If I Picked The Emmy Nominations 2005

This year, I'm not even going to try to anticipate what The Academy will nominate -- with just five hours to go, what's the point? I will however offer what my ballot would like would that I could cast one (without any explanation). Most of the disclaimers from last year apply again (in particular, I'm not sure which categories the actors from The O.C. and Reno 911! are submitting for) and to compare my picks this year with my picks last year, click on the category headers.

Best Drama Series

• 24
• Lost
• Nip/Tuck
• Six Feet Under
• The West Wing

Runners-up: Eyes, Rescue Me, The Shield, Veronica Mars

Best Actor in a Drama

• Michael Chiklis, The Shield
• Peter Gallagher, The O.C.
• Julian McMahon, Nip/Tuck
• James Spader, Boston Legal
• Kiefer Sutherland, 24

Runners-up: Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under), Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), Hugh Laurie (House), Denis Leary (Rescue Me)

Best Actress in a Drama

• Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars
• Glenn Close, The Shield
• Jennifer Garner, Alias
• Joely Richardson, Nip/Tuck
• Kelly Rowan, The O.C.

Runners-up: Candice Bergen (Boston Legal), Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under), Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under), Allison Janney (The West Wing)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama

• Alan Alda, The West Wing
• Anthony Anderson, The Shield
• Josh Holloway, Lost
• Terry O'Quinn, Lost
• Kevin Weisman, Alias

Runners-up: Jonathan Ahdout (24), William Shatner (Boston Legal)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama

• Shohreh Aghdashloo, 24
• Lauren Ambrose, Six Feet Under
• Melinda Clarke, The O.C.
• Yunjin Kim, Lost
• Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24

Runners-up: N/A

Best Comedy Series

• Arrested Development
• Gilmore Girls
• Malcolm in the Middle
• Reno 911!
• Scrubs

Runners-up: Entourage, Everybody Loves Raymond

Best Actor in a Comedy

• Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
• Zach Braff, Scrubs
• Thomas Lennon, Reno 911!
• Eric McCormack, Will & Grace
• Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond

Runners-up: N/A

Best Actress in a Comedy

• Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives
• Lauren Graham, Gilmore Girls
• Patricia Heaton, Everybody Loves Raymond
• Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
• Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle

Runners-up: Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), Debra Messing (Will & Grace)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy

• Will Arnett, Arrested Development
• Michael Cera, Arrested Development
• David Cross, Arrested Development
• Tony Hale, Arrested Development
• John C. McGinley, Scrubs

Runners-up: Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development)

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy

• Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls
• Sarah Chalke, Scrubs
• Kerri Kenney-Silver, Reno 911!
• Judy Reyes, Scrubs
• Jessica Walter, Arrested Development

Runners-up: Kelly Bishop (Gilmore Girls), Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development), Christa Miller Lawrence (Scrubs), Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives)

I will be very excited if:

• The vacancies in the Comedy categories make room for some noms thrown Scrubs' and Gilmore Girls' ways (I think Zach Braff may be the most likely from either show), as well as more acting recognition for Arrested Development.
• Yunjin Kim and Shohreh Aghdashloo get much deserved nominations.
• 24 and The West Wing are nominated for Best Drama for seasons that actually deserve it.
• Nip/Tuck gets anywhere near the recognition it received from The Golden Globes.
• At least one of the Desperate Housewives is left out, leading to a nasty behind-the-scenes catfight. I'll settle for the series earning zero noms for its lame male actors and landing no more than one Writing nomination.

And a few things to be on the lookout for:

• Will sentiment lead to surprise nominations for Jerry Orbach, Dennis Franz and/or Matt LeBlanc?
• How many Oscar nominees will be nominated in the regular series categories (potentials include Shohreh Aghdashloo, Alan Alda, Candice Bergen, Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, James Cromwell, Rachel Griffiths and Gary Sinise)? Will Quentin Tarantino be included for directing C.S.I.?
• Which HBO Drama will dominate - past Emmy favorite Six Feet Under (whose buzz has cooled) or Deadwood (which was surprisingly overlooked last year)?
• I'm getting ahead of myself, I know, but have a freshman Comedy and a Freshman Drama ever won Best Series Emmys in the same year? Seems quite possible this year.