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Emmy’s 51st - The Show and The Winners - THE COMMENTARY

By Joseph Planta

Hosts Jenna Elfman and David Hyde Pierce opened The 51st Annual Emmy Awards with a terribly unfunny interpretive dance number. After their Billy Crystalesque opening number, it was time for Kristen Johnston to win for her supporting actress turn on 3rd Rock From The Sun. That was the first surprise of the evening. I thought it would have gone to Doris Roberts or Lisa Kudrow, it should have. David Hyde Pierce was back, winning the Emmy for best supporting actor for Frasier. Well-deserved. Garry Shandling was up after Hank Hill’s tribute to animation, to present Jay Kogen his Emmy for writing an episode of Frasier. Long speech, but funny. The boys from South Park had a funny send up, far funnier than anything Jenna or David have done up to that point. The pre-show that Nancy O’Dell and Pat O’Brien hosted, was tremendously boring. Leave the pre-show hosting to folks like Sam Rubin and Joan Rivers, please! When I ran the spell check over Nancy O’Dell’s last name, it came back suggesting the word ‘ordeal’, which sums up her and Pat O’Brien’s efforts.

The Emmy’s finally did something right, when they honored Thomas Schlamme for directing the pilot of Sports Night. That’s one of the best show’s on television. While introducing the cast of Felicity, did Jenna Elfman say ‘shitty’? The following film clip of the cast of Felicty spoofing dramas like NYPD Blue, The X-Files and ER, was utterly unnecessary. I don’t see why Fox would plug a show that airs on the WB. It’s really great to have The Tony’s winning an Emmy. Paul Miller’s win, defeating her father, was utterly anti-climactic. Jenna Elfman sort of redeemed herself with her drunk schtick. It was also good to see Jack Nicholson and Lara Flynn Boyle, finally take their relationship public. Jack and Lara met a couple months ago when they were in a car accident, and since then, she’s been silent over the whole thing.

The ET piece starring Jon Stewart poking fun at the Felicity-writing scandal of a couple of years ago, was funny but elicited no audience reaction. Shame on the crowd at the Shrine, and yet another plug by Fox for a WB show. The Chris Rock Show’s win for best writing is well deserved. Rock is a brilliant comic, unless you count his hosting the MTV Video Music Awards, last week. He was very noble in saluting Conan O’Brien, he deserved to win. The Emmy’s sure look like the Oscar’s with stars like Jack Nicholson, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts in the audience. It was great to have Holland Taylor win for The Practice, but it should have been Nancy Marchand. Taylor will remind those of you who watched Saved By The Bell. She played the college dean, great actress, too bad she got cutoff.

The Practice wins another Emmy, in the form of Michael Badalucco win. Thought Anne Bancroft’s win for supporting actress in a miniseries, was great, Anne is one of the best. I also thought John Leguizamo’s win and subsequent presenting was really funny. He’s a real talent, plus an Emmy winner and Tony nominee. Bill Maher’s look at the future of television, was pretty good, but there were too many of these fluff pieces clogging up the drain. Loved the banter between Ray Romano and Brad Garrett. bravo to the Late Show for winning once again, the award for best variety series. Martin Short is superb, and his schtick was riotously funny. A bravo to Marty and to the Tony’s repeat win!

Another well deserved barvo to the brilliant Helen Mirren. The Academy chose a great Emmy selection, in the great Ms. Mirren. The underappreciated Stanley Tucci was finally honored, although he did shut out such vets as Jack Lemmon and Ian Holm. His win for Winchell was great.

The Emmy voters have shocked the TV viewing public, with their giving the fourth consecutive Emmy to Helen Hunt and honoring a somewhat lackluster John Lithgow with his 3rd Emmy. I think 3rd Rock From The Sun is good, but it has slipped creatively in the last little while. I think giving the Emmy to Lithgow shows how the acting in television comedy has slipped in general. We though Michael J. Fox would win, but only because he has Parkinson’s, Kelsey has also slipped considerably. And the trend of stand-up comics have also passed. Lithgow was the only choice.

Although they rehashed old winners, they choice a great breath of fresh air, in that of Edie Falco for best actress drama. Choosing the Friends season finale as the season’s most memorable moment was inspired. I had voted for Bobby Simone’s death on NYPD Blue, but I guess that’s what happens. Helen Hunt was not the only actor to win her fourth Emmy, because Dennis Franz won his fourth for his lead on NYPD Blue. He’s brilliant, and his acting did deserve the Emmy. It was, however Robert Guillame’s appearance that was extremely touching. The standing ovation was felt by everyone. He’s a brilliant actor, and it was a great moment.

Memo to David E. Kelley: Lighten up, you are super rich, you’re married to Michelle Pfieffer, ultra successful and you’ve won your second in-a-row best drama win for The Practice. Law and Order deserved it. Memo to Jay Leno: You’re not funny, stick to interviewing Gilbert Godfried. Ally McBeal finally broke Frasier’s 5-year hold on best comedy. It deserved it, but Friends deserved it more.

So to sum it all up, it was a hell of a show. It was at times anti-climactic, and at times as predictable. Jenna Elfman and David Hyde Pierce, were hardly good, but they managed to pull it off. David E. Kelley has proven his grasp on the television industry, so let’s hope he can keep the quality flowing. As for me, that’s the way it is.


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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .