2010 Emmy Wrap Up


All right, ladies and gents: Award season is back in swing (lucky for us, it’s never too far away) as last night the 2010 Emmy Awards were presented. I thought it was a good, tight broadcast, even if there were a few long speeches and some categories we could do without – and I mean totally, television could do without them, not just the awards. (I’m looking at you, reality programming.) Jimmy Fallon was a funny and charming host and there weren’t too many surprise winners, though I would have voted differently than some Academy members. As always, check below for winners and additional thoughts because first: the fashion!

Nothing too hideous or adventurous. I thought Lea Michele looked stunning in a deep navy blue Oscar de la Renta gown. Plus, her hair was light and flowy, a perfect complement to the architecture of her dress. (Fun side note: Accompanying nominee Michele was her favorite Idiot (and former Hippie), Theo Stockman!) Sticking with the Glee misfits, I’d like to point out that I loved nominee Chris Colfer’s treble clef lapel pin. A brilliant way to add a touch of whimsy and a shout to the arts – all at once – to an otherwise classic look. Jane Lynch, a winner (!!!), looked elegant and regal, without a track suit! Winner Ryan Murphy wore a beautifully tailored Tom Ford tux. The sheen off the blue jacket was a little too retro-prom for my taste, but Murphy wore it with confidence and because it was Tom Ford, it fit perfectly. And dreamboat Matthew Morrison (and arguably Jon Hamm, who, like Clooney is prone to do, wore a classic Armani tux) is quickly giving George Clooney a run for his money in the “Looks Damn Good in a Tux a la Clark Gable” category. (That’s probably not an official category anywhere but my mind…)

From Glee singles to gleeful couples: Three of my favorite couples on the red carpet: Amy Poehler and Will Arnett; Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka; and Eva Longoria Parker (who does NOT play for the Tampa Bay Rays) and Tony Parker (who DOES play for the San Antonio Spurs). Now, I’m not a Spurs fan and I don’t watch Desperate Housewives but the Parkers looked stunning on the red carpet. Eva is probably just below Lea on my best dressed list. Neil and David looked great, with Neil rocking a two-toned tux and skinny tie and David sporting the classic tuxedo. And Will and Amy looked great – and happy: The couple just welcomed their second child three weeks ago! I thought Amy looked fabulous in a flowing lavender-gray Max Azria gown.
In the “who wore it better” category: The battle of the nudes. There were lots of whites and neutral palettes last night. Winner Claire Danes did a good job in Armani Prive …but, I feel like I’ve seen this dress before. Plus, on the red carpet her make up wasn’t working for me. Her eyes looked too dark – almost hollow – and her lips were too pale; she almost looked anemic. (When she presented and accepted her award, though, it looked as though she’d been touched up and she looked flawless.) Elisabeth Moss did a better job, in my opinion, though. She wore a flowing light silver gown with just the right nude make up: Enough eye make up for definition, and a slight hint of color to keep her looking lively. Perfect.
Some other hits: Winner Kyra Sedgwick in a beautiful chic aubergine hippie gown, with wavy sandy blonde locks to match. Tine Fey looked classy in Oscar de le Renta. Sofia Vergara looked liked a stunning golden statue in Carolina Herrera.

Biggest miss: January Jones. What the hell was Versace thinking? The color was great, I’ll give her that. It was a beautiful jewel tone blue. But it was all wrong. The structure, the length, the hair… Well, the hair had nothing to do with the dress, but still – she looked disheveled. Here’s the thing: I think she doesn’t look like anybody. I never recognize her – I can’t pick her out of a line up of one. That said, this too-busy dress was wearing her. It just swallowed her. In my memory, she never looked good on the red carpet but everyone ends up talking about her the next day. Way to generate some buzz, January.

And one last note about how people looked: If you aren’t watching The Good Wife, may I present you with reason one and two: Josh Charles and Matt Czuchry
Now on to the broadcast. I thought the cold open, with Jimmy, the Gleeks, Tina Fey and other misfits was terrific. I like Jimmy. I like like Glee. And I love The Boss. So putting them all together is a surefire way to get things off to a great start. I also liked Jimmy’s musical interludes introducing each category (comedy, drama, etc.). He got the audience involved and served as a nice sorbet as we transitioned from variety programming to movies and miniseries.
Even though I didn’t understand the necessity of some of the bits, they were funny and the show ended up coming in on time so it’s all good. One totally unnecessary but thoroughly funny bit was Jimmy’s musical tribute to three shows that “passed” this season: 24, Law & Order and Lost. He reworked “Candle in the Wind” for 24; wonderfully spun Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye To Yesterday” for L&O; and, as you might have guessed, my favorite part was Jimmy dressing up like Billie Joe Armstrong and rewording “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” for Lost’s send up. I also really liked the bit with George Clooney and Modern Family. Seriously – you have to watch Modern Family.
And that was the broadcast. Nothing too much of note, but all in all a good award show. HBO won a total of 25 awards; Eric Stonestreet and Jane Lynch both gave lovely, heartfelt speeches; I would have liked to see Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison or Julianna Margulies win in their respective categories, but I’ll live; Ryan Murphy’s acceptance speech was great: He saluted arts education in schools and thanked all his teachers – the ones who taught him “to sing and finger paint!”; and the always funny Modern Family grabbed the prize for Best Comedy Series. (Even though you know, dear reader, how much I love Glee, I’m actually kind of glad that Modern Family won instead. Glee’s collective head was starting to swell and the hype was reaching critical mass, putting Glee in danger of believing its own hype, trying too hard and jumping the shark before its second season even made it to air. Last season, all the hype was on Glee and while it’s great fun, Modern Family is also very, very good and deserving of the same fervor. Way to go, Modern Family!) Visit emmys.com for the full list of winners. Below are my favorite wins of the night:
  • Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
  • Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Jane Lynch, Glee
  • Writing for a Comedy Series: Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, Modern Family, “Pilot”
  • Directing for a Comedy Series: Ryan Murphy, Glee, “Pilot – Director’s Cut”
  • Variety Series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
  • Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family

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