TV Pats Itself On Back With Emmys
The TV business rewards itself during the always glittery and glamorous 49th Annual Emmy Awards on CBS Sunday at 8. Bryant Gumbel hosts.
The stars will shine brightly as shows such as “ER,” “The Larry Sanders Show” and “The X-Files” vie for the coveted statuettes. This year “ER” could walk away with 22, “Sanders” with 16 and “The X-Files” with 12.
As in the past few years, cable has let its presence be known by racking up several awards and nominations.
This time around, HBO could pick up 90 Emmys. That’s more than the nominations for any of the big three networks. (NBC weighs in with 89, ABC has 47 and CBS has 60).
There are few surprises in the outstanding lead-actor categories. Michael J. Fox, Kelsey Grammer, John Lithgow, Paul Reiser and Garry Shandling were named in the category of outstanding lead actor in a comedy.
Shandling has 14 career nominations and has yet to win. Is he becoming the Susan Lucci of prime time?
David Duchovny, Anthony Edwards, Dennis Franz, Jimmy Smits and Sam Waterston were named in the drama area. They all have been nominated before in this category.
Anthony Edwards is the only one to have never received an Emmy.
Nominees for outstanding lead actress in a comedy are Ellen DeGeneres, Fran Drescher, Helen Hunt, Patricia Richardson and Cybill Shepherd. In the comedic actress category, the only one to have won an Emmy is Helen Hunt. (She picked up a lead actress award for “Mad About You” last year.) As for dramas, Gillian Anderson, Roma Downey, Christine Lahti, Julianna Margulies and Sherry Stringfield were named. This is Downey’s first Emmy nomination, and Julianna Margulies is the only one of the group to have been awarded the statuette.
If you can manage to sit through the three-hour-plus show, we hope the folks you’re cheering for win. Pass the envelope, please.
Highlights
“Miss America Pageant,” ABC tonight at 9: We get a new Miss America. The only tradition that remains intact is the crowning of the winner by last year’s Miss America, Tara Holland.
Gone are evening gowns. Now the contestants can wear anything that fits the “evening-wear” category.
In addition, the swimsuit this year can be a bikini. But will they still do the interview segment?
The event is live from Atlantic City, N.J.
“A Face to Die For” (1996), NBC Sunday at 9: Like “The Phantom of the Opera,” this is a tale of heartache and revenge on the part of someone who has been disfigured and betrayed. Unlike “Phantom,” it never transcends its unlikely twists and turns.
“Falling From the Sky! Flight 174” (1995), ABC Sunday at 9: The old terror-in-the-sky formula rapidly takes shape with more cliches than seats on a 747.
The story told in the cockpit features William Devane as Capt. Bob Peterson, a pilot for Canadian World Airways.
As a result of a mix-up on the ground, his Boeing 767 runs out of fuel in midair. Anyone fascinated by aviation will be inspired by Peterson’s almost superhuman feat. (The conditions he faced have been programmed into flight simulators, and to date no pilot, according to the movie, has ever re-created his feat.)
Parents’ Pick
“The Westing Game” (1997), SHOW Sunday at 8: This comedic whodunit for the younger set is a nice alternative for those bored with the Emmys. A pre-adolescent (Ashley Peldon) stumbles onto a millionaire’s dead body. Soon she’s running around town looking for the killer in hopes of inheriting $20 million.
Ray Walston is the right choice to play four roles here. He gets to use his talent to play kindly oldsters with an edge.
It has enough mystery to keep young folks guessing until the end.
Cable Calls
“Space Jam” (1996), HBO tonight at 8: Michael Jordan hoops it up with a bunch of Looney Tunes characters (Bugs, Daffy, etc.) in this colorful comedy. Parents may scoff at the cartoon violence, but kids will giggle at those wild and crazy cartoon characters and relish the family-oriented tale about aliens out to kidnap Bugs.
“Garth Live from Central Park,” HBO tonight at 9:30: You can catch an encore showing of this concert special when the pay-cable service offers a free peek at its programming. Garth Brooks has the crowd wrapped around his finger, especially during “Thunder Rolls” and “We Shall Be Free.”
“Muppets Tonight,” DISN tonight at 6:30: The rock star formerly known as Prince takes part in the craziness full of physical, sophomoric humor only younger kids are able to enjoy.
Movie Marquee
“On Deadly Ground” (1994), NBC tonight at 9: Action star Steven Seagal becomes an eco-terrorist when he sees how oil companies are hurting the environment.
“True Lies” (1994), FOX Sunday at 7: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis star in this lighthearted action thriller in which Schwarzenegger plays a top spy whose wife (Curtis) thinks he’s a computer salesman.
Tom Arnold as Schwarzenegger’s sidekick is the real treat in this fast-paced caper from director James Cameron of “The Terminator” movies.