Since I didn't watch the Emmy Awards last night, I have no idea if they really were, as many are saying online this morning, the worst Emmy Awards ever. The folks who are saying that this year seem to say that every year and I suspect most of 'em only watch so they can say that. To me, a lot of this is like someone who watches televised golf matches and gets angry that all that happens in them is that a bunch of mostly-white guys — some of them in funny pants — walk around a big park and try to hit a little ball into a hole. Just what are they expecting?
And of course, some are furious about who wasn't in the "In Memoriam" segment. This year, the main sacrilegious omissions seem to be Kaye Ballard, David Hedison and Peter Tork. I've decided I cannot begin to care about these complaints until such time as I see one person complain that they left out a producer, director, writer or any other behind-the-scenes individual who might have been crucial to the making of a television show.
Here's the math on this. 44 people were included in the televised montage last night. Another 38 were included in the "In Memoriam" reel at the Creative Arts Emmys last Tuesday. Some (not all) of those 82 people are on this page over on the TV Academy site. I like the Creative Arts one better because it isn't mainly about performers. It recognizes that other people matter.
Still, there are plenty of people who've worked and made important contributions in television but were not in either video or on the web page. My pals Larry DiTillio, John Boni and Tom Williams weren't in either place.
I am, however, not irate about that; not in the slightest. This is all too trivial to get irate about and I absolutely recognize that there's no way to include everyone. I'm just tired of people complaining about 10% of the performers who didn't make the cut and not being bothered in the slightest at the omission from the prime-time telecast of 90%+ of the writers, directors, producers, make-up people, stunt persons, art directors, stage managers, grips, hair dressers, composers, costume designers, editors, et al. When those crafts are as well-represented as the actors, I might start caring about someone like Peter Tork only being on the website, not on the telecast.
But even then, come on. Peter Tork will still be remembered just as long as anyone anywhere wants to watch reruns of The Monkees, which will probably be forever. Not getting his few seconds on "The worst Emmy Awards ever" (and maybe the lowest-rated) does not diminish his fame in any way. If anything, it's the folks who helped make The Monkees a hit and didn't get their faces on camera or their names in the main title who'll be forgotten. I guess because they weren't actors, who cares?