Emmys' Best and Worst Moments
You folks at home may've watched the 56th Annual Emmy Awards while guzzling beer in old wifebeaters and sweatpants, but we here at TV Guide Online screened it in style! Backstage at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium, Michael Ausiello and I sat side by side in our natty tuxedos — he interviewed the newly minted winners while I caught the live feed of the telecast. That meant spending a wacky night of cheering for our faves (The Sopranos!), giggling at celebrity gaffes and sizing up Garry Shandling's latest turn as host. Read on for our sassy rundown of the show's most memorable highlights....
Enough Already!
C'mon, The Larry Sanders Show ended in 1998! Shouldn't Garry Shandling have squeezed in all those self-referential winks to Sanders during his first gig as Emmys emcee? That said, the best one was David Duchovny showing up on his imaginary reality show — What's in Front of Garry's Door? — with a Ping-Pong paddle, which he wanted to use for purposes unintended. An amusingly naughty nod at Duchovny's "homoerotic crush" when he guest-starred on Larry Sanders back in the day. It was also cute when Jeffrey Tambor refused to say his signature Hank Kingsley line — "Hey, now!" — until he was damn good and ready. Only trouble is, how many Emmy viewers actually remembered that stuff?
Canniest Anti-Reality Zinger
This bit expertly sent up reality TV's obsession with manufacturing instant celebrities: Shandling brought two blindfolded fans on stage to present the trophy for best reality show to The Amazing Race. The one named Amy brags that she's been told she looks like Jennifer Aniston. The other one, Bruce, bawls like a baby. (Didn't he look like Rerun from What's Happening! in that silly beret?) Then Shandling announces: "They've already been signed to host [the Emmys] next year. That's it for us professionals." Yup, that sounds just about right.
Best Acceptance Speech
Cute how the camera cut to an enthused Matt LeBlanc when his Joey costar, Drea de Matteo, won for her role as The Sopranos' doomed Adriana. (Nice of ABC to give NBC's new sitcom that subtle plug!) Loved Drea's parting line: "If I try to thank everyone, I might puke, choke, cry or die — but you've already seen me do it, so I'm gonna go have 10 drinks and thank you all later." Priceless.
Grumpiest Also-Ran
Didja see Steve Buscemi make that face when Blair Underwood mispronounced his name? Worse yet, he then had to watch his Sopranos costar, Michael Imperioli, snag best supporting actor in a drama. "Bitter, party of one, your table is ready...."
Cheapest ABC Plug
Trista and Ryan's Wedding is included among clips of the best TV moments of last season?! Gimme a cotton-pickin' break.
Meryl Streep, You Rule
"There are some days when I myself think I'm overrated," La Streep declared, "but not today." Her saucy acceptance speeches are almost more fabulous than her sterling thespian performances. Isn't it amazing how such a heavenly star manages to always be so relatably down-to-earth?
Best Giggle/Groaner
I did both when Shandling introduced Ernst & Young's accountants as "the stars of that hot new series, 'CPA: Miami.'" Do I wanna laugh or should I roll my eyes? I just couldn't decide. I felt that way about a lot of his jokes. However, we all full-on groaned when Mike Nichols said, "It took two years to make Angels in America, but it felt like 20. No, it felt like tonight." Sorry, Mike, you're just not cute enough to lament an awards show's length and pull it off without sounding bitter and making everyone uncomfortable.
Most Suspicious Celebrity Tan
Mr. Ausiello made a grumpy face at me when I suggested that his personal deity — Law & Order: SVU's Mariska Hargitay — looked like she got Mystic Tanned for her big night. C'mon, she's hot, but she did look unnaturally golden and glowy. Still, that's no dis, coming from me. Just as my personal deity, Dolly Parton, said in Steel Magnolias, "I don't believe in natural beauty."
Awkward Much?
As if it weren't annoying enough to see The West Wing's Allison Janney win another freakin' award, she embarrassed poor Mariska by asking the SVU star to join her on stage. Then Janney points out how they're wearing similar green dresses. Huh? Janney meant well, but it never comes off right when a winner pays too much attention to a losing co-nominee on stage. Remember how Juliette Binoche embarrassed Lauren Bacall at the Oscars a few years ago? She kept yammering on about how Bacall should've won — but she didn't, so it's really best to let it go already. OK?
Cutest Teen Soap Sighting
How sweet was it when The O.C.'s teenybopper trinity — Adam Brody, Mischa Barton and Benjamin McKenzie — nervously presented the outstanding directing in a drama series category? Sadly, I suspect this is the only time we'll ever see these kids on stage at the Emmys, at least as long as they're doing Fox's guiltiest pleasure. (Insert obvious joke about Mischa's wooden acting here, gentle readers. That poor girl. I just haven't got the heart.)
Best Hair
New mommy Debra Messing looked ultraglam with her curly red top straightened into sexy waves. Hot!
Most Defiant Emmy Winner
While other winners laughingly threatened to sing as the music played them off stage, Angels in America's Jeffrey Wright simply refused to budge. He had a relevant point to make about how AIDS is still a global health epidemic — and dammit, Wright made that point graciously, despite the producers' attempts to give him the musical hook. He was definitely channeling Belize on that one.
Coolest Political Joke
Before scoring his Emmy, Daily Show host Jon Stewart mocked the attacks on Dubya and Kerry's military backgrounds by imagining how negative TV ads might've looked back in George Washington's day. This part was my fave...
Male Patriot: "Think ye know George Washington? Think ye again."
Female Innkeeper: "My evidence be syphilis."
Lamest Political Joke
"This just in: Fox News has declared George Bush the winner in Florida," Shandling said. "OK, I have no jokes on Iraq because I thought we'd be done by now." Ugh. You probably coulda tried a teensy bit harder on that one, Gar.
And the Hardest-Working Man in Showbiz Award Goes to..
Louis J. Horvitz, the director of the Emmys, who received his trophy for directing the 76th annual Academy Awards while at work in the Emmys control booth! Now that's what I call a multitasker.
Most Enthusiastic Acceptance Speech
Beloved Broadway broad Elaine Stritch went absolutely nutso when she won for her HBO special, Elaine Stritch at Liberty. Not since Cuba Gooding Jr. snagged his Oscar for Jerry Maguire has a star accepted an award so, um, wholeheartedly! "Look at the company I'm in and I'm so glad none of them won," she cackled. "None of them won!" That Elaine's a mess, but we love her.
Somebody's Gonna Get Whacked
Hurrah! The Sopranos finally wins best drama and series creator David Chase says a few forgettable words, but then Shandling wraps the show before James Gandolfini can get a word in edgewise. The star had a speech prepared and everything! All he got to say was, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" before producers cut to Shandling. Can you believe the disrespect for TV's favorite Mafia don? You don't do that to Tony Soprano.
