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Emmy nominations make
more sense this year
By John Crook
©TVData Features Syndicate
Maybe it has something to do with
the dawning of a new millennium, but
the Emmy Award voters finally seem
to have bought a clue.
Perhaps more so than any other
year in recent memory, the Emmy
nominations for 1999-2000 actually
make sense for the most part, after
years of egregious oversights, lapses
of taste and what often seemed to be
willful wrongheadedness.
As a result, the Emmys - which will
be handed out during an ABC special
hosted by Garry Shandling on Sunday,
Sept. 10 - may actually go to people
and shows that deserve them. What a
concept!
It hasn’t always been that way.
After all, the Emmy voters in 1982
saw fit to pass over the dazzling, emo
tionally complex performances of
both Anthony Andrews and Jeremy
Irons in Brideshead Revisited in favor
of Mickey Rooney’s more sentimental
work in the TV movie Bill
(Brideshead itself lost in the minis
eries category to the handsome but
empty-headed Marco Polo.)
More recently, Emmy voters large
ly overlooked the consistently bril
liant Homicide: Life on the Street in
the outstanding drama series category
and, out of its superb ensemble of
actors, presented a lone Emmy to
Andre Braugher (ironically, the
show’s casting director won an Emmy
as well).
Perhaps even more shockingly,
Roseanne, which had a seismic impact
on TV sitcoms, never was even nomi
nated as outstanding comedy series.
Stuff really hit the fan last year,
when the electrifying The Sopranos -
a spectacular success by any measure
- lost three categories that had been
presumed a lock: best drama series,
best actor (James Gandolfini) and best
supporting actress (Nancy Marchand)
in a drama series.
The resulting outcry by TV critics -
not to mention a few of the Sopranos
creative team members - may have
jolted Emmy voters out of their rut.
Whatever the reason, this year’s roster
of nominees really shines.
Check out, for example, the women
nominated for outstanding supporting
actress in a drama series. Newcomer
Allison Janney dazzled viewers with
her multifaceted work as press secre
tary CJ. Cregg in The West Wing, but
her competition includes her superb
co-star Stockard Channing, who has a
recurring role as first lady Abigail
Bartlet; five-time Emmy favorite Tyne
Daly (Judging Amy); last year’s win
ner, Holland Taylor (The Practice);
and Marchand, who not only was
crimimdly -passed over last .year,’ but
recently'died.
Sure, Marchand was barely even in
The Sopranos this season, and
because of her failing health, her
scenes were far less powerful, but the
voters may very well award a posthu
mous Emmy to her to make up for last
year’s sorry oversight.
Gandolfini looks to be a safe bet
this year, partly because of last year’s
flap and partly because he was just as
good this season. His competition is
solid, however: Dennis Franz, a four
time winner for NYPD Blue; presi
dential Martin Sheen (The West
Wing) and stalwart Sam Waterston
(Law & Order), both previous win
ners for other shows; and Jerry
Orbach (Law & Order), looking for
his first Emmy win.
The category of outstanding lead
actress in a drama series is likewise
packed. Lorraine Bracco actually
turned in better work this season than
did her Sopranos colleague Edie
Falco (last year’s winner in this cate
gory), but they’re both up against Sela
Ward, whose radiant performance in
Once and Again had critics reaching
for new superlatives. Amy
Brenneman (Judging Amy) and
Julianna Margulies (ER) are formida
ble dark horses as well.
Finally, if anyone doubts that
actors no longer are looking down
their noses at TV work, take a gander
at the leading performers nominated
for their work in movies and minis
eries.
Among women, Halle Berry
(Introducing Dorothy Dandridge) has
stiff competition from Judy Davis and
Sally Field (both from Showtime’s A
Cooler Climate); Holly Hunter
(Harlan County War); and Gena
Rowlands (The Color of Love).
As for their male counterparts, rel
ative newcomer Liev Schreiber was
brilliant as Orson Welles in RKO 281,
but he’s up against such heavy hitters
as three-time Emmy winner Beau
Bridges (P.T. Barnum), Brian
Dennehy (Death of a Salesman), Jack
Lemmon (Tuesdays With Morrie) and
William H. Macy (A Slight Case of
Murder).
Os course, there’s a nit to be picked
here and there in this year’s race. For
starters, why is Holland Taylor nomi
nated as outstanding guest actress in a
comedy series for American Movie
Classics’ original production The Lot
when she appeared in every episode
of what was, by most definitions, a
miniseries? And given the sloppiness
this year on ER, why not relinquish
that outstanding drama series nomina
tion to a consistently fresh and sur
prising contender like Buffy the
Vampire Slayer?
Maybe next year. And, of course, if
the incomparable Jane Kaczmarek
(Malcolm in the Middle) doesn’t take
home the Emmy as outstanding lead
actress i« a'comedy series, disregard
all the above and start circulating peti
tions demanding a recount!
I .'mJ .4 .<■ /r.’O I 4 6V M Utt#
An' unnsvA/fy strong rtfstlr of nominees tsdf'fof awards during this year’s telecast of the Emmy Awards.
Previous winner Garry Shandling (The Larry Sanders Show) hosts the show Sunday on ABC.
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