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Showing posts with label Batty Chatter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Batty Chatter. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Batty Chatter: SNUBS and SURPRISES

The unique format of the Battys means that the SNUBS, or what one might consider SNUBS, aren't known until the actual ceremony. This means there is a lot to process on Batty Night. Therefore I am taking the time today to talk about some of what I am hearing after talking to sources, hanging around street corners, and peeping in windows...

One of the biggest SNUBS of the Battys is Catherine O'Hara for Outstanding Female. At least she got a nod in the listener-determined SCTV cast member poll...Timothy Van Patten was snubbed for Outstanding Male despite being a nominal lead on The Master.  Industry insiders tell me they believe he should be thankful for his Biggest Dope award...

Speaking of dope, as we mentioned on the air, cocaine was a surprise exclusion from that category. Its exclusion from the awards is a good thing overall, sources believe...Dirk Benedict hopefully takes his snub for Best Hair with good spirits, but it must be tough seeing co-star Richard Hatch get that nod over him...

Timer's questionable status in the Non-Human category inspired some controversy, with several observers pointing fingers at the prestigious Blue Ribbon committee. Perhaps someone needs a hunk a' cheese?

Bonar Bain's absence from the show hurt many. "Couldn't he get a Supporting Male nod?" one told me. Some have lobbied for guest star categories, with others fearing it would thin out the performance categories too much...Marvin Kaplan of Alice is another painful exclusion.  If you had told me before the season that we would cover Alice and not give Kaplan or Henry a single Batty nom, I would have said you were crazy...

One of the unusual sets of "snubs" is in the Outstanding Youth category. Sharp-eyed fans might wonder why popular characters like Tommy (Alice) and Boxey (Battlestar Galactica) aren't there--that is, unless they are sharp-eyed enough to realize they weren't in the episodes we discussed!

The Chicken's bizarre inclusion in the Facial Hair category puzzled many, even the two of us during the show...Battlestar's overall performance (just one win) was a disappointment to some fans who noted our enthusiasm for the series and its spot in the often-significant series finale position.

On the positive side, most thought the show came off well despite the unconventional venue of Jim Rockford's trailer. "Was it a little cramped? Sure," said one longtime Batty expert.  "Yet everything pales in comparison to, say, the vastness of the astral plane," where the Battys took place several seasons ago. "It didn't affect the show."

Andrea Martin's Outstanding Female win delighted fans of the beloved veteran performer...The new Outstanding Hairpiece category drew plaudits as well.

Perhaps one of the bigger upsets is a song from a PSA winning a Batty over multiple numbers from musically oriented programs like Soul Train and Christmas in July.  Not so fast, though. "Doesn't surprise me," one jaded Batty follower passed along. "Brooks has been lobbying for a show about PSAs for years, and he got his wish."

Much of the chatter after the awards concerned the relative lack of disagreement in many of the awards, including some categories thought to be more bitterly contested. "Does it mean that Rick and Mike are on the same page? Do they need to shake it up more? Were some of the categories not competitive enough? I don't know," pondered one source.  Another was quick to point out, "Don't let (the relative general agreement in many categories) fool you.  These guys have been doing this a long time. There were some agonizing decisions in this show."  Personally, I agree, but then, I also happen to be one of the voters.

Saturday, November 20, 2021

Batty chatter: What I'm hearing

We're smack in the middle of Batty season, and I am consulting with some of our favorite newshounds to get the inside scoop. We're talking people like Rona Barrett, Lou Grant, and Hector Ramirez!

It's time to empty out the notebook and share some of the gossip and rumors that are swirling around this year's Batty Awards. Please remember that this is all as yet unsubstantiated and should not be seen as verified reporting.

We're hearing that Robert Conrad is lobbying for a Batty nomination despite not appearing in Season 9...and also being dead for nearly two years...Multiple venues lobbied for the prestigious honor of hosting the ceremony, but word has not leaked out yet. Word is multiple tangible arenas are frustrated with having to compete with intangible ones like Season 5's astral plane...

Chatter is that as usual the Outstanding Male category will be loaded this time out...Look for a new twist on a familiar category...Several categories have been dropped from the Season 8 list, including, I am sad to report, Outstanding Rick and Outstanding Mike. Hey, maybe those ones could have stuck around a bit!

I'm told Vic Tayback's representation had to be talked out of a scheme to promote him for Outstanding Male by dropping chili out of an airplane...Folks speculating about the possibility that a Genius winner--OG Robert Pine--could be in contention for a competitive batty for his role in The Master...

Tayback's costar Linda Lavin, rumor has it, is asking for a hefty fee to show up at the ceremony and sing. She charges double to show up and not sing...Longtime Batty observers are closely watching how The Munsters, an older show linked to BOTNS through Mini-Munsters, is treated. "If series and performers from that era are eligible, that might crowd out your Holmes & Yoyos," said one industry vet. Has she SEEN the Facebook group?

Fear not dreaded supply chain issues, folks, because word is the BOTNS logistics team stocked up on random number generators many months ago...Any concern over the integrity of the listener-voted awards is unfounded, says one person familiar with the process. "Tamper with the results? We almost forgot to put up the polls," he said...

Due to the long gap between Battys, producers are reportedly mulling how to handle a long list of names for the In Memoriam segment. It's believed that one suggestion, to read the names like John Moschitta, was only a jest and not a serious proposal...