The 2009 Emmy Awards surpassed expectations and outshone the Oscars as described in the first part of this article. Here’s a quick look at a few more areas where the Emmys triumphed:
Commentaries
There’s nothing wrong with the formality of the Oscar telecast, having Gina Tuttle succinctly announcing facts about the nominees and winners past accomplishments. However, when compared to the way John Hodgman handled the Emmys, it’s quite a bit dry.
Mixing things up, Hodgman, best known as Mr. PC in those PC vs. Mac advertisements, elevated the award ceremony with a series of fake biographical facts about each winner. Blink and you may have missed them!
For instance, "Jon Cryer's first TV credit was as Teenage Herbert on the show Noon Wine. He co-starred with Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots. How many people knew that was a backdoor pilot to Two and a Half Men? Or that Kristin Chenoweth wanted to be a private investigator? And the hysterical background behind The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Did you know that it was “celebrating its 76th year on the air? It began on Comedy Central Radio as Stewart-Brand Chicken-Fat All-Star Fake News Half Hour."
Even Neil Patrick Harris got in on the act, introducing presenters like Rob Lowe with their most offbeat performances: “You know him as Charles Elderberry from the ABC Afterschool Special…”
Nominee Segments
But perhaps the most noticeable area where the Emmys outshone the Oscars was in the area of award presentations. In particular, the nominee segments. At the Oscars, there were slight changes this year, as Acting awards were presented by five previous award winners in a more personal, but highly uncomfortable manner. “Thank you, Seymour Philip Hoffman.”
At this year’s Emmy telecast, director Glenn Weiss mixed things up beautifully. Best Supporting Actresses sported a variety of funny glasses. Nominees for Best Variety Show were presented in the form of cash for clunkers, Facebook friends, and Brian Williams’ Nightly News ode to Nerds. Even better, nominees for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series were asked to give advice to aspiring directors. And priceless advice it was. Said winning director, Rod Holcomb, "If you're having trouble with somebody on the set, learn how to tell them to go to hell in such a way that they'll want to go!"
Bottom Line
With a vibrant host, a stellar opening number, and a series of changes from comic bits and commentaries to stage design and nominee segments, the Emmy telecast posted an 8.1% gain from 2008. The 2009 Academy Awards also boosted ratings by nearly 13%, but then again, they weren’t up against NBC’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Cowboys and Giants, which sucked away 22 million potential viewers.
Both telecasts made dramatic changes, but none were as effective as those on hand at this year’s Emmys.
