Picks For This Years Emmys: Best Actor In A Comedy

So far, the main competition will probably come down to Ted Danson, Donald Glover and William H. Macy, based on awards given out so far. Aziz Ansari is ineligible and, given his legal trouble, Jeffrey Tambor probably will be ignored It is likely that the Emmys will consider reboots mainly from Curb Your Enthusiasm and Will & Grace, but why not consider some new blood? Here are my contenders

Anthony Anderson, black-ish

I keep thinking how remarkable it is the man so brilliant on dramatic series as The Shield and Law & Order, could return so astonishingly to his comic roots. And in the current season, he managed to merge them both perfectly. Attacking his family on game night, exasperating his co-workers with his social justice, dealing with the loss of his eldest daughter to college - that's the Dre we love. But when he had to deal  with his marriage beginning to crumble from within, forcing him to leave the home he'd built, that's when we saw the dramatic roots. There's no way he's not worthy of another nomination.

Jason Bateman, Arrested Development

We don't give nearly enough credit to straight men in comedy series. (Although considering the Bluths, the better term might be 'least crazy'. But Michael has a sweet spot for dealing with the collective insanity for the rest of the family that still manages to register laughs more than a decade after we first met him. There may be a lot of social reasons to ignore this series and this actor, but the fact is his comic skills remain unmatched. Still sane after all these years.

Ted Danson, The Good Place

The revelation about Michael was the shocker of Season 1's finale. But in Season 2, he actually became even funnier as this omnipotent being, faced with being wiped from existence, found himself, first unwillingly and then almost movingly, became an empathic being willing to challenge the system he'd spent eternity serving. Watching him fight for Eleanor and the others was remarkable - and makes it think the series has a future. Besides, who could resist his helpful bartender routine in the season finale.

Donald Glover, Atlanta

You wouldn't think there was anything more to say about Glover after winning multiple Emmys last year. But he always delights in proving us wrong. As Earn continued to suffer humiliation after humiliation, professionally, personally, and in ways that we probably don't have words for yet, he somehow managed to express so much even though he internalizes everything he does. And that's without counting everything we saw 'Teddy Perkins' do. I'm generally inclined to dislike repetition, but I wouldn't mind in this case.

Bill Hader, Barry

Like so many SNL vets, I was never much of a fan of his characters on the show, but once liberated into comedy series, Hader demonstrates new life. In this case, playing a hitman who wants to become an actor even though he's much better at the former than the latter, Hader managed to express a level of comic timing and real pathos, particularly in the final episodes. One could make the argument that he's is ripping off so many other antihero stories (but HBO is the place to do that), but Barry has a charm and real humanity that so many of those others lack. I'm willing to give him a chance.

William H. Macy, Shameless

This series continues to grow on me with each successive, the same way that Frank has been, incrementally showing signs of growth with each successive year. And in Season 8, Frank showed more humanity than we've seen this entire season, as he dealt with the death of his beloved, by going on a path of reformation (he was sober for half the year!) and trying to become more of a better human being. It didn't last of course (nothing in the Gallagher clan ever does) but it was fun and more entertaining to watch than I've seen in awhile. Macy certainly isn't lacking for Emmys, but I wouldn't mind him winning this year.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Alright, I know, he didn't grow or change - albeit he finally became part of a successful series again. But in the final season of this criminally undervalued Showtime meta-comedy, Matt continued to demonstrate that he could find new lows to reach, even when dealing with the death of his father, 'masturbating in front of America', and continuing to humiliate poor Sean and Beverly. This is literally the role that Matt LeBlanc was born to play. He should be rewarded for doing it so well.