Who we’d like to see as Emmy presenters

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The Emmys are less than a month away, so it’s time to start thinking about presenters we’d like to see bestowing awards to their peers on Sept. 18 when Jane Lynch (‘Glee’) hosts the kudofest on Fox. Here are a few choices for Emmy producers to chew over. If you have any other creative ideas, sound off in the comments section below.

Ed O’Neill with Katey Sagal
These former ‘Married ... With Children’ lovebirds went their entire careers without receiving Emmy nominations. Both had a great chance of breaking that curse this year, but only O’Neill came away with a nod for ‘Modern Family.’ Sagal must make due with her Golden Globe win earlier this year for ‘Sons of Anarchy.’ It sure would be nice to see these veteran actors appearing on camera once again all these years later. Emmy producers should like this idea since ‘Married ... With Children’ first appeared on Fox.

Walter Bishop with Walternate Bishop
Fans and critics blast the Emmys every year for snubbing ‘Fringe’ star John Noble. Since the awards are airing on Fox, this is the perfect time for the network to ballyhoo its cult sci-fi hit to the masses, while at the same time giving Noble some overdue Emmy attention. There’s no better way to showcase the craziness of the show than to have Noble appear as both of his characters -- the endearing Walter and the evil Walternate -- on the live telecast. With a little help from CGI, of course.

Steve Carell with James Spader
A passing of the ‘Office’ torch seems like a no-brainer for the Emmy telecast. Steve Carell famously hands the reins of the popular NBC comedy over to James Spader this season, so pairing them up together would be fun for ‘Office’ fans everywhere. This is Carell’s last shot at winning an Emmy for ‘The Office,’ so he’s already the talk of the town, and looking back at Spader’s Emmy history suggests he’ll be winning a trophy next year in the same lead actor category. (He replaced Dylan McDermott on ‘The Practice’ and won an Emmy for it.)

The kids of ‘Modern Family’
While the main stars of ‘Modern Family’ continue to rack up Emmy nominations, the hilarious kids on that show shouldn’t be forgotten. Rico Rodriguez, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter and Nolan Gould are each wonderful performers, it’s just a shame that Emmy has a bias against child actors.

The husbands of ‘Desperate Housewives’
Much like the above, all of the attention goes toward the main stars of ‘Desperate Housewives,’ and the lesser-known performers get overlooked. With the show ending next year, it’s one of the last times for the Emmys to recognize this once-popular nighttime soap opera, and having James Denton, Doug Savant and Ricardo Antonio Chavira take the stage would be a creative way to honor the series.

Bryan Cranston
No matter what happens, Bryan Cranston (‘Breaking Bad’) must present this year’s lead drama actor category. He’s dominated this race for the past three years, and now that he’s ineligible due to his show’s extended hiatus, it’d be a real treat to see him bestow the award to one of the leading men that he’s been keeping from winning.

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--Tom O’Neil