Emmy Submission Mission- Lead Actress in Comedy

The 2011 Emmy Awards will be hosted by Jane Lynch and air on September 18. Over the weeks leading up to the event, staff writer Dan Forcella will watch every episode submitted by various actors in various categories and present to you his analysis on each contender.

It's the TV Fanatic Emmy Submission Mission, readers, and it started with Lead Actor in a Comedy. Now, we're on to Lead Actress in a Comedy...

The past two years at the Emmys, a leading lady from a Showtime dramedy has taken home this trophy. Will that trend change in 2011? It's unlikely, as Laura Linney of The Big C has been the favorite since her pilot aired last August.

Laura Linney on The Big C

The show is one that I tired of after four episodes, but re-watching the pilot, it's easy to conclude that it's the best highlight reel of any of the submitted episodes by any of the nominated actresses. Linney’s character is newly separated from her husband, recently found out she has cancer, has a crazy brother and she is raising a teenage, prank-loving kid.

The amount of emotion that Linney has to bring to the table to pull this all off in the premiere is astounding. On top of all that, she still manages to be funny. In a comedic category, that helps.

While I would be surprised if Linney didn’t walk away with the trophy, there certainly are a bunch of great performances that deserve acclaim out of this group.

To read the rest of my Emmy Submission Mission for Lead Actress in a Comedy, head over to TV Fanatic.