60th Primetime Emmy Awards

60th Primetime Emmy Awards
Promotional poster
Date
LocationNokia Theatre,
Los Angeles, California
Presented byAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted byTom Bergeron
Heidi Klum
Howie Mandel
Jeff Probst
Ryan Seacrest
Highlights
Most awards
Most nominationsJohn Adams
Recount (8)
Outstanding Comedy Series30 Rock
Outstanding Drama SeriesMad Men
Outstanding MiniseriesJohn Adams
Outstanding Reality-Competition ProgramThe Amazing Race
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Websitehttp://www.emmys.com/ Edit this on Wikidata
Television/radio coverage
NetworkABC
Produced byKen Ehrlich
Directed byLouis J. Horvitz
← 59th · Primetime Emmy Awards · 61st →

The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at the newly opened Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California to honor the best in U.S. prime time television.[1] The ceremony was hosted by Tom Bergeron (who was also hosting America's Funniest Home Videos and Dancing with the Stars, both on ABC, at the time), Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst, and Ryan Seacrest (all were nominated in the debut category—Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program) and televised in the United States on ABC.

The nominations were announced on July 17 by Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris.[2] The Creative Arts Emmy Awards were held eight days earlier (September 13) at the same venue. The ceremony was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and Sarah Chalke.

The telecast was viewed by 12.20 million with a household rating of 8.86/12.79 making it the lowest rated and least viewed ceremony in its televised history.[3] Many critics cited lackluster performances from the five hosts as a reason for the huge decline.[4] Others pointed to the field of nominees which were dominated by low-rated and sparsely viewed programs, thus making the Emmys widely considered as a bust, which was panned by critics as "... the worst ever, laid a big, fat ratings egg as well ..."[5][6]

In 2011, when TV Guide Network re-did their list of "25 Biggest TV Blunders", this ceremony was included.

For the first time in a decade, the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series was won by the defending champion. 30 Rock

Outstanding Drama Series went to AMC freshmen series Mad Men. This marked the first series award for a program on a basic cable station. Mad Men led all dramas with six major nominations.

This would be the final ceremony to have five nominees per category, most major categories (acting and programs) were expanded to include at least six slots the following year.

  1. ^ "Emmys will move to new venue". USA Today. March 11, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
  2. ^ "Noms".
  3. ^ "World Screen - Home". Archived from the original on 2009-01-12. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
  4. ^ The Live Feed; 60th Emmy Awards reviews
  5. ^ Give Emmys to Craig from Broadcasting and Cable
  6. ^ "Emmy telecast bombs in ratings and reviews". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2020-09-15.