The primetime Emmy Awards show from Sunday night was deadly dull. Funereal at far too many points. A massive letdown.
Every year, I expect more and get less. This year was a huge-er letdown, and I don’t think it’s because I’m getting grumpier.
The bizarre, misplaced music breaks – Elton John’s appearance made absolutely no sense to me – and the overlong but underdone tributes to TV entertainers and staff we lost over the past year.
If Emmy is trying to attract a younger audience, in Robin Williams’ tribute to the great Jonathan Winters, why not show viewers clips from Winters’ brilliant, hilarious career? Jean Stapleton’s, too. Even James Gandolfini’s, whom younger people probably already know. Instead, we got straight-up, no-clips eulogies. Lots of them.
As for the awards, there were many upsets and many deserving honors, especially for Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert. I’d like to have seen Bill Hader win but, alas, no.
As for the big upset, there wasn’t one. Many, especially star Kevin Spacey, expected Netflix’s streaming series “House of Cards” to win big and demonstrate how the delivery of TV programming is rapidly changing. It didn’t happen – and you could tell Spacey was peeved.
But remember: When cable TV was finally allowed a ticket to the Big Dance – the primetime Emmys – in the mid-1980s, it took a bit for cable, especially pay-cable, to start racking up the awards. Be patient.
Obviously, I’m not – at least with the Emmys.
More launch dates:
This is the Big Launch Week for the 2013-14 TV season. On Friday, I gave you launch dates for returning series that have rolled out or are debuting this week. As promised, here’s a look at the premiere dates for more returning series debuting later in the fall season, as well as the launch dates this week for new series.
In with the returning series:
• “The Amazing Race,” 8 p.m. Sundays on CBS. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “American Dad,” 9:30 p.m. Sundays on Fox. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday)
• “Arrow,” 8 p.m. Wednesdays on the CW. Debuts Oct. 9.
• “Awkward,” 10:30 p.m. Tuesdays on MTV. Debuts Oct. 22
• “Beauty and the Beast,” 9 p.m. Mondays on the CW. Debuts Oct. 7.
• “The Biggest Loser,” 8 p.m. Tuesdays on NBC. Debuts Oct. 8
• “Bob’s Burgers,” 8:30 p.m. Sundays on Fox. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “The Carrie Diaries,” 8 p.m. Fridays on the CW. Debuts Oct. 25.
• “Covert Affairs,” 10 p.m. Thursdays on USA. Debuts Oct. 17.
• “Eastbound & Down,” 9 p.m. Sundays on HBO. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “Family Guy,” 9 p.m. Sundays on Fox. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “The Good Wife,” 9 p.m. Sundays on CBS. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “Grimm,’’ 9 p.m. Fridays on NBC. Debuts Oct. 25.
• “Hart of Dixie,” 8 p.m. Mondays on the CW. Debuts Oct. 7.
• “Homeland,” 10 p.m. Sundays on Showtime. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “The Mentalist,” 10 p.m. Sundays on CBS. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “Once Upon a Time,” 8 p.m. Sundays on ABC. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “Project Runway All Stars,” 9 p.m. Thursdays on Lifetime. Debuts Oct. 24.
• “Raising Hope,” 9 p.m. Fridays on Fox. Debuts Nov. 8.
• “Revenge,” 9 p.m. Sundays on ABC. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “Scandal,” 10 p.m. Thursdays on ABC. Debuts Oct. 3.
• “The Simpsons,” 8 p.m. Sundays on Fox. Debuts Sept. 29 (this Sunday).
• “Supernatural,” 9 p.m. Tuesdays on the CW. Debuts Oct. 8.
• “Treme,” 9 p.m. Sundays on HBO. Debuts Dec. 1.
• “The Vampire Diaries,” 8 p.m. Thursdays on the CW. Debuts Oct. 3.
• “The Walking Dead,” 10 p.m. Sundays on AMC. Debuts Oct. 13.
• “White Collar,” 9 p.m. Thursdays on USA. Debuts Oct. 17.
Some new series debuting today through Sunday include:
• “Back in the Game,” 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.
• “The Blacklist,” 10 p.m. today (Monday) on NBC
• “The Crazy Ones,” 9 p.m. Thursday on CBS.
• “The Goldbergs,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on ABC.
• “Hostages,” 10 p.m. today (Monday) on CBS.
• “Lucky 7,” 10 p.m. Tuesday on ABC.
• “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,’’ 8 p.m. Tuesday on ABC.
• “The Michael J. Fox Show,” 9 p.m. Thursday on NBC.
• “Mom,” 9:30 p.m. today (Monday) on CBS.
• “Trophy Wife,” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on ABC.
