Sunday night’s Emmy Awards went off without a hitch — or any controversy. And isn’t that a relief for a change?
If the telecast marked the Emmys’ 65th anniversary by celebrating TV’s power and influence — JFK’s assassination, The Beatles on the “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Bob Newhart — it reveled in that history by staging a traditional show that was a throwback to earlier awards ceremonies, unsullied by overt, obnoxious political statements, wardrobe malfunctions, twerking or some idiot jumping on stage for some reason.
The closest Sunday night’s telecast came to CBS’ censor hitting the panic button was Michael Douglas’ remarks in accepting his Emmy for “Behind the Candelabra,” to co-star and fellow nominee Matt Damon: “You want the bottom or the top?”
And if CBS was playing it safe in choosing emcee Neil Patrick Harris, — back for his second go-round hosting TV’s biggest night — it chose wisely. Harris, who’s also hosted the Tonys, kept the proceedings running smoothly, gamely reading his traditionally corny lines and even poking fun at himself (several times) — while still managing to headline several choreographed production numbers.
Yes, his opening bit — in which he was joined onstage by past Emmy hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Jane Lynch and Conan O’Brien — was tedious and humorless, but that wasn’t his fault. After all, he didn’t write any of this stuff.
Unlike the Oscars, which always seem to drag on into the next year — and leave the biggest awards to the telecast’s waning, post-midnight moments — Sunday night’s Emmy-cast flowed smoothly. Within the first two hours, several of the “A-list” awards were handed out, among them TV’s best dramatic actor (Jeff Daniels? Really? For a show no one watches and fewer care about?) and best dramatic actress (Clare Danes for “Homeland” again).
I didn’t even find myself checking my watch and waiting for it all to end already — and that’s a rarity.
Of course, I can pick a few nits, so here we go.
One of the night’s biggest blunders wasn’t in its solo “tributes” to late TV talents — Jonathan Winters, Jean Stapleton, “Family Ties” creator Gary David Goldberg, “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini and “Glee” star Cory Monteith included — yet in how these were presented.
It was a nice idea, certainly (save for Monteith — a cynical move to woo younger viewers), but why weren’t any of these tributes accompanied by clips showcasing the subjects’ talents? In fact, no clips were shown in any of these tributes, only static, black-and-white photographs — a “WTF” moment in a medium that’s all about the visual.
Robin Williams, in his heartfelt introduction to his idol Winters, cited a manic, early ‘60s Winters appearance on Jack Paar’s “Tonight Show” as his greatest comedic inspiration. So why not show a clip from that appearance — or any of Winters’ hundred of other TV appearances to give viewers a sense of his magic? We had to suffice with Williams, no comic slouch, mimicking Winters. Lame.
And host network CBS spent an inordinate amount of airtime promoting its own shows and stars — a little cheesy for an awards ceremony that’s supposed to be all-encompassing vis a vis the industry it’s celebrating.
Those niggling nuisances aside, it was nice to see first-time winners including Tony Hale (“Veep”), “Nurse Jackie” co-star Merritt Wever and Anna Gunn (”Breaking Bad”) being recognized by their peers. (Even if they got it wrong i.e. Gunn. I love “Breaking Bad,” but not Mrs. Walter White, who’s just annoying.)
And while the prognosticators spilled plenty of ink on how streaming service Netflix could make a statement for “nontraditional TV” by snaring several Emmys — among its nominees were Kevin Spacey for “House of Cards” — that didn’t happen.
So if Spacey and his fans feel slighted, keep in mind that Sunday night’s Emmy Awards were all about tradition.
And what better tradition than to ignore those who really deserve to be honored?