Emmys: Best Actor

Best Actor (Comedy)

My picks: Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Taye Diggs (Kevin Hill), Bernie Mac (The Bernie Mac Show), Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), Kevin Connolly (Entourage)

The weakest category of the ten I'm considering, I struggled to get even five picks here. However, that means no disrespect to Jason Bateman who has rightfully earned considerable praise as the most down to earth of the wacky Bluth family on Arrested Development. Yes, the star of Teen Wolf Too and The Hogan Family has finally found the perfect outlet for his comic skills.

Unfortunately he wins over very little competition. Taye Diggs consistently made Kevin Hill feel like more than it really was, his charm and comedic talents were put to good use by the lightweight legal dramedy.

Beyond Bateman and Diggs I'd go with a pair of old-reliables: Bernie Mac still has the freshest family sitcom on TV and as a comic performer he's always worth watching, while Ray Romano fits the bill when I'm looking for someone, anyone else to put into a slot (at least he fits it better than Matt LeBlanc for the mediocre spinoff Joey and Will & Grace's Eric McCormack who, like his show, has his best days behind him). Rounding it out is Kevin Connolly, one of the least annoying cast members of Entourage. Praiseworthy enough since his performance helped me get through the show's hit-and-mostly-miss 8-episode debut season.

Along with obvious nominees Bateman and Romano the expected nominees include Tony Shalhoub for Monk (which I never watch), Zach Braff (which would be a first, for Scrubs) and either McCormack or Charlie Sheen from TV's new No. 1 sitcom, Two and a Half Men.

Best Actor (Drama)

My picks: Ian McShane (Deadwood), Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under), Denis Leary (Rescue Me), Michael Chiklis (The Shield), Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), Matthew Fox (Lost), Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood), Kiefer Sutherland (24)

Now this is more like it. Along with my picks, each one of whom is at least an underdog contender, this category is overflowing with solid potential nominees.

Topping the list is Ian McShane as Deadwood's cunning centerpiece Al Swearengen. Al runs the town behind the scenes simply by being smarter than anyone else and McShane's mesmerizing performance hit marvelous new heights this season. I'm not sure anyone else could make kidney stones such compelling television.

Coming awfully close to McShane's brilliance were Michael C. Hall who had possibly his best season ever as Six Feet Under's eternally tormented David Fisher and Denis Leary who helped create one of the season's most complex new characters and shows, screwed up firefighter Tommy Gavin on Rescue Me (which Leary also produces and writes for).

Michael Chiklis continued his fine work as detective/pit bull Vic Mackey on The Shield; Peter Krause's Nate Fisher spent a season putting himself back together after falling apart in spectacular fashion on Six Feet Under; Matthew Fox rescued himself from TV obscurity in high style as Lost's trusted leader Jack; Timothy Olyphant found himself somewhat overshadowed by his Deadwood co-star McShane but still turned in solid work, especially in regard to the tragic loss suffered by his character, Sheriff Seth Bullock; and Kiefer Sutherland is surprisingly still relevant after four seasons of 24, his performance remains far more consistent than the show's storylines.

In addition to the fine work of all of these actors others frequently mentioned for Emmy attention include: Hugh Laurie who has built up a rabid cult-like following after one season of House; James Spader, who won last year for The Practice and spun the character off to Boston Legal; Anthony LaPaglia, nominated in the past for Without a Trace; and maybe, but probably not, The West Wing's Martin Sheen who spent his final season as the President.