And The Emmy Goes To...

The 2010 Emmy Award winners included some fresh blood, a few surprises and a handful of perennial favourites.

The Emmys bring good old Mrs Bucket to mind. Self-consciously determined to be perceived as a celebration of intelligent and thoughtful television, the awards instead come across as slightly pretentious, clique-y and completely ignorant of the general public's preferences.

My main gripe is the lack of two categories I would consider relevant today, teen programs and scifi/fantasy programs.

There are no awards for these genres, despite their rampant fan bases. There is, however, an award for Outstanding Commercial, and, of course, Outstanding Hair Styling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special, won by Dancing With The Stars. No way insulting to genre television AT ALL.

This came to a head last year, when Kim Manners was left out of the In Memoriam tribute. Despite having produced almost a hundred episodes of The X-Files, and executive producing Supernatural, he'd also directed episodes of everything from 21 Jump Street to Baywatch, Star Trek: the Next Generation and even the original Charlie's Angels.

Worth a mention, much??

The Emmys tried to appear a little more populist this year, nominating True Blood for Drama and awarding Jim Parsons the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory. Reactions have been divided, but at least there were some surprises.

Definite thumbs up to Jane Lynch, who won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Coach Sue Sylvester in Glee. To be fair, the character scores some great, gasp-inspiring lines:

Sue: All I want is just one day a year when I'm not visually assaulted by uglies and fatties.

Glee, Season 1, Episode 12.

I spotted Lynch playing a nurse with two or so lines in an old episode of Gilmore Girls the other day. Talk about moving forward.

It was also great to see Archie Panjabi walk away with Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Her portrayal of in-house investigator Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife is a ver-y long way from the part of Pinky in Bend It Like Beckham.

Mad Men, the (apparently) fabulous show nobody watches (including me), took out Outstanding Drama Series, beating Dexter, True Blood, Lost, Breaking Bad and The Good Wife. I know I shouldn't really argue against it, never having watched it, but given all the accolades and the fact it still hasn't drawn me in for even one episode... all I can say is, I see where most of America is coming from.

I was surprised Modern Family beat Glee for Outstanding Comedy Series. Another award I couldn't really get behind was Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama going to Kyra Sedgewick for her portrayal of Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson in The Closer. I would definitely have gone for Glenn Close (Damages) or Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife). I guess it was a case of fifth time lucky for Kyra.

Really though, Jim Parsons win was the biggest news of the night. All I can say is, welcome to the In Crowd, Sheldon.

The Teen Choice Awards

The Teen Choice Awards make me nostalgic. Remember when postering people was an overriding passion? Back in the day, Blu Tacking pretty boys to the bedroom walls took up a lot of my (after school) schedule.

From a business perspective, the awards can be viewed as a form of market research, especially as audience input is involved. Actors who carry their fan base from one show to the next are the kind of talent studios want on the books. Current popularity with the teen market could be indicative of potential longterm popularity on the small screen.

It's always interesting to note which pretty people can translate good looks into magnetic onscreen charisma. Some youthful actors come up blank on television, while other seem to burn a trail across the screen like glossy comets.

When it comes to categories, maybe The Teen Choice Awards should take a leaf from fictional bookstore Elsewhere, which created 'interesting' sections for its novels. "This Show's Got Lotsa Hotties But No Real Story" maybe?

Let's just say the only thing funnier than Chuck competing in the Action category, was Chuck winning the Action category.

Likewise, Glee for Comedy? Generally described as a dramedy, I do consider it more dramatic than comedic, especially in comparison to fellow nominees Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory.

(Placing The Vampire Diaries in the Fantasy/Sci-Fi category was probably an attempt to convince teens vamps aren't real, but my guess is the subliminal message didn't register).

The show's main hunk Paul Wesley won for Actor in a Fantasy/Sci-Fi program, but my (bloodbank) money remains firmly on Ian Somerhalder, who plays resident baddie Damon. He won for Villain, probably just edging out Ed Westwick for his seductive portrayal of billionaire bad boy Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl.

At least one resident hottie is usually de rigeur when it comes to success with teen audiences, but Glee has shown a quirky and adorable ensemble cast can make up for the lack.

I never thought I'd see the day I was glad Keeping Up With The Kardashians won something, but hey, if the sisters can stop Jersey Shore from taking out a 'Reality' award, I'm happy.

There wasn't a lot of competition in the summer program section. Lucy Hale, who plays Aria in Pretty Little Liars, took out the Actress award. (Hale was also great in short-lived series Privilege).

Moments where I wish reality had bent to reflect my tastes? Supernatural winning the Fantasy/Sci-Fi category, as reward for portraying the Apocalypse on a television budget, would have been fair. Ed Westwick even being nominated for Actor in a TV Drama would have been believable?? (Any competition that implies Penn Badgley, who plays Dan Humphrey on Gossip Girl, qualifies as a more of a hottie than Ed Westwick, is definitely on something).

Kudos has to go to actress Leighton Meester. When Gossip Girl first hit our screens, the lead character in the series was troubled blonde socialite Serena Van Der Woodsen, portrayed by actress Blake Lively. Leighton Meester was cast as the sidekick bf, Blair Waldorf.

Over three seasons, Meester has stiletto'd her way to the top of the cast pile. Climbing the podium in a white minidress and wildly high heels to accept the award for Choice TV Actress: Drama, she shone with a kind of confident ambition that's breathtaking.

You go, girl. (Do kids even say that anymore? Maybe more like 'uGOgrrl'?)

xoxo

They're Back... Almost.

September is when the gloves come off. New seasons of scripted television programs are unleashed, and it's metaphorical fisticuffs as networks compete for ratings supremacy.

A number of programs will have to deal with the storyline fallout of fantastic(al) season endings. After some rather spiffy WTF finale moments, here's hoping writers can put the pieces back together in new and unusual, but relatively believable, ways.

A Dozen Questions Sure To Be Answered

Will Supernatural suck?

The cult show is kickstarting season six without creator Eric Kripke at the helm. Let's be honest, nobody wants to live through the horror of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, season seven, ever again. I guess as long as they don't import annoying teens to act out subpar scripting, we're golden, right?

Will we see Sheldon play rock paper, scissors, lizard, SPOCK again?

My inner dork (okay, outer dork too) misses that weekly dose of The Big Bang Theory.

Will the crew on Castle keep arresting everyone?

Has anyone else noticed Beckett's penchant for charging people? It borders on Poirot-like. To be fair, the moustached Inspector merely pointed out how how each suspect may have perpetrated the crime. Beckett just arrests them all.

Will Parenthood play favourites?

I hope they continue to share the storylines relatively evenly among the many characters in this heartfelt family drama.

Will Dan and Rufus be the only annoying Humphrey's on Gossip Girl this season?

Sure, Jenny Humphrey is a pariah among Gossip Girl fans, but I'm going to miss actress Taylor Momsen's gothy makeup and sulky onscreen saunter. She made me nostalgic for Shannon Doherty's final months on Beverley Hills 90210, back in the day.

Will anyone out there keep watching 90210's re-incarnation?

The new 90210 is hard to type about because, frankly, NOONE CARES.

Will Jules and Grayson work as a couple?

Is it really a good idea to date inside your own cul de sac? Isn't that worse than an office romance? I know everyone's horrified by my Cougar Town love, but it gives me fond Friends memories, and it's fun.

Will Jeremy turn?

I need to know whether Elena's little brother on The Vampire Diaries is a bloodsucker now. The suspense is killing me. (And maybe him). This show kicked butt with a spectacular doppelganger moment at the end of the debut season. Bring it on, Katherine!

Will Brennan and Booth get it together?

Over on Bones, the convoluted not-couple continue along on their not-so-merry way. Sometimes relationships really are this complicated. Kudos to the writing team.

Will the disembodied voice ever stop talking?

The premise of How I Met Your Mother, with that voice rambling on about how the guy met the kids' mother, is exponentially annoying. Dad's been telling the story for years now. Seriously, does his progeny reall-y need to hear about all the times he got laid before hooking up with mum??

Will The Good Wife get naughty?

Alecia Florrick- will she, won't she? (I hope someone noticed the Will pun there, btw. Will she run off with Will? Will she?) A lot of people love the character Klorinda, but I've got a soft spot for Cary, in all his transparently ambitious glory.

Will Mr Schuester & co. sing 'where do we go from here'?

I'm going to leave on a high note... yes, here's looking at you, Glee. A lot of lead story arcs were closed last season. How about a Buffy The Musical episode, with Joss Whedon directing? Worlds colliding.

The Mulder/Scully Legacy, aka Boy Meets Girl Meets Unexplained Phenomena

Nineties program The X-Files embraced the idea fictional character Sherlock Holmes was known to iterate; when you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder investigated 'unusual' cases while battling serious sexual tension. International audiences lapped up the concept. In its heyday, X-Files exemplified the success of the man/woman/supernatural trifector, providing an outstanding prototype for procedural television with a paranormal twist.

Fringe is a relatively recent series working the whole mismatched personalities/sexual tension angle alongside investigation of, well, freaky-deaky stuff. Clashes between the female FBI agent and genius college dropout with questionable morals provide an extra dash of spice. Joshua Jackson's surprisingly suave as Peter Bishop, proving he has scope for more than just the teen angst showcased on Dawson's Creek.

I've only seen the first half of the debut season. Plotholes in the pilot episode were so big, you could fly the jet plane that crashed in the opening sequence right on through them... but perhaps the show found its way in season two? The third season begins screening in September, so Fringe obviously has enough of a following to stay on air.

Warehouse 13 is much more lighthearted, following the adventures of Myka and Pete, aka agents Bering and Lattima, members of the US Secret Service assigned to Warehouse 13, a storage space for bizarre 'artefacts' possessing extraordinary powers. The artefacts generally link to historical figures; ie Man Ray's camera (steals life force), or Dante's Death Mask (produces flames).

Currently in its second season, Warehouse 13 really is fun viewing. Hilarious quips and occasional action scenes bordering on slapstick make the show perfect for teens (or the inner adolescent). Sexual tension and unexplained phenomena are still on the menu, but like a dessert wine, the series aims to appeal to a lighter palette. Rather than following the hallowed, torturous path travelled by Mulder and Scully, Myka and Pete wander jauntily down a more frivolous road, though there are suggestions of a nebulous future for our protagonists:

Myka: Do you know, every former warehouse agent we know is either crazy, evil or dead?

Pete: Or all three.

Warehouse Thirteen, Season 2, episode 5.

Newbie to the scene is Haven, loosely based on a Stephen King novella. FBI agent Audrey Parker is played by Emily Rose, veteran of ER, Jericho and Brothers and Sisters. Parker arrives in the town of Haven, home to weird-as goings on. (The pilot includes a woman whose emotions effect the weather, and a vet whose constant line "maintain the perimeter" is because of a nervous telekinetic ability, rather than personal space issues).

She takes a job on the local force, partnering with intriguing character Nathan Wournos. Aside from a difficult relationship with his father (the chief of police), he's afflicted with idiopathic neuropathy, meaning he can't feel pain. Wournos doesn't talk much, while Parker can't seem to shut up, the characters easily establishing an almost instantaneous blend of camraderie and sexual tension.

Haven is just finding its feet, but so far, I really like Parker. She's got sass. The only flaw is how quickly, and casually, she seems to accept each paranormal-of-the-week explanation. Eric Balfour is a weak link in the supporting cast. (Remember him from the first two episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer? Probably not. He played Willow and Xander's bf Jesse. In true television fashion, Jesse was pretty much forgotten after his death, vampire reincarnation, and subsequent second death in the first two episodes).

Shows like Warehouse 13, Haven and Fringe are more niche-focused, in terms of audience pull. This means high fatality rates when networks come a cullin'. Luckily, there's a new kid on the block for every kooky effort that doesn't make the cut. Even better, each newbie bringing a twist of its own to the table.

All I can say, is hail the paranormal partner procedural dramas, a television sub-genre making good old cop shows so much more interesting... here's to you, Mulder and Scully.