Producers Try to Make Emmys Into Good TV

Presentation of eight cable-favoring categories will be pretaped to allow more time for splashier, higher-rated TV moments

UPDATE: The Writers Guild of America has issued a letter signed by a host of TV showrunners—from practically every series you can think of, from 24 and 30 Rock to Warehouse 13 and Weeds—protesting the proposed cuts, which would include several writing categories.

"This decision conveys a fundamental understatement of the importance of writers in the creation of television programming and a symbolic attack on the primacy of writing in our industry," they stated. "We implore ATAS to restore these awards to their rightful place in the live telecast of the 2009 Emmy Awards."
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Just what every awards show needs—less live action and more montages.

In an effort to up the mass-appeal factor, the viewer-hemorrhaging Primetime Emmy Awards will be devoting more air time this year to "bigger picture" material and cutting the presentation of eight awards, which will be pretaped and spliced into the broadcast in bite-size form.

Bigger picture, meaning...

"We try to make the Emmys more relevant to mainstream viewers while honoring the choice of the Academy properly and appropriately," Emmys executive producer Don Mischer told reporters Thursday, adding that the eight categories getting the live-in-prime-time boot will be finalized in the next few weeks.

No matter what, cable networks are going to feel the brunt of this exposure switcheroo—they account for all of the nominees in the best miniseries and TV movie categories (both of which made the preliminary cut list) alone.

Other awards on the reshuffling block include writing for a drama series; writing for a movie or miniseries; directing for a movie or miniseries; directing for a variety, music or comedy series; and supporting actor and actress in a movie or miniseries.

Per guild agreements, the writers, actors, directors and producers have to absorb two prime-time cuts apiece.

But any uptick in the ratings will do. Last year's Emmys attracted only 12.3 million viewers, making it the second least-watched broadcast of what's supposed to be TV's biggest night.

And if 2009 is the year we're going to be seeing that long-neglected musical homage to ratings winners such as Idol, CSI, Two and a Half Men, Law & Order: SVU and Monday Night Football, who besides Broadway-approved host Neil Patrick Harris could make that work?