Over the years, award shows have earned a reputation for being overlong, nonessential, and a boring way to spend three to four hours. As a result, ratings have dropped significantly to all time lows. In 2008, the Emmys sunk to its worst ratings ever with only 12.3 million viewers and the Oscars fell to 32 million viewers, far from its record high of 55 million in 1998. So, it’s no wonder both are continually trying to stir things up.
Sunday, September 20, 2009 marked the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. And from the moment Neil Patrick Harris stepped onto the Nokia Theater stage, the telecast took a dramatic turn for the better. In particular, over last year’s quintuply challenged broadcast. The star of How I Met Your Mother begged viewers to stick with the show, mocked the challenges facing broadcast television, and infused much needed energy and charisma into an award show running on life support.
Certainly, all award shows have lulls in the middle, presenters who hit and miss, haunting in memoriam tributes, and long winded song and dance numbers. And this Emmy telecast was no different. However, it did take plenty of chances. It placed the entirety of the program on stage from the orchestra to the control room, it prerecorded 8 of the 28 awards to speed things up, and it added a scroll to the bottom of the screen to promote and focus more attention on the popular shows and actors. Most importantly, it helped turn the ratings tide.
So how did it do it? How did it compare to this year’s Oscars? Here’s a quick look at some of the areas where the Emmys outshone the Oscars:
Hosts
Hugh Jackman vs. Neil Patrick Harris? It’s like a clash of film and television titans. Both are extremely likable actors turned hosts, each having earned their wings by hosting the Tony Awards. While Jackman adds sophistication and hunky good looks to the Oscars, Harris brings geeky charm and good natured fun to the Emmys.
Maybe it’s just because the Emmys are so fresh in my mind, but it's hard to remember any jokes, skits, or one liners from Jackman’s Oscar presentation. Except for a few bland attempts like, “I’m an Australian playing an Australian in a movie called ‘Australia.’ On the flipside, Doogie delivered a youthful, brisk, self-deprecating performance that connected all five categories of television together. Laughed Harris early on, “I love that we’re already 27 minutes behind!”
For the past five or ten years, the Academy Awards have devolved, virtually eliminating the host in the midst of the program. But at the Emmys, Harris made his presence felt throughout. There was the pre-produced segment, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” which cheekily applauded the virtues of the internet on top of the reciting of award rules by Ernst & Young accountants. Harris’ outrage over losing to Jon Cryer for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, even going so far as to interrupt Cryer’s post press conference. And who could forget the commentary on television theme songs, abbreviated to humorous effect, like those from Lost and Cougar Town?
How good was Neil Patrick Harris? So good, his performance was singled out during the telecast itself. Said Survivor host Jeff Probst while accepting his award, “This is how you host the Emmys!” And even Jon Stewart, former host of the Oscars, while accepting his award for Best Variety Show: “Neil Patrick Harris. You’re doing a wonderful job. These shows usually suck, buy you’ve been very good!”
Opening Numbers
At this year’s Oscars, Hugh Jackman announced that due to the recent economic downturn, the producers decided to nix the opening number; however, in the spirit of frugalness, Jackman decided to perform his own routine, highlighting the year’s Best Picture nominees in song and dance with materials from his garage. The only problem was, it was painfully corny, if not a tad confusing. In the montage, there was a strange tribute to Frost/Nixon, which had Hugh courting Anne Hathaway’s Nixon and a segment referencing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in which Jackman’s head was placed on the body of a baby with lyrics like, “When I was 4, my back was sore, and I had pubic hair!”
Yet, in spite of its awkward nature, Jackman’s opening Oscar number received some very positive reviews. And in a bit of irony, took home an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, besting the much deserved “Motherlover,” from Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live.
Opening the Emmys this year, Neil Patrick Harris belted out a subdued, but effective number, “Put Down That Remote,” which managed to poke fun of everything from new media and Tivo to Mad Men and American Idol. And “Thank God the boob tube rhymes with Tony Shalhoub!” Harris not only poked fun of himself as a fellow nominee, promising not to gloat, but he rattled off a very impressive list of broadcast and cable networks – enough to make one’s head spin.
All in all, the difference was that Harris’ Emmy number appeared more connected, cohesive, and simplistic while Jackman’s was over-the-top, convoluted, and cheesy.
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