EMMYS: No Conan Snub In Writing Category

This can be chalked up to a pure misunderstanding magnified by the power of Twitter. Deon Cole, one of the writers on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, created some shock waves online after he tweeted yesterday that the show’s writers had been informed that the writing for variety, music or comedy category won’t be televised this year. “Someone with power has kicked us in the nuts again,” he wrote. The situation got additionally heated by the fact that the Primetime Emmys air on NBC,  the network that let O’Brien go. But there is no conspiracy. It is true that for the first time, the writing and directing for VMC categories will be presented at the Creative Arts Awards a week before the Primetime Emmy telecast on NBC. That is part of an agreement the TV Academy made with the WGA and DGA last summer when it announced the split of the writing and directing for VMC series or special into separate categories for series and specials. It called for the series and specials categories to alternate between the Primetime and Creative Arts ceremonies. The series categories were awarded during CBS’ Primetime Emmy telecast last year, with the specials awards given out at the Creative Emmys. This year, the roles are reversed, which I’m sure will present a challenge for the NBC telecast producer Don Mischer as the series are way better known and their writing staffs often provide funny clips to go with listing the nominees’ names.  By the luck of the draw, of Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien‘s 4 noms, best VMC series and best writing, directing and art direction for VMC series, only the top best series category will be awarded during the main telecast. By the way, the Creative Emmys are also televised. They air on E! in an edited-down version.

UPDATE: I loved this comment by a reader who identifies himself as a nominee in the writing for VMC series category (His nomination is well-deserved I might say, judging by how funny his comment is): “I won’t be going. This is fucked up. The only reason to go to the Emmys is because you might wind up peeing in the bathroom next to someone famous. And the chance of that happening at the Little People Emmys is slim to none. Just glad I found out before I bought a new suit.”