EMMYs 2001
- The Emmys were originally scheduled for Sunday, September 16, 2001,just five days after 9/11.
Here’s what unfolded:
Subject:
Emmy Error - Wrong Date
Date:
Mon, 17 Sep 200121:37:45 -0700
From:
Sportsbook <>
To:
Rich <>
I told you the date of the Prime Time Emmy's was rescheduled for October 9, 2001. That was incorrect. The actual date
and time is Sunday, 8 p.m.(EDT & PDT), October 7, 2001.
Mr. Hollywood.
- Subject:
Emmy 2001 Part I - Rehearsal
Date:
Sun, 07 Oct 200101:59:40 -0700
From:
Sportsbook <>
To:
Rich <>
It's going to be a good show. It will reflect the mood of the country.
Make sure you see the finale, if nothing else. The Show's supposed to run
about 3 hours and 18 minutes, so you figure out when to tune in.
The set is fantastic! It's something like art deco without the
chrome...very linear.
Ellen DeGeneres is the host. Guess what she was wearing for the
rehearsal. That's right, I knew you'd get it. T-shirt and torn pale blue
jeans.
Walter Cronkite will open the show from New York. Several parts of the
show will be done live from New York.
Excuse me for a second ladies.....Men, I HAD to go backstage to get a
close look at the models who escort the winners off the stage. What ever
your question is about them, the answer is, "Yes." They are also very
tall.
All the new seating charts are up on the Web Site.
I understand I still had the
2000 program cover up; that is fixed now. Speaking of programs, the
original program for September 16th is being used. There will be an update
of the changes inserted in the original program.
What about me, you ask? I'll be handling the aisle one from the center,
on stage left...Sections B and C in the seating chart. So, as you look
from the stage to the audience, I'm one aisle over from the left of
center. I have the casts of Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, and West
Wing in my section, to name a few. One other person in my section worth
mentioning is Barbra Striesand. Do you think she would get mad if I say,
"Babs, what's James Brolin really like?"
Here's some Babs trivia: She's the first person ever to receive a Grammy,
an Emmy, an Oscar, and a Tony. Her Tony was a
non-competitive award for star of the decade,
which is why most people attribute this first to
others (such as Rita Moreno) who won all 4 awards in competitive
categories.
I have an early call tomorrow and it's late. There's lots of extra
security to go through for all the seat fillers so I have to be there early
to get a head start. We're meeting at TelevisionCity in Hollywood....at
the audience holding area (The Price is Right being one among many) then
onto Sound Stage #33 for a briefing and luncheon. After lunch we board
buses to take us to the Shrine Auditorium.
Mr. Hollywood
!!!!! W A R against al Qaeda forces begins in Afghanistan October 7, 2001 !!!!!
- Subject:
EMMY EXTRA!!!
Date:
Sun, 07 Oct 200116:41:52 -0700
From:
Sportsbook <>
To:
Rich <>
THE EMMYS ARE CANCELED. They will not be re-scheduled.
At 1:00 p.m. PDT we got word that the Emmys would not be held tonight,
October 7th (Mr. Hollywood's youngest brother's birthday). Shortly after
2:00 p.m. PDT, we were told it would not be rescheduled.
Our luncheon was held at the CBS Studios in TelevisionCity. We
gathered in the same studio where they shoot the Price is Right. The Carol
Burnett Show (Remember?) was also shot in this studio. I was on the very
stage that Bob Barker has been asking for bids on items for the past 100
years. The Seat Filler Crew was being introduced on stage to the seat
fillers who were seated in the audience. My boss got a call on his cell
before he introduced the last two people in our crew. He came back to the
podium, finished introducing the crew, and then told us the Show was
canceled.
I told you that part of the show was going to emanate from New York. We
received word before 1 p.m. that New York had pulled out of the Show. That
left a big gap in the production.
The latest word is that Ellen DeGeneres will host a program presenting
pre-recorded segments and clips from what was to be part of Emmy night.
Several celebrities had taped inspirational quotes. I don't know if this
will be shown tonight or later.
It's hard not to make any judgments about what happened today regarding
the Show. We were told the main purpose for canceling the Show was for
security. I am very disappointed.
In closing, I will tell you about the finale. From New York, Mayor
Guiliani was going to introduce a Policeman or Fireman, I forget which, who
was going to sing "America the Beautiful." They were going to be linked
up, via satellite, to a children's choir singing along with him on-stage at
the Shrine in L.A. Now we won't see it or experience it. Give the
terrorists another victory.
Mr. Hollywood
- Subject:
EMMY EXTRA Addendum I
Date:
Sun, 07 Oct 200117:16:39 -0700
From:
Sportsbook <>
To:
Rich <>
The president-elect of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences just
stated that a final decision to cancel the Emmys has not been made. At
this time, they haven't decided if the Show will be re-scheduled or not.
Mr. Hollywood
- Subject:
The Emmys AGAIN Pt 2 Rehearsal
Date:
Sun, 04 Nov 200101:54:53 -0800
From:
Sportsbook <>
To:
Rich <>
DO NOT MISS THE EMMY FINALE! DO NOT MISS THE EMMY FINALE!
SCOOP - A certain star who was reported as having the flu, doesn't
really. She'll be there. That's all I'm saying.
I believe this show will even be better than the first.....or second!
Things have been scaled down a little but I think the quality of the show
is better. The Shubert is a smaller theater so the audience will be
smaller. The stage and set are about half of what it originally was. The
finale has been changed and I think it will have a greater impact than the
original. I will give you a few more interesting facts about the finale
AFTER you see it. By the way, did I tell you to NOT MISS THE FINALE?
Our seat filler crew is only one person smaller. However, our seat
fillers are smaller by over one hundred. I think there is a very good
possibility I will be seen on TV. There are only three aisles in the
theater, right, center and left. My section is the front 12 rows along the
stage right aisle. That will be the aisle along the wall on the right as
you look from the stage to the audience.
Mary Tyler Moore is presenting. Very few presenters, if any, show up
for rehearsal. She was there today and walked right by me. She's still
very attractive and also VERY skinny. She looked very chic in black denims
and a silk blouse. (Hey, I'm a fashion critic now!)
The Shubert Theater is located in CenturyCity, an upscale financial
district of Los Angeles, adjacent to Beverly Hills. The Shubert is famous
for showing Broadway hits. It opened in 1972 and is closing, and being
torn down, in 2002. For more information and photos go to
The new seating charts (only two) are on the Web Site.
Mr. Hollywood
- Subject:
Finally, the Final EMMY Report
Date:
Tue, Mar 19 200202:41:52 -0700
From:
Sportsbook <>
To:
Mr. Hollywood’s A List
Hello from Hollywood!
Well, here it is Oscar week and I'm finally getting around to finishing the Emmy Report. So what else is new? This year we
have more new comers to the mailing list and I want to welcome you. I hope you enjoy your behind the scenes connection.
But first, the Emmys: You will recall that the Emmys were postponed twice (third time's the charm) and it went on the air at
the same time as the SEVENTH game of the World Series (NY Yanks lost to AZ). If you read my "rehearsal" report, you
knew about the scoop that a certain person was really NOT sick and really WAS available. (The PRESS didn't even have this
information.) When Barbra Streisand (of course, I call her Babs), couldn't accept her Emmy because of an illness, or prior
commitment, or some hogwash, you KNEW she was really going to be there. Her performance in the finale with the USC
Choir was very emotional. Do you remember the backdrop on stage of the wall with all the names of the 9/11 victims? That
was NOT projected on a screen. Each one of those names was on a card (to give a brick wall effect) and attached by hand to
the backdrop!
Many of the stars and guests had an interest in the World Series. People had Walkmen and earphones in the theater, others
gathered in the lobby to watch the Series on the monitors. This made filling the seats (my job, remember?) almost impossible.
There were more empty seats than we had seat fillers. At one point, the PRODUCER of the Emmys was in the lobby watching
the World Series! The Emmys were over just before the end of the Series. So, I was able to watch the last inning myself. I
was standing next to Maura Tierney (Abby) and Laura Innes (Dr. Kerry Weaver) of ER. They looked stunning. Their male
companions (I don't know their marital status) who were average looking blokes, were watching the game while they talked. I
was trying to get Maura Tierney's attention because we have a mutual friend, but the two of them wouldn't stop yapping. I was
unable to find an appropriate moment to strike up a conversation. (I'm not a rude fellow, you know.)
Mary Tyler Moore walked right by me after the Show. I can honestly say, after seeing her up close, she still looks fantastic!
As you might imagine, security was very tight. It caused all kinds of traffic problems. Many of our seat fillers didn't arrive till
we were ready to leave our luncheon for the theater. By the way, our luncheon was scheduled to be outside, and, as rare as it is
for L.A., we had rain that morning. We made a last minute call to move it indoors. Three cheers for the Century City Westin
Hotel staff. (I think one of you works for Westin, right? Do I get that complimentary room now?) Anyway, in regards to
security, there were uniformed and plain clothes guards, as well as L.A.P.D., everywhere. There was even a strong presence of
the FBI. The Shubert Theater is part of an unclosed mall. Opposite the theater is an office building with a movie theater and a
couple of restaurants on the ground floor. There were S.W.A.T. team people all across the roof of that office building. There
were probably more on the roof of the theater but I couldn't see them, of course, from my point of view.
One more little piece of gossip. Before the Show, when we were socializing in the lobby, Janel Moloney (Donna Moss) from
West Wing passed by us on her way to the rest room. (Say West Wing rest room five times fast.) A couple of seat fillers were
in the rest room with her (I think they followed her in) and said she was cold toward them. I don't remember exactly what was
said. I think they said "hi," and Janel kind of ignored it. (Ok, no Pulitzer for this last story.)
Be on the lookout for Oscar news this week.
The NEW Web Site address is:
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