Category Archives: Friday Night Lights

July 19, 2007 · 9:04 am

The 2007 Emmy Awards Nominations: Lost Snubbed, Sopranos Praised

After months of coverage and more than a little bit of analysis, it is has finally come down to this: this morning, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences have officially announced their nominations for what their voters believed to be the best in television over the past year. Are they right on the money, or are they off the mark once again?

The Big Stories

– Lost and Friday Night Lights snubbed, although Lost dominates in Supporting Actor with Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson! Woo!

– The Sopranos leads with 15 nominations.

– Battlestar Galactica and Lost each garnered writing and directing nods on the Drama side, while 30 Rock and The Office dominated the categories in terms of Comedy series.

– There’s a lot of snubs all over the place, I’ll go into more detail tomorrow, but Michael C. Hall is the worst one. Yes, worse than Lost.

– Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer break through as supporting contenders for The Office, which garnered a whole lot of nominations once you factor in writing and directing.

And the Nominees Are…

Oustanding Drama Series

The Sopranos

Heroes

Boston Legal

Grey’s Anatomy

House

Oustanding Comedy Series

The Office

Entourage

Two and a Half Men

30 Rock

Ugly Betty

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Filed under 24, ABC, Award Shows, Battlestar Galactica, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, Emmy Awards, Entourage, FOX, Friday Night Lights, Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, House, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, Monk, My Name is Earl, NBC, Reality TV, Scrubs, Television, The Amazing Race, The Office, Ugly Betty, Weeds

Tagged as CBS, Emmys, HBO

July 18, 2007 · 8:00 am

Cultural Learnings’ 2007 Emmy Nominations: Final Predictions

Tomorrow morning at 5:35am PDT, the nominations for the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced. I will now put myself out there on a limb with my own predictions of whose names will be called. I’ll have all the final nomination information as soon as it breaks, as long as my plan to be online at that point in time works out. I will literally stop working to do this for you, remember that.

NOTE: Some of these predictions have changed thanks to the leaked Top 10 lists. Most have not.

Oustanding Drama Series

Lost

I think it’s the best show on television, and I think that its season was certainly worthy of an Emmy nomination. The show is unmatched on network television in terms of writing, production and performances.

Grey’s Anatomy

It’s season was uneven, but its popular support and wide-range of acting talents will be too hard for the ATAS to ignore.

The Sopranos

The show’s final season kept the buzz level high, and the finale basically clinched it: no one will be forgetting The Sopranos this year.

House

It’s the second biggest drama on television, and people just seem to love the show to death. I think that it is a show that has proven itself worthy in the past, unlike Heroes which still hasn’t won that level of respect.

Friday Night Lights

Admittedly, this is a sentimental choice. However, I can’t not believe that Emmy voters will find the heart of this series too endearing to pass up. With Kyle Chandler making the Drama Actor Top 10, I think the show has a shot.

Oustanding Comedy Series

The Office

Last year’s winner had another strong and buzz-worthy season. It was a bit of a dark horse last year, but this time around it’s absolutely a front-runner…but in a category full of them.

Ugly Betty

One-hour comedies have a distinct advantage over half-hour ones, but even ignoring that Ugly Betty was a charming series that features some great performances. With Becki Newton and Vanessa Williams making the Top 10, I also think this show is a shoe-in.

30 Rock

The other new show to make this list, 30 Rock is a show made for the Emmys: prestigious talent (Fey, Baldwin, Krakowski), relevant and relatable theme (Show about a show), and it’s incredibly liberal. Plus, it’s kind of also the best new comedy of the year. Just sayin’.

Two and a Half Men

The only traditional sitcom left in the Emmy race, I think that voters will trend towards it like the sheep they are. That being said, the show is not the worst sitcom ever: it’s just similar to them in every way.

Entourage

While Scrubs did have the musical episode, I think that Entourage is the closest the category has to a hip show that hasn’t quite gotten its due. 30 Rock is actually quite safe, The Office is now almost too popular, so it’s Entourage that best fits the bill. With Kevin Dillon breaking the Top 10 for Supporting Actor, the show has a shot.

Extra Prediction:

The Sopranos will garner the most nominations on the drama side, while 30 Rock and The Office will fight it out for the most comedy nominations with Ugly Betty not far behind.

The rest of the nominations can be found below, with full explanations found here (Drama) and here (Comedy).

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The Leak: Emmy Top 10s in Acting Categories Emerge

Tom O’Neill at The Envelope is teasing readers once again by revealing the Top 10 lists at a ludicrously slow pace that is only dragging this thing out further. With nominations coming on Thursday, who is going to make the cut? Here’s the lists so far.

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Conchata Ferrell, “Two and a Half Men”
Jenna Fischer, “The Office”
Ashley Jensen, “Extras”
Kathryn Joosten, “Desperate Housewives”
Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock”
Becki Newton, “Ugly Betty”
Elizabeth Perkins, “Weeds”
Jaime Pressly, “My Name Is Earl”
Holland Taylor, “Two and a Half Men”
Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty”

My Thoughts: Yay for Becki Newton and Jenna Fischer, who will duel in the battle of the receptionists. The only real suprise is Kathryn Joosten, who is always an Emmy favourite but is only credited as a guest star on DH. Very interesting, Emmy voters.

Lead Actor in a Dramatic Role

Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights”
Patrick Dempsey, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Matthew Fox, “Lost”
James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Eddie Izzard, “The Riches”
Hugh Laurie, “House”
Denis Leary, “Rescue Me”
James Spader, “Boston Legal”
Kiefer Sutherland, “24”

My Thoughts: Good to see Matthew Fox make it in, and there really aren’t any huge snubs here other than Michael Chiklis for The Shield.

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Lorraine Bracco, “The Sopranos”
S. Epatha Merkerson, “Law & Order”
Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers & Sisters”
Katherine Heigl, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy”
CCH Pounder, “The Shield”
Aida Turturro, “The Sopranos”
Kay Walsh, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Patricia Wettig, “Brothers & Sisters”
Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy”

My Thoughts: Where the hell is Elizabeth Mitchell for Lost? Her performance as Juliet was the one that was supposed to actually have a chance at a nomination for the series, and she doesn’t make the Top 10 over S. Epatha Merkerson who barely does anything on Law & Order anymore? Le sigh. I’m glad to see Patricia Wettig get her due, and I like that Kate Walsh made it, but not over my beloved Mitchell. Boourns, Emmy voters.

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Filed under Award Shows, Brothers & Sisters, Emmy Awards, Friday Night Lights, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, The Office, The Sopranos

Tagged as Emmys

July 16, 2007 · 4:57 pm

TCA Summer Press Tour: NBC gets smart with ‘Chuck’, ‘Friday Night Lights’ (Plus Premiere Dates)

When NBC revealed their schedule in May, I was critical of them for a few things. One of them was sending The Bionic Woman to die on Wednesday nights, but considering that the show is in considerable retooling and is casting Isaiah Washington (Action Star? Uhh, really, NBC?) I don’t really care too much about its fate. But I did care about two other shows sent to die: Friday Night Lights in its graveyard 10pm slot on Friday nights, and Josh Schwartz’ Chuck facing off against similar Reaper on The CW…oh, and HOUSE. And now, NBC has rectified these two mistakes.

Zap2it – NBC Shuffles Schedule, Sets Premiere Dates

– Chuck moves to 8pm on Mondays, a slot that certainly won’t be simple (Prison Break is the main competition), but it’s not the insanity that was Tuesday. This will give the show a chance to build an audience amongst young people who will be tuning in for Heroes anyways.

– Friday Night Lights moves down an hour to 9pm, which make complete sense. They’re also going to emphasize the family drama as opposed to the football drama, which is more representative of the show as a whole. It will also be receiving a lead-in from Deal or No Deal, which will be moving from Chuck’s Monday slot to 8pm on Fridays. Poor Bob Saget: His 1 vs. 100 appears to be cut for the fall season.

In other NBC news, The Singing Bee will be paired with The Biggest Loser on Tuesdays in an attempt to cut into House’s audience with reality programming. Except that The Biggest Loser is not America’s Got Talent, and The Singing Bee will get old. FAST. I do hope they realize that sooner, rather than later.

Here’s the premiere dates for the fall season, so mark your calendars!

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Words and Pictures: Emmy Writing and Directing Contenders (Drama)

Every year, writers and directors kind of get the short straw, if you will, when it comes to Emmy night. In the past, these categories have served as catch alls for the Academy to recognize series that aren’t getting the same level of attention at higher levels. Two years ago, House won for Best Writing in a Drama Series while Lost swept Directing/Drama Series; last year, My Name is Earl won writing and directing despite being otherwise shut out. This year, these categories will be yet another chance for shows to be recognized.

Today, I want to highlight five drama episodes in both directing and in writing that, I believe, should be recognized by the Academy and its voters this year.

Oustanding Writing in a Drama Series

Lost – “Through the Looking Glass” (Writers: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse)

Taking over as full-time co-showrunners, Lindelof and Cuse were behind some great episodes this season. Nothing, however, lives up to this beautifully plotted and mind-bending finale that incorporates action, drama, romance and of course the season-ending twist that was eloquently foreshadowed throughout. It’s a great piece of script work, and deserves to be considered for an Emmy award.

Lost – “Expose” (Writers: Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz)

This is perhaps a surprising choice, as the episode was quite divisive. However, in terms of single episodes, this was a wondrous throwback to Twilight Zone storytelling with an amazing slow reveal to the buried alive conclusion. It was a tragedy and a morality tale all wrapped in one, and I think it was an achievement that the writing came together in such a sharp fashion on what could have been (And may have been, for some) a complete disaster.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – “Pilot” (Writer: Aaron Sorkin)

Say what you will about what the series became over the span of its twenty-two episodes, but this pilot is still a fast-paced rollercoaster that does a brilliant job of setting up a series with a lot of potential. It’s contrived, but so is just about everything else on television: Sorkin’s work on the pilot was his best in the series, and I think it is the show’s only chance at garnering a nomination. And, well, it kind of deserves it.

Heroes – “Company Man” (Writer: Bryan Fuller)

Rumour has it that Tim Kring might have a better chance with the series’ pilot, and if that is nominated but Company Man is not I will personally hunt down Bryan Fuller and apologize to him on behalf of the Academy. The single best piece of writing to come out of the series if not the season, Company Man shined a magnifying glass on the world of Heroes to find stories, people, development and subtle qualities I didn’t know the show had. Fuller elevated the material, without a doubt, and deserves recognition for the amazing achievement.

Battlestar Galactica – “Occupation / Precipice” (Writer: Ronald D. Moore)

As the show’s third season began, BSG turned into a post-colonial study of people being oppressed, and their only hope losing hope that they could do something about it. Having flashed forward over a year, Moore had a lot of pieces to pick up and did it well. The introduction of the resistance and its plight was real, relevant to today’s politics, and felt like the series was finding a new ground. It is almost unfortunate that they left New Caprica so soon, because the material to be mined there was very solid. And Moore knew it.

Oustanding Direction in a Drama Series

Friday Night Lights – “Pilot” (Director: Peter Berg)

Some people are turned off by the show’s handheld style, but without it I think this pilot may have been just a pedestrian football drama. So much of the show’s heart comes from our intimate location during both the football games and conversations: being able to capture that allowed his characters to grow, and Berg’s touch made sure that happened.

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Filed under Award Shows, Dexter, Emmy Awards, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Lost, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Television

Tagged as Emmys, For Your Consideration, HBO

July 3, 2007 · 6:28 pm

For Your Consideration: Drama Series – “Friday Night Lights”

[As part of Cultural Learnings’ For Your Consideration Emmy Nominations Preview, the next two weeks will feature 7 Drama Series and 7 Comedy Series worthy of Emmy consideration. Check back daily for a different series, with drama and comedy alternating positions. For all of Cultural Learnings’ Emmy Coverage featuring Supporting and Lead Acting candidates, check out our For Your Consideration Index.]

Outstanding Drama Series

Friday Night Lights (NBC)

Attempting to sell people on NBC’s Friday Night Lights has always been difficult, as it is tough to describe just what makes it one of the best shows on television. Is it a football show, or is it just another teen drama? Does it value principles such as family or principles such as teen lust? Is it trying to be a broad political commentary on the War in Iraq, or rather a representation of isolated small town America? What I believe I’ve decided upon is that Friday Night Lights is that it is an amazing achievement because it manages to be all of these things: through a handheld camera lens, Peter Berg and Jason Katims have created a window into the lives of families, teenagers, high school football, and even the ramifications of world politics on small town America. The best new network drama of the Season, Friday Night Lights it without a doubt worthy of Emmy consideration.

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Filed under Award Shows, Emmy Awards, Friday Night Lights, NBC, Television

Tagged as Emmys, For Your Consideration

June 30, 2007 · 1:38 pm

The Leak: Emmy Top 10s for Drama and Comedy Series Hit the Web

Well, thanks to Tom O’Neill over at TheEnvelope.com, the Top 10 Drama and Comedy Series according to the popular voters of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences have been revealed. These 10 shows will then screen an episode each in front of blue ribbon panels, and the Top 5 with the two processes combined will be nominated. If they didn’t make this list, they’re screwed.

Top 10 Drama Series

Boston Legal
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey’s Anatomy
Heroes
House
Lost
Rome
The Sopranos
24

Biggest Surprise: I’m much happier about Friday Night Lights making it, but arguably Rome is the bigger surprise. The show had much less critical hype and aired such a short 2nd season that it was unexpected to get much attention. It appears that it got the period costume sex drama buzz as opposed to Showtime’s The Tudors.

Most Glaring Omission: Brothers & Sisters had good ratings, buzzworthy stars, but apparently voters didn’t feel the love. The aforementioned Tudors was also quite a shock considering how hard Showtime had pushed it, but Brothers & Sisters probably deserves one of those spots. And, even though it had no shot, Battlestar Galactica deserved better. Le sigh.

Network Breakdown: ABC leads with three series, while HBO, NBC and FOX all perform well with two a piece. Meanwhile, CBS is completely shut out while Showtime grabs the 10th spot.

Who Will Do Well: Lost and the Sopranos are riding the most buzz right now, and Grey’s and 24 both submitted strong episodes.

Who Won’t Do Well: Heroes, having submitted their pilot, will be EATEN ALIVE by these other shows. And Friday Night Lights, unfortunately, might have hit a roadblock against such tough competition. But it’s made it in, and that’s what matters.

Top 10 Comedy Series

Desperate Housewives
Entourage
Extras
My Name is Earl
The Office
Scrubs
Thirty Rock
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Biggest Surprise: Eh, not much of one. We knew there were two spots up for grab, and it appears that voters liked British comedy (Extras) and American commercial success (Two and a Half Men) out of the remaining candidates.

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Filed under 24, 30 Rock, ABC, Award Shows, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, Emmy Awards, FOX, Friday Night Lights, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, House, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, My Name is Earl, NBC, Scrubs, Television, The Office, The Sopranos, Ugly Betty, Weeds

Tagged as CBS, Emmys, For Your Consideration, HBO, Showtime

June 28, 2007 · 2:06 pm

The 8+ Biggest Submission Mistakes of the 2007 Emmy Awards

For those who are unaware, every actor or actress or series submitting themselves for consideration for an Emmy Award submit a single episode that will, if they make the Top 10 in the Popular Vote, be screened to blue ribbon panels that will provide a ranking, resulting in 50% of the total score. Confused? Well, let’s put it this way: they have one chance, one episode, in which they can impress those judges.

GoldDerbyForums – Confirmed Emmy Submissions

And so, although it’s only worth 50% this year, a poor submission can destroy the chances for an actor or actress or for an entire series. And there are eight this year that could well take these contenders and make them into high-profile snubs on July 19th.

The Office and Rainn Wilson – “The Coup”

While this episode of The Office was certainly a funny one, it has one distinct problem: it’s more pathetic than it is funny. Dwight (Wilson), especially, comes across as a sad little puppy with no backbone in the episode, as opposed to the lovable weirdo that would play better with voters. The entire episode felt that way: like a cruel joke was being played on Dwight, and he wasn’t in on it. This makes the show out to be far more heartless than it actually is, and I do not believe it will play well with the panels.

Ugly Betty – “Pilot”

Ugly Betty’s pilot lacks a majority of its best qualities. Its diverse cast is pushed into stereotypical roles, its colour palette is extremely muted, and outside of some comic acting from America Ferrera the show’s heart is almost entirely missing. This is a show that gained momentum along the way, and showing the Pilot removes that level of growth from the panel. They want to see charming television, and the Pilot is actually perhaps the show’s least charming episode.

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Filed under 30 Rock, ABC, Award Shows, Emmy Awards, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, NBC, Television, The Office, Ugly Betty

Tagged as Emmys, For Your Consideration

June 28, 2007 · 11:00 am

For Your Consideration: Lead Actresses – Connie Britton and Marcia Cross

[In Week Four of Cultural Learnings’ 59^th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Lead Actress awards in both drama and comedy. Today, we present our fifth and final set of candidates. For complete listings for all Supporting and Lead Actor candidates from the past four weeks, check out our For Your Consideration index]

Lead Actress in a Drama

Connie Britton (Tami Taylor)

Friday Night Lights

There is something about Friday Night Lights that needs to be made extremely clear, if it wasn’t already: this is not just a show about football, and it is not just a show about teenagers being teenagers. Although it contains both of those elements, one of its most heartfelt dynamics is that of family. While there are plenty of examples of this theme throughout the show, none is more powerful than the trio of Taylors. Being the Coach’s family is not easy, and this is most abundantly clear for Tami Taylor, his less-than-doting wife. She loves him with all of her heart, don’t get me wrong, but she will not take any of his shit and will not back down when he wants her to. What Connie Britton brings to this role is that sense of Southern toughness combined with an absolutely charming exterior. Watching her put on the charm (begrudgingly) is like watching a real woman dealing with real nutjobs like Buddy Garrity on a regular basis. Whether as the school’s guidance counselor, or as a mother and wife, Tami Taylor exists as one of the most realistic and relevant women on television today. Connie Britton brings her to life with grace, and her performance is deserving of Emmy consideration.

Tami’s life changed forever when her husband became coach of the Dillon Panthers. Suddenly, she was expected to host parties, deal with the townsfolk, and get swept up in all of the madness that high school football in Dillon entails. This was a strain on her relationship with her husband, sure, but it was more of a surface tension than anything else. Tami found her own passion by assisting the students of Dillon as their guidance counselor, and she had to deal with raising her blossoming daughter in the process. There has been some talk that she perhaps belongs in supporting categories, but I think this is a mistake: Briton’s performance, much like Tami’s, cannot be overlooked or marginalized because of her more feature co-star/husband. Much as the wives of likely many coaches and other professionals are often left behind, so too was Tami often forgotten.

But how can she be forgotten when people see her relationship with her husband, perhaps the season’s finest. As the season ended, and she presented her husband with an ultimatum that would have been a moment of betrayal for any other relationship…but here it was different, loving if perhaps contrary. While Chandler certain held up to his end of the bargain at all times, I think that a lot of his performance was made that much better by Britton’s reactions, quips and charm. Without her, Friday Night Lights would not be the same: and although not as “featured” as other Leads, she more than deserves to be considered in this category.

Episode Selection: “I Think We Should Have Sex” (Aired February 21st, 2007)

There were episodes that featured Britton giving more lead-style performances, but this episode was selected because it features Britton dealing with her daughter, Julie, deciding that she is ready to have sex with her boyfriend. Tami’s reaction is both natural and more intense than I could possibly imagine. I remember watching this episode and realizing how important Connie Britton was to this show. In dealing with what could be an after school special, producers and performers need to keep things simple while maintaining the dramatic elements. Britton could have just been an overprotective mother in this episode, but she was something more: she was a scared mother, a shaken mother, and a strong mother all at the same time. And it is an Emmy worthy performance.

YouTube: “I Think We Should Have Sex”

Lead Actress in a Comedy

Marcia Cross (Bree)

Desperate Housewives

I didn’t want to include two housewives here, and tried desperately to find a fifth candidate…but there was nothing to be had. Now, this is not to say that there aren’t contenders (Julia-Louis Dreyfus won last year, after all), but I just haven’t seen enough of their work. The thing about Marcia Cross is that there wasn’t much of her work this season: her pregnancy-based hiatus from Desperate Housewives made her a non-entity, out of the country in storyline terms for a large part of the season. However, Emmy voters won’t know this, and I think that it actually might benefit her: you see, we missed her. I only sporadically tuned into Desperate Housewives this season, but Bree was always still a highlight. Her humour is of a different brand from the wacky Susan or the frantic Lynette: her dignified ways are everything to her, and when they are questioned or challenged the results are both dramatic and comic. She has been shut out from major awards in past years by Hatcher and Huffman, but perhaps she might finally get her time to shine. And so, despite being absent for much of it, I can’t help but consider Marcia Cross an Emmy contender for her work on Desperate Housewives this season.

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Emmy Nominations: How They Work, Who They Benefit

Today, June 21st, the first stage of the Emmy Nomination process ends. Getting nominated for an Emmy Award is not an easy task, and the entire process is ludicrously complicated this year. To help you follow the process as it unfolds over the next month, here’s a rundown on how the decision is made and who benefits from each stage.

Stage One: The Popular Vote

How it Works: Voters select their favourite candidate from all individuals who have submitted themselves for nomination. They read For Your Consideration ads, watch screeners, but in the end likely just pick who they like.

Who it Benefits: Shows that are either perennial nominees or extremely buzz-worthy, and actors that are well-known in Hollywood. Shows like The Sopranos or Desperate Housewives are guaranteed to do well at this stage because they have star power and award show history. Thus, voters don’t really even need to see what these candidates have to offer, they just assume they’re really good. Much hyped new shows, like Heroes and Ugly Betty, will also benefit.

Who it Harms: Ratings-deprived, critically acclaimed programs without any of the above, and actors or actresses who lack star power. While a show like critically acclaimed 30 Rock has a lot of star power (Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey), Friday Night Lights does not and will not perform well at this stage of the competition. Similarly, a show like Jericho lost so much steam in the post-hiatus period that it is unlikely to be on voters’ minds, even with the recent campaign to save it.

Stage Two: The Top 10 Run-Off

How it Works: The Top 10 series from the popular vote are isolated and screened in front of a blue ribbon panel. Each show/actor/actress selects an episode that will be screened for the panel if it makes the Top 10. They also prepare a short written statement explaining their show and the episode in context with the show. For example, should Lost make the Best Drama Series panel (Count on it), they will be screening the season finale, “Through the Looking Glass.”

Then, each member of the panel will rank the shows from 1 to 10, and a final ranking will be decided.

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Filed under 30 Rock, Award Shows, Dexter, Emmy Awards, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Jericho, Lost, Television, The Office, The Sopranos, Ugly Betty