BACKSTAGE AT THE EMMYS:
WALTER CRONKITE: 'Day TV????'
Backstage at The Emmys, legendary CBS reporter Walter Cronkite good-naturedly warned the press room that he was almost completely deaf, and that an assistant would repeat their questions to him if he didn't hear them correctly. When E! TV's Steve Kmetko asked Cronkite whether he had seen any of the gay TV shows, Cronkite said: 'DAY TV shows?'
'No, gay TV shows.' (Kmetko)
'Daytime TV shows?' (Cronkite)
'No, gay TV shows.' (Kmetko)
Cronkite's assistant then came over to him to clarify the question, and Cronkite laughed.
'No, I haven't had the chance to yet, but I'm looking forward to it. My grandchildren are all watching them, though, and that's a good thing.'
Bill Cosby was more curmudgeonly (and angry, condescending and indecipherable) in answering the question. 'No, no, no, I don't play that ... African .. gay ... .' Cosby mumbled that the thing to watch out for was whether such TV was 'gratuitous.'
Emmy winner Wayne Brady, meanwhile, said he didn't think he needed help from The Fab Five, as he had his wife to make sure he was dressed in a manner that wouldn't embarrass him. He then did an impression of Cosby saying, 'I look as a good as THE GAY MAN!!!!'
Later, when asked who Grace might choose as a lesbian lover, Emmy winner Debra Messing named Salma Hayek.
With the exception of Brad Garrett's kissing Garry Shandling—in a spoof on the Madonna / Britney Spears kiss at The MTV Video Awards—it was a low-key night gay-wise. (Garry to the cameras after the long kiss: 'I want to say to CBS, he's worth every cent.') The one gay thank you came when William H. Macy accepted one of the many awards for the TNT movie DOOR TO DOOR, along with his co-writer, director and longtime best friend Steven Schacter.
Macy dedicated the win 'to our spouses, Felicity Huffman (Macy's actress wife) and Rick Murphy.'
Cagney and Lacy alum Tyne Daly took home her 6th Emmy, for Supporting Actress in a Drama. Cher: The Farewell Tour won the Emmy for Best Special, Music or Comedy. The Amazing Race won for Best Realty Show. The HBO film Normal, about a trans father, was beat out in its nominated categories.
After tributes to Bob Hope and John Ritter, the memorial section included Katharine Hepburn, Fred [Mr.] Rogers, Gregory Hines, Nell Carter, and openly gay actor Michael Jeter, who died of AIDS complications.
While Sopranos won a lot, The West Wing won for Best Drama. Everybody Loves Raymond won for Best Comedy, beating Will & Grace, Sex and the City, Friends, and industry favorite Curb Your Enthusiasm.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24
ELLEN DEGENERES (NBC, 10 a .m) Allison Janney and Donnie Wahlberg.
ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC, noon) Daily. Last week, Maggie coaxed a giggling Bianca to take a dip in the lake with her. Later, Lena is startled to overhear Bianca and Maggie discussing Bianca's upcoming abortion. Riddled with guilt for bringing Michael into Bianca's life, Lena contemplated suicide. Kendall then decided to hire Lena to help Bianca.
THE WEST WING (9p.m.) Season Premiere: The search for Bartlett's kidnapped daughter Zoe continues, with John Goodman as acting President. Lily Tomlin appears briefly as the president's secretary, Debbie.
RENO 911! (COM, 9 p.m., 11:30 p.m.) Funny spoof of cop reality shows, including gay Lt. Dangle (Thomas Lennon).
ISAAC MIZRAHI (Oxygen, 9:30 p.m.)
FRATERNITY LIFE (MTV, 9:30 p.m.) Features gay student Keldon.
ELLEN DEGENERES (Oxygen, 10 p.m.) Oxygen will air week-old repeats every night of Ellen's show. Tonight: Jennifer Love Hewitt
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25
NATHAN LANE: BRAVO PROFILE (5 a.m.)
ELLEN DEGENERES (NBC, 10 a .m.) Jason Biggs, Amber Valletta and Michelle Branch
WILL & GRACE (NBC, 8 p.m) Season premiere: Will and Jack worry that they may have had sex together. Grace is worried that Leo is having an affair while on his medical mission in Guatemala.
COUPLING (NBC 8:30 p.m.) Series Premiere. New series based on the British TV series of the same name. Promoted as a racier version of FRIENDS, the series is set in Chicago and follows six single friends, some of whom either date or have dated each other. Lindsay Price plays bisexual Jane.
E.R. (NBC, 9 p.m.) Season Premiere. Carter tries to work the system to get an HIV-positive patient insurance. With Laura Innes as lesbian Dr. Kerry Weaver.
ELLEN DEGENERES (Oxygen, 10 p.m.) Eve, Peter Boyle
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26
NATHAN LANE: BRAVO PROFILE (4 a.m.)
ELLEN DEGENERES (NBC, 10 a .m.) Daryl Hannah, David Allen Grier and Pat Benatar.
SECOND CITY PRESENTS: JOAN RIVERS (Bravo, 1 p.m.)
ELLEN DEGENERES (Oxygen, 10 p.m.) Repeat: Kim Cattrall, Terry Bradshaw, Seal
JAY LENO (NBC, 10:35 p.m.) Rosie O'Donnell and Boy George appear to talk about his autobiographical musical TABOO, which producer Rosie is bringing to Broadway this fall.
CONAN O' BRIEN (11:35 p.m.) Isaac Mizrahi.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 27
GAY STUDENT ON FRATERNITY LIFE (MTV, 4 p.m.) Repeat of Season Premiere: Gay student Keldon hopes to join Delta Omega Chi at U.C. Santa Cruz. Followed by a repeat of this week's episode.
ELLEN DEGENERES (Oxygen, 9 p.m.) Repeat: Jennifer Aniston and Macy Gray
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28
GAY STUDENT ON FRATERNITY LIFE (MTV, 12:30 p.m.) Repeat of Season Premiere.
ELLEN DEGENERES (Oxygen, 9 p.m.)
FRESHMAN DIARIES (SHO, 10 p.m., 3 a.m.) Documentarian R.J. Cutler (THE REAL ROSEANNE SHOW, AMERICAN HIGH) follows a group of students through their freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin, including two gay students, Neil and Luis.
MONDAY, SEPT. 29
ELLEN DEGENERES (NBC, 10 a .m.)
TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) Alan (Jon Cryer) and son Jake move in with Alan's brother Charlie (Charlie Sheen), after Cryer's wife Judith (Marin Hinkle) goes lesbian. Tonight: Alan gets a surprise from Judith when he goes home to fix her sprinklers.
ISAAC MIZRAHI (Oxygen, 9:30)
ELLEN DEGENERES (Oxygen, 10 p.m.) Repeat: Rena Sofer (from COUPLING).
TUESDAY, SEPT. 30
ELLEN DEGENERES (NBC, 10 a .m.)
WHOOPI (NBC, 7 p.m.) Frustrated after receiving a ticket for smoking in her hotel, Mavis (Whoopi) feels responsible when poor Nasim (Omid Djalili) is also cited for spitting in public after she stuffs a hot pepper in his mouth.
FRASIER (NBC, 9 p.m.) Frasier and Niles are spotted in a gay bar, spying on Roz‚s new boyfriend. Some of Frasier's listeners recognize them, and out them on his radio show the next day. Alistar Braithwaite (Patrick Stewart), the debonair conductor of the Seattle Opera, was similarly 'outed'—andcommiserates with Frasier at Café Nervosa. Alistair quickly develops a crush on Frasier, and starts courting him by buying him expensive gifts and inviting him to high society parties. Frasier is so thrilled by the glamorous, sophisticated life that he ignores the warnings of Niles and Daphne, who protest that Alistair may see their relationship as more than platonic.
QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY (Bravo, 7, 9 and 11:30 p.m.) Repeats.
REAL WORLD PARIS (MTV, 9 p.m) Features gay Irish roomie Simon.
NIP/TUCK (FX, 9 p.m., 10:30 p.m.) Drama about two L.A. plastic surgeons, from out producer Ryan Murphy (POPULAR). Features Roma Maffia as lesbian anesthesiologist Liz Cruz.
ELLEN DEGENERES (Oxygen, 10 p.m.) Repeat:
ISAAC MIZRAHI (Oxygen, 9:30pm)
Gay Boy Ric is a comedian and pop singer based in L.A. To receive free GTV E-Mail Alerts: gayboyric@yahoo.com
