Advertisement

Would an Emmy make the perfect kiss-off?

Share

It’s rare, but not unprecedented, for television shows to win Emmy Awards as a going-away present for their final season. “Everybody Loves Raymond” did it in 2005, carting off the outstanding comedy series statuette. Ditto “The Sopranos” in 2007 for drama series.

With several high-profile shows, including ABC’s “Lost” and Fox’s “24,” taking their final bows in 2010, it could happen again, though history tells us that it’s far easier to bring home the gold when your show is just starting out than when it’s wrapping things up.

Here’s an assessment of the recognition chances of some of the Emmy-caliber prime-time programs that have, or soon will, bid prime time adieu this year. (With the Emmy-worthy FX drama “Damages” on the chopping block, The Envelope decided not to include it among the officially dead in hopes that it may get a reprieve.)

“Lost” (ABC)

Seasons: Six

Nominations/wins: 39 nominations, nine wins

Quality of final season: While it’s often difficult to separate the fanatic buzz from the reality for a series that long ago took on an obsessive life of its own, the prevailing wisdom is that the yearlong march into the great beyond more than lived up to the blog-o-rific buildup, taking its legion of fans on a consciousness-expanding journey nearly unheard of for network prime time. You have to go back 20 years to “Twin Peaks” to find anything that comes close.

Chances of Emmy success in 2010: Excellent. “Lost” is pretty much a slam dunk for a third consecutive drama series nod and even has a reasonable shot at notching its second win in the category (the first coming in 2005, its first year of eligibility. Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly are significantly less certain to snare their first Emmy noms for lead drama actor and actress, respectively.

“24” (Fox)

Seasons: Eight

Nominations/wins: 63 nominations, 18 wins

Quality of final season: There are two distinct kinds of people in this world: those who find “24” to be a heart-stopping thrill ride and those who see its mega-intense machinations as hopelessly cheesy. Nothing about Season 8 is likely to change either side’s mind, though it’s noteworthy that the Fox drama’s real-time gimmick and water cooler buzz has exponentially evaporated over the last few years.

Chances of Emmy success in 2010: Slim, though not none. It would prove a huge upset were “24” to bust through for its sixth top drama series nomination this time after having been bumped from the lineup during its last pair of eligible seasons. Star Kiefer Sutherland has a modest shot at a seventh lead actor nod (he won his lone trophy in 2006), but that’s probably not the way to bet no matter how many nuclear bombs Jack Bauer manages to diffuse between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. The feeling is his time has passed.

“Monk” ( USA Network)

Seasons: Eight

Nominations/wins: 16 nominations, 7 wins

Quality of final season: Quite good. “Monk” has proved over its exceptionally long (for cable) life to be nothing if not utterly consistent in keeping its flawed hero ever-sympathetic rather than annoying despite myriad cast changes. The last season was actually even fresher and livelier than the one that preceded it. All the credit goes to star Tony Shalhoub, who created in Adrian Monk a character for the OCD ages.

Chances of Emmy success in 2010: Well, it won’t earn a top comedy series nomination. It never has, and the TV academy isn’t about to bestow the first one for the swan song campaign. But Shalhoub is another story. He’s earned seven lead comedy actor nominations in succession — winning three (the last in 2006) — and has to be seen as a shoo-in for an eighth.

“Ugly Betty” (ABC)

Seasons: Four

Nominations/wins: 19 nominations, three wins

Quality of final season: Few shows in recent television history have gone from beloved, spunky newcomer to sheer afterthought quicker than “Ugly Betty,” whose cleverness and quality (and ratings) are perceived to have spiraled steadily downhill since its first season. In its last season, the only reason to tune in was to see if Betty miraculously turned beautiful. Then again, some believed she was all along.

Chances of Emmy success in 2010: Forget about it. Star America Ferrera won in 2007 and was nominated again the following year, but not since. The show itself earned an outstanding comedy series nom in ‘07, and that was it. Once again, come Emmy time, the only thing ugly about Betty will be the indifference toward her.

“The Tudors” ( Showtime)

Seasons: Four

Nominations/wins: 11 nominations, four wins

Quality of final season: Solid and stagy but not spectacular. “The Tudors” has stood out as a vivid period piece with magnificent costumes and casting, but the entertainment factor has dropped from Season One through the present. To be sure, the series was as intense and soapy as ever as it wound down. Season Four even gave us some jailbait in the person of King Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Katherine Howard, age 17. She proves to be lots of trouble, as does King Hank’s sixth and final wife, Katherine Parr. Along the way, there was a plentiful abundance of sex and drama and betrayal, those essential staples of Tudor life. But by the merciful end, you just wanted to scream, “Enough already!”

Chances of Emmy success in 2010: Sorry, king. Not in this lifetime, I’m afraid. All 11 of the show’s nominations have been in craft categories. Nothing for either lead Jonathan Rhys Meyers or for top drama series. Were the TV academy comprised of Henry VIII’s wives, heads would have rolled by now.

“Saving Grace” ( TNT)

Seasons: Four

Nominations/wins: Three nominations, 0 wins

Quality of final season: Fair to middling. The acting has remained consistently top-drawer with Holly Hunter in the lead, and the writing is gutsy enough. But there was never really enough to distinguish “Saving Grace” as a cop show beyond its angel/redemption device, one we’ve seen all too often in prime time (“Touched by an Angel” and “Highway to Heaven” for starters). Even at that, the show’s ratings have remained notably strong.

Chances of Emmy success in 2010: Only Hunter has any kind of shot here at Emmy consideration, having been recognized each of the last two seasons among the lead drama actress contingent. But even that may prove a tall order this time considering the category competition ( Sally Field, Kyra Sedgwick, Julianna Margulies, Glenn Close, January Jones and Elisabeth Moss, for starters).

calendar@latimes.com

Advertisement