It's finally that time of year when the best that television has to offer gets recognized, and this year's Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony promises to be entertaining with the comical Jane Lynch hosting. This year's nominations' ceremony hasn't presented any real surprises but has presented some major letdowns. Nonetheless, the current nominations listing still feels satisfactory. Here is a breakdown of the most likely winners in the major categories.
Best Drama: "Mad Men"
Why: "Mad Men" has already won the award for three consecutive years, making its odds for winning again highly probable. It may be rare for a series to win four years in a row, but it has been done before. However, this Emmy season has the ground-breaking drama up against "Boardwalk Empire," which took home both the Golden Globe and the SAG Award for Best Television Drama earlier this year. So it might come close.
Best Comedy: "Modern Family"
Why: Most of the other nominees equally deserve to win, most notably "Parks and Recreation" and "The Big Bang Theory." "Parks and Recreation" especially deserves praise for its third season, but sophomore show "Modern Family" will likely be a repeat winner because it's hilarious and its ratings have increased after the first season.
Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Jon Hamm
Why: Since "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston, who won the award for three consecutive years, was not eligible for a nomination this year, it's finally time for Hamm to shine after losing for three consecutive years. Considering his competition is pretty rigid (with the exception of Steve Buscemi), this is definitely Hamm's year.
Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Juliana Margulies
Why: This is one of the tougher categories to depict who the winner will be this year. With "The Closer's" Kyra Sedgwick out of the race this year, it will come down to either "The Good Wife's" Juliana Margulies or "Mad Men's" Elizabeth Moss. However, "The Good Wife" is now at the peak of its popularity, mostly due to the voters' love for Margulies.
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Steve Carell
Why: Carell's sentimental departure from "The Office" was a wonderful reminder of how much we all loved the wacky office antics of the pleasantly witless Michael Scott. That's the exact reason why Carell is the odds-on favorite to win the Emmy. It's like the cliché "you don't know what you have until it's gone." If not Carell, then "The Big Bang Theory's" Jim Parsons is the second most likely candidate.
Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Laura Linney
Why: It's virtually a can't-lose situation since Linney skillfully portrays a mother who is dying of cancer in "The Big C," a show that finds humor in one of the most serious subjects in the world.
Best Miniseries: "Mildred Pierce"
Why: "Mildred Pierce" currently holds the highest number of nominations this Emmy season (21 nominations). That doesn't necessarily mean it's a definite win, but you can never go wrong in a period piece with Kate Winslet.
Best Actress in a Miniseries: Kate Winslet
Why: Kate Winslet has won numerous awards throughout her entire acting career (an Oscar, multiple Golden Globes, an Emmy and even a Grammy). She's one of the greatest actresses of our time, and it was partially her performance in "Mildred Pierce" that made it so intriguing.
Minor Categories:
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Michelle Forbes, "The Killing"
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Chris Colfer, "Glee"
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Jane Lynch, "Glee"