Speculative Fiction on television at the Teen Choice Awards 2016

I concluded 'Star Wars' and 'The Walking Dead' were big winners at the 2016 Saturn Awards with a look ahead.

I'm not done with the television season just ended.  the Emmy Awards will be announced July 14.  Stay tuned.

That won't happen until Thursday and I promise I'll blog about the nominees next Sunday.  Today, I'm going to satisfy my awards show craving by looking at the science fiction, fantasy, and horror entries among the television nominees for the Teen Choice Awards, the final wave of which were announced Thursday July 7th and which have been compiled at Wikipedia.  I'll start with the series awards, then the actors, then scenes.

Choice TV Show: Drama

Empire
Gotham
Grey's Anatomy
Pretty Little Liars
Rosewood
Shades of Blue

My favorite superhero show "Gotham" is up here with the big boys and girls.  It should be happy just to be nominated, as I'm sure it won't win.  It's up against last year's Breakout winner "Empire" as well as perennial champion "Pretty Little Liars," which beat "Empire" in this category last year.  The only one of this group of nominees that I watch is "Grey's Anatomy," but I'd be tempted to vote for "Empire" sight unseen; "Grey's Anatomy" won back in 2007, which is about right for when the show's best days were.  Still, "Pretty Little Liars" should be the favorite.

Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Arrow
The Flash
iZombie
Once Upon a Time
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries

My favorite of the bunch is "Once Upon a Time" and my second favorite is "Supernatural."  Meanwhile, "The Flash" won the Saturn for Best Superhero Show and "The Vampire Diaries" won last year's Teen Choice in this category.  In fact, it's won every year.  It's the favorite, regardless of my 50+ opinion.

Choice TV: Breakout Show

Legends of Tomorrow
Lucifer
Quantico
Shadowhunters
Stitchers
Supergirl

Every one of these shows is a speculative fiction show except "Quantico," which is an action show and therefore still genre entertainment.  My favorite among them is "Lucifer," which I'm planning on nominating for Best Fantasy Television Show at next year's Saturn Awards.  My wife and I couldn't wait to watch it on Monday nights. My second favorite is "Quantico," which my wife and I got a week or two behind at the end of the season.  Number three is "Stichers," which we gave up on, even though we enjoyed it.  Our other favorite shows came back on in the fall and we only had so much TV watching time.  We might go back to it.  The same things are true about "Supergirl," which I expect will probably win.

Choice TV Show: Animated

Descendants: Wicked World
Family Guy
Gravity Falls
Over the Garden Wall
The Simpsons
Steven Universe

There are some good speculative fiction shows here, but I doubt any of them will win.  Either "Family Guy" or "The Simpsons" has taken home the surfboard this decade and I expect one or the other will do so again.

Choice Summer TV Show

Baby Daddy
The Fosters
Girl Meets World
So You Think You Can Dance
Teen Wolf
Young & Hungry

There is only one speculative fiction show in the bunch, "Teen Wolf."  However, it won last year.

Follow over the jump for the acting and scene nominees.


Now, the actors.

Choice TV Actor: Drama

Keegan Allen – Pretty Little Liars
Tyler Blackburn – Pretty Little Liars
Ian Harding – Pretty Little Liars
Terrence Howard – Empire
Ben McKenzie – Gotham
Jussie Smollett – Empire

Hey, look, it's James Gordon from "Gotham!"  I have the same opinion of his chances for this award as I do for the show he stars in; he should just be happy to be nominated.  Ian Harding of "Pretty Little Liars" has won the surfboard for the past four years and he'll probably do so again.  As for me, I like Ben McKenzie, but I think Terrance Howard is a better actor, so I'd vote for him.

Choice TV Actress: Drama

Troian Bellisario – Pretty Little Liars
Ashley Benson – Pretty Little Liars
Taraji P. Henson – Empire
Jennifer Lopez – Shades of Blue
Maia Mitchell – The Fosters
Kerry Washington – Scandal

No speculative fiction among the nominees, so I'll root for Kerry Washington, who is in the only show my wife and I watch among the nominees, which is a thriller and so is barely genre entertainment.  Still, she probably won't win.  Either it will be Troian Bellisario who won the award in 2013, her co-star Ashley Benson, or Taraji P. Henson.  I'd bet on Troian Bellisario; "Pretty Little Liars" is that popular with its viewers.

Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Grant Gustin – The Flash
Andrew Lincoln – The Walking Dead
Joseph Morgan – The Originals
Jared Padalecki – Supernatural
Ian Somerhalder – The Vampire Diaries
Paul Wesley – The Vampire Diaries

My choice is easy--Andrew Lincoln of "The Walking Dead."  However, he's up against Jared Padlecki of "Supernatural," who took home the surfboard last year and Ian Somerhalter, who won for four years before that.  The most likely person to beat either of them would be Grant Gustin, who won Breakout Star last year.  Against that competition and with this electorate, poor Andy Lincoln doesn's stand a chance.  His character has a better chance of beating Negan next season.

Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Kat Graham – The Vampire Diaries
Candice King – The Vampire Diaries
Danielle Panabaker – The Flash
Lana Parrilla – Once Upon a Time
Emily Bett Rickards – Arrow
Eliza Taylor – The 100

My favorite is Lana Parilla for her role as Regina Mills the Evil Queen in "Once Upon a Time."  My second favorite is Eliza Taylor as Clarke in "The 100."  I'll vote for Lana, but I'll bet on one of the two actresses from "The Vampire Diaries," as their co-star Nina Dobrev took hom the surfboard all the other times it's been given out in this category.

Choice TV: Villain

Brett Dalton – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Greg Germann – Once Upon a Time
Lea Michele – Scream Queens
Cameron Monaghan – Gotham
Janel Parrish – Pretty Little Liars
Teddy Sears – The Flash

Every last one of the nominees comes from a spectulative fiction show, including "Scream Queens," which is a comedy masquerading as horror.  I'd vote for Greg German as Hades.  On the other hand, Cameron Monaghan made for a good fake Joker as Jerome, but he wasn't even the main villain of the second season of "Gotham."  That ended up being Hugo Strange, played by BD Wong.  If he were nominated, I'd vote for him over Greg German.  Alas, he wasn't.

Choice TV: Scene Stealer

Misha Collins – Supernatural
Becky G – Empire
Tahj Mowry – Baby Daddy
Sasha Pieterse – Pretty Little Liars
Serayah McNeill – Empire
Hudson Yang – Fresh Off the Boat

The only one from a speculative fiction show is Misha Collins from "Supernatural."  I'll vote for him, but I'll bet on Sasha Pieterse from "Pretty Little Liars."  She's a repeat nominee from a popular show.

Choice TV: Breakout Star

Priyanka Chopra – Quantico
Matthew Daddario – Shadowhunters
Tom Ellis – Lucifer
Emma Ishta – Stitchers
Katherine McNamara – Shadowhunters
Cam Newton – All In with Cam Newton

I'm voting for Tom Ellis.  He is both riveting and hilarious as the title rule in Lucifer.  I wouldn't be upset with Priyanka Chopra, but she's not my favorite.  As for which nominee will win, I have no idea.  I have no idea how popular these shows are with teens.

Choice TV: Chemistry

Ashley Benson and Tyler Blackburn – Pretty Little Liars
Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber – Fuller House
Kat Graham and Ian Somerhalder – The Vampire Diaries
Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins – Supernatural
Candice Patton and Grant Gustin – The Flash
Eliza Taylor and Bob Morley – The 100

Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins won last year and I'm just fine with them repeating. As for Eliza Taylor and Bob Morley, I thought Eliza had better chemistry with Alycia Debnam-Carey, who is now on "Fear The Walking Dead," so I wouldn't vote for this pairing.  As for the competition, I would expect the pairings from "Pretty Little Liars" and "The Vampire Diaries" could pull off an upset.

Choice Summer TV Star: Male

Jean-Luc Bilodeau – Baby Daddy
David Lambert – The Fosters
Peyton Meyer – Girl Meets World
Dylan O'Brien – Teen Wolf
Tyler Posey – Teen Wolf
Gregg Sulkin – Faking It

There's only one speculative fiction show with actors nominated, "Teen Wolf."  It's also the one with a prior winner, Tyler Posey.  He's now the favorite.

Choice Summer TV Star: Female

Rowan Blanchard – Girl Meets World
Lucy Hale – Pretty Little Liars
Shelley Hennig – Teen Wolf
Shay Mitchell – Pretty Little Liars
Emily Osment – Young & Hungry
Cierra Ramirez – The Fosters

I'm surprised Lucy Hale is down here instead of defending her Drama title.  Just the same, I have her as the favorite.  Sorry Shelley Hennig of "Teen Wolf," you won't win for speculative fiction.

Choice TV: Liplock

Chelsea Kane and Derek Theler – Baby Daddy
Candice King and Paul Wesley – The Vampire Diaries
Jennifer Morrison and Colin O'Donoghue – Once Upon a Time
Candice Patton and Grant Gustin – The Flash
Leah Pipes and Joseph Morgan – The Originals
Emily Bett Rickards and Stephen Amell – Arrow

It's amazing how much romance there is in speculative fiction on television these days; all but one of the nominees come from a speculative fiction show.  I'd vote for Jennifer Morrison and Colin O'Donoghue in "Once Upon a Time," but I think the popularity of "The Vampire Diaries" will hand Candice King and Paul Wesley the surfboard.

That's it for this week.  I'll return for the movie nominees in two weeks.  Next week, the Emmys!