‘Housewives’ steal spotlight at Emmy Awards

EMMY VIGNETTES

updated 12:36 a.m. ET Sept. 19, 2005

LOS ANGELES - The stars of “Desperate Housewives” were far from desperate for attention.

“Having people come from all over the world to see us. It’s amazing,” said Nicollette Sheridan, who appeared overwhelmed when she arrived on the red carpet to a cacophony of cheers, whoops and hollers.

Co-star Marcia Cross noted that just a couple of seasons ago, the show didn’t exist.

“Now we have all these nominations,” marveled Cross, who arrived in a stunning strapless green emerald gown with matching bracelet and earrings.

The loudest Housewife reaction was reserved for Teri Hatcher, who arrived in a subtle blue gown. She smiled and waved before quickly heading inside the auditorium.

During the show, Eva Longoria, the only main Housewife who wasn’t nominated for an award, poked fun at herself in a skit that placed her in the back row of the auditorium, near the rafters.

“Wait, wait, there are after-parties?” Longoria asked.

Not everyone was a fan, though.

“It’s great to be here on the brink of losing to ‘Desperate Housewives,”’ Will Arnett of “Arrested Development,” which was nominated along with “Housewives” for best comedy series, said on the red carpet.

“‘Desperate Housewives’ is not a comedy,” he said. “It’s a soap opera that has a few funny moments in it.”

A tribute to the anchors
Former evening news anchors Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather received a stirring standing ovation during an Emmy Awards tribute to them and the late Peter Jennings.

Brokaw and Rather recently stepped down from jobs they had held since the early 1980s. Jennings died of lung cancer last month. A film tribute to the men ended with the last “thank you and good night” Jennings spoke on the air.

“For nearly a quarter of a century three men in this country were anchors in more ways than one,” actor Alan Alda said. “At a time so many things in our country were changing, they were solid.”

Brokaw explained how each of them tried to be reporters and were friends as well as competitors. Rather said the recent strong coverage of Hurricane Katrina reaffirmed the need for quality journalism on the air.

CBS cameras panned twice to network chief Leslie Moonves, who is trying to choose Rather’s successor.

The Donald sings, sort of
What was funnier: Donald Trump wearing overalls, or trying to sing?

It was a no-brainer the first time he opened his mouth and some sort of strained sound came out. In the first installment of an “Emmy Idol” segment, Trump gamely belted out the theme to “Green Acres” with Megan Mullaly of “Will & Grace” playing the Eva Gabor role.

The Emmys featured four such odd performances of old TV show themes and, in a nod to “American Idol,” asked viewers to vote on their favorites.

What seemed like a hokey idea — alright, it was a hokey idea — made for some cheap laughs. Kristen Bell, star of “Veronica Mars,” pranced through the theme of “Fame” in classic 1980s garb, including a cutoff shirt and leggings. Grammy Award-winning singer Macy Gray sang “Movin’ on Up” from “The Jeffersons” with a pained Gary Dourdan of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

The most inspired pairing, however, was William Shatner’s mock-pompous recital of the “Star Trek” theme with opera singer Frederica von Stade. But they lost to Trump and Mullaly.

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