Harrrrumph!

[hyphenate]

The Emmies have been announced. I might be in a minority, but I am SO sick of premium cable shows taking the place of regular broadcast shows in the Best Series category. Many of us don't get premiere channels, and can't watch those shows, and it's completely unfair to regular broadcast shows which have to deal with far more stringent censorship.

Here you could have The Sopranos and they're swearing (like most of us do in real life) like longshoremen, and tackling far more graphic or complex themes, and you try to pit them against a drama in primetime regular time where the complex theme might be sumblimated to keep the kids in the audience from knowing more about what is going on, and where swearing has to be also inferred.

Come on, assholes! Make the competition a REAL competition. Pit premiere cable shows against others on premiere cable, and give the broadcast channel shows a better chance at showing why they're still great shows, despite Standards and Practices!

I also think that because of this practice of mixing shows, some really good broadcast channel shows are left out. The CSI franchise is one. The original CSI is one of the best shows on TV right now, and only a couple of the actors have made it into the best acting category. And despite the series staying fresh every season, with great stories, it hasn't gotten half the plaudits it deserves.

And there are others, like Without a Trace and Criminal Minds, for instance, which handle mature topics with a lot of discretion, and also provide topics which stir discussion and controversy.

Aaargh!

I get fed up with the Academy on a routine basis. They're nothing but a bureaucratic bunch of morons who need to have their attitude adjusted.

Anyhow, had to vent. :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. You know, I think you're right - it is an unfair competition

because of the totally different limitations between cable pay-for-TV and the stations that use FCC regulated airwaves.

[hyphenate]

2. Back about fifteen years ago

this was not a major problem. Most premiere shows weren't eligible for the same categories then. But to please the "big" networks like HBO and Showtime, they eventually caved and let shows be submitted for the same cats. And instead of making a separate category for best "cable" shows, they cited it a "time constraint" and blended it with the other main category. Idiots! The show runs over regardless, and adding one other category--for Best Cable Drama--isn't going to make a whole helluva difference in time.

And besides, the CableAce Awards are done specifically for cable/premiere channel shows, and the Emmies are the only one that awards broadcast channel shows.

I have a lot of respect for producers and creators of shows that are excellent despite their placement in the untenable field of broadcast television. They have to deal with various overviewers at the studios at which they make their shows, but then they have to deal with censors, advertisers, and network execs. The writers of such shows have to keep in mind whether a show is broadcast during the "family friendly" hours of 8-9, or whether they are able to explore more mature themes between 9-11.

Yes, things have gotten a whole lot better than they were in the 70s and 80s, but there are still things that can not be openly discussed on many shows. When a show pushes the envelope, it often gets criticized for doing so, and that's not fair. Television has been around long enough now that it shouldn't just be PBS and cable channels that teach and create discussion. Broadcast channels should be allowed to stimulate the minds of the audience as well. Otherwise TV will keep having the reputation of being pablum for the masses.