Podcast Episode 224: House of Cards Series Finale

In this week's episode David, John and Kyle discuss a lot about Netflix including where does it rank compared to other video services (2:15) and how they are testing a mobile-only subscription (8:50). We also discuss the complications some theaters are having by showing the Netflix film Roma (13:50) and why The Satanic Temple is suing them over the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (23:05). Finally, we review the series finale of House of Cards entitled “Chapter 73” (28:50).
 

You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Podcast Episode 184: Nathan For You Season Four and Stranger Things Season Two

In this week's episode David, John and Kyle discuss the petition for Kevin James to become the new Frank Underwood (2:15), Sean “Diddy” Combs’ new name change (9:15) and why Facebook wants you to send them your intimate photos (16:05). Next we review season four of Nathan For You including the two-hour finale “Finding Frances” (22:50) Finally, we review season two of Stranger Things (40:10).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Podcast Episode 168: House of Cards, The Americans and The Leftovers Series Finale

In this week's episode David, John and Kyle discuss how Sony will release clean versions of their past films (2:00) and why hackers may have picked Steve Harvey’s Funderdome as a target (11:15). We also review the season five premiere of House of Cards entitled “Chapter 53” (20:00) and the season five finale of The Americans entitled “The Soviet Division” (31:45). Finally, we review the final season and series finale of The Leftovers entitled “The Book of Nora” (45:20).

 

You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Podcast Episode 126: 2016 Oscars and the Premieres of Love, Fuller House and House of Cards

In this week's episode Dave, John and Kyle recap the 36th Razzies (1:55) and the 88th Academy Awards (6:55). We also review the series premieres of Netflix’s Love (24:55) and Fuller House (37:00). Finally, we review the season four premiere of House of Cards entitled “Chapter 40” (48:20).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Podcast Episode 92: The Premieres of House of Cards, The Last Man on Earth & Survivor: Worlds Apart and the How To Get Away with Murder Finale

In this week's episode we react to the controversial Saturday Night Live ISIS skit (3:10), the "winners" of the 35th annual Razzies (8:59) and what's coming up with Netflix's original programming including the Pee-wee Herman film (12:31). We also wind down the season three premiere of House of Cards entitled "Chapter 27" (17:05), the two-part finale of How To Get Away with Murder season one (31:12) and the two-part premiere of The Last Man on Earth entitled "Alive in Tucson" and "The Elephant in the Room" (41:30). Finally, we look at reality television by reviewing the Survivor: Worlds Apart (season 30) premiere (50:33).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Podcast Episode 55: Winding Down: "Girls" "The Good Wife" & the series finale of "How I Met Your Mother"

You're busy. We get it. Not everyone can spend hours all day monitoring and watching everything in television and entertainment news. That is why Mike and Dave are here to do it all for you. At the end of every week we will wind down all the important things you may have missed in a week full of entertainment.

In this week's episode we recap the Emmy category changes for True Detective, Orange is the New Black and Shameless (1:55). We also review some House of Cards legal drama (12:41) and University of Iowa's problem with HBO's Girls (16:58). Finally, we wind down Girls' season three finale "Two Plane Rides" (16:58), The Good Wife's "Dramatics, Your Honor/The Last Call" (32:19) and the How I Met Your Mother series finale "Last Forever" (41:47).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Podcast Episode 51: Winding Down: "Transparent" "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" & "House of Cards"

You're busy. We get it. Not everyone can spend hours all day monitoring and watching everything in television and entertainment news. That is why Mike and Dave are here to do it all for you. At the end of every week we will wind down all the important things you may have missed in a week full of entertainment.

In this week's episode we recap the 2014 BAFTA Awards (2:03) and Shia LaBeouf's strange behavior and art exhibit (9:12). We also look at the future projects from the cast and crew of How I Met Your Mother including Greta Gerwig being cast in How I Met Your Dad (15:45). Finally, we wind down Amazon's "Pilot" for Transparent (25:22), the premiere episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (37:05) and the first few chapters of House of Cards season two (49:00).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Podcast Episode 46: Predicting the Unpredictable 2014 Golden Globe Awards

Every year David and Mike try to predict the very unpredictable Golden Globe Awards in a very special episode of Dual Redundancy. This year they try and forecast who will take home the globe in all the major television (4:53) and film (31:35) categories for the 71st Golden Globes.

The 2014 Golden Globe Awards are on Sunday, January 12th on NBC and will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

The Best of 2013: Dave's Top 13 TV Shows of the Year

By David Allen

Just like I did last year, before we can close up 2013 and start judging the entertainment of 2014, we need to look back on what was so great about this year in television. Below is what I believe to be the thirteen best shows of 2013. (Possible spoilers below).

13. New Girl

Ranking New Girl is tricky. As with all these shows I am looking at all the episodes that aired in the calendar year of 2013. For New Girl this includes both the second half of season two and the first part of season three. While the tenants of 4D beat out the sophomore slump with a great second season developing both Schmidt and Nick’s characters (and also creating Julius Pepperwood), season three took an interesting turn. Instead of giving us seasons of “will they/won’t they” (à la Jim and Pam) Nick and Jess finally became a couple and had sex. For the most part this plot development has created some bumpy storylines. I’m looking at you “All In” and “The Box.” However, the idea that I am scratching my head the most about is how they treating Schmidt. For a fan favorite they are really taking him down a notch (and how dare you create a new notch in his belt worn by Kanye West)! First they make him look like, to steal a word from the show, “douchebag” for dating both Cece and Elizabeth at the same time. Then he tries to break up Nick and Jess because he cannot see them happy when he isn’t. Man he is really filling up that jar of his! In the end, despite some problems, season two’s highlights outshine the dark spots of season three and with Coach returning the future looks bright for the rest of the season. As for Winston, he’s having fun being color-blind solving puzzles with a cat, leave him be.

12. The Walking Dead

While most of America couldn’t get enough of Rick and the gang this year (over 16 million people tuned in for the season four premiere) I was in this for the Governor played by David Morrissey. When watching I was more interested in what he was doing at Woodbury than what Rick’s group was doing at the prison (which wasn’t much at all). For the most part many of the characters at the prison still feel one-sided and have only one goal or character motivation: survive. However the Governor seems more fleshed out and an interesting anti-hero. When the show focused two episodes solely on him (“Live Bait” and “Dead Weight”) I loved it. To see the big bad guy of season three reformed and trying to start anew, I was not ready to go back to my sentence at the prison. However, in true Walking Dead fashion this did not last long and by midseason we lost the Governor to Rick and the other members of his team that I can never name. Now I am worried for the future of this show. Season two really lacked a villain or a central conflict with them just hanging around the farm. Season three got better, thanks in part due to this conflict with Morrissey’s character, but without him the second half of four may be another period of waiting around. Sure I love to see zombies killed week after week but I need something more and I am not talking about splitting up boring characters in side groups that we will certainly focus on in season four part two. However in the end, 2013 was the year of the Governor and while we probably won’t see Morrissey back in 2014 on The Walking Dead at least we probably see less Carl come the final eight of season four.

11. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Back in May if you asked me what new fall show I was looking forward to the most Brooklyn Nine-Nine was probably not on my list. Andy Samberg was never my favorite Saturday Night Live character and a police comedy? Already saw that on shows like Reno 911! The first few episodes reminded me of Parks and Recreation and its relationship to The Office. This probably has something to do with the fact that Michael Schur (along with Dan Goor here) is the creator of both shows. However, very much like the first few episodes of Parks and Rec, once Leslie Knope became her own person and unlike Michael Scott, the show started to shine. Many of the characters at the Brooklyn precinct were carbon copies of the Pawnee Parks Department (Captain Holt is Ron Swanson and Detective Diaz is April Ludgate). But now many are beginning to morph into their own identities. Also by becoming more of an ensemble show and focusing less on Samberg’s Jake Peralta, we are getting to see the comedic chops of Joe Lo Truglio and Chelsea Peretti. With a future lead-in of New Girl and an episode airing after the Super Bowl, FOX thinks the gang of the 9-9 have a lot in store for 2014 and I am ready to believe them.

10. Girls

This second season of Girls had me more interested in the guys than Lena Dunham and company. Whether it was Charlie impressing Marnie with his Zuckerberg-like business or just Adam Driver delivering both dramatic and comedic moments with ease, this season was all about the guys. Even Jessa’s quick fiancé played by Chris O’Dowd, Booth’s torture TV booth, and Elijah’s “first time” with Marnie on the couch had me more invested in their stories than Hannah’s out of nowhere battle with OCD. Despite this and a somewhat cliché romantic comedy season ender (no way anyone has that great of a phone connection throughout the city to FaceTime) Lena Dunham further pushed what she could get away with and what she wanted to say this season. Don’t believe me? Just look to “One Man’s Trash” and “On All Fours.” While it will be interesting to see how quick Christopher Abbott’s Charlie is written out especially since season two ended with him finally back together with Marnie, when season three hits in a few weeks I will be ready to see what Lena, the girls, and all the guys have in store.

9. Arrested Development

…and now for the season of a cult show, which received mixed reviews in it’s Netflix premiere. It’s Arrested Development season four. In 2011 it was finally announced that the show barely anybody watched (but everybody loved on DVDs years later) would return after seven years of footage not being found. Leading up to the May 2013 premiere the Internet was so full of frozen bananas, cut-offs, and beads bees that nothing, I repeat, nothing would satisfy everybody’s dreams for the Bluth family. Many did not like the anthology type structure, which had episodes focusing on one Bluth family member (due to the very busy schedules of the now in-demand actors). However, as Mike and I discussed on the podcast, it was perfect Arrested Development. Many forget that when Arrested premiered it was way ahead of its time in not only humor but style as well. Now fast-forward to the revival premiering on a whole different type of “network.” What Mitch Hurwitz and the team did was create a new type of show with a unique style perfect for the medium it was premiering on. It was an ambitious puzzle, which, believe me, requires multiple rewatches much like the original series did. For me, I would much rather have some new ideas and jokes (of course mixed in with some classic callbacks) instead of just episodes reliving their greatest hits, which they could have easily done. However, my only piece of real criticism is in regards to the length. There were times I feel that these episodes (some ranging up to 37 minutes) could have been tightened up to really have the fast paced feel of classic episodes. While Mitch did not have to cut them down to 22 minutes exactly for FOX, each episode could have definitely been shorter with the same ideas conveyed. But in the end I shouldn’t complain because at the end of the day we got some Bluths and some Bluths are better than no Bluths at all.

8. House of Cards

Netflix was on fire this year, so much so that it somehow traveled from the O.C. (don’t call it that) all the way to Washington D.C. House of Cards based on the BBC series of the same name brought political intrigue and betrayal to a whole new level. How did it become so good? It could be due to the caliber in front of the camera. Robin Wright, Kate Mara, and my personal MVP of the season Corey Stoll knocked every scene out of the park and it’s quite a shame we won’t get to see Stoll’s Peter Russo come back in season two. Oh yeah the lead? Played by some newcomer named Kevin Spacey. Believe me this guy is going to make it in this town! As for his character? He is the next Walter White. There are times I see myself rooting for him to lose in hopes to just see his next plan of attack. Other times I am strangely rooting for him to win and get the revenge he may or may not deserve. If Spacey isn’t enough we have executive producer David Fincher behind the camera directing the first episode and creating an even darker Washington then we have ever seen in before. Very much like how the villains of Shakespeare’s plays would look directly to the audience and explain their plan of attack, when Frank Underwood stares and addresses me, I’m all ears and on the edge of my seat ready for what him and House of Cards has up their sleeves.

7. Parks and Recreation

While not as strong as say it’s third season, Parks and Recreation is one of the most consistently funny sitcoms on television today. Unlike a show like Modern Family, which is cranking out mostly the same episode every week, Parks is willing to try new things expanding their Simpsons-like world of crazy characters. While this current season has less Andy Dwyer (since Chris Pratt is filming Guardians of the Galaxy) and will soon see the loss of both Ann Perkins and Chris Traeger, this has allowed for some meatier stories for characters like Retta's Donna. We also received a great villain in Councilman Jamm, played by Jon Glaser. However, the real highlight to put Parks so high up on this list was last season’s wedding episode between Ben and Leslie called “Leslie and Ben.” While originally written as a series finale before NBC asked for more episodes, this episode would have been a great conclusion for everyone in Pawnee, Indiana. While I worry we may not get as good as a series finale once that day comes, as long as NBC gives us one I am sure the Parks team can capture lighting in a bottle again. Just don’t let Jerry Garry Larry be in charge of the finale plans.

6. Mad Men

Oh Don! What a terrible year for you but a great year for Mad Men. While many awards like the Emmys and Golden Globes may be done with you, I’m just as hooked as ever. Despite historical moments like the MLK assassination to great guest spots from Freaks and Geeks’ Linda Cardellini, this season was all about the downfall of Don Draper. Between Sally walking in on her father cheating on yet another wife to unpredictable behavior at the Hershey’s pitch, Don was off of his game this season. By the end season six he loses Megan, is forced to take a leave of absence and he finally opens up to his children about his mysterious past and growing up in that brothel in Pennsylvania. It will be interesting to see if the Emmys will welcome Don and the gang of Sterling Cooper & Partners back and if Don will be able to pick himself up and become the powerful and important man he once was in this final, but two-part, seventh season.

5. Survivor: Blood vs. Water

Can you believe it? 27 seasons! Survivor has been on for 13 years (and will be hitting 15 years with the recently announced Survivor 29 & 30). While many shows start declining by season three (Homeland I’m looking at you) Survivor hit a high point this year. While season 26 in Caramoan was no sleeper, with The Three Amigos taking out Stealth R Us Captain Phillip Sheppard, it was all about Blood vs. Water. When the season was first announced I liked the idea of Survivor favorites being joined by a loved one but was worried about the execution. The return of Redemption Island? Day zero? Allowing love ones to switch out once their counterpart is voted out? Idol clues given out to the winner of the duel (which are really truels)? Colton, Rupert, and Laura who? These are my favorites? Calm down with all the twists!! But in the end everything seemed to click. Colton and Rupert left early, Redemption Island brought drama this time around, and idol clues were hilariously burned. The best part about the season? A deserving winner. Tyson Apostol, who was a coconut bandit and found idols left and right, controlled the game. Not to mention we got an amazing “purple rock” tiebreaker (the first since season four) and a girl voted her own mom out of the game! With an interesting concept for Survivor 28 (three tribes of brawn, brains, and beauty all against each other) I can not wait to see what the leader in reality-competition shows gives us next!

4. Masters of Sex

Based on everyone’s favorite book Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love, Masters of Sex tells the story of William Masters and Virginia Johnson and their controversial sex study back in the late 1950s.  When I first saw the advertisements on billboards in LA I thought it was just a shameful way to try and attract viewers with promises of sex and nudity. While the show is full of these two things, there is so much more. A cousin of Mad Men, Masters of Sex explores themes of just not sex but marriage, love, homosexuality, and gender bias in the work place.  Played brilliantly by both Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, Masters and Johnson are two already complex characters that you want to see succeed and at the same time worry that mixing work and play will lead to a disaster down the road. Speaking of down the road, while I am sure there is some sort of timetable for these characters (since it is based on real people doing a real sex study) the show’s home worries me. Showtime has not had a good track record of ending a show before it stays past its welcome (Weeds, Dexter, and soon to be Homeland, which I am sure will be on for the next five years). While this is still (hopefully) a few years down the road for Masters of Sex, at least we have a great freshman season to study over and over again.

3. The Returned

This time last year if you told me a French-speaking show about people coming back to life that re-aired on the Sundance Channel for American audiences would not only be in my top 13 but be number three I would say “je vais le croire quand je le vois.” The Returned, which originally aired on Canal+ in 2012 and was titled Les Revenants, tells the story of a small mountain town where various dead people begin to reappear as if nothing has happened. Imagine if you took the mysteries of Lost, the cinematography and score of Breaking Bad, and I guess “zombies” from The Walking Dead, threw them into a blender along with a French dictionary, the result would be one delicious television show. Perhaps it helps that I have never seen any of these actors in other roles but every single character is believable in their portrayal and are creating a realistic world where people of all ages can be resurrected from the dead. While mystery shows like Lost may have dropped the ball in later seasons, between the acclaim to re-air this show in various markets and a general “rule” that oversea shows do not stay past their prime, I’m hoping The Returned can stay out of any temple, skip the time travel, and leave the polar bears out of this intriguing and puzzling show.

2. Orange is the New Black

Netflix is the new HBO. Again if you asked me in 2012 which Netflix show I was most excited about between this, the Arrested Development revival, and a show about revenge starring Kevin Spacey, a show about a women’s prison would not even be on my radar. However, taking the number two spot on my best of 2013 list is that show starring a bunch of relative unknowns, the girl from That 70s Show, and that guy who “studied” (Dr. William Masters-style) that apple pie. While the show began as Piper Chapman’s adjustment and observations about life inside a women’s prison, it soon morphed into an ensemble story with unique characters detailing how they all ended up at Litchfield Correctional Facility. While there were characters you loved like “Red” and “Taystee”, there were also characters like George “Pornstache” Mendez and Sam Healy that you loved to hate. Whether you did your sentence all at once or spread it out to enjoy every moment, the real punishment is having to wait until mid-2014 until we get to see everyone again and find out what is in store for Chapman after that “screwy” cliffhanger.

1. Breaking Bad

After years of jaw-dropping episodes and fascinating characters this drama starring everyone’s favorite anti-hero finally concluded its final season this September to rave reviews. Of course I am talking about Showtime’s Dexte- sorry I cannot even finish that sentence. Was there any doubt that it would not be Breaking Bad? After a $#!% your pants cliffhanger at the end of season five part one, there was not a second to breathe in these final episodes that saw the end of Walter White. So many great moments that it is hard to even list them all. Hank working with Jesse to trick the great Heisenberg to lead himself right to them. One massive cliffhanger in the To'hajiilee desert that led a nation to yell at their TV screens. A machine-gun robot used to take down a room full of Neo-Nazis! Even the “simpler” moments hit you right in the gut. It was hard not to cry with Walter when baby Holly started asking for her mom in the gas station bathroom. Just watch the ending of "Granite State" one more time as Walt regains his mojo to return to Albuquerque and try not to get chills. I could go on and on for hours (which I did with Mike this season on the podcast) but like Jesse I just need to hop in my car and finally drive away with a giant smile on my face for one hell of an ending. Let’s pray to the king of kings Ozymandias and hope that this spin-off prequel/sequel Better Call Saul makes it to next year’s top 14 and does not tarnish the legacy of this amazing show.


That’s a wrap for 2013! After a year of amazing television I cannot wait to see how 2014 tries to top it. How will the return of Dan Harmon affect Community season five? Will the return of Louie be everything we hope for? What about the second seasons of many of these break out shows? Will shows ending like How I Met Your Mother be able to stick the landing? Only time will tell!

For even more coverage of Mike and I talking about television in 2013, listen to our weekly wind down podcasts on either iTunes or on YouTube.

Do you agree with my list or did I forget to include one of your favorites? Send me your thoughts or lists either in the comments below or @eastwoodmcfly.

Podcast Episode 44: Winding Down: Netflix's "House of Cards" "Arrested Development" & "Orange is the New Black"

You're busy. We get it. Not everyone can spend hours all day monitoring and watching everything in television and entertainment news. That is why Mike and Dave are here to do it all for you. At the end of every week we will wind down all the important things you may have missed in a week full of entertainment.

In this week's episode we discuss the 2014 SAG Award Nominations (2:15), Beyonce's surprise album drop (9:35), and a proposed Good Will Hunting television show (16:04). We also wind down season one of House of Cards (21:44), season four of Arrested Development (35:43) and season one of Orange is the New Black (51:29). Finally, we look ahead at what is in store for Netflix's future (1:03:37).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

2013 Emmy Nominations - Most Deserving & Most Likely

Photo courtesy of Mike Ladue.

ML- The nominees for the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced Thursday, July 18th at 5:35 AM PT / 9:35 AM ET by Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Kate Mara (House of Cards). In anticipation for the big day, here's your primer on which names will be called tomorrow -- and which should be, but probably won't.

Outstanding Drama Series

Projected Nominees:
Breaking Bad Season 5A, AMC
Downton Abbey Series 3, BBC / PBS
Game of Thrones Season 3, HBO
Homeland Season 2, Showtime
House of Cards Season 1, Netflix
Mad Men Season 6, AMC

Look for a near repeat of last year's nominees, and for good reason. All these shows featured water cooler moments as well as superb acting, writing and directing. Enough buzz surrounds newcomer House of Cards to displace HBO's prestigious Boardwalk Empire, but the latter show's industry adoration is so high I wouldn't be surprised if it outranks Downton Abbey or possibly (gasp) Mad Men to stick around another year. The only other spoiler would be The Americans, which built to something great but doesn't have the same influence as these heavy hitters.

Most Deserving (a.k.a. Mike's Personal Ballot):
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
Hannibal Season 1, NBC
Homeland
Justified Season 4, F/X
Mad Men

While I ranked Boardwalk (and BBC America's Orphan Black) higher than Mad Men on an episode-by-episode basis this year, the AMC show's finale managed to tie many of the season's dangling plots and themes together in a deeply satisfying way. Hannibal is network drama's one true gem (sorry, The Good Wife/Scandal fans) and exhibited stronger acting, cinematography and scoring that most anything on premium cable. Justified had its best season since Margo Martindale won her Emmy and featured TV's best-written episode of the year, "Decoy."

Outstanding Comedy Series

Projected Nominees:
Arrested Development Season 4, Netflix
The Big Bang Theory Season 6, CBS
Girls Season 2, HBO
Modern Family Season 4, ABC
30 Rock Season 7, NBC
Veep Season 2, HBO

Louie didn't make the cut last year and, despite snowballing critical acclaim, the fact it aired so early in the eligibility period makes me wary of its prospects. It could easily replace Girls, the most unnecessarily controversial show in history, or Arrested Development, whose grand return to "television" via Netflix was considered by some to be a huge mistake.

Most Deserving (a.k.a. Mike's Personal Ballot):
Arrested Development
Enlightened Season 2, HBO
Girls
Louie Season 3, F/X
Parks and Recreation Season 5, NBC
Veep

Years from now you'll discover Enlightened and cry that you never watched as it aired. This perfect little dramedy wasn't so much funny as it was, well, enlightening. (You will also cry for not watching Happy Endings, which is actually the funniest show on TV but had too many episodes that missed the mark this season to rise to the top). Parks & Rec had a stellar year, but the competition is fierce and support has historically middled -- remember when Nick Offerman was the frontrunner for Supporting Actor lat year? No such luck. My next-in-line would have to be Archer, which ties with Veep for meanest comedy on TV.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Projected Nominees:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Hopefully voters are as over Dexter as I and dump Michael C. Hall from the list. Hugh Bonneville, the only other missing man from last year's lineup, could probably return in a cruel twist of fate and push out Buscemi or (gasp) Hamm. Don't expect too much love for Sorkin's polarizing The Newsroom, but Daniels was aces in the pilot and probably has enough cred to surpass also-rans like Justified's Timothy Olyphant or The Americans' Matthew Rhys.

Most Deserving (a.k.a. Mike's Personal Ballot):
Cranston
Hugh Dancy, Hannibal
Hamm
Lewis
Timothy Olyphant, Justified
Spacey

Dancy (husband of Claire Danes) was riveting to watch and Olyphant kept his charm turned to 100%.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Projected Nominees:
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Louis C.K., Louie
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Jake Johnson, New Girl
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Johnson's decision to jump from supporting to lead will hopefully pay off, as it did for Cryer last year. I'm inclined to finally disregard Cryer for Episodes' Matt Leblanc or House of Cards' Don Cheadle, but as Sansa so eloquently put it on Game of Thrones: "The worst ones always win."

Most Deserving (a.k.a. Mike's Personal Ballot):
Baldwin
Bateman
CK
Johnson
Parsons
Adam Scott, Parks & Recreation

I wish I could nominate H. Jon Benjamin for his outstanding work in both Archer and Bob's Burgers, but voice acting has its own category. Community's Joel McHale nearly got my vote over Parsons, but the show's unfathomable nosedive into awfulness ruined the good will I had for the man. At least he got Dan Harmon back! Adam Scott is consistently good, enough to buoy him into this relatively open category.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Projected Nominees:
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Juliana Marguiles, The Good Wife
Keri Russell, The Americans
Kerry Washington, Scandal

It took much debating to arrive at this list of leading ladies. The most vulnerable, unfortunately, is Close, but farewell nominations are not unprecedented and the character was beloved enough to win twice prior. Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss, Bates Motel's Vera Farmiga and House of Cards' Robin Wright could eek in over Russell, Dockery and Washington without making waves; the competition this year is fierce. A nomination for Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany would make my morning/life complete... and it just might happen!

Most Deserving (a.k.a. Mike's Personal Ballot):
Close
Danes
Dockery
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Russell

Maslany is a revelation on her show and warrants major awards attention. Moss had an OK year, but I haven't seen Scandal or Bates Motel so I don't want to make an uninformed decision.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Projected Nominees: 
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

Falco is waiting in the wings to take down McCarthy, Poehler or Dunham, but got much less press for so-so season 5 of Nurse Jackie.

Most Deserving (a.k.a. Mike's Personal Ballot):
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Deschanel
Dunham
Fey
Louis-Dreyfus
Poehler

It may be presumptuous to expect so many of my ideal choices to be nominated Thursday, but it's a testament to the Academy's ability to recognize the best talent (in my humble opinion). Dern is up there with Maslany for life-changing nominations, but this is far less expected.

The supporting categories will be presented without commentary:

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Projected Nominees:
Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll, House of Cards
Sam Waterson, The Newsroom

Most Deserving:
Banks
Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire
Nicolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Walton Goggins, Justified
Maks Mikkelsen, Hannibal
Patinkin

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Projected Nominees:
Will Arnett, Arrested Development
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Most Deserving:
Arnett
Adam Driver, Girls
Greenfield
Adam Pally, Happy Endings
Chris Pratt, Parks and Recreation
Damon Wayans Jr., Happy Endings

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Projected Nominees:
Morena Baccarin, Homeland
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Monica Potter, Parenthood
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey

Most Deserving:
Baccarin
Rose Byrne, Damages
Clarke
Michelle Fairley, Game of Thrones
Gunn
Potter

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Projected Nominees:
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Jessica Walter, Arrested Development

Most Deserving:
Eliza Coupe, Happy Endings
Jenna Fisher, The Office
Krakowski
Zosia Mamet, Girls
Walter
Casey Wilson, Happy Endings