EMMY PICKS AND A NOD

I'm not watching a lot of TV these days, so I don't have a long list here. Emmy likes the sitcoms I like, so there's not too much to quibble about. We come to differences on dramas, since I haven't seen any of the nominated shows. I can only say that Rescue Me and Men of a Certain Age have been unfailry snubbed. They'd lose to "Mad Men" anyway, but still. I think Jimmy Fallon is a good choice as host, though I would have liked to have seen Neil Patrick Harris again. Hey, Carson did four years in a row, so why not. Plus, you can see Fallon's comedy every weeknight. My comments below assume you know who's nominated. For a complete list of nominees, go to the Emmy site.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
MY PICK
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM - The best comedy on television deserves a 'Best Comedy' Emmy. Period. Much of my enjoyment of this show comes fromt he kinship I feel with Larry David and the complexity he brings to social interactions. Plus, "Seinfeld" fans got the reunion they always wanted but could never have. What more do you want? My guess is that "Modern Family" will win. I don't watch it, but it's the big buzz show right now, and everyone I know who does watch it raves about it.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
MY PICK
STEVE CARELL as Michael Scott on The Office - Here we are again, with Carell up for the 5th time. Carell's Scott is one of TV's all-time great characters for reasons blogger Ken Levine best describes here. Alec Baldwin has two already. Tony Shalhoub has three out of an amazing eight nominations. Larry David is up for the fourth time, but he's basically playing himself. David's character doesn't call for the range of emotion we see from Michael Scott.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
MY PICK
AMY POEHLER as Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation. Lots of folks gave up on this show after what some consider a disappointing first season. That's a shame, because in this season it's equal to its lineup peers "The Office" and "30 Rock". Much of that is due to Poehler's Knope, who evolved from something of a caricature into more of a complete character. Tina Fey is definitely worthy. Like her character Liz Lemon with the fictional "TGS", Fey carries the weight of that series on her shoulders. A win for Julia Louis-Dreyfus would be a little victory for her after the cancellation of her show. But she's won twice out of a stunning twelve nominations, so it's time to pass it on to a fellow SNL alum. Oddsmakers are picking Emmy darling Edie Falco, who won three out of her six nods for "The Sopranos".

OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
MY PICK
THE AMAZING RACE - Seven for seven. Let's keep it going.

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
MY PICK
THE DAILY SHOW - Emmy loves "The Daily Show", with eight wins out of ten nominations. It's well deserved. The first segment of this show is funnier than any of the monologues in late night. Team Coco is hoping for "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" to win. It would be a big middle finger to NBC, made sweeter because NBC is the Emmys broadcaster.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
OVERLOOKED
NICK OFFERMAN as Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation" - With Ron Swanson, Offerman has taken Lou Grant's gruff boss with a heart of gold template to the next level. He gladly lets his eager second, Leslie Knope, handle anything and everything, especially if there's accountability involved. He's so reserved that his looks and sighs are more valuable than dialogue. There always seems to be a seething anger that he's struggling to keep in check, making his moments of contrition all the more meaningful. Like the staff of the fictional Pawnee, Indiana parks department, viewers both love and fear Ron Swanson, a rare feat indeed.