September 16, 2007 · 6:59 pm

Liveblogging the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards

Welcome to Cultural Learnings’ LiveBlog for the 2007 Emmy Awards! We’ve done a week’s worth of coverage leading up to this moment, and now it’s time to see how the awards turn out, starting with the one-hour pre-show and moving into the three-hour broadcast. So stay tuned to see just how much the Academy is going to miss The Sopranos during tonight’s Emmys broadcast.

[With the show now over, Cultural Learnings has posted its Highlights and Lowlights post that summarizes a lot of the feelings within this LiveBlog. Admittedly, there isn’t 7000 words there, so it’s a bit easier to digest. – Myles]

6:57 pm: Everything is set – admittedly, I’m watching on my snowy antenna connection, but it’s more than adequate to be able to tell Ryan Seacrest from Brian Dunkleman.

7:00pm: And we’re here with…Mark Steines! And…Laila Spencer? Someone from The Insider. And it is Ellen Degeneres to open the show, which is perhaps fitting considering her nomination in Individual Performance in a Variety Series. Her prediction: Tony Bennett. I really want Colbert to jump her at this point. However, I do believe she is quite good at this: she called Elaine Stritch beating her a few years back. Doesn’t bode well for Colbert.

7:02pm: Oh, I hate this person! Ugh, poor Kate Walsh, has to deal with this Britney Spears question. She does not deserve this type of idiotic punishment. Are they seriously going to try to milk this entire preview pretending Britney Spears is going to publicly apologize to the ENTIRETY of humankind? Because no.

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September 16, 2007 · 11:00 am

Cultural Learnings’ 2007 Emmy Awards Preview

On September 16th (Which is, coincidentally, tonight), the stars of television will gather together in Los Angeles for three hours of self-congratulation and lavish ceremony in which winners will be crowned, losers will be mocked, and hopefully some history will be made. And, after a few months off the job so to speak, Cultural Learnings is back with all the Emmy coverage you could ever possibly want.

Over the past week, we’ve taken a look at some key stories to watch out for during this evening’s ceremony. These stories don’t cover everything, but they give everyone an idea of what to expect.

We can also expect to see some spectacle: a rap battle between Kanye West and Rainn Wilson (The Office), a Broadway tribute to The Sopranos, and an opening musical number (maybe) featuring Ryan Seacrest. Plus, rumors continue to fly about Dick in a Box making its Emmy debut after winning an award last weekend.

The bulk of Cultural Learnings’ coverage of the Emmys will come in the form of an extensive Live-Blogging experience covering all the glitz, all the glamour, and all of the indignant anger sure to come when my favourites don’t win their respective awards. So check back later tonight for that.
For now, here’s all of Cultural Learnings’ coverage over the past week. Enjoy, and hope to see you this evening. If not, enjoy the show!

Cultural Learnings’ 2007 Emmy Awards Preview

Day One: How ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Could Win a (Televised) Emmy

Day Two: Much Ado About Scene Stealers in Supporting Comedy

Day Three: Dynamic Duo: Lost’s Emerson & O’Quinn

Day Four: Comic Contenders – 30 Rock and The Office

Day Five: Why CBS Wishes it was the Home of the 2007 Emmys

Day Six: Cultural Learnings’ Final Emmy Awards Predictions

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September 15, 2007 · 10:33 am

Emmys 2007: Cultural Learnings’ Final Emmy Awards Predictions

[Months ago, Cultural Learnings put its neck out there to predict which shows and performers might get those coveted Emmy Nominations. Now, it’s time to put the prediction power to the test again, predicting who will win during tomorrow night’s ceremony. Some of them might be wishful thinking, others might be far too safe. Regardless, it’s our job to stand by them to the bitter end. We’ll see how things turn out during tomorrow night’s LiveBlogging Extravaganza!]

Cultural Learnings’ 2007 Emmy Predictions

Oustanding Drama Series

The Sopranos [WINNER]

Heroes

Boston Legal

Grey’s Anatomy

House

[It only won once, it had a critically acclaimed final season, and the rest of the competition was either too uneven or too green. Simply put, it is the class of this field, and will easily walk home with the Emmy]

Oustanding Comedy Series

The Office

Entourage

Two and a Half Men

30 Rock [WINNER]

Ugly Betty

[This is going with my gut on this one, but I think that 30 Rock combines the liberal-minded sentiment of Emmy voters and strong pedigree in Baldwin/Fey. The Office got their due last year, and Ugly Betty will get theirs eventually. This is 30 Rock’s year.]

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

James Spader (Boston Legal)

James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) [WINNER]

Kiefer Sutherland (24)

Denis Leary (Rescue Me)

Hugh Laurie (House)

[While Laurie is a potential spoiler, I’d say that Gandolfini should easily ride the Sopranos wave to victory within this category.]

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) [WINNER]

Ricky Gervais (Extras)

Steve Carell (The Office)

Tony Shahloub (Monk)

Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men)

[Picking between Carell and Baldwin is very tough, as Carell got robbed last year, but I think that Baldwin was the breakout star of the year in comedy, while Carell’s star just didn’t shine as brightly.]

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September 14, 2007 · 8:00 am

Why CBS Wishes it was the Home of the Emmys in 2007

Although it is officially Emmys week here at Cultural Learnings, Fridays always bring forth a certain level of Jericho consciousness. As a result, I started to think about ways in which Jericho’s plight could have been improved by the Emmy Awards. Fans already let the world know that Jericho deserved Emmy nominations here at Cultural Learnings, but the show unfortunately didn’t get a nomination.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Emmys couldn’t have been a boost to Jericho and the rest of CBS’ 2007-2008 lineup. Each year, the host network of the Emmys (It rotates each year) is in the position of being able to use an audience of tens of millions of potential viewers to promote its new fall shows as well as returning programs. And what better stage for promoting Jericho could CBS have than TV’s biggest night?

Unfortunately, of course, FOX is hosting the Emmys. But it’s impossible to ignore how much CBS needs this right now.

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September 13, 2007 · 11:59 am

Emmys 2007: Why ’30 Rock’ and ‘The Office’ are the Future of Comedy

If I wasn’t knee deep in Emmy coverage, I would likely be commenting on the poll results released today which reveal that people think television is getting worse. And, to an extent, I believe that I am commenting on them within today’s post. Because while the disillusionment of the masses is a definite concern for major networks, I think that people really need to stop and realize that there are gems they might be missing.

And while the evangelical Christians and the rural Midwestern viewers who are most likely to view television as a fading medium might not necessarily be convinced, I would argue that 30 Rock and The Office represent a new age of comedy that people should be taking notice of. Between the Comedy Actor and Comedy Series categories, these two shows represent a heated showdown, and a broad step forward for the half-hour comedy against hour-long fair like Desperate Housewives or nominated Ugly Betty. And both of them are deserving of walking away with either award…although I believe that one deserves it more than the other.

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September 12, 2007 · 1:44 pm

Emmys 2007: The Dynamic Duo – Lost’s Emerson and O’Quinn in Supporting Actor

When a category at an awards show features two actors or actresses from the same show, sometimes logic points towards the two individuals canceling one another out. This would allow another competitor, not competing against someone from their own show, to waltz away with the trophy.

What is unique about this year’s race for Supporting Actor in a Drama is that despite the fact that Michael Emerson (Ben) and Terry O’Quinn (Locke) are both on Lost, they remain serious contenders for the Emmy. These two actors spent much of the show’s third season together, locked into a relationship filled with philosophical discussions and tense drama. Their fates are intertwined in the show’s storyline, but their Emmy chances are also directly connected to one another.

And although their category has spoilers waiting in the wings, this Dynamic Duo still stands out from the crowd when it comes to picking an Emmy victor. Why? Because they’re just that damn good.

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September 11, 2007 · 9:55 pm

Canadian Idol – Finale – And the Winner is…

After Avril Lagine.

After Eva Avila.

After Bon Jovi.

After the Clip Packages.

After the Repeat Performances.

There was two Idols.

Brian Melo.

Jaydee Bixby.

Only one could become.

A Canadian Idol.

The Canadian Idol is…

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September 11, 2007 · 12:00 pm

“When Does Lost Return?”, “What’s up with Jericho?” and Other Burning Fall Season Questions

[Taking a break from the Emmys coverage briefly, the fall season brings a lot of premieres, but also a lot of questions. So, to help answer those, here’s some answers to the most commonly asked ones. If you have any other questions, feel free to send us an email at cultural.learnings @ gmail.com]

When does Lost return?

Due to its shortened season, and to avoid running into any hiatuses, Lost will be starting its 16-episode run sometime in January or February of 2008. This should give producers more time to produce episodes, and hopefully we’ll get a better season out of the arrangement. It does, however, mean a fairly lengthy delay before new episodes: the Season Three DVD releases in time for Christmas, so you can satiate your desire with that if you’re desperate.

What’s Up with Jericho? Wasn’t it Renewed?

The short answer to this question is that it has been renewed, but it does not yet have a timeslot in which it will air. CBS is waiting on reaction to their new shows, as an open timeslot might mean that the already completed episodes of Jericho could begin airing as soon as possible. Otherwise, if nothing falters, the network will likely look for a slot at midseason (January) in which to air the episodes.

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September 11, 2007 · 9:01 am

Review: Weeds – “Bill Sussman”

Weeds Review

“Bill Sussman”

September 10th, 2007

What last night’s episode of Weeds did well was deal with the problems it had set up for itself in the weeks previous. It ended Andy’s ridiculous and unfortunate army storyline, it further immersed us in Majestic’s realities, and it gave U-Turn and the Three 6’s a context and a storyline. It was the right kind of perspective for the series as it heads into its core storylines, while also providing some strong comic foil for Mary-Louise Parker.

The episode wasn’t complicated: Sullivan bribes Doug and Celia, the army disconnects from Andy, Shane goes to school, Silas deals, and Nancy deals with U-Turn’s life a little more. It was an episode about immersion: taking the scenarios set forward in the first four episodes and reminding us that they are realistic and adaptive.

In the case of Majestic, we gained a better understanding of just what goes on at their non-denominational, inter-faith church. Shane’s murder mystery scenario looked innocent at first: it showed he was fitting in, and allowed for some great family interaction between Nancy, Silas and Shane. And then, of course, it was really all an anti-abortion talk. It was well-handled, and a smart reveal.

The build is slower for Nancy’s dealings with U-Turn, however, as she is finding herself involved at the cusp of gang warfare. Her poor Prius became a drive-by ambulance of sorts, and she was made accessory to such a shooting. Conrad, in his token scene, made note that the shit was hitting the fan…and we got a rather ominous shot of a gun in his drawer.

Nancy ended the episode with a trunk of Three 6 heroin in her garage, so it appears that she will be wrapped up in this for quite some time. And this puts her at her neurotic finest: facing great trauma, dealing with new situations, and clearly uncomfortable in her setting even as it “brings out the best of her.”

Gang warfare tends to do that, I hear.

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September 10, 2007 · 9:00 pm

Canadian Idol – The Final Two – Why Jaydee Will Win Canadian Idol

Last week, I didn’t bother blogging about the results show, and I apologize to anyone who might have been using my recaps to gain such information. My reason is simple: with the departure of Carly Rae, I became disillusioned with Canadian Idol. She was my last hope, the last shining hope in a season filled with a host of mediocre singers. She epitomized everything an “Idol” should be: charming, original, and capable of musicianship. When she left, part of me left as well.

And it’s not because of dislike for the remaining candidates. Brian Melo is someone who has performed admirably, been fairly consistent, and surely isn’t someone that I would dislike hearing on the radio. And even if I can’t stand him personally, Jaydee Bixby does Jaydee-style very well.

No, my problem with Carly Rae leaving is that it essentially crowned Jaydee Bixby the Canadian Idol by default. And even though the judges did their finest to handicap the competition in Brian’s favour, I don’t think it will be enough to overcome an important fact:

No matter how good Brian might be, and how bad Jaydee might bomb, Brian Melo is still just an adequate performer who wears hats while Jaydee is the smiling honky tonk kid from Alberta.

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