More Emmy 10s

Could the ever chipper and relentless Gold Derby force another ATAS disclosure? Or two? Or more?

This week will tell, probably, if the blog keeps digging away at the Emmy top 10 lists, as it's done in years past and continues to do now.

Its latest revelations, based on whatever arm-twisting methods it employs (read: asking nicely), involve the top 10 vote getters in the lead actress in a comedy category and supporting actor in a drama.

GD doesn't throw in this caveat, but we will, just for kicks. These lists could be subject to change. Unnamed sources and all.

Among the shockers: Three "Desperate Housewives" but no Teri Hatcher (gasp!). Sarah Silverman for her foul-mouthed Comedy Central show. Double gasp!

For the guys: "Lost's" Terry O'Quinn is out, Naveen Anders and Michael Emerson are in, as is Blair Underwood from "In Treatment" and two actors from first-year hit "Damages," both Ted Danson and Zeljko Ivanek.

Have to say, though, that we're even more iffy about this list, mainly because it goes to 11. What's up with that?

Sit tight to see if and how ATAS responds.

Disapproving Emmy

Just as we suspected, the whittling-down process is not being kind to some of our favorites on the top 10 lists of Emmy contenders. In fact, it's jacked up.

Cases in point: No "Flight of the Conchords" on the comedy list, and no trace of "The Wire" on the drama side.

At least that's the early indication from Tom O'Neil and his merry band of snoops over at Gold Derby, who were on overdrive this weekend as they tracked down Emmy voters who watched the submitted episodes of the top 10 shows in the running for nominations (which will be announced July 17).

Possible comedy list: "30 Rock," "Pushing Daisies," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Family Guy" and (noooooooo!) the oft-nominated "Two and a Half Men" (it's won technical awards but not the majors). Those last two, instead of "Conchords" and "The Office?" Pah-lease.

Drama: "Boston Legal," "Mad Men," "House," "Damages" and "Grey's Anatomy." Not an HBO show in the group, and you'll notice, specifically, that "The Wire" isn't among those predictions. Now that's criminal.

We'll hope this isn't the final outcome, but just in case it is, please join us in a pre-Emmy snit.

 

GLAAD for mom

David Letterman's done it, and so has Ellen, but the current best purveyor of the mine-mom-for-laughs routine is Kathy Griffin, who opened the 19th annual GLAAD Media Awards the other night by quizzing her 87-year-old mother, Maggie Griffin, about the World of the Gays.

High-larity ensued.

Since being gay means having fun and making merry, Maggie Griffin said the gayest thing she's ever done is go shopping, which doesn't mean she hasn't considered switch hitting (she has a thing for Suze Orman and basically asked her out for coffee on national TV). Go, mom!

Kathy, an Emmy winner who's a loose cannon when it comes to award shows, said her mom was her insurance policy for her good behavior. It worked, but it didn't cramp her style. Just the opposite, as any fan of "My Life on the D-List" can attest.

Makes us happy that "D-List" is back, where we can get a regular peek into a mother-daughter relationship that makes us feel considerably better about our own.

If you missed the GLAAD awards, results are here (Griffin won for best reality show and thanked everybody, including the "gay adjacent" people) and behind-the-scenes bits are here.

The show re-airs Tuesday on Bravo and, trust us, catching the opening with the Griffins will give your day a boost. The rest of the show's not bad either.

 

Winehouse winds up

It's not every day that you get an elbow in the head from a five-time Grammy winner.

James Gostelow, a 25-year-old Londoner, told BBC News he's not upset that Amy Winehouse punched him during her performance at this weekend's Glastonbury music fest. It was all a case of mistaken identity.

What were we just saying about the volatile Miss Winehouse?

Although the scuffle got the most attention, Winehouse and her flying limb weren't the only attractions. Jay-Z (pictured) caused a stir by being the first hip-hop artist to headline the event, and the Verve gave the festival's organizer a little dressing down from stage.

Yes, that was your outer voice. At any rate, fans seemed to dig it.

 

MTV wants more from Britney?

Oh, Van Toffler, you're such a tease.

The MTV chief wouldn't rule out bringing Britney back for this year's Video Music Awards since, well, that worked out so well last time. (For ratings, that is, not for poor bloated Brit Brit.)

More than 7 million people watched the Comeback That Wasn't, which had been pre-hyped to death. Imagine what another Britney appearance could do for the numbers. While spouting something pseudo-magnanimous about giving people second and third chances, Toffler admitted he's losing a lot of sleep trying to figure out a way to top the half-dressed pop starlet's limp rendition of "Gimme More" that opened last year's show.

Since Britney's on Comeback No. 214 by now, why not have another go on MTV's dime? One suggestion: A rehearsal could help. Just a thought.

The show's moving to Los Angeles (airing live on Sept. 7) and will be shot on the Paramount backlot.

No word whether Brit's up for the yet-to-be-formally-issued challenge.

Wincing for Winehouse

It's a gorgeous summer Friday here in SoCali, and we don't really mean to bring everybody down, but we feel like this is required reading so we're making the recommendation.

Claire Hoffman, whose journalistic chops are second to none, spends a night in Amy Winehouse's flat and comes out with a Rolling Stone feature that shows us how the multi-Grammy-winning artist lives these days and, at this rate, how she could die.

It's not judgmental, it's keenly observational. And heartbreaking.

The magazine will take some heat for publishing it (if the early online comments are any indication) because the reporter had access to unguarded, vulnerable and sometimes fairly incoherent moments with the soul singer. Assuming she didn't misrepresent herself or her intentions, and there's no indication she did, the reporter seems to have done her job the old fashioned way: go directly to the source, ask questions, pay attention, show don't tell.

The result is the train wreck we can't look away from, with details like the clutter and empty beer bottles all over Winehouse's apartment, her frequent disappearances into a room by herself, followed by more babbling, and her alarming physical state confirming all this year's tabloid tales.

Read it and weep.

A post script: After Winehouse reportedly showed up for rehearsal yesterday accompanied by a giant bottle of vodka, she did make it to the stage for a performance today at a celebration for Nelson Mandela. (She's pictured here at the show).

Another P.S.: Since we're pimping for Hoffman, check out her searing portrait of Joe "Ego Gone Wild" Francis. 

 

Emmy preemptive

"Desperate Housewives" is out, "Family Guy" is in.

"The Wire," "Mad Men," "The Tudors" and "Damages" are contenders. "Heroes," not so much.

So far, it's enough to make us lean in for a closer look.

Here's the deal: The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences this afternoon released the top 10 vote-getters for best comedy and best drama in the race for the Primetime Emmys. It's an unprecedented move.

Seems that in years past, sneaky bloggers like Tom O'Neil at Gold Derby have put their paws on various top 10 lists and published them, much to the chagrin of ATAS execs who were trying to keep those under wraps until they're winnowed to the final five.

Brother blogger Ray Richmond says ATAS didn't want to be scooped again, and O'Neil argues that full disclosure of the top 10 -- asap! -- can give a much-needed boost to some of the shows that are critically lauded but viewership starved.

When we look at the lists, we see some real inspiration. "Pushing Daisies" and "Flight of the Conchords" on the comedy side and, of course, "The Wire," one of the best dramas ever produced for TV (though arguably it should've been nominated before its last season, which many hardcore fans don't feel like was its best. But hey, we'll take it).

Still, both those groups could and likely will be narrowed into something a lot less interesting. When that happens, will the shows left behind be using, "We Almost Made the Cut!" as a promotional tagline? That might be sad.

Top 10 lists of acting nominees may get released in the days ahead. Check back to see what, when and who.

Kanye cries foul

They pelted him with rocks and garbage.

And now he's throwing it back.

The Bonnaroo flap between Grammy-winning cry baby Kanye West and the fans who waited until 4:45 a.m. to see his truncated performance continues.

The latest salvo comes from Kanye himself, who took to his Web site and called the music festival organizers "squid brains," among other terms of endearment. He rails about logistics and says something about giving his all. (Fans beg to differ).

Catch his full rant here. Love the ALL CAPS. Doesn't make him look crazy at all.

Spin magazine, which has covered the hubbub since the beginning, wonders how a festival that could handle the likes of Metallica, Pearl Jam and the Flaming Lips could've fallen so far down on the job with His High-Handedness.

How indeed.

 

Oscar's baaaack!

Gluttons for punishment that we are, we and many of our awards blogger brethren started ruminating on Oscars '09 moments after Oscars '08 were doled out in late February.

Can the Coen brothers go back-to-back? Leo and Kate -- reunited for gold? Big Biopic for Benicio!

Never mind that we hadn't seen any of the movies yet.

Here we are a couple months and many non-awards contenders later, and Gregg Kilday says that this Friday, with the release of "Wall-E," the Oscar race is unofficially on. The Disney/Pixar release is a lock in animation and maybe even best film categories.

Since we try not to take too many wild stabs (not this early in the season anyway), we'll give you our perspective on hotly anticipated/potential Oscar bait. There's always the danger of early overhype (evidence: "The Kite Runner," "Dreamgirls") so at the risk of putting the whammy on these movies by even daring to single them out, here are some initial thoughts, in shorthand:

Joel and Ethan Coen, a slew of A-list talent like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand get together for "Burn After Reading." Expectations are high, but the Academy rarely goes for comedy in the best picture race. Doesn't mean some of the performances couldn't break through.

Steven Soderbergh's "Che" had Oscar buzz until people had to actually sit through its four-plus-hours at Cannes. Now, it's all about Benicio Del Toro, not at all about the marathon movie. But all prospects are up in the air since it doesn't even have distribution yet.

"Blindness" -- could it spell a win, finally, for Julianne Moore? "Australia" -- Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Sweeping vistas. Epic struggles. WW II! "The Duchess" -- Oscar loves powdered wigs (on men) and hoop skirts (on Keira Knightley). "Revolutionary Road" puts Leonardo DiCaprio back with Kate Winslet for the first time since "Titanic." "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" -- Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. "Doubt," Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep.

Heath Ledger for "Dark Knight?" Probably not.

"Changeling," from Oscar fave Clint Eastwood, starring Oscar darling Angelina Jolie. Way hot.

This is just the beginning, and we have plenty of time. Come on back to see us muse until we can't muse no more.

More popular than God

It's just an informal tally, but seems like Barack logged more shoutouts than God last night at the 2008 BET Awards. Impressive!

Host/comedian D.L. Hughley made some Urkel crack, but otherwise it was all love for the Man Who Would Be President. Diddy even gave a new spin to his overly dramatic "Vote or Die." It's now "Obama or Die," which has a strange ring to it but we can probably all agree that Puff's heart is in the right place.

Turns out Obama was just a few miles from The Shrine at a fundraiser but couldn't make a pit stop at the awards show. Surely the good vibes wafted over to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Check out BET's site today, if for no other reason than to see performances by Lil' Wayne, the current million-selling savior of rap and one of the hardest working guys in hip hop (pictured), and the incomparable Al Green.

Kanye, fresh off his Bonnaroo debacle, picked up some trophies, as did UGK, Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys and Chris Brown. THR has more here.

And finally, THR's Barry Garron gives his take on the awards show on our sister blog, PastDeadline.