The Emmy Awards are underway. I like to think not as a parade of winners, but a celebration of the great, common American art form. With winners, lots and lots of winners. Earlier this week I picked winners here, but I will undoubtedly bat around .400.
We start with a pre-taped bit, with various and sundry television women, beating the crap out of host Jimmy Kimmel. It's worth it just to hear Kathy Bates say, "Out of the way, Yoga Pants," to my beloved Mrs. Coach, Connie Britton. Kimmel is a great comedian and he usually has great taped bits. This was a little forced, perhaps another rehearsal would have helped.
Jimmy's monologue is a little staid but his joke comparing Obama watching Homeland to Charlie Sheen watching Breaking Bad was funny. As was his bit about Jon Hamm not winning tonight.
A two minute taped retrospective of the year in comedy leads to Amy Poehler and Louis C.K. announcing the Best Supporting Actor in Comedy. They'd be my picks later for Best Actress and Best Actor. I'd love to see Greenfield win for New Girl, but the award goes to Eric Stonestreet. He seems suitably humbled and appreciative of the fans. I'm sad for Ed O'Neil, who may go without ever winning an Emmy for this role like Jon Hamm for Don Draper of Steve Carrel for Michael Scott.
We're back after a commercial for The Neighbors which makes The Kid smile and laugh. I'm frightened. Jim Parsons and Zooey Deschanel are out to present for Writing for a Comedy Series. I'm hoping for a Poehler win, but Louis C.K. wins for the season premiere last year last year about his pregnant sister who goes into false labor. He won an Emmy award for one great, long fart joke.
Kat Dennings and Jon Cryer are out after a killer Breaking Bad/Andy Griffith Show mash up to present Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. I'm hoping for a Mayim Bailik win here, but it goes to Julie Bowen who last year. I think Bowen is often the undersung best part of Modern Family, and I won't argue that she had great material last year with the election for town council. I do like that Bowen has sister wives. I'm a little taken aback by the paparazzi stop for the winners ontheir way off stage. Is that a real thing or just a staged bit?
You know, I don't really like this whole behind the scenes thing that the Emmys has been doing for the last several years. The multi-cam backstage shots, the real/fake paparazzi. It helps destroy the inherent magic of the event/medium. I appreciate the desire to get people involved on a higher plane, but I don't know that in this internet drive, how-the-sausage-is-madeage, that it is necessary in the least.
Matthew Perry is out to announce the winners for Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy. The winners were announced a week ago and Perry's bit didn't work either. Kathy Bates and Jimmy Fallon are the winners and they're out to announce Best Directing for a Comedy Series. Steve Levitan wins for the season finale of Modern Family. And at this point if you still think Modern Family won't win Best Series, then you be crazy.
This Baby Lily bit from Modern Family is hysterical. Yes, they should win lots and lots of awards.
Melissa McCarthy and Mindy Kaling are out to award Best Actor in a Comedy Series. McCarthy is so, so funny. I wish she were on a better show. I'm hoping for a Louis C.K. win, but the award goes to Jon Cryer. JON CRYER! WTF!! Cryer is as stunned as the rest of us. Is this a manifestation of a long held affection for Ducky or a final F.U. to Charlie Sheen? Holy cow. I have not gotten one prediction or one hope right all night. I suck.
We're back and Kimmel introduces Stephen Colbert to award Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Last year the winners took the stage in a very funny bit. This year not so much. I want Poehler to win, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus wins. I picked one winner right. A great bit with Poehler and Louis-Dreyfus in exchanged acceptance speeches. Leave it to Poehler to be a part of the one great, natural bit of the evening so far. Too bad a long shot at the end had us viewers at home miss one last bit with Colbert.
Another two minute clip package for the year in reality is incomprehensible narratively to me, and I watch a lot of those shows. The Outstanding Reality Competition Series is The Amazing Race, which had a less than amazing year. We do love Bertram Van Munster, or at least saying his name, at The Homefront. I had no real favorite in this race, but was holding my nose and hoping for Top Chef. I was certain The Voice would take it, but alas I'm wrong again.
The show has been moving a brisk clip, and that's a great thing. The winners seem to be not necessarily the standards but the old favorites. The filmed bits are working best, as the live patter seems to really being falling flat. The introduction of the accountant bits with the cast from Big Bang Theory is a perfect example of this: prepared bits are rehearsed and landing better.
Seth MacFarlane is out to announce Best Reality Show Host. Go Cat Deeley. Go Cat Deeley. But Tom Bergeron wins. I would never dismiss what he does, as he does it masterfully just like his acceptance speech.
The last two minute clip package. This time for the year in drama. There's a heavier reliance on the ABC stable of dramas. It has been a great decade for the television drama. Here's to celebrating a lot of different shows.
Claire Danes is out to announce Best Supporting Actor in Drama. I'm hoping for Aaron Paul and he wins. Yay!!!! I was certain that he couldn't win because of the great, great pool here. He's totally surprised. It makes me love him more. Maybe Breaking Bad will win Best Drama. Here's to hoping.
The Kimmel/Tracy Morgan twitter bit bores Claire Danes. Connie Britton and Hayen Panitiere are out to announce Best Writing in Drama Series. The Homeland pilot wins against three terrific Mad Men episodes. Okay. Maybe they all cancelled each other out. Perhaps Homeland will win Best Drama. They're played out a little early, but they were breaking the rules by having more than one person talk. I like Homeland a lot; the new season starts next Sunday.
Britton and Panitiere stay out to announce Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. This is a great category, with no bad choices. I'm hoping Christina Hendricks wins for Mad Men, which would be that series first Emmy win for acting ever. Maggie Smith wins, because she should.
Giancarlo Esposito is out to announce the winners of Guest Actor and Actress in a Drama Series who were awarded last week. Jeremy Davies and Martha Plimpton--them that won--are out to announce Best Directing in a Drama Series. I'm expecting Breaking Bad to win here as "Face Off" was one of the finest hours of television produced in a while but Tim Van Patten wins for Boardwalk Empire, which is a beautiful show to look at.
Kimmel introduces a faux in memoriam piece complete with Josh Groban singing One Direction and featuring Kimmel in every clip. Very funny. As he said, "I will be missed."
Julianna Margulies is out to announce Best Actor in a Drama Series. Cranston has to win, right? He always wins. He's just that good. But Damian Lewis wins for Homeland. I am shocked but thrilled. Claire Danes gets all the accolades for the series, but the show would never work if he weren't spot on in every moment he is on the screen. Brilliant choice. My guess is now that Homeland definitely wins Best Drama. Huzzah.
Tina Fey and Jon Hamm are out to announce Best Actress in a Drama Series. Hamm and Fey give the best patter of the evening, centered on Fey forgetting her glasses. This is Claire Danes' to lose, but I don't see how she can not with all the Homeland love on display tonight. I am digging the extended clips for these women. Danes wins. I've loved her since My So Called Life, and I'm glad to see her finally getting the accolades she deserves. She's funny and warm and generous in her acceptance speech.
I guess I was wrong. There can be more two minute clip packages. This time it's for variety series, which included Olympic clips I think which couldn't be nominated. This is a set of awards I care little for. Especially the Best Variety Special. Lots of awards shows and Betty White are the nominees and Louis C.K. wind for his Live at the Beacon Theatre special. I think I need a run around the block. Be right back.
What'd I miss? Ricky Gervais is out to make people squirm and give out award for Best Directing of a Variety Special. He and got a great bit in with C.K. He also got to announce Best Variety Series which went to The Daily Show for the tenth year in a row. Ten years in a row. Colbert (who should have won) and Jimmy Fallon (who could have won) had a great bit about holding Stewart back. He did a funny sandwich card joke about the ten wins, and was bleeped out when he tried to point out "how predictable these fucking things are."
Kimmel is out with a great bit about throwing his parents out of the theater because he hasn't won an Emmy. They believed in him too much. This I love.
And the last clip package--I hope. This time for miniseries and movies, which is a category that I care about less than variety. all I want is lots of awards for Sherlock. Please more Sherlock. I like to say Benedict Cumberbatch's name aloud. Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie goes to Jessica Lange for American Horror Story, which doesn't surprise me in the least. I find it fascinating that they aren't playing the theme song from that show, but that might be a bit too freaky. I like it that acting winners go towards the paparazzi and the behind the scenes winners are led off the other way. Fascinating.
Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie goes to Tom Berenger for Hatfields & McCoys. I won't be disappointed if H&M sweeps this category. There should be more actual miniseries in production. Berenger is very generous to the rest of the supporting cast for the series.
Ron Howard gives a warm and loving tribute to Andy Griffith that starts the real In Memoriam tribute. These are always delicate moments, and this one was handled well.
Lucy Liu and Keiffer Sutherland are out for Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or Movie which goes to Game Change. Uhhhh...yuck. I hate being the guy that says the book is better, but in this case the book is totally different and much, much better. Palin and McCain, the focus of the movie, are barely in the book.
Liu and Sutherland stay out for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie which goes to Julianne Moore for her Sarah Palin in Game Change, which is terrific and deserving. Moore transcends even mediocre material.
Best Directing of a Miniseries or Movie goes to Jay Roach for Game Change. I officially don't care about this category ever again. I'm almost ready to switch on The Great Food Truck Race. Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie goes to Kevin Costner in Hatfields & MacCoys. I hope he rambles as much as Tom Berenger. Alas, he didn't, but he did in best post-hippie style forget his tie. You know I like Kevin Costner in almost everything he is ever in, why doesn't he do more. I take it back the Olympic moment was pure Berenger.
Best Miniseries or Movie goes to Game Change. All righty then. With Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton's mustaches, are we prepping for a whole bunch of 1920's set movies?
Julianne Moore is out for Best Drama Series. Breaking Bad? Homeland? Mad Men? Homeland for the upset. I find it fascinating that for dramas, voters went for the new shiny choice. I can't disagree a whole lot. All of the nominated drama series are terrific and it's really like choosing your favorite child. Television dramas have come of age in the last ten years, and its an embarrasment of riches.
Michael J. Fox is out for the Best Comedy Series to a standing ovation. Is there anyway he doesn't win Best Actor in a Comedy after his series debuts next season? My three favorite series aren't nominated, so I'm non-plussed that Modern Family wins. It's not a horrible show by any stretch of the imagination. I will never miss an episode. I like the show, but there are a lot of comedies that I love, namely Louie, Parks and Recreation and Happy Endings. Steve Levitan is played off, and then blacked out so the show could end on time. That's a tad disrespectful to say the least, especially since ABC was footing the bill.
All in all it was a well produced show, that galloped at a brisk pace to its inevitable conclusions. I was taken aback by the "paprazzi" walk for the acting winners and the exciting cryons announcing "Nine minutes to Andre Braugher." Kimmel was a game host who kept things hopping and delivered (other than the opening sequence) a series of strong taped bits. He got off some fairly good one liners, but he wasn't the focus after the first five minutes, and that's not a bad thing. His live bits were a mixed bag (Tracy Morgan passing out bombed but throwing his parents out of the theater was gold) kind of like the presenters. You can't beat the spontanaiety of a Louis C.K and Ricky Gervais, nor the sheer skill of a Tina Fey and Jon Hamm. The winners felt rushed with far too many being played off, but then none of them were terribly memorable. Jon Stewart fared well here thanks to a little help from his friends Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon and his ability to cut to the quick. Julia Louis-Dreyfus got a great assist from Amy Poehler, proving that they are the two funniest women on TV.
I did, as always, prove that my prognostication skills are considerably lacking. Of the 18 categories I named in advance, I got 9 right in the Will Win category and 3 right in the Should Win category. That would make my batting average at .500 for Will Win and .167 for Should Win. If I count the writing and directing categories for drama and comedy (al of which I guessed worng on) then my averages drop to .409 for Will Win and .136 for Should Win. Sigh.
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So far this season, you voted and selected which cast members from Bring It On: The Musical, 
Ray Flynt runs a non-profit Social service association inWashington DC. He has been in the workforce about forty-five years. He is, asof this writing, sixty six years young. He lives in suburban Washington, inMaryland. He has been a theater fan since he first saw Hello, Dolly! Although he was a fan of theater before then, Hello, Dolly was his first Broadwayexperience. He still remembers it as vividly as if it happenedyesterday. It was February 14th, 1967. He was in college. He used tohang out in the theater department in college. He had friends that were theatermajors. Ray’s major was political science. This was in Western Pennsylvania,Pittsburgh, in a very small state college. One of his friends asked Ray if hewould like to go see Hello, Dolly.Ray asked “What’s that?” His friend told him it was a musical. Ray asked, “Youmean like an opera?”
These werethe only tickets they could afford back then. Ray knew about Carol Channingfrom having seen her on the Ed SullivanShow. This will tell you how naïve Ray was. If you remember, the weeklyheadliner on the Ed Sullivan Show rarely appeared until the last ten minutes.So, when Hello, Dolly was starringCarol Channing, and the show started, Ray thought it would be two hours beforehe saw Carol! The show began and there she was in the first number! His firstthought was, again because of his naiveté, was that they were getting her outof the way so that they could really showcase her at the end. He had no cluethat she was going to be on for the next two and a half hours. It was excitingto discover he was way off base. He was really captured during the Put on Your Sunday Clothes number whenthe train came across the stage. He was absolutely hooked from that momentforward. 
She WAS blonde when Ray saw her, the way he remembers herfrom movies and TV. After the show, he waited at the stage door. She waspractically past him before he realized this “gray haired lady” was BettyGrable. Before seeing his next Broadway Dolly, he saw a formerBroadway Dolly. He saw Ginger Rogers in Cleveland. He thought Ginger was a fineDolly. She didn’t necessarily knock his socks off. She had a movie star personaabout her. The next Dolly for Ray was Pearl Bailey. He loved her in therole. She brought a new dynamism to the show. There was a renewed energy withthe show that had been missing with subsequent Dollys since Carol. She broughther own personality to the show. She and Cab Calloway were famous for doingtheir “third act.” That would happen immediately after the curtain calls. Theywould banter a bit with the entire cast still standing there. For the show thatRay saw, he was in the front row. During the “third act”, a woman in theaudience started taking pictures. Ray seems to recall that it was a moviecamera. H-BO-TqH7t)w~~60_57.JPG.jpeg)
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He was able to see other greatmusicals and compare. Add into that mix, shows he was doing in CommunityTheater at the time. Dolly launchedhis love of musical theater. He has such a soft spot for this musical. He wouldlove to see a revival of it. Although he has to say, and he read this about JerryHerman, that Jerry thinks the original is perfect in every way and that hewould not to see a re-imagining of the show. Ray agrees with that. It was anearly perfect show. Ray loves Jerry Herman. On Broadway, Ray has seen a coupleof revivals of La Cage and hasenjoyed those. He loves the score to DearWorld. Although the show was short lived, Ray got to see Angela Lansbury inher Tony Award winning performance.
There she is all through the show. Between the time when thecurtain comes down at the end of Before theParade Passes By and her next appearance at the top of the stairs, at leastthirty minutes, if not longer has elapsed. The build-up to the reappearance ofthe star in the star vehicle is a major factor to the impact of the Dolly number along with the staging.David Burns was still doing Horace Vandergelder when MarthaRaye was in the show. Ray thought he was quite good. That was the first andonly time that Ray saw Burns on the stage. Ray also saw Max Showalter, BettyGrable’s Horace. He was also fine in the role. 
