TV is just amazing these days. Movies are more and more concerned with bigger budgets and making money, which means a lot of the art of filmmaking has moved to the small screen.
And it shows in this year’s crop of Emmy nominations. Most of the major categories are flooded with big stars and don’t have clear-cut winners.
This, however, does not stop us as a Signpost staff from trying to guess. Here’s our best-guess ballot for the 2012 Emmy Awards coming up this Sunday night.
Best Drama Series
Though AMC’s Mad Men has won this award every year since 2008, this might be the chance for AMC’s other nominee, Breaking Bad, to take the award. Our pick: Breaking Bad.
Best Actress in a Drama
Another category with too many stars and no obvious winner. Our pick: Glenn Close as Patty Hewes in Damages.
Best Actor in a Drama
This might be the easiest pick, for a stunning portrayal of a meth dealer’s descent into hell. Our pick: Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad.
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
Both Maggie Smith and Christina Hendricks are considered favorites in this category, but . . . Our pick: Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife.
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
This award is perhaps the most wide-open category. Our pick: Jared Harris as Lane Pryce in Mad Men.
Best Comedy Series
Modern Family might have slipped a little in universal acceptance as the best comedy on TV . . . Our pick: HBO’s new series, Veep.
Best Actress in a Comedy
Any one of the actresses nominated in this category deserves the award, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Amy Poehler seem to be heading the pack. Our pick: Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in Veep.
Best Actor in a Comedy
Nobody packs more into a role than Alec Baldwin, but . . . Our pick: Louis C.K. as Louie in the genre-changing sitcom Louie.
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara, both from the popular series Modern Family, are considered to be leading the category. Our pick: Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler in The Big Bang Theory.
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Everyone else on Modern Family gets to win. Why not Al Bundy? Our pick: Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett in Modern Family (though Max Greenfield as Schmidt in Fox’s quirky sitcom New Girl may sneak up and steal the win).
Best Reality Competition Program
The Amazing Race has only lost this award once since 2003. Our pick: The Amazing Race.
Best Reality Host
Survivor’s Jeff Probst always wins, but anyone who watches So You Think You Can Dance knows better. Our pick: Cat Deeley.
Best Variety Series
Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show always wins, and rightly so. No one else should even enter. Our pick: The Daily Show.
Best TV Movie or Miniseries
If this award doesn’t go to PBS’s Sherlock, then the Emmys should be canceled. Our pick: Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia.
Best Movie or Miniseries Actress
Connie Britton might win here for American Horror Story as a nod for never winning the award she deserved for Friday Night Lights. Our pick: Julianne Moore in an eerily accurate depiction of Sarah Palin on HBO’s Game Change.
Best Movie or Miniseries Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch not only has the greatest name in the world, but also the greatest chance at this award (though a Costner or an Elba might sneak in). Our pick: Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia.
Best Movie or Miniseries Supporting Actress
American Horror Story’s most entertaining character wins here. Our pick: Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon.
Best Movie or Miniseries Supporting Actor
Ed Harris might get this one for playing John McCain, but we’re standing by the little guy. Our pick: Martin Freeman for his role as Dr. John Watson in Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia.
