the buzz log

Emmy has not aged well.

Actually, let's take that back. For a lady who celebrated the big 6-0 on Sunday night, the winged statuette still shone with luster. But the people who threw her the party—for shame. Hollywood Reporter wrapped up the sour and dour critical reaction, and Fresno Bee observed that circus elephants fed on a month-long diet of "rancid chili and rotten boiled eggs ... could not create a bigger stinker."

What elephants deserved to get involved in the fiasco, who knows, but interest for "emmy" keyword searches slacked off 18% compared to last year. Maybe Sally Field should've been made the host to stir things up again.

Could any redemption be found? The comedy "30 Rock" not only got a slew of awards for best show and best actors, but also earned Tina Fey the most Web love out of all the nominees. She even bested hostess Heidi Klum—and Fey didn't need Tom Bergeron and William Shatner to tear her gown off to do so. Meanwhile, castmate Jane Krakowski didn't get a nomination, but her red carpet look of a loaner diamond waterfall earrings and black gown helped boost her online lookups nearly 2,000%.

Among the winners, Jeremy Piven boasted the fastest rising search bump (+780%), more from delivering a biting critique on the ceremony than scoring his third best supporting actor nod ... that and maybe kissing the pregnant bump of presenter Amy Poehler.

Mary Tyler Moore (reuniting with former crewmate Betty White) presented the best comedy award and received her due online respect (+1,132%) as a TV icon. Other salutes went to Steve Martin (+255%), Lily Tomlin (+70%), and the Smothers Brothers (+infinity).

The true buzz of the night though went to ... well, okay, it went to Fey and Klum, but following them was comedian Don Rickles. His appearance garnered look-ups for his bio, age (81), and his Emmy award-winning doc "Don Rickles Project." He also provided the cathartic laughter of the broadcast when presenter Kathy Griffin reminded him about the teleprompter after the octogenarian dared to go off script. Rickles replied dryly, "Oh, because it's a hot show. Let's read these funny lines they wrote for us."

Note to Emmy: Bring back the true funnymen and leave reality behind.

Filed under: TV, Award Shows, Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards 2008

And the predictions are in. The approach of the 60th annual Emmy Awards has let loose a critical wish list of what and who should win. Not surprisingly, people agree to disagree. A TV Guide and USA Today face-off, for instance, reaches accord only about 60% of the time.

As critics and viewers well know, the Emmy Awards isn't always a popularity contest. It isn't always about quality either, although some (as the San Francisco Chronicle does) continue to cry injustice over shunned worthies. The iniquity partly lies in the rules, which specify that the Academy only judges a series' season from six select episodes. Unlike hot-blooded fans, members don't cultivate an affectionate long-term relationship.

But, if the Emmy's were about commitment from day one, which nominees would deserve to hold the winged statuette? Here are the leading actor and actress nominees pulling in the most Web interest during the 2007-08 Emmy eligibility period (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008). Check later for the most popular supporting actor and actress nominees.

Filed under: TV, Actors, Award Shows, Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards 2008

Top Snub? Most Overlooked?

Whatever the category is called, there needs to be something to address grievous wrongs. Quality nominees did make this year's 60th Primetime Emmys, but voters didn't even look down when they walked over the corpse outline of "The Wire,"  possibly one of the finest shows in television history. By escaping Emmy notice for the fifth (and final) year in a row, the HBO drama may be one of the most wronged shows in tube times.

Yes, Buddy TV pointed out the show again got a well-deserved nomination for its writing, making for an interesting category. Still, amongst the annual handwringing over snubs, the New York Daily News called the show "bafflingly invisible" among the Emmy line-up, the San Francisco Chronicle deemed its absence "surrealy absurd," and The Hollywood Reporter called "a moment of silence" for the wholesale carnage, which included overlooking the actors. An infuriated MSNBC contributor compared the choice of a much-nominated "Boston Legal" over "The Wire" to lauding the Miami Dolphins over the New England Patriots. And Gawker put it plainly: The show that dared take on crime, poverty, public policy, government corruption, and media corporations "was robbed."

Not that critics didn't see this coming: Newsweek predicted snubs, among them young James Hector for best supporting actor (drama). But it's not too late. If one takes the cynical view of the Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award as a make-up award for dissing deserving personalities, why not one for a TV show? Or an outright "Do-Over" Award, so a program can have a chance beyond its run?

Glum fans will have to nurse their disappointment with the final DVD set due out August 12, which includes a retrospective of the first four years. Meanwhile, its creator and former Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon may start another run for HBO: He moves from America's grimmest city to a post-Katrina New Orleans. That'll be one pair that will be hard to ignore.

Filed under: TV, Award Shows, Awards, Emmy Awards, The Wire, Emmy Awards 2008