My Joyous (As Always) Reactions To The HCA TV Nominations, Part 2: Comedy

 

Before we get to Comedy, a side note on the Emmy nominations which were  announced earlier  today. While I acknowledge they did a better job than usual (they did nominate Jeff Bridges, which the HCA did not) in every regard the HCA has done a superior job, certainly in drama.  I will admit the HCA did go overboard on Handmaid’s Tale and the Emmys did not,  but the HCA gave more recognition to Andor, Yellowjackets and The Crown than the Emmys were willing to do in their over rush to recognize Succession and The White Lotus.

Now let’s go to comedy

 

BEST BROADCAST COMEDY

Abbott Elementary is deservedly here. I am overjoyed to see the undervalued Not Dead Yet which received four nominations. Ghosts was just as recognized as Abbott Elementary. The revival of Night Court deserved its recognition and I’m fine with Animal Control. I would have preferred to see The Neighborhood or So Help Me Todd, but I can’t complain.

BEST CABLE COMEDY

The big surprise here is the love for the revival of Party Down, which received twelve nominations, more than any comedy in this category. It was much admired in its return and many no doubt still mourn it, but I give points to any group that is willing to recognize Starz. (Not a single nomination from the Emmys by the way.)

Barry as you’d expect did extremely well and last year’s surprise winner What We Do In the Shadows is back for another turn. Atlanta was recognized for its final season (and receive five nominations in total.

While I have no real arguments against blindspotting or Dave , by far the biggest lapse by the HCA in this category is their failure to acknowledge Somebody Somewhere. Considering it was shortlisted for a Peabody and received multiple nominations from the TCA, as well as doing well in this category last year, the fact that it was completely shutout is one of the most glaring oversight of this organization. (Though don’t get me wrong; there are obvious flaws still to come.)

 

BEST STREAMING COMEDY

Ted Lasso, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Wednesday and Poker Face no one can fault as the Emmys just selected all of them for Best Comedy. I would question the presence of Jury Duty, but since the Emmys had no problem with it either I won’t argue. Shrinking has been gaining respected in critical circles, and I have heard good things about Tulsa King. I seriously question the decision to put Rise of The Pink Ladies  ahead of Dead to Me.  Not even the Emmys went that far

 

 

BEST ACTOR IN A BROADCAST OR CABLE COMEDY SERIES

Leaving aside the absence of Donald Glover, the category has some very good choice. Bill Hader is the most likely to repeat in this category but it’s got some very good other nominees. Adam Scott is here for recreating his role in Party Down, John Laroquette and John Goodman received recognition for recreating their most iconic comedy roles. Alan Tudyk, who was nominated in this category for Resident Alien in the rookie year of the series is back. Utkarsh Ambudkar is back for Ghosts. I am overjoyed to see Bob Odenkirk recognized for his superb performance in Lucky Hank and am thrilled to see Joel McHale get recognition by any awards group.

 

BEST ACTOR IN A STREAMING COMEDY

Jeremy Allen White, Jason Sudeikis, Martin Short and Jason Segel all ranked with the Emmys. I’d argue Steve Martin should have been chosen ahead of Segel. I’m fine with Sylvester Stallone for Tulsa King and I never have any problem with Keegan-Michael Key being nominated for anything. I’d object to Nicholas Hoult being here, but at least they didn’t nominate Elle Fanning, so I can live with it.

BEST ACTRESS IN A BROADCAST OR CABLE COMEDY SERIES

This category has three of my greatest joys. Gina Rodriguez in the hunt for her superb work in Not Dead Yet. Marcia Gay Harden is recognized for her work in So Help Me Todd as I hoped. (Yes I predicted in Drama; let me have this one.) And most delightfully Sofia Black D’Elia got a nomination for her work in the title role in Single Drunk Female. I hope this makes up for your show being canceled. Granted you’ll most likely lose to Quinta Brunson, but I think you can live with that.

Rose McIver returns for Ghosts; Natasia Demetriou, Robin Thede and Jasmine Cephas Jones, who have all been nominated in this category at least once in the last two years are more than welcome. Good balance. No complaints.

BEST ACTRESS IN A STREAMING COMEDY

Christina Applegate, Rachel Brosnahan, Jenna Ortega and Natasha Lyonne were all nominated by the Emmys. Any reasonable person would have nominated Selena Gomez. The Emmys have now inexplicably ignored her two years running.  I never object to Maya Rudolph or Tatiana Maslany being nominated for anything, though in the latter case I think She-Hulk is somewhat beneath her. The Upshaws received many nominations from the Image awards, so I’ll let Kim Fields stay, though I really think Linda Cardellini should have been nominated in her place.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A BROADCAST OR CABLE COMEDY SERIES

Tyler James Williams and William Stanford Davis are here for Abbott Elementary but not Chris Perfetti. Henry Winkler is here for Barry but not Anthony Carrigan. (The Emmys topped the HCA here.)  The late Leslie Jordan was nominated for Call Me Kat (the critics choice did that too). Harvey Guillen, Bryan Tyree Henry and Brandon Scott Jones were all present last year, no problem.

I find it slightly excessive that there are three nominees from Party Down  in this category. Maybe it’s because I don’t know the series as well as everybody does. Still the Emmys gave them none, so I’ll let these guys, well, party.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A STREAMING COMEDY

Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster were nominated by the Emmys for Ted Lasso  and Brendan Hunt should have been. Ebon Moss-Bachrach deserved his nomination and I’m glad to see that they nominated James Marsden twice, even if I would have been OK with just Dead to Me.  Tony Shalhoub was ignobly forgotten by the Emmys and I can understand why Benjamin Bratt ended up here.                 It’s Ke Huy Quan’s year. I’ll let him stay. Why couldn’t the Emmys have found room for Harrison Ford?

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A BROADCAST OR CABLE COMEDY

Sarah Goldberg and Lisa Ann Walter are here. Again, the HCA is two up on the Emmys. Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph are back for another round.  Zazie Beetz deservedly gets one more bite at the apple for Atlanta and I’m actually all right with two nominees from Ghosts.

I would protest three nominees from Party Down again, but I happen to love Jennifer Garner, Jane Lynch and Megan Mullally and they all deserve the love they can get. Would I have preferred that say, Ally Sheedy get recognized for Single Drunk Female? Yes. But this is a good group.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A STREAMING COMEDY

Hannah Waddingham deserved to be here. Juno Temple as well. Ayo Edebiri and Alex Borstein mirrored their Emmy nominations and in all candor, so should Christina Ricci.  I have no problem with Rachel Bloom, Kristin Chenoweth or Jessica Williams getting nominated for anything: I really wish the Emmys would catch up with them. Why do so many people love Ashley Park in Emily in Paris? I’ll let American Born Chinese slide, though I’m perturbed there is no room for Marin Hinkle here.

 

Writing and Directing

Bill Hader takes two nominations. Brunson gets a writing nod and there’s one for direction. Not Dead Yet got a nod for the Pilot. Over joyed. What We Do In the Shadows, Ghosts and Party Down fill out the rest. Not gonna lie, I would have been happier if Atlanta had gotten at least one nod in either category, but I’m thrilled to see Ayo Edebiri become a triple threat at the HCA for her script on What We Do In The Shadows.

Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,  The Bear and Wednesday  all deserved to double dip. I’m fine with Ted Lasso only dancing in the directing pool, considering that Shrinking  - Bill Lawrence’s follow-up series – got a lot of love.

The most glaring omission in streaming comedy by far was Reservation Dogs, considering all the critics nods it got this year and that it was nominated in this category, directing and writing last year, the decision to put something as popcorn as Grease for Best Comedy and to recognize lesser shows like The Great, American Born Chinese and She-Hulk  shows a shallowness from the HCA I haven’t noticed before.

 

BEST GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Much improved from the Emmys. Jon Bernthal, Simon Helberg and Pedro Pascal more than earned it; Luke Kirby deserves to be here, as does the ‘legendary’ Leslie Odom, Jr. for Abbott Elementary. Why couldn’t the Emmys realize that they could nominate Steve Martin for SNL too? Why did Adrian Brody get nothing?

 

BEST GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Like the Emmys they found room for Taraji P. Henson. They also found room for her daughter on Abbott Elementary Ayo Edebiri. (Ayo Edebiri better win something.) Jenna Ortega and Aubrey Plaza really should have been nominated for Emmys for their work on SNL as well as, you know, everything else. Catherine Zeta-Jones earned her stripes on Wednesday and I’m glad to see D’Arcy Carden recognized for her cameo on the final season of Barry. Also glad to see Stephanie Hsu and Hong Chau nominated for Poker Face, though I would have preferred Ellen Barkin or Judith Light.

 

Tomorrow I wrap things up here with Best Limited Series/TV Movie. Spoiler alert: The HCA’s streaming nominees for Limited series are better than everything we got from the Emmys this year.

 

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