Academy: Emmys Are "Appropriate"
Wednesday October 17 8:23 PM ET
If at first you don't succeed, move to Century City and pray The
Sopranos show up.
With the twice-postponed Emmy
Awards now rescheduled
for November 4, execs from CBS and the Academy of Television Arts
&
Sciences said Wednesday they're confident that the third time
will be a
charm and that Hollywood supports their decision to try again.
"All across our industry, people have been a little
shaken...but what I have sensed is it's the right thing to go
forward,"
Academy Chairman Bryce Zabel told reporters. "The Emmys have
gone on
every year of my life, through Korea, Vietnam, assassinations,
political
tribulation--and the Industry, I think, feels it's wrong to
abandon it."
So here we go again. As reported Tuesday, organizers confirmed
the Emmys will indeed be held November 4 at the Shubert
Theater in Century City, just outside of Beverly Hills. Ellen
DeGeneres will remain the host. But veteran producer Gary Smith
will
now be in
charge, after Don Mischer stepped down from his post to focus on
the
upcoming Winter Olympics.
Zabel and CBS chief Les Moonves said some things won't differ
from what was planned for the
October 7 ceremony, which was abruptly canceled after the U.S.
began
military strikes in Afghanistan. Gowns and tuxes will be ditched
in
favor of "dressy business attire." The red carpet will
remain subdued,
with no fans allowed in the area. And the night's lone postparty
will be
a Unity Dinner, now held across the street at the Century Plaza
Hotel.
Moonves says they're hoping many of the original
presenters will return, not to mention iconic newsman Walter
Cronkite,
who previously planned to make the night's opening remarks. Gone,
however, are plans to host a satellite ceremony in New York,
which had
been organized to accommodate East Coast attendees (including
Sopranos and Sex and the City cast members) who were
squeamish about straying from home following September 11.
The new date comes at a crucial time for CBS--the beginning of
November sweeps. But there is one teensy problem: The rescheduled
show
could conflict with Fox's coverage of baseball's World Series if
it goes
to a seventh game. Moonves, however, says less than 20 percent of
the
World Series have required a Game 7.
The Emmys were
originally scheduled for September 16 but postponed until October
7
following the terror attacks in New York and Washington. Before
settling
on this latest Emmy incarnation, organizers considered taping the
ceremony or even holding the event at a California military base.
"Logistically, there just wasn't enough time," Moonves
said.
"In all fairness, the military bases have other concerns
than putting on
an awards show."
But there are still plenty of other
logistics to iron out--like for instance, who's going to get axed
from
the Emmy guest list. The 1,800-seat Shubert Theater is, after
all, significantly smaller than the original venue, the 6,000-plus-seat
Shrine Auditorium.
If recent media interviews are any
indication, a few guests may be staying home anyway. NYPD Blue
star Dennis Franz, who was originally set to present a tribute to
New
York police, is one of several TV stars and producers who have
publicly questioned whether the Emmys should be rescheduled at
all.
For their part, Moonves and Zabel say most people they've spoken
with support the decision.
"As we've received
numerous calls from the creative community, I'd say 95 percent
have been
very positive about it," Moonves said.
CBS and TV
Academy accountants were probably very positive about it as well.
Ticket
refunds may hurt the Academy's overall revenue from the Emmys,
but not airing the show would've been more costly. Both ticket
sales and CBS' $3
million licensing fee account for a large portion of the
Academy's
annual budget.
But Zabel says, "We all felt it was the
right thing to do independent of that issue."
Moonves
wouldn't say exactly how much CBS stood to lose if the Emmys had
been called off for good. "This is obviously a big-ticket
item," he
acknowledged. "We're happy it's back on."
taken from E! Online
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