The 2009 Emmy Nomination Snubs

Last year about this time, I was moaning about the problem with the Emmys and all the people or shows that they snubbed for an Emmy nomination. Here we are, a year later, and I’m still moaning about it because they’ve snubbed many of them again.


Snubbed!
Last year, Battlestar Galactica got snubbed, as did Mary McDonnell, who played President Roslin. Well, despite the fact that the series finished with such a dramatic ending and their final season had some of the best acting ever in the entire sci-fi genre, the series received no dramatic or acting honors. While they had an excellent cast overall, it is simply criminal that Mary McDonnell was overlooked and someone like Mariska Hargitay was included. Let’s be honest here, Mariska’s role of Olivia Benson has run its dramatic course, and her performances this past season seemed reduced to scenes that screamed “for your consideration.” In defense of Mariska, there isn’t a whole lot a person can do to make Dick Wolf’s Law & Order franchise world very compelling for actors. After all, with some of Sam Waterston’s best years as Jack McCoy going virtually unnoticed (he was nominated a few times, never won), it's safe to say that no one in this franchise will ever win an Emmy. (OK Academy voters, make a liar out of me.) Mary McDonnell’s performance in the final episodes of Battlestar Galactic was gripping and virtually ripped my heart out. Also robbed of a nomination was Katee Sackhoff for her performance on BSG as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace. And the series itself went from the doldrums of their middle seasons to being one of the most interesting sci-fi stories ever told. It is just inconcievable that this series could have been so overlooked.

Snubbed!

New to my Emmy snub list is Kiefer Sutherland, who got ignored this year, except for a nomination for “24: Redemption” which was in the movie/miniseries category. This was 2-hour a show that I thought wasn’t all that good, and not anywhere near his great performance for the full season itself. Yet, Simon Baker gets nominated for his bland performance as Patrick Jane on “The Mentalist,” a role that is one-dimensional and, in my opinion, requires little acting range. Maybe the Academy was angry that Jack Bauer wasn’t protecting Los Angeles this past season?

Snubbed!

Another repeat offender on the snubbed list is Robert Sean Leonard, who plays Dr. James Wilson on Fox’s “House.” Let's tell it like it is: there would be no House without Wilson. Leonard plays the perfect confidant, conscience, and whipping boy to House, and he does it so naturally that one forgets that the two are acting. Sure, he has great lines written for him and…oh wait, even the writers for “House” were snubbed. Diagnosis: The Academy of Television Arts & Science are all brain dead.

So, another year, another Emmy rant. I think the only thing that will solve this problem is if the Academy makes a move similar to what the Oscars have done and increase the number of nominees in key categories. With so many shows – primarily dramas - on television these days, it’s a shame that the limit the nominees to only about 6 people in a category. I don’t believe that raising the number of nominees to 10 would in any way dilute the honor, nor would it dilute the importance of the winner, since you can still have only one.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is my opinion of the Academy from last year, where I said “The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences are becoming less relevant to the viewing public, since they rarely represent what viewers think is the best television. For what it's worth, for those I mentioned above that were not nominated, there are many viewers out there who appreciate your efforts and our award to you is continuing to watch your shows.” It’s no gold statue, but I hope it has value to those that were snubbed this year.


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