2008 Emmy Winners (...analysis coming)

69 Comments »

1. YAWN.

   No Californication? No Weeds? No Battlestar Galactica? Please. Ok, 30 Rock and Rickles, worth it. I also believe that crazy chick who won for “My Name is Earl” a few years ago should win EVERY FUCKING YEAR.

   Otherwise, boring.

   Comment by peggy — September 21, 2008 @ 9:02 pm

2. So glad for Zeljko Ivanek’s win. He soooooooo deserved it. Well done!

   P.S. 30 Rock…am I the only one who doesn’t get it?

   Comment by michael dobrofsky — September 21, 2008 @ 9:33 pm

3. Can I give my analysis? What an awful, awful abortion of a telecast. It was an incredibly cynical move to have five reality hosts “host” in a year that is celebrating 60 years of TV. Is that not the definition of irony???

   Wanna make a bet some idiot proposed if one of those reality series “stars” can bring in millions of viewers on their own show - why not have five of them host the Emmys? We don’t need Ellen or Letterman or Stewart when we can get Howie and Heidi!

   The whole thing was an mega mess and an insult to TV and I say that as a fan. I hope it tanks in the ratings.

   I know I tuned out at 9pm and took an Ambien - I’d rather be medicated than watch anymore.

   Comment by Snoooooooooooze Fest — September 21, 2008 @ 9:34 pm

4. So sad, so boring.

   Comment by Jane J. — September 21, 2008 @ 9:35 pm

5. No Battlestar Galactica is a long standing travesty. I can’t fault a lot of the awards, actually. There’s a lot of great television out there, even though everyone likes to trash it.

   And any show that brings back the old Laugh In gang is a good show for me. That show is one of my fondest memories of my childhood. And hearing John Stewart do Arte Shaw made it even more fun.

   Seems he grew up on it, too.

   Comment by Original Joe — September 21, 2008 @ 9:39 pm

6. Double-Yawn.

   Agreed, Peggy, the only part of the show that made me wake up for a moment was Rickles.

   Comment by jj — September 21, 2008 @ 10:09 pm

7. Dexter gets the nominations, but not winning is an obvious oversight. The first season of Mad Men was fantastic, but the second has slipped up a bit.. Also, Bryan Cranston is a great actor, but Breaking Bad is not that good of a show, I would have love to seen that award gone to someone else.

   Also, please start nominating the Shield again, it’s in its final season!

   Comment by Adell — September 21, 2008 @ 10:19 pm

8. Love how Kathy Griffin commanded the audience to;

   “GET UP.”

   It was perfect. Glad she pulled it off.

   Comment by bonnie — September 21, 2008 @ 11:09 pm

9. I went out for the evening. I wasted an entire DVD recording it. What a bore-fest. I suggest Showtime hosts next year.

   And maybe Cranston was good, but come on, 7 episodes? Michael C Hall was overlooked for Six Feet Under and criminally dissed for his brilliantly unique character of Dexter. Next year, Michael, next year!

   Comment by Kila — September 21, 2008 @ 11:12 pm

10. Yeah, painfully bad show. Much of it can be laid on the feet of 5 unfunny hosts trying to be funny, but so much of it seemed amateurish. People flubbed the teleprompter all the time. Cutaways seemed even more weird and random than usual. Even the Laugh-In reunion fell with a THUD! Are they just not used to shoot in the Nokia Theater?

    –Andy
    MastersofHumility.com

    Comment by Andy — September 21, 2008 @ 11:19 pm

11. Can anyone please explain why the writer of John Adams speech was cut off? With the references to free speech, it is ironic that they abruptly cut to commercial upon him seemingly leading into political comment. Maybe he didn’t say anything very interesting, but I sure would have liked to judge myself. All I have to say is thank heaven for Don Rickles!

    Comment by poppy — September 21, 2008 @ 11:23 pm

12. Glen Turman won for best guest star in a drama for his work on In Treatment. He was simply astounding on there, I could not be happier he won and got to stand up there tonight. It’s nice to see the non famous actor get their due when their work is off the charts.

    They rushed Tom Hanks and the writer of John Adams to do a very long and very unfunny bit with the hosts over how reality drags out the suspense??? I wish they had let the grown ups talk and kept those hosts as the pandering symbol they were… simply a nod of thanks for giving networks something to air when the strike was on and afterwards when shows were catching back up.

    I agree with Snooooooze Fest, not the proper year for those hosts on the 60th anniversary of the Emmy’s.

    Comment by sagmember — September 21, 2008 @ 11:25 pm

13. I find it shameful that any type of “reality show” was considered for any kind of award for any category, new or old. Reality show hosts? Really? Howie Mandel is a friggin’ game show host!

    If the powers that be want to legitimize these crap “entertainment” shows with awards, then legitimize the people who write them. They don’t get to have it both ways.

    Huge kudos to Recount. An amazing and enlightening drama! And to the Laugh In gang. Great seeing y’all again!

    Comment by Ace — September 21, 2008 @ 11:44 pm

14. Bryan Cranston was turning in the best comedy performances on American TV during the last five or so seasons of “Malcolm in the Middle,” but never even got nominated. And instead they award him a best dramatic actor Emmy over Michael Chiklis (not nominated) or Jon Hamm?

    The Emmys are ridiculous.

    (And it took his friggin’ death for unsung comedy genius Ron Leavitt to get a little Emmy recognition. Absurd.)

    Comment by Sitcom Writer — September 21, 2008 @ 11:45 pm

15. If you watch The Emmy’s, here’s a bulletin for you: your life is a bore.

    Tony Awards fans? You’re even worse.

    Comment by please people — September 22, 2008 @ 12:01 am

16. My favorite part of the telecast had to be the opening when - as all five hosts are bombing and telling us, “We have nothing,” - Howie Mandel is excitedly letting us know, “This isn’t a bit.”

    As if getting on one of the hugest TV broadcasts completely unprepared - makes it funnier! At least Jeff Probst admitted it was in fact “a bit” - he’s the only one that looked sheepish at how bad it was all going.

    Uh! Horrible.

    Comment by Biz-oring — September 22, 2008 @ 12:37 am

17. Is it just me or did the Emmy telecast of 2008 look like the Republican National Convention? Where were the people of color, yes I saw a couple among the audience, the presenters, the honorees but damn! Can’t Black, Hispanic or Asian people write, direct, produce or act in these shows!? What!?

    Comment by anna perez — September 22, 2008 @ 12:42 am

18. My favorite stat of the night:
    4 Emmys for 30 Rock.
    4 Emmys for NBC.

    NBC better not cancel that show or no one gets to go to any parties next year.

    Comment by ReelBusy — September 22, 2008 @ 2:35 am

19. Did Tina Fey need to win every award? Glad the Amazing Race won again considering Phil should have been nominated over at lest Heidi, Howie, and Seacrest.

    I love Dexter and I wanted them to win, the best part was when Glenn Close won she told America to hold her Emmy and America was like ok and then looked pissed throughout the night.

    Comment by Mike — September 22, 2008 @ 5:16 am

20. Is there some sort of reverse ageism going on with the nomination process? Most of the Actress nominees are older. Not that there is anything wrong with an older actress who does tremendous work, but why no love for younger actresses?

    Comment by B- — September 22, 2008 @ 5:41 am

21. Mad Men is a masterpiece, one of the best shows EVER. It’s a crime that Jon Hamm and John Slattery didn’t win in their respective categories. They are perfection.

    Also, how Friday Night Lights can keep getting snubbed makes me sick. There is no way that anyone can justify a show like Boston Legal getting a nom over Friday Night Lights. Doesn’t. Make. Any. Sense.

    Comment by nick — September 22, 2008 @ 7:01 am

22. Now I know why last night’s Mad Men on AMC was a rerun…AMC didn’t want to risk having viewers have their chance to see Mad Men score some Emmys. I would have rather had a new episode but I watched the rerun of ‘Three Sundays’ instead

    I tuned into the last 15 minutes of the Emmy telecast when I saw a brief ad bumper on AMC that Matthew Weiner had won a writing award (just in time to see Mad Men win Best Drama)…wow was it boring. It was nice to see some old TV favorites from TV’s more golden days (Mary Tyler Moore, Betty White & Tom Selleck) but the usually crappy cliche awards show stuff was unfortunately in full flower.

    They need to just post a list of Emmy winners to the Internet and then have a big party they telecast so people can gawk at the dresses/suits, the dining and the drinking. They can cut the whole thing down to an hour or two tops.

    Comment by Anonymous Fan Wag — September 22, 2008 @ 7:30 am

23. Just seeing the multi-talented Tina Fey winning Emmys made my night. She’s pure bred writer.

    Comment by chuck — September 22, 2008 @ 8:06 am

24. Another year of garbage winning that nobody watches.

    Comment by bcr — September 22, 2008 @ 8:16 am

25. What moron had the idea of having five reality show twinkies hand out awards to an audience of actors, directors, writers, producers, and craftspeople, all of whose careers are in jeopardy because of reality shows?

    Comment by Santayana — September 22, 2008 @ 9:26 am

26. How about Rickles and Jo Ann Worley as hosts next year? Maybe then the public might start watching it again.

    Being constantly implored to “Vote”, as though we are all too dumb to realize the election is coming up, forced me to watch the show with the TV on mute. I un-muted for Rickles, Josh Groban and the Laugh-In skit - easily the only good parts of the three-hour drudgery.

    Comment by savvydude — September 22, 2008 @ 9:42 am

27. Here’s your answer–the lowest rated Emmy Show ever! Go ahead, see for yourself:
    http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/09/emmy-ratings.html Jeremy Piven’s remarks about the opening are priceless!

    Comment by I love my DVR! — September 22, 2008 @ 9:58 am

28. Reading the list of winners was more entertaining than watching that embarrassment of a telecast. I actually only flipped back & forth occasionally in hopes it would get better (the superior Family Guy’s Star Wars episode was on … A much better choice). It didn’t. What the program proved was just how talented the reality show hosts really were. What a way to celebrate television.

    Regarding the winners. I LOVE 30 Rock, BUT their Carrie Fisher episode (which was the episode they submitted for consideration for Best Comedy Series) was NOT their best episode last season, so I voted for THE OFFICE (they submitted their hilarious season finale) & based solely on the episodes submitted for consideration, I feel THE OFFICE should have won.

    Comment by WawaLisa — September 22, 2008 @ 10:04 am

29. I have a hard time believing that all those voting members are watching Breaking Bad. It might be a good show but I still don’t believe most of them watch it.
    Also, In my mind, last season of LOST was as great a piece of Television as I can remember. Yet it wins nothing! Plus to give any acknowledgment to reality TV is stupid!

    Comment by entertaininmenttodayandbeyond — September 22, 2008 @ 10:06 am

30. I get 30 Rock. It is “The Alec Baldwin” show with Tina Fey as his foil, along with the stereotypical black guy, the dumb blonde, the clueless, but loveable paige - and an anti-ensemble cast.

    I am waiting for the fantasy sequence featuring Morgan and Baldwin as “Amos” and “The Kingfish”. You know they want to do it.

    Comment by John and Andy — September 22, 2008 @ 10:09 am

31. The Wire gets ONE nomination, (writing) and it doesn’t win. THAT’S the tragedy. What a completely unappreciated show.

    Comment by McNulty — September 22, 2008 @ 11:29 am

32. I totally agree that FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is a great TV show.It very high quality writing, and a great family program. I’ve never seen a bad episode! It’s obvious the voting members do not watch it! In many ways the Emmy’s are a rigged game!

    Comment by entertainmenttodayandbeyond — September 22, 2008 @ 12:03 pm

33. Still suffering from the perception that it’s Title brings…BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Like most high quality things in this industry, it’s ignored, bypass, overlooked, in favor of all things TMZ, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and The Hills. It is so painful to watch all of this happening before my eyes. How far you’ve fallen Hollywood. How far indeed…

    p.s. Can we get rid of that troll Seacrest? It’s overkill already. They should’ve let Rickles or Gervais host. Only funny people of the whole broadcast.

    Comment by joe granville — September 22, 2008 @ 12:34 pm

34. Best part of the show –

    Watching Ryan Seacrest being forced to share 1/5 of the spotlight with Heidi Klum. His fiery, psychotic, world-eating ego was searing a hole through his skull. This after Kathy Griffin described him thusly during the channel 7 red carpet pre-game: “Oh, yea, Ryan Seacrest is here, he’s finishing his spray-on tan and manscaping…” LOFL.

    Rickles on the other hand? Let’s see. Won’t shut up when the emmy award winner is trying to make a speech, insults his wife while accepting his own emmy, calls the front row “The OJ Jury,” — huh? That joke is would have been topical in oh, about 1995.

    Comment by so worth it — September 22, 2008 @ 12:43 pm

35. I get 30 Rock. It is “The Alec Baldwin” show with Tina Fey as his foil, along with the stereotypical black guy, the dumb blonde, the clueless, but loveable page - and an anti-ensemble cast.

    I am waiting for the fantasy sequence featuring Morgan and Baldwin as “Amos” and “The Kingfish”. You know they want to do it.

    (My previous comment contained an HTML ommission and a typo. I hope that it can be deleted.)

    Comment by John and Andy — September 22, 2008 @ 1:11 pm

36. Tina Fey is a SWILF.

    Comment by A gay man — September 22, 2008 @ 1:34 pm

37. Jesus that show was painful, and all those reality hosts (but particularly Howie “this is my night” Mandell) should be put to sleep.
    It was like watching the slow painful death of network television. At least “Mad Men” won.

    Comment by dree — September 22, 2008 @ 1:38 pm

38. To “Sitcom Writer” — right on re Ron Leavitt. Terribly and unjustly unsung. But for MWC, FBC would have tanked. Anyone ever see 21 Jump St. in syndication? We adored Ron and were the only two who applauded when his pic was shown (and boy wouldn’t he have hated that…:-) (both the picture AND our applause). Shame on everybody in the audience who helped make the show even worse television by not bothering to applaud almost everything unless it was “their” show. Who is stuffing the ballot box for Amazing Race? Pathetic that Kathy had to tell people to stand up for Rickles. WTF? Is everybody under 25 these days? And why didn’t they open the show with Groban’s fabulous medley???? And btw, sagmember, you big Turman fan, his first name is spelled Glynn.

    Comment by aitchee — September 22, 2008 @ 2:26 pm

39. They should have just called it the Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert Show considering how they managed to get mentioned or shown or nominated in every fuckin’ segment.

    No wonder the ratings were in the toilet when the show spends so much time kissing the feet of two guys whose ratings for their respective shows are about the only thing smaller than the Emmy’s ratings.

    I could have done without the Sarah Palin bashing and other random bits of politics being rammed down my throat every couple of minutes too. The Emmys should be a glitzy event with your favorite stars. Not a fucking one-sided political rally with “stars” you’ve never heard of.

    Boring!

    Comment by Crystal Diane Stevens — September 22, 2008 @ 2:35 pm

40. Last night’s broadcast was more proof that the entertainment community is completely out of touch with “normal folk.” In an attempt to deflect criticism that they are biased — and offend fewer people — they tried to keep out the political references. It didn’t work. The usual insulting comments about those who don’t worship at the alter of Karl Marx flowed freely from the mouths of the wannabe intellectuals.

    Then there were the selections. They speak volumes about the views of the E industry. It’s dark, depressing, and filed with hate. Gee I wonder why no one is watching?

    The ‘blush is off the bloom’ and the E industry has no one to blame but it’s self. By pretending to be thinkers, and intellectuals; they have removed the lustre and ‘fairly tale’ narrative from celebrity. Most of America is sick to death of the E Industry and it’s running commentary of hate. Do they listen? No, they continue to create vehicles that offend, disturb, and disgust most viewers and theatre patrons.

    The E elite don’t blame themselves for the declining numbers; they blame the public, or YouTube, or KaZaa, or DVD burners, or … well you get the point. A public who in their minds are nothing but rubes and must be “handled” with kid gloves so they can be lead down the path to “enlightenment.” How to do that? Simple, a little window dressing. Restrict the political references and all is well. Those foolish viewers are so easily fooled. Pfffttt! Wrong again.

    Until the E industry shuts it’s pie holes about politics at all times; ratings will continue to drop for it’s perennial self-congratulatory-fawn-fests. it will also help if they start putting out shows worth watching. I remember a day when Football didn’t dare go up against an awards show.

    Oh and Tom Hanks; you are not funny, or an intellectual. No one cares what you think, about anything. There is a reason why people like you, act the lines, that people like me write.

    Comment by Mark — September 22, 2008 @ 3:52 pm

41. I was so happy to see Glenn Close and Zeljko Ivanek win for Damages which I feel is the best television show on the air. My only complaint until this day is the academy snubbing Rose Byrne for her terrific work as 1st year associate, Ellen Parsons. Next year is her year!

    Comment by RTA — September 22, 2008 @ 5:16 pm

42. “There is a reason why people like you, act the lines, that people like me write.”

    erh yeah, but you may wanna check into the correct usage of the comma first.

    Comment by simon — September 22, 2008 @ 5:26 pm

43. “Oh and Tom Hanks; you are not funny, or an intellectual. No one cares what you think, about anything. There is a reason why people like you, act the lines, that people like me write.”

    Mark, you haven’t written anything that anyone even six degrees from Tom Hanks has read or would even try to act. You have your own blog for a soapbox, no need to insult working entertainment professionals first by deriding them then by trying to pretend you are one. The truth of it is, people like you don’t write the lines. We celebrated the people who did last night. How dare you sir for disrespecting that.

    –

    I don’t care what anyone else has to say about the Emmy’s. The show can be boring, the picks rigged, and presenters embarrassing. As long as once a year, Hollywood votes for what it thinks is the most quality programming on television, we will all take an interest. While the ratings of shows are celebrated each week, it’s only once a year that the networks look at their art as art. I wish they would look at it like that every day, but better once a year than not at all. Thanks to the Academy

    Comment by Leave Hanks Alone — September 22, 2008 @ 6:14 pm

44. I consider myself to be somewhat of a tv show snob. I like very few shows, despise reality, miss the days of The Sopranos and Six Feet Under, but I could not get past episode 2 of Mad Men. I found it boring, all the smoking utterly obnoxious, and the cast “b” level. Trying to figure out why it is so beloved. Even gave it a 2nd chance, but it just wasn’t happening… Oh well, I’m sure the new season will bring lots of wonderful new shows (ha ha)

    Comment by victoria — September 22, 2008 @ 6:52 pm

45. Josh Groban was easily the highlight of the night. Although originally clicking onto this blog, I was hoping to see the winners and losers of the red carpet wear.

    Comment by calgary painters — September 22, 2008 @ 7:25 pm

46. Mark, you haven’t written anything that anyone even six degrees from Tom Hanks has read or would even try to act. You have your own blog for a soapbox, no need to insult working entertainment professionals first by deriding them then by trying to pretend you are one.

    My first question is: “How would you know he had not used my work?”

    My second question is:”When did I say I wrote for the E industry?”

    My Third question is:”How did I insult him? Is he an intellectual? (nope) Is he funny? (nope, not w/o dialogue written by others)”

    My fourth question is:”Even if he has never read my work (not saying he hasn’t or he has), how does that change the question or the basis? Is he suddenly smart because he may not have read my work? (again, not saying he has or hasn’t) or are you just a whiny pissy liberal who can’t take it when someone stands up to your stupidity?”

    BTW, what have you done that is of any consequence? Well then, guess you should STFU and crawl back into your hole. Hey, that’s your logic, not mine.

    Oh, and you don’t have to work in the industry to have an opinion. Typical liberal, wants to stifle dissent whilst pretending to be about freedom. Pathetic.

    Comment by Mark — September 22, 2008 @ 8:17 pm

47. The problem is not enough young voters who actually watch television. The emmy voters get some things right and many many wrong. I voted for Battlestar, Friday Night Lights, Flight of the Concords, and it was a crime that Boston Legal was there instead.Not that it hasn’t been good in the past but this last season was not worthy of that spot.

    That Michael Emerson didn’t win who singlehandedly makes any season of Lost worthwhile…. that The Wire was ignored…
    But they did reward Mad Men and Damages, and they are taking steps to make it better, baby steps, but steps nonetheless.

    Comment by sagmember — September 22, 2008 @ 8:31 pm

48. erh yeah, but you may wanna check into the correct usage of the comma first.

    I bet you walk around correcting Mark Twain, as well.

    Did it ever occur to you that I mis-typed? No of course not. You can’t let sense get in the way of an attack, can you?

    Oh and “leave hanks alone,” if Hanks can comment on things of which he is clueless — politics, America — then I can comment on that which I know.

    Comment by Mark — September 22, 2008 @ 8:38 pm

49. Why they still present awards to miniseries during the telecast is beyond me. What was the last popular and widely viewed miniseries? The Winds of War? Seriously, if anything ever deserved to be presented off the air, it’s everything in the miniseries category.

    Comment by Paul — September 22, 2008 @ 8:47 pm

50. This was my first year NOT to watch the Emmy’s and I couldn’t have been more pleased with my decision. I got caught up on some Simpsons and Family Guy and did not have to sit through hours of agonized torture like I did last year. Ironic that a show that honors the best of television is the worst show of the year. Here’s to not watching the Emmys next year!

    Comment by JD — September 22, 2008 @ 9:29 pm

51. Look — “The Wire” was a great show, but it was 100% shot in Baltimore. It was never a company show. They’re outsiders and outsiders don’t get rewarded in Hollywood.

    The Emmys last night reminded me of the infamous Oscar opening when Merv Griffin, Rob Lowe and Snow White sang together. It was that kind of awful. I tuned out five minutes into the show and came back for the last 15.

    Comment by Jarler Man — September 22, 2008 @ 9:40 pm

52. I am an Emmy voter and each year I sit and watch and watch DVD’s in addition to the TV I normally watch and then I vote. I take it very seriously and each year I watch in horror as the Emmys don’t come close to reflecting anything I vote for.

    Am I out of touch?

    Aren’t “The Wire” “Battlestar” great shows?

    I think a lot of voters don’t watch anything but vote for that they hear people say should win. If you go to an event people will lobby you and say thing like “so and so really should win”.

    The Emmy have nothing to do with what people really like and what they watch. In case you’re wondering:

    THE REAL EMMY WINNERS ARE:

    BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: CHRISTINA APPLEGATE
    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: JAMIE PRESSLEY
    BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY: ALEC BALDWIN
    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY: JEREMY PREVIN
    BEST COMEDY: IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA
    BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA: DOMINIC WEST
    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA: MICHAEL K WILLIAMS
    BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA: GLENN CLOSE
    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA: KATEE SACKHOFF
    BEST DRAMA: THE WIRE

    Comment by Emmy Voter — September 22, 2008 @ 10:02 pm

53. I didn’t watch the emmys last night, but nice to hear that both Stephen Colbert and Don Rickles won though I would like to see them form a rivalry of sorts.

    With that said, only one episode of each series is submitted due to time because it takes a whole day to wade through a body of work and that is what most series are judged on every year and the situation between The Office and 30 Rock is a prime example. Yes the 30 Rock crew submitted an episode guest starring Carrie Fisher, but they had to do so Carrie would get considered for a nomination in a guest star category.

    In reality, the entire season was an award winning season from start (Jack’s Seinfeld blunder) to finish (Jack’s time in Washington). In between, the entire season was an highlight reel containing Jack’s affair, Jenna’s struggle with weight (what off-broadway production would allow a cute blond in her mid 20’s to overstuff herself on pizza for four performances a day), Tracy’s martial problems, and the continuing war between the pages with Kenneth as our hero.

    Personally, I think most voters had no choice but to vote 30 Rock the winner. Most of the competition was going for drama which we seen in both Ugly Betty and The Office last season. Ugly Betty would have had a better chance in the drama categories with all the drama that series produced last season, but The Office would have a better chance if they nominated the “Local Ad” installment which was a exercise in sappiness piled on so thick that you can’t help to laugh and that would have landed Steve Carell an Emmy in a world without 30 Rock.

    Sorry if I am long winded, but I will end this talking about Stephen Colbert. Again I expect and hope that he and Don Rickles have a friendly rivalry together because they both won, Rickles for best performance though Stephen did just as good, and Stephen for writing though Rickles may have had a smaller team for his special. Hopefully they don’t settle in a WWE Ring, but decide to co-host an HBO special.

    Comment by Jessy S. — September 22, 2008 @ 10:13 pm

54. Boring show, Cable rules, Networks comatose. Give Gervais the presentation (I’m not the only one to think that). Make him a package deal with Emmy+Academy Awards…

    By the way, Zeljko Ivanek is a magnificent actor.

    Comment by Thierry Attard — September 23, 2008 @ 12:59 am

55. Leave Hanks Alone: Tom Hanks isn’t worthy of your defense of him. Mark: You certainly don’t write like a professional writer.
    Howie Mandel was really terrible.
    Don Rickles is a genius.

    Comment by Jenn — September 23, 2008 @ 2:12 am

56. Sunday night’s Emmys were the lowest rated according to the Neilsons. Like the Oscars I wonder if certain entertainers taking political jabs has honestly turned off the fanbase. U know people want to be entertained not insulted. Both awards shows should do a market study on the whys the normal folk don’t pay attention to it anymore. I wonder why Battlestar Galatica wasn’t nominated this year. I mean several other shows like the Tudors on Showtime deserve a nod for an Emmy becouse it’s terrific drama and fun.

    Comment by chuck — September 23, 2008 @ 6:51 am

57. Dear Mark L. Jackson,

    I work in the business and come to this site for honest knowledgeable discussion. You’re taking pot-shots from the outside for whatever bitter reason you have. You absolutely have a right to free speech, but when you come on an industry blog and claim that people like Tom Hanks read things people like you write is an insult to all who aspire to write for people like Tom Hanks (not saying for him specifically or not).

    Having said that, answers to your questions below.

    1) If Tom Hanks had used your work, there would be some recognition somewhere. iMDB, Google, local newspaper praises local writer - there’s none of that. Maybe you can explain (not saying you can or can’t).

    2) You said “people like Tom” (actors) read the lines “people like you” write. You are not one of those people - those people are professional writers.

    3) Please see above - I don’t care that you insulted Hanks so much as claimed to be someone whose lines are read.

    4) You’re right. I don’t know. Let me see what I can find that you’ve written - oh, maybe he read this - http://www.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/securityfocus/focus-ms/2002-07/0022.html

    Stop trolling around comments with which you have no business (pun intended) and stick to emails.

    Best,

    Leave It Alone

    Comment by Leave It Alone — September 23, 2008 @ 12:20 pm

58. “I bet you walk around correcting Mark Twain, as well.

    Did it ever occur to you that I mis-typed? No of course not. You can’t let sense get in the way of an attack, can you?”

    But you’re obviously not Mark Twain.

    and yeah the mis-type was probably hidden under the coating of spittle on your computer screen.

    Comment by simon — September 23, 2008 @ 12:23 pm

59. I don’t see why they don’t just call it the tina fey awards or 30 rock awards, seems to be the only thing that won awards that night XD

    Comment by Rachel — September 23, 2008 @ 12:39 pm

60. Nobody watches the Emmys anymore because the so-called stars have turned so many people off with their idiotic rants about politics etc, most of the shows nominated are ones most have never seen, the same old people get nominated again and again (is Amazing Race even on anymore?), the hosts and presenter banter are beyond pathetic, and even the fashions aren’t as interesting anymore considering no starlet ever chooses their own clothes. Alas, the days of Cher in a spider web or Bjork in a swan are long gone.

    Comment by Egg — September 23, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

61. Worst Emmy’s ever, which is so sad because it would have been the perfect vehicle and homage to older comedians like the brilliant Don Rickles. He was wonderful! Betty White is fabulous and witty.
    Reality and game show hosts hosting the Emmys?! Worst idea since Gili or Ishtar. I couldn’t believe all the dead air. It was embarrassing. I know three fabulous hosts that would liven up the Emmy’s - Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert or Craig Ferguson. Craig would bring the house down!

    Comment by Maine — September 23, 2008 @ 3:34 pm

62. @ Egg: is Amazing Race even on anymore?

    It doesn’t have be on NOW, it has to have been on in the last year. Which it was. It’ll be back later this season, too. It’s non-partisan, so I’m surprised you don’t like it. Or is showing non-American cultures in a positive light now considered liberal?

    Comment by dyb — September 23, 2008 @ 10:17 pm

63. ALF would be a much better EMCEE for the EMMYS.

    Comment by chuck — September 24, 2008 @ 6:39 am

64. If the Emmy people saw Craig Ferguson’s rant about the Emmy’s on his show Monday, they won’t hire him. (Though I’d watch for sure if he were host.) He and guest Denis Leary hit the nail on the head when they said the show was an insult to the working comedians in the audience. “Is this what Hollywood thinks it takes to be a comedian? You just read lines off a teleprompter?” Craig and Denis said the producers could have picked any of a half dozen comedians out of the audience and he or she could have done a better job cold.

    Comment by Suzanne — September 24, 2008 @ 7:33 am

65. dyb, no need to race bait, sweetheart. Or is that the lib way of debating (see, two can play at that game)?

    In the meantime, please explain to all of us why Amazing Race wins that same award every year despite the show not having had any real buzz in years?

    And to the twit who said Jon Stewart would make a great host for the Emmy’s next year, um, have you even seen the two debacles that were the Oscars when he hosted them? Jon Stewart is not funny. At all. His ratings for his own show are abysmal. Yet the entertainment elite continue to shove him down people’s throats.

    Comment by Egg — September 24, 2008 @ 8:52 am

66. Egg, I mentioned non-American cultures, not race, but whatever. Amazing Race wins every year because voters prefer it to the programs it’s up against. Buzz is for the People’s Choice Awards.

    Comment by dyb — September 24, 2008 @ 11:28 am

67. Egg, from your comment (the adolescent ‘um’ and ‘twit’)I think you may be a very young person unuse to intelligent, cogent comment without schoolyard bully, attack tactics. As you grow up you’ll learn.

    Having said that, Stewart’s ratings go up during high political times. It’s up 37% compared with the “Indecision 2004″ coverage in 2004. I thought he was okay on the Academy Awards but it really wasn’t his niche. TV is his thing and he’d be brilliant as the Emmy host.

    I still think Craig Ferguson would be fabulous. I did see the rant between he and Denis Leary - hilarious! And they nailed it. It would be interesting to see if he actually ‘would’ take the Emmy’s next year if offered. I think British writer/commedian Ricky Gervais would also be brilliant. Both of them do ad lib brilliantly.

    Comment by Maine — September 24, 2008 @ 1:37 pm

68. I still want to know why Alec Baldwin got the Emmy instead of Lee Pace on Pushing Daisies. Except maybe because 30 Rock is closer to a comedy than Pushing Daisies. But I truly watched to see if Pushing Daisies would win any of the 12 awards it was nominated for.

    Tina Fey is a hilarious and I was pleased to see her win for writing AND acting.

    egg, Amazing Race is on Travel Channel now.

    Michael C. Hall and Jon Hamm not getting the Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama was a travesty.

    I think that award shows have lost their prominance. They’re nothing but a joke now. Even the Tony’s have become such. A lot of people said that the most recent revival winners for the Tony were a joke. Yes, the five hosts were droll. Come on, Sandra Oh and her “my parents would be happier if I actually was a doctor comment” was funnier than the hosts. Except for Tom Bergeron (?) going to hug Howie “I have such a horrible phobia of germs I shaved off my hair” Mandel.

    Okay, miniseries are less of an insult than Reality shows.

    I also couldn’t help but notice that someone from “The Hills” presented an award. Isn’t that more of an insult to TV?

    Gervais, Ferguson, Colbert, and Stewart would have been better together than five reality hosts.

    Comment by M. Black — September 24, 2008 @ 7:48 pm

69. Sad to see that Heroes was not in the list this year. It used to be my favourite but this years lacks the luster, or a story line…

    Comment by Calgary Painters — December 17, 2008 @ 3:07 pm

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