2013 Dream Emmy Ballot

Even with TV currently in a new Golden Age, the run-up to the Emmys never quite hits the level of mania that surrounds its big screen equivalent (the Oscars). Even with two months between the nominations (announced today), and the ceremony, there's no frantic rush of televised precursor awards. It's a shame, because as one would expect of a Golden Age of TV, there are quite a few great shows and performances out there. 

So, even though it (obviously) counts for nothing, below is what my Emmy ballot would look like for the 2012-2013 TV season. This was made before the nominations were announced this morning, so and none of my picks have been altered to compensate for what I feel were glaring omissions (*cough*Tatiana Maslany*cough*). It's called a dream ballot for a reason.

Best Drama Series

Breaking Bad

Game of Thrones

House of Cards

Mad Men

Orphan Black

The Americans

Best Comedy Series

30Rock

Archer

Bob's Burgers

Enlightened

Parks and Recreation

Veep

Best Miniseries/TV Movie

American Horror Story: Asylum

Behind the Candelabra

Black Mirror

Parade's End

Top of the Lake

Best Actor - Drama Series

Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad

Hugh Dancy - Hannibal

Damian Lewis - Homeland

Jon Hamm - Mad Men

Timothy Olyphant - Justified

Kevin Spacey - House of Cards

Best Actor - Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin - 30Rock

Jason Bateman - Arrested Development

H. Jon Benjamin - Archer

Louis CK - Louie

Joel McHale - Community

Adam Scott - Parks and Recreation

Best Actor - Miniseries/TV Movie

Benedict Cumberbatch - Parade's End

Matt Damon - Behind the Candelabra

Michael Douglas - Behind the Candelabra

Al Pacino - Phil Spector

Daniel Rigby - Black Mirror

Best Actress - Drama Series

Claire Danes - Homeland

Kate Mara - House of Cards

Tatiana Maslany - Orphan Black

Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men

Keri Russell - The Americans

Robin Wright - House of Cards

Best Actress - Comedy Series

Laura Dern - Enlightened

Lena Dunham - Girls

Tina Fey - 30Rock

Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep

Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation

Aisha Tyler - Archer

Best Actress - Miniseries/TV Movie

Hayley Atwell - Black Mirror

Rebecca Hall - Parade's End

Jessica Lange - American Horror Story: Asylum

Helen Mirren - Phil Spector

Elisabeth Moss - Top of the Lake

Sarah Paulson - American Horror Story: Asylum

Best Supporting Actor - Drama

Bobby Cannavale - Boardwalk Empire

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Game of Thrones

Charles Dance - Game of Thrones

Walton Goggins - Justified

Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

Corey Stoll - House of Cards

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy

Donald Glover - Community

Alex Karpovsky - Girls

Nick Offerman - Parks and Recreation

Damon Wayons Jr. - Happy Endings

Mike White - Enlightened

Luke Wilson - Enlightened

Best Supporting Actor - Miniseries/TV Movie

James Cromwell - American Horror Story: Asylum

Peter Mullan - Top of the Lake

Zachary Quinto - American Horror Story: Asylum

Best Supporting Actress - Drama

Joelle Carter - Justified

Natalie Dormer - Game of Thrones

Michelle Fairley - Game of Thrones

Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad

Lena Heady - Game of Thrones

Christina Hendricks - Mad Men

Best Supporting Actress - Comedy

Alison Brie - Community

Anna Chlumsky - Veep

Eliza Coupe - Happy Endings

Jane Krakowski - 30Rock

Jessica Walter - Arrested Development

Casey Wilson - Happy Endings

Best Supporting Actress - Miniseries/TV Movie

Adelaide Clemmens - Parade's End

Holly Hunter - Top of the Lake

Lily Rabe - American Horror Story: Asylum

Best Directing - Drama Series

"Chapter 11" - House of Cards

"Dead Freight" - Breaking Bad

"Endless Forms Most Beautiful" - Orphan Black

"Ghost" - Justified

"In Care Of" - Mad Men

"In Control" - The Americans

Best Directing - Comedy Series

"Agent of Change" - Enlightened

"Follow Me" - Enlightened

"Hostages" - Veep

"It's a Shame About Ray" - Girls

"Last Lunch" - 30Rock

"The Key" - Enlightened

Best Directing - Miniseries/TV Movie

Behind the Candelabra

"Be Right Back" - Black Mirror

"Episode 3" - Parade's End

"Episode 3" - Top of the Lake

"Episode 4" - Top of the Lake

"White Bear" - Black Mirror

Best Writing - Drama Series

"Chapter 5" - House of Cards
"Dead Freight" - Breaking Bad

"In Care Of" - Mad Men

"In Control" - The Americans

"Kissed By Fire" - Game of Thrones

"The Better Half" - Mad Men

Best Writing - Comedy Series

"Agent of Change" - Enlightened

"All I Ever Wanted" - Enlightened

"Honeymooners" - Archer

"Last Lunch" - 30Rock

"Signals" - Veep

"Topsy" - Bob's Burgers

Best Writing - Miniseries/TV Movie

Behind the Candelabra

"Be Right Back" - Black Mirror

"Episode 3" - Parade's End

"Episode 3" - Top of the Lake

"Episode 4" - Top of the Lake

"White Bear" - Black Mirror

Personal Ballot: The 2012 Emmy Awards

I don't spend nearly as much time writing about TV on this site, which is odd considering the ludicrous number of shows that I try and keep up with. So, instead of merely commenting on just the Emmy winners and the show itself, I figured that this year I could spend a little more time on TV's biggest awards show, namely by offering up my picks for some of the main categories, along with my winner(s). Also, my friend Patrick has done this exact same thing over on his wonderful blog (link), and I'm once again tempted to steal his format again, just like I did for my Best of the Year/Oscar ballot a few months ago.

A quick word on the awards though. I'm generally trying to follow where shows are placed, which means that something like Sherlock will be left out (it was submitted as a miniseries). However, Downton Abbey, previously submitted as a miniseries, was submitted under drama series for its second season. Now, despite the amount of TV that I watch, I'm a little surprised at the categories that I'm unable to fill (the Emmys have 6 nominees in major categories, as opposed to the award show standard of 5). So, for certain categories, there may be a slot (or two...though I hope not) with a series of dashes. Clearly I'm still not watching enough TV, at least now when it comes to certain categories. Finally, as with my Oscars post, my picks are listed alphabetically, with the winner in bold/italics.

Outstanding Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire

Breaking Bad

Game of Thrones

Homeland

Justified

Mad Men

This was painfully close, especially because Breaking Bad's fourth season had so many breathtaking moments (remember the end of "Crawl Space?"). However, I'm giving it to Showtime's Homeland for starting off with such a stellar first season. The mystery, intrigue, and tension were handled in a way that many shows can only dream of doing in their first runs.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Archer

Community

Girls

Happy Endings

Parks and Recreation

Veep

Though season 4 marked a slight step down (the Tom and Anne subplot), Parks and Recreation was once again my favorite comedy. The characters are so well drawn and so fun, and the show knows how to be hilarious and still break out moments that are genuinely touching. Bonus points for excellent guest stars Kathryn Hahn and Paul Rudd.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire

Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad

Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Jason Isaacs - Awake

Damian Lewis - Homeland

Timothy Olyphant - Justified

Another insanely difficult showdown between Breaking Bad and Homeland, and once again I find myself picking the freshman show. There was so much strong work in this category (even from Buscemi, who's show I have here almost as filler), but it really boiled down to Cranston and Lewis. The tipping point? Lewis' scene in the bunker in Homeland's season finale, which is such a tightly-coiled, emotional tour-de-force that it might be some of the best acting I've ever seen on TV.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Claire Danes - Homeland

Michelle Dockery - Downton Abbey
Kelly Macdonald - Boardwalk Empire

Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men

--

--

As the other half of Homeland's dynamite leading duo, Danes was on fire from episode one. Carrie wasn't always likable or sympathetic, but Danes made sure we always knew where she was coming from. Even when scenes called for BIG emotions (the green pen, watching her work dismantled, etc...), Danes ensured that it never felt over the top or forced, and in turn gave us one of the most powerful performances of the past season.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin - 30Rock

H. Jon Benjamin - Archer

Louis C.K. - Louie
Neil Flynn - The Middle

Joel McHale - Community

Adam Scott - Parks and Recreation

Since joining Parks and Recreation at the end of its second season, Adam Scott has become one of the ensemble's most valuable assets. And as he relationship with Leslie developed even further in the show's fourth season, the actor only got more and more room to shine. Scott is, to a point, the show's straight man, yet he's never dull or the weak point. His facial expressions remain a joy to watch, and I'm often reminded of a less goofy/personable Jim Halpert. Well, before The Office started to collapse like a dying star.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Laura Dern - Enlightened

Lena Dunham - Girls

Patricia Heaton - The Middle

Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep

Martha Plimpton - Raising Hope

Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation

Poehler has been on fire ever since Parks and Recreation's second season (when they stopped trying to make her a female Michael Scott). While the show's third season remains my favorite (for now), the fourth season gave us Poehler's best work to date. Funny and goofy, yet still completely human, Leslie Knope comes out on top in a season filled with strong work, from established shows and promising new ones (had it not been for Poehler, this would have gone to Louis-Dreyfus' outstanding comedic exasperation on Veep).

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Peter Dinklage - Game of Thrones

Giancarlo Esposito - Breaking Bad

Walton Goggins - Justified

Vincent Kartheiser - Mad Men

Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

John Slattery - Mad Men

While I've had a little trouble filling out the leading categories, in supporting there's simply too much good work, this category included (Game of Thrones' Charles Dance is among the many not listed here). All of the work here is outstanding, and I gained a new found love for Slattery's work on Mad Men this year, but ultimately I have to go with Esposito, who created a cold, calculating figure of menace who was capable of making the room feel 10 degrees cooler. It's the sort of chilling work that calls to mind Javier Bardem's work in No Country for Old Men...if Anton Chigurh had been involved in meth dealing and fast food chain restaurants.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad

Lena Heady - Game of Thrones

Christina Hendricks - Mad Men

Jessica Pare - Mad Men

Fiona Shaw - True Blood

Maisie Williams - Game of Thrones

Another year, another wonderful season of Joan moments on Mad Men. Despite not having as much to do in Mad Men's fifth season, when the show brought out moments for her, Hendricks seized them and made her mark. In a season where so many new performances came forward and impressed me (especially Heady, who was so good in Game of Thrones' "Blackwater" episode), I've ended up going back to an old favorite. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Ty Burrell - Modern Family

Donald Glover - Community

Nick Offerman - Parks and Recreation

Adam Pally - Happy Endings

Chris Pratt - Parks and Recreation

Damon Wayans Jr. - Happy Endings

Though I remain a loyal devotee of Ron Swanson (Offerman should have won for one of his show's previous two seasons), it was Glover who really won me over this year. Though Community as a show can sometimes strive too hard simply to be different at the expense of humor, Glover remains one of the show's consistent bright spots. His mix of awkward non sequiturs and full-throttle hysterics remain one of the show's best sources of humor, even when the show is having an off day.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Alison Brie - Community

Eliza Coupe - Happy Endings

Jane Krakowski - 30Rock

Aubrey Plaza - Parks and Recreation

Eden Sher - The Middle
Jessica Walter - Archer

Casey Wilson - Happy Endings

Possibly the most jam-packed category this year (I'm sorry, Aisha Tyler, Julie Bowen, Anna Chlumsky, Zosia Mamet, etc...), and yet Eliza Coupe's type-A neurotics on Happy Endings still stand tall. In a year that saw Jane Krakowski do some of her best work on 30Rock to date, along with so many new performances and returning players, Coupe remains one of the funniest women on TV right now. Look no further than "The Kerkovich Way" for a demonstration of the actress' completely spot-on comedic timing, which possesses a nearly laser-like precision.

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series

"Box Cutter" - Breaking Bad
"Crawl Space" - Breaking Bad
"Blackwater" - Game of Thrones

"Marine One" - Homeland

"At the Codfish Ball" - Mad Men

"Commissions and Fees" - Mad Men

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

"Documentary Filmmaking: Redux" - Community
"She Did" - Girls
"The Kerkovich Way" - Happy Endings

"Ron and Tammys" - Parks and Recreation

"Win, Lose, or Draw" - Parks and Recreation
"Catherine" - Veep

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

"Crawl Space" - Breaking Bad
"Salud" - Breaking Bad
"Valar Morghulis" - Game of Thrones
"Marine One" - Homeland
"At the Codfish Ball" - Mad Men

"Signal 30" - Mad Men

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

"Heart of Archness: Part 3" - Archer
"She Did" - Girls
"Documentary Filmmaking: Redux" - Community
"Subway; Pamela" - Louie
"The Debate" - Parks and Recreation

"Ron and Tammys" - Parks and Recreation

"Catherine" - Veep

2011 Emmy Nominations

I haven't really talked about TV in months on this blog, which is strange considering the ridiculous amount of shows I follow. I didn't even make predictions for TV's big night, the Emmy Awards, and completely forgot that the nominations were announced this morning. As is usual with the Emmys in recent years, there's quite a bit here that I like, but also plenty of disappointments and missed opportunities.

**For a full list of nominees, go HERE.

Outstanding Comedy Series:
Glee
Parks and Recreation
The Office
30 Rock
Modern Family
The Big Bang Theory

All I really care about here is that Parks and Recreation has finally broken into the Emmy race. After an iffy debut season, the show has rapidly gained steam, and season 3 was easily its best to date. If the show can pull an upset win on September 18th, I'd be thrilled.

Outstanding Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

Another solid line up, although if any of these deserve to be replaced, and it pains me to say it, it's Dexter. Season 5 simply wasn't up to par, especially coming off of the incredible 4th season. FX's Justified deserved one of the six slots instead, especially since there wasn't an eligible season of Breaking Bad (the soon-to-start 4th season is eligible for next year, however). The nomination for Game of Thrones is a nice surprise as well. The show may lack the more intimate, high-intensity acting of Breaking Bad or Mad Men, but as compelling narratives go, it was one of the best. And speaking of Mad Men, I'm starting to wonder: can the show take the Drama trophy for the fourth consecutive year, or will Emmy voters go for something different to shake things up a little?

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Steve Carrell - The Office
Johnny Galecki - The Big Bang Theory
Matt LeBlanc - Episodes
Louis C.K. - Louis
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory

All I can think while reading this is "why doesn't Rob Lowe have one of these slots?" This is, LITERALLY, one of the worst snubs of the year. As evidence, I present the following:


Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series:
Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler - Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House M.D.
Timothy Olyphant - Justified

Along with the usual suspects (minus Bryan Cranston), I'm thrilled to see that both Buscemi and Olyphant have scored nominations this year for their strong work (now if only Justified can break into Best Drama at some point...). That said, with Cranston out of the way, I'm hoping that Jon Hamm can finally claim an Emmy this year, for what was perhaps his best work yet on Mad Men.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:
Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Laura Linney - The Big C
Melissa McCarthy - Mike and Molly
Martha Plimpton - Raising Hope
Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation

Now this is a strong line up, one that is, surprisingly, made up of mostly new entries (the only returning nominees are Falco and Fey). Linney's role has the most drama to it, which gives her an edge over the other comedic roles (save for Falco, who some say isn't even in a comedy...). Still, I'm glad that Amy Poehler finally earned a nomination for playing Leslie Knope, and that Martha Plimpton was recognized for her work on the surprisingly hilarious Raising Hope.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
Kathy Bates - Harry's Law
Connie Britton - Friday Night Lights
Mireille Enos - The Killing
Mariska Hargitay - Law and Order: SVU
Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men

While Mireille Enos is an interesting surprise, Emmy voters, I'm begging you, please finally reward Elisabeth Moss. Like Hamm, she had possibly her best year yet, and considering that she's one of the show's most interesting characters, that's really saying something.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Ty Burrell - Modern Family
Chris Colfer - Glee
Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men
Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Modern Family
Ed O'Neil - Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family

It's really nice that Ed O'Neil was actually able to join the other men of Modern Family this year; he's just as deserving as the rest of that excellent ensemble. Less deserving is Jon Cryer, who is here in a slot that should be filled by either Nick Offerman or Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation. Not that it matters, since I have a hard time seeing anyone but Chris Colfer taking the award home this year.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Andre Braugher - Men of a Certain Age
Josh Charles - The Good Wife
Alan Cumming - The Good Wife
Peter Dinklage - Game of Thrones
Walton Goggins - Justified
John Slattery - Mad Men

Now here's a category where it's pretty much up in the air. Of the repeat nominees, none were considered front-runners, which could leave this race wide open for an excellent newcomer like Dinklage or the slithery Goggins to walk away with the trophy. Somewhat mystifying, though, is how, with all of the Boardwalk Empire love, the Emmy voters passed over Michael Shannon's scary-as-hell turn as a hardline Christian/Prohibition-enforcing federal agent.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Julie Bowen - Modern Family
Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
Jane Lynch - Glee
Sofia Vergara - Modern Family
Kristen Wiig - Saturday Night Live
Betty White - Hot in Cleveland

Though I fear that Lynch will win again even after season 2 wasted her character, I have hope that one of the Modern Family ladies will pull through. Bowen, in particular, was on fire this year, and would be a perfect change of pace for the category.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Christine Baranski - The Good Wife
Michelle Forbes - The Killing
Christina Hendricks - Mad Men
Kelly MacDonald - Boardwalk Empire
Margo Martindale - Justified
Archie Panjabi - The Good Wife

Another strong set; the women really hit it out of the park this year on TV. As nice as it would be to see Hendricks win (how her show hasn't won a single acting Emmy is beyond me), I think the two best here are MacDonald and Martindale. Martindale's chilling scene in the first few episodes of Justified alone was worthy of a nomination, and the rest of her work didn't disappoint.

Best and Worst: The Emmys

Last night's Emmy Awards, under the hosting of Jimmy Fallon, actually turned out to be a relatively solid show (it actually came in at exactly 3 hours, which is pretty impressive). However, not everything worked, whether it was in the acting awards or in Fallon's hosting job. Here's a look at the 62nd Emmy Awards' best and worst moments, along with a handful of things that land somewhere in-between.

Best:

The Opening: What started as a Jimmy Fallon-meets-Glee bit quickly expanded to include the likes of Tiny Fey, Jane Lynch, and Jon Hamm (who may have missed his calling in physical/slapstick comedy). After the taped segment ended, the group rushed on stage live to deliver a fast-paced and very funny song and dance rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" (I'll add a video if it ever pops up online).

Ricky Gervais presenting (oh I wish I could find a picture, believe me): After a slightly rambling (and increasingly funny) intro and a fantastic line about Mel Gibson ("he's been through a lot. Not as much as the Jews..."), Gervais then became obsessed with one of the nominees for Directing for a Variety Series named Bucky Gunts. After several jokes, Gervais opened the envelope, only to throw up his arms and exclaim, "And the winner is...BUCKY GUNTS!"

Modern Family takes Best Comedy Series: The other, less talked about, hit freshman show of last year deservedly took home the award for its consistently hilarious first season. Though I hope the cast and crew are prepared to receive hundreds of angry letters about how they "suck and OMG GLEE SHOULA WON!!!"

Mad Men wins for the third consecutive year: I was slightly hoping for a Dexter upset here, but this is more than acceptable. My only fear now is that the show's winning streak will end next year, even though season 4 has thus far been consistently superior to season 3.

Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) and Jane Lynch (Glee) take home the Supporting Actor/Actress - Comedy: The rightfully deserving duo (though as I've said before, both of these categories were stacked with deserving winners) made for a great surprise and an expected triumph respectively, delivering sweet, albeit rushed, thank-you's.

The pre-taped segment about "how to improve Modern Family": Just more proof as to why this is the best (comedic) ensemble on TV. Video to come if it can be found.

Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) wins Supporting Actor - Drama: Against formidable competition (especially the Lost boys), Paul won for what was probably his best work on the show, and seemed genuinely delighted (make that "ecstatic") and in awe of it all.

Dexter's Steve Shill wins for Best Directing (Drama): That the show won an award for its wrenching season finale is fitting, though it can't quite erase the sting of the fact that Michael C. Hall went home empty handed.

George Clooney's humanitarian award: No, he really doesn't need to be exalted any further in Hollywood, but he did give a lovely, grounded speech, so kudos.

Worst:

Everything else in Jimmy Fallon's routine: The constant singing in the audience (which at one point involved a duet with Kim Kardashian...why!?) didn't take long to grow old.

Top Chef wins Best Reality Competition Program: Project Runway is never going to win this award, apparently. And what exactly makes Top Chef so great when you can never truly judge what the contestants have made? At least with something like "Runway" or American Idol you can see/hear the contestant's work, but no matter how well you know food, you'll never be able to taste whatever the TC contestants come up with, which seems pretty weak to me.

The Mad Men girls lose out: I haven't seen The Good Wife, in all fairness, but Moss and Hendricks were both so good last season, and isn't it about time that this show actually took home an Emmy for acting?

Al Pacino's acceptance speech: For all the ups and downs in his career, there's no denying that Pacino is one of the finest living actors. That said, whenever he gives a speech, he becomes a very fast cure for insomnia.

Anna Paquin: I wasn't aware that the matador look was in style this year...

In-Between

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) wins Best Actor (Drama) for the third consecutive year: I'm torn here, because while his work is certainly strong, I think it's high time that either Jon Hamm (Mad Men) or Michael C. Hall (Dexter), who were both at career highs in their most recent season, took this one home. Maybe that will finally happen next year, considering those rumors that Breaking Bad's 4th season might be coming back too late to be eligible for the 2011 ceremony...

The order of presentation: While keeping the awards (save for best series) clumped together by category (comedy, reality, drama, miniseries/TV movie) kept the show from feeling scattershot, once the comedy awards were over (they were first) the show started to get a little sluggish.

John Hodgman's commentary: Though he would usually throw in something funny/false in about the most recently announced winner, Hodgman was often rushed and inaudible, rendering his quips useless (to be fair though, there were a few great lines in there).

Mad Men wins the wrong award: Congratulations to Matt Weiner and crew for picking up a writing award. It's just a shame that it was for the wrong episode ("Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency..." is one of the series' all-time best).

30 Rock leaves empty-handed: I hope no one had a rage stroke...

The Daily Show wins...again: I'm stunned that of the two men in the audience likely to benefit from sympathy (Michael C. Hall and Conan), that O'Brien didn't take this one. And for that matter, is The Colbert Report ever going to win this? It's not that Jon Stewart's show can't be funny and/or insightful, but he's not exactly miles ahead of his competition; this is one Emmy winning-streak that really needs to end.

The speeches: Amidst the gushy, boring, and sincere acceptance speeches, none of them really sparked with wit, charm, or humor, (and there's usually one a year, if not more).