The Emmys were kind of awesome this year. And I'm not talking about who won and who lost; I watch too much television on DVD after the fact to have terribly strong feelings about that. The production itself, though, was right on target. Host Neil Patrick Harris opened with a musical number, poked fun at the internet's relationship with television, and was even interrupted by his alter ego, video blogger Dr. Horrible. My favorite aspect of the show, however, was the details, and its thoughtful and recurring acknowledgement of the collaborative nature of television itself. For example, as NPH pointed out, the musicians were on the stage as opposed to hidden/forgotten in the pit. The control room was also featured on stage. Enclosed behind glass walls, the glow of the different camera angles provided not only aesthetic interest, but a reminder that people were hard at work on the production. The other little thing I noticed was wording of the announcer. In cases where a show, or group of people won, he'd say, "Accepting the award for the team...Tina Fey." Using the word "team" was effective, because everything on television is the result of a team effort.
I thought the recognition of those working behind the scenes was great because—with things like the broadcast from the red carpet—attention is usually focused on the actors. However, Neil Patrick Harris also recognized the actors in a unique and meaningful way. When introducing the presenters (actors), NPH would say something like, "Best known for his performance as Mailman #1 in..." The recitation of insignificant roles was meant as a joke (and worked as a joke) and they were probably made up, but the simple detail also reminded us of the long road most actors take before finding success. Therefore, the production seemed to go beyond the bling, as we considered the behind-the-scenes, the before-the-scenes, and the general time, work, and effort that goes into entertainment.
No comments:
Post a Comment