Subject: Re: Emmys from Hell
From: ekushnir@math.lsa.umich.edu (Eugene Kushnirsky)
Date: 1990-09-18, 11:08
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

In article <1128@mobius.ACA.MCC.COM> abbott@mobius.ACA.MCC.COM (Jeff Abbott) writes:

> >I didn't expect Sherilyn Fenn to win, although I was rooting for her;

I didn't think she would win, either.

> >I didn't expect Piper Laurie to win, because her role in TP is just
> >not as meaty as the roles of the women she competed
> >against (after all, Catherine is not the pivotal character
> >in TP).

Again, I agree.

> >I was, however, SHOCKED that writing, directing, set design, and best
> >actor did not go to TP. Did you hear the crowd's reaction when Kyle
> >MacLachlan was nominated - it was a roar! Sure, Peter Falk is a fine
> >actor, and I don't wish to denigrate him - but "Columbo" is a stale 
> >story now. I never could sit through a whole episode of "Columbo" because
> >it was too easy to predict what Falk would do. Kyle's performance had
> >far more humor, subtlety, and interest. . .I still can't believe he didn't
> >win.
> >
> >As for the other awards TP lost, I think the academy chickened out and
> >went with "safe" choices. "LA Law" used to be an interesting, ground-
> >breaking show, but it's fallen into its own formula. Every episode this
> >season (I estimate I saw 40% of them, to be fair) seemed to deal with
> >strife between associates and partners over ethical issues such as
> >conflict-of-interest and divestment in South Africa. I don't find that to
> >be particularly interesting drama. While LA Law is still one of the 
> >better shows on television, IMHO it lacked the force and panache of
> >earlier seasons, and was not even in the same league as Twin Peaks.
 
I don't think "chickening out" is a plausible explanation. When a show like
TP comes along, a show that is a critical, if not a commercial, success, a
show that generates so much interest (In the spring, any issue of Time or
Newsweek was guaranteed to have a mention of TP), in short, a show that is
highly innovative and influential, and it fails to get a *single* major Emmy,
well that makes me think that the members of the Academy are trying to send
some kind of message. What message? I came up with three possibilities:

 1) TV should stick to "safe" shows--sitcoms and soap operas, moral questions,
    South Africa, terminal illnesses, etc. 

 2) Twin Peaks is not, as I've said, a ratings success. Perhaps the voters
    felt that the general public does not watch or comprehend TP (probably
    true). Many people find the show dull. Those were his fellow actors you
    heard applauding Kyle MacLachlan.

 3) We always hear that the voters are also actors and directors and producers,
    etc. and that they vote for their friends. I can't imagine David Lynch 
    having many friends in Hollywood.

Anyway, whatever the Academy's reasons were, I do feel that this was a
*deliberate* snub of TP and not some kind of oversight. I'm totally baffled.
(Aside from Fenn and Laurie, it was nice to see Peter Falk get an award. That's
the only other category I'm not stark raving mad about, although it would have
been better for all concerned if Falk had won last year).

Of course the upshot is, not many people are watching TP and the Saturday night
time slot isn't helping. Once we find out who killed Laura, more people will
stop watching. Winning some Emmys might have helped the show's chances. As it
is, I think we might be looking at the last season of Twin Peaks.

> >Two last points: glad to see Ted Danson finally win for Cheers, and I loved
> >the Log Lady's "cameo" appearance. The only two highlights of a flubbed,
> >long-winded, disappointing show.

The Simpsons were great!



--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|    "Remember, all criminals are rats...and should be treated as such!"  |
|                                  --Dick Tracy in The Dick Tracy Serial  |
|                                                                         |
|    "It's all right--only a flesh wound!"   --same as above              |