For your consideration...

Emmy campaigns have been around almost as long as Emmys.  It seems there are have always been ads in the trade papers “for your consideration.”  Studios sponsored them, networks sponsored them, agencies sponsored them.   Some were ridiculous: Best Actor in a Drama – DeForrest Kelly.  I think some actors had ads in their deals. 

 

In the early ‘90s shows started sending out VHS tapes to voters, featuring several of they believed to be their standout episodes. 

 

When we were doing ALMOST PERFECT in 1995 our studio wouldn’t pop for the tapes but we could take it out of our show budget.  I think it was $20,000.   We did it.  The tapes got distributed.  We weren’t nominated for anything.   But hey, the money didn’t come out of mypocket.

 

About ten years ago in Los Angeles I noticed billboards for shows – “for your consideration.”   I wondered – are there enough Emmy voters to justify outdoor advertising?  I’m sure there are not, but at least they are billboards reminding the general public of the existence of these shows.  So in that regard it makes sense. 

 

But recently I was watching the local ABC affiliate here in Los Angeles and a promo came on for LITTLE MERMAID LIVE.  I thought, “Oh, they’re airing that again?”  But no air time was given.  And then at the end they flashed “For Your Consideration.”   So wait.  Now they’re doing actual TV commercials begging for votes?  And not even planning to rerun the show they're promoting? 

 

There are well over 4,000,000 people in the Southern California area.  What percentage of those are TV Academy members eligible to vote?  .0001%?   So now in desperation to grab an Emmy nomination Channel 7 is willing to air something that excludes 99% of its audience. 

 

And when you consider all the commercials and all the promos and all the clutter that broadcast networks are bombarding the viewer with – to the point where there’s a continuous exodus, to add more just to pander for awards seems foolhardy to me. 

 

Is it not lost on the networks that the shows that do get nominated are the primarily the ones on networks with few or no commercials? 

 

I mean, at least air the damn LITTLE MERMAID LIVE so I can consider it.   

from By Ken Levine