What Are the Broady Awards?In 2010 The Word created its own special awards for broadcast television shows called the Broadys. You may be asking yourself, “Broadys? What is that?” … Well, the Broadys are yearly awards for broadcast network television series and only broadcast network television series. For years I’d watched the Emmys and Golden Globes and saw almost exclusively cable or premium cable shows (especially in the drama categories) winning all of the awards. Most years you’ll be lucky to see one drama series from broadcast networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox & CW) nominated for anything. Why? Because there’s this stigma that because cable and premium shows can show things like graphic violence and sex and harsher language that that somehow makes them more “real” and thus “award-worthy.” That bothers me for two primary reasons: 1) it seems these shows are throwing excess sex and violence that’s unnecessary (don’t get me wrong sex & violence are both fine if they pertain to the story) into their plots and 2) there’s still so many of us television viewers who don’t have networks like HBO and Showtime, etc. and thus we’re not getting to see these shows anyway and want some love for those we do follow. That is why the Broadys exist. The great thing about the Broadys is that there are essentially two winners of each award: the official winner chosen by us and the fan vote winner chosen by you ... Winners will be announced on June 17th. Julian Spivey Founder of The Word  Best Drama Series: Parenthood (NBC) Fan Vote: Person of Interest (CBS) Past Winners: 2014: Parenthood 2013: Parenthood 2012: Person of Interest 2011: Parenthood 2010: NCIS  Best New Drama Series: Empire (Fox) Fan Vote: Empire (Fox) Past Winners: 2014: Sleepy Hollow 2013: Nashville 2012: Person of Interest  Best Actor in a Drama: Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest) Fan Vote: Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest) Past Winners: 2014: James Spader (The Blacklist) 2013: Peter Krause (Parenthood) 2012: Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest) 2011: Peter Krause (Parenthood) 2010: Mark Harmon (NCIS)  Best Actress in a Drama: Lauren Graham (Parenthood) Fan Vote: Taraji P. Henson (Empire) Past Winners: 2014: Stana Katic (Castle) 2013: Lauren Graham (Parenthood) 2012: Lauren Graham (Parenthood) 2011: Stana Katic (Castle) 2010: Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck)  Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Craig T. Nelson (Parenthood) Fan Vote: Kevin Chapman (Person of Interest) Past Winners: 2014: Craig T. Nelson (Parenthood) 2013: Michael Emerson (Person of Interest) 2012: Robert Carlyle (Once Upon a Time) 2011: Donnie Wahlberg (Blue Bloods) 2010: Michael Weatherly (NCIS)  Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Erika Christensen (Parenthood) Fan Vote: Amy Acker (Person of Interest) Past Winners: 2014: Bellamy Young (Scandal) 2013: Monica Potter (Parenthood) 2012: Lana Parrilla (Once Upon a Time) 2011: Sara Ramos (Parenthood) 2010: Pauley Perrette (NCIS)  Best Guest Actor in a Drama: Ray Romano (Parenthood) Fan Vote: Enrico Colantoni (Person of Interest) Past Winners: 2014: Ray Romano (Parenthood) 2013: Ray Romano (Parenthood) 2012: Enrico Colantoni (Person of Interest) 2011: Timothy Dalton (Chuck) 2010: Brandon Routh (Chuck)  Best Guest Actress in a Drama: Taraji P. Henson (Person of Interest) Fan Vote: Sarah Shahi (Person of Interest) Past Winners: 2014: Taraji P. Henson (Person of Interest) 2013: Amy Acker (Person of Interest) 2012: Jennifer Beals (Castle) 2011: Linda Hamilton (Chuck) 2010: Gena Rowlands (NCIS)  Best Drama Episode: May God Bless & Keep You Always (Parenthood) Fan Vote: Asylum (Person of Interest) Past Winners: 2014: “Endgame” (Person of Interest) 2013: “There’s Something I Need to Tell You” (Parenthood) 2012: “Witness” (Person of Interest)  Best Comedy Series: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox) Fan Vote: Modern Family (ABC) Past Winners: 2014: “The Mindy Project” 2013: “The Mindy Project” 2012: “New Girl” 2011: “Community” 2010: “30 Rock”  Best New Comedy Series: Black-ish (ABC) Fan Vote: Galavant (ABC) Past Winners: 2014: Brooklyn Nine-Nine 2013: The Mindy Project 2012: New Girl  Best Actor in a Comedy: Will Forte (Last Man on Earth) Fan Vote: Ty Burrell (Modern Family) Past Winners: 2014: Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope) 2013: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) 2012: Damon Wayans Jr. (Happy Endings) 2011: Ty Burrell (Modern Family) 2010: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)  Best Actress in a Comedy: Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project) Fan Vote: Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) Past Winners: 2014: Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project) 2013: Tina Fey (30 Rock) 2012: Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) 2011: Julie Bowen (Modern Family) 2010: Tina Fey (30 Rock)  Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy: Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) Fan Vote: Timothy Omundson (Galavant) Past Winners: 2014: Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) 2013: Rainn Wilson (The Office) 2012: Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope) 2011: Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live) 2010: Tracy Morgan (30 Rock)  Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy: Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) Fan Vote: Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) Past Winners: 2014: Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope) 2013: Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live) 2012: Maya Rudolph (Up All Night) 2011: Alison Brie (Community) 2010: Jane Lynch (Glee)  Best Guest Actor in a Comedy: Laurence Fishburne (Black-ish) Fan Vote: Adam DeVine (Modern Family) Past Winners: 2014: Jonathan Banks (Community) 2013: Steve Carell (The Office) 2012: Jason Lee (Up All Night) 2011: James Spader (The Office) 2010: Mike O’Malley (Glee)  Best Guest Actress in a Comedy: Kyra Sedgwick (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) Fan Vote: Eva Longoria (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) Past Winners: 2014: Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother) 2013: Lauren Graham (Go On) 2012: Mary Steenburgen (30 Rock) 2011: Jennifer Morrison (How I Met Your Mother) 2010: Shelley Long (Modern Family)  Best Comedy Episode: Connection Lost (Modern Family) Fan Vote: Connection Lost (Modern Family) Past Winners: 2014: “How Your Mother Met Me” (How I Met Your Mother) 2013: “The Final Page: Parts 1 & 2” (How I Met Your Mother) 2012: “Remedial Chaos Theory” (Community)  Best Variety Series: Late Show with David Letterman Fan Vote: "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" Past Winners: 2014: Late Show with David Letterman 2013: Late Show with David Letterman 2012: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 2011: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 2010: Late Show with David Letterman  Hall of Fame Show: "Saturday Night Live" Past Honorees: 2014: Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman 2013: The West Wing 2012: M*A*S*H 2011: The Twilight Zone  Hall of Fame Legend: Lorne Michaels (Creator/Executive Producer of "Saturday Night Live")
Past Winners: 2014: David Letterman 2013: Andy Griffith 2012: Rod Serling 2011: Alan Alda
11 Comments
by Aprille Hanson
It was a great day for Springfield, Mo., on June 1 when that cheeky monkey Craig Ferguson came to town. Performing standup at the Gillioz Theatre on his Hot and Grumpy Tour, the recently retired host of “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson” on CBS cussed, shared raunchy stories and made the audience bust a gut. For nine years, fans of the show laughed at Ferguson trapped in that box on our entertainment centers. As my favorite late night host, I never in a million years thought I’d see him in person. I didn’t see myself going to Los Angeles and when Ferguson signed off for the last time on Dec. 19, 2014, that sealed the deal. This is what made Monday’s experience so special. He was no longer trapped in the T.V., something he pointed out often to what I can assume were the awestruck fans in the front rows. He acknowledged they were likely creeped out a little, and admonished a man for looking down at his cell phone, explaining he wasn’t in his living room and something to the effect of “I can see you mother***ker.” No, there was no “Tuttsi Frutsi” or “Oolala” flags blocking his mouth when he let a swear word rip, even though some of us may have thought they’d appear, he said. This was CraigyFerg – raw and unfiltered. The only reference he made to his departure from the late night show was that “that’s why he had to leave” – his unfiltered humor. Though he “retired” from the ‘Late, Late Show,’ he didn’t retire from entertainment. He’s had a great gig as host of his “Celebrity Name Game,” which earned him his first Emmy. He has his G-rated audience on his game show and his R-rated one apparently on his comedy tour. This uncensored Craig wasn’t too over the top -- just the right balance of dirty and funny. Sure, he offended some people, he owned up to that, explaining he’s a comedian. It was something he really didn’t have to explain, but likely did it because the Craig we all know and loved on T.V. was going to be edgier tonight. Those who didn’t expect that clearly don’t understand comedy. Instead of talking much about the guests or time on the ‘Late, Late Show’ – his beloved robot sidekick Geoff wasn’t mentioned once – he focused on the things that offended him: crappy music, particularly Kenny G, Miley Cyrus and her legions of twerkers and Dr. Phil. Yeah, he really hates Dr. Phil, questioning whether Oprah regrets collecting all these pieces of douchebag and creating him. Oh and of course he is offended by people who are late, he said, staring at the people in the front row who came in well into the first part of his set. He didn’t ignore his ‘Late, Late Show’ status however. In fact, his entrance began with the ring of the doorbell and Secretariat came out dancing with the music. It was a delightful, unexpected treat for the audience. He also started off saying his catchphrase, “It’s a great day for America everybody.” It led into a hilarious encounter he claimed to have with a fan after his stand-up show in Greensboro, N.C. when he forgot to say the catchphrase. In the best Southern voice he could muster, the gun-toting man said, “How come you didn’t say it was a great day for ‘Merica?” A mere mistake, Ferguson explained, yet the man said something like, “No, I know what you were doing.” Yes, of course, Ferguson said he was in fact a terrorist disguised as a Scottish comic. Speaking of Scotland, there’s no sex there and instead of the fun title of Hacky Sack, it’s called “Foot Bag,” to appeal more to the drab locals. There’s the self-deprecating-on-his-heritage comedian we love. He poked fun at his age, 53, several times throughout the night, the best of which was the story of his colonoscopy. Now, I’ve heard this bit told by several middle-aged comedians. It’s like their go-to joke, but Ferguson’s description of how the doctor-prescribed “super-laxative” the night before was essentially otherworldly, dry ice coming out of its little lair at the pharmacy, was pure comedic gold. It was topped off when he compared his bathroom trips to the Matrix and how the video of his colonoscopy had a cameo by Gwyneth Paltrow – a must in L.A. I’ve never been a fan of bathroom humor, but damn if I wasn’t doubled over. But the most laughs of the night came from his long story of how about 20 years ago, his childhood hero, Mick Jagger, asked for his help to write a screenplay for a movie about a roadie who switches places with the lead rocker. Essentially, Mark Twain’s “The Prince and the Pauper.” It took him to Istanbul, calling Jagger “adorable,” subsequently pissing off Jagger telling him “not to be such a queen” after he was not recognized as a famous person but Craig was by a fellow Scotsman and how he got the death stare from Keith Richards and learned Richards was in fact the true leader of the band. To try to retell it would be a serious disservice to the joke, so I won’t. But what made it just completely hysterical was Ferguson’s spot-on interpretation of Jagger, his dance moves and his constant ridiculing of his tiny hands that seemed to get smaller as the story went on. For as funny as Ferguson was, I’d be remiss to not give a high-praise shout-out to the warm-up comedian Dave Stone from T.V.’s “Last Comic Standing.” He joked about his weight and his Georgia heritage and it didn’t once feel forced or cliché, which is truly a feat because those jokes are pretty stock. He made them unique and hilarious. Though I miss turning on my T.V. and seeing Ferguson captivate a late night audience, seeing him unleashed was a one in a lifetime experience. He is truly a comedy legend and I hope he continues to tour and do stand-up specials. Because every day that he does is a great day for America. |