Sunday, September 22, 2002
The Emmy’s are back - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- Tonight, NBC will air the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences annual buntoss where they hand out the gold statuettes named Emmy. Emmy, is the television industry’s highest honour. Well, actually the Peabody is the most prestigious, but the Emmy’s are the more publicised. This year is the 54th Annual ceremony, and if you’ll recall last year’s, it was a pretty drab year since the Emmy’s were cancelled at least twice due to the events post-September 11th and such. When the Emmy’s finally aired in November, the World Series was on another network, and Barbra Streisand, who refused to come out and accept an Emmy she’d won, walked on stage to surprise the audience at the Shubert Theatre (and the television audience) by singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in memory of those that died on September 11th.
This year it’s different. Hopefully Hollywood is trying to get some of that glitz and glamour back by booking some big time guests to show up at the larger Shrine Auditorium. (Word is that all six Friends will show up to present Emmy’s.) Herewith are my picks as to whom should march away with Emmy’s.
For Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series the nominees are: Victor Garber, Alias; Freddy Rodriguez, Six Feet Under; Dulé Hill, The West Wing; John Spencer, The West Wing; Bradley Whitford, The West Wing; and Richard Schiff, The West Wing.
Entertainment Weekly has said Garber should win. Schiff has won before and Bradley Whitford, the husband of Jane Kaczmarek, another Emmy nominee, won last year. My guess is that The West Wing boys will somehow cancel each other out. If one of them must win, and it’s happened twice over the last two years, it’ll be Whitford. He’s brilliant. Garber, has a good shot at it, but I think Six Feet Under is bucking the trend with its multiple nominations, thus its Freddy Rodriguez who’s got the momentum.
For Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series the nominees are: Tyne Daly, Judging Amy; Lauren Ambrose, Six Feet Under; Mary-Louise Parker, The West Wing; Stockard Channing, The West Wing; and Janel Moloney, The West Wing.
Stockard Channing is one of the best actresses around and deserves to win the Emmy. Tyne Daly’s won like six, so cancel her out. Lauren Ambrose really impressed critics on Six Feet Under and she could win. I’ll tap Mary-Louise Parker, because she was a guest star over the past season and for nabbing a nod, that could mean she was actually good.
For Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Doris Roberts, Everybody Loves Raymond; Wendie Mallick, Just Shoot Me; Cynthia Nixon, Sex and The City; Kim Cattrall, Sex and the City; Megan Mullally, Will and Grace.
Megan Mullally is dead funny, but she’s won already (two years ago) and this year her acting’s become repetitive. Cynthia Nixon had a baby on Sex and The City, so she could win, but Doris Roberts won last year and Emmy’s been known to repeat. The edge is on Nixon since Sex and the City didn’t win a single Emmy last year, except that for best Comedy Series.
For Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Peter Boyle, Everybody Loves Raymond; Brad Garrett, Everybody Loves Raymond; David Hyde Pierce, Frasier; Bryan Cranston, Malcolm in the Middle; and Sean Hayes, Will and Grace.
Of the bunch, Hayes is the funniest. David Hyde Pierce may win his umpteenth Emmy, just because he’s one of the best in the business, though my pick is Sean Hayes.
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series’ nominees are: Bernie Mac, The Bernie Mac Show; Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond; Kelsey Grammer, Frasier; Matt LeBlanc, Friends; Matthew Perry, Friends.
Ray Romano won’t win, because Paul Reiser never did, neither did Tim Allen or Jerry Seinfeld. Ditto for Bernie Mac, another stand-up comic. Kelsey Grammer has won already too many Emmy’s and could only win if the two boys from Friends split the vote. Of the two pals, I think Matt LeBlanc could win if only he really had to stretch his role this past season. The critics have been pleased. Then again, where’s Eric McCormack from Will and Grace?
Lead Actress in a Comedy’s nominees are: Patricia Heaton, Everybody Loves Raymond; Jennifer Aniston, Friends; Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle; Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and The City; and Debra Messing, Will and Grace.
All of this bunch deserve to win Emmy’s. Messing, because she’s the only one of the Will and Grace cast who hasn’t won one yet. Kaczmarek, because she’s deserved it last year. Parker, because it’s her driving role that Sex and The City won last year’s Emmy for best show. And Aniston, because EW says she gave television it’s funniest birth since Lucy gave birth to Little Ricky. Yet, Heaton’s won twice, doesn’t that mean she’s actually good?
Lead Actress in a Drama’s nominees are: Jennifer Garner, Alias; Amy Brenneman, Judging Amy; Rachel Griffiths, Six Feet Under; Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under; and Allison Janney, The West Wing.
Janney’s won twice in as many years (though in the supporting category). She’s brilliant. Then again Griffith’s won this year’s Golden Globe. But Jennifer Garner could kick my ass any day and the critics seem to think she’s deserving.
Lead Actor in a Drama Series’ nominees are: Michael Chiklis, The Shield; Michael C. Hall, Six Feet Under; Peter Krause, Six Feet Under; Kiefer Sutherland, 24; and Martin Sheen, The West Wing.
Chiklis’ show The Shield is supposedly brilliant. Hall and Krause are the darlings of the biz as Six Feet Under is a much honoured show already. Sutherland impressed with his performance in a critically popular show. And of course Sheen is the President, and with Tony Soprano beating him out the last two years, it’s clear that maybe this year Mr. President could get the Emmy seeing that the mob boss is not in the running.
The Outstanding Comedy Series nominees are: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, Sex and the City, and Will and Grace.
Friends made a lot of people laugh post-September 11th and could finally nab the best show trophy. Everybody Loves Raymond however has been consistently good. Sex and The City surprised everyone by winning last year, so we could see Larry David march up to collect the prize for Enthusiasm. Will and Grace is still pretty good too. Friends should win, but I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t.
Outstanding Drama Series nominees are: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law and Order, Six Feet Under, 24, and The West Wing.
Six Feet Under is the unanimous choice, though so was The Sopranos everytime it was up. In the last two years, you’ll recall The West Wing trounced the HBO series. 24 could get the win just because it was so inventive, ditto for CSI, which practically was a god-send for CBS. I suspect, Six Feet Under will win, but because of American patriotism and all that jazz, The West Wing could collect its third in as many years.
The Emmy telecast will bow on NBC at 8:00 p.m. with Conan O’Brien acting as master of ceremonies.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .