I told you at the end of last week about Sharon Liese, the Overland Park docu-mom, whose series "High School Confidential" won a CableFAX Program Award in Washington, D.C. Sharon won best producer over the production teams for "Damages" and "The Closer."
Chris Berman of ESPN (aka Boomer) was the featured speaker, and Sharon told me he gave a very lovely speech echoing my own sentiments -- namely, how nice it was that there are once again prizes given out to honor the best shows seen on cable TV, a practice that ended when the CableACE Awards were discontinued in the late 1990s.
I totally understand why the cable industry would end the ACEs -- they felt their shows were competitive with network TV shows and that having their own ceremony was inhibiting Emmy voters from nominating them. In the decade since the CableACE Awards ended, cable shows have indeed gone on to scoop up major hardware from the TV Academy:
- "Monk": Multiple Emmy awards for best comedy actor for Tony Shalhoub;
- "The Shield": A shocking and completely deserved Emmy win for Best Actor for Vic Mackey over good guys President Bartlet and Jack Bauer;
- "Sex and the City": Best comedy.
- "Sopranos": Best drama and a huge send-off last year (although in fairness, HBO has always competed well for Emmys).
- "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "Colbert Report": Have taken over the variety categories.
- And of course this year with historic wins for "Mad Men" and "Damages" and other cable shows.
Still, for every cable show that gets a little Emmy love, there are at least three shows that don't even get nominated, like "Battlestar" and "Burn Notice" and "Over There," except in less glamorous technical categories.
That's why you should have a CableACE ... or rather, it's a good reason for CableFAX to start up a new awards called the CableFAX Program Awards. But that is kind of a bulky name -- and I'm not likin' "the Programmies," either -- though I understand the brand imperatives. Still, finding a name for this long-overdue entry into the parade of awards will be a good goal for my pal Seth Arenstein and his colleagues at CableFAX in the offseason.
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