Klugman’s son upset by Emmys decision
The exclusion of Jack Klugman from an Emmy Awards tribute that includes Cory Monteith is an insult to the memory of the late TV veteran and three-time Emmy winner who starred in “The Odd Couple” and “Quincy M.E.,” Klugman’s son says.
“I think it’s criminal,” said Adam Klugman. “My dad was at the inception of television and helped build it in the early days.”
Ceremony producers announced last week that five individual salutes would be included on tonight’s Emmy show in addition to the traditional “in memoriam” segment that groups together industry members who died in the past year.
Besides Monteith, the “Glee” star who died in July of a heroin and drug overdose, those to be honored include “The Sopranos” star James Gandolfini; Jean Stapleton of “All in the Family”; comedian and actor Jonathan Winters; and “Family Ties” producer Gary David Goldberg.
All are Emmy winners except Monteith, who was 31 when he died and had yet to be nominated in his abbreviated career.
Emmy nominees who died last year and won’t be accorded separate tributes include Larry Hagman of “Dallas” and Charles Durning of “Evening Shade.”
Hagman, Durning and Klugman will be included in the group remembrance, an academy spokesman said Friday. In a statement, Emmy executive producer Ken Ehrlich explained his reasoning.
“To a younger generation, Cory Monteith’s portrayal of Finn Hudson (on ‘Glee’) was highly admired, and the producers felt that he should be included along with the four other individuals we have singled out,” Ehrlich said.
Jack Klugman died last December at age 90.
Disney-Bruckheimer deal ending
The Walt Disney Co. has announced that it would not renew its first-look deal with producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
The 69-year-old Bruckheimer produced such hits for the studio as “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “National Treasure,” “Armageddon,” “Con Air” and “The Rock.”
Disney said it will keep working with Bruckheimer on the fifth installment of “Pirates of the Caribbean.
The move comes after Bruckheimer’s “The Lone Ranger” failed at the box office this summer.
The birthday bunch
Musician King Sunny Ade is 67. Singer David Coverdale (Whitesnake, Deep Purple) is 62. Actress Shari Belafonte is 59. Singer Nick Cave is 56. Singer Joan Jett is 55. Opera singer Andrea Bocelli is 55. Actor Scott Baio is 52. Actress Bonnie Hunt is 52. Actress Daniella Alonso (“Revolution”) is 35. Actor Tom Felton (“Harry Potter” films) is 26.