2014 Dream Emmy Ballot

With more television on the air than ever before, the awards season crunch has become extra brutal, network upon network jockeying for position in hopes of scoring attention from any and all bodies that recognize quality programming. While the glut of good TV makes awards season a fun watch, each category seemingly filled with heavyweights that could’ve dominated in less competitive eras, it means that a whole lot of worthy series won’t be recognized for their efforts, a bittersweet side effect of this age of television.

As such, TVHackr has taken it upon ourselves to put together our 2014 Emmy Dream Ballot, a collection of what we deem to be the best television aired in the Primetime Emmy eligibility window of June 1, 2013 – May 31, 2014. Each selection is based on the recently released Emmy ballots, with six nominees per series and acting category and five per writing category. A (potential) seventh nominee is indicated in series categories due to the implementation of the 2% rule, while the focus of this article are the two series categories, 12 acting categories, and two writing categories. A show’s absence, whether it be your personal favorite or a perennial awards contender, isn’t necessarily indicative of my opinion on its quality; the more television that premieres, the more one has to make choices about what to watch and what to leave behind, so certain bigger shows might just be victims of us not being able to watch everything.

The 2014 Emmy nominations are set for release Thursday, July 10th, with the ceremony to be held Monday, August 25th.

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Da Vinci’s Demons
Magic City
Masters of Sex
Sleepy Hollow
Vikings
7th nominee: Orphan Black
Winner: Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Comedy Series
Episodes
Looking
The Neighbors
Orange Is the New Black
Shameless
Veep
7th nominee: Wilfred
Winner: Veep

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire
Travis Fimmel – Vikings
Joel Kinnaman – The Killing
Jeffrey Dean Morgan – Magic City
Tom Riley – Da Vinci’s Demons
Michael Sheen – Masters of Sex
Winner: Travis Fimmel – Vikings

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
James Corden – The Wrong Mans
Jonathan Groff – Looking
Matt LeBlanc – Episodes
Chris O’Dowd – Family Tree
David Walton – About a Boy
Elijah Wood – Wilfred
Winner: James Corden – The Wrong Mans

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Lizzy Caplan – Masters of Sex
Claire Danes – Homeland
Mireille Enos – The Killing
Vera Farmiga – Bates Motel
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black
Janet Montgomery – Salem
Winner: Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep
Wendi McLendon-Covey – The Goldbergs
Laurie Metcalf – Getting On
Emmy Rossum – Shameless
Taylor Schilling – Orange is the New Black
Winner: Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Elliot Cowan – Da Vinci’s Demons
Jordan Gavaris – Orphan Black
Stephen Graham – Boardwalk Empire
Danny Huston – Magic City
Peter Sarsgaard – The Killing
Michael Kenneth Williams – Boardwalk Empire
Winner: Peter Sarsgaard – The Killing

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Kevin Dunn – Veep
Jason Gann – Wilfred
Troy Gentile – The Goldbergs
Tony Hale – Veep
Simon Templeman – The Neighbors
Jeremy Allen White – Shameless
Winner: Jason Gann – Wilfred

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Megan Follows – Reign
Annet Mahendru – The Americans
Gretchen Mol – Boardwalk Empire
Madeline Stowe – Revenge
Katheryn Winnick – Vikings
Bellamy Young – Scandal
Winner: Megan Follows – Reign

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Anna Chlumsky – Veep
Kate Mulgrew – Orange is the New Black
Niecy Nash – Getting On
Toks Olagundoye – The Neighbors
Kathleen Rose Perkins – Episodes
Merritt Wever – Nurse Jackie
Winner: Kathleen Rose Perkins – Episodes

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Terrence Winter and Howard Korder – “Farewell Daddy Blues” (Boardwalk Empire)
Alex Gansa and Meredith Steihm – “The Star” (Homeland)
Graeme Mason – “Nature Under Constraint and Vexed” (Orphan Black)
Sam Shaw and Michelle Ashford – “Catherine” (Masters of Sex)
Michael Hirst – “Blood Eagle” (Vikings)
Winner: Terrence Winter and Howard Korder – “Farewell Daddy Blues” (Boardwalk Empire)

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer – “Nightshift” (Getting On)
Andrew Haigh – “Looking For the Future” (Looking)
Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger – “Challoweenukah” (The Neighbors)
John Wells – “Iron City” (Shameless)
Simon Blackwell and Tony Roche – “Special Relationship” (Veep)
Winner: Andrew Haigh – “Looking For the Future” (Looking)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Paul Adelstein – Scandal
Beau Bridges – Masters of Sex
Brian Geraghty – Boardwalk Empire
Lou Gossett, Jr. – Boardwalk Empire
John Noble – Sleepy Hollow
Shaun Toub – Homeland
Winner: Beau Bridges – Masters of Sex

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Brad Garrett – The Crazy Ones
Tony Hale – About a Boy
Rob Lowe – Californication
Christopher Meloni – Veep
Russell Tovey – Looking
Zach Woods – Playing House
Winner: Zach Woods – Playing House

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette – Boardwalk Empire
Annaleigh Ashford – Masters of Sex
Allison Janney – Masters of Sex
Lisa Kudrow – Scandal
Julianne Nicholson – Masters of Sex
Cynthia Stevenson – Scandal
Winner: Allison Janney – Masters of Sex

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba – Orange Is the New Black
Emily Bergl – Shameless
Joan Cusack – Shameless
Natasha Lyonne – Orange Is the New Black
Taryn Manning – Orange Is the New Black
Julie White – Nurse Jackie
Winner: Uzo Aduba – Orange Is the New Black