Yidio Emmy Spotlight: Outstanding Comedy Series
by Andy Neuenschwander
In the Yidio Emmys Spotlight, we take a look at the key races at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards. Today we look at the Outstanding Comedy Series category, which includes some heavy hitters and a couple of newbies.
Past Winners
Television is a medium that serves comedy incredibly well, and we've seen some true classics in the past. "Cheers" and "M*A*S*H" are tied for the most nominations at 11, but interestingly "Frasier" has the most awards with 5.
Recently it's been something of a dynasty for "30 Rock," as the show won three years in a row. But last year it saw major new competition in the sublime "Modern Family," which took the award in its first year.
The Nominees
"Glee"
"Parks & Recreation"
"Modern Family"
"30 Rock"
The Prospects
"Modern Family" seems almost impossible to beat. It's truly hilarious, it's heartwarming, and it has a broad appeal (read: it's old-people-friendly). A look at the Supporting Actor in a Comedy category will tell you just how much voters love this show.
Its competition is varied: both "Glee" and "The Office" suffered a decline in quality, so if neither won last year they're not likely to win this year, even with Steve Carell leaving. "30 Rock" had a strong season as always, but nothing that would put it over the equally strong season of "Modern Family."
That leaves the two newcomers to the nominee list: "Parks & Recreation" and "The Big Bang Theory." These two comedies have a tremendous amount of buzz about them, and voters clearly like "Big Bang": both leading men are nominated for awards this year.
Predictions
The safe bet here is "Modern Family." But if you're looking for a sleeper, consider "The Big Bang Theory"...I don't personally think it deserves to win, but voters seem to really like it. In a perfect world, "Parks & Recreation" would have an equal shot at this as "Modern Family," but this isn't a perfect world...maybe this year voters will start actually watching one of the best comedies on TV.