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CNN Live Today
The Emmys: A Preview
Aired September 19, 2003 - 10:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Can "The Sopranos" rub out the competition in Sunday night's Emmy Awards, or should they just forget about it, forget about burying "Six Feet Under?"
Here to offer some insight, Tom O'Neil, and he of course is a senior editor of "In Touch Weekly," and runs goldderby.com, which gives odds on the entertainment awards.
Tom, it is very early out there in Los Angeles. Good morning.
TOM O'NEIL, GOLDDERBY.COM: Good morning, Daryn. How come you aren't here? You know, you are aren't afraid to dodge bullets in Iraq. This is the real war zone over here, and you're usually at these showbiz awards. Do I detect a little bit of the wimp factor?
KAGAN: No, you're calling me out this hour of the morning. Listen to you.
O'NEIL: We miss you, Daryn, that's what I'm trying to say.
KAGAN: Thank you.
We'll see what we can do about Oscars, how about that?
O'NEIL: Great, OK.
KAGAN: Meanwhile, we'd like to have you on Tom, because you don't just say, blah, blah, you know the behind the scene thing about how this is all set up, kind of the emotions going into it and the system.
You say if you go on goldderby, you explain that guilt is a very big factor, especially when it comes to the Emmys. How is that going to play out here.
O'NEIL: Well, we saw guilt bigtime last year when "Friends" finally won best comedy series after being snubbed for eight years.
The question is, what show will they catch up with this year? On the drama side, it's either going to be "The Sopranos" or "Six Feet Under." On the comedy side, it's either going to be "Everybody Loves Raymond," which has last four times, or "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which has lost one, but we give actual rate tracks odd at goldderby in every category. And sometimes I differ from those, but give me a race, I'll tell who's going to win.
KAGAN: All right, let's start with best drama. You mentioned "The Sopranos." "West Wing" has been strong in years past?
O'NEIL: I think it's going to be "Sopranos." Remember this show was not nominated last year, because it had no episodes in the awards eligibility (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I think that means Emmy voters missed it a lot. We give it 3-2 odds to come back and finally win a prize it's never won, which is shocking, considering the importance of this show on television.
But right behind it is "Six Feet Under," which for two years in a row, Daryn, has had the most nominations at the Emmys, but has not won best series. So that tells us they like it a lot.
KAGAN: Let's move on to best comedy.
O'NEIL: This is where I think you're going to see the jaw dropper, and there's always as jaw dropper at the Emmys. And this I think will come from "Curb Your Enthusiasm." This is -- yes, you remember, this show represents the Emmy voter perfectly -- a guy over 40, cynical, in show business, and that's Larry David, the star of this show, who, of course, was the writer of "Seinfeld," the inspiration for the George Castanza character, who got his own show three years ago from HBO, and now it's peaked, and it's creatively a terrific show, ready for either a victory here, or best comedy actor.
KAGAN: Let's go through a few acting categories. Another important thing you point out on goldderby.com, is that the way these are judged, each nominee has to turn in a single episode, so it's not just a whole body of work. If you knocked it out of the park on a single episode, perhaps you are working home with that gold statue. How will that play in for best actor in drama series?
O'NEIL: That's going to come down to two episodes. Both season finales that were terrific. Martin Sheen has never won best actor at the Emmys. He could win this year for the anguished portrayal who gave up the presidency when he -- his daughter was kidnapped. We give him 9-5 odds to win. I think James Gandolfini is going to win from "The Sopranos." This is a close race. He's won twice before. We give him 8-5 odds, and that's because in his case, and costar Edie Falco, they both submitted "White Caps," which is the season finale of "Sopranos," which if you're a "Sopranos" fan and have seen this, it's one of the great hours in television history.
KAGAN: Real quickly, names only, because I have to get one final question in, best actor in a comedy series?
O'NEIL: This is where I think we'll see Larry David pop up, but if not, most critics say I'm wrong and going with Tony Shalhoub from "Monk."
KAGAN: He has taken home the Golden Globe, so perhaps that's a little motion for him.
Actress, best drama?
O'NEIL: Actress, best drama, that's why I think "White Caps" will pay off for Edie Falco, and then for actress for best comedy series, I think we're going to see Patricia Heaton come back for "Everybody Loves Raymond." She's won twice before, but Jennifer Aniston fans don't give up hope. This is a toss-up. She could come back for the second year in a row, too. This is the one race that any of the five could win.
KAGAN: And just real quickly, we like to give the one Tom O'Neill Emmy Award. If you were in charge, if there was one you could make sure went home with an Emmy, what would the award be? Who would get it?
O'NEIL: Well, I sure wish Jane Kaczmarek from "Malcolm in the Middle." Finally win an Emmy. She's the finest comedic actress on TV today. I don't think Emmy voters are watching "Malcolm in the Middle," and I think her character comes across a little too mean sometime. But boy, is she is a great performer who really is overdue for recognition from her peers.
KAGAN: Well, and if not her, maybe her husband will take home the Emmys, as he already has, for his role in "West Wing."
Tom, thanks. Have a great time at the Emmys. Perhaps we'll see you here on Monday morning to help us kind of recap about who won and who didn't.
Thanks for getting up early.
O'NEIL: Thanks, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 19, 2003 - 10:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Can "The Sopranos" rub out the competition in Sunday night's Emmy Awards, or should they just forget about it, forget about burying "Six Feet Under?"
Here to offer some insight, Tom O'Neil, and he of course is a senior editor of "In Touch Weekly," and runs goldderby.com, which gives odds on the entertainment awards.
Tom, it is very early out there in Los Angeles. Good morning.
TOM O'NEIL, GOLDDERBY.COM: Good morning, Daryn. How come you aren't here? You know, you are aren't afraid to dodge bullets in Iraq. This is the real war zone over here, and you're usually at these showbiz awards. Do I detect a little bit of the wimp factor?
KAGAN: No, you're calling me out this hour of the morning. Listen to you.
O'NEIL: We miss you, Daryn, that's what I'm trying to say.
KAGAN: Thank you.
We'll see what we can do about Oscars, how about that?
O'NEIL: Great, OK.
KAGAN: Meanwhile, we'd like to have you on Tom, because you don't just say, blah, blah, you know the behind the scene thing about how this is all set up, kind of the emotions going into it and the system.
You say if you go on goldderby, you explain that guilt is a very big factor, especially when it comes to the Emmys. How is that going to play out here.
O'NEIL: Well, we saw guilt bigtime last year when "Friends" finally won best comedy series after being snubbed for eight years.
The question is, what show will they catch up with this year? On the drama side, it's either going to be "The Sopranos" or "Six Feet Under." On the comedy side, it's either going to be "Everybody Loves Raymond," which has last four times, or "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which has lost one, but we give actual rate tracks odd at goldderby in every category. And sometimes I differ from those, but give me a race, I'll tell who's going to win.
KAGAN: All right, let's start with best drama. You mentioned "The Sopranos." "West Wing" has been strong in years past?
O'NEIL: I think it's going to be "Sopranos." Remember this show was not nominated last year, because it had no episodes in the awards eligibility (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I think that means Emmy voters missed it a lot. We give it 3-2 odds to come back and finally win a prize it's never won, which is shocking, considering the importance of this show on television.
But right behind it is "Six Feet Under," which for two years in a row, Daryn, has had the most nominations at the Emmys, but has not won best series. So that tells us they like it a lot.
KAGAN: Let's move on to best comedy.
O'NEIL: This is where I think you're going to see the jaw dropper, and there's always as jaw dropper at the Emmys. And this I think will come from "Curb Your Enthusiasm." This is -- yes, you remember, this show represents the Emmy voter perfectly -- a guy over 40, cynical, in show business, and that's Larry David, the star of this show, who, of course, was the writer of "Seinfeld," the inspiration for the George Castanza character, who got his own show three years ago from HBO, and now it's peaked, and it's creatively a terrific show, ready for either a victory here, or best comedy actor.
KAGAN: Let's go through a few acting categories. Another important thing you point out on goldderby.com, is that the way these are judged, each nominee has to turn in a single episode, so it's not just a whole body of work. If you knocked it out of the park on a single episode, perhaps you are working home with that gold statue. How will that play in for best actor in drama series?
O'NEIL: That's going to come down to two episodes. Both season finales that were terrific. Martin Sheen has never won best actor at the Emmys. He could win this year for the anguished portrayal who gave up the presidency when he -- his daughter was kidnapped. We give him 9-5 odds to win. I think James Gandolfini is going to win from "The Sopranos." This is a close race. He's won twice before. We give him 8-5 odds, and that's because in his case, and costar Edie Falco, they both submitted "White Caps," which is the season finale of "Sopranos," which if you're a "Sopranos" fan and have seen this, it's one of the great hours in television history.
KAGAN: Real quickly, names only, because I have to get one final question in, best actor in a comedy series?
O'NEIL: This is where I think we'll see Larry David pop up, but if not, most critics say I'm wrong and going with Tony Shalhoub from "Monk."
KAGAN: He has taken home the Golden Globe, so perhaps that's a little motion for him.
Actress, best drama?
O'NEIL: Actress, best drama, that's why I think "White Caps" will pay off for Edie Falco, and then for actress for best comedy series, I think we're going to see Patricia Heaton come back for "Everybody Loves Raymond." She's won twice before, but Jennifer Aniston fans don't give up hope. This is a toss-up. She could come back for the second year in a row, too. This is the one race that any of the five could win.
KAGAN: And just real quickly, we like to give the one Tom O'Neill Emmy Award. If you were in charge, if there was one you could make sure went home with an Emmy, what would the award be? Who would get it?
O'NEIL: Well, I sure wish Jane Kaczmarek from "Malcolm in the Middle." Finally win an Emmy. She's the finest comedic actress on TV today. I don't think Emmy voters are watching "Malcolm in the Middle," and I think her character comes across a little too mean sometime. But boy, is she is a great performer who really is overdue for recognition from her peers.
KAGAN: Well, and if not her, maybe her husband will take home the Emmys, as he already has, for his role in "West Wing."
Tom, thanks. Have a great time at the Emmys. Perhaps we'll see you here on Monday morning to help us kind of recap about who won and who didn't.
Thanks for getting up early.
O'NEIL: Thanks, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
