BY JOHN KIESEWETTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
By the time television celebrates its 75th birthday in 2023, maybe Jason Alexander, Eriq LaSalle, Noah Wyle, Gloria Reuben and others snubbed at the 50th Annual Emmy Awards Sunday finally will have received their due.
|
THE LIST
|
|
A complete list of Sunday night's Emmy winners |
Mr. Alexander went home empty-handed for the eighth and final time as pathetic George Costanza, TV's top sidekick on its No. 1 show (Seinfeld), which signed off in May.
Mr. Wyle, Mr. LaSalle and Ms. Reuben -- nominated as supporting performers on ER, TV's top-rated drama -- also were ignored. Where would ER be without them?
While NBC's golden anniversary Emmy telecast did a terrific job at saluting TV's rich past, the evening was tarnished by these oversights.
At least the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences finally honored Garry Shandling in his final Larry Sanders Show season, Christine Lahti for Chicago Hope and Andre Braugher for Homicide: Life on the Street. Mr. Shandling's comedy writing award was his first Emmy win in 19 Sanders nominations (though Kelsey Grammer again won the comedy actor award).
The academy also surprised many by naming ABC's The Practice best drama, and Camryn Manheim from the show as best drama supporting actress in her first nomination. Her glee provided the Emmy moment that will be replayed 25 years from now: "I always felt like such a misfit! . . . This is for all the fat girls!"
Frasier's David Hyde Pierce, who collected his second award as supporting comedy actor, took the opportunity to salute Seinfeld's Mr. Alexander and Michael Richards -- as well as Jeffrey Tambor and Rip Torn from Larry Sanders -- "on some of the greatest performances on some of the greatest shows that have ever been on television." And speaking of TV's greatest shows, viewers were treated to a wonderful array of old shows, stars and classic moments in NBC's four-hour telecast. It was truly a rare TV evening, this celebration of 50 years by an industry that now targets all shows to viewers ages 18-49.
But for one grand night, America could revisit old friends -- Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, James Garner, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Sullivan, Lassie, I Love Lucy, All in the Family and M*A*S*H. Most impressive was the 10-minute montage of clips, from Howdy Doody to the final Seinfeld. It was a powerful reminder of the universal experiences this nation has shared from one of the most remarkable inventions of this century.
Adding a nice touch to the ceremony were the presenters' personal remarks at how television had touched their lives. These ranged from Billy Crystal's remembrance of Mr. Caesar's Your Show of Shows to Mark Harmon's memories of Mark McGwire's record-breaking 62nd home run last week.
Without going overboard, the 50th Annual Emmy Awards also squeezed in some great clips from previous Emmy telecasts -- such as Carol Burnett speechless in her first win in 1961, and Judd Hirsch's poignant comments for Taxi in 1983 ("Doesn't anybody know we've been canceled?"). But even with all the terrific nostalgia, the golden anniversary show didn't have to be the longest Emmy show in TV history.
With a little editing, Mr. Crystal wouldn't have been able to quip, as he did accepting an award for best variety, music or comedy performance:
"No one should complain that the Oscars is the longest show in television -- ever again."
John Kiesewetter is Enquirer TV - radio critic. His column appears Monday and Wednesday. Write: 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202; fax: 768-8330.
