Over the years, the Emmys have championed several underdogs who truly deserved the hardware — The Wonder Years, Arrested Development, Andre Braugher, Bryan Cranston, Kristin Chenoweth, and my eternal girl Jackee Harry all come to mind — but when it comes to reality television, the committee is stubborn in its devotion to the same staid programming. Even casual statisticians know that the Reality Competition Emmy has gone to The Amazing Race since the award’s inception in 2002, but there’s a point when a winning streak becomes a regime, and Phil Keoghan’s juggernaut surely qualifies by now. Still, a big change may come tomorrow morning with the 2010 Emmy nominees: a shake-up for reality TV and the people who appreciate it.
The same five series have gone unchallenged in the Reality Competition category since 2007: The Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, and Top Chef. Considering the limp seasons of American Idol and Project Runway this year, perhaps we can bank on their unceremonious dismissal. Survivor just enjoyed its greatest season in years, and an incredible, life-affirming romp called RuPaul’s Drag Race exhumed the spontaneity we dug in Project Runway’s early seasons.
Seriously, if Drag Race doesn’t win a nomination this year, someone in Emmy HQ isn’t paying attention to the renewed ebullience the Logo series packs (or tucks). The “Snatch Game” episode alone deserved a Daytime Emmy in the game show category, and if RuPaul doesn’t garner a nod for reality host, the Emmys should prepare for a rough evisceration from Movieline. Jeff Probst may sound sincere when he accepts his third consecutive trophy, but to us, he’ll be lip syncing desperately for his life.
In the reality series category, consistent nominees Kathy Griffin: My Life on the
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