Survivor

We've had a few days now to discuss and digest the 2008 Emmy nominations.  Much vitriol has been spewed towards the always-wrong Emmy voters (by nature, they can never totally be “right”), and it mostly revolves around lack of respect for The Wire or whichever critically acclaimed series you may think was snubbed. Yes, The Wire's lack of nominations is a damn shame, but we knew it was going to happen.  It's not a happy show, it requires a five-season commitment to appreciate and no one watched it.  So, while most snub talk has focused on the scripted shows, I'd like to shift focus to the reality categories.  In my mind there were two major snubs; one unsurprising and frustrating, the other surprising, yet just.  Phil Keoghan was left off the list for Best Reality Host, and Survivor was absent from Best Reality Series – Competition. 

These are your nominees for Best Reality Series – Competition. 

The Amazing Race
Top Chef
Project Runway
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars


Those top four I can get on board with.  American Idol haters may scoff at its inclusion, but you can't argue with the epic production the Idol brass puts on for five months a year (more if you count auditions).  The sheer scope of American Idol deserves acclaim, and it all goes off without a hitch.  The one I have a major issue with is Dancing with the Stars.  It's a fine show, and I don't begrudge any of its fans.  But, really, is it award worthy?  It's on a small set, it is cheesy as can be, and the major appeal is seeing B-list celebrities serving us a steaming pile of dancing mediocrity.  It's not a better show than So You Think You Can Dance, which had no chance at a nomination.  It's a slight show, a novelty that inexplicably became one of the biggest shows on television. 

On its own, Dancing with the Stars is OK, but it pales in comparison to Survivor.  CBS's longest running reality series has somehow been tainted over the years, receiving a reputation as just another reality series, when it is anything but.  Reality shows with high-class themes are all the rage these days, at least to the Emmy voters.  Look at those five nominated shows.  They, respectively, are about traveling, cooking, fashion, dancing and singing, all respected skills/activities.  Critics, I guess, gravitate to things they can relate to. 

Survivor is actually a better produced series than any on that list.  The series is second to none when it comes to casting, consistently bringing in interesting and diverse groups of people who, unlike most of their reality TV brethren, are on the show to do one thing: win.  The locations are often breathtaking, the challenges are creative and large-scaled, and they have the best host on television in Jeff Probst.  Fatigue may be an issue.  Survivor has been on so long that it's considered an afterthought.  Regardless, it's unfortunate that Survivor, which is probably winding down it's exceptionally long television life, is being ignored rather than celebrated.

The Amazing Race has won the Best Reality Series – Competition award every year since its inception.  The voters clearly love the show, as do I.  With this in mind, I thought it'd be a given that its host, the amiable Kiwi Phil Keoghan, would get a token nod for Best Reality Host.  This despite the fact that he has minimal screen time and does little more than record voice-overs in the studio and inform teams what place they're in.  Phil is good at what he does, but the degree of difficulty is low.  It's interesting that the Emmy voters were capable of such reasonable discretion when it came to the Reality Host category, but were unable to act so reasonably elsewhere. 

In a just world, Survivor would win Best Reality Series and Jeff Probst would win Best Reality Host.  In actuality, The Amazing Race will win once again and, I don't know, someone like Howie Mandel will beat Probst for the very first Reality Host award.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of CBS)