Cousin T's Emmy picks

As we promised, we have a special guest blogger today as part of the ongoing Emmy coverage here at the Basement. He's Margie and Edna's long-suffering jack-of-all-trades, an all-around good guy, and a fantastic guest blogger. Ladies and gentlemen, Cousin T!

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Nominees: Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk (Monk, USA); Steve Carell as Michael Scott (The Office, NBC); Lee Pace as Ned (Pushing Daisies, ABC); Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy (30 Rock, NBC); Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper (Two And A Half Men, CBS)

The only one of these I have seen is Pushing Daisy's but I did not like it much so I am voting for Charlie Sheen because he got stuck with his own boring first name in that show plus he has to act with a kid and he has to put up with his Dad running around acting high and mighty.


Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Nominees: James Spader as Alan Shore (Boston Legal, ABC); Bryan Cranston as Walt White (Breaking Bad, AMC); Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan (Dexter, Showtime); Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House (House, FOX); Gabriel Byrne as Paul (In Treatment, HBO); Jon Hamm as Don Draper (Mad Men, AMC)

Everybody will be picking House and Dexter but I am picking Gabriel Byrne because I like that Sledgehammer song!


Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Nominees: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell (The New Adventures Of Old Christine, CBS); Christina Applegate as Samantha Newly (Samantha Who? ABC); Tina Fey as Liz Lemon (30 Rock, NBC); America Ferrera as Betty Suarez (Ugly Betty, ABC); Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin (Weeds, Showtime)

America Ferrera because fake braces still get food caught in 'em I bet!


Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Nominees: Sally Field as Nora Holden-Walker (Brothers & Sisters, ABC); Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (The Closer, TNT); Glenn Close as Patty Hewes (Damages, FX Networks); Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NBC); Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko (Saving Grace, TNT)

Sally Field for outlastin' Burt Reynolds and cause she is still cute as all get out.


Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Nominees: Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold (Entourage, HBO); Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama (Entourage, HBO); Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother, CBS). Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute (The Office, NBC). Jon Cryer as Alan Harper (Two And A Half Men, CBS).

Cousin T on Margie and Edna's Basement because what he lacks in comic timing he more than makes up for in general usefulness around the house.


Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Nominees: William Shatner as Denny Crane (Boston Legal, ABC); Ted Danson as Arthur Frobisher (Damages, FX Networks); Zeljko Ivanek as Ray Fiske (Damages, FX Networks); Michael Emerson as Ben (Lost, ABC); John Slattery as Roger Sterling (Mad Men, AMC)

William Shatner in hopes that if he wins it will go to his head and he will put out another record of far out songs. (Suggestion Bill: Ask Crispin Hellion Glover to collaborate for maximum bizarre effect.)


Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Nominees: Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt (Boston Legal, ABC); Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Walker-Whedon (Brothers & Sisters, ABC); Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey (Grey’s Anatomy, ABC); Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy, ABC); Dianne Wiest as Dr. Gina Toll (In Treatment, HBO)

Chandra Wilson because she is small but tough like the Fonz , Captain Kirk and Oprah; In that order.

Outstanding Comedy Series
Nominees: Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO; Entourage. HBO; The Office, NBC; 30 Rock, NBC; Two And A Half Men, CBS

30 Rock because it reminds me of Third Rock from the Sun, another show that was supposedly good that I never saw.


Outstanding Drama Series
Nominees: Boston Legal, ABC; Damages, FX Networks; Dexter, Showtime; House, FOX; Lost, ABC; Mad Men, AMC

Mad Men cause Hamm and Draper are equally dramatic last names.


Outstanding Special Class - Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Programs
Battlestar Galactica - Razor Featurette #4 • Sci Fi Channel.com; Friday Night Lights: Spotlight On Austin • NBC.com; Lost: Missing Pieces • ABC.com; Sarah Silverman Program Nugget • Comedycentral.com; 30 Rock: Kenneth The Web Page • NBC.com

What?


Outstanding Special Class - Short-Format Nonfiction Programs
Deadliest Catch: The Real Dutch • Discovery.com; Great Moments From The Campaign Trail • History ChannelVOD; Jay Leno’s Garage • Jaylenosgarage.com

I wonder who came up with the word Doily???

Cousin T's YouTube Tour

Edna: We'd like to start a new series here at the Basement, highlighting some of the more interesting clips to be found over at that wonderful YouTube website. Our favorite Cousin T has volunteered to sort through the millions of clips and find and discuss his favorites. Some of our regular readers know Cousin T by his Jericho name, Terocious, but we know him as that nice young man who comes and fixes our basement door from time to time.

Margie: Edna, as much as I adore Cousin T, he sure does seem attached to those trains of his. Wouldn't you like to go take a nice train ride? I knew this conductor once...

Edna: Hush up Margie, and let the poor boy introduce his clip.


Cousin T: I like this one a lot. First off 'cause it's a train video and I love train videos and second off 'cause that bit in the beginning tricks you into thinking you are going to be doin' a lot of readin' but then the readin' stops and there you are in the middle of the desert watching this amazin' long train. I like the way the shadows from the train are just as dark as they want to be and it is all synched up to this Peter Gabriel music which I think comes from "The Passion of the Christ".





Thank you, Cousin T, for that wonderful video. We love a video that makes us believe we're going to be doing one thing then we're in the desert.

You send us another one soon.