Who Would Win in a Contest of All-Time Greatest Emmy Winners?
Best Lead Actor -- Drama
· Peter Falk, Columbo
· James Garner, The Rockford Files
· Dennis Franz, NYPD Blue
· Andre Braugher, Homicide: Life on the Street
· James Gandolfini, The Sopranos
· Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Winner: James Gandolfini. Not only is Tony Soprano TV's greatest dramatic character, but we named Gandolfini himself one of the defining five TV personalities of the past decade.
Best Lead Actress -- Drama
· Michael Learned, The Waltons
· Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas
· Tyne Daly, Cagney and Lacey
· Allison Janney, The West Wing
· Edie Falco, The Sopranos
· Glenn Close, Damages
Winner: First of all, the list of winners in this category reveals it took a long time before great dramatic roles for women on television came along (no offense to four-time nominee Peggy Lipton.) Accordingly, I think this race is between the most recent two entries, Edie Falco and Glenn Close, and the winner would be Falco for The Sopranos. The show that set the bar for serialized drama as we know it also gave us TV's most compelling leading lady.
Best Supporting Actor -- Drama
· James Brolin, Marcus Welby, M.D.
· Michael Conrad, Hill Street Blues
· Larry Drake, L.A. Law
· Fyvush Finkel, Picket Fences
· Bradley Whitford, The West Wing
· Michael Emerson, Lost
Winner: Yet another strange list of honorees. Hill Street Blues is the defining dramatic show of the '80s, but I'd still give the all-time win to Bradley Whitford. Like Ed Asner, Whitford's got the kind of versatile sternness that makes serious moments sing but can also sell brilliant moments of levity, and it should've made The Good Guys a hit.
Best Supporting Actress -- Drama
· Lee Grant, Peyton Place
· Nancy Marchand, Lou Grant
· Julianna Margulies, E.R.
· Camryn Manheim, The Practice
· Drea de Matteo, The Sopranos
· Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Winner: Lee Grant is a living legend (and her performance in Shampoo is staggering), but I'm going to choose Julianna Margulies here. Carol Hathaway was a revelatory character in the early '90s: a mentally ill, palpably human, sharp professional. Margulies was the only E.R. cast member to get the Emmy, and I'd bet that's because her role was such a benchmark in '90s drama.
Best Drama
· Hill Street Blues
· Picket Fences
· E.R.
· The Sopranos
· Lost
· Mad Men
Winner: Fabulous lineup, but the refrain remains the same. The Sopranos redefined drama and ushered us into TV's true golden age. It wins again.
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Comments
Wow, this is the most arbitrary list of names. All in the Family was groundbreaking, I guess, but it does not hold up. Both Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton, fine actors as they are, tend to tear up too much. Surprisingly, the actor who holds up on this show is Sally Struthers. And don't be dissing Don Knotts. No way.
Oh, yeah, and 30 Rock and Arrested Development will not even be remembered 10 years from now. Thanks for remembering Dick Van Dyke the actor, but his show is much better than either of those and inspired so many workplace comedies such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and, yup, "30 Rock." And where the hell is "M*A*S*H?" Alan Alda, yes, most definitely deserves the place you have given him. Rest in peace Bea Arthur.
Are you sh*tting me? LOL
Maybe you are too young, but The Honeymooners is the standard by which all sit-coms are judged. Please name one that has surpassed it in the combination of laughs and poignancy. How many on your list are about 4 people and often in a living room? How many copies have there been of the bumbling, well meaning husband and the steady wife? (I Love Lucy, the reverse) Name a show that has a bigger heart.
Louis Virtel what a "motherf*cking" looser you are. Oooops, I quoted a Self-Nominated literary giant.
A wise man once said, "oopinions are like rectums, everyone has one," The only thing is Mr. Virtel chooses to display his on line, no matter how incorrect he is.
Seriously? No mention of The Wire?
I will always love Lucille Ball - she was amazing and I still watch I Love Lucy! And let's not forget Vivien Vance; she was wonderful also.
WHAT HAPPENED TO BLACK SHOWS AND ACTORS SUCH AS THE COSBY SHOW (BILL COSBY, ECT.); LIVING SINGLE (QUEEN LATIFA, ECT.,); SANFORD AND SUN , ECT.
The first couple of seasons O'Connor and Stapleton were dynamite. But then they slowly evolved into cariactures.
Harper gets my vote for supporting. Rhoda was a great character but only on MTM and the first part of the first season of RHODA. Once she got married and saddled with a dull character like Joe, she was lost forever.
The first couple of seasons O'Connor and Stapleton were dynamite. But then they slowly evolved into cariactures.
Harper gets my vote for Supporting Actress--Comedy. Rhoda was a great character but only on MTM and the first part of the first season of RHODA. Once she got married and saddled with a dull character like Joe, she was lost forever.
No Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad who did more with her looks to her husband and children than most actors could do with words.
Disappointing and myopic list.
Bess, the point of this list is to stack up Emmy winners. Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad never won the (comedy) Emmy.
You spelled "loser" wrong.
Sublime comeback Louis.
The other thing your list points out, besides the dearth of good roles for women, was the Emmy voters racism in leaving out great "black" shows, especially comedies. Sanford and Son and The Cosby Show just to name two.
Where do Happy Days and The Carol Burnett Show fit in Emmy nominations? I thought both had a lot?
Seinfeld will never eclipse Cheers, 26 emmys for the latter vs. 10 for the former...enough said. Seinfeld had one important impact on society, it made acting like a moron posh....