Analyzing the Emmy nominations

This morning the Emmy nominations were announced and while most of my wish list was snubbed, a few new names were added to the recycled list of nominees.

Simon Baker as lead actor in a drama for "The Mentalist" and "Flight of the Concords" and "Family Guy" for outstanding comedy series were among the surprise nominees.

The domination of cable programming is particularly evident in the drama series category, as only two shows, "House" and "Lost," are from broadcast networks.

Even though the television academy did recognize a few new names, there were some very deserving shows and people left off the list. How could they not nominate "The Shield" and stars Michael Chiklis and Walton Goggins for the fantastic work they did on that show's finale?

Also snubbed was "Battlestar Galactica" and Mary McDonnell for that show's last season. The academy traditionally ignores sci-fi, but come on those final episodes were ridiculously good.

I'm also a little disappointed that they didn't recognize "ER" one last time. I'm not usually a fan of sentimental nominations, but in this case I'll make an exception.

Those are my only real complaints, all in all it is a solid list of the best TV has to offer, although I'm still completely perplexed by the appeal of "30 Rock." Oh, and Charlie Sheen was nominated again, so there are some flaws in the system.

The Emmys will air live on CBS on Sept. 20 with nominee Neil Patrick Harris serving as host.

For the full list of nominees, which includes "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog" and two Justin Timberlake nominations for hosting "Saturday Night Live" and co-writing "Motherlover," click here.

Who deserves Emmys?

Tomorrow morning the Emmy nominations are announced and while we will discuss them at great length in the show, I thought I would take a minute and give my list of perfect nominees in a few of the categories.
Outstanding Drama:

• "Battlestar Galactica"
• "24"
• "ER"
• "Burn Notice"
• "The Shield"

Outstanding Comedy:

• "Chuck"
• "How I Met Your Mother"
• "The Office"
• "psych"
• "Eureka"

Lead Actress in a Drama:

• Mary McDonnell-"Battlestar Galactica"
• Mary McCormack-"In Plain Sight"
• Kyra Sedgwick-"The Closer"
• Cherry Jones-"24"
• Connie Britton-"Friday Night Lights"

Lead Actor in a Comedy:

• Alec Baldwin-"30 Rock"
• Colin Ferguson-"Eureka"
• Tony Shaloub-"Monk"
• James Roday-"psych"
• Zachary Levi-"Chuck"

As you can see my choices heavily favor cable shows, reason being cable is producing television that is so much better than the networks. Unfortunately, these nominations are a pipe dream because the Emmys tend to nominate the same people year after year.

If the academy really honored the best shows on TV, they wouldn't keep nominating "Two and a Half Men."

Once again enjoy our full coverage of the Emmy nominations on the next episode of "Viewpoints On..."

200 posts, who saw that coming?

How quickly time goes by? This post is our mind-bending 200th entry.

In that time this blog has undergone a lot of changes, but one thing hasn't changed, our fearless leader Tim Guy.

Tim started this blog and recruited the rest of us to participate. I just thought that I would use this post to say thank you.

I have the great pleasure of working with Tim on a daily basis and he is responsible for not only the growth of this project, but, the high level of journalism that we strive for. Now I know when he reads this he'll think I wasted an entry talking about him, but since it's my day he has no choice.

So to my partner-in-crime, the Murtaugh to my Riggs, or perhaps the Shawn to my Gus, thanks and congratulations.

Ok, enough emotions, tomorrow we will resume our regularly scheduled program of nerdy observations and time consuming pop culture analysis.

Box office Monday

As predicted "Bruno" took the No. 1 spot at the box office earning around $30 million dollars. "Ice Age 3" was close behind with $27 million.

It's kind of hard to compare Sacha Baron Cohen's first film "Borat" to "Bruno" because when the first film opened in 2006, it was only screened on 837 screens, compared to "Bruno" on 2,756.

A $30 million dollar opening weekend is still a good chunk of change no matter what. I'm sure somewhere Cohen is laughing and plotting his next move into the big screen.

Also, as predicted, "I Love You Beth Cooper" couldn't crack the top five and had to settle for No. 7 with a little less than $5 million dollars.

One interesting thing that is developing is that "The Proposal" starring Sandra Bullock is still making good money and is on track to become her highest grossing film (with her in the lead role). Her No. 1 film right now is "Speed" at $121 million. "The Proposal" has about $8 million to go and should have no problem doing that in less than two weeks (My guess-timation).

New episode up... and some breaking news

In this episode we talked about the casting rumors of the new "Green Lantern" movie. Well, just a little while ago, the Hollywood Reporter reported that Ryan Reynolds has gotten the lead part of Hal Jordan.

Wasn't our first pick, but it is by no means a horrible pick. Should be interesting to see if he can pull it off. This might have to be more "Smokin Aces" aka more action and drama and less "Wolverine" which was a lot of action, but mostly comedic relief.

Check back Monday for a more in-depth look at this choice.

My summer show picks

To start, I have not seen a lot of the new offerings for the summer television season. "Hawthorne" is still sitting on my DVR and "Nurse Jackie?" Well, even I can't go there. Even for journalistic curiosity.

So my two picks for good things to watch over the summer are "The Philanthropist" and "Top Chef Masters."

I know Stephanie didn't dig "The Philanthropist" too much, but I did. I like that Jesse L. Martin is back on television and even Neve Campbell is good. Sure, it can get a little preachy now and then but what show doesn't nowadays.

The visuals are excellent, including the first episode where the backdrop was a flood in Africa. James Purefoy, who you might remember from the first "Resident Evil" movie, is great. He is sort of a Bruce Wayne/Batman type character, just without the tights and super kung fu moves. He has some rough edges, but doesn't mind spending tons of money to help out those who need it.

It is inspiring also. It is much better than just watching murder and death all night.

I also really like "Top Chef Masters" mostly because it is devoid of that manufactured reality show drama. I want to see talented people cook, not talking about each other in coffessionals or long scenes of them away from cooking. These top chefs, very famous ones, are there for charity so they don't act like idiots.

Plus, some of their food actually looks good.

Summer TV so far

With a few new shows and some old favorites, summer TV has become as complex as fall. Here is a recap of how the season is going so far.

"The Philanthropist"-With a strong cast, I had high hopes for this show, but the first two episodes were slow and unfocused. James Purefoy is charming as the title character but his transformation feels forced and with shoots taking place in international exotic locales this show seems way too expensive. Verdict: Don't get too attached.

"Warehouse 13"-This new sci-fi show features charming leads with good chemistry and a fun premise, however, it has a long way to go to become appointment television, which is what every great sci-fi show aspires to. Verdict: Still out, the jury's not done deliberating.

"Hawthorne"-Jada Pinkett Smith as a tough nurse, working around the system to help patients. Though it's definitely a star vehicle for Smith, the supporting cast is helping this show hit its stride. In particular the producers should really take note of the chemistry between Smith and Michael Vartan. Verdict: Another strong hit for TNT.

"The Closer"-This show just gets better every season. The way the squad works to solve crimes and the balance that Kyra Sedgwick brings to her character makes this one of the best show's on TV. Verdict: The best of summer.

With more favorites like "psych," "Leverage" and "Project Runway" premiering later in the summer, look for more updates coming up.

Box office Tuesday

A day late, yes, but the Michael Jackson story bumps everything it seems. Plus, Stephanie makes a real important point that everyone should read and understand.

Now, onto the box office!

"Transformers 2" took the weekend again, barely, defeating "Ice Age 3" by a little more than $600 thousand. Yes, that sounds familiar to a few weeks ago when "The Hangover" just narrowed out "Up." Another thing the two movies have in common is they are the only films of the summer, so far, to hold onto the No. 1 spot for two consecutive weeks. It should also cross the $300 million mark soon, making it the first film of the year to do so.

"Public Enemies," the other new release of the week scored third with $25 million for the weekend and a total of $40 million (It came out on Wednesday.) It's budget is $100 million, so it has a lot of work to get there. It has an OK rating at Rotten Tomatoes, 65 percent and early Oscar buzz. Should help a bit, maybe.

As predicted on Friday, "The Hangover" crossed the $200 million mark making it one of the most successful movies of the year. Domestically it has made $205 million with a $35 million dollar budget.

"The Proposal" almost made it to $100 million, making a total of $94 to date. It should cross the mark by either the start of the weekend or Sunday for sure.

Another film about to cross another milestone is "Star Trek" which is within striking distance of $250 million. Another week should throw it over.

Check out the next episode of "Viewpoints On..." for more indepth coverage and a look at what's being released this week.

Let Michael rest in peace

As a longtime, loyal Michael Jackson fan I have to say I'm ready for the media coverage to move on. Without getting into the debate about how he should be remembered (I choose to honor the music) I think we can all agree that the coverage has become repetitive and more of a guessing game than solid journalism.

I know the memorial is tomorrow and that it will consume the news cycle, however, once it's over I think it's time for the media to move on.

As a fan, I'm finding it hard to deal with my emotions with the constant news coverage populating my television. I can only imagine how this must be affecting his family. As a journalist I understand the need to stay on a story this big, but at this point the media is just speculating and prolonging the grieving process.

So for the sake of Jackson's children, family, friends and fans, CNN, Access Hollywood and all the rest need to let the man rest in peace, which is all he ever wanted when he was alive.

New episode up... and some box office predicitions

OK, before we get to the episode I wanted to post some predicitions of what the box office might look like by Monday afternoon.

1. "Transformers" will overtake "Up" as the No. 1 movie of the year. Poor "Up" only had about a week at No. 1.

2. "The Hangover" will cross the $200 million mark. Most likely making it the most successful movie of the year (In terms of budget to gross ratio).

3. "The Proposal" will either cross $100 million or make it REALLY close. Hey Sandra Bullock, you're baaaaack.

Now, onto the show:

The Emmys: NPH edition

Following last year's disastrous show, in terms of both quality and ratings, The Emmys have made a move to make this year's awards, legen-wait for it-dary.

That's right, it was announced today that Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting The Emmys this year. This is a step in the right direction for show producers. I understand that they were trying to be edgier by having five different reality hosts emcee last year's awards, but we can all agree it was just bad.

Fresh off the tremendous jobs he did with The TV Land awards and The Tonys, NPH is pretty much the perfect choice. He's funny, can sing and dance and understands the job of a host is to basically keep the trains running on time while not boring the audience.

Way to go, television academy, let's hope the nominations and awards are as popular as this decision.

How long is too long?

A few days ago, Tim sent me an e-mail about Bryan Fuller leaving "Heroes," and he asked if I would still watch. My answer was I don't know.

On one hand, "Heroes" hasn't been up to par in a while, but on the other hand, I feel like I've invested so much time and energy, I have to keep watching in case it gets good again.

The more I thought about it, I realized I have the same problem with "Lost" and "Smallville." I have watched both shows since day one and while they may not be as strong as they used to be, I have to see them through to the end.

Unfortunately, this creates a backlog on my DVR and creates more shows that I have to keep up with. So my question is, how long is too long? When is it time to give up on a show and move on.

Don't get me wrong, I have no trouble giving up on shows when they go bad, but with sci-fi and serialized programs if you miss too much you'll never be able to jump back in. So it always comes back to what happens if I stop watching and the show suddenly gets good again.

While I don't see "Heroes" suddenly turning things around, there's the tiniest bit of doubt. I guess what it really comes down to is what else is on and how much DVR space I'll need.

Maybe Tim would like to share what shows he knows he should give up on but can't because he's invested too much.

The demise of Vibe

With today's announcement that Vibe magazine is ending publication, I have begun to wonder if anyone is still reading magazines? However, I quickly realized that it's not that people aren't reading magazines, it's that they're not buying them.

Despite cutting circulation, workdays and staff, Vibe magazine has become the latest casualty of the recession.

For the uninformed, Vibe was a urban publication that focused on hip-hop and r&b and became popular in the 90s when hip-hop became the most listened to music on the planet. It also frequently covered issues important to the African-American community, like race relations, hip-hop controversies and problems facing Black families.

Vibe was famous for its covers, which often featured the hottest artists of the moment, usually before they hit Rolling Stone or Blender.

Vibe was also known for its interviews, where subjects would say things that they would never say to more mainstream magazines. Many of today's biggest stars like Lil Wayne and T.I. were discovered in the pages of Vibe.

The demise of Vibe is not just a blow to the media industry, it is a huge hit to African-Americans.

The voice of a community has been silenced. We can only hope that when the economy recovers Vibe will be able to bounce back, stronger than ever.

Box office Monday

Welcome to a new feature here at Inscape'd. Each Monday we'll look at the box office numbers and do some analysis.

The big news of this past weekend was the release of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." Everyone was expecting this to do huge numbers, even with some seriously lousy reviews. It has a 20 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 159 negative reviews and only 40 positive reviews (Armond White, please stand up!).

Including its Tuesday night showings the grand total of box office receipts for "Transformers" came out to a little more than $200 million domestically with another $200 million overseas. Huge, huge numbers.

But, not a record. For just the weekend, "Transformers" came in seventh for all time best weekend numbers. "The Dark Knight" holds that record.

For five day grosses, "Transformers" clocked in at No. 2, behind "The Dark Knight."

And for Midnight screenings? "Transformers" made $16 million, falling behind "Revenge of the Sith" in second and... guess what in No. 1? "The Dark Knight."

Another big thing happened over the weekend, we have a new No. 1 film of the year. If you remember "Paul Blart Mall Cop" held that title for many weeks before being knocked off by "Monsters vs. Aliens." Then "Star Trek" came along and blew everything out of the water by becoming the first film of the year to pass $200 million. Well, this weekend, "UP" dethroned "Star Trek." But, I suspect the reign will be shortlived as "Transformers" will undoubtably take the title in a few short weeks, maybe days.

The only way it won't would be a catostrophic drop in second week viewings, I'm talking like a 85-90 percent drop. Right now the biggest drop in recorded history is 86.4 for the movie "Undiscovered." Thanks to Box Office Mojo for that little bit of history.

Stay tuned for more analysis in the next "Wanna See It?"

Editor's note

Yesterday was a long, sad day in the world of entertainment. Both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died.

I emailed Stephanie, who is still on vacation, and when she gets back from Atlanta we'll really go into detail about what happened today. More than likely on the next episode of "Viewpoints On..." which is aiming to be out on Friday.

I'm sure there will also be a post or two in this location in the next week.