Today, TV stars will dress up in the most uncomfortable clothes and be driven under a scorching sun to one of the dicier neighborhoods south of downtown Los Angeles to sit for three hours in an auditorium, feigning fascination with Ryan Seacrest, knowing full well that had the Fox network suits who championed "House" star Hugh Laurie as this year's Primetime Emmy Awards host prevailed, the stars -- and millions of us at home -- would instead be spending a pleasant evening lapping up Laurie's urbane patter.
Then again, bear in mind: The first-time Emmys host will be secretly suffering his own personal agony.
"American Idol," the Fox singing competition that is Seacrest's gravy train, picked up a technical award last weekend -- during the non-televised portion of the annual two-night orgy of statuette dispensing -- to avoid becoming the biggest Emmy loser of all time. (That dubious distinction still goes to "Newhart," which went 0-for-25 before going off the air.)
For the fifth straight year, however, "Idol" is nominated for best reality competition series against stiff competition. It's pitted against CBS's "The Amazing Race," the four-time champ with its gorgeous shoots in exotic locations, which make TV academy voters feel so much better about including this reality series race in its precious Prime-Time Emmy telecast.
An "Idol" loss tonight would be a dagger in Seacrest's heart.
This time, however, "Idol" producers were ready. Sure "Amazing Race" is shot in Hanoi and Halong Bay, but "Idol" went to Africa to shoot Carrie Underwood singing to hungry orphans. And the broadcast raised millions of dollars for charity. That's right, this year, "American Idol" producers submitted their "Idol Gives Back" extravaganza for consideration in the best reality derby. And that, my friends, includes Dead Elvis singing a duet with Celine Dion on stage. (Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, CBS and Bertram van Munster!)
Seacrest won't be the only individual suffering silently tonight. Much teeth-gnashing is expected from Helen Mirren should she fail to turn her final "Prime Suspect" performance into another trophy for best movie-or-mini acting, which would enable her to finally dethrone Patty Duke as the queen of that genre. Mirren and Duke are tied at three Emmys apiece in that category.
But Mirren's teeth-gnashing would be nothing compared with the hair-tearing that will break out in the HBO seats should "The Sopranos" lose out on the drama-series Emmy to David Kelley's "Boston Legal." Not since "Upstairs, Downstairs" in the late '70s has a drama series won the best-drama Emmy after the show was already off the air. And while "The Sopranos" series finale was unquestionably the season's most buzzed-about -- and railed-against -- telecast, the HBO mob drama actually hasn't snagged a best-drama win but once, in 2004.
The first year "The Sopranos" was eligible in this category, TV industry navel-gazers were shocked when it lost to "The Practice." This year, "The Sopranos" is up against the series that "The Practice" morphed into -- "Boston Legal," which is up for best drama for the first time.
Source: www.washingtonpost.com
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