Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2004 > September > 20
Monday, September 20, 2004
Emmys: good show, bad predictions
My record for predicting the Emmys was pretty awful this year.
In Sunday’s newspaper, I galloped through a dozen categories, listing my preferences for who “should win” followed by a pick for who “would win.” Five of my “should wins” actually won last night, and only one of my “will wins” came true.
The “will win” pick was also a “should win” — “Angels in America” for best miniseries. It would have been a shocker if the landmark HBO drama hadn’t won, so this was a no-brainer.
The biggest, most pleasant surprises were Fox’s wacked-out “Arrested Development” nabbing the best comedy series Emmy, and James Spader winning in the lead actor category for his portrayal of the rather slimy attorney on “The Practice.”
The question now is whether “Arrested Development” can parlay its Emmy into ratings when the Fox comedy returns for its second season. Unfortunately that won’t be for another six weeks, after Fox completes its baseball commitment.
And will Spader’s Emmy give his “Practice” spinoff, “Boston Legal,” the push it needs to rise above the crowd when it debuts? That’s anybody’s guess, but it certainly can’t hurt.
The Emmys are always criticized for anointing the same shows and people year after year, but at least this year there were the aforementioned pleasant surprises.
And the nods to Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce for their last season of “Frasier” can hardly be questioned, given the incredible high-quality run that show had for more than a decade.
During the three-hour telecast, host Gary Shandling held up his end of the bargain. Shandling’s dry humor may be an acquired taste, but at least he kept things moving. He may look lost all the time, but he isn’t.
Favorite Shandling line: “Tell me another awards show that has this kind of range: Donald Trump to Al Pacino.”
Fashion victim: William Petersen of “CSI” chose a velvet tuxedo jacket over a black T-shirt. Doesn’t he know “Miami Vice” is so over?
Five-second delay: In the aftermath of Janet Jackson’s epic wardrobe malfunction, all live shows are on a delay. We might have expected bleeps to come from the young and hip. But it was veteran Broadway star Elaine Stritch, 79, who won for her one-woman show on HBO. She got the muzzle during her hysterically proud acceptance speech.
Best gimmick: Unsuspecting real people presented the Emmy for best reality show. Amy Scholsohn of Orlando, Fla., and Bruce T. Milam Jr. of Joliet, Ill., were led on stage in blindfolds, apparently having no idea where they were or what they were about to do. It could have been a disaster, but the two were great and the normally jaded Hollywood crowd loved them.
Nobody loved “Raymond” this year: The sitcom, heading into its final season, has gobbled up most of the comedy acting awards in recent years and won for best comedy last year. The Academy gave Ray Romano’s vehicle zip in the majors this time around.
Favorite son: The orchestra struck up the music about 30 seconds into most acceptance speeches, but there was one notable exception. Al Pacino, who won for his performance in “Angels in America,” never heard a note, and he spoke for several minutes.
Next year? I’ll remember my track record and try not to sound so cocky in my predictions.
Permalink | | Categories: Entertainment
