As camp as Christmas

Ah Nigella. After the luke warm reception to Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen last year I was suprised to hear she was back with a Christmas book and more shows – but why was I worried? The trio of Nigella Christmas shows (~ to accompany the very nice book of course) are perfectly camp, cheery and properly jolly but not sentimental, and whilst Nigella gives tips it’s not in a military campaign vibe – for that see Delia or Fanny Craddock’s xmas shows. Funnily Nigella mentions Fanny’s tip for lighting with pudding with vodka, which flames for longer. If you’ve never seen Fanny’s set of Christmas recipe and green dyed piped mashed potatoes serving platter you need to immediately, here, or on UKFood on cable TV, which is currently repeating every Christmas cooking special on earth.

So Nigella has well and truly found a niche – where to from Christmas? In her blog Nigella recommends Outnumbered, I concurr.

In other TV? Desperate Housewives is still ridiculous and low maintenance enough to enjoy. Survivors is wooden and I can’t see how it’s going to end satisfactorily in two more episodes. Heroes I’m liking again – but now that Elle’s dead, I dunno.

Damages seems to be returning to our screens. Let me give you a run down of shows you should be watching this Christmas, on DVD. Californication, Damages, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, 30Rock (also being repeated on five late at night but best watched chronologically with a little patience for the Pilot and ep. 2) and the latest series of Lost.

Emmy Predictions

Ok folks – My picks are in bold.  A Star* means I think they’d be an equally good winner.

Outstanding Drama Series

• Boston Legal
• Damages*
• Dexter
• House
• Lost*
• Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Entourage
• The Office
• 30 Rock
• Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• James Spader, Boston Legal
• Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad*
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters*
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
• Glenn Close, Damages
• Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
• Holly Hunter, Saving Grace

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Tony Shalhoub, Monk
• Steve Carell, The Office
• Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Charlie Sheen, Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine*
• Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
• Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• William Shatner, Boston Legal
• Ted Danson, Damages*
• Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
• Michael Emerson, Lost*
• John Slattery, Mad Men*

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
• Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
• Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy
• Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy
• Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

• Stanely Tucci, ER
• Glynn Turman, In Treatment
• Robin Williams, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
• Robert Morse, Mad Men*
• Oliver Platt, Nip/Tuck
• Charles Durning, Rescue Me

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

• Shelley Berman, Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Rip Torn, 30 Rock*
• Will Arnett, 30 Rock
• Steve Buscemi, 30 Rock
• Tim Conway, 30 Rock

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

• Polly Bergen, Desperate Housewives
• Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
• Sarah Silverman, Monk
• Carrie Fisher, 30 Rock
• Edie Falco, 30 Rock
• Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

• Ellen Burstyn, Big Love
• Dihann Carroll, Grey’s Anatomy
• Cynthia Nixon, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
• Anjelica Huston, Medium
• Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck

Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program

• Jon Stewart, host; 80th Annual Academy Awards
• Stephen Colbert, host; The Colbert Report
• David Letterman, host; Late Show With David Letterman
• Don Rickles, performer; Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project
• Tina Fey, host; Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Reality Program

• Antiques Roadshow
• Dirty Jobs
• Extreme Makeover Home Edition
• Intervention
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program

• Ryan Seacrest, American Idol – noooooooooooooooooooo
• Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
• Howie Mandel, Deal Or No Deal
• Heidi Klum, Project Runway
• Jeff Probst, Survivor

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series

• The Colbert Report
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
• Late Show With David Letterman
• Real Time With Bill Maher
• Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series

• Dexter
• Heroes
• Mad Men (two nominations: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and “Shoot”)
• Pushing Daisies
• Ugly Betty

Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series

• Californication
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Pushing Daisies
• 30 Rock
• Ugly Betty

Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series

• Brothers & Sisters
• Damages
• Friday Night Lights
• Mad Men
• The Tudors

Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series

• According to Jim
• Californication
• In Treatment
• My Name Is Earl
• Scrubs
• 30 Rock

Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series

• Battlestar Galactica
• Breaking Bad
• Dexter
• Lost
• Mad Men*
• Rescue Me

Outstanding Costumes for a Series

• Desperate Housewives
• Mad Men
• Pushing Daisies
• The Tudors
• Ugly Betty

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

• Entourage
• Flight of the Conchords
• The Office, “Money (Parts 1 & 2)”
• The Office, “Goodbye, Toby”
• Pushing Daisies
• 30 Rock

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

• Boston Legal
• Breaking Bad
• Damages
• House
• Mad Men*

Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program

• 80th Annual Academy Awards
• The Colbert Report
• Company (Great Performances)
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
• Saturday Night Live; Host: Tina Fey

Outstanding Main Title Design

• Bernard and Doris
• Chuck
• The Company
• Mad Men
• New Amsterdam

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

• Flight of the Conchords, “Yoko”
• The Office, “Dinner Party”
• Pushing Daisies, “Pie-Lette”
• 30 Rock, “Rosemary’s Baby”
• 30 Rock, “Cooter”

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

• Battlestar Galactica, “Six Of One”
• Damages, “Pilot”*
• Mad Men, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”*
• Mad Men, “The Wheel”
• The Wire, “30”

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program

• The Colbert Report
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
• Late Night With Conan O’Brien
• Late Show With David Letterman
• Saturday Night Live

Fingers crossed!