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« Roush Dispatch
SAG Goes Mad for Men
30 Rock's Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin by Mary Ellen Mathews/NBC Photo
I suppose I could dwell on the fact that a major Hollywood guild has once again ignored the very existence of TV's finest acting ensemble, Friday Night Lights — in favor of the mugging and posturing on Boston Legal. As they'd say on another SAG favorite, Grey's Anatomy: Seriously? Is it wrong to want to form our own picket line?
Also: What's up with snubbing Pushing Daisies and its fantastical cast?
And yet the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, announced Thursday morning, did shower love on my favorite new show of 2007, AMC's Mad Men, and its terrific star, Jon Hamm (who has just joined the cast of the remake of the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still, with Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, which sounds appropriately robotic). So while not all may be forgiven, the wound stings a little less.
My favorite part of the SAG Awards is the ensemble-cast category. Because let's face it, most great TV shows rely on cast chemistry. Even The Closer, which on face value looks like a vehicle for Kyra Sedgwick (who makes the most of it), is blessed with such a deep bench of great actors who mesh so effortlessly that its ensemble nomination makes perfect sense.
Besides Mad Men and The Closer, ensemble nods for the drama series went to Grey's Anatomy, The Sopranos and the aforementioned (and incredibly overrated) Boston Legal. Comedy-ensemble nominations went to 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives (correcting last week's Golden Globes snub), Entourage, The Office and Ugly Betty.
Other notes of interest: In the drama category for female actor, only one nominee (Sally Field of Brothers & Sisters) represents a show on a broadcast network. The rest are cable headliners: Glenn Close of Damages, Edie Falco of The Sopranos, Holly Hunter of Saving Grace and Sedgwick. Surprisingly MIA is The Riches' ferocious Minnie Driver.
The toughest category to call, as usual, is male actor in drama, which pits Jon Hamm against Dexter's Michael C. Hall, House's Hugh Laurie, The Sopranos' James Gandolfini and Boston Legal's James Spader. The most glaring omission from this category is anyone from The Shield, most notably Michael Chiklis and the remarkable Walton Goggins. (In a sign that TV isn't on equal footing with movies at the SAG Awards, there are no categories for TV supporting players. Which also probably helped shut out Damages' incredible Ted Danson.)
In comedy, the male-actor category is a pretty familiar group: 30 Rock's Alec Baldwin, The Office's Steve Carell, Extras' Ricky Gervais, Entourage's Jeremy Piven and Monk's Tony Shalhoub. The female comedy actor includes two from Ugly Betty: America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams. They're joined by Samantha Who?'s Christina Applegate, 30 Rock's Tina Fey and Weeds' Mary-Louise Parker. Notably, there's no recognition at all for anyone from any of CBS' hit comedies (including, most surprisingly, Julia Louis-Dreyfus of The New Adventures of Old Christine).
Not a perfect list, certainly. Feel free to vent here with your own gripes. And set your calendar for Jan. 27, when the show will be simulcast on TBS and TNT. Unless the strike ends early in the new year, this may be the only major entertainment awards show where the big stars are guaranteed to appear. The WGA granted this show a waiver, unlike the Golden Globes and the Oscars, out of guild unity.
And if I were voting? I'm rooting for either Jon Hamm or Michael C. Hall for male drama actor, Glenn Close for female drama actor, and Alec Baldwin and Mary-Louise Parker for comedy. In the movie/miniseries categories, I'd go with John Turturro as Billy Martin in ESPN's The Bronx Is Burning and Queen Latifah in HBO's Life Support.
And best ensembles? Mad Men or The Sopranos for drama, and 30 Rock for comedy.
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Dec 20, 2007 12:00 PM
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Even though I'm thrilled about MAD MEN being recognized, I am stunned that LOST and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS have been ignored. Stunned. I literally live for LOST and FNL is appointment television every week. sigh. Does anyone even watch Boston Legal??
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Dec 20, 2007 12:28 PM
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These people obviously do not watch much TV! No FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS?
Are you kidding me?
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Dec 20, 2007 12:31 PM
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I could not agree more with fcadena and Ranger99. I usually like watching the SAG awards as I feel they usually get it right more often than the Globes or Emmys, but I don't really have much of a desire to watch this year without ANY nominations for LOST or FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.
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Dec 20, 2007 1:16 PM
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The SAG nominees are such a joke. Same old, same old. If the actors can't even recognize the amazing talents of Kyle, Connie and the rest of the FNL cast, then it is a travesty. Boston Legal over Friday Night Lights? I know there is a strike going on but did they even watch tv for this voting period? Count me out on watching the awards.
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Dec 20, 2007 1:18 PM
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Where's Jesse Plemmons in Drama Actor. What a snub!
Very happy to see Boston Legal get in for ensemble. That is a true ensemble show. Can't wait to see Tara Summers, Saffron Burrows, James Spader, William Shatner, Christian Clemmenson and all the rest of the cast like Candice Bergin and John Larroquette. Hopefully Spader wins.
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Dec 20, 2007 2:40 PM
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Once again they omit 2 of the BEST casts in TV: Lost and Friday Night Lights. Shame on them! Boston Legal is so 4 years ago, get over this show already, there is nothing new about it...lame and old!
My God, how do you choose between Jon Hamm and Michael C. Hall? That is just way to hard of a choice. I won't even call that one.
I'll go with Glenn Close for female drama, Alec Baldwin for Male comedy, Tina Fey or Christina Apllegate for female comedy, Mad Men for ensemble drama & 30 Rock for Ensemble comedy.
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Dec 20, 2007 3:23 PM
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I've always had a problem with the SAGs. They're fairly new - they just started in the mid 90s. I can see why the Screen Actors Guild would want their own award (although it might have been better had they declared themselves above it), but without fail they are handed to exactly the same actors who are already collecting the Emmys, Oscars, Golden Globes, etc. "Award Season" always has sweepers.
I'm sure there's some sort of agreement as to the Oscars being the Award Season finale and coming last. But I think the SAGs should wait until the day after the Oscars to announce their nominees - and in order to qualify nominees have to have NOT won an Emmy, Oscar, GG, or major critic's association award. That would be sharing the wealth, which an organized body of actors should want to do (I said "should want" - I'm sure there are many who are happy to hog all the prizes). That way we wouldn't have to watch the same people win at ceremony after ceremony.
It would also add something to the Oscar ceremony - we could all watch the winner's face fall as he or she realizes "Damn, there goes the SAG!"
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Dec 20, 2007 3:23 PM
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I echo everyone's comments re FNL! Is Boston Legal still on??!! James Spader over Kyle Chandler...PLEASE!! Holly Hunter over Connie Britton...what a travesty.
Someone else who should have been nominated is Dennis Leary. He is phenomenal on Rescue Me, especially this past season.
Thank goodness Charles Durning is going to get the Lifetime achievement award!
I am however ecstatic about Mad Men and Jon Hamm!!
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Dec 20, 2007 3:56 PM
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What a surprise... Matt's complaining about Boston Legal being nominated!
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Dec 20, 2007 4:26 PM
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Does anyone even watch Boston Legal??
Yes. 
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Dec 20, 2007 4:27 PM
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I truly don't understand how Friday Night Lights and Lost weren't nominated. Both those shows have such amazing casts! I am happy about the love for 30 Rock and The Office though.
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Dec 20, 2007 4:52 PM
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Perhaps, the voters are tired of being told how great FNL is. I watched the show and while it's good, it's not one that I would actively seek out.
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Dec 20, 2007 5:36 PM
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People in Hollywood don't like FNL's glorification of George W Bush values and people.
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Dec 20, 2007 6:00 PM
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I happen to enjoy Boston Legal very much. The writing on that show is hy-ster-i-cal, and the "cases" tackled are often ripped from the headlines. The stuff that comes out of Allan's mouth is pure gold somtimes. He says what I often wish I could say.
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Dec 20, 2007 6:38 PM
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