Me and Emmylio down by the schoolyard. Or, How the Emmys Punched Me in the Face.
I case you're not BFFs with Felicia Day on Twitter, you may not have yet heard about the changes being made to the Emmy Telecast. In short, they're pre-taping certain segments that they may be edited and trimmed down in order to "streamline" the broadcast, thus leaving more airtime for "entertainment".
The show's producer, Don Mischer, and host, Neil Patrick Harris issued a response explaining the need for such changes, the main point being that they want to entertain the viewership.
This suggests that writers are not worthy of the viewership. This suggests that writers are boring, that they hold no interest with the public. That time Tina Fey told her dweeby interweb critics to "suck it"? Super boring. Nobody even remembered that the next day. Oh, no wait. They did.
Writers make this business go 'round. Even reality television employs writers to help construct story elements that enable viewers to become more invested in the shows. Actors do not just show up on set and make up their lines. Directors do not simply tell the actors what the story is and guide them through it. They work with scripts. Those scripts are written by writers.
If you love shows like Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, True Blood, Veronica Mars, 30 Rock, Better Off Ted, Friends, Seinfeld, Will & Grace, Law & Order, Burn Notice, The Sopranos, Sex in the City... then you, friend, are a fan of great writing.
If the public viewership doesn't care about writers, it's only because writers are consistently pushed below the radar where they're expected to produce great works for everyone else to use. It's somewhat akin to being the smart kid on the playground, consistently approached to do everyone else's homework, but never invited to eat lunch with the other kids.
If the concern is one of streamlining, why not tape the entire show or run it on some kind of longer delay? Better yet, LEAVE THE SHOW ALONE. If it's too streamlined, when will we have time to use the bathroom or get up for another beer?
Personally, I don't watch the Emmys or Oscars or any award show for the entertainment acts that come between the awards. I watch it FOR the awards. And, as a writer, I want to see my colleagues LIVE and IN REAL TIME waiting and hoping and winning and crying and accepting, just like everyone else.
(If you're into the Twitter, in support of this movement, please use hashtag #emmysfail today)
The show's producer, Don Mischer, and host, Neil Patrick Harris issued a response explaining the need for such changes, the main point being that they want to entertain the viewership.
This suggests that writers are not worthy of the viewership. This suggests that writers are boring, that they hold no interest with the public. That time Tina Fey told her dweeby interweb critics to "suck it"? Super boring. Nobody even remembered that the next day. Oh, no wait. They did.
Writers make this business go 'round. Even reality television employs writers to help construct story elements that enable viewers to become more invested in the shows. Actors do not just show up on set and make up their lines. Directors do not simply tell the actors what the story is and guide them through it. They work with scripts. Those scripts are written by writers.
If you love shows like Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, True Blood, Veronica Mars, 30 Rock, Better Off Ted, Friends, Seinfeld, Will & Grace, Law & Order, Burn Notice, The Sopranos, Sex in the City... then you, friend, are a fan of great writing.
If the public viewership doesn't care about writers, it's only because writers are consistently pushed below the radar where they're expected to produce great works for everyone else to use. It's somewhat akin to being the smart kid on the playground, consistently approached to do everyone else's homework, but never invited to eat lunch with the other kids.
If the concern is one of streamlining, why not tape the entire show or run it on some kind of longer delay? Better yet, LEAVE THE SHOW ALONE. If it's too streamlined, when will we have time to use the bathroom or get up for another beer?
Personally, I don't watch the Emmys or Oscars or any award show for the entertainment acts that come between the awards. I watch it FOR the awards. And, as a writer, I want to see my colleagues LIVE and IN REAL TIME waiting and hoping and winning and crying and accepting, just like everyone else.
(If you're into the Twitter, in support of this movement, please use hashtag #emmysfail today)
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