Monday, September 17, 2007

'Sopranos' ends on a high note



Robert Iler, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Dominic Chianese of The Sopranos pose in the press room for their Best Drama Emmy win at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on September 16, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.

by By Alan Sepinwall, Star-Ledger Staff
Monday September 17, 2007, 12:27 AM


DIDN'T I WARN YOU not to watch the Emmys? James Spader? Really?

"The Sopranos" went into last night's show with 15 nominations, the most for any series, and pundits everywhere were predicting the show would sweep its way through the awards like Sherman through Atlanta.

But TV shows in their final seasons, even all-time classics, have a lousy Emmy track record, and when the night was over, "Sopranos" only had three trophies: for Outstanding Drama Series, directing (Alan Taylor, for the Christopher death episode) and writing (David Chase, for the finale). Until the last-minute best drama win -- only the second time the series ever won it -- it looked like the cast's curtain call after a "Jersey Boys" musical medley would be its only trip to the stage.

Some of the losses were understandable (Terry O'Quinn in the drama supporting actor category over Michael Imperioli), but "Boston Legal" star Spader winning his third Emmy in a row over James Gandolfini? (Or even Hugh Laurie?) Indefensible. Even Spader had the decency to act ashamed, quipping, "I feel like I just stole a pile of money from the mob," then complaining that he doesn't understand who votes for these awards, or how to even get a ballot.

Perhaps the process is controlled by the same gangsters Chase alluded to at the end of the best drama acceptance speech: "This ('The Sopranos') is a story about a gangster, and gangsters are out there taking their kids to college and taking their kids to school, and putting food on their table. And hell, let's face it, if the world and this nation was run by gangsters.¤.¤. maybe it is?"

Spader's win was particularly egregious because it was one of the few moments all night when the voters clearly just took a nap and checked the same box they always do.

The night was largely filled with unexpected winners, whether it was NBC's "30 Rock" for Outstanding Comedy Series or Ricky Gervais winning comedy actor for HBO's "Extras" (though that was really a make-up award for his work on the original British "The Office").

Some of these inspired wins led to inspired moments. Gervais wasn't there -- no doubt expecting to lose to Alec Baldwin or Tony Shalhoub or Steve Carell -- and so presenters Steven Colbert and Jon Stewart invited old "Daily Show" pal Carell on stage for some mock celebration. Others led to the usual awards show tedium: Jaime Pressly of "My Name Is Earl" beat out some more seasoned performers for comedy supporting actress, then gave a rambling speech.

Speaking of rambling, Sally Field beat out Edie Falco for the drama actress award and shouted down the orchestra, then forgot what she was going to say -- as she tried to assemble her thoughts, an audience member could be heard yelling, "We really, really like you!" -- then began an anti-war rant that got censored because she took God's name in vain in the middle of it. (It was far from the only telecast run-in with Fox's Standards & Practices department; more below.)

Host Ryan Seacrest -- reportedly chosen because Fox executives feared their viewers would be too dumb to understand why their second choice, funny and versatile "House" star Laurie, would be speaking in an English accent -- had promised he wouldn't pretend to be a comedian. He then proceeded to bomb doing exactly that, with jokes like, "I'm the first host in the history of the Emmys who cared enough to ask 'Who are you wearing?'" In perhaps the lowest moment in Emmy history, the band played off "Broken Trail" star Robert Duvall's acceptance speech so Seacrest could banter with a Fox.com blogger and crack a joke about Vanessa Hudgens' nude photos.



Robert Duvall poses in the press room at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on September 16, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.

Then again, the theater-in-the-round format -- which effectively cut a quarter of the audience out of the proceedings -- was hard even on the people who get paid to be funny. It made many of the presenters vocally uncomfortable, and people who are always comic money in the bank at these events -- Ray Romano, Carell -- just died.

(It also irritated many of the winners. "My cast is behind me!" Ferrera complained when she realized the stage was facing away from her "Ugly Betty" co-stars during her speech.)

There were technical difficulties throughout -- or moments that seemed like technical difficulties but were just clumsiness. Field's speech was actually the third point in the evening where the sound cut out and the picture shifted to a disco ball high above the theater. Romano's monologue got bleeped because he told a joke about Kelsey Grammer making love to his former TV wife Patricia Heaton on their new Fox sitcom. Later, the censors hit the panic button again when Katherine Heigl mouthed an obscenity after winning the drama supporting actress award, but East Coast viewers got to read her lips. (The censors must have been completely asleep while Brad Garrett was making various lewd remarks about "Til Death" co-star Joely Fisher's dress.)



Katherine Heigl poses with her Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Emmy in the press room at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on September 16, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.

Earlier in the show, the announcer mispronounced Heigl's name as "Hi-jell," which she testily corrected when she made it to the stage. At the start of her acceptance speech, she thanked presenter Eva Longoria for getting it right.

(Getting it wrong: Voters who somehow selected Heigl -- whose character almost single-handedly wrecked this season of "Grey's Anatomy" -- over co-stars Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson, or over Lorraine Bracco and Aida Turturro from "The Sopranos," or even Rachel Griffiths from "Brothers & Sisters.")

While the TV Academy gave us reruns in a few other categories besides Spader's (Jeremy Piven a repeat winner for a season of "Entourage" in which he barely appeared; "The Amazing Race" still the only show to ever win the reality competition award), we also got some unexpected winners. O'Quinn from "Lost" won the drama supporting actor award and got off one of the evening's better lines, talking about how sometimes, during the bloody and often violent production of his series, "I think about what it would be like to bake up a sheet of cookies on Wisteria Lane.¤.¤. and get one of their checks."

"Late Night with Conan O'Brien" won its first Emmy ever (for comedy or variety series writing), narrowly averting a tie with "Newhart" for the most nominations without a win. Head writer Mike Sweeney noted they'd be back at work this morning, and, "Thanks to O.J., we'll have a show tomorrow."

In the movies and miniseries categories, Duvall's "Broken Trail" acting win was an 18 years late make-up award for his failing to win for "Lonesome Dove" back in 1989. Helen Mirren won another Emmy (her fourth overall) for the final installment of "Prime Suspect," which also picked up awards for writing and directing but lost the miniseries award to "Broken Trail."

Alan Sepinwall may be reached at asepinwall@starledger.com, or by writing to 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, NJ 07102.

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