People Who SHOULD be Emmy Winners by Now!!!

(2006-2007)
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in "House MD"

Honestly, you'd think he'd have SEVERAL trophies by now?! James Spader was pretty good and deserves his win for "Boston Legal", but I don't think he really NEEDS that third win. Hugh Laurie got screwed for 8 years straight...

(1990 --- 1998)
Jason Alexander as George Costanza in "Seinfeld"

This one needs no explanation...

"I declare this, the SUMMER OF GEORGE!"

Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy in "Law & Order"

McCoy always gets his man. "Law & Order" has always serves as a hot piping slice of neo-realism on television and perhaps that's why it's always been overlooked for the major categories. The academy always likes to award 'stars' not actors. L&O's characters have a way of blending into the background of New York's uncensored street life while at the same time standing out right in front of you. In my book with any serious talk about Law & Order deserved awards past you can't start anywhere else than with Sam Waterston. A character actor who's had minor success in the past, never really standing out but always getting respectable work in movies, some of which being Woody Allen pieces. He seems JUST PERFECT for a "in the background" show like "Law & Order" and seemed to fit the bill to fill the shoes of previous stars Chris Noth, Michael Moriarty and George Dzundza. Waterston surely deserves one or more trophies for delivering some of the most earnest groundbreaking work in a role dramatic scripted television has ever seen!!!..

(No specific season)
Angie Harmon as ADA Abbie Charmichael in "Law & Order"

In the supporting category, how about we talk about the enchanting assistant district attorneys that either McCoy or Stone have always been paired with. My personal favorite being Angie Harmon. I knew nothing about the actress and at the time of my adolescence I saw Abbie Charmichael as a breath of fresh air on television. The less sexy she pretended to be the more appealing we all found her character. In a sea of perky hitched blondes her deep throated brunettism was original and fit the motif of the series. All the ADAs always seemed like real people and for me, someone who grew up just before the full bloom of the internet era, it was hard for me to see characters such as these as anything BUT real people.

Abbie was always the best cause she seemed the harshest and most cut-throat. Something you look for in a district attorney is a lack of empathy but an absence of sympathy can be quite unsettling. I wouldn't exactly call Abbie a robot, but the next best thing would probably make a victim feel that much safer...

(No specific season)
Jill Hennessy as ADA Claire Kincaid in "Law & Order"

It's worth mentioning Hennessy's work in probably the most respectable role she's ever taken on. Had I known the EMBARRASSMENT her career would take on later ("Jordan's Crossing") I probably would have appreciated her subtle work as ADA Kincaid more on the peak of L&O popularity. It one of the most shocking conclusions in the course of the series to actually have her character KILLED off rather than just transfer out like most characters that run through the show was a work of pure genius on the part of the writers. Fans of L&O: SVU who don't know the history might be curious to know there's quite a powerful story behind Capt. Cragan's constantly mentioned sobriety on that series. I believe I just gave you all a hint what it ties in to.

Kincaid was clever, pretty but didn't make a spectacle of it. Truly the pinnacle of Hennessy's acting career that deserves an honorable mention in the annals of television history...

(1992-1993)
Carey Lowell as ADA Jamie Ross in "Law & Order"

Great in her performance until she was forced to prematurely leave the show due to an unforeseen pregnancy that the writers couldn't work around. Jamie was alright I suppose, certainly award worthy, but that's like attempting to choose which doctor of "ER" you felt deserved to win MORE than the other - talented actor number 1 or talented actor number 2. Just because I liked Claire and Abbie better doesn't mean I feel Jamie was 'inferior'...

(No specific season)
Laura Innes as Dr. Kerry Weaver in "ER"

Credited as being one of the most authentic, flawless medical jargon speaking series ever put on tv. Although I was never really as big of fan of the show as everyone else and sometimes found myself either bored or gaining a migraine trying to keep up with it. I always found Wyle's performance to be flat and overhyped. My FAV doctor without a doubt would have to be Dr. Weaver. It took me a while to understand what the story was with the cane and although I didn't want to I always seemed to find my adolescent subconscious 'scrutinizing' over every movement her character made with it, expecting to catch the actress in a flaw (like expecting a paraplegic to momentarily use his/her legs on screen - oops?) but Innes was always perfect.

I got a little bored with the character once the series tried to be topical and started bringing a new sexual orientation development to Innes' character. Even though this was groundbreaking as pre-Prop 8 era, it just made the show stuff and heavy handed. Especially when they got to the endless over-melodramatic subject of Dr. Corday's baby.

So any season just before that arc is probably my choice for the peak of Dr. Weaver and Innes' IMMACULATE contribution to television history. Weaver was although my favorite, she was also a bit of a prick on the show. By the book know-it-all, who often acted as "the Man" until later seasons made her a sympathetic character, man hating her unwavering ethics only made me love her character even more...

(2010-2011)
Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel in "Glee"

What's with everyone and their "Modern Family" craze, I don't get it??? Talk about your 'stereotyping', modern politically correct pandering. Somewhere out there Ty Burrell had Chris' statuette. And this was the best season to win for, how stuffy can the academy be when they got the hottest man on Earth up for an Emmy and they give it to the least funny performance in a 'funnyman' contest???...

(1991-1992)
James Avery as Phillip Banks in "the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"

Oh I get it -- this is cause he's black right?

Seriously, people think just cause Will Smith was using it as a vehicle to launch him to movie stardom (to which I've always felt that critics have unfairly underestimated even Smith's performance as powerful as episodes "Just Say Yo" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Escuse" were) that this was a silly and unprofessional, television trash. But I implore everyone to look objectively at James Avery's immaculate work over 6 seasons as the hot-tempered but respectable and well educated Phillip Banks, Will's main antagonist half the time. Uncle Phil was such a great father and his best work was surely during this season in particular, with the highlight being the hilarity of episode "Strip-Tease for Two". Take one look at Avery's performance over the course of this series and try and convince me this isn't Emmy worthy material?...

(2004-2005)
Christopher Meloni as Det. Elliot Stabler in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

With Det. Olivia Benson as my mom's current role model you can't imagine how ecstatic (as the whole family we are devout fans of the series) we all were to FINALLY see Mariska Hargitay's MUCH EARNED victory for leading female drama. However, EQUALLY strong is Chris Meloni's dedicated and groundbreaking work as Det. Stabler, a sex crimes detective while although skilled remains disgruntled and each week pushed further and further to the edge of murdering someone, as a family values man DROWNING in a sea of New York's most rancid filth!

I dare you all to take one look as the episode "Rage" and tell me this man doesn't deserve a freakin' Emmy???!!!...

(No specific season)
John Mahoney as Martin Crane in "Frasier"

This one's kind of a tough one cause on the one hand John Mahoney can't quite get a win past co-star David Hyde-Pierce and one look at seeing the show and any viewer could hardly doubt Hyde-Pierce's legitimacy for 4 victories in the past. But those unfamiliar with the show should note that Mahoney also delivered some touching and memorable work as Frasier Crane's stubborn, sarcastic father, who despite his justified grumpiness at his son's eccentricities, always put his love and affection for them before all else...

(1992-1993)
Tim Allen as Tim Taylor in "Home Improvement"

Oh common. If people can't be 'duped' into believing Ray Romano has provided us with something award worthy for playing an annoying spoiled unfunny man-child for 9 years consecutive (or is it 11?) surely Jerry Seinfeld or Tim Allen deserve some of the credit for acting as the blueprint to "Everybody Loves Raymond's" plagiarism. Mock it all you want, this show was HOT back in my youth. It probably hasn't aged well and being connected to Disney you probably shouldn't expect it to. But for me, Tim Taylor was always MUCH MORE than just a misogynistic tool man who breaks things and offends his wife all the time.

When you got right down to it every episode had a moral message to it without seeming too preachy (until they got to the 'pot' episode) and Tim Taylor was a decent provider and caring father, he's actually one of my FAV tv dads of all time. I would certainly say most people have a jaded cynicism to this show as Allen's comedy on the show was primarily action based, but it made for tv memory gold. And underneath it all was an earnest heart to the characters, Allen's personal best in my book the further back you go the better. One episode in particular that deserves an award cause it really got to me, the episode entitled "Where There's a Will, There's a Way". Who knew how much it would teach me when years later I'm pondering my own mortality in such a similar basis...

(No specific season)
Brett Butler as Grace Kelly in "Grace Under Fire"

Before the backstage drama got out of control this show was freakin' hilarious! And Grace Kelly was unlike any tv mom ever before presented on television. She was harsh, devoted, overworked, sarcastic but not mockingly whenever her children were concerned. The underlining sordid past between Grace and her ex-husband Jimmy was always genuine and pivotal to breaking television standards. It's such a shame that 'trash' like "Everybody Loves Ray" can go on for over a decade while tv gold like this show gets written out of history when the degree of superiority is self-evident...