My Emmy Picks

Tonight the world of television celebrates its excellence with a typically average TV program. I have faith in Jimmy Kimmel since he's a TV geek, but I'm always amazed how an awards show that celebrates TV can be so boring.

I will probably be switching over to Ravens/Patriots, so I will log my predictions of what will win, and what should win, tonight's Emmys.

BEST DRAMA
"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"Mad Men" (AMC)

SHOULD WIN: Breaking Bad 

WILL WIN: Downton Abbey 

All worthy nominees. I honestly wouldn't be upset if there was a six-way tie. My ballot, BASED ON THIS PAST SEASON, would be: 1. Breaking Bad 2. Homeland 3. Game of Thrones 4. Mad Men 5. Downton Abbey 6. Boardwalk Empire

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson in "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston as Walter White in "Breaking Bad" 
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in "Dexter"
Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham in "Downton Abbey"
Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody in "Homeland"
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in "Mad Men"

SHOULD WIN: Bryan Cranston

WILL WIN: Bryan Cranston

Just like the dramas, they're all deserving. But Cranston is simply the best as Walter White. My ballot: 1. Cranston 2. Lewis 3. Hamm 4. Buscemi 5. Hall 6 Bonneville

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes in "Damages" 
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley in "Downton Abbey"
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in "The Good Wife"
Kathy Bates as Harriet Korn in "Harry's Law"
Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison in "Homeland"
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in "Mad Men"

SHOULD WIN: Claire Danes

WILL WIN: Claire Danes

Claire is a lock. My ballot would be: 1. Danes 2. Moss 3. Dockery 4. Close 5. Margulies 6. Bates

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in "Breaking Bad" 
Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo 'Gus' Fring in "Breaking Bad" 
Brendan Coyle as John Bates in "Downton Abbey"
Jim Carter as Mr. Carson in "Downton Abbey"
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in "Game of Thrones"
Jared Harris as Lane Pryce "Mad Men"

SHOULD WIN: Peter Dinklage

WILL WIN: Peter Dinklage

Easily the best category of the night. All fantastic performances, but no one defeats The Imp. My ballot: 1. Dinklage 2. Esposito 3. Paul 4. Harris 5. Coyle 6. Carter

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Anna Gunn as Skyler White in "Breaking Bad"
Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham in "Downton Abbey"
Joanne Froggatt as Anna in "Downton Abbey"
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma in "The Good Wife"
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart in "The Good Wife"
Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway Harris in "Mad Men"

SHOULD WIN: Archie Panjabi

WILL WIN: Maggie Smith

If my vote was based on the current season of Breaking Bad, I'd give it to Anna Gunn. Maggie Smith is the heartfelt, and somewhat deserving choice. Panjabi is masterful as Kalinda. My ballot: 1. Panjabi 2. Smith 3. Gunn 4. Baranski 5. Hendricks 6. Froggatt

BEST COMEDY SERIES

"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Girls" (HBO)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Veep" (HBO)

SHOULD WIN: Parks & Recreation

WILL WIN: Modern Family

I don't think anyone on the Emmy voting academy watched a comedy last season. No Parks & Rec? No Louie? 30 ROCK?!!! Terrible job. My ballot: 1. Big Bang 2. Curb 3. Modern Family 4. Veep 5. 30 Rock 6. Girls

BEST COMEDY ACTOR

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in "The Big Bang Theory" 
Larry David as Himself in "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan in "House of Lies"
Louis C.K. as Louie in "Louie"
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in "30 Rock" 
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in "Two and a Half Men"

SHOULD WIN: Jim Parsons

WILL WIN: Jim Parsons

I can't choose Larry David or Louis CK for the same reason I'd never vote for Jerry Seinfeld playing Seinfeld. I know they're acting, but it's not as impressive as the others. My ballot: 1. Parsons 2. Baldwin 3. David 4. CK 5. Cheadle 6. Cryer

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS

Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in "Girls"
Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in "Mike & Molly"
Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day in "New Girl"
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton in "Nurse Jackie"
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in "Parks and Recreation"
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in "Veep"

SHOULD WIN: Amy Poehler

WILL WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Did we really need seven nominees? Did someone feel bad leaving Tina Fey off the list? Poehler had the best season of any of these ladies...including Lena Dunham. My ballot: 1. Poehler 2. Louis-Dreyfus 3. Falco 4. Deschanel 5. Dunham 6. McCarthy 7. Fey

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR

Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in "Modern Family"
Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker in "Modern Family" 
Max Greenfield as Schmidt in "New Girl"
Bill Hader as various characters in "Saturday Night Live"

SHOULD WIN: Ed O'Neill

WILL WIN: Eric Stonestreet

Congrats to Bill Hader and Max Greenfield for cracking the code. I thought this was Modern Family's weakest season and now I'm taking Ty Burrell for granted, but Ed O'Neill had the best performance of the bunch. My ballot: 1. O'Neill 2. Burrell 3. Stonestreet 4. Ferguson 5. Hader 6. Greenfield

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler in "The Big Bang Theory"
Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey in "Desperate Housewives"
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in "Modern Family"
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow in "Nurse Jackie"
Kristen Wiig as various characters in "Saturday Night Live"

SHOULD WIN: Mayim Bialik

WILL WIN: Sofia Vergara

This is a bizarre category. Half the actresses aren't really supporting, and Kristen Wiig is in a league of her own. I think Mayim shines on a show where it's very easy to get lost. My ballot: 1. Bialik 2. Bowen 3. Wiig 4. Joosten 5. Vergara 6. Wever

BEST MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

"American Horror Story" (FX)
"Game Change" (HBO)
"Hatfields & McCoys" (History)
"Hemingway & Gellhorn" (HBO)
"Luther" (BBC America)
"Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia" (PBS)

SHOULD WIN: Sherlock

WILL WIN: Hatfields & McCoys

SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: American Horror Story

This category is ridiculous. American Horror Story isn't a drama?!!! I love Luther and Sherlock, but those are series of their own. My ballot: 1. Sherlock 2. Luther 3. Hatfields 4. Game Change 5. Hemingway 6. Horror

I hit most of the major categories here. Good luck to all the nominees, and most of all to Jimmy Kimmel, for trying to make the upcoming three hours breeze by.