Emmys

A few notes on the Emmys:

The Emmys have an inferiority complex. They've got Oscar envy. Why else would they perennially nominate the Academy Awards, a telecast which is hardly the best TV has to offer? And when movie people deign to appear on television, they're showered with laurels. Look at all the Emmys tossed at HBO's Angels In America, including statuettes for Mike Nichols, Meryl Streep and Al Pacino.

Frasier, already Emmy's winningest show, picked up awards for Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce. I like the show, but is it anywhere near the best of all time? It comes from a long line of classy ensemble comedies, starting with The Mary Tyler Moore Show through Taxi through Cheers, and I think it's the weakest of that bunch. Frasier didn't break new ground--at best it was smart but ultimately conventional fare. Contemporaneous shows which were both funnier and more original rarely won for best series, such as Larry Sanders, Seinfeld and, above all, The Simpsons.

There were some worthy winners. While I prefer Curb Your Enthusiasm, I was glad to see Arrested Development win for Best Comedy. It's an original, clever show with ratings that need a push. Creator Mitchell Hurwitz also won an Emmy for writing the pilot. I met Hurwitz years ago and he was not only very funny, he was very friendly. I wish him and his creation the best of luck.

Finally, I was glad to see The Sopranos finally win Best Drama. It's been the best thing on television for years, but West Wing seemed to have a death grip on the category. It wasn't The Sopranos best season, but in episodes like "Long Term Parking"--where Drea de Matteo buys it--it was as good as ever. Meanwhile, the Emmy voters recognized that West Wing without creator Aaron Sorkin had jumped the shark. (Jesse Walker, an editor at Reason, has announced the phrase "jump the shark" has jumped the shark. Little does he know he's only one in a long line to do this. The phrase won't go away because it's too useful. Certainly it can be overused, but when a show loses the executive producer who made it special, you can spot the fin.)