Subject: Re: Emmys from Hell
From: abbott@mobius.ACA.MCC.COM (Jeff Abbott)
Date: 1990-09-19, 07:00
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks
Reply-to: abbott@mobius.UUCP (Jeff Abbott)

In article <1990Sep18.180822.20986@math.lsa.umich.edu> ekushnir@math.lsa.umich.edu (Eugene Kushnirsky) writes:
> >In article <1128@mobius.ACA.MCC.COM> abbott@mobius.ACA.MCC.COM (Jeff Abbott) writes:
>> >>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. 

Eugene, this is what I meant by chickening out (see above, my original comment
about safe shows).
 
> > 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.

Twin Peaks (the premiere) was the number one TV-movie for ABC this year, and
did the best of any ABC show against "Cheers" in the past four years. Granted,
it's not a Top Tenner, but ABC has said it considers Twin Peaks a success
because the audience it has attracted is, demographically, young, educated,
and successful--the kind of viewers advertisers love. You're right that Kyle
MacLachlan was being cheered by his fellow actors (but it was still a roar :-)).

> > 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.

Possibly. But he has respect, and that ought to be enough to garner awards.
In many ways, this reminds me of Spielburg's snub at the Oscars over "The
Color Purple".

> >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.

Jealousy over his success, possibly? TV always says they want to do inno-
vative programs, a la Bochco and Lynch, but when something truly innovative
comes along, it gets snubbed. Or perhaps some of TV Land's denizens are
concerned that other talented movie directors will want to follow Lynch's
lead and do TV work. . .and put some of them out of jobs. What a cultural
loss that would be. . .My God, no more Baywatch? :-)

> >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.

For a cult show like Twin Peaks, with a devoted audience, Saturday isn't a bad
time at all. Whether or not viewers drop out when Laura's murder is solved is
too early to tell, IMHO. It really depends on what Lynch and Frost do. When he
was interviewed on the Donahue show, Frost said, "There are a thousand stories
in the small town, and we're gonna tell them all." (Of course, with all the
subplots, it seems like they're halfway there!) :-)

Jeff Abbott
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Disclaimer: I didn't kill Laura, and neither did my employer.
abbott@mobius.aca.mcc.com   
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