If I were a comedian, I'd want to be in EVERYONE'S gang

Ever notice how there are like cliques in comedy? Not in a high school-y way in that I think for the most part they are supportive of each other's efforts but ina way that there are groups of actors or comedians that you see together in different projects a lot.

Like of course there's the State troupe with Tom Lennon, David Wain, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, etc.  

Judd Apatow has a group of actors he depends on going back to Freaks & Geeks & Undeclared, his early TV work including Jason Segal, Seth Rogen, Samm Levine (who showed up in Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds"!). Paul Rudd, Steve Carell (The Daily Show), Leslie Mann (Apatow's wife) all show up in multiple movie roles.

Speaking of Paul Rudd, he co-created Party Down with Rob Thomas of Veronica Mars fame which ensured some of the cast from VM like Jason Dohring, Kristin Bell & Ryan Hansen would show up in guest spots or main cast. Who's the main star of PD? Adam Scott whose worked with Apatow & Amy Poehler & is BFF's with Paul Rudd. 

Then there's the old Upright Citizens Brigade with Amy Poehler (Parks & Rec, married to Will Arnett of Arrested Development fame & Mitch Hurwitz uses a lot of the same faces too), Matt Walsh & I can't think of who else right now. 

Then there's Rob Corrdry (The Daily Show) on Childrens Hospital with Malin Akerman, Ken Marino (another alum of The State who worked on Party Down & VM), Rob Huebel (who did Human Giant with Aziz Ansari (Parks & Rec) & has popped up in a guest spot on The League which stars Mark Duplass who does tons of indie films, Paul Scheer who's a stand up comic & has his own Adult Swim TV show - the one with all the letters), Megan Mullally (married to Nick Offerman, co-star of Amy Poehler on Parks & Rec; also starred on the last season of Party Down). Also on The League? Nick Kroll who guested on Community. 

Which brings us to Community with Joel McHale created by Dan Harmpon & the troupe he utilizes a lot or Cougar Town brought to you by the creators of Scrubs who reuse those actors to audience's delight.

OMG, I can't believe I didn't mention Joss freakin' Whedon & the different universes he cultivates (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, "The Avengers" (look in the background & you;ll see some familiar faces!!) using the same actors again & again while bringing new faces into the fold. God, I love Joss. I don't think there's one thing he's done that I haven't like in some way.

I feel now's the time to mention I'm writing this on pain medicine while listening to the Daily Show online (another group of comedy guys who pop up in one another's projects!) & torrenting Tupac & Biggie's greatest hits, so I'm having a hard time focusing. I'm just gonna stop. There's no way I could 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon them all together but there are so many intertwixing crossroads in comedy it's a beautiful glorious thing.

Reactions to this year's Golden Globes TV nominations

Best Television Series - Drama
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland

My reactions: Ok, I watch AHS but it's not THAT amazing & sometimes it's downright terrible but in a very fun way, like "can you believe they did THAT?" Can't get myself to care about BE. Don't watch Boss, don't want to watch it either. LOVE GAME OF THRONES & want it to win. Have heard nothing but amazing things about Homeland & now have to marathon the whole season. Also, please note all of the shows are on cable. Where's the love for network dramas? There are a few good ones still on the air & could even be awardworthy. Mostly though: FAIL. 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Jeremy Irons (The Borgias)
Kelsey Grammer (Boss)
Damian Lewis (Homeland)

SB: Meh. BC: Understood. JI: He's usually amazing so I get the nom even though the show looked ridiculously over the top. KG: I have read he's very good on this show even though it doesn't interest me in the slightest. DL: Is consistently believable & wonderful in everything I've ever seen him in from Band of Brothers to the short-lived drama Life for which he also should've received accolades. Partial FAIL.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Claire Danes (Homeland)
Mirelle Enos (The Killing)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Madeline Stowe (Revenge)
Callie Thorne (Necessary Roughness)

CD: Heard she is the shit on that show. Again, must watch soon so as not to be left behind. ME: Thought about watching that show, decided against it. It's a remake so I'll just go watch the original version. JM: perenial nom & she's good in everything usually even if I don't watch her show. Which I should because Josh Charles is on it & he equals YUM. I've heard MS is the reason to watch Revenge even though I personally do not. I've never liked CT since she was awful on Homicide way back when & her new show looks like fluffy nothingness. If a USA female lead was going to get nominated I'd have picked Mary McCormack from In Plain Sight, which is a good show. PASS for three good noms out of five.

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl

I may not be able to type coherently as I'm currently blinded with rage over Community's epic snub. At least there's a mix of cable & network shows on this list. That said, is Enlightened even a comedy & does anyone even watch that show? Whatever! Episodes was a pretty funny show but more uneven that deserves awarding. Plus, it probably won't even get picked up for a second season so why bother? It's probably on the list because the leads (aside from Matt LeBlanc who was hysterical on the show & deserves many awards for his work there) & writers are British & people tend to thing Brits are funnier than Yanks (I agree that Brits tend to be very funny but they are two very different senses of humor which actually the show called attention to in funny & innovative ways). Glee is not really funny & has more up & downs than a yo-yo. Now if it were up for Best Musical Performances in a Show That is Not Really a Comedy then I'd be fine with their now but they're not. I think MF is a great show & I've heard good things about New Girl but really Community not being on the list shows what a SHAM the Golden Globes are as an awards show. Suck it, Globes. EPIC FAIL.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Laura Dern (Enlightened)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Laura Linney (The Big C)
Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl)

Oh boy here we go again. LD & LL shouldn't be nominated in this category. At all. If anything their shows are dramedy's which I'm thinking needs a category of its own, Glee could go there too. TF is always nominated & very talented even though I only catch her show sporadically. AP is amazing on P&R & deserves all accolades headed her way (especially for nabbing Will Arnett as a husband, SCORE! ZD is just riding the wave of hype that her show is currently enjoying. There are no real leads on Community so I can see why they didn't score a nom here but there are funny ladies on other shows more deserving than some of these ladies. Could go either way: PASS/FAIL.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
David Duchovny (Californication)
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)
Thomas Jane (Hung)
Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)

AB: Typical, always nom. DD: Eh, I've heard he's good on that show but I don't watch it so I can't really comment. I loved his work on X-Files & the few non genre movies I saw him in so I buy he has the talent deserving a nom. JG: Whatever, people like that show & he's sup[posed to be good on it. I don't know. TJ is the one really taking Joel McHale's nom for Community. TJ is a punchline in real life & while funny in a cameo on Arrested Development back in the day isn't exactly stirring up buzz or talk for his work on a show I honestly forgot was even still on the air. Grrr, to no nom for any male on Community. FAIL FAIL FAIL.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Paul Giamatti (Too Big to Fail)
Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce)
Tim Robbins (Cinema Verite)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)


I hate that they mas-up these all into one award. It's so unfair to the actors & actresses. I think it's to shorten the length of the broadcast but it's the detriment of Supporting Players on regular TV shows, drama & comedy. Mini-series & movies made for TV always attract big stars in awards-baiting performances, & the truly deserving have to make due with hopefully getting one of the two or three noms left over. Lame. That said, PD was amazing as Tyrion Lannister & deserves any awards that come his way. I'd have also nominated Sean Bean as Eddard Stark & even whoever played Joffrey that spoiled little bitch of a King from GoT. ES is great on MF but so are the other men in supporting roles & equally deserving on a nom. Didn't Ty Burrell just win the Emmy? Where's the love for the amazing supporting actors on a little show called Community? Whatever. FAIL.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story)
Kelly MacDonald (Boardwalk Empire)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Evan Rachel Wood (Mildred Pierce)

Again, confusing & weird mash up of what should be three separate categories. Maggie Smith will most likely win as she is a force of nature & just unbelievably awesome all around & on DT. Eh, I can't even be botherered to rant against this catergory. It's so uneven. Stupid Golden Globes. FAIL.

The only reason to watch the GG is to see the clothes the stars wear & watch them get drunk on TV & then speak publicly. It's always more fun that the Oscars that way.  If I have the energy I'll comment on their movie noms on a day or two.

I Need a Hero

Where have the female superheroes gone?

Buffy is now relegated to comic form. David E. Kelly's Wonder Woman pilot didn't get picked up & was being picked apart by TV journos & bloggers while it was being made. Joss Whedon, who has proven he can write the female voice & do it well, tried to make a WW film for years before finally giving up & moving on to brighter pastures like "The Avengers" - a movie chock full of superheroes, only one of which is female (I think), Black Widow played by Scarlet Johansson & last seen in "Iron Man 2" doing little more than look sultry & have great hair. She doesn't seem to have an super powers either, other than being a highly skilled martial artists with a seemingly unlimited supply of gadgets (like a female Batman) but then this is the post-modern world of superheroes in which we live & maybe we don't want our heroes to be super anymore.

On TV, there are plenty of strong female characters (which is GREAT!), but other than the new ABC Family show about the girl with the catlike powers, Something Chloe King, there aren't any superheroes. There are women who can kick butt, no doubt; off the top of my head, there's Nikita & Alex from Nikita, Olivia on Fringe, Sarah on Chuck to name but a few. There are vampires all over the place in movies & TV, even lame sparkly ones but few of them could be called heroes & even fewer are female.

Perhaps the problem lies with the source, i.e. comic books? Aside from Wonder Woman most female superheroes tend to be merely the female counterparts to an established male superhero, like Batgirl, Supergirl & in their very names they are made inferior to the males by virtue of being mere "girls". There's no Batboy that I'm aware of, let's not bring Robin into this argument.

This is why we need Wonder Woman now more than ever. Buffy is over TV wise, I don't even want to think about the Joss-less movie they are attempting to put together right now. I'm not saying it's going to suck, but...  yes, that is what I'm saying.

If we can't have Wonder Woman for whatever reason, we need another creative force out there to make up a new female superhero & bring her to the masses. Come on, Hollywood!

My Dream Emmy List

Here's who I think should be nominated &/or win Emmy's this year. I'm not totally sure some of these are even eligible but really who cares? Here's my Dream Emmy List.

I don't watch The Good Wife or Breaking Bad or Mad Men or Game of Thrones (which is apparently really good & I need to start watching it but there you go) so if you don't see certain shows or actors listed, it's because I've never seen them. Not that I don't think they are worthy, although, that could totally be the case. Preemptive ramble abort.

Best Drama:

• Fringe - this show is AMAZING, mind blowing ideas & totally grounded performances.
• Justified - can do no wrong, as strong in its second season as its first.
• Terriers - short-lived but intense & funny & riveting drama.
• Friday Night Lights - it's last season, never been nominated for Best Drama that I know of, throw it a bone!
• Southland - the move to TNT made a good show even better. Amazing cast, willing to shock you.

Best Comedy:

• Community - I'd say it's underrated but it seems to be a critical darling. All the cool kids watch it. Why don't you?
• Cougar Town - People put off by the admittedly lame title are missing out on a hilariously funny show
• Archer - sure it's animated but it's still one of the best & funniest comedies on TV right now
• Louie - funny but squirm-inducing. Makes you think about what you're laughing about.
• Modern Family - consistently makes me laugh. What more could you want?
• Park & Recreation - adding Adam Scott & Rob Lowe seems to have rounded out the cast perfectly instead of adding unnecessary bulk. It's literally a laugh out loud show. Leslie Knope!

 Best Actor, Drama:

• Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights - if I thought it's help him win, I'd leave the rest of the ballot blank or put his name five times. He IS Coach Taylor & he is SO deserving of the Emmy. Again, last season!
• Timothy Olyphant, Justified - sigh, love him. Love his conflicted character.
• Ben McKenzie, Southland - OC? What OC? He's totally left his teeny-bopper past behind him & grown into this fully realized adult role.
• John Noble, Fringe - Probably will be shut out due to snobbery over the SCI-FI elements of the show but he made you believe he was two different versions of the same man. Each was impressive & flawed, one was funny, the other terrifying.

Best Actress, Drama:

• Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights - see Kyle Chandler's entry above, insert Mrs. Coach.
• Regina King, Southland - her detective is the best character on a very strong show. She is a force to be reckoned with but not in an intimidating way.
• Anna Torv, Fringe - see John Noble's entry above, change pronoun to she!
• Mary McCormack, In Plain Sight -I don't know that I'd quantify IPS as a straight-up drama, because it makes me laugh a lot, but I'd love to see some different cable shows get some Emmy love & she's great as the good at her job but lousy with people witness protection US Marshal.

Best Actor, Comedy:

• Joel McHale, Community - I love this show & I love every actor on it. I'd nominate them all if I had the power. "I've got the power!"
• Louie CK, Louie - Sure he's basically playing himself but he can't be this funny in real life, can he? Actually, he probably could but props for being so unflinchingly honest.
• Matt LeBlanc, Episodes -I seriously doubt the Matt LeBlanc played by Matt LeBlanc is a carbon copy of the real guy, but holy crap, he is a funny bastard. I wish more people had seen this show when it originally aired on Showtime so we'd get more eps of Episodes but I'll savor the few gems we did get.
• Garret Dilahunt, Raising Hope - he's so funny? Who knew? I knew he was a great actor from seeing him on Terminator: Sarah Connors Chronicles & Life & Deadwood & a bunch of other shows but I never knew he could be so damn funny.

 Best Actress, Comedy:

• Courteney Cox, Cougar Town - when the show first premiered, people (mainly TV critics & disgruntled forum posters) gave CC flak for being the weakest link in an otherwise strong cast. I think that's crap, I think she's the crazy glue that holds the Cul de Sac Crew together. If not for her, who would bring Ellie & Laurie together? Or Grayson & Bobby? Or any of the other characters in any permutation?
• Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope - I was sure about this character in the pilot but she has grown as the show progressed & while some of that is surely due to the writers, a lot of it is due to MP's sexy, funny, grandmother, Virginia.
• Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation - she took what could have been a one-note character & imbued her with so much hope & optimism & just enough crazy to be believable.

This post is getting away from me, length-wise & also the amount of time I've put into it. If anyone responds to this, I'll post my Supporting Actor/Actress in Comedy & Drama picks later.