2008 Primetime Emmy Nominations

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Cable, CBS, FX, FOX, HBO, NBC, Showtime, TNT-HD, Entourage, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Lost, Saturday Night Live, The Office, News,

Bright and early this morning, Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris announced the nominations for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards.

This year, we saw many first-timers named, a long list of cable acknowledgements (for pay and basic channels) and several 6-way races.

Topping the noms for drama programs was newcomer Mad Men; NBC’s 30 Rock lead all comedy programs. In total, HBO was the most-nominated network while ABC came in second.

This year’s ceremony will be held on Sept. 21 on ABC.

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Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

Emmy Finalists for Best Series

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Animation, Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Cable, CBS, FOX, HBO, NBC, Showtime, Entourage, Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Lost, The Office, News,

For the first time, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has unveiled its list of remaining contenders for the top two Emmy categories: Best Comedy Series and Best Drama Series.

The groups of ten will eventually be whittled down to five after a set of Blue Ribbon panel screenings. Those final names - along with the rest of the nominees - will be revealed early on Thursday, July 17. The ceremony for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards will then be held on September 21 on ABC.

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Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

No Emmy for Katherine Heigl

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip,

Katherine Heigl, who won an Emmy last year for her work on Grey’s Anatomy, isn’t even in this year’s race. So…how did this happen?

Heigl wasn’t snubbed - she left herself out of the race on purpose. “I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and, in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization, I withdrew my name,” Katherine Heigl explained to the press, saying she didn’t want to “take away an opportunity from an actress who was given the materials.”

Look out, writers - Heigl’s got claws, and she’s not afraid to use them.

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LA Times

Mary-Kate Olsen Officially Enters Emmy Race

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Award Shows, Drama, Showtime, Gossip,

Showtime has entered famous twin Mary-Kate Olsen as a nominee for the Emmys, a result of her 10-episode stint on Weeds. Olsen is entered in the best guest actress category, which could potentially set her up to run against Lindsay Lohan (scheduled to appear on Ugly Betty) and Britney Spears (How I Met Your Mother).

Submitting an Emmy nominee entry is no laughing matter. Each entry costs a few hundred dollars apiece, proving that Showtime has a lot of faith in their young guest actress. So far, neither Britney nor Lindsay have been entered into the race, though popular speculation assumes both will be in the near future.

Olsen appeared in two-thirds of the season’s episodes, portraying a hard-core Christian drug dealer. The role was Mary-Kate’s first major solo effort, as the actress has always routinely worked with sis Ashley. If Olsen is nominated, it will be her second turn at the Emmys. Mary-Kate was nominated, though Ashley was not, for her work on So Little Time. Two rounds of voting will determine whether or not Mary-Kate Olsen wins the nomination - and only then will she be a viable contender for the actual award.

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LA Times

This Week on TV (9/24-9/30)

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, Reality, Sci-Fi/Horror, ABC, Cable, CBS, FOX, NBC, Showtime, The CW, Dancing With The Stars, Desperate Housewives, ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, House, My Name Is Earl, Saturday Night Live, The Bachelor, The Office,

• Chuck (NBC, 8pm):  Series premiere
• Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8pm):  Special 1.5 hour season premiere.  Let’s start placing bets now!
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8pm):  Mandy Moore guest-stars in the season premiere.  Also,  what will happen to Ted and Robin?
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8:30pm):  Welcome the reunion of Roseanne’s Darlene and David.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS, 9pm):  Season premiere
• Heroes (NBC, 9pm):  Season premiere.  Rumor has it someone could be leaving the show very soon.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS, 9:30pm):  Season premiere
• The Bachelor (ABC, 9:30pm):  Special 1.5 hour premiere.  Apparently Brad Womack has a twin brother.  Am I the only one wondering if they traded places during the show?
• Journeyman (NBC, 10pm):  Series premiere
• CSI: Miami (CBS, 10pm):  Season premiere

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Censoring the Emmys

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Award Shows, FOX, Editorial, Gossip,

  The 2007 Emmy Awards aren’t about everything that was seen, but everything not seen…and heard. Kathy Griffin’s speech was censored by E! when she made some off-color jokes about the Christian religion, but even FOX got button-friendly when the live telecast aired Sunday night. For viewers, it probably looked like little more than a glitch, but it was actually censorship rearing its head. Sally Field, who accepted her award for her role on Brothers and Sisters, was interrupted mid-speech by music, then began again. For a few seconds, cameras cut away from Field and showed an odd view of lighting fixtures while no sound poured forth from TV speakers. This was not a mistake. Ray Romano and Katherine Heigl were also censored during the broadcast, which aired with a few seconds’ delay for just such events.

FOX execs say the three acts of censorship were for language and nothing more, but Sally Field’s impassioned anti-war speech might have provoked concerns about more than bad language for FOX, a network well-known for its conservative newscasts. Romano was edited for talking about an upcoming FOX show, and a camera shot of Heigl was cut when she muttered an expletive, though not near any microphones. Expletives are one thing, but opinions, jokes, and even plot-spoilers shouldn’t be censored – not by FOX, cable stations, or in fact anyone else.

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Mary-Louise Parker’s Adoption News

Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Award Shows, Drama, Cable, Showtime, Cable/Satellite,

It’s a girl for Mary-Louise Parker, star of Showtime’s Weeds. The actress, who has a three-year-old son, Will, with her ex Billy Crudup, just adopted a baby from Africa. If you watched the Emmys or read any of the recap info, you know that Parker didn’t win either of the two Emmys she was nominated for this year—for her portrayal as Nancy Botwin on Weeds and for a TV movie role in The Robber Bride. Parker last took home the Emmy award in 2004 for her work on HBO’s Angels in America miniseries. She and Crudup split while Parker was still pregnant with her son, but she told People magazine after his birth, “There are a lot of things I just would not attempt, but taking care of someone—I know how to do. I know how to do that, and I enjoy doing that.” Parker can currently be seen in season three of Weeds as well as opposite Brad Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James, opening this Friday.

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The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Coverage

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Animation, Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, Mini Series, Prime Time, Reality, Sci-Fi/Horror, Specials, ABC, Bravo, Cable, CBS, FX, FOX, HBO, NBC, Showtime, 24, Amazing Race, The, American Idol, Daily Show, The, Dancing With The Stars, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Extras, Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, House, Lost, Medium, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs, Saturday Night Live, Survivor, The Office, The Sopranos, Top Chef,

The 59th Annual Emmy Awards has not even started, yet I’m already sensing sensing a weird vibe about tonight’s telecast.  Will the show be a celebration of those young and new (e.g. Heroes)?  Will it be a tribute to those bowing out (James Gandolfini and crew)?  Or will performer Kanye West somehow manage to cast a controversial shadow over the rest of the ceremony?

What a difference a year makes.  Twelve months ago, we were still handing out trophies to stars from Will & Grace and The West Wing (those shows feel so five-years ago now).  Today, we welcome a new crop of nominees including Ugly Betty and 30 Rock for Best Comedy.  Last year, we were entertained by an always-hilarious Conan O’Brien.  This year, we are threatened by a song and dance number from this year’s host, Ryan Seacrest.  Last August, 24 snagged the award for Best Drama.  This September, it’s not even nominated (yet somehow Boston Legal is).

I think it would be safe to assume the voters would predictably (and respectfully) shower The Sopranos with honors, but I’ll still be crossing my fingers for an upset sometime tonight.  We’ll need something to talk about tomorrow…

Here’s the play-by-play of tonight’s events coming to you from the neglected West Coast!

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Will Britney Spears Apologize at the Emmys?

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Award Shows, FOX, Gossip, Rumors,

Sources are reporting to US Weekly that we could be witnessing another Britney Spears sighting much sooner than we had expected.  The honchos at FOX are apparently talking to Brit’s peeps about a possible Emmys appearance.  It wouldn’t be an opportunity for her to redo what she forgot to learn last week, rather it would give her a chance to apologize for her disastrous VMA performance.  That would make two Britney-filled Sundays in a row.  Woo hoo!

While I’m seriously doubting Spears will be able to weather large crowds anytime soon (let alone speak without backup vocals), I’m sure the rumors of a surprise appearance would be enough to make the ratings-hungry producers happy.

Coincidentally, Kanye West is also scheduled to perform in Sunday’s telecast (he’ll be part of some ‘skit’ based on the music competition shows).  So will Kanye now be ranting that he and Spears were exploited by FOX?  We should be so lucky!

Read More | US Weekly

Justin Timberlake Wins Emmy For HIs ‘D—- In A Box’

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Award Shows, Comedy, Late Night, Music, Prime Time, FOX, NBC, Saturday Night Live, Internet,

Just a day before racking up Moon Men at the VMAs, Justin Timberlake added a more significant statue to his mantle:  an Emmy.  It’s probably the only award he received last weekend that was actually about a video.

Timberlake and Andy Samberg‘s work on the digital short, ‘D—- In A Box’, earned them the Outstanding Original Music & Lyrics honor at Saturday’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards.  The performance, which originally aired on Saturday Night Live last December, has been an internet favorite ever since.

Does an award for this racy segment mean the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has suddenly become hip?  Probably not, but we can always hope.  Be looking for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards to air this Sunday (9/16) on FOX.

Read More | Entertainment Weekly