THE SYNDROME

I didn't care about the Emmy Awards this year. I had real life to deal with. Plus, I don't have a television anymore so I've missed all kinds of good summer TV and haven't been following my favorites: Mad Men, The Closer, etc.

I have to weigh in though on the results of this year's competition and I'm happy to say that 2008 has left me smiling.

Glenn Close wins for Damages: Have you not seen her in this? This show is like when Law & Order mated with Lost and got implanted with a little Judi Dench from Notes On A Scandal ... uh ... maybe that's too hard to envision. It's just great, okay?

Bryan Cranston wins for Breaking Bad: Phenomenal dramatic actor. I certainly didn't know he had it in him. Awesome in Malcolm in the Middle and still awesome post Malcolm.

Alec Baldwin wins for 30 Rock: Sometimes serendipitous things happen like you spend most of your career angling towards drama and then you realize that you can make people piss their pants and spit their gum out of their nose at the same time because they're laughing so hard.

Recount wins for best made-for-TV movie: Kevin Spacey is butter in this timely and riveting film. One of the exceedingly few made-for-TV movies produced every year that in fact deserves the cineplex treatment.

Jean Smart wins for Samantha Who?: I'm just glad this show is getting some recognition. It is SATC's younger, hotter, more ironic and whip-smart little sister. She won't start every newspaper article with a question -- despite the question mark.

Dianne Wiest wins for In Treatment: Dianne had me at Edward Scissorhands, but I'm also happy because this is a show about therapy. Yeah ... really.

Mad Men wins for best drama: Yeah, yeah, yeah ... I was on the bandwagon way before everyone else. In fact, I'm the one driving the bandwagon. (How good is Vincent Kartheiser? I remember when he was a snot-nosed little vampire's son. Now he's a bigot with a heart of gold at Sterling Cooper. They grow up so fast.)