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August 10, 2005
El Dorado native Graves nominated for an Emmy
By STEVE SMITH
El Dorado Times
One night in September a name familiar to many El Doradoans may also be broadcast across the nation.
El Dorado native Alex Graves has been involved with the NBC television drama series "West Wing" almost from the beginning - in fact, he joined the series at its sixth episode.
Nominations for the 57th annual prime time Emmy Awards (for the period of June 1 of last year through May 31 of this year) were announced July 14 by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The awards presentation telecast - awarding the Emmys in 27 categories before a black-tie audience - will be telecast Sunday, Sept. 18 from the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium by CBS.
This year it could be Graves' turn to accept a singular honor for his work with the series.
When the Emmy Award nominations were announced that list includes Graves, who was nominated for outstanding directing for a drama series.
Graves was the director for the "2,162 Votes" season finale episode of "West Wing," which aired on April 6.
Graves said El Doradoans and the rest of the nation will have another opportunity to see that show in September, when the series begins another season.
Graves was a director for the series during the first two seasons he was involved with it.
He started producing the show in his third season, then moved into the role of executive producer before becoming fulltime producer/director beginning this season.
Now, Graves said, he's moving into another facet of the show; for the first time, he said, he's writing an episode for "West Wing."
That episode, which will run during the upcoming new season, is scheduled to air in October, he said.
Graves said working with the cast of "West Wing" - people who are "wonderful actors"- has been one of his most rewarding experiences in being involved with the show.
Also, he said, "working with political consultants from Washington and learning how the presidency really works continues to be really fascinating."
Graves said "we get lots of people in Washington" calling all the time to comment on the show.
"We seem to have as many Republican fans as Democrats," he quipped, adding "some of our biggest fans are Republican and Democratic members of government."
Graves said people in Washington contact the show all the time to "back up what we do" with the "West Wing" series.
He said it's a "big compliment" to hear those kinds of accolades, adding those are coming from people who understand "it's very hard to get it right."
Graves said people in Washington are also complimentary of the series because it helps to tell the nation's television viewing audience "not everybody in government is corrupt."
Posted by Jo at August 10, 2005 10:13 AM