble show" going for four years and may very well get it a fifth season renewal.  And like they did with Ally McBeal in the late '90s, FOX is once again re-defining the modern dramedy.  Let us not forget Glee!  Ryan Murphy's uber-popular (at least in its first season!) mega-musical comedy-drama has garnered so much attention that people have gotten sick of it fairly quickly (teen suicide storylines don't help either!).  But the series has made its impression and will probably stick around for a fourth and maybe even fifth season (that teen market has money to burn people!).  It also has pioneered (or at least co-pioneered) the use of other media when it comes to promoting the show (particularly iTunes and YouTube!).

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY FOX!

You have made TV life very interesting for the past 25 years!

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS: The 2011 Emmy Nominations

Welcome to my new weekly column: IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS!  Each week, I want to share my thoughts and opinions on the things happening in Pop Culture and the Media.

Yesterday morning, the world of Primetime Television held its breath while Melissa McCarthy (of Mike & Molly) and Joshua Jackson (of Fringe) announced the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award Nominations.  There were several surprises, several disappointments and a long list of "the usual suspects."  So for this week's inaugural column, I am fortunate enough that it coincides with this joyous (and nail-biting) time for the TV world.  I want to talk about each of the 10 major categories (the 5 Drama categories and the 5 Comedy categories), what show or performer got the honor of a nomination and what show or performer will have to settle for cheering on colleagues at the Emmy Award ceremony on Sunday, September 18, when it will air on FOX with Glee's Emmy-winner Jane Lynch serving as hostess.

Let us begin with the Drama categories:

OUTSTANDING DRAMA
Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Mad Men

• Expected: It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Golden Globe winner Boardwalk Empire and 3-time Emmy champ Mad Men would make it's way into the mix.  And even though cable networks tend to dominate the category recently, CBS was not to be denied with its powerhouse legal drama The Good Wife (quite frankly the best show on Television, but I don't wish to sound biased!).  And while those three were most definite locks in the category, Showtime's gory and lauded Dexter was the most likely candidate for the fourth slot.
• Surprises: In recent years, it has been very rare that a network (Broadcast OR Cable!) can get two of its acclaimed shows into this category.  So HBO was doubly thrilled to see its genre-defying costume epic Game of Thrones alongside Boardwalk Empire among the contenders yesterday morning.  And many were pleasantly surprised to see that the NBC/DirectTV critical delight Friday Night Lights finally get some recognition in this category, albeit for its fifth (and final!) season.
• Snubs: There are just so many shows vying for six spots!  Apparently AMC could not pull off what HBO was able to as its two critically-acclaimed new shows The Killing and The Walking Dead did not join Mad Men on the list.  And three of the critics' favorite Dramas were not listed as FX's Justified, Showtime's Shameless and NBC's Parenthood were each nudged out of contention by more press-worthy fair (i.e. Good Wife or Bordwalk).  Also, it seems Game of Thrones is the only real genre-specific fan favorite that made its way into the mix as once again Fringe, Sons of Anarchy and True Blood were all denied a spot.  Then there are the categories previous nominees that have now (in one way or another) become virtual "also-rans:" In Treatment, Big Love, Rescue Me, House and Grey's Anatomy.  Plus, let's not forget the high-rated "Police Procedurals" (like NCIS, Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods, Bones, CSI and The Mentalist), which never really had a chance anyway!

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law; Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights; Mireille Enos, The Killing; Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU; Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife; Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

• Expected: The Good Wife's Julianna Margulies won every pre-Emmy Award...last year.  At last year's Emmys, she was denied the prize by a sympathy bid for 5-time nominee Kyra Sedgwick (of The Closer).  So, Margulies "stepped up her game," so to speak and was assured a nod for the show's stellar second season.  And Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss was given more to do by the show's writers (therefore bumping her up from Supporting Actress to Lead!) and her powerful work in the episode "The Suitcase" (which is for sure to be her episode submission!) might just make her the one to beat (sorry Julianna!).  And Connie Britton, who was a surprise nominee last year, was a favorite to garner a second nod for FNL's poignant final season.
• Surprises: Even though she is Kathy Bates, her show was not universally loved.  So her inclusion is mostly a surprise.  And Mireille Enos' work on AMC's The Killing was much lauded, but it was not clear whether the category's tough competition would ace her out of a nod.  And previous winner Mariska Hargitay, while one of the best things about NBC's 12 year-old "procedural," was not on every pundits' short list for yet another nomination.
• Snubs: It is rare that the category's previous winner is not included among the next year's nominees (usually only when the previous winner was on a show that ended the year before!).  So Kyra Sedgwick's lack of a nomination is pretty much confirmation that her win last year was sympathy for not winning in prior years.  And for some reason, Emmy voters just have not taken to FX's gritty Sons of Anarchy and therefore refuse to reward this year's Golden Globe winner Katey Sagal with a nod.  There were also critical favorites like Emmy Rossum (of Showtime's Shameless) and Lauren Graham (from NBC's Parenthood) left out of the running.  And, not to mention, definite fan favorites (both named Anna, by the way) True Blood's Anna Paquin and Fringe's Anna Torv, both denied a shot.  And I'm not gonna discuss Mad Men's January Jones' almost laughable mistake in submitting herself in this category (it's called LEAD Actress, January!).

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire; Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights; Michael C. Hall, Dexter; Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Hugh Laurie, House; Timothy Olyphant, Justified

• Expected: With Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston ineligible this year, this award is now John Hamm's to lose.  The Mad Men star faces tough competition from previous nominee Michael C. Hall (who won last year's Golden Globe for his work on Dexter) and category newcomer Steve Buscemi (who won this year's Golden Globe for Boardwalk Empire).  And previous nominees Kyle Chandler and Hugh Laurie were both definite contenders to get in again.
• Surprise: The critics love Timothy Olyphant's work on FX's Justified, so his inclusion was most welcome.
• Snubs: Though Game of Thrones got a nod in the top category, Emmy voters failed to recognize the show's main star Sean Bean (maybe they saw the costume and thought it was another Lord of the Rings movie!).  Also, Shameless star (and Awards favorite) William H. Macy was excluded along with critical dynamo Peter Krause (of Parenthood).  Then there are previous nominees like Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment), Bill Paxton (Big Love) and Denis Leary (Rescue Me), all of whom were left off the list once again.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife; Michelle Forbes, The Killing; Christina Hendricks, Mad Men; Kelly MacDonald, Boardwalk Empire; Margo Martindale, Justified; Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

• Expected: Previous winner Archie Panjabi and her Good Wife co-star Christine Baranski were definite locks to get nominated again.  And Mad Men's Christina Hendricks is still glowing in her "It Girl" status from last year, so her nod was for sure.  Then there is Kelly MacDonald who is the most critically lauded performer on the HBO ensemble hit (she also scored a Golden Globe nod!) and she is a serious contender to challenge Panjabi's second bid for a win.
• Surprises: Both The Killing's Michelle Forbes and Justified's Margo Martindale are very respected character actresses (I still remember Forbes' thrilling role on Star Trek: TNG as Ensign Ro!), so their respective nominations are making the critics smile from ear to ear.  Plus, a win for Martindale would probably make them do cartwheels!
• Snubs: HBO's trio: Debra Winger (In Treatment), Chloe Sevigny (Big Love) and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) were each on some pundits short list (at one time or another) yet failed to garner nominations.  And critical favorites like Monica Potter (Parenthood), Regina King (Southland) and Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) were edged out of contention.  Plus, there were fan favorites (and long shots) like Lisa Edelstein (for her last season on House) or Sara Ramirez (for the much-hyped musical episode of Grey's Anatomy) or Sharon Gless (who was nominated last year for USA powerhouse Burn Notice), all of whom were overlooked.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age; Josh Charles, The Good Wife; Alan Cumming, The Good Wife; Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones; Walton Goggins, Justified; John Slattery, Mad Men

• Expected: Mad Men's John Slattery (who has been nominated 3 times before) has been the clear frontrunner for months now.  Andre Braugher (who has won 2 Emmys and garnered a nod last year for the TNT dramedy) is a definite favorite with critics (and quite possibly voters!).  Plus, The Good Wife has several contenders in this category, so getting two of its actors nominated (Josh Charles & Alan Cumming) was not a shock.
• Surprises: Justified is beloved by many critics and Walton Goggins could challenge Slattery for a win in the category.  And several fans were pleased to see the very respected character actor (and only American cast member of Game of Thrones!) Peter Dinklage in the mix.
• Snubs: The most notable omission (to fans and critics alike!) is Fringe's John Noble.  And while Good Wife garnered two nods, both Chris Noth and Matt Czuchry were left out in the cold, so to speak.  Hawaii Five-O's Scott Caan garnered a Golden Globe nomination, but he was considered a long-shot for an Emmy nod.  And it seems all of Boardwalk Empire's male ensemble have cancelled each other out and none of them got a nod (sorry in particular to Michael Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg!)

And now, on with the Comedy: 

OUTSTANDING COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Modern Family, The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock

• Expected: As I said in a previous post, Glee, Modern Family and 30 Rock were each almost assured a nomination in this extremely competitive (and wide-ranging!) category (despite the first two had "Sophomore Slump" seasons and the latter is beginning to show its age!).  While I didn't include it in "the locks," The Office was a definite contender (particularly since it was Steve Carell's departing season!).  And out of all the other Comedy choices, CBS' The Big Bang Theory, was the definite front-runner for that fifth slot.
• Surprises: NBC pulled off a rare hat-trick and got a third nomination in the category for the very much liked Parks and Recreation.  Also, with NBC garnering 3 spots and ABC, FOX and CBS each getting one of their lauded shows in the mix, cable networks (i.e. Showtime) were knocked out of contention (more on that below!).
• Snubs: Showtime faves Nurse Jackie (nominated last year) and The Big C (which garnered a Golden Globe nod) were knocked out of contention in this seemingly anti-cable/pro-network Comedy category.  Another cable contender (that put on an aggressive Emmy campaign!) was TV Land's Hot In Cleveland (but maybe the campaign was too aggressive!).  FOX newcomer Raising Hope was also denied a spot (the spot that probably went to its powerhouse lead-in, Glee!).  And once again, NBC's Community and ABC's Cougar Town were not nominated and the critics (and fans!) are left scratching their heads.

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie; Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Laura Linney, The Big C; Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly; Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope; Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

• Expected: It was most assured that Edie Falco (last year's winner) and Laura Linney (the Golden Globe champ) would get nominations for their respective Showtime dramedies.  And former SNL-turned-sitcom stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are beloved by many, so their nominations were pretty much locks.
• Surprises: Newcomers Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) and Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope) are favorites of the critics and the fans.  Plus, McCarthy is enjoying many laurels for her scene-stealing role in the sleeper Summer Comedy hit Bridesmaids.  And Plimpton is a much respected actress dating back to her child/teen acting days in films like The Goonies and Parenthood.
• Snubs: Toni Collette won this category back in 2009 (for her stellar work on Showtime's United States of Tara), but the news of her show's cancellation must have aced her out of a nod this time around.  And Glee's Lea Michele (probably the most talented performer on Television!) was denied a second nomination despite being on the year's most popular show.  The Middle's Patricia Heaton (who won twice in the past for Everybody Loves Raymond) and The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco were edged out of contention.  And what does Courtney Cox have to do to get an Emmy nomination?  She NEVER got nominated during 10 years of Friends and was denied a nomination last year for Cougar Town.  Looks like history is destined to keep repeating itself.  Plus, previous nominees Mary-Louise Parker (of Weeds) and ALL of the Desperate Housewives (Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria and past winner Felicity Huffman) are once again off the list of nominees.

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Louis C.K., Louie; Steve Carell, The Office; Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory; Matt LeBlanc, Episodes; Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

• Expected: Last year's winner Jim Parsons and previous winner Alec Baldwin were definite locks in this category, as was Steve Carell, who is the one to beat for his final season on The Office (considering he has never won!).
• Surprises: Johnny Galecki is used to playing "the straight man" to Parsons and was finally rewarded with a nomination. Matt LeBlanc, who pretty much plays himself on Episodes, is a veteran of the category (having been nominated previously for HIS work on Friends!).  And stand-up Louis C.K. is a favorite with many critics and is considered very deserving of this recognition.
• Snubs: Glee's Matthew Morrison got nominated last year, but its possible that the scaling down of his character (there were some episodes where he pretty much only had one scene!) hurt his chances for a Lead nomination.  Critical Cable favorites Thomas Jane (of HBO's Hung) and David Duchovny (of Showtime's Californication) were once again denied a chance for the trophy.  And there is a long list of fan favorites that were left off the list this year: Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down), Joel McHale (Community), Zachary Levi (Chuck), Lucas Neff (Raising Hope), Jason Schwartzman (Bored to Death) and Rob Lowe (who might have submitted himself in the wrong category for his work on Parks and Recreation).

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Julie Bowen, Modern Family; Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock; Jane Lynch, Glee; Sofia Vergara, Modern Family; Betty White, Hot In Cleveland; Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

• Expected: All the nominees in this category are EXACTLY what was EXPECTED!  Last year's winner (and this year's hostess!) Jane Lynch of Glee was guaranteed a return to the list.  Modern Family's Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara were also each assured a second nod.  Both Jane Krakowski and Kristen Wiig (each previous nominees) are beloved in this category.  And to talk about beloved, there's Betty White!
• Snubs: Previous nominees Holland Taylor (of Two and a Half Men, don't get me started!) and Jenna Fischer (of The Office) are left off the list.  Hot In Cleveland's other top contender Wendie Malick (who could have easily submitted in Lead) lost her spot to co-star Betty White.  Critical favorites like Jane Adams (of Hung) and Busy Phillips (of Cougar Town) are once again denied their chances.  Both Merritt Weaver (Nurse Jackie) and Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory) were also considered strong contenders, but alas its not to be.  And with Jane Lynch getting a nod, it was unlikely that either Heather Morris or Naya Rivera would enjoy a nomination for their work on FOX's musical hit.  And let's not forget the three hilarious ladies (Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs and Yvette Nicole Brown) from NBC's Community.  Surely, one of them deserved a nomination!

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Ty Burrell, Modern Family; Chris Colfer, Glee; Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men; Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family; Ed O'Neill, Modern Family; Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

• Expected: Chris Colfer, whose work on Glee this year was considered by many fans to be Leading work, was assuredly going to enjoy his second Emmy nod (to go with his Golden Globe win!).  And it was a foregone conclusion that at least two of the worthy Modern Family actors (Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O'Neill and last year's winner Eric Stonestreet) would get nominations.
• Surprises: Though he won in 2009, Jon Cryer's chances to get nominated again have been dwindling (and the publicity his former co-star garnered the show this year was not helping), yet here he is nominated again (Maybe the voters are feeling sorry for him!).  And, seriously, ALL the Modern Family actors.  I mean, I like them all for different reasons and any two of them would have been welcomed, but all four is just too much.  It squeezes out anyone else who was very deserving (see below!).
• Snubs: There are two big ones: How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris (who had been nominated several times before!) and Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman (who is absolutely beloved by the critics and fans...seriously, they are crying "FOUL!").  The Modern Family domination certainly has robbed these two comedic talents of gaining recognition in the category.  Also, Community's Danny Pudi is a fan favorite who would have been extremely welcomed by many (myself included!).  With Chris Colfer's nod, Mike O'Malley (who does awesome work as his father) was aced out.  Garrett Dillahunt (of Raising Hope) and Oliver Platt (of The Big C) are both very respected by their fellow actors, but apparently not enough.  And both The Office and 30 Rock each had at least two possible contenders that were edged out by Modern Family (Rainn Wilson and Ed Helms of The Office and Jack McBrayer and Tracy Morgan of 30 Rock).

What does this all mean?

Well, to put it bluntly, Awards are completely subjective.  Half the time, the voters are very predictable (Mad Men!).  And the other half, they throw the pundits a most surprising curve ball (ALL the Modern Family men, really?!?).  And when you have to whittle down a large list of acclaimed contenders for each category down to just six spots, you are bound to make some enemies (fans of Nick Offerman, for sure!).  In a few weeks (as we get closer to ceremony time!), I will give you my predictions as to who will win come September 18.  And who knows?  I may be right OR I may get it ALL wrong.  But either way, I'm gonna enjoy doing it because, let's face it, it's the little things like this that keep our Culture spinning.  And I couldn't be happier!