Scratching My Head
- The Wire and Pushing Daisies got writing nominations – yay! – but no best show nominations – boo!
- I’m not as outraged as I should be by The Wire never securing a best drama nod despite being possibly the best show I’ve seen, partly because I had no expectations it would, partly because it is an intense, complex viewing experience lacking the pure entertainment value of a House or a Lost or whatever. But I can’t understand why, after finally getting some buzz this season, voters didn’t leap at their last chance to nominate the show.
- I know critics and reporters care deeply and it’s all they can talk about, but do viewers and readers give a flying fig if a nominated show is on basic cable versus premium cable versus network? Other than the fact that it means far fewer of them will be rooting for those shows to win because, given cable’s far smaller audiences, they haven’t seen them? I get it: history was made and basic cable shows were nominated. Not to be confused with the gripe in previous years that premium cable shows were nominated over worthy broadcast network shows only because of the HBO cachet. Yawn.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
"No writing nomination for 'House’s Head,'"
Do you know if it was even submitted? The producers only submit a few episodes for consideration
"The Wire...being possibly the best show I’ve seen...an intense, complex viewing experience lacking the pure entertainment value of..."
I think we had chatted previously in the comments after you caught an early season. Glad to see you liked it so much as well. However I would agree to disagree with your assessment of its lacking entertainment value compared to those other shows.
2 - Diane Kristine
According to Gold Derby "House's Head" was submitted, so that's why I had my fingers crossed.
I think I'd have to write one of my normally verbose posts to fully explain what I mean by The Wire's relative lack of entertainment value, because I don't mean it to detract from the show at all, though I know it can't help but come across as an insult. The short version is it's not an easy show to watch, though.
3 - El Bicho
Well then you had a right to frown.
I do know what you are saying about The Wire. To many people there's an element of escapism they want in their entertainment, and The Wire brings home too many issues people don't want to deal with.
4 - Diane Kristine
Fine, you just explained in a sentence what I thought was too complicated to express quickly.
5 - El Bicho
heh, sorry. I've had a lot of practice ineffectually pleading the case why people should watch the series.
6 - Nancy
Diane, HOW could you possibly utter in public that HUGH LAURIE will not win the EMMY?????? HAVE FAITH!!! COLLECT MONEY for bribes. Just DON'T say he won't win.
I BELIEVE that he will win and he deserves to win. He works harder than anyone I know. What with the accent change, the cane, the amount of screen time and dialog..... He works TOO hard as a matter of fact.
He NEEDS to be honored and awarded for that alone. Not to mention what an AMAZING actor he is.
So....ya wanna take what you said back?
7 - Diane Kristine
Ha, sorry, I don't believe in The Secret ;) Whatever I say or wish for makes no difference, though I do wish for Hugh Laurie to win. Wanna hear something terrible? I actually think Jon Hamm will win this year. Of course I will be very disappointed if Laurie doesn't, but an Emmy isn't his only reward for his hard work.
8 - sue
I believe Hugh Laurie has not won an Emmy because he is British. James Spader does not hold a candle to Hugh as far as acting and creating a memorable character. He has one big speech at the end of the show, and he plods along the same boring character the rest of the episode. Hugh is never the same from one second to the next. He has had stunning reviews, and the show is top ten because of him. I don't think Boston Legal breaks the top 20.
Hugh as a Brit is a threat to American actors. They don't want to reward Brits, for fear that producers and networks will bring in more of them and take their jobs. Hugh was credited with an influx of British actors two years ago. They will work for less money, and they can play Americans as well as Americans can.
If Hugh doesn't win this year, it will clearly show their bias.
9 - Mary
Like others here, I cannot understand why Hugh Laurie has not yet won an Emmy for his performance on "House"; he is absolutely overdue. However, even if he never wins one, I think that his performance as Gregory House will continue to be re-broadcast for many years to come, long after "Boston Legal" and James Spader's performance in it have faded from memory.