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July 05, 2006
Emmy race widens under new rules
Sydney Morning Herald
Tony Soprano and his thugs will be back, looking to grab a piece of the action, and The West Wing politicians will make one last bid for re-election when the Emmy Award nominations are handed out on Thursday.
Both are likely to share the spotlight with a fresh crop of TV doctors, firefighters, a kid named Chris and an ex-con named Earl, thanks to Emmy rule changes aimed at giving newcomers and underdogs a better shot at U.S. television's highest honors. The winners will be announced on Aug. 27 in Los Angeles.
Even more than last year, when ABC's hot new Desperate Housewives clinched nominations for three of its stars and freshman castaway thriller Lost went on to claim the prize for best drama, this year's Emmy race is seen as wide open.
"The key story this year is the Emmy nominations should not look like a TV rerun," said Tom O'Neil, columnist for the Los Angeles Times entertainment award Web site TheEnvelope.com. "This new nominating system hopes to welcome in new blood from that second tier of TV channels that have not been represented strongly in the past."
That makes it tougher to handicap a process that long favored veteran shows and past nominees over newer offerings, though some perennial shoo-ins are expected to return.
Mob series "The Sopranos," a longtime Emmy darling that won for best drama in 2004 but sat out last year's contest due to a production hiatus, is heavily favored to muscle its way back into the race for the 58th annual awards.
And some experts give White House saga The West Wing, a four-time winner for top drama, a good chance of making the cut one last time for its critically acclaimed but low-rated final season, which drew to a close in May.
Hospital hit Grey's Anatomy, which just completed its first full US season, also is heavily favored to break into the pack just as Lost did last year.
Posted by Jo at July 5, 2006 10:31 PM