• by Ed Martin , July 13, 2012

Following last week’s Fearless Emmy Advice for dramatic series, what follows are my thoughts about which shows and actors should be nominated this year in the comedy series categories, as well as my picks for the winners. It's my hope that voting members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will keep these suggestions in mind while poring through submissions for potential Emmy Award nominees.

In a noticeable change from recent years, I found it somewhat difficult to narrow down my choices for the comedy nominees, because there were so many strong series and performances from which to choose. There are two reasons for this: Broadcast sitcoms seem finally to have come out of the genre’s extended post-“Friends” slump, while HBO and Showtime have finally come up with several new winners, including “Girls,” “Veep” and “House of Lies,” respectively.

As with my drama category suggestions, the shows and actors named here represent one man’s opinion. If you think there are any glaring omissions, please make them known in the comments section.

Outstanding Comedy Series: CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory”; HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”; HBO’s “Girls”; ABC’s “Modern Family”; FX’s “Louie”; NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.”

Also worth consideration: CBS’ “2 Broke Girls”; NBC’s “Community”; ABC’s “The Middle”; Fox’s “New Girl”; Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie”; Fox’s “Raising Hope.”

This category is impossible to call. The safe bet is a three-peat for “Modern Family,” the current gold standard of television comedy. But laugh for laugh “The Big Bang Theory” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” were just as funny, while “Girls” and “Louie” stood out as two of the freshest and most distinctive programs in any genre on all of television. Meanwhile, “Parks and Recreation” remained the best of NBC’s many single-camera comedies. If I determined these things, I would see “Girls” or “Louie” take home the top honor, but a win for any of these shows wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, NBC’s “30 Rock”; Don Cheadle, Showtime’s “House of Lies”; Louis C.K., FX’s “Louie”; Larry David, HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”; Joel McHale, NBC’s “Community”; Jim Parsons CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory.”

Don Cheadle was nothing short of sensational as a ruthless and morally challenged management consultant in “House of Lies,” but I’m thinking that this category will also go with a three-peat, because “The Big Bang Theory” is more popular than ever (due in part to those many reruns on TBS), and a win for Jim Parsons takes the sting off the show’s continued losses to “Modern Family.”

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Laura Dern, HBO’s “Enlightened”; Zooey Deschanel, Fox’s “New Girl”; Edie Falco, Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie”; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, HBO’s “Veep”; Martha Plimpton, Fox’s “Raising Hope”; Amy Poehler, NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.”

Also worth consideration: Beth Behrs, CBS’ “2 Broke Girls”; Kat Dennings, CBS’ “2 Broke Girls”; Lena Dunham, HBO’s “Girls”; Tina Fey, NBC’s “30 Rock”; Patricia Heaton, ABC’s “The Middle”; Laura Linney, Showtime’s “The Big C”; Melissa McCarthy, CBS’ “Mike & Molly”; Mary-Louise Parker, Showtime’s “Weeds.”

Unlike the relative scarcity of truly deserving nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, this category is overflowing with exciting candidates. It won’t surprise me if Lena Dunham scores a nomination at the expense of one of the women I have listed above, but I think another new HBO star, Laura Dern, will not only be a nominee but will receive the Emmy, as well.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Ty Burrell, ABC’s “Modern Family”; Chris Colfer, Fox’s “Glee”; Max Greenfield, Fox’s “New Girl”; Ed O’Neill, ABC’s “Modern Family”; Eric Stonestreet, ABC’s “Modern Family”; Jesse Tyler Ferguson, ABC’s “Modern Family.”

Also worth consideration: Adam Driver, HBO’s “Girls”; Peter Facinelli, Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie”; Dule Hill, USA’s “Psych”; Nick Offerman, NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”; Simon Helberg, CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory”; Jake Johnson, Fox’s “New Girl”; Charlie McDermott, ABC’s “The Middle”; Adam Pally, ABC’s “Happy Endings”;  Damon Wayans Jr., ABC’s “Happy Endings.”

It’s hard to imagine any one of the four male stars of “Modern Family” not being nominated in this category, or the award not going to one of them for as long as that series continues to run. That leaves only two openings for all the other gifted supporting actors in current comedies and little opportunity for any of them to actually receive an award. My pick for this year’s “Modern Family” winner is Ed O’Neill.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Julie Bowen, ABC’s “Modern Family”; Diane Ladd, HBO’s “Enlightened”; Eden Sher, ABC’s “The Middle”; Sofia Vergara, ABC’s “Modern Family”; Betty White, TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland”; Kristen Wiig, NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

Also worth consideration:  Kristen Bell, Showtime’s “House of Lies”; Eve Best, Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie”; Mayim Bialik, CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory”; Susie Essman, HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”;  Kathryn Joosten, ABC’s “Desperate Housewives”; Cloris Leachman, Fox’s “Raising Hope”; Wendie Malick, TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland.”

Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara remain the women to beat in this category, though one should never count out the estimable appeal of Betty White. But my personal favorite  is Eden Sher. Here’s hoping the Academy doesn’t continue to overlook her sweet and side-splitting performance as cheerfully clueless teen Sue Heck in “The Middle.”