"61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards" Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
Sunday, September 20, 2009 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
Host: Neil Patrick Harris

Outstanding Drama Series
“Big Love”
“Breaking Bad”
“Damages”
“Dexter”
“House”
“Lost”
“Mad Men”

Outstanding Comedy Series
“Entourage”
“Family Guy”
“Flight of the Conchords”
“How I Met Your Mother”
“The Office”
“30 Rock”
“Weeds”

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama
Sally Field, “Brother and Sisters”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
Glenn Close, “Damages”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: SVU”
Elizabeth Moss, “Mad Men”
Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace”

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Hugh Laurie, “House”
Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Simon Baker, “The Mentalist”

Outstanding Made for TV Movie
“Coco Chanel,” Lifetime
“Grey Gardens,” HBO
“Into the Storm,” HBO
“Prayers for Bobby,” Lifetime
“Taking Chance,” HBO

Outstanding Miniseries
“Generation Kill,” HBO
“Little Dorrit,” PBS

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
“The Colbert Report”
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
“The Late Show with David Letterman”
“Real Time with Bill Maher”
“Saturday Night Live”

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “New Adventures of Old Christine”
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who”
Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program”
Toni Collette, “United States of Tara”
Mary-Louis Parker, “Weeds”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jemaine Clement, “Flight of the Conchords”
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Tony Shalhoub, ”Monk”
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Kevin Dillon, “Entourage”
Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”
Rainn Wilson, “The Office”
Tracy Morgan, “30 Rock”
Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock”
Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men”

Supporting Actor in a Drama
William Shatner, “Boston Legal”
Christian Clemenson, “Boston Legal”
Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad”
William Hurt, “Damages”
Michael Emerson, “Lost”
John Slattery, “Mad Men”

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies”
Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live”
Kristin Wiig, “Saturday Night Live”
Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock”
Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty”
Elizabeth Perkins, “Weeds”

Supporting Actress in a Drama
Rose Byrne, “Damages”
Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment”
Hope Davis, “In Treatment”
Cherry Jones, “24″

Complete list at:
Emmys.com/Nominations

[Shawn Hopkins]

Yay for Kristin! I'm so glad she won, since this was her last chance for Pushing Daisies and he was far and away the best thing about that show, and it was a very good show so that's a serious compliment.

Also, NPH's opening song was, well, awesome.

[Burgundy Ranger]

I was kinda worried that, with a football game that ran to 7:30, CBS would be stuck in its "60 Minutes MUST run in its entirety" mode and tape-delay the Emmys.

Guess programmers aren't totally stupid.

[Shawn Hopkins]

After the tragedy that was last year's reality show host hosted Emmys, CBS seems to be trying much harder this year. They've got things that people actually think are cool, like NPH as host and John Hodgman doing color commentary. So far it's been watchable, but it's still, you know, an awards show so I don't know if I'll stick the whole thing out.

[Katsumara]

I'll probably stick with the Comedy bit, and then change over to the football game. I love NPH.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Geez, that Family Guy bit was dreadfully unfunny. Boring dance sequence too.

I'm glad they didn't try to give Hayden Planetarium a joke. She wouldn't know funny if it bit her on her perky environmental activist butt. It was funny to see Jeff Probst, who won the Emmy for best reality show host, acknowledge how bad the Emmys were last year.

[Urusei Yatsura]

The Family Guy bit was just.... awkward and unfunny. Too inappropriate IMO for the Emmy's.

[AhmedtheHead]

The Family Guy bit was just.... awkward and unfunny. Too inappropriate IMO for the Emmy's.

There were NO laughs during that segment until the end. I always hated that "Where's My Money" bit. It started funny, but then it was just sadistically violent and 100% not funny.

I really hope the Emmys don't be stupid and give Family Guy an award. The recent output of the show is not Emmy-worthy. Seth needs a rude awakening so he can improve the show's writing.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Okay, that Dr. Horrible bit, with most of the main cast, makes this whole show worth it and worth actually watching an awards show for me. Hilarious, topical and cameo by Felicia Day, not much more you can ask for.

One thing that's funny is that sometimes Neil will list the presenter's most embarrassing credit. He list Munchie for one person and Superman IV for Jon Cryer.

[PeppeRaskell1]

I was hoping that Jim Parsons would win for The Big Bang Theory...
[SPOILER]But Alec Baldwin just won for 30 Rock.[spoiler/]

Just as well. We probably would have seen a Kanye West spoof by Parsons' fellow actors from the show, mugging it for the camera.

[Katsumara]

The bit there with Jon Stewart was pretty funny and I loved his comment about giving them a reason to go backstage and watching a football game.

[Condiment King]

I was watching something else while watching the Emmys, and, if not, I might not have even been able to stay with it. I kinda tuned out until the presenters showed up for the next award. Man the Emmys is a heaving mass of boredom, especially in the middle with all the pointless mini-series/made for TV movie and reality TV awards. After comedy was done, I was just wondering when they'd get around to drama. I remember last time I had work and just caught the end of the drama awards and the big ones, and now I know I didn't miss anything.

Anyway Dexter and Michael C. Hall really need an award at some point. They are now three years overdue. Dexter is the best show on television, and Michael C. Hall is the best actor. Mad Men is still great, so it's not terrible that it won, but it's already won a lot. Also Bryan Cranston is great so it's not terrible he won either.

I was really happy that Toni Collette won best supporting actress in a comedy for United States of Tara. I wasn't expecting that. Also yay for Kristin Chenowith.

[mumbo]

Well lookie there the same shows and same people won again. Though Michael Emerson winning was a pleasant surprise. I wish Flight of the Conchords had gotten a little more recognition though.

Hopefully Lost wins Outstanding Drama next year, since it's the last season and it would be sort of a "collective" award for the whole series, like when Return of the King won all those Oscars. Mad Men can just win the award every other year of its existence

[Brandon Pierce]

When wasthe last time an animated series got nominated in the Primetime Emmys? I'm sure the last show most have been Simpsons or Futurama.

I kinda liked the bit about how Internet will be the the future of television.

Methinks Ricky Gervais is still annoyed at Steve Carell for hording his Emmy two years ago. :anime:

Sarah Silverman showing displeasure at losing an Emmy. That was funnier than her sporting facial hair.

I wish Tina Fey would wear her glasses at these events. I mean, she's beautiful without them, but I think she just looks more awesome with them on.

There was a Muppets Christmas special last year? When was that?

The only Emmy win that actually pissed me off, was the Hugh Jackman dance number from last year's Emmy show. Isn't that the same as the Emmys.... awarding themselves?

[Shawn Hopkins]

When wasthe last time an animated series got nominated in the Primetime Emmys? I'm sure the last show most have been Simpsons or Futurama.

I kinda liked the bit about how Internet will be the the future of television.

Methinks Ricky Gervais is still annoyed at Steve Carell for hording his Emmy two years ago. :anime:

Sarah Silverman showing displeasure at losing an Emmy. That was funnier than her sporting facial hair.

I wish Tina Fey would wear her glasses at these events. I mean, she's beautiful without them, but I think she just looks more awesome with them on.

There was a Muppets Christmas special last year? When was that?

The only Emmy win that actually pissed me off, was the Hugh Jackman dance number from last year's Emmy show. Isn't that the same as the Emmys.... awarding themselves?

The Jackman thing was from the Oscars, so don't be pissed off. Be happy.

Anyway, in the end NPH did an awesome job and did his best to make the Emmys watchable.

[Djm912]

Isn't that the same as the Emmys.... awarding themselves?

That's sort of how I feel about 30 Rock.

The TV industry is essentially rewarding itself for being so funny and so talented.

[Shawn Hopkins]

The TV industry is essentially rewarding itself for being so funny and so talented.

That's the whole point of the Emmys. They are industry awards chosen by other people in the industry. It's not the People's Choice awards.

[The Penguin]

Overall I enjoyed the Emmys. Neil Patrick Harris was great (other than the fact that he didn't win... again ). While I agree that it made the middle with miniseries/TV movies a bit boring (after Kiefer Sutherland didn't win for 24: Redemption), I really liked the way they split the show up into the different segments of primetime TV. That theme idea really worked for me. Another thing that I really liked was NPH introducing people with really obscure credits rather than what they are currently known for. It was funny and made me want to pay attention.

I was excited to have How I Met Your Mother nominated for Best Comedy, but I would have loved it if it had won. I greatly enjoy 30 Rock, but I'm already bored with them winning.

I too was really happy Kristin Chenoweth won for Pushing Daisies. She and the show certainly deserved it.

He's not someone I think a lot of people know, but I really liked Ken Howard's speech accepting for his role in Grey Gardens. The congressman and rapper comments were topical and entertaining. (Looking at his IMDb page, I find I know him best from one-shot roles on The West Wing and Boston Legal).

Jeff Probst really deserves the Reality Show host so I was happy to see him win that one again. He does a great job with that show and while I may be biased, he really makes that show. His speech was pretty good too. "If you have a dream, dream big, pursue it with a passion. In the words of the great storyteller Joseph Campbell, the adventure you're ready for is the one you get. Life is short. Go for it. Thank you."

Speaking of hosts, I have to say that missed the 'Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program' category. I did get tired of the entertainment legend with a special winning each year, but I really missed this award all the same.

I liked the directors and some of the writers nominees giving advice. They were both real and hilarious at the same time. I think it was Rod Holcomb, the winning ER finale director who said something to the effect of telling someone to go the hell in such a way that they will want to go there.

One of my favorite parts of the Emmys each year is seeing how the writers for the Variety, Music Or Comedy Series will be introduced. Since these folks are comedy writers it is always funny and entertaining. I wasn't overly impressed with The Daily Show's "clunkers" but the others are so hard to pick a favorite with Billy Crystal singing Dave's writers and then the "Aren't you on at 10?" joke, Brian Williams declaring the SNL team nerds, Colbert's simplicity of them all standing there and then their boss catching them in front of the Ed Sullivan theater and Conan ignoring all his writers' Facebook friend requests. I knew where that one was going, but the reveal was great.

There was a Muppets Christmas special last year? When was that?

A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa aired Dec. 17, 2008 on NBC. It was a one-hour special. It comes out on DVD later this month actually.

The only Emmy win that actually pissed me off, was the Hugh Jackman dance number from last year's Emmy show. Isn't that the same as the Emmys.... awarding themselves?

That was actually from last year's Oscars so no it was not.

[dth1971]

Family Guy didn't win best Comedy Series Emmy thanks to 30 Rock!

Does Amazing Race always win the best Reality Series Emmy each year?

Funniest jokes: Billy Crystal singing the Late Show with David Letterman writers, Brian Williams reading the list of SNL writers and calling them "NERDS", Conan 'O Brian marking his writers on Facebook, and the mentioning Comedy Central's Daily Show was on the air for 76 years and started on old time radio! (Even the YouTube/Twitter/Facebook merger joke clip of "YOUTWITFACE" was shown!)

[Shawn Hopkins]

One of my favorite parts of the Emmys each year is seeing how the writers for the Variety, Music Or Comedy Series will be introduced. Since these folks are comedy writers it is always funny and entertaining. I wasn't overly impressed with The Daily Show's "clunkers" but the others are so hard to pick a favorite with Billy Crystal singing Dave's writers and then the "Aren't you on at 10?" joke, Brian Williams declaring the SNL team nerds, Colbert's simplicity of them all standing there and then their boss catching them in front of the Ed Sullivan theater and Conan ignoring all his writers' Facebook friend requests. I knew where that one was going, but the reveal was great.

I thought "Conan ignores the friend requests" one was best, but all of those were good. I even liked Stewart's since it featured what looked like Truckasaurus.