Pre-Emmy buzz grows louder
The glee club squares off against always-thirsty vampires Sunday night as the small-screen elite gather for the 62nd Emmy Awards. Jimmy Fallon will host the gala, which celebrates fashion and celebrity at least as much as it recognizes outstanding acting and fine production values. “Glee,” Fox Network’s runaway hit, numbers among the leading contenders with nineteen nominations, and it stands-out as a sentimental favorite among its legions of devoted fans. Cancelled and expired series, most notably ABC’s “Lost,” also stand to collect a lot of new hardware at this year’s flirt-and-photo fest. Most of all, programmers and producers look forward to five hours of unrelenting television hype guaranteed to whet audiences’ appetites for their fall fare. Each trophy easily can add half-a-million viewers to a show’s weekly count.
Cable versus broadcast: Is it fair?
“30 Rock” and “Modern Family” round-out the list of most-nominated shows, collecting 15 and 14 nods respectively. More importantly, however, cable hits dominate the nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, the one award that proclaims “this show is simply the best.” “True Blood,” a sexy-gory vampire soap opera, “Mad Men,” the story of flannel-clad chain-smoking fifties ad men, and “Dexter,” a clever crime drama with a supernatural twist, enjoy all the built-in advantages of appearing on cable. Fewer FCC constraints translate to more beguiling characters in more compelling situations delivering edgier lines. The qualities that distinguish cable dramas’ writing and staging give them an edge over broadcast fare as academy members mark their ballots for precious golden statuary.
Who are you wearing?
For many viewers, presentation of the awards represents a marathon anti-climax, because the big action happens on the red carpet. In the last three years, ratings for the pre-awards broadcasts have rivaled those for the awards themselves, because devoted fans eagerly tune-in to see their favorite stars done-up to perfection and dressed “to the nines.” The single most important red carpet question remains, “Who are you wearing?” A designer’s label becomes a barometer of a celebrity’s standing in the business. Only the A-Plus list will model-walk the red carpet in Giorgio Armani. Well-established actresses will represent Chanel and Versace. Look for up-and-coming talents to show off Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.
