THE DON VS. THE MAN 'SOPRANOS' AND 'WEST WING' LOCKED IN DEAD HEAT FOR THE BEST DRAMA EMMY.Byline: David Kronke TV Critic The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences feels your pain. It knows you're sick and tired of the same actors winning the same awards year after year - why doesn't it save everyone the trouble and just run repeats of previous years' ceremonies? And it understands your grumblings that the tried-and-true, humdrum series walk away with trophies intended for, as the categories themselves state, ``outstanding,'' groundbreaking series. (Everybody's ripping off HBO's ``The Larry Sanders Show'' today, but it won only two out of its whopping 50-something nominations.) So things, we have been informed, will be different this year. First off, voting rules have changed. In the past, Emmy voters were herded into cramped, filthy boxcars box·car n. 1. A fully enclosed railroad car, typically having sliding side doors, used to transport freight. 2. boxcars Games A pair of sixes on the first throw in craps. Noun 1. and railroaded off to luxury hotels where they were locked into suites and forced to watch television unrelentingly, until they came up with winners in some 873 separate categories and/or vowed privately to leave the television business altogether. Which wasn't much of a sacrifice, since voters in the past have usually been dismissed as folks who last worked when TVs were called ``orthocon tubes'' and there was no such thing as cable, so no one said a dirty word or disrobed. That's the popular explanation as to why HBO's ``The Sopranos,'' which everyone on the planet Earth but academy voting members agreed was 1998-99's best series by a Jersey Turnpike mile, got bupkis at last year's Emmys, a measly measly said of beef, pork and mutton because infected meat has a speckled appearance thought to resemble measles (1) in humans. See also cysticercus. two trophies out of 16 nominations. This year, members of the academy considered edgy and enlightened but too overemployed to sit in hotel rooms (to watch TV, at least) were given videotapes of nominated series. So, at their leisure, they either watched all or some portion of several or many of the tapes, not fast-forwarding through the boring bits on their honor, or at least knew enough to vote for the coolest shows, even if they haven't seen them. Yes, this year, the rules were changed so that ``The Sopranos'' could win and the academy wouldn't look so staggeringly stupid and behind the times. Except that something happened along the way. Aaron Sorkin had the visionary imagination to create, in NBC's ``The West Wing,'' an upright, decent U.S. President untainted by scandal or politics as usual who just wants to do what's right. And since there's no science-fiction category in the Emmys, and since ``The West Wing'' shocked everyone by being a blue-ribbon network-TV series, there it is, up for the Outstanding Drama trophy right alongside ``The Sopranos.'' Well, anything that provides soaring uplift and smart, snappy dialogue for the populace like ``The West Wing'' did week in, week out is naturally going to be honored by any establishment with ``Academy'' in its name - its network affiliation is just gravy. There was, as well, a sense that a little spin fell off ``The Sopranos' '' fastball in Season 2 (true, but to a fairly negligible degree). So unless those edgy sorts recruited by the academy feel they have been charged solely to right last year's snub, look for ``The West Wing'' to win Sunday night. That same rule change could affect the Outstanding Comedy category, as well. Since everyone has pretty much gotten tired of giving Emmys to ``Frasier,'' and since last year's winner, ``Ally McBeal,'' was scarcely outstanding this year so is not nominated, there would seem to be two other series duking it out for the big award. CBS' ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' is a smart show draped drape v. draped, drap·ing, drapes v.tr. 1. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds: draped the coffin with a flag; a robe that draped her figure. in the drab finery known as ``family sitcom,'' a show that audiences knew was good long before the TV academy, which finally perked up last year. The bad news for ``Raymond'' is that, as much as everybody loves him, these new voters allegedly love the trendy stuff more, and that's NBC's ``Will & Grace,'' a ground-breaking sitcom that's so politically incorrect it's politically correct politically correct Politically sensitive adjective Referring to language reflecting awareness and sensitivity to another person's physical, mental, cultural, or other disadvantages or deviations from a norm; a person is not mentally retarded, but . So, whereas under the old rule, logic dictated that this would be ``Raymond's'' year, the new rules suggest a tip to ``Will.'' In fact, the battle is virtually geographical in TV-voter terms: It's the Manhattan elite (``Will'') vs. the Long Island working class (``Ray''). You know who wins that fight every time. There is one mitigating fact: ``Will'' is not nominated in the writing category, while ``Raymond'' - co-produced by HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy - received a key nod (for a priceless episode on PMS (Pantone Matching System) A color matching system that has a unique number assigned to more than 500 different colors and shades. This standard for the printing industry has been built into many graphics and desktop publishing programs to ensure color accuracy. that'll go over big with male voters, less so with women). But wait - HBO's ``Sex and the City'' received two. So maybe that's the hip Big Apple show that'll win, but again, it's on cable and has those dirty words and naked people that many voters may still be loathe to honor. And if that new band of edgy voters have their say, HBO's ``The Corner's'' compelling smack addicts will caper caper, common name for members of the Capparidaceae, a family of tropical plants found chiefly in the Old World and closely related to the family Cruciferae (mustard family). away with the Outstanding Miniseries Emmy, much to the chagrin of CBS' ``Jesus.'' But the academy works in strange and mysterious ways. Either way, HBO's post-ceremony party will be the Hot Ticket, to glad-hand the winners and/or grouse grouse, common name for a game bird of the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 18 species. Grouse are henlike terrestrial birds, protectively plumaged in shades of red, brown, and gray. with the losers about the stinking academy. Now, prognosticating about who will win the acting categories is playing a fool's game. Actors put up only a couple of performances for consideration, so it's possible a couple of strong turns can beat out a season's consistent good work (which can be the only explanation for Kristin Johnston of ``3rd Rock From the Sun'' beating ``Raymond's'' Doris Roberts last year). Nonetheless, here are a few fool's guesses: Michael J. Fox will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award in the guise of an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Emmy for ``Spin City.'' James Gandolfini will get the Emmy he should've won last year (which is not to say that ``NYPD NYPD New York City Police Department (since 1845; New York City, NY, USA) NYPD New York Play Development Blue's'' Dennis Franz doesn't deserve his warehouse of Emmys) for ``The Sopranos.'' Jane Kaczmarek could ride the ``Malcolm in the Middle'' hype to a trophy for best comedy actress (and could, in future years, become the John Lithgow in this category). Julianna Margulies has plenty of baubles atop her mantel but will likely get one last parting shot for her ``ER'' departure. Likely supporting performance winners: --Nancy Marchand, not just because she's dead, but consider fans' reaction to her death; now, try to imagine a similar reaction to the loss of the characters played by the other nominees (though Allison Janney's C.J. would be a sad loss for ``West Wing''). --Dominick Chianese, because ``The Sopranos'' will grab any award that doesn't fall off a truck. --Sean Hayes, because it'll be part of the ``Will & Grace'' statement (imagine him addressing Dr. Laura in his acceptance speech!) and I think even David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is a Screen Actors Guild, Tony and Emmy Award-winning American actor, best known for his co-starring role as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier alongside Kelsey Grammer. himself is tired of winning. --Jennifer Aniston, because she's married to Brad Pitt, and ``Friends'' has generally been underrepresented un·der·rep·re·sent·ed adj. Insufficiently or inadequately represented: the underrepresented minority groups, ignored by the government. at these proceedings in the past. Here's my prediction most likely to come true: A month from now, you won't remember most of the winners. And here are a few bonus observations about some Emmys already awarded in a ghastly five-hour long ceremony a couple of weeks back; not even winning one of these things is fair compensation for sitting through that snoozefest: --Outstanding evidence that the voters don't take their job all that seriously: Cher's Vegas concert won an Emmy for its costumes. --Outstanding proof that an Emmy and $4.75 will buy you a cup of coffee: ``Freaks and Geeks'' won the Outstanding Casting Emmy, but that didn't help it get renewed, now, did it? --Outstanding confirmation that anything, really, can win an Emmy: ``The 10th Kingdom,'' a miniseries even NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. executives implicitly hated (and they were virtually its only audience, since it stiffed), won for its title design. --Outstanding substantiation that there are wa-a-ay too many Emmys: There's one for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. To differentiate from the hairstyling in a comedy, a variety series, a drama or a non-fiction series. --Outstanding evidence that voters don't quite get the idea of category definitions: A single program, ``American Masters: Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood,'' won the Outstanding Non-fiction Series category, beating out Ric Burns' monumental 12-hour documentary ``New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of .'' --Outstanding indication that voters don't quite understand the rules and/or simple math: ``Fail-Safe'' won for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (can they really engrave en·grave tr.v. en·graved, en·grav·ing, en·graves 1. To carve, cut, or etch into a material: engraved the champion's name on the trophy. 2. all that on such a tiny trophy?). The rules state: ``To be eligible, a cameraperson cam·er·a·per·son n. One who operates a movie or television camera. must have contributed at least 10 percent of on-air camera time. If a cameraperson does not reach 10 percent, he/she is ineligible.'' Fifteen camera-people were named in the victory, which obviously adds up to 150 percent of airtime. THE NOMINEES SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES: Jennifer Aniston, ``Friends,'' NBC; Kim Cattrall, ``Sex and the City,'' HBO; Lisa Kudrow, ``Friends,'' NBC; Megan Mullally, ``Will & Grace,'' NBC; Doris Roberts, ``Everybody Loves Raymond Everybody Loves Raymond is an American sitcom originally broadcast on CBS from 1996 to 2005. It is one of the most critically acclaimed American sitcoms of its time. ,'' CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. . DIRECTING, COMEDY SERIES: ``Ally McBeal: Ally McBeal: The Musical,'' Fox; ``Everybody Loves Raymond: The Christmas Picture,'' CBS; ``Friends: The One That Could have Been, Parts 1 and 2,'' NBC; ``Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle is a seven-time Emmy-winning,[1] one-time Grammy-winning[1] and seven-time Golden Globe-nominated[1] American sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. : Pilot,'' Fox; ``Sports Night: Quo Vadimus,'' ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. ; ``Will & Grace: Homo for the Holidays,'' NBC. SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES: Peter Boyle, ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' CBS; Brad Garrett, ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' CBS; Sean Hayes, ``Will & Grace,'' NBC; Peter MacNicol, ``Ally McBeal,'' Fox; David Hyde Pierce, ``Frasier,'' NBC. WRITING, COMEDY SERIES: ``Everybody Loves Raymond: Bad Moon Rising Bad Moon Rising can refer to:
WRITING, VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM: ``Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker,'' HBO; ``The Chris Rock Show,'' HBO; ``Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill,'' HBO; ``Late Night With Conan O'Brien Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an Emmy Award-winning American late night talk show that is syndicated worldwide. The show, hosted by Conan O'Brien, features varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and stand-up comedy performances. ,'' NBC; ``Late Show With David Letterman “Late Show” redirects here. For other uses, see The Late Show. The Late Show with David Letterman is a multiple Emmy Award-winning hour-long weeknight comedy talk show broadcast by CBS from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York City. ,'' CBS. DIRECTING, VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM: ``72nd Annual Academy Awards,'' ABC; ``Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker,'' HBO; ``The Gershwins' Crazy for You (Great Performances),'' PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, ; Late Show With David Letterman,'' CBS; ``Saturday Night Live This article is about the American television series. For the show related to Big Brother (UK), see Saturday Night Live (UK). Saturday Night Live (SNL : The 25th Anniversary Special,'' NBC; The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, NBC. INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE, VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM: Billy Crystal, ``72nd Annual Academy Awards,'' ABC; Cher, ``Cher: Live in Concert - From the MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. Grand in Las Vegas,'' HBO; Eddie Izzard, ``Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill,'' HBO; Chris Rock, ``Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker,'' HBO; Molly Shannon, ``Saturday Night Live,'' NBC. SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES: Stockard Channing, ``The West Wing,'' NBC; Tyne Daly, ``Judging Amy,'' CBS; Allison Janney, ``The West Wing,'' NBC; Nancy Marchand, ``The Sopranos,'' HBO; Holland Taylor, ``The Practice,'' ABC. SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES: Michael Badalucco, ``The Practice,'' ABC; Dominic Chianese, ``The Sopranos,'' HBO; Steve Harris, ``The Practice,'' ABC; Richard Schiff, ``The West Wing,'' NBC; John Spencer, ``The West Wing,'' NBC. WRITING, DRAMA SERIES: ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Hush,'' WB; ``The Sopranos: Funhouse,'' HBO; ``The Sopranos: The Knight in White Satin Armor,'' HBO; ``The West Wing: In Excelsis Deo This article is about the episode of The West Wing. For the hymn, see Gloria in Excelsis Deo. "In Excelsis Deo" is the 10th episode of the first season of The West Wing. It originally aired on NBC December 15, 1999, as the show's Christmas special. ,'' NBC; ``The West Wing: Pilot,'' NBC. DIRECTING, DRAMA SERIES: ``ER: All in the Family,'' NBC; ``ER: Such Sweet Sorrow,'' NBC; ``The Sopranos: Funhouse,'' HBO; ``The Sopranos: The Knight in White Satin Armor,'' HBO; ``The West Wing: Pilot,'' NBC. SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MINISERIES OR MOVIE: Kathy Bates Bates , Katherine Lee 1859-1929. American educator and writer best known for her poem "America the Beautiful," written in 1893 and revised in 1904 and 1911. , ``Annie,'' ABC; Elizabeth Franz, ``Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play by Arthur Miller and is considered a classic of American theater. Viewed by many as a caustic attack on the American Dream of achieving wealth and success without regard for principle, Death of a Salesman ,'' Showtime; Melanie Griffith, ``RKO RKO Radio Keith Orpheum (movie studio) RKO Randy Keith Orton (wrestling) RKO Relativistic Klystron Oscillator RKO Rural King Ohio (farm supply store) 281,'' HBO; Vanessa Redgrave, ``If These Walls Could Talk 2,'' HBO; Maggie Smith, ``David Copperfield,'' PBS. WRITING, MINISERIES OR MOVIE: ``Cheaters,'' HBO; ``The Corner,'' HBO; ``Homicide: The Movie,'' NBC; ``If These Walls Could Talk 2: 1961,'' HBO; ``RKO 281,'' HBO. SUPPORTING ACTOR, MINISERIES OR MOVIE: Hank Azaria, ``Oprah Winfrey Presents: Tuesdays With Morrie,'' ABC; Klaus Maria Brandauer, ``Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,'' HBO; James Cromwell, ``RKO 281,'' HBO; Danny Glover, ``Freedom Song,'' TNT TNT: see trinitrotoluene. TNT in full trinitrotoluene Pale yellow, solid organic compound made by adding nitrate (−NO2) groups to toluene. ; John Malkovich, ``RKO 281,'' HBO. VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL: ``72nd Annual Academy Awards,'' ABC; ``Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker,'' HBO; ``Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (French for "Circus of the Sun") is an entertainment empire based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier. : Quidam,'' Bravo; ``Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill,'' HBO; ``Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary Special,'' NBC. VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES: ``The Chris Rock Show,'' HBO; ``Dennis Miller Live,'' HBO; ``Late Show With David Letterman,'' CBS; ``Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,'' ABC; ``The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,'' NBC. LEAD ACTRESS, MINISERIES OR MOVIE: Halle Berry, ``Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,'' HBO; Judy Davis, ``A Cooler Climate,'' Showtime; Sally Field, ``A Cooler Climate,'' Showtime; Holly Hunter, ``Harlan County War,'' Showtime; Gena Rowlands; ``The Color of Love: Jacey's Story'', CBS. DIRECTING, MINISERIES OR MOVIE: ``Annie,'' ABC; ``The Corner,'' HBO; ``Fail-Safe,'' CBS; ``Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,'' HBO; ``RKO 281,'' HBO. MINISERIES: ``Arabian Nights,'' ABC; ``The Beach Boys: An American Family “Loud Family” redirects here. For the rock band, see The Loud Family (band). Considered television's first reality show, An American Family was shot documentary style in 1971 and first aired in the United States on PBS in early 1973. ,'' ABC; ``The Corner,'' HBO; ``Jesus,'' CBS; ``P.T. Barnum,'' A&E. LEAD ACTOR, MINISERIES OR MOVIE: Beau Bridges, ``P.T. Barnum,'' A&E; Brian Dennehy, ``Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman,'' Showtime; Jack Lemmmon, ``Oprah Winfrey Presents: Tuesdays With Morrie,'' ABC; William H. Macy, ``A Slight Case of Murder,'' TNT; Liev Schreiber, ``RKO 281,'' HBO. TELEVISION MOVIE: ``Annie,'' ABC; ``If These Walls Could Talk 2,'' HBO; ``Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,'' HBO; ``Oprah Winfrey Presents: Tuesdays With Morrie,'' ABC; ``RKO 281,'' HBO. LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES: Jenna Elfman, ``Dharma dharma (där`mə). In Hinduism, dharma is the doctrine of the religious and moral rights and duties of each individual; it generally refers to religious duty, but may also mean social order, right conduct, or simply virtue. & Greg,'' ABC; Patricia Heaton, ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' CBS; Jane Kaczmarek, ``Malcolm in the Middle,'' Fox; Debra Messing, ``Will & Grace,'' NBC; Sarah Jessica Parker, ``Sex and the City,'' HBO. LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES: Michael J. Fox, ``Spin City,'' ABC; Kelsey Grammer, ``Frasier,'' NBC; John Lithgow, ``3rd Rock From the Sun,'' NBC; Eric McCormack, ``Will & Grace,'' NBC; ``Ray Romano,'' ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' CBS. LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES: Lorraine Bracco, ``The Sopranos,'' HBO; Amy Brenneman, ``Judging Amy,'' CBS; Edie Falco, ``The Sopranos,'' HBO; Julianna Margulies, ``ER,'' NBC; Sela Ward, ``Once and Again,'' ABC. LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES: Dennis Franz, ``NYPD Blue,'' ABC; James Gandolfini, ``The Sopranos,'' HBO; Jerry Orbach, ``Law & Order,'' NBC; Martin Sheen, ``The West Wing,'' NBC; Sam Waterston, ``Law & Order,'' NBC. COMEDY SERIES: ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' CBS; ``Frasier,'' NBC; ``Friends,'' NBC; ``Sex and the City,'' HBO; ``Will & Grace,'' NBC. DRAMA SERIES: ``ER,'' NBC; ``Law & Order,'' NBC; ``The Practice,'' ABC; ``The Sopranos,'' HBO; ``The West Wing,'' NBC. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box Photos: (1 -- cover -- color) The Emmys Will `The Sopranos' get what it deserves?' (2 -- 3) no caption (Sopranos) (4) no caption (West Wing) Box: The Nominees (see text) |
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