MOVIE/ MINISERIES & REALITY ISSUE

The VoiceThe X FactorMAYBESThe Glee Project (Oxygen)The Pitch (AMC)GetCompetitionEmmys:Real!By Michael SlezakThe Amazing RaceDancing With the Stars‘Amazing Race’ Has Been Dominant,But Newbies May Provide a ChallengeReality television, by its very nature, thrives on unexpectedtwists, shock eliminations and upset victories. But the mostsurprising thing about the Emmy race for Outstanding Reality-Competition program over the last five years has been the almosttotal stagnancy of its pool of contenders.Indeed, from 2007-2011, the same five shows – The AmazingRace, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, ProjectRunway and Top Chef – have maintained a chokehold onnominations in the category. The sole exception to this fivemembermonopoly came in 2011, when Emmy added a sixthnominee – So You Think You Can Dance – to the mix.But wait. That “kerplunk” you’re hearing might just be thesound of a new contender (or two) dropping into the proceedings.Indeed, the 2011-2012 season found The Voice provingitself a genuine (and genuinely enjoyable) ratings force in itssecond season for struggling NBC and on Fox, Simon Cowell’sBritish import The X Factor storming the U.S. coastline with acombination of flashing lights, aggressive backup dancers andPaula Abdul’s tears.Will these newcomers force Emmy to redistribute the nominationwealth or will 2012 be another case of same-old same-old?Let’s examine the contenders, in alphabetical order:American IdolThe Amazing Race (CBS)The globetrotting adventure series has dominatedthe category like a Rottweiler facing a pack of teacuppoodles: Since Emmy first began handing out a realitycompetitionstatuette in 2003, TAR has won every yearexcept 2010. And with Season 20 featuring breathtakingfootage of everywhere from India to Japan andArgentina to Azerbaijan, another nomination is theclosest thing there is to an Emmy certainty. As for a ninthvisit to the winner’s circle? That’d be no surprise, either.American Idol (Fox)After nine straight nominations with zero wins, Fox’sratings juggernaut is developing a reputation as theSusan Lucci of the reality-competition set. And whilethe show’s reinvigorated 2011 installment (its firstwith a rebooted, Cowell-less judges’ panel) was widelyviewed as its best hope to finally break that losingstreak, the recently concluded (and talent-rich) Season11 proved that, in the words of Randy Jackson, Idolcould still be very much in it to win it.The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC)Donald Trump may have taken himself out of thepresidential race, but he’ll still be courting votes of theEmmy variety for his Thunderdome of the C-list set.And don’t forget that while this brilliantly awful slice ofguilty pleasure may seem like an Emmy long shot, itsplebian mothership, The Apprentice, scored nods back in2004 and 2005.Dancing With the Stars (ABC)Another perennial nominee (every year since 2006)that’s still looking for its first win, DWTS enters therace on the strength of a season that was less abouthot-button contestants of the Bristol Palin/Chaz Bonovariety, and more about a fun, evenly matched field ofhoofers. That Kumbaya vibe may have been a reliefto the DWTS faithful, but the subsequent lack of buzzcould again relegate the show to bridesmaid status.Project RunwayProject Runway (Lifetime)Thanks to Emmy voters’ obsession with The AmazingRace, the reality-competition category is filled withperpetual also-rans, including seven-time nomineeProject Runway. Still, if Emmy makes way for some newcontenders in 2012, Lifetime’s fashion showdown –coming off of a slightly sleepy Season 9 that felt like anextended love letter from the judges to gorgeous winnerAnya Ayoung-Chee – might find itself on the downsideof Heidi Klum’s “one day you’re in, the next dayyou’re out” mantra.RuPaul’s Drag Race (Logo)OK, it’s got an ice cube’s chance on a hot summer sidewalkof stealing a nomination from its higher-profilecompetitors, but Logo’s bawdy, buzzy, bitchy hootenannyreally deserves some consideration for usingsequins, wigs and the campiest guest-judging lineupin TV history to create deliciously unpredictable TVmagic. To paraphrase the show’s titular host(ess):“Don’t f*** it up, Emmy!”So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)It may not pull the ratings of its sister show, Idol, butSYTYCD has a higher degree of difficulty – drawinga mass audience for a dance competition that’s notconstructed around pre-existing celebrities. And whileEmmy may smell a little blood in the water thanks toFox’s decision to trim SYTYCD’s results show from itscurrent installment, the show’s glorious Season 8 –with its exquisite Melanie-vs.-Sasha finale – made forsublime television.Survivor (CBS)The granddaddy of the category hasn’t been nominatedfor the big prize since 2006 – despite its host, JeffProbst, scoring Emmy wins in 2008, 2009, 2010 and2011. And seeing how the “One World” twist of its 24thseason was something of a bust, the old dog’s new tricksmight not be enough to put it back on Emmy’s radar.LONG SHOTSAmerica’s Next Top Model (CW)The Bachelor/Bachelorette (ABC)Big Brother (CBS)The Biggest Loser (NBC)Chopped (Food Network)Hell’s Kitchen (Fox)Iron Chef America (Food Network)The Next Food Network Star (Food Network)Shark Tank (ABC)Wipeout (ABC)Top Chef (Bravo)The sumptuous feast of the reality genre finally brokeAmazing Race’s seven-year stranglehold on the categorywith a win in 2010, but ceded the trophy to itsold nemesis in 2011. A somewhat unwieldy Texas-setSeason 9, however, may have had too many cooks toproperly concoct an Emmy-winning soup.The Voice (NBC)Last year, NBC proved it’s not an automatic suicidemission to launch a reality singing competition inthe midst of Idol’s season. And Season 2 of The Voicepunctuated that there are legs to the show’s mix ofblind auditions, spinning chairs and A-list judges.True, palpable tension between Christina Aguileraand Adam Levine may not have been great for thementors’ individual reputations, but that controversy –and a diverse crop of vocalists – should be enough toearn the show an initial Emmy nod.The X Factor (Fox)The year’s most loudly hyped reality entry drew decentratings, but felt like a disappointment after headjudge/executive producer Simon Cowell’s predictionthat it would be America’s No. 1 TV show. WhenCowell axed the show’s host and half its judgingpanel at the close of Season 1, it seemed not onlyan acknowledgment of critics’ cries about the show’screative shortcomings, but also a blow to its chances atEmmy love.32EMMY AWARDS PRINT EDITIONS 2012