SAG Nominations: Dexter’s On Top, True Blood Not So Much

Emily Hochberg
Fancast.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, the holidays are great but I’m talking about the season for awards. The time when all our favorite series are recognized (or sometimes wrongfully snubbed) and our favorite actor’s egos are puffed up even more by new nominations.

Today we have the exciting Screen Actors Guild Award noms, where Dexter predictively made a killing (pun intended). The series may have only received two nominations, but that’s in addition to the two Golden Globe nods it received last week, on top of some of the highest ratings to date for the third season finale.

But there’s stiff competition at the SAGs this year, and much of it comes from repeat nominees. 30 Rock, Mad Men, The Closer and the miniseries John Adams each picked up three nods. The nomination for Outstanding Drama Series Ensemble is Dexter’s first show nomination and will go up against Boston Legal, The Closer, House and Mad Men.

Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall, will battle it out with Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie, William Shatner, and James Spader for Outstanding Male Actor.

For the most part the SAG noms run parallel with the Globes. Both recognized 30 Rock, Entourage, The Office, and Weeds for Outstanding Comedy Series though SAG included Desperate Housewives whereas the Globes threw in Californication. For drama, the Globes picked In Treatment and True Blood where SAG had Boston Legal and The Closer.

The SAG acting favorites were also expected – Tina Fey for Outstanding female actor in a comedy, against Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?), American Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Mary Louise Parker (Weeds), and Tracey Ullman for her Showtime series, Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union. Ullman did not receive a Globe nod like the other females in her category. Instead, the Hollywood Foreign Press went with Debra Messing for The Starter Wife.

Other Globe nominees racking up SAG nods included Steve Carell (The Office), Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Kiefer Sutherland (24: Redemption), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), and Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer).

The snubs? For Deborah Messing, Kevin Connolly (Entourage), January Jones (Mad Men), and Anna Paquin (True Blood), SAG wasn’t feeling the same adoration as the HFPA. Great shows like True Blood and Brothers & Sisters received no nominations for best series (however, Sallie Field did receive a nod for Best Female Actor).

Several networks were in the lead. HBO picked up the most nominations from any other network with 9, ABC and NBC were tied at second with 8, Showtime had 6, Fox and TNT both won 4 and AMC picked up 3. CBS, Lifetime, and USA all got one. Oops, sorry CW!

Elizabeth Moss of Mad Men received her first TV nomination to date for Outstanding Female Actor, an honor which is much deserved in this writer’s humble opinion.

When it comes down to it, Awards Season is really just a shot in the dark. Regulars like Tina Fey and Steve Carell are sure shots, but when it comes down to that fourth or fifth spot, it’s anyone’s guess. I suppose that’s why we have the People’s Choice Awards. Either way, we all tune in to see who looks great, who brought who, who cries, and who pouts. And of course – who wins.

So which Awards Show nominations do you agree with? And which are you looking forward to watching more? For all the SAG noms click here and the Golden Globes here.
And for the best of 2008 according to Fancast – click here!