If I Ran The Emmy's... (Part Two)

Best Lead Actor

Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock

In the alternate universe where I give out the Emmy’s, Alec Baldwin is not on Twitter. This is so the world can focus on how great he was on 30 Rock. In the hands of a lesser actor 30 Rock would be an unmoored cartoon. Baldwin has the dramatic skills to ground the wonderfully ridiculous dialogue, making the show its own environment. Plus, his perfect delivery makes some pretty great jokes even better.

Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt on Parks and Rec

For a while, I thought I was in love with Adam Scott. Then I realized I was just in love with the wonderfully nerdy Ben Wyatt. Even though Ben is less outlandish than many of his Pawnee counterparts, he is just as funny thanks to Scott’s great reactions. This season, Ben went from making the perfect proposal to feeding a stuffed owl. Somehow, Scott was able to do all of this while making Ben one of the show’s most relatable characters.

Jake Johnson as Nick Miller on New Girl

This year, Nick Miller went from “Jess’s grumpy foil” to a fully realized character. Much of that growth can be attributed to Johnson, who perfectly showcased Nick’s insecurities and confusion over his feelings for Jess. With the [SPOILER ALERT] death of his father, Johnson also proved that he could handle a more serious plotline. Season 3 wish: Nick stars in the movie adaptation of Z is for Zombie.

Louie C.K. as Louie on Louie

I’m not exactly caught up on the most reason season of Louie, but I’ve seen enough of the show to get a taste of its aesthetic. I love how FX gave one of the best working standups a ton of money to make whatever kind of show he wanted. I don’t always love the results, but I appreciate this show enough to wonder what would happen if the rest of TV followed this model.

Best Supporting Actor

This was definitely the hardest field for me to narrow down to five. I decided to leave out the deserving Danny Pudi and Donald Glover since they didn’t have great material to work with on this season of Community. Every nominee has an alternate from the same show who would have definitely made the cut in a less crowded year. For 2013, it actually will be an honor to be nominated for this category.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett on Modern Family

As I said before, I really do like the cast on Modern Family. I think Jesse Tyler Ferguson is its most undervalued member. Eric Stonestreet is great, but Cam wouldn’t be nearly as funny without Mitchell as his relatively sane foil. Ferguson is also stellar when he has a more ridiculous plotline: his courtroom scenes in the finale were hilarious. Alternate nominee: Any of the actors on this show are deserving, but I’ll go with Ty Burrell.

Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother

NPH can handle everything HIMYM throws at him. Amazing pratfalls? Yes. A song and dance number? No problem. Hilarious one liners? Check. A touching story about reuniting with his father? Done. I’m a couple seasons behind on this show, but I’ve heard that he got some good dramatic plotlines this past season. Alternate nominee: Jason Segel for not checking out even after his movie career took off.

Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson on Parks and Rec

I have trouble believing that Nick Offerman has never been nominated for an Emmy, but it's true. Ron Swanson could easily be a caricature of “Amurrica,” but Offerman imbues the character with formidable amounts of masculinity and knowledge. I loved seeing his growth in his relationship with Diane, and [SPOILER ALERT] I can’t wait to see how fatherhood changes him. Alternate nominee: Chris Pratt. Great improviser, and he's definitely grown as an actor over the course of the show.  

Bill Hader as various characters on Saturday Night Live

As always, Hader killed it this season. Stefon’s wedding was one of the most touching things I’ve seen on TV this year. Hader is the only reason SNL gets away with so many game-show sketches: his host character is that good. Somehow, he just makes everything funnier by being there. Alternate nominee: Taren Killam. He was as great as ever this year, but he didn’t get a ton to do. Besides, I’m sure he’ll get ample recognition once Hader leaves.

Max Greenfield as Schmidt on New Girl

Schmidt could easily be a mere one-liner dispenser or a Barney Stinson rip-off. However, Greenfield found this character’s heart early on in the show’s run and prevented Schmidt from becoming unfunny or loathsome. It’s been great to see him grow, but hopefully he’ll never change the way he pronounces “chutney.” Alternate nominee: Lamorne Morris, by default.

Coming soon-ish: Best Lead and Supporting Actress, plus some thoughts on the drama race.