Do you ever start to think the folks who come up with Emmy nominations just don’t enjoy laughing?
Sure, the comedy crop has thinned over the past few years, but these people aren’t even trying anymore.
For some reason, they tend to keep up with the dramas.
Still, the Emmy nominators are either being too sympathetic or simply not paying attention when it comes to comedies.
They simply refuse to let go of the tired shows, like “Frasier,” “Everybody Loves Raymond” and even one of my favorites, “Friends.”
Kelsey Grammer’s lead actor nomination this year is a sham. And John Ritter’s selection is a sympathy nod that takes away another contender’s chance, but can be forgiven for all the years of laughter he’s brought us – 20 years after he won his first Emmy for “Three’s Company.”
It’s good to see that “Arrested Development,” the smartest comedy on Fox, got its due with a best comedy nomination. (The “smart” part is probably why Fox’s regular viewers are mostly tuning it out). The show’s relatively soft ratings are totally undeserved.
But the cold shoulder given to NBC’s “Scrubs” is unforgivable.
The show, which is consistently clever and well shot, received nominations for outstanding writing for a comedy and for single-camera editing.
But that’s not nearly enough for the only show on NBC that makes me laugh (with the exception of “ER,” but that’s only because of its lazy and generally outlandish story lines of late).
I loved the “Friends” finale, but let’s face it, we only watched in the waning days because we felt like we had to.
“Scrubs” lead actor Zach Braff (Dr. J.D. Dorian) and supporting actor John C. McGinley (Dr. Perry Cox) should have been recognized.
And denying a best guest appearance nomination to Michael J. Fox for his two-episode stint as a doctor with obsessive-compulsive disorder is just silly.
Fox’s performance left us wanting to see more, and sad to know that we wouldn’t.
Join the “Entourage”
It seems everything HBO touches turns to gold.
The new show “Entourage,” behind executive producer Mark Wahlberg, was the kind of thing I wanted to hate, but just couldn’t find a way.
It follows Vince Chase, an up-and-coming Hollywood star played by Adrian Grenier, and his three buddies – his pseudo-manager, Eric (Kevin Connolly); his half-brother and aspiring actor, Drama (Kevin Dillon); and the lively young party boy, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara).
The friends live with Chase in a mansion in the Hollywood hills and go with him everywhere – the premieres, the parties, the meetings with directors.
Jeremy Piven masterfully plays Chase’s ruthless agent, Ari. Piven always seems to play “that guy” in movies but is probably best known for his part as Dean Gordon Pritchard in the comedy “Old School.”
“Entourage” gives a glimpse of the Hollywood lifestyle and could become a “Sex and the City” for guys, with LA as the playland instead of New York.
The writing is witty and the acting is solid. The first five minutes had me hooked, and made me think, “I’ve had that exact conversation with my friends.”
The eight-week comedy series airs new episodes at 10 p.m. Sunday, but repeats can be found during the week.You can catch the premiere again at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Friday.
Columnist Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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