Sunday, September 17, 2017

Roll out the red carpet again

The Primetime Emmy Awards are tonight. And as usual, I will be filing my bitchy review. This jaded view of the ceremony is usually the result of not winning one myself this year (even though I had nothing to put up for nomination, but that’s a technicality) and let’s get real -- the shows are usually snark-worthy. The categories are so screwed up that CRIMINAL MINDS might win Best Comedy.

But there’s one difference from years past. Instead of posting the review Monday morning in my blog I will be recording it and posting it as my podcast. That podcast episode should be available tomorrow morning. Later in the week I will post it on the blog, but if you want to hear while the show is still fresh in your mind, you’ll have to check out the podcast.

How do you do that? Many ways. iTunes has it. So do most podcast apps. You can also click here. Or, just scroll up until you find the big gold arrow and click on it.

So why am I doing it this way? To get more listeners, silly. Do you know how hard it is to build a podcast audience if you’re not famous or have a murder to solve? You do what you can.

And along those lines, on the Emmy review episode I will announce the winner of the autographed CHEERS script I am giving away. Thanks again to everyone who entered the contest. By the way, it’s a script from the first (and best) season. Picture the excitement of when they crowned an American Idol during that show’s heyday. But this is better. No Randy Jackson.

Good luck to all the nominees. Especially for the shows I’ve heard of.

8 comments :

Buttermilk Sky said...

And the Emmy for Worst Scheduling goes to PBS, for putting the first episode of Ken Burns's "Vietnam War" on an 8 tonight.

Frank Burns said...

Actually, PBS is probably more interesting than watching a room full of mostly unknown actors winning awards for shows 95% of the country has never heard of and the lame insults that will be hurled at the president by Stephen (Lucky Trump won for his sake) Colbert and the C-D Lister's who will be forgotten once their show ends.

I'll wait for KL's podcast review.

Liggie said...

Bizarre Emmy fact: Bob Newhart's only win was guesting as Professor Proton on "The Big Bang Theory'.

You could also build a podcast audience by ranting about politics or covering a sports league. Or interview one of those waiters who has a Hollywood Foreign Press vote for the Golden Globes.

Professor Herb said...

I have two different questions for you about a show that is on at the same time as the Emmy program: The Orville on Fox.

1) Is it a sign that the network doesn't expect the show to succeed if they are showing at an odd launch time, and/or showing a number of new episodes quickly, and/or showing new episodes against a big event like the Emmy awards program? I would think that any one of these would be a desire to burn off sunk costs before the advertisers are spending serious money.

2) Are audience expectations a factor in a show's short run success? Given the stars and the promotions, this seems like an hour long absurdist comedy like Red Dwarf. But the first episodes seemed to be making an effort at a bit of serious space adventure. No reason they can't do both, but the first episode seemed to have both parts almost fighting each other. (But that's just my impression. I could be wrong)

Kendall said...

Maybe I missed it, but Laura Dern failed to mention David Kelley, who wrote every episode of Big Little Lies.

D. McEwan said...

Between DVRs and "On Demand" (And in PBS's case, endless repeats on various PBS stations), what on earth does scheduling matter anymore? Not to mention that, here in LA, the Emmys run twice, once live (Going right now) and then again, three hours later in Primetime. One can - ah - "enjoy" The Vietnam War and watch the Emmies with no problem.

Cap'n Bob said...

Mental Floss has a feature about MASH and you're mentioned a few times.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/68457/17-painless-facts-about-mash

Jason Roberts said...

Professor Herb, to answer your questions about The Orville: (I'm taking a stab at answering since I know Ken hates Seth)

1. It's airing after Sunday Night Football - which is a huge lead in for the show (more so than the emmys) which they have done for two consecutive weeks to build a bigger audience

2. They are airing the third ep only four days later in it's regularly scheduled time slot, Thursday's at 9:00pm

3. In it's debut The Orville received the highest ratings Fox has seen since Empire. See the Neilsen notes here:
•The Orville is FOX’s highest rated drama launch since Empire (5.3/15 L3, 1/7/15; excluding Super Bowl lead-outs) and:
•TV’s highest rated drama premiere in nearly a year (since Designated Survivor on 9/21/16, 3.7/13 L3; excluding Super Bowl)
•TV’s highest rated scripted premiere in over eight months (since The Mick on 1/1/17, 3.5/12 L3; excluding Super Bowl lead-outs)
•The Orville is the highest rated entertainment telecast so far this month (ties FX’s American Horror Story premiere, 3.5/14 L3 on 9/5/17)
•The highest rated scripted broadcast telecast since 5/24/17 (Empire, 3.5/13 L3)
•Summer’s highest rated broadcast entertainment telecast (ties AGT on 8/15/17, 3.5/14 L3)
•The Orville was more time-shifted (+30%, 2.7/9 LS > 3.5/12 L3) than any post-NFL FOX premiere from last season:
•Among Men 18-34, The Orville (2.8/13 M18-34 L3) is also the highest rated broadcast drama debut since Empire (3.1/12 M18-34 L3, 1/7/15; excluding Super Bowl lead-outs).

I would say that based on this and Fox's relationship with Seth, that they are committed to it 100%.

If the numbers keep up, you will be seeing a second season.

I am interested to hear your opinion after you watch a couple of more episodes.

Also full disclosure I was the 1st AD on the series.

Best,

Jason