It will be some yet before I settle into extensive Emmy Awards coverage, considering that we are still over three months away from the show itself. However, the studios are not leaving it to chance, and the Emmy Awards season is officially beginning with a series of For Your Consideration [Wikipedia] ads popping up in Variety/The Hollywood Reporter…well, since I don’t quite have access to the papers themselves, more specifically on their websites.
In the case of some networks, they’ve actually gone so far as to create video databases hosted on the sites of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, although the latter has a large amount more coverage. I’m guessing that these databases will grow as time goes on.
Variety
The Hollywood Reporter
For Your Consideration: Emmy showcase
Now, Hollywood Reporter has the really interesting shows, plus banner ads from ABC-Television for Lost and Scrubs. Now, the other shows (Most of which come from Sony Television and NBC Universal) all have multiple video clips from various episodes. For today, I’m going to analyze and run down three such shows (All of them NBC-owned Dramas): Heroes, Battlestar Galactica and Friday Night Lights. Will the clips do the shows justice?
Heroes
Episodes Selected: “Genesis”, “Better Halves”, “Homecoming”, “Fallout”, “Company Man”, “Five Years Gone”
Focus: Focus is on special effects/action, and the acting of Masi Oka (Hiro), Hayden Pannetiere (Claire), Ali Larter (Niki/Jessica), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter) and Jack Coleman (Noah Bennet).
Thoughts: While the focus on “Company Man” is fantastic (And good choice of scenes, too), and Genesis is an easy option, I question focusing on Ali Larter’s hideously boring Niki/Jessica (It’s just a gimmick pull) and there’s not enough Hiro. Plus, could Five Years Gone confuse Emmy voters incapable of reading the episode description?
Battlestar Galactica
Episodes Used: “Occupation”, “Precipice”, “Exodus Pt. 2”, “Taking a Break From All Your Worries”, “Maelstrom”, “Crossroads Pt. 2”
Focus: Character Drama, specifically around Katie Sackhoff (Starbuck), and key scenes (Gaius’ Trial, Ellen Tigh’s final moments, etc.)
Thoughts: These clips are all over the place, and it’s a problem. While it’s great that Lee’s testimony at the trial is in, where the hell is his interrogation of Roslin? And where the hell is Edward James Olmos? The clips they’ve chosen aren’t bad, and have meaning, but there just isn’t enough of some of the show’s best elements. Plus, they’ve included two trailers for the show’s fall episodes airing which…is a bizarre choice, because the commercials tell you very little. Plus, terrible episode summaries.
Friday Night Lights
Episodes Used: “Pilot”, “Eyes Wide Open”, “Crossing the Line”, “Little Girl, I Want to Marry You”. “I Think We Should Have Sex”, “Who’s Your Daddy?”, “Mud Bowl”
Focus: The acting of Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, and the various trials characters faced (Riggins’ family life, Smash’s steroids addiction, Jason/Lyla), along with some on-field action.
Thoughts: Perfect…well, nearly perfect, I could do without the Jason/Lyla part of things. But, it takes fantastic clips that show the truly amazing quality of this series. Great choice of the under the table argument for Chandler/Britton, and for Britton’s sex speech and Chandler’s inspirational speech to Saracen…man, just so awesome. The Steroids stuff is cliche, but it makes it out to be an issues show which will work well with viewers.
Over the next few days I’ll be taking a look through more of them, but until then head to The Hollywood Reporter to check them out yourselves. If you have any thoughts on what scenes or episodes you would have focused on, comment below! For those reading, I’ll also be on the lookout for season feedback soon, so stay tuned.
Cultural Learnings 