The Emmy B-Team: Variety Series and Special

It looks like I have yet another tradition on my blog. Last year, I had the idea of coming up with what I called my Emmy B-Team. The idea was to create an alternate ballot of all the leftover shows and people from the nomination list that weren't nominated by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Last year, I did this as an experiment to determine how badly the Academy picked their nominees. As it turns out, the B-Teams were altogether embarrassed by the actual nominees and I learned that the Academy doesn't do such a bad job. I've decided to make this list again this year. The main difference this time is that the goal is to highlight other deserving names that were submitted to the list more than proving that the B-Team is better, although that will still be a part of it. Thankfully, the Academy did a pretty good job picking this year, so my job is even harder this time.

On the plus side, the Variety Series category has been split up so that worthy nominees finally get a shot at victory. On the negative side, have we learned nothing from the TV Movie and Mini-Series categories? Diluting the field only makes the race less exciting. Then again, over a decade of Daily Show dominance with a slight Colbert Report interruption sucked a lot of fun out already.

Previously:
The Scruff
Reality Shows

* Indicates a show that I haven't watched this season.
# Indicates a show I've seen before, not this season.

Variety Talk Series

Actual Nominees:
#The Colbert Report
#The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
#Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight
#Late Show with David Letterman
#The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

B-Team:
@Midnight
#CONAN
*The Late Late Show With James Corden
*Late Night With Seth Meyers
*The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore
#Real Time With Bill Maher

The Nightly Show is poor man's Colbert Report. Late Late Show with James Corden is poor man's Late Show with David Letterman. Late Night With Seth Meyers is poor man's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Last Week Tonight is the HBO golden child in a way the Real Time with Bill Maher never was. @ Midnight is no Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Maybe I'd go with Conan over Jimmy Kimmel Live, but it's it moot by now.
Winner: Actual Nominees. What can I say? They get it right.

Variety Sketch Series

Actual Nominees:
*Drunk History
#Inside Amy Schumer
#Key & Peele
#Portlandia
Saturday Night Live

B-Team:
*Comedy Bang Bang!
*The Grace Helbig Show
#The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail
#The Soup
Tosh.0

Basically, any variety sketch series that I regretted not watching this year was nominated. I do like a lot of the B-Team. They are either still too rough (Grace Helbig, Meltdown) or secure in how much they don't care (The Soup, Tosh.0).
Winner: Actual Nominees. This is the year of Amy Schumer and Key and Peele.

Variety Special

Actual Nominees:
*Bill Mahar: Live From D.C.
*The Kennedy Center Honors
Louis C.K.: Live at the Comedy Store
*Mel Brooks Live at the Geffen
Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special
*Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE!

B-Team:
Aziz Ansari: Live At Madison Square Garden
Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way
Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber
Jim Jeffries: BARE
*Key & Peele Super Bowl Special
*Night of Too Many Stars

I just went with a B-Team of things that's I've seen and things that I have a good enough idea what to expect. That means a lot of stand up specials. Given that this wasn't C.K.'s strongest set, I'd say that one of those specials probably beats it. Beyond that, it's comparing a telethon to the SNL 40 celebration and a Comedy Central Roast to the Kennedy Center Honors.
Winner: Actual Nominees. Variety of nominations plays strongly into this. And, I'll admit, had I seen other specials, I'd have a better B-Team.

Directing - Variety Series

Actual Nominees:
#The Colbert Report
#The Daily Show
Inside Amy Schumer (Episode: "12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer")
#Late Show with David Letterman
#The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

B-Team:
#CONAN
#Key & Peele
Last Week Tonight
#Portlandia
Saturday Night Live

This is a confusing category because only a single episode is selected. I'm not looking all those up. It always strikes me as ridiculous when SNL doesn't get nominated, which is a big plus for the B-Team. That Amy Schumer 12 Angry Men parody was incredible though.
Winner: Actual Nominees. Because, Amy Schumer spoofed one of my favorite movies.

Directing - Variety Special

Actual Nominees:
*Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert
*The Kennedy Center Honors
The Oscars
Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special
*68th Annual Tony Awards

B-Team:
*Bill Maher: Live From D.C.
Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way
Peter Pan Live!
*Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (Live From Lincoln Center)
*Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE!

Two Awards shows (including the one celebrating live stage performances), a massive anniversary special, the Kennedy Center Honors, and a concert is tough to beat. Considering my B-Team includes the lethargic Peter Pan Live!, that should tell you all you need to know about the B-Team.
Winner: Actual Nominees. They include the best and the most directing.

Writing - Variety Series

Actual Nominees:
#The Colbert Report
#The Daily Show
#Inside Amy Schumer
#Key & Peele
Last Week Tonight

B-Team:
#CONAN
#Jimmy Kimmel Live
#Portlandia
Saturday Night Live
#The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

No. I can't even invite an alternative. I'd pick every show in the Actual Nominees over the B-Team.
Winner: Actual Nominees. Completely correct.

Writing - Variety Special

Actual Nominees:
The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards
*Key & Peele Super Bowl Special
Louis C.K.: Live at the Comedy Store
*Mel Brooks Live At The Geffen
Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special

B-Team:
Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden
Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way
*Bill Maher: Live From D.C.
Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber
Jim Jeffries: BARE

I tend to lean toward the stand up specials for this category because writing is everything for those. The Actual Nominees make a compelling case though. There's stand-up (Live at the Comedy Store), a one man show (Live At the Geffen), and the best written of the awards shows this year (Golden Globes with Tina and Amy).
Winner: Actual Nominees. None of the standup specials from the B-Team stuck out enough to tip it.

Like last year, the B-Teams didn't stand a chance. If anything, it was more one sided with the Talk/Sketch split in the Series category. The reason for this is easy: there aren't enough good variety series. This is the most there's been in a very long time and it is still woefully thin. Again, splitting talk and sketch certainly doesn't help. Even if they were combined though, the B-Team wouldn't've won.