Joshua Rudnik

For some, TV is the thing that fills the voids in life. Many even center their lives around the picture box because they can laugh and cry at their favorite shows, and experience life with their favorite characters.

Annually the Emmys celebrate the individuals who create these shows and embody the characters that impact our society.

The 56th Annual Emmy Awards were elegantly hosted by Gary Shandling. Much of Shandling’s comedy poked fun at reality shows. He suggested a new reality show titled, “What’s in Front of Gary’s Door.” The idea came to him while he was watching his security camera.

The mini-series Angels in America was a big winner this year in several of the 21 awards for which it was nominated. It won Best Mini-Series as well as individual categories for mini-series including Best Lead Actor (Al Pacino), Best Supporting Actor (Jeffery Wright), Best Lead Actress (Meryl Streep) and Best Director (Mike Nichols).

It was also a triumphant year for HBO shows that completed their run this year, with a number of awards going to The Sopranos, Sex in the City and Frasier.

The awards program was a time of reflection during the traditional heart-felt montage of television industry individuals who died in the past year, including Jerry Goldsmith (composer), Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo), Isabel Sanford (The Jeffersons), Ray Charles, Rod Roddy (announcer for The Price is Right), and Marlon Brando.