September 8, 2000
Emmy 2000: Pre-show predictions - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- This Sunday, the Shrine Auditorium will be a buzz as the cream of television will be in full force for the handing out of the 52nd Annual Emmy Awards.
Hosted by Garry Shandling, it’ll be a terrific program, especially if he’s in top comic form.
In the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy - I’m betting on a win for the delightful Megan Mullally of Will and Grace. No one is funnier, but Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond should have won last year, so she could trump this year. Also in the category are Lisa Kudrow (past winner) and Jennifer Aniston of Friends and the campy Kim Catrall of Sex and the City.
Lead Actor, Comedy - has sentimental favourite Michael J. Fox (Spin City,) facing off against Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), John Lithgow (3rd Rock From The Sun), Eric McCormack (Will and Grace) and Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond.) It’s Michael J. Fox’s Emmy, but Emmy has been known to upset nominees by going a most unpredictable route.
Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue), James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), Jerry Orbach (Law and Order), Martin Sheen (The West Wing) and Sam Waterston (Law and Order) square off for the Lead Actor, Drama Emmy. It’s a tough category to predict because Franz has won four Emmy’s in the last 6 years, including last year. Gandolfini has been wowing critics and TV fans alike with his strong performances on The Sopranos, but Martin Sheen has really earned his nomination this year, with equally strong performances on the West Wing. I think it’s Gandolfini’s Emmy, and the only deterrent to that is the President of the United States, Martin Sheen.
Lead Actress, Drama has The Sopranos’ Lorraine Bracco and Edie Falco up against perennial Emmy nominee Julianna Margulies, whose last year it was on ER. Joining them are 1st year hits: Amy Brenneman of Judging Amy and Sela Ward of Once and Again. Ward, Falco and Margulies have won Emmy’s in the past, Falco won this Emmy last year. She will probably repeat if Sela Ward doesn’t beat her. (Ms. Ward is a previous Emmy winner.)
Jenna Elfman of Dharma and Greg, Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond, Jane Kaczmarek of Malcolm In The Middle, Debra Messing of Will and Grace and Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City vie for the Lead Actress Comedy trophy and it’s probably going to go to Patricia Heaton. Ms. Heaton was the odds on favourite last year and this is probably her year. Look for her to win and her Raymond co-star Ray Romano to loose. It’ll be just like the Mad About You tandem of Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser. Miss Hunt won four Emmy’s while her co-star won not one.
Outstanding Comedy Series has nominations for Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, Friends, Sex and the City and Will and Grace. I like Will and Grace. It’s fresh and funny, something that Friends hasn’t been for the last season and Frasier for the last 2 seasons. Sex and the City is a little risky for the Academy to choose, although it’s got great comedy chops. Raymond is a little too traditional and I think the Academy won’t go for that. Friends should have won last year, and as is the case of Emmy voting, they are always a season behind their Emmy selections. Sex and the City is the second most obvious of choices.
The Practice, ER, Law and Order, The Sopranos and The West Wing vie for the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. The Sopranos lost last year to The Sopranos and this is the year for it to win. The West Wing is riding it’s coattails.
The Emmy’s are this live this Sunday night at 7:00 PM on ABC. It’ll be tape delayed for us in the West, so weather on TV fans.
Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .