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Some Emmy reactions
September 19, 2005
- First of all, “Desperate Housewives” is not a comedy. It should not have been nominated for any awards that have the word “comedy” in them. It has comedic elements, sure, and is often more light than heavy. But it is a soap opera, and soap operas are dramas. The fact that it’s an hour and not 30 minutes should have been Emmy’s first clue. (Quick: How many other hour-long series have been nominated as “comedies”? Answer: I don’t know. But I bet it’s none.)
- That said, I can’t really argue with the show’s win for Best Directing in a Comedy Series, given its other nominees. And among the nominees for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Felicity Huffman is definitely the best. I’m just glad “Desperate Housewives” didn’t win Best Comedy Series, because that would have been a travesty….
- Almost as great a travesty as “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which DID win. This and all its other awards tonight were solely because it had been the show’s last season. It was a good enough show and everything, but any category where it’s up against “Arrested Development” (or even “Scrubs”), it deserves to lose.
- Patricia Arquette was the Marisa Tomei of the evening, winning an award even though, among the five nominees, she was the fifth most deserving. (Glenn Close, Frances Conroy, Mariska Hargitay and Jennifer Garner were the other nominees, in order of deservingness.)
- It’s a shame “Deadwood” got nothin’. That’s a fantastic show. (Actually, it won five technical awards, but none for acting, writing or directing.)
- Interesting also that “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers” won nine Emmys — more than any other show — including awards for writing, directing and acting, yet failed to win Best Made-for-TV Movie.
- Were we speaking of travesties earlier? How about Jay Leno being nominated for Best Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, and David Letterman being snubbed? I’m not saying Dave needs to be nominated every year. But he certainly needs to be if Leno is.
- Speaking of Dave, he NEVER goes to these things, even when he is nominated. For him to be there — and to present something! — well, now we know what it takes. Johnny Carson has to die. But did you see the ovation he got just for walking onstage? Everyone loves him. How wonderful for Jon Stewart to mention later that the way Dave idolizes Carson, that’s how everyone in Stewart’s generation feels about Dave. It’s true, too. And no one will ever, ever say that about Leno. SUCK IT, LENO.
- Everyone rips on “Will & Grace” for having too many celebrity guest stars. So the show felt pretty smug when it got all those Best Guest Star nominations, as if that validated its choice. But then who won? Bobby Cannavale, who 1) wasn’t a big name, and 2) actually appeared on several episodes, not just as a one-time stunt-casting thing. So the lesson for “Will & Grace” is: Stunt casting is still stupid and everyone hates it, I don’t care how many nominations it gets you.
- And one more thing, “Will & Grace”: You are well past your prime, but once again, you felt pretty smug when you got 15 nominations, the most of any series. And then how many did you win? Two! One for a guest star, and one for cinematography! SUCK IT, “WILL & GRACE.”
- When you include the technical awards, the Cartoon Network won seven Emmys. Fox got six. The WB and UPN got zero (out of zero nominations, I believe). But I just wanted to point out: Cartoon Network won more Emmys than Fox, WB and UPN combined.
- Donald Trump and “Will & Grace’s” Karen Walker singing the theme from “Green Acres” is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
