Neil Patrick Harris Breathes New Life into Emmys
61st Annual Emmy Awards Show First Ratings Increase in Five Years
In the early 2000s, the annual Primetime Emmy Awards telecast routinely garnered “American Idol”-level ratings. In 2003, 33 million people watched the awards; in 2004, that number rose to 35.1 million. Since then, however, ratings have fallen each year, sometimes sharply, until now. The broadcast of the 61st Annual Awards, on Sunday, September 20, 2009, saw the telecast’s first ratings growth in five years.
Certainly, host Neil Patrick Harris may not be the only reason for the Emmys’ success this year. But he is building a formidable track record: the Tony Awards broadcast that Harris hosted last summer also saw a serious ratings increase, rising 20% over the show’s 2008 numbers. Ultimately, Harris’ charm, combined with a new format, a more diverse selection of nominees, and better writing, came together in a perfect storm that made the Emmy awards what they should be — an entertaining show unto themselves.
Neil Patrick Harris — the Perfect Award-Show Host?
Last year’s Emmy telecast was the lowest rated ever. Many critics blamed this on the lack of a single host; instead, the producers decided to ride the wave of reality-television’s popularity and employ a group of five reality show hosts. This year, that mistake was corrected with the choice of Neil Patrick Harris as master of ceremonies.
It was apparent in the first few moments of the telecast that this year’s show would be different. Harris stepped out on stage, “suited up” in a tuxedo that would have made his “How I Met Your Mother” alter-ego, Barney Stinson, proud. Unlike Barney, though, Harris didn’t need to remind the Emmy viewers how awesome he is. Instead, he showed them, launching into a hilarious opening musical number entitled “Don’t Touch the Remote”, written by Hairspray’s Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
“Don’t Touch the Remote” wisely allowed Harris to spend more time making fun of himself than the other stars in attendance. This theme continued throughout the night, letting Harris not only express his excitement at being there as an unabashed television fan himself, and also allowing him to defuse any tension and awkwardness that might have arisen when he lost the Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Comedy to Jon Cryer. In fact, one of the funniest moments of the evening came when Harris “interrupted” the telecast to question Jon Cryer, forcing him to show the audience his envelope and “prove” that his name was actually written.
Dr. Horrible Hijacks the Telecast
In one of the most anticipated moments of the evening, thanks to several leaks on Twitter earlier in the day, Harris even got to “hijack” his own show. As the perennial accountants from Ernst and Young stepped onstage to explain the balloting process — ordinarily a signal for viewers to take a bathroom break — the airwaves were taken over by Harris’ other alter ego, Dr. Horrible.
“Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” was a three-episode internet-only television show created by Joss Whedon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Dollhouse”) during the infamous writers’ strike. Fresh off an Emmy win for this non-broadcast program, “Dr. Horrible” took over the airwaves in the middle of the Emmy broadcast in order to explain to viewers that television was passé and that the internet was the future of entertainment.
Ultimately, his evil plot was foiled by his nemesis, “The Hammer”, played by Nathan Fillion (“Firefly”, “Castle”). (In truth, his plot was just as much foiled by the buffering on his video stream and a dying laptop battery.) But while it lasted, the bit managed to both showcase the opening of the Emmys to an appreciation of new technology, and at the same time to highlight the reasons why television as we know it is not yet a thing of the past. In the end, Harris as “Dr. Horrible” provided not only commentary and comic relief, but relief from hearing about how the Emmys are voted as well.
Other Innovations in This Year’s Emmy Telecast
Each year, viewers expect to see a portion of the Emmy telecast dedicated to honoring those in the industry who have passed away since the last year’s show. This year, the “In Memoriam” montage was even more poignant than usual. This was in part to showcasing many who died too young, like Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. It was also attributable to a live musical performance by Sarah McLachlan, who sang her hit “I Will Remember You”. Including a live performance to honor those who have died provided an extra added touch of class.
One other major change in the format of the program stands out. This year, rather than an apparent random order of presentations, the broadcast was divided into categories: first comedy awards, then reality, then movie/miniseries, followed by variety/musical/comedy, and then drama. Following this pattern kept the awards more focused and running on time; it also served as an unintended bonus to viewers who had recorded the show and could skip the categories they found uninteresting.
The telecast ended, as always, with the “big” awards: lead actor and actress and the comedy and drama categories, followed by outstanding comedy and drama. Interestingly, the winner of the final award, for outstanding drama, was the relatively low-rated basic cable drama “Mad Men” — perhaps proving once and for all that the ratings for the Emmy broadcast are more affected by the show’s own content rather than the ratings of the nominated shows.
Neil Patrick Harris
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