Tag Archives: Emmys

September 10, 2007 · 2:30 pm

Emmys 2007: Much Ado About Scene-Stealers in Supporting Actor (Comedy)

One is a multi-camera comedy series that has a laugh track on CBS. The other is a single-camera comedy series airing on HBO. And yet, both How I Met Your Mother and Entourage share one key factor: outside of their core drama, but related to it, there is a character who becomes the real reason to watch the series. In reality, Jeremy Piven (Entourage) and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) are lead actors in the eyes of many viewers, and in the episodes submitted for Emmy consideration they claim ownership to their respective series. And this makes them, in the end, the front-runner and the dark horse in this Emmy race.

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Filed under Award Shows, Emmy Awards, Entourage, How I Met Your Mother, Television, The Office

Tagged as CBS, Emmys, HBO

September 8, 2007 · 10:12 pm

Emmys 2007: The Creative Arts Winners Announced

Each year, a number of the awards in “lesser” categories are decided in an awards ceremony a week previous: it’s when those little boxes come up on the screen so that we can see names fly by that you’ve never heard before.

Complete List of Creative Arts Winners [Emmys.org]

For the Emmys, however, there are always a few stories that justify the existence of these awards if only to recognize shows that got screwed over otherwise. Here’s the big story from the evening’s events:

Emmy-Award Winning ‘Battlestar Galactica’: For realz!

Perhaps I provided good fortune to the series with my blog post just yesterday, but the reality is that after consecutive nominations Battlestar Galactica finally picked up the Emmy for Visual Effects in a series. It’s deserved, as there was some great visual effects work in that episode, and the series has high-production values most of the time. Congrats, Battlestar!

Casting Gold: ‘Friday Night Lights‘ is Vindicated

None of their fantastic, awesome, stunning cast were nominated for an Emmy for their performances, but the show’s casting team was recognized with an award for Best Casting for a Drama Series. How, exactly, none of the brilliant casting led to a nomination remains beyond me, but at least they won’t be going home empty handed.

Guest Actress Trophies Go to Usual Suspects

Elaine Stritch’s performance as Jack’s mother on 30 Rock was fantastic, but her victory in the Guest Actress in a Comedy category isn’t exactly surprising: she’s won before, for Variety performer. And Leslie Caron defeated some stiff competition on the drama side of things, but she was on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a perennial favourite amongst Emmy voters in this category.

Dick in a Box wins Emmy; Hell freezes Over

Although it won’t be performed during the ceremony thanks to some issues over censorship, as expected Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg’s Saturday Night Live collaboration netted them an Emmy Award. This just goes to show you the sway YouTube has over some Awards: after OK GO won a Grammy for Best Video, and now this, the internet has basically made some integral decisions. If only that extended to the other major awards.

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Filed under 30 Rock, American Idol, Award Shows, Battlestar Galactica, Emmy Awards, Friday Night Lights, Television

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September 8, 2007 · 9:10 am

Emmys 2007: How ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Could Win a Televised Emmy

How Battlestar Galactica Could Win a Televised Emmy

If one of the benefits of the Emmy Awards is the recognition of shows that deserve a larger audience, the ceremony has failed in recent years to live up to that purpose. While one could easily blame the nominations system for excluding some high-class programming in favour of highly successful tripe, let’s stick to the facts: a show like ‘Battlestar Galactica’ doesn’t win Emmys.

They have, however, been nominated for Emmys: unfortunately, all of them have been in categories such as sound and visual effects, and not a single one of the awards have been presented live on television. At no point in time has a big-name presenter had to say “Battlestar Galactica” on that shiny stage throughout its first two seasons, and that’s really a sin.

And, it’s about to change. And, who knows: maybe they might be able to win one of them too.

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August 20, 2007 · 2:07 pm

Why Ryan Seacrest is hosting the Emmy Awards

Today, it was announced that Ryan Seacrest would be hosting the 59th Annual Emmy Awards to air in September on FOX. There are a variety of reasons why this is happening:

Corporate Synergy (The Emmys are airing on FOX, why give time to a non-FOX performer?), Idol Pity (American Idol may well become the most nominated show never to win an Emmy this year: FOX is making sure the show isn’t completely forgotten), plus It’s the Cool Thing to Do (Seacrest just got announced as FOX’s host for the Super Bowl red carpet, so he is clearly the go-to guy on FOX’s call list.)

However, I’d say that the real reason that Seacrest is hosting the Emmys is that, well, FOX is just that darn uninspired in their choices to host the show. They’ve got an entire lineup full of options, and yet they turn to the most predictable one in the bunch. Let’s take a look at some of this options.

…ummm…well, you know there’s…uhhh…

See, there really isn’t another viable option from FOX’s perspective. They don’t have late night personalities to speak of, at least not ones important enough to run an Awards show, and they lack any sort of star power outside of their Idol juggernaut.

Because Seacrest wasn’t picked because he’s funny (he’s not) or particularly knowledgeable about television (Don’t really think he is). This is literally an example of a red carpet reporter moving into a position where he needs to carry a show. There won’t be Simon, Paula and Randy there to bail him out, and while he does a good job with Idol I think this is a slightly different beast altogether.

Regardless, we’ll see how he performs in just under a month’s time. In the meantime, stay tuned to Cultural Learnings for major Emmy coverage in the coming weeks.

The 2007 Emmy Awards: The 12 Biggest Snubs

The good people at AOL Television have put together a photo gallery featuring various thoughts on who got snubbed for the 2007 Emmy Nominations, and I was lucky enough to be one of their featured commentators.

Emmys Blog Reactions – AOL Television

However, their list has admittedly got me thinking about some of the most frustrating snubs that could possibly have arisen out of the various Emmy nominations (Even the obscure ones). And so, I’ve created a list of what are my ten largest snubs of the nominations, individuals who deserved a chance to be recognized by their peers.

‘Lost’ for Best Drama Series

There is no question that Lost reached creative highs in its third season, it’s a pity that an arguable lowpoint in its opening episodes kept it from gaining enough traction to overcome lesser shows like Heroes or Boston Legal which skated by with newness and familiarity respectively. It’s hard to know what got it snubbed: a lack of voter interest, a poorly submitted episode, or the spread of the opinion that the show was past its prime. I don’t understand any of those options, but Lost will sit out another year regardless.

Michael C. Hall (Dexter) for Lead Actor in a Drama Series

It was the single worst snub of the Emmy season, greater than any of the other missing individuals. While James Spader and Kiefer Sutherland went through the pace, Michael C. Hall crafted a serial killer that we not only grew to empathize with but actually kind of liked in the end. His performance made the entire concept work; without some level of empathy, the show would collapse under an unlikable hero incapable of emotional contact with others. After the Hollywood Foreign Press and his Screen Actors Guild peers recognized him, it is unfortunate that the Academy members could not do the same. The fact that he won’t have a chance to challenge for this award is the season’s greatest travesty.

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Filed under 30 Rock, Award Shows, Dexter, Emmy Awards, Friday Night Lights, Gilmore Girls, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, NBC, Television, Weeds

Tagged as Emmys, For Your Consideration

July 19, 2007 · 3:17 pm

The Highlights and Lowlights of the 2007 Emmy Nominations

The nominations for the 56^th annual Primetime Emmy awards have been released, and the result is a whole lot of frustration. While there are certainly some attributes in these categories that certainly warrant some sort of positive feelings, the overall impact is limited with some rather vile mistakes made by the voters. Yes, I said mistakes. Let’s take a look at the Best and the Worst of the nominations.

Best Category

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

This one is simple, really. While there were some other categories that had either too many familiar faces or the wrong mix of people, Supporting Actor in a Comedy gets it just right. Jon Cryer is the token nominee for the popular vote, but then you’ve got four awesome comedic talents: last year’s winner Jeremy Piven along with new (And fantastic) fresh faces in Rainn Wilson, Kevin Dillon and Neil Patrick Harris. I really can’t argue with any of these selections. I would have liked to see Justin Kirk in there, but it’s still a great category.

Runner-Up: Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Worst Category

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Three Grey’s Anatomy actresses, two Sopranos actresses, and perennial Emmy favourite Rachel Griffiths. It is clear that the men are where the new talent is making an impact, because these nominees couldn’t be much more predictable. The lack of new talent (Elizabeth Mitchell for Lost, Hayden Panettiere for Heroes) is the biggest problem, and I really hope that this can change in the future.

Runner-Up: Outstanding Drama Series

Most Surprising Nominee

Michael Emerson (Lost) – Supporting Actor in a Drama

I had written off Michael Emerson, one of my early picks, after Elizabeth Mitchell failed to crack the Top 10. However, it appears that Emerson was able to make it in, and with 6 nominees in his category worked his way into the fold. This was likely supported by Terry O’Quinn’s tape, which featured Emerson heavily. It is most deserved, and the most pleasant surprise of the morning.

Runner-Up: Boston Legal – Outstanding Drama Series

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Filed under ABC, Award Shows, Battlestar Galactica, Dexter, Emmy Awards, Entourage, FOX, Friday Night Lights, Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, Scrubs, Television, The CW, The Office, The Sopranos

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

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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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 · 10:00 am

For Your Consideration: Drama Series – “Lost”

Outstanding Drama Series

“Lost” (ABC)

Here at Cultural Learnings, we did a lot of coverage on the post-hiatus portion of Lost’s third season, which is of course considered to be its strongest. As a result, for the purposes of this post, I’m not going to go into that too greatly, and will instead provide links to my reviews at the bottom of the page. I want to instead focus on the season’s first six episodes, the ones that caused millions to abandon the series and the ones that people call “uneven” or “awful”. Because, even if they don’t reach the pinnacles of the show’s final throes in May, I strongly believe in the quality of the prologue to this season.

While there were certainly pacing issues, the intention behind those first six episodes was a smart one, and the work done by Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse and the entire cast of Lost during that period is still worthy of Emmy consideration.

I don’t quite understand the hate for the first quarter of Lost’s third season. The episodes are certainly lacking part of the show’s most personable elements (The disconnect between Jack/Kate/Sawyer and the rest of the characters is responsible), but as six hours of dramatic television there’s some strong stuff here. But after the show was snubbed last year for what I think was also an Emmy worthy season, I think it deserves a nomination even more this year. And, perhaps against popular opinion, I think you can find evidence for that in its opening six episodes.

A Tale of Two Cities, the season premiere, featured the fantastic cold open to Juliet’s book club and the Others’ perspective of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. The entire episode is basically Jack, Sawyer and Kate, along with us viewers, finding ourselves in a world we’d never seen, and the effect is strong.