The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has been sent into a tizzy by the man who brought us "Laugh-In."
ATAS, which presents the annual Emmy Awards, is up in arms over the recent announcement that "Laugh-In" creator George Schlatter will produce "The American Television Awards" next year on ABC. The show is apparently going to be similar to Schlatter's "The American Comedy Awards," and the winners will be chosen by the television press.The old guard at ATAS isn't keen on the competition. ATAS President Leo Chaloukian - the stodgy head of this stodgy group - had press releases mailed out with the following statement:
"The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Primetime Emmy Awards has been, is and always will be the world's most prestigious and coveted recognition of excellence. There are 44-years of well-established history and tradition behind each Emmy Award that can never be diminished by other forms of recognition. Emmys have special significance since nominations and wins are determined solely by professional peers who are active Academy members. It is not a popularity contest."
Talk about pompous.
Let's look closer at this particular statement (and not just at the lousy grammar).
First of all, since when have the Emmy's been "the world's most prestigious and coveted recognition of excellence?" They've always been sort of junior Oscars - just ask any actor whether he'd rather have an Emmy or an Oscar on his mantle.
And it would probably come as quite a shock to all those Nobel Prize winners out there that their awards take a back seaat to best supporting actor in a television comedy.
As for the Emmys not being a popularity contest, is this Chaloukian's idea of a joke or what? All entertainment industry awards are popularity contests. How else can you explain the seemingly unexplainable winners that pop up every year among the truly deserving?
What the folks at ATAS have to do is calm down and think about this rationally. There are undoubtedly already too many awards shows on the air (doesn't it seem like there's a country music award of some kind handed out every other week or so?), but the proliferation hasn't harmed the prestige of the old mainliners.
Have the Golden Globes hurt the Academy Awards? Have the made-for-TV American Music Awards hurt the Grammys? Have the People's Choice Awards hurt anything?
The only thing in Chaloukian's statement that holds water is that the Emmys won't be diminished by whatever competition the American Television Awards provide.
So, Leo, count to 10, do some relaxation exercises and don't worry, be happy.
THE REAL VICTIM: If any group shold be concerned about the American Television Awards, it's the Television Critics Association. (An organization yours truly belongs to.)
Schlatter plans to base his presentations on the voting of television critics across the country, putting his awards in direct competition with the TCA Awards, which are determined by TCA member voting.
And it's not like the TCA Awards are particularly high profile to bein with - although we are getting more stars, producers and executives to show up to accept their plaques.
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CASTING "LAW": There's still plenty of uncertainty about the cast of "L.A. Law" next season.
Three actors are gone for sure - Susan Dey (Grace), who left to star in the CBS sitcom "Love and War"); Conchatta Ferrell (Susan); and Michael Cumpsty (Frank), who will co-star in the CBS sitcom "Bob."
It was rumored that Emmy-winner Larry Drake (Benny) was being eliminated, but he'll be back for at least seven episodes.
Twentieth Television has also confirmed that Richard Dysart (Leland), Alan Rachins (Douglas), Jill Eikenberry (Ann), Corbin Bernsen (Arnie), Michael Tucker (Stuart), Blair Underwood (Jonathon) and John Spencer (Tommy) will all be back. And that A Martinez of "Santa Barbara" fame will join the cast.
That leaves several actors hanging in the balance, awaiting the fate of their characters - Cecil Hoffman (Zoey, who was shot in the season finale), Sheila Kelley (Gwen), Amanda Donahoe (C.J.) and Anthony De Sando (Alex.) Don't be surprised if any or all of them are written out.
ANOTHER CHANGE AT THE TOP: In other "L.A. Law" news, co-creator Steven Bochco, who returned to guide the struggling series through its last several episodes, has left again. (He'll be devoting his time to trying to save another of his shows, "Civil Wars.")
Not that his departure will be entirely mourned. He did perk up the plots a bit as the series' sixth and weakest season wound down. But he also added several tasteless and vulgar plot lines.
His replacement as co-executive producer, who will join the returning Rick Wallace, is John Tinker, who's guided such series as "The White Shadow" and "St. Elsewhere."
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GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: There's both good and bad news on TV's King of Sleaze, Geraldo Rivera.
The good news is that, due to poor ratings, "Now It Can Be Told" won't be back for a second season as a daily show. (The tabloid show airs locally on KXIV-Ch. 14, which can certainly find something better to fill the time with.)
The bad news is that it will become a series of prime-time specials called "Geraldo Now." And that brings back nightmare images of Al Capone's vault and satanism.
Of course, Geraldo will still be pandering on his daily talk show, too.
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GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY: ABC announced it will launch a Sunday morning news show next year.
The network announced that it will begin airing the program on Jan. 3, 1993. It will be only half the length of the two-hour weekday version.
No hosts yet for the show, which will be broadcast from the regular "Good Morning, America" set in New York.
No title yet, either, - but expect some variation of "Good Morning."
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REHIRED: Soon after ABC canceled "Spenser: For Hire" in 1988, reruns moved to cable's Lifetime network.
They've proved so popular there that ABC will produce a series of "Spenser" movies, which will air on the cable channel.
Robert Urich is expected to return as Spenser, and the network is negotiating with Avery Brooks (Hawk) and Barbara Stock (Susan).
Oh, and would it surprise you to learn that ABC is part-owner of Lifetime?
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HBO FLICKS: Premium channel Home Box Office has five made-for-cable movies in the works for next season:
"Black Tuesday" is a fact-based story about a black GI unjustly executed by the Army in World War II. No casting has been announced.
- "Daybreak," a love story "set in near-future America where civil liberties have been suspended," stars Cuba Gooding and Moira Kelly.
- "Disaster at Valdez," about the 1989 oil spill in Alaska, stars Christopher Lloyd, John Heard and Rip Torn.
- "Hostages," about Western captives in Beirut and their families back home, stars Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, Harry Dean Stanton and Natasha Richardson.
- "Strapped" is an "urban thriller" about inner-city youths and illegal firearms. Actor Forest Whitaker will make his directorial debut on this one.
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QUOTABLE: From an episode of the ABC sitcom "Coach":
Christine: "Many families enjoy spending time together."
Hayden: "Name one that isn't Mormon."