First Impulse: The Emmys

This year, I was out of town during The Emmys and didn't even bother setting the DVR. So I can't comment on the telecast and the ceremony.

Oh, of course I can: The telecast and the ceremony were dull and unappealing, and I feel comfortable saying so even without watching the show.

As for the awards--well, part of the reason I'm uninterested in the broadcast is that the Academy is in a rut of rewarding a lot of shows for which I don't care. Actually, I just plain dislike many of those shows, and unlike the Oscars, the Emmys don't have the kind of overall appeal that make me want to tune in even to see stuff I don't like get shiny trophies.

I'm happy to see the recognition for "John Adams," and Bryan Cranston's win for his entertaining work in "Breaking Bad" is a welcome surprise. Otherwise, many of the big winners leave me cold:

*"30 Rock"--Sorry, not feeling it, and why exactly does the media insist on pushing this when so much of the public has pretty clearly not embraced it? I loved "Arrested Development," but I admitted people weren't watching it. I guess I now know what everyone who didn't watch that show felt.

*"Mad Men"--Possibly worth the hype, but I just haven't seen enough to make the call.

*"Damages"--Nope, not feeling this one.

*"Entourage" and "Samantha Who?"--I just don't find these shows funny.

It's not that I can work up much outrage over these wins, though, because I didn't care for most of the other nominees, either. The fact is, when something as outstanding as "The Wire" gets snubbed each year (Sorry, non-"Wire" watchers, but I gotta say it; maybe THIS is my "30 Rock equivalent"), it lessens the credibility of the process.

Does TV just stink these days? Well, there's a lot of junk, but there's good stuff, too. The problem as I see it is that the Emmys are in a rut of picking favorites early on and then--despite vaunted "changes" in the procedures designed to prevent this--recognizing them over and over again. I bores me, and bringing in 5 reality show hosts to run the ceremony certainly isn't going to inspire me to watch.