Team Experience: 2015's Best Emmy Nominees

Andrew here with some more Emmy treats.

In anticipation of Sunday's big night for TV, the television lovers at The Film Experience are bringing to you a special Team Experience top 10 list.Sure, each year a handful of Emmy nominees leave us scratching our head in confusion, but we wanted to celebrate the citations that the voters got right this year and compiled our list of favourite nominees. Unlike usual Team Experience top 10s, though, we're offering you a look at each of our individual top 10s.

Nathaniel always points out how interesting individual ballots in awards tends to be more dynamic than the final tally and to celebrate the wide range of nominees in the prizes still to be handed at Sunday's ceremonies. So, we disregarded the already decided on categories from the Creative Awards ceremonies and from the 26 categories to be decided on Sunday, our twelve person team each submitted their favourite of the nominees.

Unsurprisingly, our individual ballots were full of Actresses. Go below the jump to see them all.

MANUEL

1. Lisa Kudrow The Comeback (Actress in a Comedy Series)

2. The Honorable Woman (Outstanding Limited Series)

3. Maggie Gyllenhaal The Honorable Woman (Actress in a Limited Series or Movie)

4. Tituss Burgess Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series)

5. Matthew Weiner Mad Men “Person to Person” (Writing in a Drama Series)

6. Elisabeth Moss Mad Men (Actress in a Drama Series)

7. Tatiana Maslany Orphan Black (Actress in a Drama Series)

8. Orange Is the New Black (Outstanding Drama)

9. Emma Thompson Live from Lincoln Center – Sweeney Todd (Actress in a Limited Series or Movie)

10. Mad Men (Outstanding Drama)

JOSE

1. Lisa Kudrow The Comeback (Actress in a Comedy Series)

2. Lena Headey Game of Thrones (Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series)

3. Amy Schumer Inside Amy Schumer (Best Actress in a Comedy Series)

4. Homeland (Outstanding Drama )

5. Adam Driver Girls (Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series)

6. Gaby Hoffmann Transparent – (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series)

7. Transparent (Comedy Series)

8. Jane Krakowski Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series)

9. Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett on Live from Lincoln Center – Sweeney Todd (Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie)

10. Wolf Hall (Outstanding Limited Series)

ADAM

1. Lisa Kudrow The Comeback (Actress in a Comedy Series)

2. Christina Hendricks Mad Men (Supporting Actress in a Drama Series)

3. Lena Headey Game of Thrones (Supporting Actress in a Drama Series)

4. Amy Schumer Inside Amy Schumer (Actress in a Comedy Series)

5. Matthew Weiner and Semi Chellas Mad Men “Lost Horizon” (Writing for a Drama Series)

6. Amy Schumer and Ryan McFaul Inside Amy Schumer “12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer” (Directing for a Variety Series)

7. Jill Solloway Transparent “Pilot” (Writing in a Comedy Series)

8. Elisabeth Moss Mad Men (Actress in a Drama Series)

9. Michael Kelly House of Cards (Supporting Actor in a Drama Series)

10. Tituss Burgess Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series)

Our group really rallied around Lisa Kudrow. Valerie Cherish can go out knowing that she's being heard. Here's what some of us had to say about her.

Manuel: That the Emmys didn't forget about Kudrow's performance in a highly contested Best Actress in a Comedy roster (it'll be a nail-biter!) is a testament to the fact that sometimes, even if by accident, the Emmys can get it right nominations-wise. I already wrote extensively about this gem of a performance but it bears repeating: 

"Always aware of the camera, Valerie is always performing for an imagined audience and it is in Kudrow’s subtleties (a quick sigh, half an eye-roll, a half-hearted smile) that she tracks the way Valerie is slowly losing track of when she’s performing for the camera and when she’s merely performing for herself." 

Jose: Even though we will see Valerie Cherish lose once more to Julia Louis-Dreyfus (this time, at least, for more deserving work) Kudrow's second nomination for a show that no one thought would ever come back, is the meta-est of meta things. Perhaps the work is still too mordant and raw for Hollywood to embrace it, but in our hearts, Val is it.

Kyle: Valerie's mind is as alive and alert as any on TV, and through this frenetic psychological pace, Kudrow gives us a heartbreaking dramatization of the current US nightmare: working really hard to achieve a dream we know we shouldn't have.

David: Lisa Kudrow's complete lack of vanity and ego in creating someone so full of those same qualities, and her magical ability to make this simultaneously funny, ingratiating and sympathetic, only go some way to explaining why Valerie Cherish is such a masterful comic creation. Some of it simply can't be explained, and we may just have to anoint Kudrow as our new God.

KYLE S

1.    Veep (Outstanding Comedy)

Just looking at this list makes the little television pumping in my chest swell three sizes. Veep may by my all-time favorite show, and The Honourable Woman deserves applause beyond Gyllenhaal’s extraordinary performance, but, deep down, the loss that would most break my heart would be Niecy Nash’s. (Please no one show Emma Thompson my list.)

2.    Niecy Nash Getting On (Supporting Actress in a Comedy)

3.    Mad Men (Outstanding Drama)

4.    Lisa Kudrow The Comeback (Actress in a Comedy)

5.    Taraji P. Henson Empire (Actress in a Drama Series)

6.    Maggie Gyllenhaal The Honorable Woman (Actress in a Limited Series or Movie)

7.    Olive Kitteridge (Outstanding Limited Series)

8.    Richard Jenkins Olive Kitteridge (Actor in a Limited Series or Movie)

9.    Armando Ianucci Veep “Testimony” (Directing for a Comedy Series)

10. Hugo Blick The Honourable Woman (Directing for a Limited Series)

DAVID

1. Tatiana Maslany Orphan Black (Actress in a Drama)

It’s been three years and endless beating of the most robust drum in the business, and finally the world at large is awake to this woman’s extraordinary talent in making what could be such a gimmick into such a rich experience, and ensuring the marvel of her multiple performances is a secondary thought when in the moment of watching the show itself.

2. Parks and Recreation (Outstanding Comedy )

3. Lisa Kudrow The Comeback (Actress in a Comedy)

4. Anna Chlumsky Veep (Supporting Actress in a Comedy)

5. Taraji P. Henson Empire (Actress in a Drama)

6. Matthew Weiner & Semi Chellas Mad Men “Lost Horizon” (Writing for a Drama Series)

7. Jon Hamm Mad Men (Actor in a Drama )

8. Maggie Gyllenhaal The Honorable Woman (Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie)

9. Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche Veep “Election Night” (Writing for a Comedy Series)

10. Mad Men (Outstanding Drama) 

MURTADA

1. Anna Chlumsky Veep (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series)

Because her breakdown and finally telling her boss the truth was the funniest thing on TV last year. Yes the writing's genius but she delivered fantastically. And I watched it on repeat countless times already.

2. Maggie Gyllenhaal The Honorable Woman (Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie)

3. Mad Men (Outstanding Drama)

4. Christina Hendricks Mad Men (Supporting Actress in a Drama)

5. Lena Headey Game of Thrones (Supporting Actress in a Drama)

6. Matthew Weiner & Semi Chellas Mad Men “Lost Horizon” (Writing for a Drama Series)

7. Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche Veep “Election Night” (Writing for a Comedy Series)

8.  Jill Soloway Transparent “Best New Girl” (Directing for a Comedy Series)

9. Taraji P. Henson Empire (Actress in a Drama Series)

10. Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, and Horton Foote, Bessie (Writing for a Limited Series or TV Movie)

MARGARET

1. Tituss Burgess Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Supporting Actor in a Comedy)

2. Joshua Brand The Americans “Do Electric Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?” (Writing for a Drama)

3. Viola Davis How to Get Away With Murder (Actress in a Drama)

4. Andre Braugher Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Supporting Actor in a Comedy)

5. Tatiana Maslany Orphan Black (Actress in a Drama)

6. Keegan-Michael Key Key & Peele (Supporting Actor in a Comedy)

7. Parks and Recreation (Outstanding Comedy)

8. Last Week Tonight (Outstanding Variety Program)

9. Jane Krakowski Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Supporting Actress in a Comedy)

10. Lily Tomlin Grace & Frankie (Actress in a Comedy)

DENNY

1. Emma Thompson Live From Lincoln Center- Sweeney Todd (Actress in a Limited Series or Movie)

Sublime intermingling of comedy and pathos. Had this production had a Broadway run (and it arguably should have), she would have won the Tony.

2. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Outstanding Variety Talk Series)

3. Lily Tomlin Grace & Frankie (Actress in a Comedy)

4. Taraji P. Henson Empire (Actress in a Drama)

5. Phil Lord and Chris Miller The Last Man on Earth (Directing for a Comedy Series)

6. Tituss Burgess Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Supporting Actor in a Comedy)

7. Anna Chlumsky Veep (Supporting Actress in a Comedy)

8. Bob Odenkirk Better Call Saul (Actor in a Drama)

9. Tatiana Maslany Orphan Black (Actress in a Drama)

10. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss Veep (Actress in a Comedy)

MICHAEL

1. Amy Poehler Parks and Recreation (Actress in a Comedy)

2. Last Week Tonight (Outstanding Variety Talk Show)

3. Key and Peele (outstanding Variety Sketch)

4. Christina Hendricks Mad Men (Supporting Actress in a Drama)

5. Anna Chlumsky Veep (Supporting Actress in Comedy)

6. Matthew Weiner Mad Men “Person to Person” (Writing in a Drama Series)

7 Steven Soderbergh The Knick “Method and Madness” (Directing for a Drama)

8. Jon Hamm Mad Men (Actor in a Drama)

9. Elisabeth Moss Mad Men (Actress in a Drama)

10. Andre Braugher Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Supporting Actor in a Comedy)

KIERAN

1. Niecy Nash Getting On (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series)

I love this nomination as both a nod to an under-appreciated gem series and a great, enduring character actress.

2. Matthew Weiner Mad Men “Person to Person” (Writing for a Drama Series)

3. Mo'Nique Bessie (Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie)

4. Dee Rees  Bessie (Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special)

5. Maggie Gyllenhaal The Honorable Woman (Actress in a Limited Series or Movie)

6. Elisabeth Moss Mad Men (Actress in a Limited Series or Movie)

7. Lisa Kudrow The Comeback (Actress in a Comedy Series)

8. Taraji P. Henson Empire (Actress in a Drama Series)

9. Transparent (Comedy Series)

10. Tituss Burgess Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series)

DEBORAH

1. Jon Hamm Mad Men (Actor in a Drama)

I’ve written about this before. Jon Hamm has delivered extraordinary, moving, revealing work for season after season in Mad Men. His submitted episode, the series finale, takes us on a journey of grief, shame, love, and loss that is staggering in its range. No one deserves the award more.

2. Mad Men (Outstanding Drama)

3. Jonathan Banks Better Call Saul (Supporting Actor in a Drama)

4. Christina Hendricks Mad Men (Supporting Actress in a Drama)

5. Orange is the New Black (Outstanding Drama)

6. Elisabeth Moss Mad Men (Actress in a Drama)

7. Queen Latifah Bessie (Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie)

8. Tim Van Patten Boardwalk Empire “Eldorado” (Directing for a Drama Series)

9. Matthew Weiner and Semi Chellas Mad Men “Lost Horizon” (Writing for a Drama Series)

10. Gordon Smith Better Call Saul “Five-O” (Writing for a Drama)

 Each of Mad Men's seven nominations was cited on someone's list

ANDREW

1. Transparent (Outstanding Comedy)

2. Lesli Linka Glatter Homeland "From A to B and Back Again (Directing for a Drama)

3. Jeffrey Tambor Transparent (Actor in a Comedy)

4. Jane Krakowski Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Supporting Actress in a Comedy)

5. Jill Soloway Transparent "Pilot" (Writing for a Comedy)

6. Tim Van Patten Boardwalk Empire "Eldorado" (Directing for a Drama)

7. Homeland (Outstanding Drama)

8. Claire Danes Homeland (Actress in a Drama)

9. Taraji P. Henson Empire (Actress in a Drama)

10. Dee Rees Bessie (Directing for a Limited Series or TV Movie)

OUR COLLECTIVE TOP TEN

1. Lisa Kudrow The Comeback

2. Maggie Gyllenhaal The Honorable Woman

3. Christina Hendricks Mad Men

4. Anna Chlumsky Veep TIED with Mad Men

6. Taraji P. Henson Empire

7. Tituss Burgess Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

8. Lena Headey Game of Thrones

9. Tatiana Maslany Orphan Black

10. Last Week Tonight

Additional Thoughts on our Actressexual Ballots

• All the Actress categories had at least one person mentioned on a ballot with Actress in a Drama Series airing the best with five of the six nominees mentioned. (Look out tomorrow for a special section devoted to these six ladies.)
• Eight of the twelve ballots had an actress appearing at #1.
• Jose, Daniel and Kieran include the most actresses on their ballots of ten (6). Kieran wins, though, because he has 7 women on his ballot with the mention of Dee Rees' excellent direction of Bessie.
• Despite having the most nominations for tomorrow's main show American Horror Story: Freak Show didn't see any of its eight nominations appear on a ballot.
• Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, Oustanding Reality-Competition Programme and Supporting Actor for a TV Movie or Limited are the only categories with no mentions.
• Elisabeth Moss appears on five ballots, but towards the end of most, so she just barely missed the collective top 10 at #11.

So, in anticipation of Sunday's ceremony. What would your list of 2015's Best Emmy nominees look like? Whose list is your favourite?

Comments

[3rtful]

I want Viola to win.

[goran]

Loving all the Kudrow mentions. She'd be number 2 on my ballot right behind Kate McKinnon's consistently staggeringly genius contributions to SNL.

Meantime I will just never get the appeal of Veep. The writing just reeks of snarky undergrads, and not in a 'meta' way. Just in a 'needs at least ten more drafts and a replot' and 'swearwords aren't in themselves jokes' way. The actresses though, do a lot with what they're given.

[Ryan T.]

God, it's so upsetting to me that Lisa Kudrow will probably not win. It's insane that in her (admittedly very strong) category, she's probably the least likely to win.

[Margaret]

Such a hard list to make- for once, a marvelous wealth of deserving nominees! I am entirely at peace with our collective top ten.

[steve]

not a single mention for Frances McDormand? Shocked.

[Stjeans]

I know that every year (ok, ok I'll admit it, every chance I get) I say this: Amy Poehler is EMMYLESS PEOPLE! E-M-M-Y-L-E-S-S!!! What is wrong with these emmy voters?...

[brookesboy]

My Top Ten:

1. Jessica Lange--LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

2. Lisa Kudrow--LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY

3. Amy Schumer--LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY

4. Julie Bowen--SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY

5. Anna Chlumsky--SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY

6. Elizabeth Banks--GUEST ACTRESS, COMEDY

7. Ty Burrell--SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY

8. Emma Thompson--LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

9. Finn Wittrock--SUPPORTING ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

10. Sarah Paulson--SUPPORTING ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

[Suzanne]

My Top Ten:

1. Jon Hamm - Lead Actor, Drama

2. Jon Hamm - Lead Actor, Drama

3. Jon Hamm - Lead Actor, Drama

4. Jon Hamm... well, you all get the idea.

I love Hendricks and Poehler, but the main reason I'll be watching on Sunday is to see if they finally give Hamm his Emmy. His performance over the 7 seasons of the show is one of the best I've ever seen.

[forever1267]

Suzanne is correct.

[Paul Outlaw]

Top 10 nods (in random order):
Jon Hamm
Tatiana Maslany
Taraji P. Henson
Jeffrey Tambor
Mad Men Outstanding Drama Series
Parks & Recreation Outstanding Comedy Series
Transparent Outstanding Comedy Series
Boardwalk Empire Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
The Americans Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
Transparent Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

[Fadhil]

1. Frances McDormand (Olive Kitteridge)
2. Veep (Comedy Series)
3. Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
4. Game of Thrones (Drama Series)
5. Tituss Burgess (Kimmy Schimdt)
6. Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
7. Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback)
8. Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
9. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
10. Claire Danes (Homeland)

[LadyEdith]

@steve - I love Frances McDormand, but Maggie Gyllenhaal really knocked me out.
My list in no real order is:
Jon Hamm, Amy Schumer, (her writing is fabulous & 12 angry men was an absolute classic), Tatiana Maslany, Amy Phoeler, Wolf Hall, and OITNB.

I like the cross section of lists, it is fun to compare - I can definitely live with your collective list.

[Peggy Sue]

1.- Jon Hamm, Mad Men
2.- Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
3.- Mad Men
4.- Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge
5.- Richard Jenkins, Olive Kitteridge
6.- Niecey Nash, Getting On
7.- Zoe Kazan, Olive Kitteridge
8.- Steven Soderbergh, The Knick
9.- Lisa Cholodenko, Olive Kitteridge
10.- Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

[ben1283]

I echo all the love for Lisa Kudrow. That's a performance and a character for the ages. However much I appreciate Julie Louis-Drefyfus's work on Veep, that award belongs to Kudrow.

However much the Emmys probably just voted for Better Call Saul out of laziness, Jonathan Banks just gave a hell of a performance in Five-O is just wonderful. Now that the Emmys have switched over to an honours system, I guess we won't know if voters watched his submitted episode, but if they did then that award is his. I suspect that Tatiana Maslany would've also benefited from the rules of previous years.

Really, though, does anything matter as long as Mad Men gets some sort of acting award?

[par]

01. hamm
02. kudrow
03. maslany
04. moss
05. mad men
06. lost horizon
07. person to person
08. parks and recreation
09. tambor
10. poehler

[caroline]

Maggie Gyllenhaal. Incandescent in THW. Entire series was brilliant, actually.

[NATHANIEL R]

I second Suzanne's ballot

[Bia]

I am still pissed that January Jones didn't make it in -- those last two eps were a high point for her and Betty. And also Kiernan Shipka to get at least one nomination in her run. She earned it.

The Honorable Woman is spectacular -- loved it all.

[DJDeeJay]

In no particular order, my top 11 (because I couldn't keep cutting it down!):

Orange is the New Black
Mad Men
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Transparent
Taraji P. Henson
Elisabeth Moss
Viola Davis
Tatiany Maslany
Jon Hamm
Christina Hendricks
Amy Schumer

With shout-outs to Jeffrey Tambor, Gaby Hoffman, Parks and Rec and Amy Poehler.