The Emmys 2011 (the annual award ceremony that makes me feel most alien)

So the Emmys are over and the new Fall schedule can being proper (more about that later in the week, it's a sight to behold).

I was hoping the Emmys would make slightly more sense to me this time, having been here one more year and knowing more of the shows. At least the show started off with Jane Lynch being superb (I heard so much rubbish on Twitter about her singing being atrocious - but I thought it was more than reasonable and anything it does lack, she makes up with charisma and sparkle):

 

 

(And who knew that all of American television lives in the Led Zeppelin Physical Graffitti building!!)

The 'problem' with American TV is there's SOOOOO much of it. There isn't time to catch all of the good stuff (or even know some of it's there because you get waylaid by the mediocre stuff). There are SO many channels, all pumping SO much money into primetime (to the detriment of daytime, which if you think UK equivalents are dire, then you should be made to sit down and watch some US stuff). I'm guessing the longer I live here, the more I'll get to work out which channels I like and hear more word-of-mouth about the shows to watch.

So to be honest I'd probably heard about 2/3rds of the shows nominated. But even though I'd heard of most of the shows, there's lots of winners I just don't get. And some of this I'm putting it down to perhaps cultural differences. Possibly. I don't know, perhaps it's just me? For example, I'm sure Modern Family is very good (it won 5 Emmys) but I've tried several times to watch it, including at the start of last year's new season and I just don't get it. Melissa McCarthy winning Best Comedy Actress for Mike & Molly too. I didn't get this series at all, it started off good but one thing I hate about sitcoms is when they do that silly misunderstandings thing but not actually talking to the other person.....and when accompanied by fat jokes, it's not my cup of tea.

And as for Steve Carrell not winning Best Comedy Actor - that I don't get at all. Jim Parsons in The Big Bang Theory is fab, but The Office was wonderful last season, Michael Scott's swansong.....surely the judges/voters could see that?!

Now for the stuff I DO get

Goodness, this sounds awful doesn't it, a proper Monday morning moan BUT there is TONS of wonderful television here. I was delighted for Peter Dinklage's win for Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. He got Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for this (and I HONESTLY had no idea he wasn't British.....that's some superb RP!) And what else but The Daily Show could win best writing & best variety, dance or comedy series? (OK, it might be nice if they let The Colbert Report win once in a while, 9 wins in a row just looks greedy now ;)).

I adore The Good Wife, superb drama and I can't wait for it to start up again this Sunday. So I was delighted to see Julianna Margulies win Best Actress in a Drama....and no, I didn't think her dress looked like a couture Dalek, or an upside-down IKEA bin/trash can and all the other names I heard it called on Twitter. I loved it. I just would have done something different with her hair....

It was also lovely to see so many Brits or British productions nominated AND some winning during the night. Julian Fellowes, Maggie Smith, Kate Winslet and Downton Abbey I suppose spear-headed these but it was great to see Sherlock, Upstairs Downstairs, Luther, all the Brits in Game of Thrones, Kelly McDonald and probably the shot of Steven Moffatt in the audience looking as much of a fish out of water being there as I felt watching the whole thing :) One can only hope with Doctor Who this year being a joint production with BBC America that it might appear in the nominations.....or Torchwood being joint with STARZ.................who am I kidding, science fiction never gets a look in at these things.

Anyway, as I say, that's all over so now the tv networks can splash huge money all over the place to get us to watch the new 'Fall Season' starting proper tonight (though a few shows started last week, riding on the coat-tails of big reality show finales).

The fight for the remote starts tonight I'm sure with Melchett wanting NBC's The Sing-Off (Reality talent show featuring acapella groups), Goth Child wanting FOX's Terra Nova (new Spielberg-produced drama with dinosaurs), Mr Devyne wanting to try CBS's new Two and a Half Men line-up, and me wanting Sy-Fy's Warehouse 13 & the absolutely superb ALPHAs..........but luckily this is why DVRs were invented :)