IMPOSTOR’S CASE OF THE ‘BLUES’

An impostor who went on stage to accept an Emmy Award for a member of the police force of NBC’s “Hill Street Blues” wound up behind bars Sunday night. Real-life police said the man was booked for investigation of attempted grand theft.

Police identified him as Barry Breman, 38, of West Bloomfield, Mich. He was arrested and led away in handcuffs after leaving the stage of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where he had accepted a best-supporting-actress Emmy on behalf of “Blues” actress Betty Thomas.

He told presenter Peter Graves, the black-tie audience there and the millions of viewers watching the 37th annual Emmy show on ABC that Thomas was absent. Thomas was understandably startled--she was in the audience, and hadn’t authorized anyone to accept for her.

Emmy officials said the man had a $300 ticket to the ceremonies and apparently got backstage by telling guards he worked for an NBC affiliate. The hoax was discovered after a station break. Thomas later appeared on camera, accepted her Emmy and said, “Well, it is definitely hard to follow an act like that.”