While I was getting ready for vacation at the end of last week, the LA Times’ Gold Derby published a list of the 10 Emmy finalists in the drama and comedy category, including the episodes submitted for each show:
TOP 10 COMEDY SERIES FINALISTS
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (“The Bat Mitzvah”)
“Entourage” (“The Day F***ers”)
“Family Guy” (“Padre de Famila”)
“Flight of the Conchords” (“Sally Returns”)
“The Office” (title to come)
“Pushing Daisies” (“Pie-lette”)
“30 Rock” (“Cooter”)
“Two and a Half Men” (“Rough Night in Hump Junction”)
“Ugly Betty” (“Something Wicked This Way Comes”)
“Weeds” (“Go”).TOP 10 DRAMA SERIES FINALISTS
“Boston Legal” (“The Court Supreme”)
“Damages” (Pilot)
“Dexter” (“The Dark Defender”)
“Friday Night Lights” (“Leave No One Behind”)
“Grey’s Anatomy” (“Freedom, Parts 1 and 2”)
“House” (“Frozen”)
“Lost” (“The Constant”)
“Mad Men” (Pilot, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”)
“The Tudors” (#205)
“The Wire” (Series finale, “30”)
Which lends itself perfectly to our first robo-discussion of the week. Feel free to complain about the choices and omissions if you want. But I also offer a challenge: Choosing from only the ten finalists in each category—whether you agree with the finalist lists or not—which shows would you select as your top five in each category?
[Mine, in alphabetical order: FOTC, The Office, Pushing Daisies, 30 Rock and Weeds; Dexter, FNL, Lost, Mad Men and The Wire.]