Friday, September 19, 2008
Emmys are Sunday. Why don't I care?
By Edward Copeland
I've been an award show nut since I was a wee lad, but as I've grown I've dumped more and more of the galas. The People's Choice Awards were banned before I was out of elementary school when one year they nominated Clint Eastwood for favorite television star and he wasn't even on anything on TV. During high school, I finally got fed up with the joke that is the Grammys. I'm beginning to wonder if the Emmys are about to land on the same trash pile. Too many years of watching them nominate the same shows and performers (and rewarding them) and ignoring the worthy have taken their toll.
Every year, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announces changes that they swear will change the system and shake things up yet each year the list of nominations ends up being infuriating. After so many years of this though, the anger has subsided. It has become so expected, that you can't get worked up since you know that they are going to fuck things up. I'll probably watch Sunday, but I have so few things to root for that this could be the last time.
Now, I've never seen Mad Men, but I've heard nothing but good things, so I assume its nominations were deserved. However, I did see enough of Damages to know that it DID NOT deserve its best drama series nomination. Glenn Close is fine, but the series is not.
I like Holly Hunter a lot, even though I know I shouldn't watch the aimless Saving Grace. I've only watched The Closer a couple of times, but can anyone explain why a show set in California requires Kyra Sedgwick to use such an awful fake accent or, more importantly, why she gets kudos for that grating voice.
Amy Poehler is talented but why on earth did they suddenly decide this year that Saturday Night Live cast members could compete in supporting comedy series categories instead of individual in a variety or comedy series or special where they'd been for years, especially since all of SNL's other nominations fall in the variety or comedy series categories. Think of all the supporting actresses on comedy series who were omitted: Jaime Pressly, Judy Reyes, Sarah Chalke, Susie Essman.
Granted, Scrubs had its weakest season, but the continued snubbing of John McGinley and, especially in the past two seasons, Ken Jenkins is a crime.
The absence of My Name Is Earl is puzzling since it keeps getting better and is proving quite adept and keeping itself fresh and reinventing itself. Especially bizarre is how Craig T. Nelson missed out on a guest actor nomination.
Then again, why be surprised? Deadwood and Ian McShane were only nominated once. John Goodman and Jason Alexander never won.
Don't get me started on how they treated The Wire. The Emmys have always been screwed up and they always will be.
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I've been an award show nut since I was a wee lad, but as I've grown I've dumped more and more of the galas. The People's Choice Awards were banned before I was out of elementary school when one year they nominated Clint Eastwood for favorite television star and he wasn't even on anything on TV. During high school, I finally got fed up with the joke that is the Grammys. I'm beginning to wonder if the Emmys are about to land on the same trash pile. Too many years of watching them nominate the same shows and performers (and rewarding them) and ignoring the worthy have taken their toll.
Every year, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announces changes that they swear will change the system and shake things up yet each year the list of nominations ends up being infuriating. After so many years of this though, the anger has subsided. It has become so expected, that you can't get worked up since you know that they are going to fuck things up. I'll probably watch Sunday, but I have so few things to root for that this could be the last time.
Now, I've never seen Mad Men, but I've heard nothing but good things, so I assume its nominations were deserved. However, I did see enough of Damages to know that it DID NOT deserve its best drama series nomination. Glenn Close is fine, but the series is not.
I like Holly Hunter a lot, even though I know I shouldn't watch the aimless Saving Grace. I've only watched The Closer a couple of times, but can anyone explain why a show set in California requires Kyra Sedgwick to use such an awful fake accent or, more importantly, why she gets kudos for that grating voice.
Amy Poehler is talented but why on earth did they suddenly decide this year that Saturday Night Live cast members could compete in supporting comedy series categories instead of individual in a variety or comedy series or special where they'd been for years, especially since all of SNL's other nominations fall in the variety or comedy series categories. Think of all the supporting actresses on comedy series who were omitted: Jaime Pressly, Judy Reyes, Sarah Chalke, Susie Essman.
Granted, Scrubs had its weakest season, but the continued snubbing of John McGinley and, especially in the past two seasons, Ken Jenkins is a crime.
The absence of My Name Is Earl is puzzling since it keeps getting better and is proving quite adept and keeping itself fresh and reinventing itself. Especially bizarre is how Craig T. Nelson missed out on a guest actor nomination.
Then again, why be surprised? Deadwood and Ian McShane were only nominated once. John Goodman and Jason Alexander never won.
Don't get me started on how they treated The Wire. The Emmys have always been screwed up and they always will be.
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Labels: Awards, Deadwood, Eastwood, Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Mad Men, Television, The Wire
Comments:
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I haven't watched television in over a year now, and I don't miss it. But I am glad to see you posting again, Mr. Copeland.
# posted by 
: 11:33 PM
: 11:33 PM
because I don't have HBO, i'm always in the dark about it's shows. I didn't even know that Deadwood ran for more than one year, in fact. I remember 2004-2005, it was big in pop culture and everything else.
I think they got the winners right the last few years: Mad Men, Arrested Development, Sopranos (so I hear), The Office, 30 Rock, Ricky Gervaise, Jamie Pressley for My Name is Earl won in 2007, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin won, if I'm not mistaken Kiefer Sutherland won for 24. Also, Bryan Cranston was someone I was rooting for, i can't deny that
I think they got the winners right the last few years: Mad Men, Arrested Development, Sopranos (so I hear), The Office, 30 Rock, Ricky Gervaise, Jamie Pressley for My Name is Earl won in 2007, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin won, if I'm not mistaken Kiefer Sutherland won for 24. Also, Bryan Cranston was someone I was rooting for, i can't deny that
I forgot the Emmys were on last night and I didn't watch. I don't feel as though I missed much. I've seen five and half episodes of Mad Men when AMC was doing a Season 1 marathon and wasn't in the least bit impressed by it - it's like watching people act under anaesthesia. Giamatti was fantastic in the John Adams miniseries, so I'm glad he won. I consider it a sign of growth that I finally managed to miss a major awards show altogether.
# posted by : 10:20 PM
: 10:20 PM
You are so right about "The Wire". For me it was without question the best show on TV. I didn't catch on till the Third season, but since then my friends have been devouring my DVD's and they all agree it is something quite special.
I think its only downfall was the fact that not enough people actually saw the show, or they caught one episode and decided it was too dark, too many characters, maybe just too damn smart. But as for why the Emmy's, the people who should be trumpeting shows like these missed the boat is really inexplicable.
When Barak Obamba was asked what his favorite show was? - The Wire.
I think that's a good sign.
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I think its only downfall was the fact that not enough people actually saw the show, or they caught one episode and decided it was too dark, too many characters, maybe just too damn smart. But as for why the Emmy's, the people who should be trumpeting shows like these missed the boat is really inexplicable.
When Barak Obamba was asked what his favorite show was? - The Wire.
I think that's a good sign.
# posted by : 11:29 AM
: 11:29 AM << Home
