 Bravo! A Pay TV channel is giving us an awards night we’ve only ever dreamt of attending, says David Knox.
I’m not usually prone to writing features for something I haven’t actually seen, but the GLAAD Media Awards telecast is worth getting excited about. I’m reminded of Krusty the Clown after that moment when Scratchy finally gets Itchy: “Wow! They'll never let us show that again! Not in a million years!”
So numerous are gay roles on mainstream television now that what channel in its right mind wouldn’t seriously consider buying an awards ceremony with the stars of Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Grey’s Anatomy, Dirty Sexy Money (Seven, are you hearing this?), The L Word, Entourage and The L Word.
The delicious, incisive, publish-and-be-damned Kathy Griffin is master of ceremonies, an all too, too perfect choice. And let’s face it, there would have been plenty of contenders: Rosie O’Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres, Carson Kressley, ‘Just Jack’ (that’s Sean Hayes in character of course).
The big night is the culmination of several ceremonies held by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) across the US earlier this year for television, film, press, music theatre and advertising. Both Janet Jackson and Rufus Wainwright are in attendance, acknowledged for their support and musical achievements.
I won’t spoil the wins in Drama between Brothers & Sisters, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Dirty Sexy Money, Greek and The L Word, or Comedy: Desperate Housewives, Exes and Ohs, The Sarah Silverman Program, Ugly Betty and The War at Home.
It’s a shame they don’t have any awards for actors; I’m still waiting for somebody to acknowledge the trailblazing work of Mark Indelicato as Justin on Ugly Betty. He may not be openly gay, but show me another kid on TV so comfortable in his skin.
GLAAD last year also found itself at a crossroads when gay cable networks LOGO and Here! found themselves on the outer. The awards had historically been designed to further G&L representation in the wider media. With the rise of gay-owned networks GLAAD was at risk of shooting itself in the foot. It has since addressed the issue, fittingly welcoming one and all.
So sit back and get ready to laugh, cry and go ‘aww’ over names like Kevin Bacon, Billy Baldwin, Jennifer Beals, Ilene Chaiken, Cindy Crawford, Alan Cumming, Sally Field, Rachel Griffiths, Mariska Hargitay, Janet Jackson, T.R. Knight and Sharon Stone.
Roll out the pink carpet!
IMAGE: MC Kathy Griffin (centre) hosts the ‘LGBT Oscars’, the GLAAD Media Awards.
The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards air 8:30pm Thursday July 17 on Arena.
STOP PRESS: The GLAAD Awards did not air as scheduled due to music rights issues. Arena advises the program will not be rescheduled. Boo!
TV Guide
SATURDAY 12
[Nine/7:30pm] The Wizard of Oz (US 1939). Rpt. Did somebody say Wicked officially opens tonight? Then at 12:30am it’s The Exorcist: The Version You’ve Never Seen (US 1973). Criticized as a marketing ploy, the ‘unseen’ is 12 minutes of footage in four new scenes; the most notable being a different version of Linda Blair’s famous ‘spider-walk’ and a new ending some say destroys the original.
SUNDAY 13
[ABC/7:30pm] Doctor Who. Tennant & Tate must deal with some stony-faced soothsayers when they travel back to ancient Pompeii on its most notorious day. Followed by The Golden Bowl (UK 2000). Uma Thurman, Angelica Huston, James Fox, Kate Beckinsale, Nick Nolte and Jeremy Northam lead this lavish Merchant Ivory tale. Slow going but exquisitely photographed.
[MovieExtra/9:30pm] The L Word. Who’d have thought we’d ever see Cybill Shepherd going down on a younger woman with such conviction? A great, underrated series. Cybill’s Martha: Behind Bars also airs midnight Wednesday on TEN HD.
MONDAY 14
[Arena/8:30pm] Project Runway Australia. FremantleMedia have packaged a great Aussie version of this show, featuring several outspoken, camp men who can turn it on for the cameras, yet still deliver eye-catching designs. Kristy Hinze is already streets ahead of the disappearing Jodhi Meares as a natural host. One to watch.
TUESDAY 15
[Comedy/6:30pm] Daily Show with Jon Stewart/Colbert Report. Move over Anna, Tracy and Roberta, we finally have a real alternative to what passes for current affairs. Fantastic move by the Comedy Channel.
[FOX8/8:30pm] Gossip Girl. Final. This show had a pretty offensive, enforced outing the other week for a teenage boy, shrouded in lies and deception. That it then backpedalled with ‘understanding’ doesn’t deny the fact they went there in the first place.
[ABC/8:30pm] Miracle on Everest. If you were compelled by Touching The Void you’re gonna get sucked right in to this one. In 2006, Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall reached the peak of Everest but then began to lose consciousness. A sherpa team tried for 24 hours to bring him back to base camp, but were forced to leave him for dead. Stunningly, he survived. The photography and storytelling of this NZ-shot re-enactment is staggering.
[SBS/1:10am Wed] Dr Money and The Boy With No Penis. The unpleasant, true story of a little boy whose circumcision was botched and how a deceptive sexologist told naive parents they could raise him as a girl. Rpt.
WEDNESDAY 16
[Nine/8:30pm] Cold Case. I remember Aussie actor Damon Herriman as a cute kid when he started on The Sullivans so it’s disconcerting to see him so convincing as a smiling assassin in this serial killer tale. Borrows a lot from Silence of the Lambs (don’t they all?) but one of the better eps.
[ABC/9:30pm] The Hollowmen. Still no preview has arrived at the time of copy, but I figure by the time you read this it’s already the hottest thing on the box aside from Dexter finally on Free to Air.
THURSDAY 17
[FOX8/7:30pm] Football Superstar. You’d swear the casting director for this soccer reality search insisted everybody had to look like the younger brother of Gael Garcia Bernal.
www.tvtonight.com.au
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