TV Guide Awards Finalists Crack Wise

After joining JAG hunk David James Elliott to announce the finalists for the third annual TV Guide Awards yesterday, Frasier's Jane Leeves nearly broke into a rendition of "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves." "Usually the guys on our show get all the nominations and awards," enthused Leeves, who got a nod for Supporting Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series. "This is wonderful. It's really a surprise and very nice."

Daphne's portrayer also told TV Guide Online she expects to be jittery if called up onstage to accept a trophy. "That to me is terrifying, standing up there in front of people and saying things when it's me," she confessed. "If I could do it in character, it would be fine. I think most actors are genuinely shy people... People say, 'That's so weird, how can they act and [yet] be shy?' But you're not yourself. You're reading somebody else's words, so it's not you, and you can separate from that."

Still, Leeves deemed this awardsfest worth mustering up her courage for. "I remember from previous TV Guide Awards shows, the fans are the focus of the show," she said. "They sit up in the front and they're really a part of the show, so that's what makes it different and special to me."

Aside from being "thrilled" about his nod for Actor of the Year in a Drama Series, Elliott — who came clad in a mauve sweater and swanky Prada shoes — just looked forward to another chance to shed his buttoned-down military persona. "We are vastly different, my character and I," he smiled. "I'm glad to get that uniform off, I have to tell you. I'd [even] like to grow my hair one day."

Promised the show's executive producer, Bob Bain: "Everything we do is calculated to make this thing fun to watch, as opposed to just another boring awards show. We feel really compelled to reinvent this genre, because otherwise it's just going to choke itself on boredom."