In this message a few days ago, we discussed the dilemma of whoever had to decide who to include and exclude for this year's Emmy Award "In Memoriam" montage. I posted fifty names and said they'd probably feature 20 or 25. The montage aired this evening had 29 people in it, seven of whom were not on my list. Here's who they had in it…
Dennis Weaver, Barnard Hughes, Mrs. Philo T. Farnsworth, Don Adams, Dan Curtis, Lew Anderson, Ralph Edwards, Curt Gowdy, Robert Sterling, Michael Piller, Red Buttons, Mike Douglas, Scott Brazil, Tony Franciosa, Phyllis Huffman, Darren McGavin, Gloria Monty, Jan Murray, Pat Morita, Al Lewis, Maureen Stapleton, Buck Owens, Jack Warden, Don Knotts, Robert Wise, John Spencer, Louis Nye, Shelley Winters and Richard Pryor.
And there was a separate tribute to Aaron Spelling. To save you comparing lists, here's the roster of those who didn't make the cut…
June Allyson, Lloyd Bochner, Harvey Bullock, Jean Byron, Hamilton Camp, Franklin Cover, Robert Donner, Marty Farrell, Bud Freeman, Skitch Henderson, Douglas Hines, Bruce Johnson, Jerry Juhl, Pat McCormick, Sheree North, Lou Rawls, Charles Rocket, Rick Rhodes, Nipsey Russell, Vincent Schiavelli, Richard Snell, Wendie Jo Sperber, Mickey Spillane, Harold J. Stone, Amzie Strickland, Lennie Weinrib and Jack Wild.
I had Bob Denver in the list of possibles but I think he was covered last year. Beyond that, a couple of omissions surprised me. Nipsey Russell, Pat McCormick and Skitch Henderson did an awful lot of television. Jerry Juhl was a mainstay of The Muppets. Rick Rhodes had an awful lot of Emmys. But I suppose they had to draw the line somewhere and wherever they draw it, you could say, "Hey, what about So-and-So?" I was also surprised that they closed with Richard Pryor instead of Don Knotts.
This may all sound morbid, and I suppose it is. But I've lately known a few folks who were terribly hurt that their loved one, recently departed, was not deemed of sufficient import to make the "In Memoriam" montage. The suggestion has been made that the Emmys and Oscars should do away with such segments completely, and there's a good argument for that. Trouble is, when a Johnny Carson or a Bob Hope dies, you have to say something…and then the door is wide open. If you can mention Carson, why can't you mention this other guy who was almost as important? Or someone will argue that someone else was as important as Carson…and so on.
I haven't watched the whole show yet. I may or may not be back later with more comments on the telecast.