There's something a little unnerving about the fact that the Primetime Emmys float. Not the award statuette itself. No, that would be like an anchor in the water. I'm talking about the date for the Emmys. The 2010 Primetime Emmys will be on Sunday, August 29, on NBC. The 2009 Primetime Emmys, lest you forgot already, were September 20. The date of the Emmys floats around depending on which network is broadcasting the show.
NBC has a steady date with the NFL on Sunday nights during football season. NBC Football Night in America in the network's top-rated show. The top. Number one. That means there's no way that the Peacock was going to give up a Sunday night game for the Primetime Emmy broadcast.
So, using their power, the network simply declared that the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be held in August. They pulled this same stunt in 2006, so the folks at NATAS (the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) weren't stunned.
When Lewis Black went off at the Emmys a couple of years ago about TV becoming obnoxious with the amount of information splayed on the screen, he hit the nail right on the head. Sad to say, things have not gotten better since that rant. In fact, they're worse. I don't know what's worse, the annoying pop-up ads on the television screen or the annoying pop-up ads on the computer screen. At least in the case of the latter, it's the equivalent of a commercial and -- somewhat -- understandable.
But when you're watching a television show and have to ignore the bug in the corner, then be subjected to a variety of pop-up promotions and reminders for shows you may or may not be interested in watching it's enough to make you turn off the set. I'd say it's enough to make you switch channels, but where can you go to avoid the intrusion? PBS?
Oscar roulette is usually played when it comes time to figure out the nominations. However, this year there seems to be a wheel of fortune spinning with the names of possible hosts for the show. Of course, the folks running the show have intimated that they might want to have a few stars sharing the duties. Historically, that hasn't worked out too well.
During the recent broadcast of the Primetime Emmys, one of the funniest presenters was Ricky Gervais. It's not surprising that Ricky was funny that night. He's a brilliant comic actor, writer and director. I say this even after suffering through The Invention of Lying, a film that had a wonderful premise but was a crappy movie. Nevertheless, I still think he's fantastic. And I will watch the 67th Annual Golden Globes with Ricky Gervais as host.
The NBC censor's finger will surely be on the button January 17, the night of the broadcast, because you could imagine Ricky getting a wee bit close to the line of what you can and cannot say on TV. Although he's probably clever enough to say or do something that the censors wouldn't get till after it airs.
Before Dallas and Dynasty and Falcon Crest and Knots Landings captured the imaginations of American viewers, there was a British soap import that was even more compelling.
From 1971-75, PBS aired the British upper crust soap Upstairs Downstairs. And now Upstairs Downstairs is going to be remade. It'll be filmed and shown in England first before coming to America in 2011.
What made Upstairs Downstairs classic television – it won Emmys, BAFTAs and Golden Globes – was the way it depicted of the British class system. Upstairs you had the rich, privileged Bellamy family. Downstairs there were the servants who worked for them. The lives of all these characters intertwined in a well-written, brilliantly acted drama series.
During his Emmy hosting duties the other night, Neil Patrick Harris sang an opening number that included the names of many TV networks. Not just the major ones but also several cable outlets. There's one particular network he forgot to mention though, and last night Chelsea Handler talked about it.
So, is this just sour grapes or does Probst have a point? Maybe Probst should go on The Amazing Race and Phil Keoghan should go on Survivor and see who can last the longest.
In case you missed our live blog of the event and you haven't been checking around the Interwebs, Emmy host Neil Patrick Harris did a quick skit starring his character Doctor Horrible from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. The sketch guest-starred Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer and a couple of other cast members. Oh, and by the way, that particular Internet series won an Emmy itself.
One can only wonder if Joss Whedon had a hand in the sketch. It certainly seems that way. The sketch used his sort of style and humor, particularly the bits where the screen was "buffering".
Fortunately, and perhaps in appreciation of the existing rabid fanbase of anything Whedon-related, a clip of the segment has already made it to YouTube (so TV Squad itself cannot be sued for taking someone else's intellectual property. You hear that CBS?). Hopefully it remains up there for a little while. The clip of the Dr. Horrible appearance at the Emmys follows after the jump.
I'm not saying that I necessarily think Billy Mays should have won a posthumous Emmy, or even that his show Pitchmen should have been included in their "The Year in Reality" segment. But leaving him out of the "In Memoriam" segment? You have people from every facet of the television industry, and you leave out the most famous infomercial personality ever. Infomercials are television programming.
Yes, they're annoying at times and yes, they're not as exciting as Lost or The Amazing Race, but it's still television. Billy Mays was famous because of television. And he was famous. Virtually everyone in this country recognizes "Hi, Billy Mays here!" and that almost patented way of shouting talking he had.
But hell, even if you don't buy any of those arguments, he was one of the stars of Pitchmen, a successful reality show. You honor reality shows, right? I'm just saying, It seems to me that one of the most famous faces of the modern era on television, and one of the most powerful men in the commercial industry, could have maybe earned a quick mention upon his passing.
I know people complained about this when the nominations came out, but for some reason, it just irked the hell out of me when Jon Cryer won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy.
Not that I don't think Cryer deserved an Emmy. No, he does a great job as the uptight Alan Harper on Two and a Half Men. And, after all the failed shows and pilots, the man once known as Duckie deserves recognition for the fine actor his is... just not as a supporting actor.
It's that time of year again when they give out those figurines that signify that you are the best at what you do on television (supposedly). We have a live blog every year, but this year we're doing something a little bit different, a live chat that everyone can participate in.
Join us at 7:45 PM ET on Sunday night at the live chat page here. We'll be using CoverItLive for the chat and if you go to that link you can sign up for an e-mail reminder before the chat starts. You'll be able to join in on the conversation with your thoughts and predictions and we'll have polls and news and links to AOL's coverage of the night. Hope to see you there!
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation is now launching a new website called EmmyTVLegends.org. It will include interviews with various celebrities who witnessed the rise of television including Milton Berle, Bob Hope and Walter Cronkite. Ironically, this is being done via the Internet. It's a bit like the passing of the torch from one predominant global medium of communication to the next.
Granted, all the videos have been uploaded to YouTube, so it's possible to find them without going through the website. Still, it's nice that the website organizes the interviews for the viewer. I was channeling my mother for a moment while watching some of them and thinking either "he/she looks so young in that interview" or "he/she is dead now".
The site represents a real treasure trove of television stories and history. I've only had a chance to watch a few of them so far. If you're interested in the medium I recommend watching some of them in your free time.
As Allison told you earlier this morning, Rachael Ray won the Emmy for Best Talk Show last night. And to that I'd like to ask, have any of the people who voted for it actually watched the show?
I like cooking shows and light, mindless entertainment, so I would think that Ray's show would be a natural for me, but...gah.
The Emmys are coming up in a few weeks, and if it's an event you've always wanted to go to but never thought you would, maybe this is your chance.
The Emmys Foundation is holding a big auction on eBay that features not only several tickets to the awards show (some of them VIP and red carpet!), but also several items from TV shows and memorabilia signed by various stars. You can get a House cane signed by Hugh Laurie, VIP tickets to The Daily Show, set visits to shows like Monk and Medium, signed posters, and DVDs. You can also win a visit to a Family Guy table reading!
You can also win dresses worn on the ABC Family show Greek. In fact, there are no bids on those particular items yet so click that link and maybe you can wear one on your next trip to the supermarket. The auction ends on September 3.
There's something a little unnerving about the fact that the Primetime Emmys float. Not the award statuette itself. No, that would be like an anchor in the water. I'm talking about the date for the Emmys. The 2010 Primetime Emmys will be on Sunday, August 29, on NBC. The 2009 Primetime Emmys, lest you forgot already, were September 20. The date of the Emmys floats around depending on which network is broadcasting the show. 
When 
Oscar
During the recent broadcast of the 
Before 
In case you missed our 
I'm not saying that I necessarily think Billy Mays should have won a posthumous Emmy, or even that his show Pitchmen should have been included in their "The Year in Reality" segment. But leaving him out of the "In Memoriam" segment? You have people from every facet of the television industry, and you leave out the most famous infomercial personality ever. Infomercials are television programming.
I know people complained about this when the nominations came out, but for some reason, it just irked the hell out of me when Jon Cryer won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy.
It's that time of year again when they give out those figurines that signify that you are the best at what you do on television (supposedly). We have a live blog every year, but this year we're doing something a little bit different, a live chat that everyone can participate in.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation is now launching a new website called 
As Allison told you earlier this morning, 
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
