NEIL PATRICK HARRIS - EMMY PRODUCERS DEFEND CHANGES

EMMY PRODUCERS DEFEND CHANGES

Facing a rising chorus of opposition to its decision to pre-tape several awards for the Sept. 20 Emmys telecast -- some 150 members of the Writers Guild of America, including several prominent showrunners have signed a petition protesting the decision -- Emmy producers on Monday tried to assure the industry that its decision was aimed at eliminating some of the boring aspects of the ceremonies in order to boost ratings. "We're just trying to edit down the standing and the hugging ... and the walking down the aisle," Emmy host Neil Patrick Harris told the Television Critics Association press tour. Producer Don Mischer added that pre-taping the awards in eight categories will allow the awards show's creators to draw more attention to hit shows, whether or not they received nominations. On Monday, the Associated Press observed that research commissioned by the TV academy indicated that some viewers aren't watching the awards show "because the Emmys featured shows they didn't know and weren't interested in."

04/08/2009