2009 Animation Nominations For Daytime Emmys
Who's Up For an Animation Category Award?
The 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are coming later this month, on August 30, 2009. The awards broadcast will be hosted by Vanessa Williams (Mama Mirabelle Home Movies and Ugly Betty), and air on the CW Television Network at 8 PM ET.
The Daytime Emmys honor any programs broadcast from 2 am to 6 pm, during the 2008 calendar year. From the large pack of nominees will emerge only a few winners, the top names in television. Among the nominees, announced on May 14, are an array of children's animation categories.
A highlight of the night is sure to be the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sesame Street, the classic, 40-year-old children's television show. The show has millions of “graduates” and current viewers around the world. Among its fans is US President Barack Obama, who recently commended the program in his Independence Day speech.
So who's nominated in these categories, and who's the best bets to win?
Emmy's Animated Program Categories
Three of five nominees in the "Outstanding Children's Animated Program" category are from PBS: Curious George, Sid the Science Kid, and Wordworld. Little Einsteins (Disney Channel) and The Backyardigans (Nickelodeon) are also nominated. The category seems to focus on shows for preschoolers and those slightly older. Wordworld and Jim Henson Company's Sid the Science Kid are both new shows, while the three others are well-known mainstays.
Turning to "Outstanding Special Class Animated Program", all three are on cable: Nickelodeon's Back at the Barnyard, Cartoon Network's BEN 10: Alien Force, and Disney Channel's Handy Mandy. While I'd say Barnyard is much more watchable than its movie forefather was, it still seems hit-and-miss. To be honest, I haven't watched enough episodes of the other options to pass judgement on what should or will get the honour.
Emmy's Performer and Crew Categories
Interestingly, a good overall series doesn't mean you've got great voices. Strangely, none of the eight nominated series garnered a nod for "Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program".
Nevertheless, an interesting cross-section is up for the award. Among them are two men whose career has focused on voice acting; the pros nominated are Jim Cummings, for playing Tigger on My Friends Tigger and Pooh, and Jim Ward as Eyemore the Crusher on Biker Mice from Mars. The other three nominees are recognisable celebrities: Joan Rivers, who guested as Bubbe on Arthur, Amy Poehler as Bessie Higgenbottom on The Mighty B!, and Vanessa Williams as Mama in Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies.
If a celeb wins this category, it should be Amy Poehler; the voice she's created for the title character is entertaining by itself. While voices for animated characters are often recast, there's no way The Mighty B! could continue without Poehler. Jim Cummings is also worth rooting for. A legend in the voice acting industry, he deserves this acknowledgement, as his portrayal of Tigger has always been outstanding.
Finally, there's five option for "Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program". Nominated are the teams for Curious George (Jeff McGrath, Scott Heming, Cathy Malkasian, Susan Blu) and El Tigre (Dave Thomas, Gabe Swarr, Andrea Romano), as well as Don McKinnon for Disney's My Friends Tigger and Pooh, Mike Fallows for The Future is Wild, and David Sanangelo for Word Girl. This category's fairly wide open, anyone's game.
Nickelodeon leads the "Outstanding Writing in Animation" category with two nods: Back at the Barnyard and The Backyardigans. The Future is Wild (Discovery Kids), The Mr. Men Show (Cartoon Network), Wordworld (PBS) are also nominated. As interesting as Backyardigans can be, I'd love the award to go to The Mr. Men Show, with its series of sketch comedy routines, all based on a singular theme.
Another Interesting Nomination—For Theme Song
The theme song for animated series 6teen (Cartoon Network) is nominated in the category "Outstanding Original Song - Main Title and Promo". Created by Anthony Vanderburgh and Don Breithaupt, the song (and show) first hit Canadian airwaves way back in 2004. Also nominated are songs created for NBC's 82nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Speed TV's NASCAR on SPEED TV - Be There, and two songs from NBC's Today Show.
The Emmy Award statuette.
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