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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Marc Peyser
Aired September 21, 2003 - 09:15 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: And the award goes to -- well, TV fans, you don't want to miss the Emmy Awards this evening. I'm sure you have your favorite tonight. You'll see if the judges concur with what you have to say.
For more on that and the other pre-Emmy buzz, we are now joined by "Newsweek" columnist Marc Peyser. He is a critic and senior editor for "Newsweek" magazine.
Marc, thanks for joining us this morning. Appreciate it.
MARC PEYSER, "NEWSWEEK" MAGAZINE: Hey, Sean. No Problem.
CALLEBS: OK. We're going to get to all the big stuff, like what people wear, the offhand comments they make. But let me know what you think about the format tonight. Instead of just having one host, they're going to have a whole string of comics come in. Do you think that's going to move it along pretty well?
PEYSER: Well, you know obviously it depends how each person does. In the past, they've had a hard time finding a really strong host. I think most award shows are feeling a little tired. Nobody is really as good as Johnny Carson or Steve Martin (UNINTELLIGIBLE), so why not try something different?
I'm sure some will be better than others. And maybe they'll find somebody to last sort of for the rest of a couple years.
CALLEBS: Let's talk about the categories. I think it's interesting that the whole theme basically is going to be comedy. Your thoughts for best actor, best actress in a comedy series?
PEYSER: Well, you know I don't know where you want to start. I guess best actor last year was Ray Romano in "Everybody Loves Raymond," and I think he's probably got the inside track. It's an extremely popular comedy that's come on stronger and stronger every year.
There's some people who think that Larry David might have a chance in "Curb Your Enthusiasm." I think that that show is a little too hip for Emmy voters at the moment. And he's a guy who is playing not a very appealing character and somebody who we think as being close to Larry David in real life. But he is a dark horse, I think.
CALLEBS: What about Matt Leblanc? I Mean, come on, "Friends" has been around for, what, 74 years now? PEYSER: Yes, and Matt's 100 years old. You know I think last year was the year for "Friends." We thought "Friends" was going to go off the air last year and it didn't. But, nonetheless, "Friends" won for the first time as a show. Jennifer Aniston won. So I kind of think that that moment has passed.
I think he's done wonderful things with Joey. And I think Matt deserves certainly the nomination. But I don't really think he'll win.
CALLEBS: OK. Let's move on to a drama series, if we can. Always, you've got to love "The Sopranos." HBO seems to do very well at these every year. But "West Wing?"
PEYSER: Yes, I mean, "West Wing" has won every year it's been eligible. I'm one of those people who comes up every year and says, "This is 'The Sopranos' year," and "West Wing" walks off with it. It think everybody acknowledges that neither of those shows had their best year this year.
Certainly, the "West Wing" didn't have a good year. And "Sopranos" didn't either. But it finished with an amazing, amazing episode, possible the best episode of any television show of the year. And I think that the voters don't want let "The Sopranos" go off the air -- if that ever happens -- not having won the award. So, I'm saying again, I think this is the year for "The Sopranos," but I've been proven wrong before.
CALLEBS: OK, Marc. I'm writing that down. This is the year...
PEYSER: Yes, there you go.
CALLEBS: OK. Also, John Ritter. Certainly all of Hollywood stunned by what happened last week. How do you think they're going to pay tribute to him?
PEYSER: You know, I don't know. That's a good question. Obviously, these award shows do take note of people who have passed on in the year gone by. It's always a very moving time.
I'm sure, especially since it was such a recent and such a shock, his death, that we'll have a few moments paid to John Ritter. That's one of the wonderful things about these award shows. I do say so much talk about silly things people say and wear, but it's important to take note of people who have made a real contribution, and obviously John Ritter did.
CALLEBS: All right, indeed. And he was supposed to be one of the presenters, as I understand this evening, as well.
PEYSER: Yes. You know, more sadness.
CALLEBS: Yes, indeed. Marc, thanks for coming in and joining us. We will keep an eye. And hopefully it moves along at a nice pace this evening.
PEYSER: Yes, that would be great. Thanks, Sean.
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 21, 2003 - 09:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: And the award goes to -- well, TV fans, you don't want to miss the Emmy Awards this evening. I'm sure you have your favorite tonight. You'll see if the judges concur with what you have to say.
For more on that and the other pre-Emmy buzz, we are now joined by "Newsweek" columnist Marc Peyser. He is a critic and senior editor for "Newsweek" magazine.
Marc, thanks for joining us this morning. Appreciate it.
MARC PEYSER, "NEWSWEEK" MAGAZINE: Hey, Sean. No Problem.
CALLEBS: OK. We're going to get to all the big stuff, like what people wear, the offhand comments they make. But let me know what you think about the format tonight. Instead of just having one host, they're going to have a whole string of comics come in. Do you think that's going to move it along pretty well?
PEYSER: Well, you know obviously it depends how each person does. In the past, they've had a hard time finding a really strong host. I think most award shows are feeling a little tired. Nobody is really as good as Johnny Carson or Steve Martin (UNINTELLIGIBLE), so why not try something different?
I'm sure some will be better than others. And maybe they'll find somebody to last sort of for the rest of a couple years.
CALLEBS: Let's talk about the categories. I think it's interesting that the whole theme basically is going to be comedy. Your thoughts for best actor, best actress in a comedy series?
PEYSER: Well, you know I don't know where you want to start. I guess best actor last year was Ray Romano in "Everybody Loves Raymond," and I think he's probably got the inside track. It's an extremely popular comedy that's come on stronger and stronger every year.
There's some people who think that Larry David might have a chance in "Curb Your Enthusiasm." I think that that show is a little too hip for Emmy voters at the moment. And he's a guy who is playing not a very appealing character and somebody who we think as being close to Larry David in real life. But he is a dark horse, I think.
CALLEBS: What about Matt Leblanc? I Mean, come on, "Friends" has been around for, what, 74 years now? PEYSER: Yes, and Matt's 100 years old. You know I think last year was the year for "Friends." We thought "Friends" was going to go off the air last year and it didn't. But, nonetheless, "Friends" won for the first time as a show. Jennifer Aniston won. So I kind of think that that moment has passed.
I think he's done wonderful things with Joey. And I think Matt deserves certainly the nomination. But I don't really think he'll win.
CALLEBS: OK. Let's move on to a drama series, if we can. Always, you've got to love "The Sopranos." HBO seems to do very well at these every year. But "West Wing?"
PEYSER: Yes, I mean, "West Wing" has won every year it's been eligible. I'm one of those people who comes up every year and says, "This is 'The Sopranos' year," and "West Wing" walks off with it. It think everybody acknowledges that neither of those shows had their best year this year.
Certainly, the "West Wing" didn't have a good year. And "Sopranos" didn't either. But it finished with an amazing, amazing episode, possible the best episode of any television show of the year. And I think that the voters don't want let "The Sopranos" go off the air -- if that ever happens -- not having won the award. So, I'm saying again, I think this is the year for "The Sopranos," but I've been proven wrong before.
CALLEBS: OK, Marc. I'm writing that down. This is the year...
PEYSER: Yes, there you go.
CALLEBS: OK. Also, John Ritter. Certainly all of Hollywood stunned by what happened last week. How do you think they're going to pay tribute to him?
PEYSER: You know, I don't know. That's a good question. Obviously, these award shows do take note of people who have passed on in the year gone by. It's always a very moving time.
I'm sure, especially since it was such a recent and such a shock, his death, that we'll have a few moments paid to John Ritter. That's one of the wonderful things about these award shows. I do say so much talk about silly things people say and wear, but it's important to take note of people who have made a real contribution, and obviously John Ritter did.
CALLEBS: All right, indeed. And he was supposed to be one of the presenters, as I understand this evening, as well.
PEYSER: Yes. You know, more sadness.
CALLEBS: Yes, indeed. Marc, thanks for coming in and joining us. We will keep an eye. And hopefully it moves along at a nice pace this evening.
PEYSER: Yes, that would be great. Thanks, Sean.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
