RECAP: 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

It's the morning after the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. The dust has settled, the winners have their trophies, and now it's time to see who's predictions came true.

Best Drama



Winner: Mad Men

Who predicted it?: Michael Ausiello (Entertainment Weekly), Robert Bianco (USA Today), Hal Boedeker (Orlando Sentinel), Lisa de Moraes (Washington Post), Tom O'Neil (Los Angeles Times), Ray Richmond (syndicated columnist) Matt Roush (TV Guide), Maureen Ryan (Chicago Tribune), Michael Starr (New York Post) and the staff at MSN Entertainment.


Best Comedy



Winner: 30 Rock

Who predicted it?: Ausiello, Bianco, de Moraes, O'Neil, Richmond, Roush, Ryan, Starr, MSN Entertainment, Adam Buckman (New York Post), Kristin Dos Santos (E!), Richard Huff (New York Daily News).


Best Actor in a Drama



Winner: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)

Who predicted it?: Ausiello


Best Actress in a Drama



Winner: Glenn Close (Damages)

Who predicted it?: Ausiello, Bianco, Boedeker, Buckman, de Moraes, O' Neil, Richmond, Roush and MSN Entertainment.


Best Actor in a Comedy

Winner: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)

Who predicted it?: Ausiello, Bianco, Boedeker, de Moraes, Dos Santos, Huff, O' Neil, Richmond, Roush, Starr and MSN Entertainment.


Best Actress in a Comedy

Winner: Tina Fey (30 Rock)

Who predicted it?: Huff, Roush, Ryan and Starr


Final Prediction Scorecard
Michael Ausiello - 5 / 6
Robert Bianco - 4 / 6
Hal Boedeker - 3 / 6
Adam Buckman - 2 / 6
Lisa de Moraes - 4 / 6
Kristin Dos Santos - 2 / 6
Richard Huff - 3/6
Tom O'Neil - 4/6
Ray Richmond - 4/6
Matt Roush - 5/6
Maureen Ryan - 3/6
Michael Starr - 3/6
Television Without Pity - 0/6
MSN Entertainment - 4/6



Looks like Ausiello (l.) and Roush (r.) cleaned up with near perfect scores in the top six categories of the night. Interestingly enough, Roush currently works for TV Guide, which was Ausiello's old stomping grounds before he moved over to Entertainment Weekly.

Meanwhile, don't take too much pity on the gang over at Television Without Pity. Although they came up with a goose egg on predictions, they're still likely celebrating as 5 out of 6 of their "who should win" choices took home the prize last night.

Click here for a complete list of winners.

Who WILL Win? - Predicting the 2008 Emmy Awards

On the eve of the fall television season's official launch, Hollywood will gather to honor some of the small-screen's finest performances and programs. While the discussion is heating up among odds-makers and around office water coolers, entertainment writers across the nation have started weighing-in with their predictions. Here's a rundown of the six biggest categories at the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Best Drama Series



Cable darlings Damages, Dexter and Mad Men look to alter the face of television with a win, but find themselves up against the heavy-hitting broadcast series Boston Legal, House and Lost. MSN Entertainment, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, TV Guide's Matt Roush and Los Angeles Times columnist Tom O'Neil are currently raving mad for "Mad Men" along with the majority of their colleagues.


Best Comedy Series



Despite the nod for Two and a Half Men (CBS), this race reads more like NBC versus HBO as last year's winner 30 Rock and The Office take on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage. Once again, the journos appear to favor 30 Rock as a group, but Television Without Pity (TWoP) is putting its money on The Office. Exclusively on whereIstand.com, comedian and media personality ANT (Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Fit Club) is calling this one for the "Entourage" gang.


Best Actor in a Drama



This is an extremely competitive category in 2008 with six nominees (instead of five), and there's a reason... even the insiders are completely divided. Ausiello goes with Brian Cranston (Breaking Bad). Roush likes Jon Hamm (Mad Men). TWoP goes for James Spader (Boston Legal). E!'s Kristin dos Santos points to Michael C. Hall (Dexter). USA Today's Robert Bianco taps Hugh Laurie (House), and Richard Huff of the NY Daily News thinks it'll be Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment). It's anyone's title.


Best Actress in a Drama



The leading ladies of primetime drama will duke it out, but it seems Glenn Close (Damages) is the heavy favorite. However, she could see a successful upset bid from Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) or a repeat win for Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters). Former winner Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) and Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) are in the running too.

Best Actor in a Comedy



TWoP hedges its bet with multiple Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub (Monk), who has been nominated in this category for the past six years and won three times. However, Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) should handily snag his first Emmy -- in seven tries -- thanks to his wild portrayal of Jack Donaghy. Steve Carell (The Office), Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men) and Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) will all try to spoil Baldwin's party.


Best Actress in a Comedy



This is another up for grabs contest like Best Actor in a Drama. Ausiello is pulling for Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?). O'Neil checked off America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), as Roush did with Tina Fey (30 Rock). ANT has Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds). Meanwhile, Orlando Sentinal's Hal Boedeker says it'll be Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine).


So who will win? Tune in to ABC on Sunday, September 21 at 8/7c to find out which of your favorites take home the prize and which writers were on the money with their predictions.

Sherri Shepherd Says PTA Members Qualified to be POTUS

This might be the most absurd argument in the history of politics. On Wednesday's episode of ABC's "The View," co-host Sherri Shepherd argued that Sarah Palin's experience as a mother of five kids and a local PTA member qualifies her for the role of President should it ever come to that.



Now, no one is disputing the fact that some PTA meetings get out of hand, intense or stressful, but Shepherd's assertion that Palin is able to handle her five children, and could therefore whip Washington into shape seems downright ridiculous. Certainly, the job of being a mother can be tough at times. When it comes to Palin, her kids are hers to raise as she pleases. However, anyone considering to vote for her solely on the basis that she's a mother is ignorant.

Aren't the men running for similar positions also father's? Should people assume that a man running for the position doesn't have as much "at home" experience with his kids as a woman might? That sounds just as sexist as those who refer to Palin as "a babe."

Also, wouldn't using the basis of being a mother as a qualification open up her parenting skills for debate? That seems like something the GOP is trying not to do right now. Even the Democrats agree that the kids shouldn't become part of the election and don't want to go down that path. If you're a fan of Palin, why would you ever consider opening up Pandora's box as Shepherd has done?

Look on the bright side, if she "mothered" Washington and tried to teach politicians about how to make serious personal decisions for themselves... well then... they wouldn't know anything about safe-sex other than abstinence and would all be knocked up within 17 years... oh, and they wouldn't even have to make the decision of whether or not to keep the baby!

Of course, that's only relevant information for those who consider her experience as a "mother" valid in her candidacy.

The Sarah Palin Drone

John McCain might wish he vetted her earlier. In what will always be remembered as his first Presidential "decision" (should he win in November), McCain jumped the shark with his naming of an unexpected winner in the Veepstakes rat race: Sarah Palin.

Now, the Republicans have an anti-gay marriage, pro-life, pro-abstinence education VP candidate, who also happens to be a lifelong NRA member. She's a winner in the eyes of the neo-Cons, but in a close election, it seems strange for McCain to openly embrace the GOP's base issues and appease neo-Cons over targeting undecided and independent voters. As for pulling in Hillary Clinton supporters, Palin is the polar (shout out to Alaska!) opposite. After all, most of Hillary's female backers applauded her stance on Women's rights and health issues.

The pick certainly drew much attention away from McCain's 72nd birthday last Friday. Still, the Labor Day weekend provided a bumpy ride for Sarah Palin, who revealed a few skeletons that were hiding in her closet. Her 17 year old daughter is pregnant and unwed. She's obviously keeping the baby and marrying the child's father since any other action would derail the GOP ticket and her mother's career. It's not so much of a problem that her daughter is pregnant, but Palin still believes (and wholeheartedly) that abstinence-only sex education, an oxymoron itself, is effective.

All of these characteristics and the hypocrisy of her beliefs could potentially leave voters feeling cold about Palin's potential.

Hedonistic America Loves Sex

Surprise! Americans love sex but are not so hot on marriage.

If that doesn't come as such a shock... well... it shouldn't. A new study from the Parents Television Council complains that network TV focuses too much on the acts of sex and kinky seduction.

Marriage gets little respect on network TV shows that instead revel in the pleasures of extramarital and even kinky sex, according to a study released Tuesday.

The study by the Parents Television Council includes a strongly worded condemnation of prime-time TV, contending it "seems to be actively seeking to undermine marriage by consistently painting it in a negative light."

The effect on young viewers is dire, the Parents Television Council contends.

Behavior that once was seen as "fringe, immoral or socially destructive have been given the imprimatur of acceptability by the television industry" and children are absorbing or even imitating it, the report contends.

Unfortunately, the finger-pointing watchdog group continues giving more credit to television when it comes to shaping childrens' views of the world, rather than the rest of society and the parents themselves. Where is the parental control, people?

It's actually a case of 'art imitates life'. In 2005, a census study found that the divorce rate in America was on the decline but so was marriage, which suffered a 50% drop! Prior to that, the divorce rate hit staggering, high numbers.

People cohabitating is clearly not the same as being married. Just ask anyone in favor of gay marriage. Which brings up an excellent question: If marriage rates are at a low and divorce rates are relatively stagnant, how would gay marriage hurt this so-called (and frequently bastardized) "sacred institution"?

Meanwhile, the vicious cycle of the blame game continues. Conservative parents blame the entertainment industry while actively ignoring the factors they can personally control in their kids' lives.

Whiners? Complainers? Or just fans of emotional instability?

Johnny Depp & Angelina Jolie: Batty for Follow-Up to "The Dark Knight"?

It looks like the rumor mill continues to churn out a delicious dish of fodder for fans of Christopher Nolan's revamped and revitalized Batman series.

Over at Yahoo! Buzz there's speculation that Johnny Depp might be the caped crusader's next villian... the Riddler. There's no doubt the always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride Oscar nominee would do the part justice, but it might be difficult to eclipse Jim Carrey's spot-on performance as the fittingly over-the-top, mad scientist -- one of the only highlights of Batman Forever.

There's also word that Angelina Jolie is mulling over the idea of playing Catwoman. Fanboys (in unison): "Me-OW!" Christian Bale and Jolie duking it out with a "should-they-or-shouldn't-they?" backstory could be highly entertaining. Not to mention that Jolie is absolutely no stranger to action flicks. And, she has Julie Newmar's backing.

Finally, Yahoo! mentions Philip Seymour Hoffman as a possible Penguin. It's a fitting concept since it's the type of character he seems drawn to these days. Does anyone want to see Truman Capote in Penguin form? Hm.

Oliver Stone's "W" Poster Unveiled

Over at The Politico, Anne Schroeder put up the "W" movie poster. Seems as though the studio went for a slightly understated image. Perhaps they were simply trying to capture the angle that Josh Brolin looks most like George W.

There has been a lot of anticipation for Oliver Stone's latest project, which is rumored for release prior to election day.

The actors have even found themselves at the center of a bar-room brawl. Since the film does follow the George W. saga through his youth, maybe some cast members wanted to experience reckless behavior as part of their character study...

Will a Hollywood "bio-pic" about the lame duck President actually make a dent in the box office? And more importantly, will anyone care?

Next time, the studio should pull a page from The Gossip Girl campaign. Talk about sparking all kinds of buzz!