Ending On A High Note

Couldnt quite make sense of the heavily edited Emmy Awards? Paul Kalina fills in the best bits.

WITH the awards spread wider than anyone could have expected, Monday nights Emmy Awards were regarded by many in the industry as a night of good diplomacy.

In fact, it was a heartfelt adieu to what has already been hailed as the finest drama ever produced on television, The Sopranos.

While James Gandolfini and Edie Falco, whose characters Tony and Carmela Soprano were the shows linchpins, failed to convert their acting nominations into wins, the mob drama won the Emmy for best drama as well as the key directing and writing awards - the latter awarded to the shows creator David Chase for the much talked-about final episode, "Made in America", which is scheduled to air next month on Nine.

That the Emmys audience was there to commemorate The Sopranos was confirmed when the shows huge cast took to the stage for a standing ovation as if they were the winners of a gladiatorial contest.

From Ray Romanos stand-up routine, in which the star of Everybody Loves Raymond riffed about no longer having a show on air, there were reminders everywhere that another of televisions golden ages has passed us by.

The other key award of the night went to 30 Rock, a comedy about a late-night television sketch show, that had its debut on NBC last year then struggled to be renewed for a second season. The show was created by Saturday Night Live alumnus Tina Fey and is yet to air here. Seven plans to screen it over summer, usually an indication of a show that doesnt, in a networks estimation at least, have a ready-made prime-time audience. In her acceptance speech, Fey thanked "dozens and dozens" of viewers.

The US version of The Office was widely tipped to win best comedy over 30 Rock. In a further twist, The Offices Steve Carell was beaten as best comedy actor by Ricky Gervais (Extras), who created The Office with his British writing partner Stephen Merchant.

Reverence for the Brits was further evinced when Helen Mirren, whose beauty and elegance seem to increase each year, won her second consecutive Emmy for Prime Suspect: The Final Act, which also won gongs for writing and directing in the miniseries and movie category.

Other than host broadcaster Fox censoring a throwaway "goddamn" (in Sally Fields fierce anti-Iraq war tirade, of all places), it was a night free of controversy or outrage (even Kanye West managed to redeem his poor showing at the MTV Awards). Fears that Ryan Seacrest would prove a dull Emmy host after the polished performances of Conan OBrien and Ellen DeGeneres in years gone by were overcome by not giving the Idol host a lot to do.

The most daring aspect of this years Emmys was the arena-style round stage, which made it look more like Idol than a traditional awards show. It worked a treat for the television audience but was clearly a problem for those in the auditorium. James Spader complained that half the audience was looking at the backs of those on stage.

But those watching the brutally edited show on Ten on Monday night had it much worse. Giant chunks of the presentation were omitted. The entire show was broadcast live earlier in the day on pay TV.

Emmy antics

Best acceptance speech

Best actor James Spader (Boston Legal), who beat hot favourite James Gandolfini (The Sopranos): "I feel like I just stole a pile of money from the mob . . . Wheres Elaine Stritch when you need her?"

Most bizarre musical number

Band The Jersey Boys performed soppy songs by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to a montage of goombahs being whacked in The Sopranos. Cute? Not.

It worked last year, lets try it again

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert brought down the house last year with a send-up of reality shows. This year they tried a much-deserved parody of celebrities embrace of all matters environmental. It fell flat.

Australians are still flavour of the month

Judy Davis wins best supporting actress for the Queensland-shot miniseries The Starter Wife. Her fellow nominees in this category are Toni Collette (Tsunami: The Aftermath) and Greta Scacchi (Broken Trail). Accepting his award for Tony Bennett: An American Classic, Rob Marshall singles out Australian cinematographer Dion Beebe in his acceptance speech.

Best gag 1

A montage of scruffy Mexicans piling into a pick-up truck driven by last years Emmy host Conan OBrien, whose late night show won the writing award for a variety, music or comedy show.

Best gag 2

Ricky Gervais wasnt there to collect his statue for best actor for Extras, so Steve Carell, whose character in the US version of The Office is based on Gervais original, gleefully accepts it on his behalf.

Yo, Britannia!

Helen Mirren, who followed up last years win for Elizabeth I with her latest turn as DI Tennison in Prime Suspect: The Final Act, says: "You Americans are wonderfully generous people (pause) youre a lot of other things as well, some good, some bad."

Glaring oversight of the night 1

Sally Field as an overbearing matriarch in Brothers & Sisters beats Edie Falco (The Sopranos) to win best actress. Cmon.

Glaring oversight of the night 2

Greys Anatomys Katherine Heigl beats not only Lorraine Bracco and Aida Turturro (The Sopranos) but two of her more-deserving colleagues on Greys, Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson, to the supporting actress prize.

Emmy trivia

The Amazing Races fifth consecutive win (for outstanding reality show) places it in the Emmy record book alongside Frasier.

Marieke Hardy is on leave.

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