Monday, August 28, 2006
huh?
What were the Emmys thinking last night? There was endless banter and so much time taken by non-comedic comedy from the host and the presenters that winners got maybe three seconds to bask in their moments. Poorly planned and even more poorly executed.
I must've been getting snacks or something (thank heaven) when the show began with Conan O'Brien being tossed around inside an airplane plummeting to earth in a so-called spoof of Lost. Airplane crashes are total knee-slappers anyway, but given the dreadful real plane crash 14 hours before, the skit was in breathtakingly bad taste and should've/could've been pulled. One feels sure that if the crash had been on either coast or involved 'important' people, a gracious comment would have been made and the skit replaced. Adrenaline fuels most of these folks anyway so the bevy of writers (including Mr O'Brien) would have enjoyed writing something at the last minute to replace the skit especially since it would have earned them kudos instead of finger-in-mouth revulsion.
One must consider, however, that most of the writing was surprisingly lame. Plus, Conan shouted everything (what was that about?) and his so-called jokes sounded like (rejected) first drafts from sixties' variety shows: drunk jokes, body part jokes, religion jokes, etc. A few times, even the jazzed-up audience didn't laugh, eliciting a pause and Conan remarking "well, okay then".
One of the bright spots was Megan Mullally's thanking the people who take care of her children - imagine how surprised and pleased they must have been. Another was Gregory Thomas Garcia (best comedy writing for My Name is Earl) who mentioned a few people he was not thanking, beginning with his first grade teacher who kept telling him to sit down and be quiet because "you're not funny, Mr Garcia".
NBC had an advertisement for its fall schedule that included a request to viewers to go online and post their reactions because "yours is the only opinion we care about". As if they mean it, but if my opinion really matters then they should (a) ditch Conan, (b) quit spreading commercials around the three hours, just gather them at the hour and half-hour, and (c) let recipients have a decent amount of airtime since that's what the show is all about.
I must've been getting snacks or something (thank heaven) when the show began with Conan O'Brien being tossed around inside an airplane plummeting to earth in a so-called spoof of Lost. Airplane crashes are total knee-slappers anyway, but given the dreadful real plane crash 14 hours before, the skit was in breathtakingly bad taste and should've/could've been pulled. One feels sure that if the crash had been on either coast or involved 'important' people, a gracious comment would have been made and the skit replaced. Adrenaline fuels most of these folks anyway so the bevy of writers (including Mr O'Brien) would have enjoyed writing something at the last minute to replace the skit especially since it would have earned them kudos instead of finger-in-mouth revulsion.
One must consider, however, that most of the writing was surprisingly lame. Plus, Conan shouted everything (what was that about?) and his so-called jokes sounded like (rejected) first drafts from sixties' variety shows: drunk jokes, body part jokes, religion jokes, etc. A few times, even the jazzed-up audience didn't laugh, eliciting a pause and Conan remarking "well, okay then".
One of the bright spots was Megan Mullally's thanking the people who take care of her children - imagine how surprised and pleased they must have been. Another was Gregory Thomas Garcia (best comedy writing for My Name is Earl) who mentioned a few people he was not thanking, beginning with his first grade teacher who kept telling him to sit down and be quiet because "you're not funny, Mr Garcia".
NBC had an advertisement for its fall schedule that included a request to viewers to go online and post their reactions because "yours is the only opinion we care about". As if they mean it, but if my opinion really matters then they should (a) ditch Conan, (b) quit spreading commercials around the three hours, just gather them at the hour and half-hour, and (c) let recipients have a decent amount of airtime since that's what the show is all about.
Labels: people, reflections, tv
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