Jason Alexander- "Seinfeld" (4-1)

Alright, I can only say this one more time. Please, please give Jason Alexander an Emmy before the delightfully deranged George Costanza trots off into the annals of television past. Last year, he was superb in the "jerk store" episode and his battles with George Steinbrenner. Michael Richards' Kramer got the Emmy. How about a few years ago, when people across the country were falling down in laughter over his performance in "The Contest?" Forget it. Richards won that year as well. How could Alexander have lost that one? Well this year, there is no Richards to contend with, and Alexander again has turned in performances that are easily Emmy-worthy. He accompanied Jerry to a car dealership, deliriously hungry, and screamed when he couldn't get a simple Twix bar out of the vending machine. He told his late fiancee's parents that he summered in the Hamptons, then drove them all the way out there, even though he knew that they knew he was lying. He unsuccessfully attempted to move a Frogger machine from point A to point B without unplugging it, because he held the high score. I could go on and on. In this so-so final season of "Seinfeld," Alexander reminded me once again why I would pay good money to see a "Costanza" spinoff.

Phil Hartman - "NewsRadio" (4-1)

I was a fan of Hartman's work as Bill on "NewsRadio" as much as anyone else, and I was just as saddened to hear of the tragic death of this performer, who had many more seasons of comic brilliance to deliver. It is a fitting tribute to posthumously nominate Hartman for the first time as an actor (he was nominated as a writer for "Saturday Night Live.") He turned in episodes this season that certainly position him to compete amongst these nominees, sympathy votes aside. That having been said, when sympathy is put aside, Hartman, in my opinion, was not the funniest of this bunch during this time period. It's a shame, because "NewsRadio" was getting better with every episode, many of which Hartman stole. It is somewhat of a somber year overall in this Supporting Actor category, because every nominee, save for David Hyde Pierce, will not be nominated next year (the end of "Seinfeld" and "Larry Sanders;" the death of Hartman.)

David Hyde Pierce - "Frasier" (3-1)

One of the previous winners in this category, along with Rip Torn, Pierce had another patently exceptional year, as Niles Crane continued, unsuccessfully, to lure the affections of Daphne Moon. Jane Leeves was also nominated this year, which confirms that the comic chemistry and romantic tension between Pierce and Leeves has reached a new lofty height this season. Notable performances from Pierce include the episode during which Niles arranges a date with a fictitious woman just to spend time preparing with Daphne, and his frenetic maneuvers in the ski lodge episode, an ensemble piece for which everyone was worthy of an Emmy. Even though I have no legitimate complaint with his work this year, Pierce will be back next year. Alexander's time for a win is now.

Jeffrey Tambor - "The Larry Sanders Show" (6-1)

While I thought "Sanders" was a tad off its game in this, its final season, the finale was a work of art compared to that of "Seinfeld," and Tambor turned in the best performance in that episode. Egotistical, spineless, freshly unemployed Hank Kingsley lashes out in a prolonged, expletive-laced tirade at Larry and Rip Torn's Artie, and storms out of the room, only to return teary eyed and apologetic. In that eleventh hour scene, we finally capture the essence of Hank. He doesn't want to act like a bastard, but he feels he owes it to his career aspirations. It was perhaps the greatest single peformance of the year among these nominees, but the inconsistency of the overall season causes me to look elsewhere for a winner.

Rip Torn - "The Larry Sanders Show" (5-1)

I tend to take Torn for granted nowadays whenever I watch "Sanders." True, it could be because Artie was given less story lines than Larry and his fight to keep the show afloat, but it's also because Torn's just so sublimely on target. Artie became a dramatic character during the show's final episodes, wisecracking less and drinking more as he sensed the imminence of his retirement from the entertainment industry he loves. Artie was the character I pitied most this season. He had worked so hard for years to keep Larry's show from becoming second-rate, and then Larry just pulled the plug without any notice. I congratulate Torn on a commendable final season, but this category, as he well knows, is about deciding who made America laugh more often. To repeat: for me, it was Jason Alexander, hands down.

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