Beware: Amy Poehler will get cutthroat to win that Emmy [Video]

Being nice didn't work last year when Amy Poehler got nominated for best comedy actress at the Emmys for "Parks and Recreation." She lost to Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie"), who previously had won three Emmys as steel-nerved mafia mama Carmela Soprano on "The Sopranos." So I urge the former star of "Mean Girls" to get, well, mean this year.

That's a problem for Poehler because she's sweet by nature and she's usually nominated against pals like Tina Fey ("30 Rock"). "Yeah," she agrees with a nervous giggle (video below), "in fact, I just saw Tina yesterday and we were laughing about it."

But Poehler understands that seizing the highest honor of her profession is no laughing matter. "I know I should be more cutthroat and competitive about it," she sighs. "I've got to start thinking about these people as my sworn enemy. I'm going to start training like that girl from 'Hanna.' I'm going to shoot deer in the forest and get ready for the Emmys."

Rallying to the challenge, she says facing off against Carmela Soprano/Nurse Jackie Peyton doesn't scare her. "Edie Falco is really tough," she notes, "but she's little."

Poehler's toughest challenger this year may actually be three-time champ Laura Linney ("The Big C"), who's never lost an Emmy race. "Laura Linney is such a great actress and such a lovely person," Poehler concedes, "but I will take her out at the knees if I have to."

We offer our help and she's grateful because Poehler follows The Envelope, including our forums. "I can't read all of the comments because they're not always positive," she says with a wry smile, but she likes to track the discussion of what episode she should submit to the Emmy jury. So I just set up a special thread in our message boards to focus just on that topic -- pipe in if you've got some thoughts.

"The viewers sometimes have a better perspective than the actors, so I'm open to suggestions," she adds. "So you tell me. I trust your analysis and judgment much more than my own when it comes to this kind of stuff. I'm depending on you to tell me what to wear, where to show up and whose knees to take out with a pipe."

-- Tom O'Neil

Photo: Amy Phoehler in "Parks and Recreation." Credit: NBC

'The Office' farewell present to Steve Carell: Emmy?

While appearing on "The Office," Steve Carell lost five Emmy bouts: twice to Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), once, most recently, to Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory"), once to Tony Shalhoub ("Monk") and once, quite ironically, to Ricky Gervais, who created the original British version of "The Office" but won his Emmy for "Extras" while competing against the U.S. version of "The Office."

Blame part of Carell's poor luck on the episodes submitted to the Emmy juries. They just didn't have the emotional oomph sufficient to knock voters' blocks off. But now Carell has two episodes that might prove victorious. For weeks, our forum commenters have been hyping his sweet marriage proposal to Holly (Amy Ryan) as a real winner. However, his farewell from the series was a heart-tugger with a plus: Being a special one-hour episode, it will be twice as long as most sitcom entries in the category.

Which one should he submit this year? Below, what our forum writers said when I posed the question. See more responses here.

Brilliance inmorbid: It was a good episode and a solid goodbye, but it could come off as overly sappy if you don't have an emotional connection to the series. Carell is the front-runner, but this isn't unbeatable.

LadyHathor25: Carell absolutely needs to go with "Goodbye, Michael". He would be a total fool to not to. This is a winning tape.

Hodag129: Tom, you're great and I appreciate all you do here, but this is a dumb question. Definitely "Goodbye Michael."

tv_freak: The goodbye episode because of screen time, sentiment, and it's equally emotional as the proposal. He may not even have the most LOL tape of the six nominees, especially if you have not watched this show from the start. All things considered, this is his episode from beginning to end.

GoMe91: I love Alec Baldwin, but if the Emmy voters give Alec the Emmy over Steve, they are not doing anyone any favors. Not the show 30 Rock. Not Alec. Because whoever weirdly beats Steve this year, will be criticized unmercifully until the next ceremony. So JUST GIVE STEVE THE EMMY ALREADY and make everyone happy. Jim Parsons already has one. Alec has two. Let's spread the love and give it to Steve after 7 amazing seasons!

-- Tom O'Neil

Photos: The farewell of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) from "The Office" (top) and his proposal to Holly (lower). Credit: NBC

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Emmy inside track: The comedy series race

All six of our forum moderators believe "Modern Family" will reap the Emmy for comedy series again. Moderators Chris Beachum, Matt Cormier, Marcus Dixon, Darrin Dortch, Rob Licuria and Matt Noble all place the ABC laffer in the top spot when ranking likely nominees according to their likelihood of winning. Four of them put "30 Rock" -- which won three times (2009, 2008, 2007) -- in second place. Licuria thinks "The Office" (winner, 2006) poses the most serious challenge to "Modern Family" continuing its reign, and Dixon gave his vote to "Glee."

-- Tom O'Neil

COMEDY SERIES	Beachum	Cormier	Dixon	Dortch	Licuria	Noble
‘30 Rock’	2	2	3	2	4	2
‘The Big Bang Theory’	6	6	5	6		6
‘The Big C’			4			5
‘Glee’	3	3	2	3	3	4
‘Hot in Cleveland’	5				5
‘Modern Family’	1	1	1	1	1	1
‘Nurse Jackie’		4		5	6
‘The Office’	4	5		4	2	3
‘Parks and Recreation’			6

 
BEST TV COMEDY SERIES
(Favorites)
"The Big Bang Theory"
"The Big C"
"Episodes"
"Glee"
"Hot in Cleveland"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"Modern Family"
"Nurse Jackie"
"The Office"
"Parks & Recreation"
"Raising Hope"
"30 Rock"

Emmy inside track: The race for best comedy actress

Five of the six 2010 Emmy nominees for best comedy actress are likely to be nominated again: Toni Collette ("United States of Tara"), Tina Fey ("30 Rock"), Lea Michele ("Glee"), Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation") and last year's winner, Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie"). That sixth slot was held last year by Julia Louis-Dreyfus for the now-cancelled "New Adventures of Old Christine." Who'll nab it next: Laura Linney ("The Big C"), Courteney Cox ("Cougar Town"), Patricia Heaton ("The Middle"), Wendie Malick ("Hot in Cleveland") or Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds")?

Our forum moderators have just updated their predictions, which rank the contenders by likelihood of winning. Three of them are betting on Linney to win: Marcus Dixon, Rob Licuria and Matt Noble. Three are backing recent champ Falco: Chris Beachum, Darrin Dortch and Matthew Cormier. Beachum and Licuria explain their views in the webcam slugfest below.

Personally, I think Linney's got this in the bag because of the strong emotional wallop of the pilot episode of "The Big C" as her character wrestles with cancer and a dying marriage. Remember how Emmy winners are selected –- by about 50 or 60 judges viewing a sample episode submitted by each nominee. None of Linney's rivals has an episode with as much oomph.

Also, check out our handicapping of the Emmy races for best drama series, lead drama actor, supporting comedy actor and supporting comedy actress.

-- Tom O'Neil

LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS	Beachum	Cormier	Dixon	Dortch	Licuria	Noble
Toni Collette, ‘United States of Tara’	4	5	4	5	4
Courteney Cox, ‘Cougar Town’		6
Edie Falco, ‘Nurse Jackie’	1	1	3	1	2	2
Tina Fey, ‘30 Rock’	3	2		2	3	3
Patricia Heaton, ‘The Middle’			6
Laura Linney, ‘The Big C’	2	3	1	3	1	1
Wendie Malick, ‘Hot in Cleveland’	6
Lea Michele, ‘Glee’		4	5	6	6	5
Mary-Louise Parker, ‘Weeds’						6
Amy Poehler, ‘Parks and Recreation’	5		2	4	5	4

 

RELATED:

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Emmy inside track: The race for supporting comedy actor

Emmy inside track: The race for TV drama actor

Emmy cliffhanger: What'll win best TV drama series?

Steve Carell: Goodbye, 'The Office' -- Hello, Emmy?

Photos: Laura Linney, left, in "The Big C" and Edie Falco in "Nurse Jackie": Credit: Showtime

Emmy inside track: The race for supporting comedy actor

There's a very good chance that all six of last year's Emmy nominees for best supporting comedy actor will return. That means the "Modern Family" trio likely will be back: Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and 2010 winner Eric Stonestreet. But, hey, what about their poor costar Ed O'Neill, who's never nabbed an Emmy nom, not even back during his "Married With Children" heyday?

If O'Neill finally sneaks in along with his "Family" members, that means one of the other 2010 nominees must go. But recent Golden Globe champ Chris Colfer ("Glee") is so red hot right now that he's a lock for a spot, of course, and could finally win because he's way overdue. And nobody's bumping 2009 Emmy victor Jon Cryer ("Two and a Half Men"), who gets a big sympathy hug for all the tiger blood he's had to swallow of late. That leaves Neil Patrick Harris, who finally won Emmys last year, not for "How I Met Your Mother" but for guesting on "Glee" and for hosting the Tony Awards. He's overdue to win for "Mother," so surely he'll be nominated.

Knocking very hard on this category door are Mike O'Malley ("Glee") and  Oliver Platt ("The Big C") plus a few others. Below, my handicapping.

-- Tom O'Neil

BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR
(Front-runners)
Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
Chris Colfer, "Glee"
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, "Modern Family"
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"
Nick Offerman, "Parks and Recreation"
Mike O'Malley, "Glee"
Ed O'Neill, "Modern Family"
Oliver Platt, "The Big C"
Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"

Steve Carell: Goodbye, 'The Office' -- Hello, Emmy?

Steve Carell has never won an Emmy, but now four of our six forum moderators believe he'll finally prevail for his final season in "The Office" -- Marcus Dixon, Darrin Dortch, Rob Licuria and Matt Noble. According to their newly updated rankings in the Emmy race for lead comedy actor, our moderators are split on who else may be out front to win: Chris Beachum believes two-time champ Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock") will triumph again while Matthew Cormier is betting on the return of last year's champ Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory").

Of course, it all comes down to the strength of the sample episode that the nominees decide to submit to the Emmy jury. Most of our pundits are betting on Carell because they assume he'll submit Michael's sweet marriage proposal to Holly (Amy Ryan) or else, if it's strong enough, his final farewell to the Dunder Mifflin gang.

Notice how many of our Emmy pundits believe Ed O'Neill ("Modern Family") will move up to the lead race after he failed to be nominated last year in supporting. Such a switch is speculation, not official. Also notice how none of our pundits includes past nominee Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men") in their rankings. How telling is that, eh?

-- Tom O'Neil

LEAD COMEDY ACTOR	Beachum	Cormier	Dixon	Dortch	Licuria	Noble
Alec Baldwin, ‘30 Rock’	1	2	3	2	3	3
Steve Carell, ‘The Office’	2	3	1	1	1	1
Matt LeBlanc, ‘Episodes’			6		5
Danny McBride, ‘Eastbound & Down’	6		5			3
Joel McHale, ‘Community’	4			6	4	5
Matthew Morrison, ‘Glee’	5	4	4	4		4
Ed O’Neill, ‘Modern Family’		5		5
Jim Parsons, ‘Big Bang Theory’	3	1	2	3	2	2
Matthew Perry, ‘Mr. Sunshine’					6
Jason Schwartzman, ‘Bored to Death’						6
William Shatner, “.... My Dad Says’		6

Photo: NBC

Emmys: Should Jon Cryer move up to the lead comedy actor race for 'Two and a Half Men'?

After reading my recent riff on the question of whether "Glee" star Chris Colfer should jump up to the lead Emmy race from the supporting comedy actor competition, our forums moderator, Matt Noble, pondered another possible category switcheroo.

Should Jon Cryer ("Two and a Half Men") -- who won best supporting comedy actor two years ago -- move up? There's a lot of room in the lead-actor category. Only three contenders look like shoo-ins for a nomination: Steve Carell (who's never won for "The Office"), Alec Baldwin (won twice for "30 Rock") and last year's champ Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory"). Matt Noble sends us his thoughts below:

With three open slots in the lead actor race, it seems like it could be a category worth competing in. There is talk that Chris Colfer and Ed O'Neill should perhaps take advantage of the field and promote themselves. However, it seems like the best person to step up to the plate is actually Jon Cryer from "Two and a Half Men."

Firstly, Cryer has always had a prominent role in the series. The argument has been made every year that, as one of the show's "two men," he was entitled to the lead category.

He has already won once in supporting and likely wouldn't be able to beat the tough field there to win again. His chance of winning lead actor is also minimal, but he has little to lose by going up.

Charlie Sheen's public self-destruction makes this a smart move. Sheen has been nominated three times before, but missed out last year. Now voters aren't going to flock to him after his meltdown. With all the "Two and a Half Men" drama over the past year, Jon Cryer can be the person the academy can rally 'round. Giving Cryer a nom over Sheen is a way out of the current fiasco –- it acknowledges "Two and a Half Men" in a top category without rewarding Sheen.

It would also work well for CBS, which may be trying to promote the show next year without Sheen.

It seems like a move up would mean that Cryer, the Academy and CBS could all end up "winning" even if all Cryer gets is a nomination.

RELATED:

Is Chris Colfer really a lead actor on 'Glee'?

Emmy inside track: The race for TV drama actor

-- Tom O'Neil

Photo: Jon Cryer with his Emmy in 2009. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

Poll: Will 'Modern Family' win best comedy series again at the Emmys?

Last year, the Emmy race for best comedy series was no laughing matter. Three-time champ "30 Rock" entered the contest undefeated, facing off against newbies "Modern Family" and "Glee." "Modern Family" triumphed and has continued its quality in Season 2, but so has "Glee," which is now technically overdue to win, and "30 Rock," which is poised for revenge. What's ahead?

"The Office" won in 2006 and now has sentiment on its side as Steve Carell bids bye-bye. Certainly, it'll be nominated again. That makes four likely contenders in this category that has six nominees. Which shows will nab the other two slots?

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Nurse Jackie" pulled off surprise bids last year and "Jackie" at least may be back ("Curb" isn't eligible this year). But maybe not. It's vulnerable. "The Big Bang Theory" is long overdue for its first bid here and may finally get recognized thanks to Jim Parsons' winning best lead comedy actor last year.

Also in serious contention for a bid are "Episodes," "Family Guy" and -- uh-oh! -- "Two and a Half Men"? See list below. 

-- Tom O'Neil

* nominated last year

Photo: "Modern Family" (ABC) /p<>

Emmy smackdown: 'Glee,' 'Big Bang Theory,' 'Modern Family' and ... ?

"Modern Family" will win the Emmy for comedy series for a second year in a row, according six of The Envelope's forum moderators: Chris Beachum, Matthew Cormier, Marcus Dixon, Darrin Dortch, Rob Licuria and Matt Noble. When predicting all six nominees in the category ranked by likelihood of winning (see chart below), most place previous, three-time winner "30 Rock" (2007-2009) in the show position, followed by "Glee." Most of the pundits believe perennial nominee "The Office" will return, hoping for a farewell hug. Half of them say "Nurse Jackie" will repeat the nomination it received last year.

Other series receiving their votes: "The Big C," "Hot in Cleveland" and "Parks & Recreation."

Not listed, but also in contention: "Community," "Entourage," "Episodes," "Family Guy," "How I Met Your Mother," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," ""Two and a Half Men," "United States of Tara" and "Weeds.

BEST COMEDY	Beachum	Cormier	Dixon	Dortch	Licuria	Noble
“30 Rock’	2	2	3	2	2	2
“The Big Bang Theory”	6	6	5		5
‘The Big C’					6	5
‘’Glee’	3	3	2	3	3	4
‘Hot in Cleveland’	5			6		6
“Modern Family’	1	1	1	1	1	1
‘Nurse Jackie’		4		5	4
‘The Office’	4	5	4	4		3
‘Parks & Recreation’			6

RELATED:

Emmy conspiracy against "The Big Bang Theory"?

Will "Game of Thrones" be cursed at the Emmys?

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Emmy poll: Will "Walking Dead," "Dexter" or "Mad Men" win best TV drama series?

-- Tom O'Neil

Photos: "Glee" (Fox), "Big Bang Theory" (CBS), "Modern Family" (ABC)

 

Comedy Central/MTV Networks Comedy Awards nominations announced

 
So you thought the awards' season was officially over on Feb. 27, Oscar Sunday?

Think again. Comedy Central and MTV Networks have created the Comedy Awards, which will be telecast on April 10 on Comedy Central, Spike TV, TV Land, VH1, CMT and Nick at Night.
 Nominations in 15 categories were announced Tuesday. The nominees were chosen by the "Comedy Awards' Board of Directors,'' which includes director James Burrows, Stephen Colbert, Brad Grey, Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Rivers and Seth MacFarlane. The winners will be chosen by an invitation-only voting body from members of the comedy community.

The nominees are:

Comedy Series

"30 Rock"

"Eastbound & Down"

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

"Modern Family"

"The Office"

Comedy Actor-TV

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

Ty Burell, "Modern Family"

Steve Carell, "The Office"

Danny McBride, "Eastbound & Down"

Tracy Morgan, "30 Rock"

Comedy Actress-TV

Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

Jane Krakowski, "30 Rock"

Jane Lynch, "Glee"

Betty White, "Hot in Cleveland"

Kristen Wiig, "Saturday Night Live"

Comedy Actor-Film

Russell Brand, "Get Him to the Greek"

Will Ferrell, "The Other Guys"

Zach Galifianakis, "Dinner for Schmucks"

Paul Giamatti, "Barney's Version"

Jonah Hill, "Cyrus"

Comedy Actress-Film

Tina Fey, "Date Night"

Anne Hathaway, "Love & Other Drugs"

Helen Mirren, "Red"

Chloe Moretz, "Kick-Ass"

Emma Stone, "Easy A"

Late Night Comedy Series

"The Colbert Report"

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"

"Jimmy Kimmel Live"

"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

"Late Show with David Letterman"

Sketch Comedy/Alternative Comedy Series

"Children's Hospital"

"Funny or Die Presents"

"Saturday Night Live"

"Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job"

"Tosh.O"

Stand-Up Special

"Aziz Ansari: Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening"

"Bill Maher...But I'm Not Wrong"

"Louis C.K.: Hilarious"

"Ricky Gervais: Out of England 2"

"Whitney Cummings: Money Shot"

Comedy Film

"Cyrus"

"Easy A"

"Get Him to the Greek"

"Kick-Ass"

"The Other Guys"

Animated Comedy Film

"Despicable Me"

"Megamind"

"Shrek Forever After"

"Toy Story 3"

Animated Comedy  Series

"American Dad"

"Archer"

"Family Guy"

"The Simpsons"

"South Park"

For a complete list of nominees, go to Thecomedyawards.com

-- Susan King

Photo: Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin star in NBC's "30 Rock," which garnered seven Comedy Awards nominations. Credit: Nicole Rivelli / NBC Universal