Hey, did anyone watch the Emmys last night?
I know I didn’t. I was walking my dog. And sleeping. And balancing my checkbook. And flashing homeless men. I kid, I kid. I’ve never balanced a checkbook in my life.
But, you know, I was doing basically anything other than watching the Emmys. Because awards shows were really, really exciting and dramatic in a time when celebrities weren’t flashing their vaginas and leaking sex tapes and calling one another cunts to X17’s video cameras. In other words: the Golden Age of awards shows is now over. I care about the dresses — those are online before the show even airs on the West coast — and any funny bits during the show — and those are online before the show even airs on the West coast. So, yeah.
You may have heard, however, that network television basically got CLOBBERED by cable shows last night. It was brutal. And the networks noticed.
“Call it what it is: The Cable Ace Awards,” went the common, slightly bitter quip from broadcast toppers in the weeks following July’s nomination announcement.
It wasn’t just “Mad Men’s” big, groundbreaking (for a basic cable skein, at least) drama series win. Cable’s haul included top prizes for “Damages” thesps Glenn Close and Zeljko Ivanek, “John Adams” stars Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney and “Breaking Bad” lead Bryan Cranston.
The traditional nets? Well, thank goodness for comedy actress winner Tina Fey, whose “30 Rock” gave broadcast TV most of its bright spots all evening — also picking up statuettes for outstanding comedy skein, best writing and top laffer actor (Alec Baldwin).
Adding insult to injury: Sunday night’s cable coronation came just a day before the networks, more hobbled than ever, officially launched their fall premiere week.
Coming off a low-rated summer and strike-impacted regular TV season, the nets already enter the new season bruised and battered. The fact that the Big 4 only picked up 10 out of the night’s 28 Emmy Awards didn’t help.
ABC’s promos may have been touting the return of shows like “Desperate Housewives,” but the TV Academy was sending out an entirely different message: “You oughta go check out the great stuff they’re doing on cable instead.”
What do you guys think? Is network television yesterday’s news?
Broadcast toppers? Comedy skein? Laffer actor? Definitely not written by an American.
oh beet i love ur comments.. they always make me laugh…
on a side note- u should do more contests like the last one. i laugh soo hardd =)
Reading this kind of gave me a headache. I couldn’t really understand what they were saying. And I’m not American…
are you kidding, i watched every minute. oh yeah, did i mention i’m in a neckbrace in the hospital and some fucking nurse thought it would be funny to hide my tv turner?
I hope network television stays vital! I don’t have cable!
I had network tv for all my life until about 5 years ago when we got Dish, we recently have switched to digital cable, and I must say. I will NEVER go back to network tv again.
During the day, all that’s on is Soaps and Judge shows. I don’t even go near the network channels on my cable guide now, so boring.
Does anyone else think one day network tv is going to curl up and die?
i was watching i love money…although i dont know why…
well beet
i personally love my tv shows. but i think that awards shows are a thing of the past (for the viewers anyways)
i think that awards shows should be held for the stars and we should just get the pics afterward.
its like going to a strangers sweet 16. its cool fo them cause they can brag about how lots of people went and they get more presents in the end, but what did u get out of it. nothing more than a slice of cake in a disgusting flavor.
and that my friend is lame