Emmys 2014 Editors' Picks: Who We Think Should Win in This Year's Miniseries/TV Movie Categories

Somehow, the Emmys are already upon us. The telecast is airing nearly a month earlier than usual this year, and on a Monday (August 25 at 8pm on NBC), to boot. Although many of the nominees didn't quite satisfy our dream choices, we here at TV.com are still committed to making sure the best possible people and shows take home the shiny trophies. Over the next couple days, we'll be making our selections in all the major categories, kicking things off with the somewhat confusing miniseries and TV movie races. Is it all about Fargo and The Normal Heart, will an underdog challenger surprise us all? Regardless of the outcome, here's who we believe deserves some new hardware.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

THE NOMINEES:

Matthew Bomer (The Normal Heart), Martin Freeman (Sherlock: His Last Vow), Colin Hanks (Fargo), Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart), Alfred Molina (The Normal Heart), and Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart)

RECENT WINNERS:

James Cromwell (2013), Tom Berenger (2012), and Guy Pearce (2011)

OUR PICKS:

Andy: N/A | Cory: Jim Parsons | Jen: Martin Freeman | Kaitlin: Martin Freeman

Nick: Martin Freeman | Noel: Matthew Bomer | Tim: Alfred Molina

WHY JIM PARSONS SHOULD WIN: As the nominee roster for this category suggests, The Normal Heart was full of showy, good performances. But the quiet gem at the center of all the crying and the yelling was the more internal grief expressed by Jim Parsons' Tommy Boatright. You know that Parsons is going home with a trophy for his work on The Big Bang Theory, but frankly, he deserves one for this performance even more. —Cory Barker

WHY MARTIN FREEMAN SHOULD WIN: It's not easy to play second fiddle to Sherlock Holmes, and it's especially not easy to work opposite someone as charismatic as Benedict Cumberbatch, but Martin Freeman manages to do it with an impressively gentle ease. What's more, he's not merely reacting to Cumberbatch—he's an active participant in their dueling dialogue. "His Last Vow" was a grand showcase of the many different sides of John Watson, spanning a range emotion from dangerously frightening anger to understated sadness. Freeman nailed every scene, and it's time he earned his due. —Kaitlin Thomas

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

THE NOMINEES:

Kathy Bates (AHS: Coven), Angela Bassett (AHS: Coven), Ellen Burstyn (Flowers in the Attic), Frances Conroy (AHS: Coven), Julia Roberts (The Normal Heart), and Allison Tolman (Fargo)

RECENT WINNERS:

Ellen Burstyn (2013), Jessica Lange (2012), and Maggie Smith (2011)

OUR PICKS:

Andy: Allison Tolman | Cory: Allison Tolman | Jen: Allison Tolman

Kaitlin: Allison Tolman | Noel: Allison Tolman | Nick: Ellen Burstyn | Tim: Allison Tolman

WHY ALLISON TOLMAN SHOULD WIN: First off, let's all agree that it's ridiculous that Tolman nominated herself (or was pushed into nominating herself) in the Supporting Actress category. Molly Solverson was the heart and soul of the dark, snowy world of Fargo's first season; from the way Tolman's eyes lit up as the plucky detective made a connection in the tangled Marlo case to her polite Midwestern anger in the face of other characters' doubt, the actress exuded intellect and compassion bundled with frustration and insecurities, crafting a recognizable human being instead a collection of character-type tics. —Noel Kirkpatrick

WHY ELLEN BURSTYN SHOULD WIN: Everything Burstyn does is gold and you're a liar if you say otherwise. A dang liar. —Nick Campbell

LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

THE NOMINEES:

Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: His Last Vow), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dancing on the Edge), Idris Elba (Luther), Martin Freeman (Fargo), Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart), Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo)

RECENT WINNERS:

Michael Douglas (2013), Kevin Costner (2012), and Barry Pepper (2011)

OUR PICKS:

Andy: Billy Bob Thornton | Cory: Billy Bob Thornton | Jen: Martin Freeman

Kaitlin: Mark Ruffalo | Nick: Idris Elba | Noel: Billy Bob Thornton | Tim: Martin Freeman

WHY MARK RUFFALO SHOULD WIN: We knew he could play angry (Hulk FTW!), but we never knew Mark Ruffalo was so adept at portraying anger, desperation, determination, and defeat all at once. To be honest, this isn’t even a contest. —Kaitlin Thomas

WHY BILLY BOB THORNTON SHOULD WIN: It shouldn't seem so natural for an actor to play a devil-like figure who has his own weird character tics and humanity without entering the Pacino Zone. But Billy Bob Thornton is not just any actor; he's one of the world's best, a fact we tend to forget until he turns in otherworldly performances, like he did as Lorne Malvo on Fargo. In Thornton's hands, Malvo was the most terrifying entity on the planet who happened to look like a true dweeb. —Cory Barker

LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

THE NOMINEES:

Helena Bonham Carter (Burton & Taylor), Minnie Driver (Return to Zero), Jessica Lange (AHS: Coven), Sarah Paulson (AHS: Coven), Cicely Tyson (The Trip to Bountiful), and Kristen Wiig (The Spoils of Babylon)

RECENT WINNERS:

Laura Linney (2013), Julianne Moore (2012), and Kate Winslet (2011)

OUR PICKS:

Andy: Kristen Wiig | Cory: Jessica Lange | Jen: Kristen Wiig | Kaitlin: Sarah Paulson

Nick: Helena Bonham Carter | Noel: Sarah Paulson | Tim: Kristen Wiig

WHY KRISTEN WIIG SHOULD WIN: The Emmys' flexible interpretation of "miniseries" has landed Wiig in the Lead Actress category alongside the likes of drama heavyweights Jessica Lange and Helena Bonham Carter, but her goofball performance in IFC's farce is every bit as award-worthy as her competition's. The experimental Babylon relied heavily on the gusto of its actors, and Wiig went full-on bananners as Cynthia Morehouse, handily upstaging all her costars. She won't win the trophy, but her perfect overacting and bellowing toward the heavens prove that she definitely belongs here. —Tim Surette

WHY JESSICA LANGE SHOULD WIN: Lange's material on AHS: Coven was probably a little more ostentatious than what she had to work with on Asylum, and we all know that the Emmy voters love ostentatious. Say what you want about Ryan Murphy's brand of glib genre alchemy, but few other performers could consistently turn in such strong and winking (but not overdone) work like Lange. —Cory Barker

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE

THE NOMINEES:

Killing Kennedy, Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight, The Normal Heart, Sherlock: His Last Vow, and The Trip to Bountiful

RECENT WINNERS:

N/A; this category returns in 2014 after three years of being combined with Outstanding Miniseries

OUR PICKS:

Andy: N/A | Cory: The Normal Heart | Jen: Sherlock: His Last Vow

Kaitlin: The Normal Heart | Nick: The Normal Heart | Noel: The Normal Heart

Tim: Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight

WHY THE NORMAL HEART SHOULD WIN: Admit it: You were a little scared to see what Ryan Murphy, he of Glee and American Horror Story fame, would do with such an important and gravely serious story like The Normal Heart. Thankfully, Murphy's best tendencies—the ability to pull great performances out of his cast and truly key in on the raw emotions of any situation—defeated his more problematic ones and the result was this year's clear winner in an admittedly weak category. —Noel Kirkpatrick

WHY SHERLOCK: HIS LAST VOW SHOULD WIN: Oh, great, I get to be the jerk who argues against an excellent movie full of excellent performances about AIDS that has virtually no chance of losing whatsoever. Here goes: Even though Sherlock's inclusion in this category is a stretch, its merit shouldn't be discounted just simply because it's weirdly positioned. The more I think about the whole of Season 3, the more I'm impressed with its various plot turns and all-around brilliant performances. This is a series that can still surprise its viewers, and its central bromance is one of TV's finest. Plus, that wedding episode was a masterpiece. —Jen Trolio

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES

THE NOMINEES:

AHS: Coven, Bonnie & Clyde, Fargo, Luther, Treme, and The White Queen

RECENT WINNERS:

N/A; this category returns in 2014 after three years of being combined with Outstanding TV Movie

OUR PICKS:

Tim: Fargo

WHY FARGO SHOULD WIN: Like Hannibal before it, Fargo proves that ideas that sound terrible on paper when they're first announced sometimes turn out to be the most successful. Putting aside some of the show's misguided meditations on masculinity near the end of the season, there's very little to dislike about Fargo. Noah Hawley and the show's directors (Adam Bernstein, Colin Bucksey, and a few others) did a masterful job of adapting and expanding the Coen Bros.' world for the small screen, and the cast turned in the best collective performance of the year. —Cory Barker

WHY TREME SHOULD WIN: There are few shows on television that are able to capture the spirit of a city as a character like Treme does for New Orleans. The show's actual human characters are difficult and unlikeable sometimes, and there's a decent amount of moralizing, but it emotes the Crescent City in a way that will make you fall in love with the place while also mourning it and feeling indignant about it. Try to find another series that makes you feel so strongly about its setting. —Nick Campbell

Who do you think should win in this year's miniseries and TV movie races?

Submit

Sort: Latest | Popular

joe12345

Oct 22, 2014

Why the hell are Sherlock, Luther, and Treme in miniseries? Also,the face that Martin Freeman beat Matt Bomer is unbelievable

itsmemadie01

Aug 23, 2014

the battle between Helena Bonhan Carter vs jessica Lange vs Sarah Paulson broke my heart

No1Slayerette

It'll be interesting to see if True Detective's risk of submitting as a drama series rather than a mini-series will pay off. I think it would have had majority of these categories in the bag myself, even though I think Fargo was much better.

I agree with everyone else... Fargo for everything, give or take Colin Hanks for Best Supporting actor.

rreeve

Aug 22, 2014

Fargo should get a full sweep of awards. It was Genius, from episode one all the way through to the end. I loved it and I miss it now.

hockeyrick

With each passing year the Emmy's show their irrelevance with keeping up with the times on presentation. Its a circle jerk now!

ArkhamNative

One of the reasons it will be very difficult to change is that entertainment reporting media (TV Guide, TV.com and all the rest) are a large, supportive part of that circle.

Staff

CoryBarker1

In what way? Not being combatitve, just curious what you mean.

In the wake of this year's nominations, most reports I saw were either silent about the fan outrage, or justifying the Emmy's system as legitimate, explaining how everyone is following all the rules, etc. A TV Guide article even seemed supportive of the gaming of the system: "How Emmy's Controversial Category Choices Paid Off" (link)

I do kind of get it. The entertainment media's role is to report what the industry does, not to speak out against what it does or offer suggestions for improvement. And that's basically my point.

Fargo is a mini-series, thought it was a normal series!
And 4, count em 4 actors from 1 show for 1 award? This is all wrong!!!!!
Same for Treme, it was a series, unfortunately that got cancelled!!!!

Emmy's should change, too messed up!

kevbuffylost108

Especially considering True Detective is the exact same format as the likes of Fargo and American Horror Story. So what makes TD so special to be placed in the 'Best Drama' category yet Fargo & AHS are placed in the Mini-Series category

I hope Breaking Bad wins 'Best Drama' by a landslide cause TD definitely does not deserve it

thekaitling

The difference is HBO decided to submit True Detective as a drama and not a miniseries. It's as simple as that.

Well HBO is dumb then, thinking TD can go against some of those in the 'Best Drama' category. Fargo was much better than it

numberonecubsfa

Aug 21, 2014

They're counting Luther as a mini series? Well, neither it or Idris Elba will win (season 3 was kind of a huge mess, writing wise), but it's nice to see both get a little recognition stateside all the same.

greasy82

Each season tells a contained story that centers on a few key characters. Think of them as a group of novels with each series portraying one book.

noelrk

Luther has submitted itself in the Miniseries category since it started, and so did Downton in its first year. Heck, Treme shouldn't even be in there, either.

I think Treme is only in the category because it didn't have enough episodes to be considered in the drama category. Which only adds to the madness.

Eugh. I forgot about that nonsense. *eyeroll*

Emmy rule #1: Don't pay attention to the categories because you'll lose your mind

paintcan

I watch TV daily and I've never seen 25% of these shows. Never heard of some of them.Sure glad I watched and loved Fargo.I hate over used classic but Fargo is classic to me.

RobinRyschlic

Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Ellen Burstyn, Frances Conroy, Julia Roberts, and Allison Tolman

... how can anyone possibly decide in this mega category? Can we call it a tie please? Can't we just give out an Emmy to all of them?

Gonzai

That's how I feel about the Actor category...

harpier

I realize the complaint is getting old, but I'm increasingly baffled by the irrelevance of the existing categories for these awards. Built out of outdated storytelling styles, the categories have proved unresponsive to and inflexible in light of changing tastes in format and style. "Drama" and "comedy" are closer now than they ever have been. More recently, anthology structures have more or less merged drama and mini-series entrants. Short-series/long-episode runs like Sherlock are now blurring mini-series and TV movie categories. Most shows have embraced more expansive ensemble casts, making the division between "lead" and "supporting" roles negligible. (Why, for instance, are Fargo's two villains lead characters and its law enforcement heroes supporting characters? And just what do you do with American Horror Story?)

Ultimately, I realize it's basically unimportant. Good television is good television, and any attempt to improve the current system would need more of an overhaul than an adjustment, a completely different way of organizing and clustering comparable programming that would demand a different set of principles. But, at the very least, I would prefer to see the decision-making for classification happen apart from the nominees. Those who wish to be considered can enter themselves but a different arbitrator determines the appropriate award category.

More+

So much of the stupidity and confusion boils down to the fact that this is all very political. Your point about the Fargo actors is a great one. But there's no way that Thornton and Freeman weren't submitting in lead (BBT because he's the most famous and Freeman because he wasn't going to compete with himself in supporting). They're the "name" performers of Fargo, whereas Hanks and Tollman (her more so than any other) are not. Those kinds of decisions are made by networks, studios, talent agencies, etc. and it's often BS.

_Kevin_K_

"Freeman because he wasn't going to compete with himself in supporting"

Now that would have been so cool. I'd have loved to see his acceptance/defeat speech.

I know a lot of its political, strategic, and de facto marketing. I also realize that (like most awards) pre-existing fame and name recognition is significant in determining nominees, though it doesn't necessarily diminish their good performances. But that's part of the reason I'd rather see a small committee affiliated with the Emmys rather than the nominees themselves determine the most suitable designations.

My bigger point is that the categories themselves are out-moded. I would have considered Thornton, Freeman, Tolman, and Hanks ALL leads in Fargo. (Supporting roles might have included Odenkirk, Carradine, or Platt.) But there's some unspoken (I believe) consensus that a show has two leads. Except Sherlock, which has one. Apparently. Anticipating the kerfuffles in drama and comedy categories, I honestly don't know which designation best describes shows like Shameless, Orange is the New Black, Girls, or Louie. In the end, a better categorical distinction is probably between hour and half-hour episode times, since that has more influence on the structure of the storytelling than trying to divine some prevailing sense of tone based on vague and subjective definitions.

JenMo73

I am sure glad that True Detective isn't in this mix otherwise it would be even more difficult to make a choice. Go Fargo for everything! :)

Emmys 2014 Editors' Picks: Who We Think Should Win in This Year's Miniseries/TV Movie Categories

New & Noteworthy