2012 Emmy Awards Liveblog!

Welcome to our Emmy Awards liveblog! We’ll be getting started in just a few minutes with the red carpet and then keep going right through the awards. I’ll be updating this post frequently, so make sure you keep refreshing! And please join in the discussion in the comment section.

10:55: Now Michael J. Fox is presenting the last award, Outstanding Comedy. People are very excited. I assume Modern Family will win. And… yup. Well, that’s all for tonight. Thanks for joining us!

10:48: I’d forgotten we hadn’t done Outstanding Drama or Comedy yet. Julianne Moore (who already presented one, no?) just gave Drama to Homeland. Aw, they’re so excited.

10:46: Andre Braugher just gave the best miniseries/movie award to Game Change, surprising no one. Ooh, but Tom Hanks is accepting! Where’s your pretty pretty son, Tom? Anyway, he’s now thanking the founding fathers for the democratic process, SO.

10:38: Now actor. Oh, hey, there’s Cumberbatch. The Internet will EXPLODE if he wins. And . . . nope, Kevin Costner. He is underdressed.

10:36: Ginnifer Goodwin and Emily VanCamp! Presenting for directing to… Jay Roach, for Game Change. Aw, he’s talking about how important movies about politics are.

10:28: Lead actress SHOULD go to . . . I was about to say someone who wasn’t even nominated, actually. But Julianne Moore won. I still need to watch Game Change. Her dress is very old-fashioned, but I like it. Her speech is very gracious and she’s glowing.

10:27: Miniseries/movie writing goes to Danny Strong! He wrote Game Change but now I’m having Buffy/Gilmore Girls feelings.

10:18: In Memoriam starts with an Andy Griffith tribute and moves on to “The Way We Were.”

10:12: Now Ellen DeGeneres is here for some reason. HA, they kept up the gag that Jimmy Kimmel is wearing her pants – she’s in a rob over her suit shirt and jacket. ANYWAY, now Kerry Washington is here being very pretty and awarding Supporting Actor to Tom Berenger for Hatsfields & McCoys. Aw, no Martin Freeman.

10:05: Miniseries and movies times. To recap, Missing and AHS are in this category but Downton Abbey is not. So. Steve Buscemi is presenting Supporting Actress to… Jessica Lange. I have not seen AHS.

10:01: Jimmy Kimmel is introducing his parents. His dad DOES look like Wolf Blitzer. Now he’s having his parents removed by security. I HOPE HE WARNED THEM ABOUT THIS.

9:54: Comedy special! I love The Daily Show, of course, but wouldn’t mind if Colbert Report had a chance. And The Daily Show wins. Breaking: Jon Stewart is handsome and charming. 10th consecutive win! He’s being bleeped a lot.

9:51: Now Ricky Gervais is awarding variety director something but honestly I’m trying to tune it out because he drives me nuts. Someone named Glenn Weiss has won for… last year? I guess? No, for the Tonys, but HE’S DIRECTING THE EMMYS AS HE ACCEPTS THIS AWARD, which is pretty awesome. He’s very likeable.

9:45: Louis CK has won his third Emmy of the evening! Wow.

9:41: We’re on to Variety. Meh.

9:36: Now Tina Fey and Jon Hamm are presenting Best Actress in a Drama, and hasn’t Tina Fey done this “forgot my glasses” gag before? I like a lot of these nominees, so I am torn. Claire Danes! Go Beth March!

9:28: Julianna Margulies is presenting lead actor in a drama. Hugh Bonneville or Damian Lewis, please? Yes, Damian Lewis! And the crowd goes wild. I promise I will catch up on that show THIS WEEK. “I don’t really believe in judging art, but I thought I’d show up just in case. It turned out all right.” Hee.

9:26: They’re doing an In Memoriam spoof (!) about Jimmy Kimmel (!) to a sad version of “What Makes You Beautiful” (!) played by Josh Groban (!). So. That is something that’s happening.

9:23: Now we’re rehashing drama guest actor/actress from last week: Jeremy Davies and Martha Plimpton. I approve on both counts. Now they are presenting – and ooh, I like Martha Plimpton’s dress, actually. Time for the drama director bit. Are they dramatic? They say no, mostly. And the award goes to Tim van Patten for Boardwalk Empire. He is not there but was hilarious in the little “Are you dramatic?” video, so okay.

9:17: Supporting actress in a drama! Please let it be Christine Baranski, because she’s awesome. Wait, or Archie Panjabi. Or Maggie Smith. And it’s Maggie Smith! Is she there? Oh, no, darn. I bet her speech would have been fun.

9:15: There is a dumb prank going on that I will not dignify by explaining it. Now drama people are talking about writer’s block. But the drama writing award goes to Homeland! (Presented by Connie and Hayden, who were fine.)

9:04: Claire Danes is giving Supporting Actor in a Drama, and I would like Jim Carter or Brendan Coyle or Peter Dinklage to win, please. Oh, but Aaron Paul! I have nothing against him; I’ve just never watched his show. He seems to be overcome and completely adorable. Maybe I should watch his show!

9:02: OH YAY, we’re moving on to drama!

9:00: Tom Bergeron got reality host.

8:57: Time for the accountants. With a Big Bang Theory bit.

8:51: OH WAIT James van der Beek and Damon Wayons Jr. are presenting together. Obviously I feel strongly about THAT. They are updating football scores. The Amazing Race wins reality competition show, if you care.

8:50: We’re moving on to reality shows, which I don’t much care about and this site doesn’t cover, so maybe I’ll lump a few categories together here.

8:44: Stephen Colbert is talking about the War on Women! Interesting. I forgot there were seven nominees in the Comedy Leading Actress category. I want Amy Poehler to win but would be fine with Lena Dunham or Julia Louis-Dreyfus. And… Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Amy Poehler speech gag.

8:37: Mindy Kaling and Melissa McCarthy are talking about how hot the Comedy Lead Actor nominees are. Mindy can’t keep a straight face. And… Jon Cryer wins. “Don’t panic, people. Something has clearly gone terribly wrong.” Heh.

8:36: Now we are watching an endless video about how the little girl on Modern Family is a monster.

8:31: Matthew Perry! Presenting alone, in a nice change. Ah, he’s announcing the comedy guest awards that were already announced at the Creative Arts Emmys last week. I’ve already forgotten who won, but I’m sure I disapproved. Oh, yes, Kathy Bates and Jimmy Fallon, who are now on stage together to present Best Comedy Direction to Modern Family again, SIGH. THERE ARE OTHER COMEDIES, EMMY VOTERS.

8:23: Supporting Actress in a Comedy, with Kat Dennings and Jon Cryer. Their intro was short and to the point, which I appreciate. Awww, Kathryn Joosten was nominated, I forgot. But Julie Bowen wins. She’s talking a LOT about nipple covers.

8:19: Jim Parsons and Zooey Deschanel are trying to convince us they base their characters on each other. Uh-huh. This is comedy writing, and please let this go to Community or Girls. But no, it’s Louie. To be fair, I’ve never seen that, so I have no real opinion. His speech was fine.

8:11: Amy Poehler and Louis CK are presenting… something. Amy is talking and I really need to catch up on Parks and Rec. Supporting Actor in a Comedy goes to Eric Stonestreet! I also think maybe Modern Family people will split the vote but apparently not. Do we get a Charlize Theron joke in his speech? No.

8:09: Comedy reel! I’m excited about HIMYM tomorrow.

8:05: Jimmy is giving us the history of television. 20% of acting nominees are British this year? Interesting. There are lots of jokes and they’re not very funny.

8:02: Maybe the person I don’t recognize is Christina Hendricks. The opening is… Jimmy had botox and can’t host and… god, it’s awful, I’m not evening going to describe it. Is it time to start drinking yet?

8:00: Here we go! Time for a painful opening starting with… Zooey and someone I should recognize but don’t. Oh, there’s Mindy. They’re all wearing robes that look very comfy.

7:54: Ross and Kelly loved Zooey’s princess dress, because of course they did. They had added exactly zero value to this broadcast so far.

7:48: Kristen Wiig’s dress is an awkward length. Love Hannah Simone’s yellow but I’m over the one-strap thing. People are chanting “Stephen” for Colbert in the background.

7:45: Julie Bowen is wearing chartreuse, which is not a word I have had a chance to type yet tonight. I’m a little unsure about her hair. Her Sofia impressions are always delightful. Now Ryan is awkwardly introducing her to Clive Owen, who looks DASHING. Hey look, Colbert! His wife looks very nice.

7:40: Julia Louis-Dreyfus! Her red-brown Vera Wang is VERY pretty, and her earrings are great. What is that color? Rust? Hm. Okay, now we’ve got a full shot of Nicole Kidman with Ryan. It really looks like a sleeveless white sheath with sparkly aqua stickers stuck to it. Nicole Kidman is playing Grace Kelly? What? Huh? I must know more about this. Kerry Washington is gorgeous and sparkly in a light gray/pink. Her clutch has a giant metal lizard on it, which… huh. I keep forgetting Scandal exists and then getting really excited when I remember.

7:34: Jane Krakowski has a tailored sparkly metallic thing that is understated (weirdly) but lovely. Julianne Moore is wearing mustard. Interesting. Lena Headey looks VERY evil queen, which… appropriate.

7:31: Zooey Deschanel’s dress is VERY POOFY and her bodice looks painful. But the pale lilac is nice. Ugh, Ricky Gervais. SO GLAD he’s not hosting tonight.

7:27: Mouse batteries just died, but now I’m back in business. PHEW. Matthew Perry! They’re calling Go On a hit, which makes me happy. Glimpse of Nicole Kidman, whose dress looks… unexpected. Michael J. Fox. Yes, Ryan, we know he has a new show. Nicole Kidman’s dress is some sort of blue over white thing I’m unsure about. Hm, she and Keith have done well with alternating whose “thing” they’re doing, but at this moment they’re both TV-affiliated, huh? Claire Danes! I give a lot of leeway to maternity dresses, and her yellow is a great color, but there is no excuse for that bodice. Lucy Liu is wearing an amazing metal thing, and I am excited for Elementary. They should totally cut right to Cumberbatch now. That would be amazing.

7:19: Julianna Margulies has a really intriguing dress – green, floral, interesting texture. They did NOT show us her hot husband, though. Christina Hendricks has a silver gray beige thing with… a belt? Huh. Gosh, I always forget how short Ryan is until he does these things.

7:15: Julianne Hough, who I did not recognize, is talking to Giuliana. Is she still dating Ryan? She’s also wearing aqua. “Were you up with Ryan all night making this ManiCam?” Yup, I guess they’re still together. The bodice of her dress makes her look unnecessarily saggy. Ryan is now talking to Julianne and Giuliana and, presumably, desperately praying he keeps the names straight.

7:09: Tracy Morgan’s fiancee is wearing a lovely, refreshing yellow. Twitter suggests that January Jones’s dress is NOT fine, and honestly I was not really paying attention because I was looking for this. Amy Poehler! Her hair is AMAZING and her sparkly black is okay but I have issues with the neckline similar to my issues with Connie Britton’s neckline. She is the second star claiming to wear a toy ring that belongs to her child (after Melissa McCarthy). Though in Amy Poehler’s case, I’m wondering if she’s wearing it to take on potential wedding ring drama/questions head-on.

7:04: Jennifer Westfeldt’s blue is nice. Ooh, there’s Amy Poehler, but not a good shot of her dress yet. Elisabeth Moss is lovely and has a great floral pattern but she has one of those very constructed bodices that seems like its own piece of architecture rather than something being worn. Now January Jones is talking about her son, so sure, her black dress is fine but she mentioned Xander so I’m distracted by the memory of that picture of Josh Jackson playing with Xander in a pool. Sofia Vergara’s sparkly aqua is nice but she looks very sewn into it. That can’t be comfortable.

7:01: Giuliana is talking to Emily VanCamp, and her dress is SO CLOSE but veers way too far toward Miss Havisham. She’s talking about her boyfriend, which is making me again wonder what on earth makes someone break up with Joseph Morgan. (Joking. All relationships have issues! No idea what was going on!) Morena Baccarin’s gray is a great color but the bodice looks painful.

6:58: Melissa McCarthy looks nice in black, which is a relief because they often have such trouble dressing her and that’s totally insane. Ryan just told her that her show premieres tomorrow and she was mildly shocked. Ah, she collaborated on her dress, which probably helped. I really like it. Still haven’t gotten a full-length shot of Tina Fey, but she’s wearing a very nice wine color. Oh, now we see it full-length, and it’s perfectly fine.

6:54: Heidi Klum is with Ryan, and I love the color of her dress but feel several of her seams could have done with more… seaming. I know she just went through a breakup but we don’t necessarily need to see her entire body. Giuliana has Aziz Ansari, and I understand that it’s hot but I’m not wild about the sunglasses all the guys are wearing. He wants to add a category for babies, which . . . I would not complain. Ariel Winter is wearing an age-appropriate silver on white sparkly thing and looks great.

6:47: Giuliana is now talking to Connie Britton and I still have issues with her neckline. And her hair. Emily VanCamp is in a weird light gray thing that is not doing her any favors. She’s so pretty! She can’t be hard to dress! Hayden Panettiere has joined Giuiana and Connie, and I can’t quite get a handle on her blue and gold dress, but I don’t hate it. While they talk, we are seeing Aaron Paul, and I am very iffy on this “brown bowtie with black tux” trend. There was a brief glimpse of Melissa McCarthy but not enough to see her dress. Melissa Rauch’s green color is great.

6:43: Giuliana has Sarah Hyland, who has a light grey drapey thing that’s gorgeous, and I love her hair. She’s very into the ManiCam. Glenn Close’s dress is a bit frightening. We haven’t seen a full-length shot of Tina Fey yet, but things look promising.

6:39: Okay, now Giuliana’s talking to Ginnifer, and I’ve decided I like her dress from a distance but less so up close. The whole effect is better than the detail. I REALLY don’t like her shoes, though. They’re still talking but they’re showing us Archie Panjabi and her blue dress is my new favorite of the night. Zosia Mamet’s is… not so good. I like Connie Britton’s sparkly number except for the for the neckline. Sarah Paulson looks gorgeous but I did not recognize her at ALL until they put her name on the screen. John Hamm! Breaking: he’s handsome.

6:32: Lena Dunham! Black lace. I love that style but am less sure about her haircut. Now Eric Stonestreet is non-addressing the Charlize Theron rumors. Aziz Ansari is in the background looking dashing. Kiernan Shipka looks adorable and age-appropriate, though we haven’t seen her whole dress yet. I’m unsure about Ginnifer Goodwin’s dress.

6:30: Max Greenfield and wife Tess. I’m not fond of this trend of big slits down the front of bodices. Oh hey, Jon Stewart! Heidi Klum! I like the color she’s wearing. Jane Levy is wearing a nice jewel blue. Meanwhile, Giuliana is making Max Greenfield talk about 50 Shades. Really? Really? Ah, I think Sufe Bradshaw might have been the one in the interesting pattern, though up close, I’m not quite sure what I think.

6:25: Fallon makes an Amanda Bynes joke. I’m sad he’s not the Jimmy hosting tonight. They’re talking about his new puppy but have no pictures. HMPH.

6:21: Someone has a patterned dress that intrigues me, but they cut away before I could figure out who. Leslie Mann’s orange is a nice choice. Oh, and hey, there’s Padma Lakshmi in orange too. Her dress is completely gorgeous. Possibly my favorite so far.

6:19: Mayim Bialik’s dress was designed to match her purse. Priorities! Oh, we have a shot of Amanda Peet, and her dress is washing her out a bit, and I miss Bent. Anna Chlumsky and Jessica Pare both look great. I like both parts of Shannon Woodward’s dress but I’m not sure they work together. And… now I am caught up to the live feed.

6:16: Jena Malone’s dress is too assymetrical for me, and WHAT? They’re going through a whole thing about not spoiling the plot of Catching Fire, which IS A BOOK, people. Now we’re going to Ross and Kelly. Kelly’s hair matches her dress AGAIN. Wasn’t that true at some past award show? Why? WHY?

6:13: There’s a new Carly Rae Jepsen song playing in the background. It’s also fine. Giuliana now has Kat Dennings, and she looks gorgeous, though I’d be slightly afraid that dress would fall off. Her hair and face look awesome, though. And I love the color of her nails. FOR THE RECORD, no one mentioned her show in any way in the course of that interview.

6:11: There’s now a ManiCam. So. There’s that. Ryan and Giuliana are still just talking about each other. Giuliana’s dress is fine. I like her earrings. Ah, Ross and Kelly are banished to the skybox. They have not yet been allowed to speak, and honestly, that’s probably for the best.

6:09: Ah, here’s Giuliana! BABY PICTURES. We demand baby pictures. There is a… really weird-looking pictures, actually. Is that REAL?

6:07: Jimmy Kimmel has a prank planned. Let’s hope there are no ashes involved. Here’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson! And Ariel Winter arriving in the background. And… eesh, I am skeptical of Morena Baccarin’s dress.

6:06: Here we go! I’m a few minutes behind but will catch up during commercials. We’ve got Ryan, and . . . is Giuliana here or is she on baby leave?