2006 Emmy Recap
September 4, 2006
In a shocking twist to my usual low percentage of correct awards show predictions, this year I was above .500 for the first time in years in predicting the major Emmy winners, which either means the Academy finally got something right this year, or I’m learning how to think ever more succinctly with the maddening voters. Either way, I was six for ten in the major categories, and to my credit nobody thought that Megan Mullally and Blythe Danner would win again in their respective Supporting Actress categories (seriously, I think more people saw late night repeats of “Drexel’s Class” than did “Huff” last year), so taking those two loses with a grain of salt, I was only wrong on Best Actress in a Drama, arguably the weakest category of the night, which went to Mariska Hargitay for “Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit”, a show I don’t watch, and Best Drama, where I had figured the popularity of “Grey’s Anatomy” would trump the superior mastery of the action packed “24”. Thankfully I was wrong on that one, and “24’s” crowing as the best show of the year, finally, made it easier to swallow the snubbing of “Lost” (the real best show of the year), the earlier predictability of Tony Shalhoub yet again winning Best Actor in a Comedy over Steve Carrell, and the numerous lulls in the three hour broadcast, including an awkward salute to Dick Clark and a painfully long remembrance of Aaron Spelling. Overall the show had its moments, like the refreshing wins by Keifer Sutherland, “The Office”, and Helen Mirren for “Elizabeth I”, who may come full circle this winter with a much anticipated Oscar buzzed performance as the current Royal Mother in Stephen Frears’ “The Queen”, and of course it’s always great to have the hilarious Conan O’Brien doing hosting duties (his opening montage with Dr. House, amongst others, was a show highlight), making a year with a much criticized nominations list that much less laughable. I still hold contempt for the Emmys, and heaven help us if next year they snub “Lost” again, not to mention “Deadwood” and “The Wire” (a perennial unforgivable absentee), but in recognizing the brilliance of “24”, I can finally cut them the tiniest crumb of slack, and move on to better things.
by Adam Suraf