At least at the Emmys, the president gave it to those baddies
The Emmy Awards which showcase the best from America's television industry finally took place last Sunday at the Shubert Theatre. The show which had to be postponed twice on account of the events on 11 September, began with a jazz trumpeter playing a soulful version of God Bless America and concluded with singing legend Barbra Streisand doing a heartwrenching rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone. The song encourages people to get on with their lives in the most depressing of times. HBO's comic series Sex and the City with Sarah Jessica Parker in the lead went home with a trophy in the outstanding series category.
HBO and NBC led the party with 16 wins apiece followed by Fox with 15. ABC bagged 10 votes while CBS was placed fifth with 8. One of the night's huge upsets was Peter MacNicol best judged best supporting actor for Ally McBeal in a field that included Robert Downey Jr. Presenter Kelsey Grammer had a hilarious time describing how tough the job of directing himself in Frasier was. Brian Cox was recognised for his tough as nails portrayal of Nazi commander Hermann Goering. The category was Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. Mike Nichols (The Graduate) could not be present to receive his award for directing Wit. Another person conspicous by his absence was British thespian Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet) who won for acting in HBO's nazi drama Conspiracy.
The Emmy's were shown in 96 countries with an estimated audience of 645 million. However the November date meant that it went head to head in the US against Game Seven of the World Series.