2023 Emmy Awards

[dws1982]

Alexander and Carrel (and Hugh Laurie in Drama) lost because of the tape era, where a small pool of voters watched submitted episodes in a given category, and their characters were often too abrasive to win in that type of voting format. Especially when writers like David E. Kelley (in Drama) and others had hacked the system and knew exactly how to deliver the type of showcase that would score with Emmy voters. I suspect that if the voting system they have now had been in place during those show's runs, Alexander, Carrel, and Laurie all would've won at least one Emmy, if not multiples.

I like the way the old system made space for actors who aren't on the hot show of the moment. Actors who were doing really good work could win deserved awards that they would probably never win now. But lots of great actors and performances got overlooked and lots of actors won over and over again because they (and their show runners) knew how to deliver what voters wanted.

[Bog]

Because we have the ability to look this far back (already? 1999 was a quarter century ago!) I think Jason Alexander probably IS the correct answer...in terms of "if someone watched Seinfeld in its entirety then was told Jason Alexander had a Larroquette/Hyde Pierce/Don Knott's type run", objectively, no one would likely flinch.

Lansbury and to a lesser extent, Seahorn feel like the work was done to be recognized above just being nominated...once-ish or so...so yeah I disagree with my impetuous self from earlier....it's Georgey

[Sabin]

OscarGuy wrote
Angela Lansbury losing for all 12 nominations for Murder, She Wrote is still my choice. Not only that, but she should have won even for her guest appearance on Law & Order. Probably should have won for Sweeney Todd as well. Honestly, Hollywood just managed to ignore her (in terms of awards) for most of her career. At least on Broadway, she earned plenty of Tonys.

I think for her stature that's a pretty fair choice. And 17 nominations is remarkable. That said, I understand why she never won for Murder, She Wrote. It's not the type of show that wins for acting.

After a quick glance back through history, I think Jackie Gleason probably makes sense. Only five nominations but a titan of the medium. But in terms of personal connection, I'd say Jason Alexander for whom George Costanza is about as meaningful a character to me as any.

I'd include Steve Carell on that list. While I prefer Gervais and the BBC series, it's really baffling how Carell missed out for such a mainstream popular. I chalk it up to timing. Like Seinfeld, The Office had its moment in the sun but was immediately eclipsed (within the industry at least) by a warmer sitcom. For Seinfeld, it was Frasier. For The Office, it was 30 Rock.

[OscarGuy]

Angela Lansbury losing for all 12 nominations for Murder, She Wrote is still my choice. Not only that, but she should have won even for her guest appearance on Law & Order. Probably should have won for Sweeney Todd as well. Honestly, Hollywood just managed to ignore her (in terms of awards) for most of her career. At least on Broadway, she earned plenty of Tonys.

[Bog]

You beat me to it. Justice for Rhea Seahorn, but Jason Alexander is still the biggest snub of all time.

Sticking with Rhea at the top for one main reason...the show also set a very lamentable "record" last night as well....most ever Emmy nominations in history without a SINGLE win...blech...I'm certain in an alternate universe the aliens realize as solid as Breaking Bad is/was...what "followed" it was the better written/directed/acted effort on the whole and these will be objective facts down the road of history

[Bog]

You beat me to it. Justice for Rhea Seahorn, but Jason Alexander is still the biggest snub of all time.

Sticking with Rhea at the top for one main reason...the show also set a very lamentable "record" last night as well....most ever Emmy nominations in history without a SINGLE win...blech...I'm certain in an alternate universe the aliens realize as solid as Breaking Bad is/was...what "followed" it was the better written/directed/acted effort on the whole and these will be objective facts down the road of history

[Bog]

The Note probably exhibits the most acting, but it's also ONLY neuroses and little else...funny to use hindsight though... I'd bet there was no one in his hear telling him anything BUT the Note should be an option...utilizing "the times" as well... considering just HOW well "not there's anything wrong with that" played just a couple years later...

[Sabin]

Bog wrote
Edit: Rhea Seahorn going without an Emmy for playing Kim Wexler will forever sit atop the Academy shame of all time in my book....and this comes from someone who believes Jason Alexander was probably the MVP of damn near 7/8 of the 9 Seinfeld seasons...acting-wise

You beat me to it. Justice for Rhea Seahorn, but Jason Alexander is still the biggest snub of all time.

The Decider wrote a good piece on it. He might have submitted the wrong episodes for a few years. In Season Three (when Richards wasn't nominated yet), he submitted "The Note" instead of “The Tape,” “The Red Dot,” or “The Fix-Up" (big mistake).

https://decider.com/2015/07/10/jason-al ... eld-emmys/

[Bog]

I think that shows are automatically considered Comedy if episodes are around 30 minutes, and Drama if they are around an hour, and shows have to appeal to the Academy to be considered

This was the exact point my dumb wordy ass was attempting.

I don't have ANY issues with the Bear being recognized and am honestly glad... for Ebon as you mentioned, and especially Ayo (if for no other reason than her performance PLUS Bottoms where she deserves extra praise)

My issues with the actual winners are moot as were the Bear placed properly in drama, it only would've placed Better Call Saul further down the list of possibilities even WITH it being it's swan song and last chance.

Edit: Rhea Seahorn going without an Emmy for playing Kim Wexler will forever sit atop the Academy shame of all time in my book....and this comes from someone who believes Jason Alexander was probably the MVP of damn near 7/8 of the 9 Seinfeld seasons...acting-wise

[Sabin]

dws1982 wrote
Since The Bear season 2 dropped during early pre-strike Emmy balloting, and since it just won Golden Globes for season 2, it's a little whiplash-inducing to see it winning Emmys for season 1, which released over 18 months ago, and you almost wonder if some voters may have thought they were voting for season 2. I just watched season 1 and started season 2 yesterday, and I like it a lot but I guess my main issue is that it's barely a Comedy, and if it were an hour-long series, I don't think there would be any question about putting it in Drama.

Literally had no idea it was for season 2 until you reminded me.

Less or more whiplash-inducing is that it'll be winning the Emmy for season 2 in, like, nine months.

[dws1982]

I think that shows are automatically considered Comedy if episodes are around 30 minutes, and Drama if they are around an hour, and shows have to appeal to the Academy to be considered in the other category.

At least The Bear spared us another Ted Lasso sweep*. And glad that Ebon Moss-Bachrach won, even if his most memorable moment from season 1 was a dramatic one. He's been a good actor for about 20 years now, but often in smaller roles or smaller projects that don't make it on the awards radar.

* - To be fair, I did not watch Ted Lasso and vowed not to for a long time after summer 2022 when I went to a four-day computer science training and they opened every day with Ted Lasso clips.

[Bog]

The Bear ISN'T a comedy...but voters still have not adjusted (I believe) to length of show being the sole determinate for category placement. Not only is THIS a problem, but also the amorphous landscape of television "length" seems to be above someone's pay grade for deduction. It's 2024 and we are LONG past 30 minutes or 60 minutes or 120 minutes for a television program as the 3 sole parameters. However, as network TV continues to abide by these exact parameters, hard to imagine the awards shows don't simply follow suit.

The Bear is a drama and it's a half hour, Dead to Me is a drama and it was a half hour, Beef was a drama and it was 35-40 minutes per episode, Ted Lasso is a comedy and semi-regularly ran OVER and hour...with a 78 minute finale. Adapt or die, unless you're an awards show steeped in history.

Fitting on a 75th where they so overtly celebrated the history of the Emmys and its big winners....the top awards go with the funniest drama winner since (other than itself)...maybe the West Wing(?) and the least funny comedy winner since....Wonder Years(?)

[dws1982]

Since The Bear season 2 dropped during early pre-strike Emmy balloting, and since it just won Golden Globes for season 2, it's a little whiplash-inducing to see it winning Emmys for season 1, which released over 18 months ago, and you almost wonder if some voters may have thought they were voting for season 2. I just watched season 1 and started season 2 yesterday, and I like it a lot but I guess my main issue is that it's barely a Comedy, and if it were an hour-long series, I don't think there would be any question about putting it in Drama.

I don't have issues with many of the wins on a qualitative level, but it is a little depressing to see the straight ticket voting that the Emmy voters seem to go for so much these days.

[Franz Ferdinand]

After winning the Variety Special (Live) category for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, Sir Elton becomes the 19th person to achieve EGOT status. Newsworthy in between the expected sweeps for the Beef/Succession/Bear trio.

[Mister Tee]

Well, I don't know that the Iowa results are going to be any more newsworthy. (SPOILER: Trump wins.) But, yes, it turned out very ill luck that the reschedule means we'll be seeing Succession/The Bear/Beef actors giving their third speeches in 9 days.