Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
August 22, 2006

 

Conan O’Brien hosts the 58th annual “Primetime Emmys” Sunday night at 8 p.m. on NBC.  My predictions are in bold.

 

Outstanding Drama Series
Grey’s Anatomy

House
The Sopranos
24
The West Wing

 

The momentum for “Grey’s” has been building all year and will culminate with an Emmy.  “Desperate” who?  Last year’s ABC “it” show wasn’t even nominated for Drama or Comedy.  Also, the omission of “Lost" is a shock.

 

Outstanding Comedy Series
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Office
Scrubs
Two and a Half Men

 

Between “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and “The Office,” Steve Carell had a great year.  I’m surprised NBC’s other top comedy, “My Name is Earl” wasn’t nominated.

 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Frances Conroy, “Six Feet Under”
Geena Davis, “Commander in Chief”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law and Order”
Allison Janney, “The West Wing”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”

 

How sweet would it be for Davis to win the Emmy, after her show was unceremoniously dumped by ABC?  This is a “sad” category, as three of the five nominees are from shows that are no longer on the air (“Six Feet Under,” “Commander in Chief,” and “The West Wing”). Edie Falco (“The Sopranos”) and Kristen Bell (“Veronica Mars”) were robbed!

 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Krause, “Six Feet Under”
Denis Leary, “Rescue Me”
Christopher Meloni, “Law & Order: SVU”
Martin Sheen, “The West Wing”
Kiefer Sutherland, “24”

 

This will be Jack Bauer and “24’s” night!

 

Outstanding Reality/Competition Program

“The Amazing Race” (CBS)

“American Idol (FOX)

“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)

“Project Runway” (Bravo)
”Survivor”  (CBS)

 

As Simon Cowell would say, "I don't mean to be rude, but if any other show besides "A.I.," wins it would be a joke.

 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Stockard Channing, “Out of Practice” (CBS)

Jane Kaczmarek, “Malcolm in the Middle” (CBS)
Lisa Kudrow, “The Comeback” (HBO)
Debra Messing, “Will & Grace” (NBC)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine” “(CBS)

This category should be named “The Dead Zone, “as four of the five nominees are from shows that were canceled.  I’d give it to Kudrow, who owned “The Comeback.”

 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Steve Carell, “The Office” (NBC)

Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
Kevin James, “The King of Queens” (CBS)
Tony Shalhoub, “Monk” (USA)
Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men” (CBS)

 

My final prediction is that host Conan O'Brien will do a great job.  He was hilarious as a presenter last year.

 

Congratulations to former “Courier Times” reporter Dipti “Dee” Patel, who is the new news director of KYW 1060-AM. Patel replaces Tracey Russell, who departed the station a few months ago due to health reasons, according to industry sources.

 

Patel grew up in Levittown and is a graduate of Pennsbury High and Temple University.  She’s been an employee of KYW since 2004.

 

Traffic Patterns

Last week we reported that former Metro traffic reporter Bennett Halpern departed broadcasting for the world of real estate.  It’s actually former Metro traffic and 6ABC reporter John Valerio who is now in real estate.  We hear Halpern is selling cars.

 

According to industry sources, CN8 reporter Rachel Pfanner will move to Fox29 as a part time reporter under her married name of Rachel Wulff.  All of the CN8 newscasts had their final broadcasts Friday.