Nowruz Pirooz and Happy 14th Birthday to this blog!

Nowruz Mubarak! Happy International Day of Nowruz AKA Persian New Year and happy 14th birthday of this blog! After emphasizing the blog's birthday last year, I'm giving Nowruz pride of place today, beginning with FOX 5 San Diego's Celebrating the Persian New Year at Balboa Park.



FOX 5's Heather Lake reports.
This video earned the featured position because it had the best combination of preview image, location reporting, and studio shenanigans. The next video, CBS 8 San Diego reporting Millions around the world prepare to celebrate Persian New Year as spring begins had an even clearer explanation with less silly studio interactions.

Families celebrate Nowruz by gathering around a Haftseen table to mark the start of Spring and the Persian New Year.

The presenter should look familiar; she's Neda Iranpour, who I featured in 2022 and 2023. Welcome back to the blog!

At the risk of being redundant, I'm sharing the most viewed of the videos about the holiday today, KCAL's Celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Bita Milanian, Iranian American community organizer, joins KCAL News anchors to share some ways to celebrate Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year. Milanian explains how the new year is a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings.

That was worth sharing just for the closing comment about the Women of Iran, Time's Heroes of the Year for 2022.

I conclude by wishing Happy Birthday from the Swedish Chef to this blog.

To help celebrate your birthday, the Swedish Chef is here to whip up some party snacks!

HAHAHAHA!

Stay tuned for World Water Day.

'Game of Thrones,' 'Ozark,' 'Killing Eve,' and 'Succession'—drama series winners examine political intrigue

"Veep" wasn't the only program to receive a farewell tribute at the Emmy Awards for its final season.  "Game of Thrones" did as well.  Watch A Tribute To Game Of Thrones.

Seth Meyers introduces a tribute to the end of Game of Thrones.

Also like "Veep," the "Game Of Thrones" cast presented an award, in this case Supporting Actress In Limited Series Or Movie.

The Game of Thrones cast takes the stage to present the award for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

To see how that award turned out, read 'Chernobyl' dominates Limited Series with ten Emmy Awards.

The similarities end there, for unlike "Veep," "Game of Thrones" repeated its Emmy Awards from last year, earning two for the night and a total of twelve for the season.  I called both of them in Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nominees examine politics and family dynamics, beginning with Outstanding Drama Series, writing "I'm sure "Game of Thrones" will win this award one last time, repeating last year's victory."  Watch Game Of Thrones Wins Best Drama Series.

Game of Thrones takes home the Emmy for Best Drama Series.

Congratulations!

As for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, I didn't even bother assessing the chances of the other nominees, writing "Peter Dinklage won this award last year and I think he'll win again this year, so off to the next category."  I took a risk being so dismissive of the other nominees, but I was right to do so as he won.  Watch Peter Dinklage Wins Emmy For Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series.

Peter Dinklage Wins Emmy For Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series For Tyrion Lannister in Season 8 Emmys 2019.

I support that message from Dinklage, especially since I've made a point of emphasizing the importance and portrayal of acceptance and diversity in entertainment.  His speech came up in Emmy Winners for 'Game of Thrones' Full Press Room Speeches from The Hollywood Reporter.

'Game of Thrones' won Outstanding Drama Series and Peter Dinklage won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2019 Emmy Awards. Watch their full press room interviews here!

Mark Kelly, brother of Scott Kelly, the subject of "A Year in Space," himself a subject of "Beyond a Year in Space," and candidate for U.S. Senate in Arizona, guessed 90% of the ending?  I'm impressed.  I'm also impressed that Kit Harington was able to handle the final question about the controversy around the ending as well as he did.  Congratulations to Harington and the rest of the crew and good luck on their future endeavors in show business!

In addition to "Game of Thrones," other Emmy winners in drama also tackled themes involving government and politics, particularly "Ozark," "Killing Eve," and "Succession," while "Pose" examined social issues.  Follow over the jump for their awards.

Television Academy pays farewell tribute to 'Veep' while other comedies win Emmy Awards

Speaking of big winners, "Game of Thrones" took home the most Emmy Awards with a full dozen.  I'll see if I can manage to write up its wins as well as those of the other dramas tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

That was the plan I announced yesterday to conclude 'Chernobyl' dominates Limited Series with ten Emmy Awards.  However, I meant it when I wrote "I'll see if I can manage" to follow through; there was always a possibility I wasn't up for it for one reason or another.  So it shouldn't surprise my readers that I decided I would rather tackle "Veep" and the other Outstanding Comedy Series nominees today and save the Outstanding Drama Series nominees tomorrow for a big finish to the series.  At least I'm blogging about the Emmy Awards.

I begin by noting that the Emmy Awards paid tribute to "Veep" with a montage of the funniest scenes followed by a skit featuring the actors in character on last time.

The Emmys says farewell to the VEEP.

Yes, the bit doubled as the lead-in for an award.  That's what happens when an awards show has no host.

Before the show, Julia Louis-Dreyfus talked about the end Of Veep on the red carpet and admitted she was nervous.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus talks about ending Veep and what's to come.

She was right to be nervous; neither she nor the rest of the cast and its writers won a single award.  I wasn't surprised.  I wrote "The final season of "Veep" will have to be content with its Golden Coffee Cup for Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government."  That was premature.  "Veep" won for its sixth season; its final season will be eligible for the next awards, as I noted in August.

In this category, both the professionals and the Coffee Party's volunteers agreed; "Veep" was the best political comedy of 2017.  It will be around to defend its award in the next round, as the show's final season is eligible for 2018-2019, just as it is for this year's Emmy Awards.  Its toughest competition will probably be "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" — all of our volunteers have NBC, but not all watch HBO.

It might be the final award for the show proper should it win (the actors and others may have better chances at individual awards).  As I wrote in September, "I'm not even sure the Golden Globes will deliver for ['Veep' and 'The Good Place']; they were the first to jump on the bandwagon for 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' and might prefer 'Fleabag' or 'Schitt's Creek' over either."

One last time, farewell to "Veep."  Follow over the jump for the winners.

Watch 'Saturday Night Live' have fun with impeachment after winning six Emmy Awards

I told my readers at the end of Celebrate 'Last Week Tonight' winning four Emmy Awards with 'Psychics', "Speaking of SNL, that show will be the subject of my next entry about the Emmy winners.  Stay tuned."  SNL won six Emmy Awards, four at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and two at the Primetime Emmy Awards.  I'll list all of them over the jump.  Right now, watch Lorne Michaels Emotionally Accepts The Emmy For Saturday Night Live | EMMYS LIVE! 2019 from Fox.

Lorne Michaels reminisces about SNL's long-running history and emotional moments last season as he accepts the Emmy along with the cast of the show.

Appropriately for October, this clip will turn into a pumpkin later this month when Fox takes it down and the Television Academy uploads its copy onto its YouTube channel.  I'll replace it then.

The show itself was not alone in winning a Primetime Emmy.  Don Roy King won a statuette for Outsanding Directing for a Variety Series.  Watch "SNL" Director Don Roy King Celebrate His Ninth Emmy Win from IMDB.

Longtime #SaturdayNightLive director #DonRoyKing confirms that no matter how many times you win an #Emmy, it never get[s] old.

Congratulations!  Here's to yet another great season.

Speaking of which, as impeachment is the big story of the week, it's no surprise that SNL had their own comedic take on it.  Watch two clips from last night's show on the topic, beginning with Mike Pence Impeachment Strategy Cold Open.

Vice President Mike Pence (Beck Bennett) consults with William Barr (Aidy Bryant), Rudy Giuliani (Kate McKinnon) and Mike Pompeo (Matthew Broderick) to strategize about his options during Trump's impeachment investigation.

Rudy Giuliani as The Joker made a good punchline.  If I call Trump The Penguin, then someone has to be The Joker.

Next, Weekend Update: Trump Brushes Off Impeachment Concerns not only covered impeachment, but also alligators in the moat for the wall.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like mounting evidence of corruption against Trump in his Ukraine impeachment scandal.

I felt better about the week's news after having a good laugh at it, just like I almost always do, although I thought the joke about Bernie Sanders' heart attack was a bit cold.  Funny, but cold.

Follow over the jump for all of the Emmy Awards SNL won.

'Riverdale' leads television shows with seven Teen Choice Awards

Yesterday was my time to feature the movie winners at the Teen Choice Awards.  Today, as I promised yesterday and teased weeks before then, it's time for me to report on the television winners.  I begin with the cast of "Riverdale" accepting the surfboard for Choice Drama TV Show.

We're HYPED that Riverdale won Choice Drama TV show! Share to show your love!

"Riverdale" was the most honored show last Sunday, earning seven surfboards, two more than "Beauty and the Beast" did in the movie categories.  The video listed them, but here they are again from Deadline Hollywood along with my reactions: Choice Drama TV Show, Choice Drama TV Actor for Cole Sprouse as Jughead (K.J. Apa as Archie was nominated for Choice Breakout TV Star), Choice Breakout TV Show, Choice Breakout TV Star for Lili Reinhart (But Apa didn't win, Reinhart's Betty did), Choice TV Ship for Sprouse and Reinhart (as I wrote last month about the nominees, "Betty and Jughead?  Betty and Veronica are supposed to fight over Archie with Reggie trying to date the loser, while Jughead sits on the sideline"), Choice Hissy Fit for Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossum, and Choice Scene Stealer for Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge.  Wow!  Between winning Best Action/Thriller TV Series at the Saturn Awards and all these awards won here, I think I really should watch "'Archie' pretending to be 'Twin Peaks,'" even if or maybe because it's such an odd interpretation of "Archie."

Did I call these wins?  Mostly no, even though I was rooting for "Riverdale" in most categories.  I thought "Pretty Little Liars" would win Choice Drama TV Show, even though I noted "Riverdale" was getting a big push from either the studio or the network (that may be a distinction without a difference, as the studio is Warner Brothers, half-owner of The CW) and that I'd have voted for if I could have (I missed the deadline).  I also thought Ian Harding from "Pretty Little Liars" would win, too, but would have voted for Cole Sprouse if I could.  On the other hand, I voted for "Stranger Things" to win Choice Breakout TV Show, but expected "Riverdale" to win.  I also voted for Millie Bobbie Brown to win Choice Breakout TV Star, but expected K.J. Apa to win.  Neither happened, but at least it was a "Riverdale" star.  I expected "Bughead" to win and it did.  Finally, I didn't even come close with Choice Hissy Fit (I thought it would go to Luke Evans' Gaston) or Choice Scene Stealer (I voted for Michael Roker, then noticed Colin O'Donoghue as Killian "Captain Hook" Jones from "Once Upon a Time" on the ballot and switched my vote on the second day).  Two-and-one-half out of seven is not good prognosticating, but the actual results were more to my liking.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the television winners.

'Beauty and the Beast' the big winner at the Teen Choice Awards as speculative fiction dominates the movie categories

After teasing my readers multiple times, I'm finally getting around to the winners of the Teen Choice Awards.  Today, I'm writing about the movie winners, which, as Deadline Hollywood reports, were dominated by speculative fiction films.

The big winner was "Beauty and the Beast" with five awards, Choice Fantasy Film, Choice Fantasy Movie Actress for Emma Watson, Choice Movie Villain for Luke Evans, and Choice Movie Ship and Choice Liplock for Emma Watson and Dan Stevens.  This result actually yielded fewer awards than I expected the box office leader for 2017 to achieve, as I predicted a "Beauty and the Beast" sweep of all nominated categories, which would have given the live-action remake of the animated film seven awards.  The categories it lost were Choice Fantasy Movie Actor, which went to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for his role in "Moana," and Choice Hissy Fit, earned by Madelaine Petsch of "Riverdale."  I did predict that The Rock would win a movie award, just not this one.  Still, I'm happy about it.  As for "Riverdale" upsetting "Beauty and the Beast," I'll have more about that when I write about the television awards.

Three of the surfboards for "Beauty and the Beast" were earned in whole or in part by Emma Watson, Choice Fantasy Movie Actress, Choice Movie Ship, and Choice Liplock.  She won a fourth for Choice Drama Actress in "The Circle."  I'm pretty sure that means she won more awards than any other film or TV performer.  Congratulations!  As for "The Circle," I ignored it other than noting that Watson was in it, but it turns out that it's a thriller set twenty minutes into the future, which means it also qualifies as a science fiction movie, which IMDB considers it to be.  That means that only three surfboards for movie categories went out to films that were not speculative ficion, Choice Drama to "Everything, Everything" (I called that), Choice Drama Movie Actor to Kian Lawley for "Before I Fall" (I missed that one), and Zak Efron for "Baywatch" (I thought the other nominee from "Baywatch" would win).  That's actually one fewer than I expected, as my weak prediction was for Amandla Stenberg to win for her role in "Everything, Everything" instead of Watson.  This is one case where I am happy to be wrong.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the movie awards, including Action, Sci-Fi, and Summer Movie.