2010 Emmy Awards: Who Should Win And Who Will Win

When it comes to the Primetime Emmys, I’ve never been very good at predicting the winners as it’s not always easy to know which way the Academy is going to go, but we all have our opinions on who should win. So instead of merely predicting who will win, I’ve included which series or actor I think should win in each of the main categories.

Will it be Lost’s year to take Outstanding Drama award? Will Modern Family dominate in the comedy categories? Should it? We’ll have to see how things go tomorrow night. In the meantime, here are some hopes and predictions for the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards, which will air live at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 29th on NBC. Visit CinemaBlend.com/Television tomorrow night and join us as we live blog the ceremony!

Drama Series

Breaking Bad
Dexter - Should Win
The Good Wife
Lost - Will Win
Mad Men
True Blood

Normally, I'd go with Mad Men as the surefire winner and who knows, the AMC series might win it’s third straight Outstanding Drama award on Sunday night but I have a feeling Lost will be acknowledged for its final season this year. As for what show should win, I went with Dexter. I like Lost but Dexter’s fourth season was the best to date and completely addicting, right to the final moments.

Comedy Series

30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Glee - Will Win
Modern Family - Should Win
Nurse Jackie
The Office

While all the nominees more or less deserve their spot on the list, I suspect it’ll all come down to newbies Modern Family and Glee. As a fan of both, even I have trouble deciding which I want to win. In the end, I think Glee might pull it off but I find myself hoping Modern Family does.

Reality Series

The Amazing Race – Will Win
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef – Should Win

I have no strong feelings for or against any of the nominees here, except for American Idol, which gets more and more tired with each passing season and really doesn't deserve to win this year. If it manages to beat The Amazing Race, I’d venture to say it’s because it was Simon’s last season. I chose Top Chef as the “Should Win” but only because something has to beat Amazing Race and why not a series about chefs cooking things?

Variety, Music or Comedy Series

The Colbert Report
The Daily Show
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien – Should Win/Will Win

It just has to happen, not only because it’s deserved but because we all want to hear the acceptance speech.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Matthew Fox, Lost
Michael C. Hall, Dexter - Should Win
Jon Hamm, Mad Men - Will Win
Hugh Laurie, House

This one’s a tough one. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that after two years of winning this award, this’ll be the year Bryan Cranston watches someone else take the stage. Matthew Fox is a close second for “Will Win” on this one and to be honest, I think there’s a good chance he’ll get it. Hugh Laurie and Michael C. Hall are both long overdue and while I don’t watch FNL, I do like Kyle Chandler, so while I’m pulling for Hall to take it this year, I doubt I’ll be disappointed no matter who wins.

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
January Jones, Mad Men
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife - Will Win
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer - Should Win

This is Kyra Sedgwick’s fifth year being nominated for this role. Someone give the woman an Emmy already! Honestly, I’m mostly indifferent about this year’s crop of leading ladies. If Close takes it a third time, I’d be fine with that as she’s amazing. I’ve seen a couple of episodes of The Good Wife and I think it’s very possible that Margulies will take it this year but I’d love to see Sedgwick finally win.

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Matthew Morrison, Glee
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Tony Shalhoub, Monk - Will Win

It’s possible that category newcomer Matthew Morrison will end Baldwin’s winning streak (The 30 Rock star took this last year and the year before). Larry David and Steve Carell are both overdue to win one of these but I have a feeling Shalhoub might win this for his final season of Monk. As for who should win: Ed O’Neill! Unfortunately, he wasn’t nominated.

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Lea Michele, Glee
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation – Should Win/Will Win

This is a great and deserving list of leading females and really, no matter who wins, its deserved but I really think Amy Poehler’s due.

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Michael Emerson, Lost
Martin Short, Damages
Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age
Terry O'Quinn, Lost
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad - Should Win
John Slattery, Mad Men - Will Win

This one’s a tough one. Emerson and O’Quinn both have one of these but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve another one. Still, I have a feeling they’ll cancel each other out. I didn’t watch Breaking Bad last season so I’m basing my Should-win pick on previous seasons. I love that Aaron Paul was nominated here and maybe he’s the long-shot but I’ll be rooting for him. In the meantime, I have a feeling this is Slattery’s year.

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Sharon Gless, Burn Notice
Rose Byrne, Damages
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men - Should Win/Will Win

Maybe I just want Hendricks to win, or perhaps this really is her year. I love Sharon Gless in Burn Notice and though I don’t watch Damages regularly, I’ve seen it enough to know Byrne winning this would be very deserved. Moss is also fantastic. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar enough with The Good Wife to comment much on the supporting cast, but given their competition, it seems likely that they’re as deserving as the rest of them.

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Chris Colfer, Glee
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother - Will Win
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family - Should Win
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Cryer won it last year and while he could pull a Jeremy Piven and take over the award for the next few years, I don’t see that happening. Of the Modern Family people, I think Burrell is slightly more deserving but part of that could be me being partial to the subtly in the humor of his character. He’s reminds me of a slightly more toned down version of Hal from Malcolm in the Middle (the dad/husband who’s still in touch with his inner-child). Still, I have a feeling Harris will win this by a combination of being awesome and also taking the votes from everyone who hasn’t watched Modern Family and/or thinks he’s due for an award for his role in HIMYM.

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Jane Lynch, Glee - Should Win/Will Win
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men

I strongly considered predicting Vergera or Wiig to take this one but in the end, I not only want Lynch to win but I think she’s going to get it, if only to please her character Sue Sylvester, who has no tolerance for losers.