All these wonderful things

History Channel's 102 MINUTES and Marina Zenovich's POLANSKI Top Primetime Emmys

The Creative Arts portion of the 2009 Emmy Awards were held tonight in downtown Los Angeles with the History Channel's 9/11 recap 102 MINUTES THAT CHANGED AMERICA and HBO's Sundance 2008 acquisition ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED both netting multiple Emmys.  POLANSKI director Marina Zenovich picked up two Emmys tonight - one for Oustanding Direction and another for Outstanding Writing.

POLANSKI's win was just the tip of the iceberg for regular Emmy darling HBO.  The network won the most Emmys of any tonight, including three for its narrative version of the Maysles Brothers classic GREY GARDENS.  The net received the Exceptional Merit award and the Outstanding Childrens Nonfiction Special for two films from their acclaimed Alzheimer's Project - and HBO's grande dame Sheila Nevins was presented with the Academy's Governors Award, in addition to two other Emmy's she won tonight.

Full list of winners in nonfiction categories after the jump.

The Monday Brief: The OBAMA Doc Hunts for Oscar, Spirit Awards Move Off the Beach and What if You Made a John Hughes Doc and John Hughes Died?

Good Monday morning to you, with summer winding down and the fall festivals seeming to be nearly upon us, but in the documentary feature world, August means Oscar qualifying...

Like lots of other folks with films set to debut later this year (or even later), HBO moved to qualify its forthcoming Obama documentary BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA by screening it theatrically in New York and Los Angeles.  And while the pay network took some lumps last year for hiding its theatrical run of ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED, this year's qualifying took place in the sunshine, or at the Sunshine, to be exact.

Opening Friday and screening through this week, BY THE PEOPLE is playing at New York's Sunshine Cinema in SoHo and at LA's Laemmle Sunset 5, and while it's pretty clear that HBO didn't go to a lot of effort to screen the film for critics (note the lack of reviews at Rotten Tomatoes), they aren't screening the film in Pasadena or on W. 181 Street either (God bless, you know I do love Pasadena, so no offense).  So mazel tov. 

The limited response thus far from those who have written about the film seems positive, if not glowing.  The Chicago Tribune's political writer Lynn Sweet writes that the film is "an important historical document" because of the exclusive access that filmmakers Amy Rice and Alicia Sands had to the campaign, and argues that we shouldn't expect a film like DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus' classic THE WAR ROOM, writing, "THE WAR ROOM didn't have Clinton".

HBO Screens Obama Doc, BY THE PEOPLE, for TV Critics; Oscar Run Next Week

On Wednesday night at the Television Critics Association's annual gathering in Pasadena, HBO screened BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA, the much-anticipated look at the making of the President's electoral campaign by filmmakers Amy Rice and Alicia Sams.  It kicks off an Oscar qualifying run in NY and LA next week before landing on HBO in early November.

The film has been the subject of much speculation, and it appears that Variety's Wilshire & Washington blog has the first extended take on the film:

"This documentary isn't THE WAR ROOM, D.A. Pennebaker's 1993 documentary about the Clinton campaign that focused almost exclusively on George Stephanopoulos and James Carville. BY THE PEOPLE is less expose and more historical record, capturing the campaign from start to finish and most often in a positive light...

There are candid moments in BY THE PEOPLE: access to Michelle Obama at home with Malia and Sasha, interviews with Obama's sister and brother in law in Hawaii, an audio interview with his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who describes the child Obama as a "normal boy" who "wanted to be a big-time basketball player." But there is nothing that could possibly be embarrassing about it. Obama and, by and large his staffers, are largely calm, cool and collected in their private moments.

Obama, after three hours of shaking hands in Iowa in 2007, complains half jokingly, "It's like I've been through a wrestling match." When he is preparing for the final debate with John McCain, he tries to find just the right tone when his rival brings up William Ayers. "I don't want to sound whiny about his lies," Obama says. In another instance during the general election, Axelrod grouses, "It is getting very ugly out there. What McCain and Palin did was really irresponsible. They are inciting people."

The 100-minute movie focuses on Obama and a number of senior aides, including Plouffe and Axelrod, it also captures younger staffers in field operations, including Mike Blake, who started as deputy political director in Iowa, and Ronnie Cho, who started as Iowa field organizer."

Much more at Variety.

Discovery Sells Off Another Oscar Winner, But Why?

For the second year in a row, Discovery Channel has owned the television rights to the Best Documentary Feature Oscar winner - and for the second year in a row Discovery Channel has sold those rights to another network.

Fillmmaker James Marsh and Sundance Channel's Christian Vesper have confirmed that MAN ON WIRE, this year's acclaimed Oscar winning film about Phillipe Petit's 1974 wire walk between the Twin Towers, has been sold by Discovery to the Sundance Channel.  The film will air on Sundance this fall. 

Discovery had helped fund production on MAN ON WIRE through its defunct theatrical unit, Discovery Films.  Messages left for Discovery's representatives to comment were not returned by press time.

Last year, Discovery sold off its first run television rights of TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE to HBO.  At the time, many speculated that the move was made because Discovery (which is based just outside Washington DC in Silver Spring, MD) was afraid to run the controversial film about torture and the Bush Administration in the middle of an election season and just prior to Discovery Communications going public.

And Kim Longinotto Wept...

...as Adam Lambert was runner-up on this year's American Idol.  Although he did place higher than Danny Gokey, so maybe he still prevailed in the "battle for the soul of America".

The Emmy Goes to AUTISM: THE MUSICAL & I'm Fucking Matt Damon

The Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Ceremony was held Saturday night at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles (it will be broadcast next Saturday, September 20 on E!) and a handful of nonfiction awards were bestowed upon eager documentarians and television executives (full list of doc nominees here).

No surprise, HBO and PBS were often on stage, with public television's love affair/patronage of Ken Burns paying off with 3 awards for his miniseries THE WAR.  PBS also took the Outstanding Nonfiction Series trophy for AMERICAN MASTERS.  Surprisingly, Ken Burns himself did not take home a winged angelic award, as the prize for Outstanding Directing went to Chris Wilcha and Adam Beckman for their work on Showtime's THIS AMERICAN LIFE.

Tricia Regan's AUTISM: THE MUSICAL was the big winner of the evening, receiving the award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special and for Outstanding Editing.  HBO also won a prize for Steven Okazaki's WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN in the Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Programming.

But the best news of the night, much like last year's victory for "Dick in a Box" came in the Original Song category, where Sarah Silverman (and her four collaborators) won for "I'm Fucking Matt Damon".

Here are tonight's winners:

OUTSTANDING NONFICTION SPECIAL
AUTISM: THE MUSICAL
Jonathan Murray, Janet Grillo, Krstin Stills, Executive Producers
Nancy Abraham, Senior Producer
Perrin Chiles, Tricia Regan, Sasha Alpert, Producers

OUTSTANDING NONFICTION SERIES
AMERICAN MASTERS
Susan Lacy, Executive Producer
Prudence Glass, Series Producer
Julie Sacks, Supervising Producer
Jim Brown, Producer
Michael Cohl, Producer
William Eigen, Producer

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN NONFICTION FILMMAKING
WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN
Sheila Nevins, Executive Producer
Robert Richter, Executive Producer
Steven Okazaki, Producer
Sara Bernstein, Supervising Producer

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Christopher Wilcha & Adam Beckman, Directors
THIS AMERICAN LIFE - "Escape"

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Geoffrey C. Ward, Writer
THE WAR - "Pride of Our Nation"

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
The Cinematography Team
DEADLIEST CATCH - "No Mercy"

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Kim Roberts, Editor
AUTISM: THE MUSICAL

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Erik Ewers, Ryan Gifford, Mariusz Glabinski, Magdaline Volatis, Ira Spiegel, Marlena Grzaslewicz & Jacob Ribicoff
THE WAR - "When Things Get Tough"

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Jason King, Sound Mixer
AMERICAN MASTERS - "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends"

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS - SHORT-FORMAT NONFICTION PROGRAMS
GREAT MOMENTS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Tim Nolan, Executive Producer
Anthony Giacchino, Producer

OUTSTANDING VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
Keith David, Narrator
THE WAR: A Necessary War

CATCHING UP: Tricia Regan Scores 3 Emmy Nominations for AUTISM: THE MUSICAL

Way back in the days of yesterday, I caused a bit of a kerfuffle around these parts when I argued that some of the films shortlisted for the Best Documentary Oscar might have been destined for television (and weren't, by definition, cinematic concerns).  That caused a strong blowback from Tricia Regan, the director behind one of the shortlisted features, AUTISM: THE MUSICAL.

So, may I now offer my sincere and heartiest congrats (belated though they are due to reasons previously revealed) to Tricia for her three well-deserved Emmy nominations - and five total for the film - for AUTISM: THE MUSICAL, the most nominated nonfiction feature at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards.

As is always the case with the Emmys, Tricia & AUTISM will be competing against a rogue's gallery of reality television and made-for-PBS titles, although congrats should also go out to Showtime's THIS AMERICAN LIFE, which made a very strong showing in its first year in competition, including nods for series, directing, writing (for Ira Glass) and cinematography.

And, let's also celebrate what has to be considered the frontrunner in the category of Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics - Sarah Silverman's "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" from her ex-beau's JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE.

Here are the Nonfiction Programming Nominees for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, due to be presented at the Creative Arts ceremony (to be televised on E!) on Saturday, September 13.

OUTSTANDING NONFICTION SPECIAL

AFI's 100 YEARS... 100 MOVIES (CBS)
Gary Smith & Frederick S. Pierce, Executive Producers
Dann Netter & Bob Gazzale, Executive Producers

ALIVE DAY MEMORIES: HOME FROM IRAQ (HBO)
Sheila Nevins, James Gandolfini, Executive Producers
Alexandra Ryan, Co-Executive Producer
Sara Bernstein, Supervising Producer
Ellen Goosenberg Kent, Jon Alpert & Matthew O'Neill, Producers

AUTISM: THE MUSICAL (HBO)
Jonathan Murray, Janet Grillo & Kristin Stills, Executive Producers
Nancy Abraham, Senior Producer
Perrin Chiles, Tricia Regan & Sasha Alpert, Producers

PIONEERS OF TELEVISION - "Late Night - Johnny, Jack, Steve and Merv" (PBS)
Steven J. Boettcher & Michael J. Trinklein, Producers

THE PIXAR STORY (Starz)
Leslie Iwerks, Producer

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN NONFICTION FILMMAKING

OSWALD'S GHOST (American Experience - PBS)
Mark Samuels, Executive Producer
Sharon Grimberg, Senior Producer
Robert Stone, Producer

WALT WHITMAN (American Experience - PBS)
Mark Samuels, Executive Producer
Sharon Grimberg, Senior Producer
Patrick Long & Jamila Wignot, Producers

WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN (HBO)
Sheila Nevins & Robert Richter, Executive Producers
Steven Okazaki, Producer
Sara Bernstein, Supervising Producer

OUTSTANDING NONFICTION SERIES

AMERICAN MASTERS (PBS)
Susan Lacy, Executive Producer
Prudence Glass, Series Producer
Julie Sacks, Supervising Producer
Jim Brown, Michael Cohl & Michael Eigen, Producers

BIOGRAPHY (Biography)
Geoffrey Hall & Peter Tarshis, Executive Producers
Barbara Hall, Producer

DEADLIEST CATCH (Discovery)
Thom Beers & Paul Gasek, Executive Producers
Jeff Conroy & Tracy Rudolph, Co-Executive Producers
Matt Renner, Series Producer
Lisa Tanzer, Supervising Producer
Ethan Prochnik, Senior Producer

INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO (Bravo)
James LIpton, Frances Berwick & Christian Barcellos, Executive Producers
Sabrina Fodor & Jeff Wurtz, Producers

THIS AMERICAN LIFE (Showtime)
Producing Team

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

THE AMAZING RACE - "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something" (CBS)
Bertram van Munster, Director

AUTISM: THE MUSICAL (HBO)
Tricia Regan, Director

PROJECT RUNWAY - "En Garde!" (Bravo)
Tony Sacco, Director

THIS AMERICAN LIFE - "Escape" (Showtime)
Christopher Wilcha & Adam Beckman, Directors

THE WAR - "Pride of Our Nation" (PBS)
Ken Burns & Lynn Novick, Directors

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

INTERVENTION - "Caylee" (A&E)
Jeff Grogan, Writer

LIFE AFTER PEOPLE (History)
David de Vries, Writer

THIS AMERICAN LIFE - "Escape" (Showtime)
Ira Glass, Writer

WALT WHITMAN (American Experience - PBS)
Mark Zwonitzer, Writer

THE WAR - "Pride of Our Nation" (PBS)
Geoffrey C. Ward, Writer

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

AUTISM: THE MUSICAL (HBO)
Tricia Regan, Cinematographer

DEADLIEST CATCH - "No Mercy" (Discovery)
Cinematography Team

ICE ROAD TRUCKERS - "Ready to Roll" (History)
Cinematography Team

MEERKAT MANOR - "Journey's End" (Animal Planet)
Ted Gilfords, John Waters & Ralph Bower, Camera

THIS AMERICAN LIFE - "Escape" (Showtime)
Adam Beckman, Director of Photography

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

AFI's 100 YEARS... 100 MOVIES (CBS)
Barry A. O'Brien, Debra Light & Marlise Malkames, Editors

AUTISM: THE MUSICAL (HBO)
Kim Roberts, Editor

DEADLIEST CATCH - "No Mercy" (Discovery)
Kerry Coskran & Rob Butler, Editors

THIS AMERICAN LIFE - "Escape" (Showtime)
Joe Beshenkovsky, Editor

THE WAR - "Pride of Our Nation" (PBS)
Tricia Reidy, Editor

THE WAR - "FUBAR" (PBS)
Paul Barnes, Editor

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

ALIVE DAY MEMORIES: HOME FROM IRAQ (HBO)

THE AMAZING RACE - "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something" (CBS)

AMERICAN MASTERS - "Les Paul: Chasing Sound" (PBS)

AUTISM: THE MUSICAL (HBO)

THE WAR - "When Things Get Tough" (PBS)

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

THE AMAZING RACE - "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something" (CBS)

AMERICAN MASTERS - "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends" (PBS)

DEADLIEST CATCH - "No Mercy"

THE WAR - "When Things Get Tough" (PBS)

Photo of Emmy Winners From When the Levees Broke & Lion in the House

Last night, we reported on the winners at yesterday's Creative Arts ceremony for this year's Emmy Awards, including the fact that Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert's LION IN THE HOUSE and Spike Lee's WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE shared the Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Non-Fiction Filmmaking.  Emmy winning director Bognar kindly sent us a photo of the teams from both winning films backstage after they received their awards.

From left:  Kevin Jones, Sam Pollard (producer of Levees), Jaime Meyers, Steven Bognar, Karen Durgans, Lois Vossen (series producer on Lion), Adam Ashcraft, Julia Reichert, Shelly Wight, Spike Lee,
Jacqueline Glover (supervising producer on Levees) and Melissa Godoy.

Emmy Doc Winners: When the Levees Broke, Lion in the House, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, Planet Earth, oh yeah, & Dick in a Box

The Creative Arts portion of the Emmy Awards were handed out tonight at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and more than a handful of the 65 categories announced tonight (the "major" categories will be announced during the live televised event next Sunday) went to nonfiction films and series.  We posted a full list of nominees here, and the winners tonight were:

Exceptional Merit In Nonfiction Filmmaking (possibility of more than one winner)

A LION IN THE HOUSE (Independent Lens) • PBS
Steven Bognar, Producer
Julia Reichert, Producer
Sally Jo Fifer, Executive Producer
Lois Vossen, Series Producer

WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS • HBO
Sam Pollard, Producer
Spike Lee, Producer
Sheila Nevins, Executive Producer
Jacqueline Glover, Supervising Producer

Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming

WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS • HBO
Spike Lee, Director

Outstanding Nonfiction Special

GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB • HBO

 Outstanding Nonfiction Series

PLANET EARTH • Discovery Channel

Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming

POLE TO POLE • Discovery Channel
Doug Allan, Cinematographer
Martyn Colbeck, Cinematographer
Paul Stewart, Cinematographer
Simon King, Cinematographer
Michael Kelem, Cinematographer
Wade Fairley, Cinematographer

Outstanding Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming

WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS • HBO
Sam Pollard, Supervising Editor
Geeta Gandbhir, Editor
Nancy Novack, Editor

Outstanding Writing For Nonfiction Programming

AMERICAN MASTERS • ANDY WARHOL: A DOCUMENTARY FILM • PBS
James Sanders, Written By
Ric Burns, Written By

Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera)

PLANET EARTH • Pole To Pole • Discovery Channel
Kate Hopkins, Sound Editor

Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera)

AMERICAN MASTERS • ATLANTIC RECORDS: THE HOUSE THAT AHMET BUILT • PBS
Ed Campbell, Sound Mixer

+++

Among tonight's other notable winners were Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake for SNL's sensation, Dick in a Box, for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (who knew "put your junk in that box" was award-winning?), Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List won for Outstanding Reality Program.  The Amazing Race took the awards for Cinematography and Editing in a Reality Series (congrats to my friend Peter Rieveschl on his Emmy for Cinematography).  And HBO's The Addiction Project won a Governor's Award (the other went to American Idol Gives Back).

Merv Griffin, A Remembrance

I worked on the biggest game show flop that Merv Griffin ever created.  You have heard and will continue to hear about how he created Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, but I'd hazard a guess that not many people will be talking about Ruckus, described currently in his wikipedia entry thusly:

Arguably, Griffin's oddest game show was Ruckus (1991) with comedy-magician The Amazing Johnathan as host of a wild, slapstick affair that took stunts and questions-and-answers to a bizarre level. The show emanated from Griffin's Resorts Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. However, WNBC in New York City was the only station that agreed to air the program. By the end of the show's 13 week run, plans were in the works to get the show syndicated nationally, but the project fell apart when the host walked away over a contractual dispute. Ruckus ended as a cult favorite, especially among children, teenagers and college students.

Like some other entries on wikipedia, there's a bit of wishful thinking in the above.  No one really thought the show would be syndicated (in part because the ratings on WNBC were in the toilet), and it didn't end because of a contract dispute (although host and show did get a divorce, for reasons I won't go into).

It was my second full time job in Los Angeles, in the "biz".  The first was for Dick Clark Productions, on another short lived game show.  It was also the last TV job I ever did, primarily because it was the worst working experience of my life.  It still registers as that today.

But that wasn't Merv's fault necessarily, and this post is about Merv and not the crushing depression I suffered while working for his company.

I first met Merv when he ambled down the hall from his office at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, which he then owned, to our production offices, which were also inside the hotel.  It was an unannounced meet and greet, a chance for our fearless leader to address the troops.  He was introduced to everyone in quick succession.  And that was it.  From then on, he knew your name.  I half suspect that had I run into him a year ago and made some mention of having worked for him once, he'd immediately remember my name, the show and my hometown.

Merv was, frankly, larger than life.  Sometimes with celebrities you are struck by how they seem less than their public image - shorter, less attractive, less commanding.  But Merv was big - not just his waist size, although that too - and he strode around his hotel, his Atlantic City casino, glad handing the guests, the tourists, the workers.  He was a showman.  And he was in total control.

He was also in the midst of a palimony suit filed by a former assistant, a sexual harassment suit filed by Dance Fever host Denny Terrio, a public feud with Donald Trump, and had just sold his company to Columbia Pictures for 250 million.  (Rolling Stone had a great piece on Merv last summer which covered much of this in detail.)  None of this seemed to register with the folks getting off the bus from Philly.  They just wanted a picture and wanted to know how Eva (of the Gabor sisters) was doing and was she in town (at the time, Merv and Eva were having a high profile relationship). 

Now, being a young man fresh from the midwest, I wasn't quite sure how to act around this guy.  Add to this the suspicion that his interest in me was not just professional (although who's to say, maybe he was just a flirt, although buy me a drink and I'll tell you the story about the cigarette) and the fact that the job itself was making me physically ill - and I, on more than one occasion, made a bit of a fool of myself around him.  Nothing big, just the cringe-inducing joke that was funny to no one, except Merv would laugh his devilish laugh as if I'd just said something positively witty.  Flirting or no, he put my younger, more uncomfortable self at ease.  Sometimes, I'd feel more comfortable with Merv than most anyone else on the show.

But I was still more than a little unsure of just how much I was supposed to even talk to this guy.  Which was my loss.

Years later, after Ruckus was long forgotten to everyone save me and a few others who survived it, I saw Merv on Tom Snyder's TV show.  It was the first time I realized that he was a raconteur nonpareil.  Why didn't I know to ask him to tell me his tales of Orson Welles?

One thing that the Rolling Stone piece included was this paragraph:

Not that Merv is against reality TV. He just hasn't seen an idea he likes. For instance, a show along the lines of The Osbournes -- except about Merv. He's pitched it, but the networks won't bite. They kiss up to him because of his track record with Jeopardy! and Wheel. But then they don't listen to him because he might skew to an older demographic. Drives him crazy. ''All they want to know is 'How did that skew?' '' says Merv. He catches himself sounding bitter. ''When they say you skew too old, you just say, 'Skew you.' '' He throws back his leonine head and roars with laughter.

It's funny, because Merv - the conservative Republican who was perhaps Nancy Reagan's best friend, the man who described himself as a "quatre-sexual" adding "I will do anything with anybody for a quarter", one of the last remnants of old Hollywood, the man with a thousand stories - was living a Bravo reality show for decades.  Seriously, Merv and Eva and his hotels and his staff of good looking men?  That's genius.

He was one of a kind, that Merv.  And although I had to endure a job from hell, his small cameo appearance in my life has left me with some cracking stories.  And I have to believe that the master storyteller wouldn't want it any other way.