TVSquad

With the Emmy announcements inching closer, one for your consideration caught me off guard. Patrick Dempsey is not a Lead Actor this year. He is throwing his name into the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category. Why is Patrick Dempsey announcing that he is a supporting character? I think several storylines this season of Grey's Anatomy (especially his breakdown and his proposal) are lead actor moments.

Is Patrick Dempsey scared of his competitors? Probably. ABC wants to get an Emmy in any form or fashion and they are probably clearing the path for Lost or Brothers and Sisters to make a stab for lead.

Thinking about it, it's not a bad choice. Grey's Anatomy can't beat Breaking Bad, In Treatment, Dexter, Mad Men, or House; all of which were nominated last year for Lead Actor. According to the official Disney/ABC for your consideration website, the two episodes that Grey's is showcasing are "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Stairway to Heaven." I am shocked to think that the end half of the season wasn't considered, but both episodes do display some strong interaction between Meredith and Derek. Did Derek take a supporting role on the two episodes? His mother was in one and when family members start showing up, I usually consider the character more important.

If Patrick Dempsey is considered a supporting actor, then all of the actors and actresses on Grey's should be considered supporting actors. Even if Ellen Pompeo is the titular character, Grey's Anatomy is an ensemble cast where every main character gets a storyline at one point or another. Maybe it's Ellen Pompeo that is the problem, being the only actress trying for a spot as Lead Actress. In the history of the show, no one has ever gotten nominated for Lead Actor or Actress in a Drama. Dempsey will probably have a better shot, or at least a nomination, but still won't win.

Even if Grey's Anatomy is a sappy television program that pales in comparison to deeper and darker shows like Mad Men and Dexter, does that mean that it should sell itself short? I think that Patrick Dempsey grounds the show from the show's high school mentality. Is he deserving of an Emmy? I would give him one because he has to deal with the inflated ego of Katherine Heigl. She really shouldn't have won that Emmy. Who on Grey's Anatomy deserves an Emmy? Leave comments below.