And some people worried that getting Ryan Seacrest to host this year’s Emmy telecast was going to be the producers’ worst idea. That’s before we got a look at the set, an unwieldy and unappealing theater-in-the-round setup that looked more suitable for the new American Gladiators revival than for an awards show. The nominees, half of whom saw only the backs of the various presenters and performers, had a deer-in-the-headlights look every time Seacrest approached them or the cameras awkwardly cut to them. They appeared to be sitting in penalty boxes, not deluxe auditorium seats.Honestly, though, we poor schnooks at home were the ones suffering the penalty here: as in, confronted with one of the worst Emmy telecasts I can remember. As Emmy years go, I’m actually at peace with the majority of the winners, given who was and wasn’t nominated (and we’ve been over that frustrating ground plenty of times since the July nominations). Learning who won was a lot m...
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9:02: Holy smoke! Queen Latifah rocks red! That woman knows how to carry dangerous curves like nobody's business. She's introducing a tribute to Roots.9:04: Queen's still talking. Is she ever gonna throw to a real clip?9:05: Oh, it's the cast of Roots on stage. Hmm. Pretty big cast. Something tells me they aren't all going to get to speak.9:05:10: Portia de Rossi is working Veronica Lake curls. Not sure why she's the cut-to person during a Roots tribute, but, um, she sure does look purty.9:06: The dad from Good Times looks awesome. Wait, all these people are gonna give out the award for best miniseries? Wow. That's quite a crowd.9:07: Broken Trail won. Um, so the cast of this amazing, history-making miniseries had to give an Emmy to... a plain ol' Western? Coulda been worse. It coulda gone to The Starter Wife.9:08: Duvall says his parents had to push him into acting. So I guess Dina Lohan had the right idea with Lindsay all along.9:09: Hayden Panettiere's presenting with Neil Patric...
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8:50: Seacrest jokes that the cast of Kid Nation is powering the "green" Emmys by running on treadmills backstage. Why isn't Larry Sanders hosting this?8:51: Tony Bennett is singing now for some reason with Donatella Versace. Eek! Wait, no, that's Christina Aguilera doing a Paris Hilton impression (except vocally, thankfully).8:52: The dancing looks slick when we can see it. (Hint, hint, cameramen.)8:52:30 Is it really wise for a pregnant lady like Xtina to stand on top of a piano?8:53: Is it really wise for anyone to wear that much bronzer? Easy, Christina. Easy.8:54: Alec Baldwin presents a directing award to the guy who helmed last season's Tony Bennett special, without making any reference to his recent "troubles." This leaves me only to focus on how bloated he looks. At least now I get why Bennett performed.8:55: Kiefer Sutherland and Ali Larter make a cute couple. And red is her color. But is it just me, or does she always seem a little stiff?8:56: Lead Actor in a Miniseries o...
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Nominations for the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, to be broadcast Sept. 16 on Fox, were announced Thursday morning. Here are the major races in the miniseries or TV-movie field.Lead Actress in a Miniseries or TV-movie:Queen Latifah (Life Support)Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect: The Final Act)Mary-Louise Parker (The Robber Bride)Debra Messing (The Starter Wife)Gena Rowlands (What If God Were the Sun)Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV-movie:Robert Duvall (Broken Trail)Tom Selleck (Jesse Stone: Sea Change)Jim Broadbent (Longford)William H. Macy (Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King)Matthew Perry (The Ron Clark Story)Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV-movie:Greta Scacchi (Broken Trail)Anna Paquin (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee)Samantha Morton (Longford)Judy Davis (The Starter Wife)Toni Collette (Tsunami: The Aftermath)Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV-movie:Thomas Haden Church (Broken Trail)August Schellenberg (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee) Aidan Qui...
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Yes, that was my shout of glee that woke up the neighbors Sunday night when Chandra Wilson was named outstanding female actor in a drama series for Grey’s Anatomy. At long last, Miranda Bailey has been given her due, and the wonderful Ms. Wilson rose to the occasion with a rapturous acceptance speech, acknowledging how unlikely it would be for someone with her skin, her nose, her height, her weight, to be accepted in this industry. (I think I also yelped in delight when the entire Grey’s cast took the stage for its well-deserved ensemble acting award.)This on the same night that Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera also took home an Actor trophy. Another unconventional, but absolutely right, choice.I tend to enjoy the crisp, fast-moving SAG Awards telecast—aside from those pretentious opening monologues in which the likes of Marg Helgenberger (revealing an astounding lot of cleavage, right up there with Marcia Gay Harden), Jada Pinkett Smith and Freddie Rodriguez remind ...
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