Television stars strolled on a red-hot red carpet Sunday afternoon, arriving for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards, a show producers hope will get a warm reception from TV viewers.
It was 83 degrees and sunny outside the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, where the Emmy show is being held. “It’s the hottest carpet I’ve been on in a while,” said Andy Samberg, whose “Mother Lover” skit with Justin Timberlake on “Saturday Night Live” is up for an award. Last year’s show barely missed becoming the least-watched Emmys telecast, prompting executive producer Don Mischer to find ways to prevent it from becoming a “niche show that the majority of people don’t want to watch.” Neil Patrick Harris is hosting. Mischer, also known for producing memorable Super Bowl halftime shows, has promised the three-hour CBS Emmy broadcast will be a faster-paced awards show. He also said there would be more entertainment and some surprises. He could get a surprise from a pregnant supermodel Heidi Klum, who is just weeks away from her daughter’s due date. Klum is up for outstanding host of a reality show for her work on “Project Runway.” See the stars arrive on the red carpet “The shock of winning could send her into labor,” said Klum’s husband, Seal, as they couple walked down the red carpet. What to watch for at the Emmys Rob Lowe, one of the stars of the ABC drama series “Brothers & Sisters,” promised some drama tonight if his co-star doesn’t win outstanding lead actress in a drama series. “If Sally Field doesn’t win tonight, I’m pulling a ‘Kanye,’ ” Lowe told CNN, referring to rapper Kanye West’s interruption a week ago at the MTV Video Music Awards. West jumped on stage, grabbed the mic from winner Taylor Swift’s hand and said Beyonce’s video was better. Field, following Lowe’s interview, said she did not want to be in the same position West placed Beyonce last week.
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“I would be really mad,” Field said. “I think if I do win, I might pull a ‘Kanye’ and give it to somebody.” One actress did draw some looks because of her unusual dress. Victoria Rowell, who described herself as an “actress and designer,” wore a dress bearing a large portrait of President Obama. “I’m having a lot of fun wearing the president,” said Rowell, a former star of “Diagnosis: Murder” and “The Young and the Restless.” She said she designed the dress as “a statement in support of President Obama and all he’s doing for health care.” The producer’s plan to speed up the show by reducing the number of awards handed out live to 20 — from 28 — was scuttled when writers revolted. They said time-shifting the writing awards was disrespectful. Mischer will save time by having each team of Emmy presenters announce two categories. This means half the time walking out and half the less-than-entertaining banter. All of the time Mischer saves with his changes are geared to make way for segments designed to make watching the awards marathon entertaining — and to attract a broader audience. This should include references to TV shows that you like but would never be nominated. It’s the producer’s recognition that voting is done by television industry workers and does not necessarily reflect the tastes and opinions of the audience. The show has plenty of competition, including the football game on NBC. Or the premieres of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Bored to Death” on HBO.
Or Americans could choose to keep their sets turned off and their PCs turned on. Samberg, whose skit — nominated for outstanding original music and lyrics — has been a viral hit online, said the “Internet has helped us tremendously, but it’s hurting in the way that it’s diluting every network and everybody’s going out of business.”
