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Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Season 10 Battys: Snubs and Surprises

After another eventful Batty Awards show, It's Garry Shandling's Show stands as the single biggest winner from the Season 10 Battys. What were the biggest snubs and surprises from the show? Let's take a look.

We have mentioned on the page that the big snubbees were Bob Hope and Spider-Man, as their shows each got zero Battys. It's a particular surprise in the case of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, a fun listener-suggested series that we enjoyed talking about on the podcast.

Carrie from Little House played a pivotal role in "Blizzard" yet didn't make the noms for Outstanding Youth. And whither so many of the crew from High School USA? The sheer numbers of the massive cast of that TV movie might have worked against some potential candidates, but it should be proud that its lone choice, Todd Bridges, won.

The "as oneself" category is loaded with snubs. There were so many people in the Bob Hope special, and in the 21st century, whenever there's a chance for Muhammad Ali to get an award and he does not, it's an upset. There might be some controversy over Jeff Goldblum being nominated in this category and for Outstanding Supporting Male, and we hear the questions. That's something for the Blue Ribbon Committee to answer someday,

One of the most controversial categories each year is Outstanding Facial Hair, and while some might think Arthur Coleman from Perry Mason deserved a nod, I ask, do you remember Arthur Colemar? Actually, Hair and Facial Hair were rather straightforward this year. Garry Shandling losing for his hair might be a cruel shock to him, but Michael Landon getting that Batty is by no means a surprise.

Willie Oleson may not have had a shot at Youth, but his paste eating carried him to a mild upset over Conrad Bain's buffoonish Arthur Harman for Biggest Dope.

Perhaps the biggest upset came in the Non-Human category, where Goldblum's meat locker rode the positive wave of energy generated by It's Garry Shandling's Show to knock off robots, Rankin-Bass characters, and beloved Mister Rogers' Neighborhood icons like Trolley.

Outstanding Song saw Fred Astaire win for an Easter Bunny song in a surprise considering competition from TV staples Charo, Dean Martin, and Mac Davis. Perhaps the Easter songs didn't split the votes as much as the Hope votes did.

Nita Talbot scored a big upset by becoming a two-time winner for Supporting Female and knocking off favorites Nancy Walker and Barbara Hale in the process. But what about Bosom Buddies' Donna Dixon and Thelma Hopkins, who weren't even nominated?

The Supporting Male category was loaded with talent even without snubbed actors like Tony Dow and Crispin Glover, plus the likes of Bert Freed and the other guest stars in Perry Mason. Robert Redford is one of the more notable exclusions from the list. John Astin's win has to be considered a surprise when you look at the competition: Popular William "Paul Drake" Hopper, plus 3 men who won other Battys that evening--Goldblum, Astaire, and Victor French.

Looking at the Outstanding Male Batty, Fred Rogers' win is not a huge shock, but there are some notable exclusions. Spider-Man didn't even get a chance here. The lack of Bill Macy for Maude stands out, and poor Michael J. Fox didn't get a single nom for being the lead in High School USA. Outstanding Heel Beau Middleton gets the last laugh after all!

Overall, the show didn't really have an upset on the level of Battlestar Galactica's infamous win for Outstanding Theme Song last season, and the Random Number Generator didn't even make an appearance. Is this a sign that we are on the same page when voting? Was this season filled with more clear-cut choices? That's for you, the listeners, to decide.






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