The Live Feed blogs the Emmys from backstage at Nokia Theatre starting in 3 hours … in the meantime here’s the Associated Press with some warm-up coverage…
“Mad Men” aimed to repeat Emmy history Sunday, while “Family Guy” tried to make it.
Thefirst basic cable show to win a top series honor, “Mad Men” had thechance for a second consecutive best-drama trophy. Potentialtrailblazer “Family Guy” was the first animated series to vie for thebest comedy award since a 1961 bid by “The Flintstones.”
The Foxshow was up against last year’s winner, actress-writer Tina Fey’s “30Rock,” trying for its third consecutive award in the category. Fey andco-star Alec Baldwin had a chance to repeat as best comedy series leads.
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NeilPatrick Harris was prepared to play the singing host, as he did at thisyear’s Tonys. “Hairspray” composers Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, whodashed off a custom-made tune for Harris at the Broadway awards, wroteone for the Emmys.
The TV academy, meanwhile, hoped to avoid anunwanted rerun at the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards: paltryviewership. The 2008 ceremony was the least-watched ever with anaudience of 12.3 million.
Acclaimed but low-rated series likeAMC’s retro 1960s show “Mad Men” are seen as one reason viewersbypassed the awards, so major categories were expanded to increase theodds for more popular fare. There were as many as seven nominees percategory, compared with the traditional five.
Rising network starJim Parsons of CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” made the cut for best comedyseries actor, but niche premium cable shows including HBO’s “Flight ofthe Conchords” and Showtime’s “Weeds” grabbed a hefty share of nods.
TV’smost-watched comedy, CBS’ “Two and a Half Men,” failed to score a bestseries bid, although stars Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer were up forawards.
Fox’s “American Idol,” the most-watched show, tries toearn its first reality competition show Emmy against dominant winnerCBS’ “The Amazing Race.”
Harris and Emmy executive producer DonMischer promised to keep the scheduled three-hour ceremony snappy, butthey had less room to maneuver than planned. A TV academy proposal topre-tape some acceptances and show them in a truncated version —gaining time for something more entertaining than speeches — wasquashed by industry opposition.
Harris also was a supportingactor nominee for “How I Met Your Mother.” Others competing for Emmygold included Bryan Cranston of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” and Glenn Close ofFX’s “Damages,” the 2008 winners for best drama series leads.
“Mad Men” stars Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss were among their competition.
HBOwent into the ceremony as the awards leader after last weekend’sCreative Arts Primetime Emmys ceremony for technical and otherachievements. The channel earned 16 trophies, followed by NBC with 11and Fox and ABC with eight awards each. CBS, PBS and Cartoon Networkhad six each.
