2016 Emmy Awards - Too much to watch

If I learned anything watching last night's Emmy Awards, it is that there is simply too much good television to watch. Some are calling this the era of "Peak TV", while others are calling it a new Golden Age of television. All I know is there is no way we are all going to be able to watch it all.

The past year was full of people asking me if I was watching "Mr. Robot" or if I had binged all of "Stranger Things". I admit I haven't gotten to "Stranger Things", but plan to any day now.  I know, I know. It came out after Emmy eligibility, but I already feel behind for not having seen it. Everyone was talking about television this year and the chatter seem to really build around new shows.

Last night I was thrilled for Tatiana Maslany's win in particular. I'm so glad to see her work recognized before "Orphan Black" wraps up next season. It seems like sometimes it takes a few years for the nominators to come around to certain performances or programs. "The Americans" can attest to that, another show I've been told I simply dropped the ball not watching when it first premiered a few years ago. How could the "Felicity" fan in me do that to myself?

The show seemed to clip along at a good pace his year, but maybe it was just because there were so many surprises. It was interesting to read this morning in The Hollywood Reporter that the academy voting has changed. Voters now check off their top choice instead of using a ranking and point system. Blue ribbon panels have also been changed to encompass a much larger body of the specific branch if voters agree to watch the episodes submitted. I would bet that Rami Malek's deserved win for Best Actor in a Drama Series benefited from such changes to the system as I'm sure he got a lot of picks from his fellow actors.

I was also happy to see "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" dominate the night after having a strong showing at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards with wins for Best Limited Series, Writing for a Limited Series/Movie, Sterling K. Brown in Supporting Actor, and Courtney B. Vance and Sarah Paulson in the Lead Categories. I've been a fan of Paulson's for such a long time so it was great to see her finally grab the gold. The "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" episode (which won the writing award) was one of the best things I've seen all year.

The fall television season begins in full force this week. I already feel behind and have plenty of catch up to do, but you just have to plow ahead because TV doesn't wait.

The People vs. O.J. Simpson

Friends of my family came and visited us when I was about eleven years old.  They wanted to go on a drive through Brentwood and see the spots associated with the O.J. Simpson trial. I didn't know what they were talking about really, but I had remembered the announcing of the verdict being a big deal at school. Kids were talking about it the day it happened, but of course they didn't really know anything they were saying in fourth grade.  I remember being scared passing Nicole Simpson's condo on South Bundy Drive. All I knew was that two people had been murdered there, and we were driving at night. That in itself seemed scary to me.

I would later pick up information on the O.J. trial as I got older from various places, mostly online and from people a little older than myself who had watched it all play out on television. The racial divide coming off of the L.A. riots had been strong in Los Angeles, and a black celebrity on trial for murder seemed ripe for the tragedy of the case to be downplayed, making room for race and politics to be at the forefront of the trial.

"The People vs. O.J. Simpson" manages to be respectful to the victims, but also exhibits the power of wealth and celebrity, showing how those factors can lead to a conclusion that may not be the one that makes the most sense. Expertly shot and written, the show manages to ratchet up the tension when the viewer already knows what is going to happen. Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance and Sterling K. Brown are spectacular in their roles of Marcia Clark, Johnnie Cohran, and Christopher Darden, respectively. They take the viewer on an emotional ride, one that must have agonizing to live through in reality. The "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" episode shows the media microscope at its most terrifying, one ready to tear apart anyone to sell tabloids. Paulson's every glance is powerful, growing with intensity as the trial continues to the infamous trying on the glove and Mark Fuhrman taking the stand. The viewer almost wants to look away for Clark's sake, knowing the next car crash is just around the corner for the prosecution. Cochran meanwhile seems to tell the right story to just the right jury. Two people were killed, justice was not served, and in the end, the lives of everyone involved in the trial would be forever changed (most for the worse).

"The People vs. O.J. Simpson" is composed of one gripping episode after the next. I walked away incredible impressed with the production, yet frustrated at that inevitable outcome. It is also one of the best television series of the past year.

CNN's The Eighties Episode 1 - Raised on Television

Nowadays, The 1980's have predominantly become a party theme for people my age. Big hair and loud colors. We almost forget we were born in the decade, a little too young to remember a lot of it. We were no doubt majorly influenced by it, however. The rise of MTV, the creation of the 24-hour news cycle, television taking off and becoming something that could be entertaining, but also a reflection of the world. It became okay to love television in the 80's.

I remember my parents talking about "L.A. Law" and "thirtysomething". I remember my Dad singing the theme song to the groundbreaking "It's Gary Shandling's Show". The music immediately popped into my head upon hearing of Shandling's recent passing.

Shows that had long runs that extended into the 90's I obviously have a greater recollection of, even if I wasn't sitting down and watching them every week. "Roseanne", "Cheers", "The Golden Girls" and "The Wonder Years" fit into that category.  Many of these shows I would become more aware of in syndication. I remember my Dad telling me to watch "Roseanne" later on in its run when the actress playing Becky was re-cast, and therefore morphed into a different person during the opening credit sequence.

It's interesting to think that as Walter Cronkite signs off the air in the early 1980's, he is considered at that point "the most trusted man in America". He would make way for Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather, the anchors I remember well from childhood. CNN, ESPN, and MTV bring cable into the mainstream. The nighttime soap opera takes off and shows like "Dynasty" and "Dallas" become iconic. It's hard to think of there being a show like "Empire" today without them.  The first part of CNN's continuing series was fascinating to someone like me, born midway through the decade. I knew all the references, but didn't necessarily know the impact that the media world of more than thirty years ago had on today's news and entertainment.

CNN's "The Eighties" series continues on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT.

There's no time for all this good TV.

Andy Samberg's opening song pretty much told the whole story on Sunday's Emmy Awards. There really isn't enough time to watch everything you want to on television. You would have to have no responsibilities, go into an underground bunker and glue yourself to the screen to watch everything you want and everything you have been told that you need to watch. A part of me thinks I would feel good after, knowing that I had nothing to catch up on, but the other part of me realizes my mind would just start drifting to all the books I want to read, the movies I need to see and all the other real life stuff I would like to get done.

Many people don't tend to get all that excited about the Emmy Awards. There are over twenty categories to get through, a lot of people only watch a select amount of shows, and it doesn't carry the same degree of build-up as the Oscars and even the Golden Globes for the actual ceremony. One thing that was nice about the show on Sunday was seeing an increase in diversity amongst the nominees and winners. It was a refreshing change to see two female directors take home the trophies for "Transparent" (Jill Soloway) and "Olive Kitteridge" (Lisa Cholodenko). Actress Regina King took home an Emmy after decades of stellar work and Uzo Aduba's win proved to be quite the emotional moment on her personal journey in the business. Viola Davis made history as the first African-American actress to win Lead Actress in a Drama and her speech was another inspiring moment of the night. “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there," she said, pointing out that women of color just need opportunity. 

I am excited to see the returns of "How To Get Away with Murder" and "Empire" this week. These thrilling, fast-paced shows are changing things on the network side. Audiences want to sit down and devour everything about them - the world, the characters and the countless twists and turns. I'm still in mourning over the end of "Mad Men" however, one of my favorite dramas. I was happy that at least one actor from the show was finally recognized by the Television Academy for their work. If it had to be just one person, Jon Hamm deserved it.

I'm surprised by how when I look back on my past year of entertainment consumption, how much I think about the television moments now, and not just the great movies or music that affected me. Film and television seem to be growing closer in a lot of ways, from the actors working in the mediums to the quality you can find...if you have the time.

Ava DuVernay talks at Sundance

I came across this great post on Awards Daily.  It includes an eight-minute video excerpt of Ava DuVernay's talk at Sundance as well as links to the longer interviews on Democracy Now.  At one point, DuVernay comments that the problem is not so much about an Oscar omission for "Selma", but more about the fact that "Selma shouldn't have been the only hope for faces of color in this kind of celebration of film".  It really does start on a larger level with the types of films that studios are willing to finance and distribute.  The representation of minorities in film still needs increased visibility and the opportunities given to female directors and writers just aren't where they should be.  I hope this changes in the coming years.  

SAG Awards night honors diverse performances

From the cheesy announcer opening to the "I'm an actor"stories from the tables, the SAG Awards are always an entertaining night.  The fact that they are much shorter than the Golden Globes or Oscars with no host or musical numbers quickens the pace of things and you can always feel the love in the room as the actors celebrate their peers.

On the television side, it was great to see the whole cast of "Orange is the New Black" up on stage.  Every actor is so critical in the success of that show and the way that the characters bounce off of each other is what makes it such a must-see.  Uzo Aduba's win was a wonderful surprise too, and it was nice to see her take the stage after telling her story how she got her SAG card on "Orange".  Wins from Mark Ruffalo for "A Normal Heart" and Frances McDormand for "Olive Kitteridge" were for some of the best acting work I saw this past year.

For film work, the ensemble of "Birdman" continued the surge of their film after a Producers Guild Award win on Saturday night.  Julianne Moore, J.K. Simmons and Patricia Arquette also kept their streaks alive after previous Globe and critics group wins.  Eddie Redmayne and Michael Keaton looked neck and neck heading into the the night, but Redmayne was the one who claimed the Best Actor trophy.  I think it will still be a tight race heading into BAFTA and Oscar night.  I've been a fan of Redmayne's work since I first saw him in the 2008 indie film "Savage Grace" with....Julianne Moore.  A great year for both.

Zach Galifinakis getting a quick joke from Julianne Moore's acceptance speech and spouting "When I was on As the World Turns..." proved a very funny end to the evening.

Check out a complete list of the SAG Awards winners here at HitFix.

10 films I wish I was seeing at Sundance...

The Sundance Film Festival kicked off Thursday in Park City, Utah.  Here are ten films I wish I was there to check out!

1.  The Stanford Prison Experiment - Featuring a huge ensemble cast that includes Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Thirlby and Michael Angarano, "The Stanford Prison Experiment"is the intense story of a 1971 mock prison experiment that examined psychology and involved twenty-four undergraduate students.  Billy Crudup plays Dr. Philip Zimbardo who headed the study.  This sounds like an intense viewing experience.

2.  Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief - Alex Gibney's new documentary exposes the world of Scientology as he interviews eight former members.  From their personal experiences, to the origins of the church and its practices, this sounds like another unforgettable documentary from the filmmaker.  Based on the book by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright.

3.  Lila & Eve - Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez play Lila and Eve, two grieving mothers whose children were killed on the same night.  They join forces to seek justice in what sounds like an emotional thriller.

4.  Diary of a Teenage Girl - Based on the reaction coming out of the festival today, this seems like the film to see.  Newcomer Bel Powley is getting rave reviews for this coming-of-age story about a girl in 1970's San Francisco who engages in an affair with her mother's boyfriend.  Alexander Skarsgârd, Kristen Wiig and Christopher Meloni also star.

5.  True Story - James Franco plays Christian Longo who was on the FBI's most wanted list for the murder of his wife and three children and hid under the identity of journalist Michael Finkel.  The real Finkel (played by Jonah Hill) goes to interview Longo.  Oscar-nominee Felicity Jones plays a supporting role.

6.  The End of the Tour - Jason Segal plays author David Foster Wallace on tour after the publication of his novel Infinite Jest.  The film details his five-day interview with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky, played by Jesse Eisenberg.  The film debuted yesterday and buzz is high.  I'm a big fan of director James Ponsolt ("The Spectacular Now") and this is a film I expect we'll be hearing a lot more about upon release.

7.  The Hunting Ground - I recently posted the trailer for this new documentary from Kirby Dick that exposes the horrible pattern of sexual assault taking place on college campuses.  Bound to make me angry, I have no doubt it will be an important work, especially for the survivors as they fight for change.

8.  The Overnight - A couple moves to Los Angeles from Seattle with their son.  Looking to make new friends, they meet up with another family and a gathering exposes various aspects of the group as the night progresses.  The film stars Taylor Schilling, Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godrèche.

9.  I Am Michael - The story of gay-rights advocate Michael Glatze who later in life denounces his homosexuality.  An intriguing premise to say the least, the film stars James Franco, Zachary Quinto and Emma Roberts.

10.  Z for Zachariah - Craig Zobel is a director to follow, especially after his last feature film "Compliance".  Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine and Margot Robbie star in this film about a woman who believes she is the last woman on Earth following a disaster.  She then meets a dying scientist who is searching for survivors.  This sounds very different for Zobel and I can't wait to catch it.