New Emmy system could give sleepers a chance

Don’t expect the Emmy Awards to look like a TV rerun again this year. Although favorite, high-rated nominees usually return year after year, there’s a new voting system that aims to boost the chances of low-rated snubees in the top series and acting categories.

This week, ballots were shipped to members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as usual, but when they’re returned by June 20, they won’t determine the final five nominees in all categories as they have in years past. New judging panels will convene at the academy’s offices in North Hollywood on June 24 and 25 to do that job (as panels have done for years in other award categories) after weighing sample episodes submitted by the top 15 vote-getters among rivals for best lead actor and actress in a series and top 10 finalists for best comedy and drama. Academy members overall usually favor the most popular contenders as measured by Nielsen ratings or industry buzz.

“Up till now the Emmys have been a broadcast TV and HBO world,” says Ray Richmond, Emmy writer for the Hollywood Reporter. “In order for the Emmys to be taken seriously, they need to recognize the more cutting-edge programs on the WB, FX, UPN and Showtime networks. What’s an Emmy worth if someone like Lauren Graham from ‘Gilmore Girls’ can’t be nominated?”

Five years ago, the Television Critics of America voted “Gilmore Girls” the best new program of the year. Since then it has given the show six more nominations, including two shots at best actress for Graham, but it’s only received one Emmy bid -- for best makeup in 2004, which it won. That’s the only Emmy the WB has ever received out of its four nominations, none higher up than the guest-acting categories.

Now many Emmy-watchers believe “Gilmore Girls” and Graham have a good chance to make the finalists’ lists. In past years, when the Emmy process employed judging panels to choose winners, it helped to rescue low-rated programs lucky enough to get nominated, such as “Cheers,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Cagney & Lacey” and “All in the Family.”

This year there may finally be recognition for these often overlooked shows and stars in the series and acting races: “Battlestar Galactica” (Edward James Olmos), “Rescue Me” (Denis Leary) and “Veronica Mars” (Kristen Bell). Michael Chiklis won best drama actor in 2002, but “The Shield” has never been up for best series.

Among low-rated and even canceled new shows and the stars that could benefit: “The Comeback” (Lisa Kudrow), “Commander in Chief” (Geena Davis), “Everybody Hates Chris” (Tyler James Williams, Tichina Arnold), “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and “Weeds” (Mary-Louise Parker).

Other rookies might also make the cut, but they might have done so under the old system, considering their better ratings and buzz: “Big Love” (Bill Paxton), “The Closer” (Kyra Sedgwick), “My Name Is Earl” (Jason Lee), “The Office” (Steve Carell) and “Prison Break” (Wentworth Miller).

TV critics are rooting hardest for such underdogs as “Battlestar Galactica,” now in its second season on the Sci-Fi Channel.

“We’ve been championing it from the beginning and really hope it gets lots of Emmy love,” says TVGuide.com senior editor Michael Ausiello.

“The Emmys need to acknowledge the cool kids like Denis Leary, Kristen Bell and Mary-Louise Parker,” adds Richmond. “They need to pay attention to the stars and shows that TV critics care about.”

Those include the five nominees for best new show at the Television Critics of America Awards, which will be bestowed in July: “Big Love,” “The Colbert Report,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “My Name Is Earl” and “Prison Break.” Nominees for individual achievement awards include Kyra Sedgwick, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Jason Lee and, of course, Lauren Graham.

“The new Emmy voting change is good,” adds Ausiello, “because the old system created embarrassing situations like last year when ‘Will & Grace’ had one of its weakest seasons, but ended up with the most nominations among comedy series. That reflects very badly on the Emmys.”

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Tom O’Neil writes the GoldDerby column for The Times’ awards site, TheEnvelope.com.

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Join live Internet chat sessions with television actors about the Emmys at TheEnvelope.com:

Monday (6 p.m. PDT): Lauren Graham, “Gilmore Girls”

Wednesday (4 p.m. PDT): Rob Morrow, “Numb3rs”