Emmy's 2008: Picking the Final Five

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Yesterday the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (aka the people who decide the Emmys) announced their top ten finalists in the category of Best Drama Series and Best Comedy Series. Here's the finalists in each caegory, as well as the episode for which they are being considered:

TOP 10 COMEDY SERIES FINALISTS

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" ("The Bat Mitzvah")
"Entourage" ("The Day F***ers")
"Family Guy" ("Padre de Famila")
"Flight of the Conchords" ("Sally Returns")
"The Office" (title to come)
"Pushing Daisies" ("Pie-lette")
"30 Rock" ("Cooter")
"Two and a Half Men" ("Rough Night in Hump Junction")
"Ugly Betty" ("Something Wicked This Way Comes")
"Weeds" ("Go").



TOP 10 DRAMA SERIES FINALISTS

"Boston Legal" ("The Court Supreme")
"Damages" (Pilot)
"Dexter" ("The Dark Defender")
"Friday Night Lights" ("Leave No One Behind")
"Grey’s Anatomy" ("Freedom, Parts 1 and 2")
"House" ("Frozen")
"Lost" ("The Constant")
"Mad Men" (Pilot, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes")
"The Tudors" (#205)
"The Wire" (Series finale, "30")

So, which of these series will be making the final five in each category? The Acedemy won't be releasing the full list of official nominees until July 17th. However, we have our picks for the final five in each category here. read them after the jump!

Best Comedy
30 Rock
The Office
Pushing Daisies
Flight of the Conchords
Ugly Betty

First, let's start with the funny, and do Best Comedy Series. First off, there's three series that are shoo-ins right off the bat. Ugly Betty has come off a season thast developed the characters even more, and is widely considered to be even stronger than the first. Considering that many thought it would have been the big winner last year, it should still be in the final five this year. That said, last year's winner, 30 Rock, also is coming off a stronger season than the first, and even gained in the ratings a little. Nabbing nomination number two should be easier than winning a Page-off. The Office is the third series that shouldn't be sweating it out come July 17th. By finally bringing Jim and Pam together (and not screwing it up), the series has averted a potential Moonlighting curse. Plus, Steve Carell's got the buzz, and it should help The Office to another nomination.

As for the last two slots, it's a bit harder of a toss-up. While Two and a Half Men is TV's highest rated sitcom, that may count for little in this strike-shortened season where quality became the forerunner to quantity. Weeds had a fairly loopy third season, and will likely get lost in the fray once again (though look for it to score a few acting nods). While it's encouraging to see an animated series make the top ten, I have a feeling that Family Guy may have scathingly lampooned too many voters already to make the top five. Plus, there are too many people who would consider it blasphemy to have the first animated series to get a nomination NOT be The Simpsons. That brings us down to four, and for these last two slots, I'm betting on the fresh blood. Of the three HBO shows, while Flight of the Conchords has the lowest ratings, it garnered a nod from the Golden Globes, and is considered one of the freshest and most creative shows out there, so look for it to edge out Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm. That leaves the last slot to Pushing Daisies. While it's been off the radar for awhile, the fact that it made the top ten shows that it's still freshj in voter's minds, and the unique concept and stellar performances (Kristin Chenowith!!) should push it into the last slot.

Best Drama:
House
Lost
Grey's Anatomy
Mad Men
The Wire

Now it's time to get serious and take a gander at the Drama category, which this year is a tough one to wager on. The one series that should be considered a shoo-in in House, which refreshed its format this year with an influx of new characters that gave the series some fresh blood. Combine that with still-crackling stories and performances, and you have a series that fits the bill for best Drama. It'll have to fend off another series that gained momentous creative resurgence this year, ABC's Lost. The resurrection of the island serial this year has been hailed by critics and (rabid) fans alike, with many non-fans praising the show's ability to create fantastic drama, even if you have no idea what's going on. Lost's evening companion, Grey's Anatomy, should also score another nod, which is sure to cause a stir. While the show faltered early on, it recovered nicely in its last few episodes (which, coincidentally enough, are the ones voters will view), and it has the overall popularity (and ace acting) to bring itself to the table once again.
That once again leaves us with two slots, and plenty of series to duke it out for them. I have a feeling the courtroom dramas Boston Legal and Damages will cancel each other out in the series category, but look for both to score some acting nods. While Friday Night Lights is one of my favourite shows, it had a better chance with its stronger first season than it did with this one. While Dexter has a large cult fan base, many voters may consider it too dark for the big prize. Of the two period dramas, Mad Men won the big prize at the Golden Globes, and is overall more highly praised than The Tudors, so look for it to snag a slot. That leaves the last one to The Wire, which, even in its uneven final season, was still better than most dramas on TV, and sorely deserves to be recognized for six seasons of outstanding entertainment.

That's our picks. What do you think? And are there any shows that missed the cut that you wanted to see make it through to the final five? Continue reading "Emmy's 2008: Picking the Final Five"

The Opinion Swinger: Coldplay's "Viva La Vida"

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Welcome to the Opinion Swinger, a once-in-a-while little ditty discussing those things in the world people have a great love for. Or hate. Either way, strong passionate feelings surge whenever the subject is brought up. Until something changes it and that opinion gets swung right to the other end of the spectrum faster than Belinda Stronach's political allegiances. For better or worse, that opinion is changed drastically, and it all get spilled out here.



I've never quite understood what the big stink was regarding Coldplay. I'm that guy who found "Yellow" to be plodding and snooze-worthy, and their following singles to be melancholic and the farthest from catchy. While I'm a self-admitted slave to a tune with a shameless hook, I still have a great love for the off-kilter stylings of other bands (Arcade Fire, I bow to thee). While A Rush of Blood to the Head was an improvement, I still only enjoyed "Clocks" after I was forced to hear it in every commercial I saw. And TV show. And sporting event. And department store. And rock radio station. And everywhere. For a year. Needless to say, their songs in general never really stuck unless I was forced into the deal.

The other thing that really irked me was Coldplay's bold attempts at trying to become "The Greatest Band in the World", that oft-heralded title still being held by U2 and The Rolling Stones. For someone who is an unabashed slave to U2, having these British upstarts start claiming, and only three albums into their career, that they wanted to be the Greatest Band in the World, seemed a little too ambitious, too soon, especially for a band whose singer doesn't hold a candle to Bono in vocal talent. This was no more evident than on their third album, X&Y, an uneven album that more than showcased how Coldplay was still not big enough for their big ambitions. "Fix You" tugged at my heartstrings, and the bridge in "Speed of Sound" was nice, but if you wanna play at the Big Rock Bands table, you gotta bring something new to the mix. Something of your own. And X&Y certainly wasn't it, unless you count making soaring songs in the likeness of Bono and the Edge, as original.

I'd continued to feel this way until recently, as I dreaded the release of Coldplay's newest, Viva La Vida. This was confirmed when in a recent Entertainment Weekly Summer Music Preview, Chris Martin actually said it was their actual attempt at becoming the GBitW. My eyes rolled, and continued rolling until that magical Opinion Swinger moment: Their performance of "Viva la Vida" at the MTV Movie Awards. Subtle and humble in its beginnings, and soaring (yet not aggressively) in all the right spots, I suddenly found myself outright enjoying a Coldplay song. After looking outside and confirming it was not raining frogs, I then downloaded both "Viva La Vida" and their other new single, "Violet Hill", a far more aggressive, and outright alternative-influenced track that isn't necessarily catchy, but leaves you singing it regardless.

Many kudos (and big album sales) have already shown that the world is embracing this new Coldplay, and for the first time, I have no qualms about it. many thanks have been heaped upon Brian Eno for giving the band that magical touch that he blessed U2 with earlier on in their career. Maybe it's really Eno who's the one who should be receiving my praise instead of Chris Martin and Co. However, regardless of that, praise must be heaped upon the band for recognizing their own faults, and going in a new direction, one filled with unique new sounds, and not an album full of "Clocks' ripoffs. Greatest Band in the World? Not yet. But will I be mad when the old boys relinquish the title to these younger upstarts? Maybe not so much anymore. Congrats Coldplay, you recognized that "Fix You" should have been about yourselves, and you did something about it. And actually gained a genuine fan in doing so. Consider my Opinion Swung.

Photo Courtesy of http://flickr.com/photos/whizkeed/

Continue reading "The Opinion Swinger: Coldplay's "Viva La Vida""

Welcome to the Sponge

Read more! Welcome to the Sponge, my first real attempt at a blog. When I say blog, lots of people groan at the idea, usually because many people post on their blogs with the typical events of their day, and many people get annoyed with reading about Alice feeding her seven cats, and how today was extra special because Mittens coughed up a hairball. This is not that kind of blog. If I ever do choose to write in any sort of personal story, I promise that at the very least it will have some sort of message to be passed across, hopefully humorously.

So what’s the Sponge gonna be all about then, you ask? Well, those of you who know me probably already have an idea; pop culture. I’ve long professed that I am a pop-culture sponge, super-absorbing things of our pop-culture lexicon better than a Bounty paper towel could ever dream of. Everything in this blog will be fair game, let it be movies, music, TV, books, whatever team Lindsay Lohan is playing for today, you name it. However, without naming the names of certain hotel-monikered fellow bloggers, I will say that when I write, it will have a purpose, and to that end, an opinion.

Oh yes, opinions. Everyone has one, and this website will be here for my own to be thrown out into the world. Just keep in mind that when you read them, that these are opinions, not doctrines set to be forced upon anyone else. You may agree or disagree with them, and that’s perfectly fine either way. I’m personally a big fan of different perspectives, and encourage those who have a different one from my own to post comments, especially if you can back it up.

Now, for those who don’t know me, a few things to keep in mind: I’ve got something to say on pretty much anything, and I say a lot. I’m wordy, so that probably means many of these postings are gonna be just as long as this first one. For all of you with short attention spans, I’m sorry, but not really, since you probably have tuned out already. I’ll probably go on long tangents of crazy, but bear with me and I’m sure they’ll have a point. Eventually. For a list of my current faves in pop culture, check my profile. Yes, the rumors are true, I’m an out and proud homo, and while I frown upon stereotypes, I’d be the first to admit how comfortable I’d be walking down the streets blaring Madonna on my ipod without even tha faintest hint of irony. So if my postings seem particularly gay-friendly sometimes and you don’t like it, well, what the hell were you doing on a homo’s blog anyway, hmmmm? Sometimes I’ll probably even contradict myself through earlier postings and whatnot. Feel free to call me out on it. After all, nobody’s perfect. If everyone were, there’d be nothing fun to write about. Enjoy.


Steve
Pop Culture Sponge Extraordinaire Continue reading "Welcome to the Sponge"