We asked, and more than 10,000 of you voted on our souped-up Emmy ballot. We've ranked your very, very smart choices in each category by order of preference. (Nominees in red were additions by Salon, and not official Emmy nominees.) The actual winners, along with our choices, are at the end of each selection.
Outstanding Comedy Series
1. Arrested Development * Fox
2. Curb Your Enthusiasm * HBO
3. Scrubs * NBC
4. South Park * Comedy Central
5. Reno 911 * Comedy Central
6. Desperate Housewives * ABC
7. Two and a Half Men * CBS
8. Everybody Loves Raymond * CBS
9. Will & Grace * NBC
Emmy winner: "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Our pick: "Arrested Development" is terrific, but "South Park," also nominated below under Animated Series, is bigger than that: It's the most consistently funny show on TV. Need a reminder?
Outstanding Drama Series
1. Six Feet Under * HBO
2. Deadwood * HBO
3. Lost * ABC
4. Veronica Mars * UPN
5. Battlestar Galactica * SciFi
6. The Wire * HBO
7. The West Wing * NBC
8. 24 * Fox
9. The Shield * FX
Emmy winner: "Lost."
Our pick: "Six Feet Under." Call us crazy sentimentalists, but if the death of Nate brought us a sick sense of justified relief, the death of everyone else felt personal. And the death of the show "Six Feet Under" feels ... well, honestly, we're still in denial. While the fourth season (which aired in 2004, and is what earned this nomination) was more disjointed than others, it still rose above the rest.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
1. Arrested Development * Fox * Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth
2. Scrubs * NBC * Zach Braff as J.D. Dorian
3. Da Ali G Show * HBO * Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno, Borat and Ali
4. Monk * USA * Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm * HBO * Larry David as himself
6. That '70s Show * Fox * Topher Grace as Eric Foreman
7. Will & Grace * NBC * Eric McCormack as Will Truman
8. Two and a Half Men * CBS * Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper
9. Everybody Loves Raymond * CBS * Ray Romano as Ray Barone
Emmy winner: Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk.
Our pick: Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno, Borat and Ali G.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1. Deadwood * HBO * Ian McShane as Al Swearengen
2. House * Fox * Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House
3. Six Feet Under * HBO * Peter Krause as Nate Fisher
4. Law & Order: Criminal Intent * NBC * Vincent D'Onofrio as Det. Robert Goren
5. Boston Legal * ABC * James Spader as Alan Shore
6. 24 * Fox * Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
7. The Wire * HBO * Dominic West as Jimmy McNulty
8. The Shield * HBO * Michael Chiklis as Det. Vic Mackey
9. Huff * NBC * Hank Azaria as Craig Huffstodt
Emmy winner: James Spader as Alan Shore.
Our pick: Ian McShane as Al Swearengen -- and thank you, Emmy voters, for listening to us last year!
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
1. Malcolm in the Middle * Fox * Jane Kaczmarek as Lois
2. Curb Your Enthusiasm * HBO * Cheryl Hines as Cheryl David
3. Desperate Housewives * ABC * Marcia Cross as Bree Van De Camp
4. Desperate Housewives * ABC * Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo
5. Will & Grace * NBC * Debra Messing as Grace Adler
6. Fat Actress * Showtime * Kirstie Alley as Kirstie Alley
7. Everybody Loves Raymond * CBS * Patricia Heaton as Debra Barone
8. Desperate Housewives * ABC * Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis
9. Desperate Housewives * ABC * Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer
Emmy winner: Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo.
Our pick: Many of you wrote in, chastising us for not including Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls"), and you were probably right to do so. Slim pickings here. Next year, with Lisa Kudrow ("The Comeback") and Mary Louise Parker ("Weeds") eligible, this category will be smokin'. Until then, we're going with Jane Kaczmarek.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
1. Six Feet Under * HBO * Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher
2. Six Feet Under * HBO * Lauren Ambrose as Claire Fisher
3. Veronica Mars * UPN * Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars
4. Battlestar Galactica * SciFi * Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin
5. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit * NBC * Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson
6. Deadwood * HBO * Molly Parker as Alma Garret
7. The Shield * FX * Glenn Close as Capt. Monica Rawling
8. Alias * ABC * Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow
9. Medium * NBC * Patricia Arquette as Allison Dubois
Emmy winner: Patricia Arquette as Allison Dubois.
Our pick: This is close. We think Bell's swell, we loved Ambrose's Claire, and Mary McDonnell is creating a character the likes of which we've never seen before. But Frances Conroy was never less than amazing.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
1. Entourage * HBO * Jeremy Piven as Ari
2. Arrested Development * Fox * Will Arnett as Gob Bluth
3. Arrested Development * Fox * David Cross as Tobias Funke
4. Arrested Development * Fox * Jeffrey Tambor as George Bluth Sr.
5. Malcolm in the Middle * Fox * Bryan Cranston as Hal
6. Will & Grace * NBC * Sean Hayes as Jack
7. Everybody Loves Raymond * CBS * Peter Boyle as Frank Barone
8. Everybody Loves Raymond * CBS * Brad Garrett as Robert Barone
Emmy winner: Brad Garrett as Robert Barone.
Our pick:Jeremy Piven as Ari.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1. Six Feet Under * HBO * Michael C. Hall as David Fisher
2. Lost * ABC * Terry O'Quinn as John Locke
3. The Wire * HBO * Idris Elba as Russell "Stringer" Bell
4. Veronica Mars * UPN * Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars
5. The West Wing * NBC * Alan Alda as Sen. Arnold Vinick
6. Boston Legal * ABC * William Shatner as Denny Crane
7. Lost * ABC * Naveen Andrews as Sayid Jarrah
8. Huff * Showtime * Oliver Platt as Russell Tupper
Emmy winner: William Shatner as Denny Crane.
Our pick: This is truly the year's biggest Emmy outrage. Michael C. Hall's David Fisher is simply one of the most vivid, emotionally searing performances ever to appear on prime time television. Shame on you, Emmy. Shame.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
1. Arrested Development * Fox * Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth
2. Scrubs * NBC * Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid
3. Arrested Development * Fox * Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Funke
4. Will & Grace * NBC * Megan Mullally as Karen
5. Everybody Loves Raymond * CBS * Doris Roberts as Marie Barone
6. Joey * NBC * Jennifer Coolidge as Bobbie
7. Two and a Half Men * CBS * Conchata Ferrell as Berta
8. Two and a Half Men * CBS * Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper
Emmy winner: Doris Roberts as Marie Barone
Our pick: Jessica Walter
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
1. Six Feet Under * HBO * Rachel Griffiths as Brenda Fisher
2 Battlestar Galactica * SciFi * Katee Sackhoff as Lt. Kara Thrace ("Starbuck")
3. Grey's Anatomy * ABC * Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang
4. Deadwood * HBO * Paula Malcomson as Trixie
5. The West Wing * NBC * Stockard Channing as Dr. Abigail Bartlet
6. The Shield * FX * CCH Pounder as Det. Claudette Wyms
7. Judging Amy * CBS * Tyne Daly as Maxine Gray
8. Huff * Showtime * Blythe Danner as Izzy Huffstodt
Emmy winner: Blythe Danner as Izzy Huffstodt
Our pick: We're getting boring here, we know, but the "Six Feet" cast is a legendary one. Rachel Griffiths as Brenda Fisher.
Outstanding Miniseries
1. The 4400 * USA
2. Empire Falls * HBO
3. The Lost Prince (Masterpiece Theatre) * PBS
4. Elvis * CBS
5. Revelations * NBC
Emmy winner: "The Lost Prince"
Our pick: "The 4400"
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
1. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart * Comedy Central
2. Real Time With Bill Maher * HBO
3. Da Ali G Show * HBO
4. Late Show With David Letterman * CBS
5. Late Night With Conan O'Brien * NBC
6. The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson * NBC
7. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno * NBC
Emmy winner: "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"
Our pick: "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"
Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)
1. The Simpsons * Fox
2. South Park * Comedy Central
3. Futurama * The Sting * Fox
4. Aqua Teen Hunger Force * Cartoon Network
5. SpongeBob SquarePants * Nickelodeon
6. Samurai Jack * Cartoon Network
7. Drawn Together * Comedy Central
Emmy winner: "South Park"
Our pick: "South Park"
Outstanding Reality Program
1. Penn & Teller: Bullshit! * Showtime
2. Antiques Roadshow * PBS
3. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy * Bravo
4. Project Greenlight * HBO
5. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition * ABC
6. Super Sweet Sixteen * MTV
7. Newlyweds * MTV
8. Real World: Philadelphia * MTV
Emmy winner: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
Our pick: We genuinely admire the class warfare MTV has launched with shows, such as "Super Sweet Sixteen," which are meant solely to move us closer to wholesale, violent rebellion against the filthy rich. Bravo, comrades at MTV! If only the shows were any good! So "Penn & Teller: Bullshit," wins.
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
1. The Amazing Race * CBS
2. Project Runway * Bravo
3. America's Next Top Model * UPN
4. Dancing With the Stars * ABC
5. Survivor * CBS
6. American Idol * Fox
7. The Apprentice * NBC
8. The Swan * Fox
Emmy winner: "The Amazing Race"
Our pick: We're increasingly irritated by the cheap casting stunts on "The Amazing Race." Please, no more couples that your screeners suggest have "anger-management issues," no more pro wrestlers, and please go easy on the models (except the Christian models -- we honestly couldn't get enough of them). Still, "The Amazing Race" is one serious class act -- nothing else in this field ("The Apprentice"? You jest.) comes remotely close.
Worst show on television
1. Britney and Kevin: Chaotic * UPN
2. The Swan * Fox
3. 7th Heaven * WB
4. The Simple Life 3: Interns * Fox
5. Yes, Dear * CBS
6. Laguna Beach * MTV
7. Two and a Half Men * CBS
8. 24 * Fox
9. Carnivale * HBO
Our pick: We're tempted to pick "Laguna Beach," because the idea of sending camera crews to follow the shallowest, stupidest high school teenagers around so as to encourage them to behave even more shallow and stupid -- and cruel -- all for our enjoyment is genuinely pretty sick. But, as with "Super Sweet Sixteen," we applaud MTV's subversive class warfare here; if "Laguna Beach" doesn't inspire apathetic teens and 20somethings to storm the gated communities of America with a little social justice on their minds, we don't know what will. And "The Swan," which Fox admits was created by Satan himself, is so evil that loyal viewers can pretty much count on first-class trips straight to hell. No, not a close call here at all.
Shares