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Monday, September 19, 2011

A Few Thoughts on the 63rd Annual Emmys

The opening number, with Jane Lynch singing her way through various TV shows (that all apparently exist in the same building, for some reason, and Leonard Nimoy doesn't want us to know that...?) was pretty lame, and that's coming from someone who loves these big, over-the-top openings to award shows. The lone highlight was when Jane stumbled into Mad Men and flirted with Peggy before being thrown out by Don Draper, outraged at her news that in the future, people can fast-forward through commercials.


Opening aside, Jane Lynch was a pretty respectable host, and it was nice to see her outside the Sue Sylvester box for a change. Amongst my favorite lines were, "many people wonder why I'm a lesbian. Ladies and gentlemen, the cast of 'Entourage'!" and, "there are so many movie stars doing TV now that TV stars have been forced into providing voices for video games. And those very same video games are then turned into movies starring the very same people who put the TV stars out of work in the first place. Hakuna Matata, my friends, circle of life." 

Modern Family is clearly the new Emmy favorite, as they swept the first four awards of the night and were only stopped when a category came up for which they had no one nominated. While Ty Burrell's win wasn't too surprising (this last season really was Phil's breakout season), it was somewhat surprising that Julie Bowen won, mainly because most critics seem to prefer Sophie Vergara over her. 


Ty Burrell's speech, though obviously rehearsed, was the perfect awards show acceptance speech: gracious and funny in just the right doses.

Melissa McCarthy seems terribly nice, and I'm sure Bridesmaids was hilarious too, but I'm still bummed Amy Poehler didn't win for a terrific, terrific episode (and season) of Parks & Rec, the funniest show on TV (she was nominated for "Flu Season").

I got hoodwinked into thinking the academy would go sentimental and give Steve Carell his first Emmy for playing Michael Scott on The Office in his last chance to win it, but instead they went the far, far easier route and gave the award to reigning winner Jim Parsons, who is plenty funny but terribly broad (and a bit played out) on The Big Bang Theory. It was a decision that smacked of laziness on the part of the voters. I don't even watch The Office regularly, but it's kind of a shame that Carell will go off into the sunset having never run an Emmy for a role that has, in many ways, epitomized roughly the last decade of TV comedy. Still, at least he is in good company amongst other great actors with great TV characters who were shunned by Emmy. 

I've not seen it, but the Dr. and Mrs. Bitz must be pleased that Friday Night Lights got some farewell love from the Emmys following its last season.


After a brief, one year upset, Top Chef is back to losing to The Amazing Race, which is a shame, considering Top Chef's All Star season was better than the season which won...

When those guys (the Canadian Tenors, I guess) first started singing "Hallelujah" at the onset of the "In Memoriam" segment, Mrs. Teebore and I were terribly confused, wondering who they were and if, in light of the black garb and smoke pouring from their feet, they were in fact dead, and some kind of Ghost Choir. There's a simple rule awards show producers should follow and lately seem to forget: when it comes to these segments, keep it simple and focused on the departed. It doesn't need to be a lavish musical number.

Without a doubt the highlight of the show was the mash-up of Lonely Islands's greatest hits of the last year. complete with Michael Bolton in a pirate costume, John Stamos singing about a three way and William H. Macy getting freaked.  All I know is, I hope its on iTunes...

9 comments:

  1. So have you started watching Mad Men yet, or do you just happen to know the characters' names?

    And Steve Carell getting snubbed yet again was a travesty.

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  2. not only did i not watch the Emmys, i didn't even know they were on.
    I'm a quick one

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  3. @Matt: So have you started watching Mad Men yet, or do you just happen to know the characters' names?

    No, haven't watched it yet. I just know most of the characters' names and their various roles on the show, basically because I read a lot of TV/pop culture stuff and it's hard to miss the basics, even if you don't watch the show.

    I see that Best Buy has the DVD sets hella cheap this week ($9.99) so I am going to pick up the first season and hopefully watch it soon.

    @Sarah: i didn't even know they were on.
    I'm a quick one


    Just remember: it's (almost) always on the Sunday before the new fall season kicks off.

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  4. "The lone highlight was when Jane stumbled into Mad Men and flirted with Peggy before being thrown out by Don Draper, outraged at her news that in the future, people can fast-forward through commercials."

    I also liked:
    "Does that mean women don't have to sleep with men anymore to make it to the top?"

    "No, you still have to do that."

    I did enjoy Friday Night Lights getting some love...but Connie Britton should also have won.

    Also, I was very disappointed in Kyle Chandler's speech. Is it just me, or is saying that you didn't think you'd win so you didn't write a speech a bit of a cop out?

    "After a brief, one year upset, Top Chef is back to losing to The Amazing Race, which is a shame, considering Top Chef's All Star season was better than the season which won... "

    I guess it's kind of sad...except that Amazing Race is a just an all around better show. I'm not even sure Top Chef should have won last year.

    But, are reality shows voted on based off of one episode? Isn't that kind of silly? I think that all shows being evaluated based soley on a single episode of the season is kind of dumb...and I wonder how often voters stick to that one episode when thinking about what to vote for?

    Mrs. Dr. Bitz enjoyed Peter Dinklage winning despite never seeing a single episode of Game of Thrones. But how he didn't take the opportunity to thank the little people is beyond me.

    Finally..."this is the tale, of Captain Jack Sparrow..." it's going to be in my head for weeks.

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  5. @Dr. Bitz: "Does that mean women don't have to sleep with men anymore to make it to the top?"

    "No, you still have to do that."


    I liked that too. The whole segment was pretty good, and much better than all the other ones.

    Is it just me, or is saying that you didn't think you'd win so you didn't write a speech a bit of a cop out?

    I dunno. I go back and forth on that. On the one hand, it seems like a copout, but on the other hand, every time someone has a clearly prepared speech, I think "oh, someone's full of himself, isn't he, having a speech all ready to go".

    In a perfect world, I suppose the best situation would be the stunned winner who didn't prepare a speech still being a good enough public speaker to give a coherent and meaningful acceptance speech, so their lack of a speech is seen more as gesture of true surprise and not a copout. But if awards shows have taught us anything, it's that most actors are surprisingly awful public speakers...

    I guess it's kind of sad...except that Amazing Race is a just an all around better show.

    Do you watch Amazing Race? I've never seen it, but don't truly care that it beat Top Chef. Top Chef is just the one show in that category I actually watch, so I feel predisposed to root for it (and I definitely agree that the season for which it won was not its best season).

    But, are reality shows voted on based off of one episode? Isn't that kind of silly?

    I'm not sure how it works for reality shows, but if it based on one episode, that is supremely silly (even moreso than with scripted shows).

    I think that all shows being evaluated based soley on a single episode of the season is kind of dumb

    I agree, though I think the rationale is that it's hard enough to get the voters to watch each of the nominated episodes that it would be impossible to get them to watch an entire season of a show (in fact, I think this was the first year in which it was mandatory for voters to actually watch the nominated episodes/performances, which is pretty sad. Though I have no idea how that's enforced).

    But how he didn't take the opportunity to thank the little people is beyond me.


    *rimshot* Ha!

    Finally..."this is the tale, of Captain Jack Sparrow..." it's going to be in my head for weeks.

    Yup, it's still in mine.

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  6. I understand why they watch just one episode but, at the same time, that's a gigantic flaw in their system. It's humorous how important these awards are in the TV community when such doubt can be cast on how they're awarded.

    Also, yes, I've watched the Amazing Race. Well, my wife watches it...which means I wind up watching it.

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  7. i'm kind of glad i didn't watch- just reading your review made me frustrated on who won/didn't win.

    though good on Peter Dinklage- he's amazing

    also- i like Amazing Race, but seriously- after winning so many freaking times it doesn't even matter any more. And there are other reality shows out there that are good too. Spread the love voters

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  8. @Anne: just reading your review made me frustrated on who won/didn't win.

    I've watched enough of these over the years that, for the most part, I don't get too mad when certain stuff doesn't win. I mean, I'd love for Parks and Rec to have won, (or for Community to have been nominated) but I know how the system works well enough to know that's going to happen.

    So I get more angry at the system in general than the individual awards/actual winners.

    And there are other reality shows out there that are good too. Spread the love voters

    If the voters truly think that Amazing Race is the best reality show year in, year out, I don't mind them always winning. I just doubt that's the case, and that's it more likely voters are just lazy and keep voting for the same thing without ever considering anything else, and that is what irritates me.

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  9. @Dr. Bitz: that's a gigantic flaw in their system....It's humorous how important these awards are in the TV community when such doubt can be cast on how they're awarded.

    Yeah, it really is.

    And maybe it wouldn't bother me so much if the general public was more aware of how it worked? I mean, I think most people know that when an actor wins an Oscar, it's for their performance in a specific film, whereas most people who hear about an actor winning an Emmy assume it's for their entire show/season, and not just a specific episode.

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