2012 Emmys: What to watch for Sunday night

Friday September 21, 2012 12:00 PM By Chris Serico

Photo credit: ABC | Jimmy Kimmel, star and executive producer of the late-night ABC talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live," will host the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, broadcast live coast to coast Sept. 23, 2012.

Leading up to the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, airing Sunday on ABC, Hudson Buzz previewed the Emmy races that feature stars with local roots. Today, we ask five burning questions about the ceremony itself. And, if you missed it, check out our coverage of the region's Emmy-nominated rising stars, leading ladies, late-night Mr. Nice Guy and movie mavens.

Now that you're all caught up on the major Hudson Valley players involved in Sunday's Emmy Awards, let's take a broader look at the ceremony itself.

There are some things we do know: Some of the jokes will fall flat (this is true of all Emmy hosts, despite the fact that we like Jimmy Kimmel), there will be a montage of dead people, and in the likely event that it goes past 11 p.m., we'll be screaming for the end already.

PHOTOS: TV stars from the Hudson Valley | Emmy nominations 2012
POLL: Vote: Who should win the Emmys?

Still, there are quite a few things we don't know about Sunday. Namely:

1. Will this be the year Emmy voters are more "Bad" than "Mad"?

One of the odd trends in recent years is that, while "Mad Men" has won the best drama category every year it's existed, its actors haven't claimed comparable success at the Emmys. (I mean, if Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss can't win for their performances in "The Suitcase," their Emmy outlook isn't looking good going forward.) Meanwhile, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have scored acting trophies for "Breaking Bad' — and Giancarlo Esposito deserves one of his own this year for his masterful portrayal of the villanous Gus Fring — but the series can't beat "Mad Men" head-to-head. With the most recent season of "Mad Men" leaving some viewers cold, and an increasing number of critics and viewers noticing "Breaking Bad's" ascent, this could be the year we hear "Bad" executive producer Vince Gilligan give the evening's final speech?

2. Who will be first to make a Clint Eastwood chair joke, and will it be any good?

(Notice this question is not if someone will make that joke, but who will make it and when.) True, Eastwood's more of a movie star than a TV icon, but that won't stop Hollywood from making a few jokes at his expense, especially in an election year. The obvious bet would be that Kimmel will mention it as a slam-dunk topic during his opening monologue, and perhaps will tie the joke into the major prank he said he plans to pull during the broadcast.

But if he doesn't, it'll probably come from one of the award presenters, who include Louis C.K., Claire Danes, Tina Fey, Michael J. Fox, Ricky Gervais, Ron Howard, Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler and Kiefer Sutherland. Unless it comes from Kimmel's monologue, don't expect one of the comedians to make the joke -- they'd probably see it as hacky and played out by now. For some reason, we could see Hamm making it (and getting away with it). It might just be all in the delivery.

3. Will Amy Poehler and her fellow nominees for lead actress in a comedy pull more shenanigans?

The "Parks and Recreation" star instigated last year's delightful presentation during the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, when each of the nominated ladies -- Poehler, Tina Fey, Laura Linney, Martha Plimpton, Purchase College alum Edie Falco and winner Melissa McCarthy -- each giddily walked on stage as their names were called, acting as if they were participants in beauty pageant. We can only hope that Poehler and this year's nominees, who include multi-Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and first-time nominee Lena Dunham, will pull off a similar stunt this year. 

4. How many words will be censored?

Every now and then, when a winner genuinely doesn't expect to win (as opposed to just saying that because he or she is supposed to be gracious), off-the-cuff speeches result in unintended expletives. In addition, some will see the Emmy stage as a political platform and drop a few curse words in the process. With a live telecast comes the unexpected — ranging from shouting fans in the crowd to technical mishaps. Although this isn't an awards show on MTV, if the over-under is three bleeped words at the Emmys, take the over.

5. Can anything stop "Modern Family"?

All signs point to "no." Since the show premiered in 2009, the series has received 34 Emmy nominations and won 11, including Outstanding Comedy Series for the past two years. And in all likelihood, the comedy juggernaut will win this year, too. Despite nods for the critically adored series' "Girls" and "Louie," neither has the mainstream popularity that has made "Modern Family" a blockbuster success. Expect to see the show dominate the major categories this Sunday, with perhaps Ed O'Neill and his TV wife Sofia Vergara nabbing wins in the supporting actor categories (their castmates, Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen, won last year). 

Who are your picks for the major Emmy categories? Let us know in the comments. And, while you're at it, vote in the poll to let us know if you think "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" or another show — other shows exist? — will win best drama this year.

With Kirthana Ramisetti

Tags: Spring Valley , Armonk , Emmys , Emmy Awards , Julianna Margulies , Ron Howard , Hudson Valley , Westchester , Rockland , TV