Programs Pulling out of Emmy Race is Unusual
Actors Often Decline Emmy Consideration - TV Shows Rarely Step Aside
Sep 24, 2009
In the press room following his second consecutive Emmy win as Outstanding Reality Host, Jeff Probst suggested (it is uncertain how serious he was) that The Amazing Race -- undefeated in the seven-year-old category of Outstanding Reality/Competition Program – withdraw itself from Emmy consideration.
Bowing Out Gracefully
Such a move is far from unprecedented – for performers. After a record four consecutive wins as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Night Court, John Larroquette withdrew himself from consideration in 1989, making room for Cheers’ Woody Harrelson to prevail on his third nomination.
Following her fifth win in seven years as Outstanding Lead Actress in Comedy Series for Murphy Brown (1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995), Candice Bergen similarly withdrew herself from consideration in 1996 -- making way forHelen Hunt from Mad About You to dominate the category until that series ended in 1999.
During his interview, Probst mentioned Oprah Winfrey as a model for the producers of The Amazing Race to emulate. In 1998, Oprah Winfrey was named Outstanding Talk Show Host at the Daytime Emmys for the seventh time in twelve years -- including five consecutives wins from 1991 to 1995. The same night, the Academy awarded her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Winfrey has since opted out of the competition.
Winning Ways -- They Really Do Like You
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has been criticized many times for the prevalence of repeat winners at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Frasier went undefeated for Outstanding Comedy Series in each of its first five years until 1999, when its record-setting reign was ended by Ally McBeal. After two losses, Doris Roberts all but owned the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series with wins for Everybody Loves Raymond from 2001 to 2003 and then again for the show’s final season in 2005.This year was no different as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was named Outstanding Variety Series for -- alongside The Amazing Race -- an unprecedented seventh consecutive year.
Should either of the two eternally winning series withdraw themselves from consideration, it would be as unprecedented as their dominance in those respective categories – at least for the Primetime Emmys. After a record nine victories in eleven years, The Oprah Winfrey Show has not entered the Outstanding Talk Show race at the Daytime Emmys since 1998.
The repetitive nature of the Emmys is also seen in their Daytime counterpart: Anthony Geary has won a record six Emmys as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for General Hospital and Erika Slezak has been awarded a record six Emmys as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for One Life to Live. Unlike on the Primetime side where multiple wins occur over the course of a few years, their multiple wins may be less noticeable since they occurred over the course of 27 years (1981-2008) for Geary and 22 years (1983-2005) for Slezak.
Prior to the “Oprah” era, talk show legend Phil Donahue dominated the Outstanding Talk Show Host category for nine out of twelve years from 1977-1988 while his pioneering Donahue was named Outstanding Talk Show six times (1978-1981, 1985-1986).
Since Oprah and The Oprah Winfrey Show bowed out of competition, both Rosie O’Donnell and her eponymous talk show dominated its respective categories with six consecutives wins from 1997-2002 for O’Donnell as Outstanding Talk Show Host and five consecutive wins from 1998-2002 as Outstanding Talk Show.
In recent years, Ellen DeGeneres and her own eponymous show have made repeated trips to the Daytime Emmy podium, with four consecutive wins in both categories of Outstanding Talk Show Host (2005-2008) and Outstanding Talk Show (2004-2007).
Sharing the Wealth
Anthony Geary was nominated once again this past year, losing to Christian LeBlanc – with whom he has alternated victories since 2004. A record seventh victory is highly likely even if pulling out of the race is not. Conversely, Erika Slezak has not been nominated since her last victory in 2005. However, as she did then following a nine-year absence from the category, Slezak could come back in any year and also extend her record.
Phil Donahue and Donahue were last nominated in 1989 before departing the airwaves in 1996. The Rosie O’Donnell Show ended its run in 2002, as well as its stranglehold over the talk show categories. Ellen DeGeneres was defeated this year by the ladies of The View – her first loss since 2004 when at the hands of Wayne Brady for The Wayne Brady Show. With the Talk categories now split between Service and Entertainment, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been defeated the least two years by The Rachael Ray Show.
If precedence is to be considered, neither The Daily Show with Jon Stewart nor The Amazing Race are expected to open up their categories anytime soon by going the way of Larroquette, Bergen or Winfrey. Each year we anticipate a different program to be called. Each year we are amazed, if not a bit repeat-weary.
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