What’s in Store for Emmys

Plans are proceeding for what promises to be a very different kind of Emmy Awards ceremony, designed to present a more respectful, united and sober tone in the wake of the terrorist attacks that occurred earlier this month.

Though various details of the show remain in flux, Emmy organizers intend to do away this year with the traditional red-carpet arrivals that showcase celebrity fashion and glamour and will probably ask those in attendance to wear business clothes instead of formal attire.

While Ellen DeGeneres remains set to host the awards, former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite will now open the show, talking about the American spirit in the face of adversity.

The Emmys were originally scheduled for Sept. 16 but were immediately postponed in the wake of the fatal events of Sept. 11.

After considerable discussion between CBS--which will broadcast this year’s ceremony--and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which orchestrates and presents the Emmy awards, the event was subsequently delayed until Oct. 7.

Some within the industry have questioned whether the awards should go on at all, while CBS and some of the other networks supported the idea of proceeding with the show as soon as possible.

Rumors have swirled for days of resistance to the ceremony despite the commitment by CBS and the television academy to go forward, and several studios have canceled their splashy private post-Emmy parties.

Executive producer Don Mischer acknowledged that he has received input from many within the entertainment community--including certain nominees--expressing their concern about the nature of the ceremony, which he said will endeavor to emphasize “our industry coming together at a time like this [rather] than to feel like a celebration.”

Mischer said the vast majority of those who had agreed to participate in the awards telecast before Sept. 11 have reaffirmed their commitment to do so.

The biggest uncertainty, Mischer said, surrounds many of those based in New York--including cast and crew members associated with HBO’s Emmy-nominated programs “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City”--who have made known their reservations about traveling at this time.

While there has been discussion of providing a bicoastal element to the ceremony, via satellite, to allow those nominees to participate, no decision has as yet been made.

An HBO spokeswoman said that the pay channel is offering to fly in any of its New York-based talent who want to attend the Emmys but is not pressuring any of them to go.

“It’s a totally personal decision,” she said.

Bryce Zabel, the academy’s newly elected chairman, said there are two primary concerns regarding this year’s Emmys: security and appropriateness. In regard to the former, he indicated that every precaution will be taken to ensure the safety of those attending the awards.

With most studio parties canceled, there are also plans for a “unity dinner”--as opposed to the academy’s traditional Governors Ball--to follow the awards.

Regarding propriety, Zabel said: “Everybody is trying to do the right thing that will be the most respectful and appropriate on Oct. 7,” which will include placing less emphasis on the horse-race aspects of the Emmy competition.

As for the usual thank-you speeches recognizing agents and managers, he added, “I imagine that people will have different messages this year.”

Mischer called the challenge of producing the Emmys this year “the most difficult position I’ve ever been in in my 30 years in the business

Virtually all of the taped clip packages that were produced for the Sept. 16 ceremony have since been jettisoned.

Instead, new segments are rapidly being developed, such as a piece in which “NYPD Blue’s” Dennis Franz would pay tribute to New York’s police and firefighters.

Because the Emmys are televised in nearly 100 countries, there will also be material reaching out to viewers around the world, thanking them for their outpouring of support toward the U.S. in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

“The real question is the relevancy of the Emmy Awards, given the time our nation finds itself in,” Mischer said.

While news events, including possible U.S. retaliation to the attacks, could still alter the networks’ plans, Mischer noted that there are signs of people gravitating back to conventional television programming.

In fact, a “flash” survey by Westfield, N.J.-based Knowledge Networks-Statistical Research--conducted over the weekend to gauge public sentiment and released Tuesday found that four-fifths of respondents felt that the networks should proceed with introducing their new prime-time lineups, with more than three-quarters saying a sufficient amount of time has passed for entertainment programs and advertising to resume.

Despite the disparity of opinions he has heard, Mischer said he felt the entertainment community was by and large behind the idea of proceeding with the event.

“You’re never going to get [complete] consensus on something like this,” he said. “I’m in a no-win position here. All of us are.”

The Museum of Television and Radio, meanwhile, announced Tuesday that a planned tribute to “The West Wing” star Martin Sheen and renowned TV director James Burrows has been rescheduled for Nov. 11.

The event was to have been held in Beverly Hills on Oct. 7 but was moved to accommodate the Emmys.