September 22, 2008

Since yesterday was Emmy Day, that means it's time for my post-awards wrap-up!

First, the memorable moments:


  • Brad Garrett, Patricia Heaton and Doris Roberts doing "holy crap!" in the montage of classic TV catchphrases in honor of Peter Boyle.
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus reminiscing about "The Contest" after a clip from the episode is shown over a reproduction of the Monk's Diner set.
  • Martin Sheen sitting at the Oval Office desk, reminding people that everyone involved in "The West Wing" won an Emmy for their work -- except him. Also, that people should get out and vote.
  • Josh Groban doing a medley of TV themes.
  • Kathy Griffin commanding the audience to "get up!" to honor Don Rickles.
  • Steve Martin's introduction of Tommy Smothers on the occasion of his commemorative Emmy -- from 1968.
  • Stephen Colbert pulling out a bag of prunes and eating them as he explained that we've had eight years of prunes and we need more.
  • A winner for "John Adams" talking about the times when politicians spoke articulately and with intelligence -- and then getting unceremoniously cut off.
  • Mary Tyler Moore awarding Tina Fey her Best Leading Actress Emmy. If that wasn't a passing of the baton, I don't know what it was.
  • The American Express ad with Martin Scorsese and Tina Fey. (True, this wasn't part of the actual ceremony, but that should give you a clue about the rest of the show.)

And pretty much everything else was a disaster, up to and including the five reality host nominees who were tapped as hosts. Oprah Winfrey opened the show with such class, and then handed it off to a quartet that had no business doing any sort of emceeing. I did enjoy the way Jimmy Kimmel drew out the actual awarding of the Emmy, much like is done on the reality programs themselves. However, I hope they don't make a habit of it.

Oh -- just for the record, here's how my favorites did, by the numbers:

  • "30 Rock" -- 7
  • "Pushing Daisies" -- 3
  • "How I Met Your Mother" -- 1
  • Kathryn Joosten -- 1

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