Trek executive producer Rick Berman today criticised the way science fiction television is overlooked by the Emmy Awards."I have outgrown expecting to get nominations in acting and writing and directing categories," Berman told trade paper Variety. "It's just been so many years we've been overlooked."
Variety via TrekToday
Anyone who watches Enterprise (or its predecessor, Voyager) knows that recent Trek is hardly worth watching let alone worthy of Emmy recognition. Even one of my favorite Star Trek shows, Deep Space Nine was compelling towards the final years, but the writing and acting was not consistant or serious enough to warrant an award.
But after reading that article I was reminded of the constant discussions related to Buffy being snubbed by the Emmy Awards. In fact, one of the main reasons why I started watching Buffy is because of off-topic discussions on other BBSs, venting frustrating about the show's image.
After watching Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, I realize that it is as goofy as it appears to be, but also suprisingly witty and enjoyable. However, despite attempts at seriousness, Buffy suffers from the same inconsistancy that plagues Star Trek. - I think people have to realize that an entertaining show is not necessarily an exceptionally well done show.
Sci-fi shows can offer fun characters with entertaining situations and sometimes thoughtful concepts. But for some reason, most sci-fi, (asides from The X-Files) never seem to take themselves seriously enough to have balanced, dramatic dialogue and situations that you would expect from shows like The Practice, The Sopranos or The West Wing.
Basically, sci-fi is too tame and their execution of thoughtful ideas is not always up to par. I think people have to consider for a moment why a show about two FBI agents hunting aliens and monsters won two Golden Glode Awards for outstanding drama. - Unlike other sci-fi/fantasy, The X-Files didn't use cheesy music, with cheap special effects and crappy lighting to tell their stories. Even first season epsiodes that were obviously low budget, still managed a unique sense of cinematic style and seriousness.
It's strange reading interviews with Whedon (Buffy Producer/Creator) and Co. talking about Buffy's lack of award recognization. I mean, this guy has created a show that is just plain silly to the point that it almost seems as if he is daring people to watch it. So I don't see why he should be rewarded for something that is nothing more than escapist fun that "occassionally" borderlines serious television.
If Berman is serious about getting an Emmy then he realy needs to shape up.
LMAO! Man that guy's a moron. What the hell is he thinking? Maybe he should submit, "A Night in Sickbay" to try for an Emmy award. If he wins, we'll know that the whole damn show is rigged.
BTW, did he notice that Babylon 5 won an Emmy (along with numerous other awards, including two Hugos)? Maybe he ought to consider that good sci-fi has been rewarded before saying he's being snubbed.
"Sometimes I think you WANT us to fail." "Shut up, just shut up!" -Two Guys from Kabul
Latinum Star Recipient; Hacker's Cross Award Winner
"one soler flar can vapririze the planit or malt the nickl in lass than millasacit" -Bagara1000
The person who wrote the article is right. Sci-fi just doesn't take itself seriously enough to make it far enough into the realm of sophisticated entertainment to be elligiable for awards. Most of the major scifi series have done a few very good episodes here and there but the best overall description for scifi is 'campy.'
Scifi is basically stuck at the Mike Hammer level of realism. It's escapist trash that makes little attempt to realistically portray life. Of course no one who likes shows such as The West Wing, Prime Suspect or NYPD Blue is going to be satisfied with scifi that has dialog like "take this cheese to sickbay" or ship captains that can get a meeting with the local president whenever they feel like it. This lack of mature content will be reflected in scifi's low ratings and its lack of awards.
It's not my place in life to make people happy. Don't talk to me unless you're prepared to watch me slaughter cows you hold sacred. Don't talk to me unless you're prepared to have your basic assumptions challenged. If you want bunnies in light, talk to someone else.
Of course locating a replacement for the squishy thing that should be inside of it he flushed down the toilet years ago might be harder.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
Sadly for Mr. Berman, there are no Emmy categories for "worst producer", "worst writer", "most fundamentally idiotic episode of a TV series" or "most destructive force in wrecking a television franchise".
kojikun wrote:The only scifi show i can think of thats deserving of an emmy is Babylon 5. Rarely did it suck at the level that others have.
That's incredible. Just by a coincidence, B5 WON AN EMMY! Maybe Sci-Fi isn't being discriminated against. Frankly, discriminating between people based on ability is NOT discrimination. The Emmy people are sending B&B a message when they don't even get nominated, and their arch-rival series wins.
"Sometimes I think you WANT us to fail." "Shut up, just shut up!" -Two Guys from Kabul
Latinum Star Recipient; Hacker's Cross Award Winner
"one soler flar can vapririze the planit or malt the nickl in lass than millasacit" -Bagara1000
Patrick Degan wrote:Sadly for Mr. Berman, there are no Emmy categories for "worst producer", "worst writer", "most fundamentally idiotic episode of a TV series" or "most destructive force in wrecking a television franchise".
But there's always the Golden Raspberry Awards for worst achievements in film. I'm sure Berman will be in the running for a few awards in that one.
aerius: I'll vote for you if you sleep with me. Lusankya: Deal!
Say, do you want it to be a threesome with your wife? Or a foursome with your wife and sister-in-law? I'm up for either.
kojikun wrote:The only scifi show i can think of thats deserving of an emmy is Babylon 5. Rarely did it suck at the level that others have.
That's incredible. Just by a coincidence, B5 WON AN EMMY! Maybe Sci-Fi isn't being discriminated against. Frankly, discriminating between people based on ability is NOT discrimination. The Emmy people are sending B&B a message when they don't even get nominated, and their arch-rival series wins.
I am sure S:AAB was nominated for something... right? I mean that was (in terms of acting, realism and plot) was superior to B5 IMHO.
Η ζωή, η ζωή εδω τελειώνει!
"Science is one cold-hearted bitch with a 14" strap-on" - Masuka 'Dexter'
"Angela is not the woman you think she is Gabriel, she's done terrible things"
"So have I, and I'm going to do them all to you." - Sylar to Arthur 'Heroes'
kojikun wrote:The only scifi show i can think of thats deserving of an emmy is Babylon 5. Rarely did it suck at the level that others have.
That's incredible. Just by a coincidence, B5 WON AN EMMY! Maybe Sci-Fi isn't being discriminated against. Frankly, discriminating between people based on ability is NOT discrimination. The Emmy people are sending B&B a message when they don't even get nominated, and their arch-rival series wins.
I am sure S:AAB was nominated for something... right? I mean that was (in terms of acting, realism and plot) was superior to B5 IMHO.
Perhaps. The thing, though, is that B5 was a revolution in TELEVISION in America, as well as just science fiction. It was the first time that anything like it had ever been done, and was a giant leap up in a lot of ways. In that respect and within science fiction, only the Original Star Trek and Twilight Zone are even in the same category.
"Sometimes I think you WANT us to fail." "Shut up, just shut up!" -Two Guys from Kabul
Latinum Star Recipient; Hacker's Cross Award Winner
"one soler flar can vapririze the planit or malt the nickl in lass than millasacit" -Bagara1000
Patrick Degan wrote:Sadly for Mr. Berman, there are no Emmy categories for "worst producer", "worst writer", "most fundamentally idiotic episode of a TV series" or "most destructive force in wrecking a television franchise".
Ha! I was laughing before this thread loaded! Abandon all hope ye who write Enterprise!
(edit) And I shouldn't be laughing because it's SAD! I used to love ST and now it's a laughingstock.
Unfortunately, he couldn't find his ass with both hands, a map, a flashlight, a GPS reciever, etc...
"preemptive killing of cops might not be such a bad idea from a personal saftey[sic] standpoint..." --Keevan Colton
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
