Emmys' Light Should Shine On Trio Of Excellence
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Published: September 21, 2008
TAMPA - Tonight's "60th Primetime Emmys Awards" should showcase three shows: HBO's "John Adams," NBC's "30 Rock" and AMC's "Mad Men."
This trio leads in the nominations as well as creative effort.
HBO's gritty, lusty and engrossing historical miniseries "John Adams" leads all nominees with a total of 23 nods, including a best actor nomination for Paul Giamatti, who had the title role as the man who became the country's second president.
This is the year of Tina Fey. The creator, writer and star of "30 Rock," has crafted an entertaining comedy about the nutty people who are making an NBC comedy.
A "Saturday Night Live" alumnus, Fey has it all: beauty, brains and self-deprecating humor. The Republican Party even picked a vice presidential candidate that looks like her.
For the record: "30 Rock," with 17, and "Mad Men," with 16. "30 Rock" received 17 nods and "Mad Men" 16.
"Adams" racked up eight wins already at the Creative Arts Awards on Sept. 13 (for things such as editing, sound, casting and special effects). "Mad Men" won four Creative Emmys, and "30 Rock" won three.
If it wins the top award, "Mad Men," a haunting study of culture in the 1960s, will make history as the least-watched best drama on television. Despite almost universal acclaim, "Mad Men" has yet to become a hit for AMC, which is better known for showing vintage films.
It's up against ABC's long-in-the-tooth sex farce "Boston Legal," FX's dark and mysterious "Damages," HBO's offbeat serial-killer-as-hero drama "Dexter," ABC's action-thriller "Lost" and Fox's Hugh Laurie showcase, "House."
For best comedy series, "30 Rock" faces HBO's "Entourage" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," NBC's "The Office" and CBS' "Two and a Half Men" (the only old-school comedy in the running).
As for the awards show, expect heavy doses of nostalgia.
This being the 60th anniversary, there will be tributes to the past. In addition to the annual salute to all those who have passed on, mellow balladeer Josh Groban will perform a medley of classic television theme songs.
Charlie Sheen, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Piven and Kristin Chenoweth will help open the show by delivering popular TV catch phrases. Will "Good morning, Angels" and "Book 'em, Danno" be in the mix? How about "Marcia. Marcia, Marcia"?
Executive producer Ken Ehrlich has said there will be surprise cast reunions, clips from the past and sets from iconic TV series.
"We're paying homage to the heritage of the medium and the history, but we've tried to do it in a very contemporary way," he told The Associated Press. "We want to show the through line from what television has meant to us to what it is now."
The Emmy stage will masquerade as sets from "The Simpsons," "M*A*S*H" and "Desperate Housewives," among others, Ehrlich said.
The usual suspects will be out on the red carpet when the E! network offers its annual pre-Emmy coverage. It begins at 4 p.m., but there's no point in watching before 6 p.m.
ABC's kicks off its watching party with "Jimmy Kimmel's Big Night of Stars" at 7, followed by the award presentations at 8 p.m.
For the first time in its 60-year history, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will present an Emmy Award for outstanding reality host. Also for the first time, the five nominees for that category will be co-hosting the award show.
Instead of a comic such as Ellen DeGeneres, the traffic cop duties go to Jeff Probst of CBS' "Survivor," Howie Mandel of NBC's "Deal or No Deal," Tom Bergeron of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," Heidi Klum of Bravo's "Project Runway" and last year's Emmy host, Ryan Seacrest of Fox's "American Idol."
The producers are hoping to stop the flight of viewers. As the television continues to fragment, ratings for the Emmys have declined.
Last year, the show brought in 13.1 million viewers, among the smallest audiences ever for the show and well below the 16.2 million who tuned in for the 2006 awards.
ON TELEVISION
60th Primetime Emmy Awards
WHEN: 8 Tonight
WHERE: ABC
SELECT NOMINATIONS:
ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"; Steve Carell, "The Office"; Lee Pace, "Pushing Daisies"; Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"; Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men"
ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"; America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"; Tina Fey, "30 Rock"; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"; Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment"; Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"; Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"; Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"; Hugh Laurie, "House"; James Spader, "Boston Legal"
ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Glenn Close, "Damages"; Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"; Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"; Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"; Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM: "The Amazing Race," "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Project Runway," "Top Chef"
REALITY SERIES: "Antiques Roadshow," "Dirty Jobs," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Intervention," "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List"
VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES: "The Colbert Report," "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," "Late Show With David Letterman," "Real Time With Bill Maher," "Saturday Night Live"
MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: "Bernard and Doris," "Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale," "The Memory Keeper's Daughter," "A Raisin in the Sun," "Recount"
Go to www.emmys.tv for a complete list of this year's Emmy nominees.
Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813 259-7654 or wbelcher@tampatrib.com.
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