Emmy Time

Awards season officially begins next Sunday with the 61st Emmy Awards and while this blog centers on the cinema, television is not without its design too. The Creative Emmys were awarded last night and Pushing Daisies -- a show that has been cancelled -- was awarded for Outstanding Art Direction (production design and set decoration for the layman). Others shows that were nominated are ones we watch religiously (that would be Mad Men for me) or catch every now and then :

Bones

Bones: Watch a beautiful forensic anthropologist and special agent banter back and forth as they solve crimes on Fox Television's highly popular show. The designs include everything from laboratories to ships and everything in between. While not always glamorous, it's alot harder to design a forensics lab than a living room.

Mad Men

Mad Men: The production team has done a masterful job with their sixties style interiors from the hallowed offices of the Sterling ad agency to the Draper's brown plaid kitchen in suburbia. The country club and party under the tent from the present season was period perfect.

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies: Cancelled earlier this season, the colorful chintz and chotchke-filled comedy told the tale of a pie maker who could bring people back to the dead. The interiors were designed to give the feeling of a storybook illustration and perhaps the show will end up on cable.

Trueblood

Trueblood: Given the success of Twilight, I am not sure what is up with plasma sucking creatures, but HBO's story of vampires and romance is certainly another cult favorite. Brought to the small screen by Alan Ball from Six Feet Under, the design of a Louisiana plantation, vampire bars and of course, cemetaries caught the eyes of the nominating committee.

Heroes

Heroes: NBC's science fiction drama that depicts humans with supernatural capabilities has become a huge hit. Designs have to take special visual effects into account with locations and interiors all over the globe.

Emmy nominees:

Set Decorator Kimberly Wannop, Production Designer Michael Mayer and Art Director Gregory S. Richman for Bones

Set Decorator Ron Franco,Production Designer Ruth Ammon and Art Director Sandy Getzler for Heroes

Set Decorator Amy Wells, Production Designer Dan Bishop and Art Director Christopher L. Brown for Mad Men

Set Decorator Halina Siwolop, Production Designer Michael Wylie and Art Director Ken Creber for Pushing Daisies -- Winner

Set Decorator Rusty Lipscomb, Production Designer Suzuki Ingerslev and Art Director Cat Smith for Trueblood.

Congrats to all!

And a special congrats to my next door neighbor growing up -- Robert Blackman -- who won for best costumes for Pushing Daisies.

Photo Credits: Emmy Organization, HBO, AMC, ABC, Fox and NBC.