nominations demands attention – SAG Television Awards nominations list, some thoughts

The beginning of award nominations continues, post Golden Globes, and now SAG. The list of nominations for the Screen Actors Guild were lacking in some notable outstanding Television picks, and we have taken the liberty of annotating the released list of noms with our picks and reasons for them. “The King’s Speech” and “The Fighter” each tallied a leading four nominations from the SAG, including best cast, boosting their chances in the Oscar sweepstakes. The Critics’ Choice and Golden Globes had their moment, now it’s the Screen Actors Guild’s turn to join the nomination party.  As the 17th annual SAG nominees were unveiled,  Modern Family  led the list with a total of four nods, including Ed O’Neill’s first mention. ABC’s Modern Family will go head-to-head against  Glee ,  The Office ,  30 Rock  and newbie  Hot in Cleveland in the comedy ensemble category.

Joining them among nominees for best ensemble cast, which is SAG’s top film honor, are the actors in “Black Swan,” “The Kids Are All Right” and “The Social Network.” In the television categories, 88-year-old White nabbed a nomination for best actress in a comedy for “Hot in Cleveland,” whose cast also is up for best ensemble.

“Modern Family” led the TV bunch with four nominations, followed by “Mad Men,” “30 Rock,” “Dexter” and “Glee” with three. The comedy side also nominated a bunch of supporting stars from Glee and Modern Family , including the man overlooked at the Emmys, Ed O’Neill. And with the Golden Globes nominations out, it’s now official: Lost will end its final season with no major awards love. The press usually pays more attention to the movie side in both contests to find hints about the Oscar race. Annette Bening , “The Kids Are All Right” Nicole Kidman , “Rabbit Hole” Jennifer Lawrence , “Winter’s Bone” Natalie Portman , “Black Swan” Hilary Swank , “Conviction” Best actor, TV drama. The SAG selections highlight which programs are most respected by actors. Steve Buscemi , “Boardwalk Empire” Bryan Cranston , “Breaking Bad” Michael C.

Ensembles in comedy and drama are acknowledged. Not that they don’t deserve some recognition: I genuinely (if guiltily) enjoy the TV Land hit’s traditional-sitcom familiarity, and Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick are pros with great chemistry. And there are no supporting categories on the TV side. Debuting in 1995, the SAG Awards are one of the entertainment industry’s most recognized awards along with the Emmys, the Oscars and the Golden Globes. The final awards ceremony will take place on January 30, 2011. Shame on SAG for selecting “The Good Wife” and the stale “The Closer” over a superb drama that continues to get better. House – Hugh Laurie and company consistently deliver some of the best work as a cohesive team for a network drama.  This is one of FOX’s best shows.