The 2014 Emmy Awards aired Aug. 25 on NBC, with plenty of highlights.

Entertainment

et-emmys-2014

Sofia Vergara has lambasted critics who said her comedy routine in Monday's Emmy Awards ceremony, when the shapely actress revolved on a pedestal to draw attention to a pro forma speech, was sexist.
"I think it's absolutely the opposite," the "Modern Family" star, 42, told Entertainment Weekly backstage during the 66th annual prime time television awards. She said the satirical routine -- accompanying Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences president Bruce Rosenblum's speech saying television must "always . . . [give] the viewer something compelling to watch" -- "means that somebody can be hot and also be funny and make fun of herself. And enjoy and work and make money. So I absolutely think it's ridiculous and it's somebody who started this -- who I know who she was -- has no sense of humor and should lighten up a little bit."
Vergara -- TV's highest-paid actress and a four-time Emmy nominee -- did not specify to whom she was referring. Critics included Kara Brown on the women's website Jezebel.com, who lamented, "She was treated like a literal object," and newswoman Katie Couric, who tweeted, "I love Sofia Vergara but did anyone find that schtick somewhat offensive?"
Vergara's critics received criticism as well, with both women and men tweeting comments including, "Satire, anyone?" and "I s'pose Emmys was being ironic w/ Sofia Vergara stunt. But most folks don't 'get' irony."

ETVERG27

Sofia Vergara on criticism her Emmys skit was sexist: 'It's ridiculous'

Sofia Vergara: 'Ridiculous' to call Emmys skit sexist

Sofia Vergara-CROPPED

Well, it does appear as though we have a final national number for the 66th annual Primetime Emmys ... and it's not an ugly one at all: 15.6 million. 
That's only about two points below last year's football-fed telecast on CBS, so NBC has to be thrilled with this. Fact is, the move to Monday was a risk: Viewers could have ignored the big show, but there was certainly a groundswell of interest in the Robin Williams tribute. (NBC even promoted Billy Crystal's tribute with in-program teases -- highly unusual, but a key indicator that millions were coming for that, and the network knew it). That alone may have made the difference. 
On the negative side of the ledger, this is only about two million more viewers than the middling averages the Emmys had been posting in prior years, or before last year's CBS telecast. The hard fact remains: While many of us love the Emmys -- and I certainly count myself among the devotees -- the vast majority of us don't. They remain an awards show without the enormous appeal of the Grammys or the Oscars. And for an industry that is in the midst of a golden age, that is a strange paradox indeed.&nbsp; 
But 15.6 million is nothing to sneeze at; how about a Monday in the dead of August next year, too?

Emmys move to Monday pulls decent ratings

Emmys ratings: The risky move to a Monday telecast draws solid 15.6 million

What the heck happened to “True Detective” and Matthew McConaughey last night? 
Five Emmys for the show -- but not one of the huge ones. Matthew McConaughey, the surest bet for anything last night -- outstanding actor/drama would have done, nicely, I'm sure he and HBO think -- was just another beautiful face in the crowd, as it turns out. 
Unfair, maybe, but Bryan Cranston did win, and there's certainly nothing unfair about that. 
Nevertheless, this is a puzzle and puzzles demand solutions, particularly as HBO put its vast marketing muscle behind "Detective" and its worthy leads. Naturally, I have theories as opposed to solutions. Maybe one of them is even the right one: 
Each of these applies mostly to the show, which wasn't considered a lock for best drama, and to McConaughey as well. 
1.) HBO overreached. "Detective" stood a better chance in the miniseries category as opposed to the insanely competitive best drama one, where each nominee had entrenched interests among Emmy voters -- interests not about to be shaken by this arriviste. Mc, likewise, would have been a cinch for the mini/movie award. 
2.) Voters just weren't sure -- and when in doubt, vote for the incumbent. 
3.) "Bad" deserved this win and so did Cranston. Hey, that's novel! No it's not. The Emmys do get this right now and then. 
4.) The so-called plagiarism charges stuck. Arriving in the middle of the voting process, as they did, some voters were doubtful. "Why vote for a plagiarist?!" some may have thought, thoughtlessly. In fact, the charges were unfair, and "Detective" writer Nic Pizzolatto had said that he had been inspired by Thomas Ligotti for the Rust Cohle character. Nothing wrong with that. But doubt -- even when it's grossly unfair -- has a way of seeding. 
5.) The poorly-drawn-female characters charge stuck. This was first raised, I believe, in the pages of the New Yorker, and is cited whenever or wherever the merits of "Detective" are raised. PIzzolatto was angered by them -- but all the anger in the world can't dissipate an argument, and in fact often has the opposite effect. 
6.) Emmys hate buzz. Remember how Lou Grant "hates spunk?" Emmys hate buzz. They hate it with all of their fiber -- for Emmy voters are traditionalists to the core, who eschew the vagaries of popular taste, as it ebbs and flows according to the dictates of a hundred million fandudes, with their Twitter accounts, blogs, Facebook pages, Instagrams and other assorted means to express their passion. Or at least voters like to think that -- that their role is to separate the chaff from the proverbial wheat stalk, and to bestow the One True Award on the One True Show. 
Mostly, they like to think this isn't the People's Choice Awards. THEY are the pros. What does the riff raff know? Buzz shows that go into the Emmys with a head of steam -- often a projection of TV writers, who are fans themselves -- can oftentimes find themselves beheaded by the end of the night. 
7.) "Detective" and McConaughey were too much of a sure bet. This is a subset of 6.) with some variations. Sure Bets very often are Sure Bets with the Emmys -- but brand-new buzz-worthy shows that are deemed Sure Bets usually aren't. 
8.) Emmy voters were simply too familiar with "True Detective" and Rust Cohle. I leave this theory to last because I think there's some counterintuitive logic to it. 
Consider: Everyone in this industry watched "Detective" because they pretty much felt they had to, if only not to sound like a blithering idiot at their local watering hole or some cocktail party, where someone -- maybe their next employer -- was bound to ask them, "well, what did you think ...?" They didn't need the requisite single episode to make a judgment about "Detective" -- many were already intimately familiar with it. 
But such familiarity doesn't always work to a nominee's favor, because voters are then as familiar with its faults as its virtues. An obvious example here -- the finale, which some viewers loved, others hated. (I was disappointed. Not this kind of ending ... again.) Or maybe some voters didn't like Rust's gaseous ruminations on the Meaning of Life in the 17-years-fast-forward scenes. 
Who knows! Or perhaps HBO,"Detective" and McConaughey should turn to Ligotti for solace and guidance on this Emmy matter. Quoth he:&nbsp; 
“It has always seemed to me that my existence consisted purely and exclusively of nothing but the most outrageous nonsense.”

Why 'True Detective' didn't win big at Emmys

Emmys: Why did 'True Detective,' Matthew McConaughey get shut out?

true detective - cropped / mg

The Emmy Awards are TV's biggest night. 
We followed it all, from the highlights (Weird Al's theme-song medley!) to the touching moments (Billy Crystal's tribute to Robin Williams) and all the moments in between. 
"Breaking Bad" and "Modern Family" pulled in multiple wins. See who else went homoe with awards. 
App users, click on the link above for our live blog.

ent-redcarpet

Emmys 2014: Live coverage from the big 'Breaking Bad' wins to Weird Al

Weird Al Yankovic-CROPPED / mg

"Breaking Bad" emphatically sealed its claim as one of the best series in TV history by winning its second consecutive Emmy for outstanding drama series at Monday night's 66th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. 
The AMC series also won for outstanding lead actor (Bryan Cranston), supporting actress (Anna Gunn), supporting actor (Aaron Paul) and writer (Moira Walley-Beckett). 
Cranston won his fourth Emmy for a drama, which amounted to one of the biggest surprises of the night. 
"Oh wow," he said. "Even I voted for Matthew [McConaughey]," who was widely considered a lock for this award. 
"Modern Family" also made a pitch for Emmy history by winning its fifth straight Emmy for best comedy. Only "Frasier" -- which won from 1994 to 1998 -- has had a five-win streak. Next year's Emmys will be interesting indeed. 
Meanwhile, Julianna Margulies won her second best actress in a drama for "The Good Wife" -- her first was in 2011. With that victory she denied Kerry Washington a huge symbolic victory as the first African-American actress to have won best actress in a drama. 
Highlights included: 
MEYERS' OPEN. "Late Night's" Seth Meyers, host of the show, had a potentially thankless job as host of the first Emmys telecast on a Monday since 1976. His solution? The obvious one, of course. Make fun of TV and Monday: "People don't remember the 1976 Emmys because they were held on a Monday," while noting that all of the dramas selected for an Emmy that year were cop shows. He also got off a good one concerning the poor odds for survival for actors on "Game of Thrones": "If you're an actor on 'Game of Thrones,' I imagine you wait for next week's script the way most people wait for biopsy results." Voters "were voting for best hat." Excellent open for Meyers. 
COMEDY KING AND QUEEN. Jim Parsons and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a pair of the most honored actors in Emmy history, made another big splash, winning respective outstanding lead actor and actress in a comedy, but their winning style was notable to the point of remarkable. "Big Bang Theory" star Parsons -- who won his fourth Emmy, tying Michael J. Fox and Kelsey Grammer for the most in history -- thanked his late father, Mickey Parsons. "Veep" star Louis-Dreyfus, who got her third win in a row, got (and accepted) a long, languorous kiss from "Breaking Bad's" Cranston. (She also won for "Seinfeld" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine.") 
DYNAMIC DUO. Woody Harrelson and McConaughey, co-nominees as best actor for a drama in HBO's "True Detective," announced the winner for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries (Benedict Cumberbatch of PBS' "Sherlock: His Last Vow"). But first, the jokes: McConaughey said the little bit of advice, or "worldly Woody wisdom," he got from his co-star: " . . . just forget about it." (That was a common refrain of Harrelson's character in the series.) Harrelson, in a cutting and funny reference to online charges that "Detective" scribe Nic Pizzolatto may have lifted lines from author Thomas Ligotti (denied by all parties): "I'm grateful you had all of the plagiarized lines." 
WEIRD, WACKY STUFF. Weird Al Yankovic at the Emmys? Why not? In a musical number that seemed to indicate the 66th annual Emmys were tilting toward either a drinking game -- or a smoking one -- Al sang a medley of best drama title songs that turned them (and their respective shows) into a Weird Al-alt universe of strangeness and chemically altered misfires. (And who says the Emmys aren't up to date?)

ETEMMY26

Emmys 2014: 'Breaking Bad,' 'Modern Family' win big

Bryan Cranston-CROPPED

Moving, emotional and deeply personal, Billy Crystal's tribute to Robin Williams turned a lighthearted broadcast into a somber tribute to a beloved actor who changed culture, and television. 
"He made us laugh, every time you saw him on TV, movies, nightclubs, arenas, hospitals, homeless shelters," Crystal said of a friend he made nearly 40 years ago, working comedy clubs on both coasts. 
He spoke of the "many happy hours" spent with Williams -- in particular at a Mets game where Williams professed ignorance of baseball but segued into a comic role, as a "great Russian baseball player." 
Crystal said Williams explained, "We have only one team in Russia -- the Reds . . . 
"He was the greatest friend you could ever imagine. Supportive, protective, loving. It's very hard to talk about him in the past because he was so present in all of our lives, for almost 40 years the brightest star in the comedy galaxy."

ETWILL26

Billy Crystal gives a moving tribute to Robin Williams at Emmys

60. billy crystal-CROPPED / mg

Hot and cool -- that's how the 2014 Emmys ran Monday night, with icy hues and fiery shades dominating the star-studded scene. 
The ice looked nice -- Taylor Schilling in a "noncolor" Zuhair Murad beaded halter that revealed the tattoo on her rib cage. Robin Wright was positively Arctic (how "Claire" of her) in Ralph Lauren's creamy silk tuxedo jumpsuit. Emmys' first transgender nominee, Laverne Cox, donned a custom Marc Bouwer with a plunging front and a caped back that the star dubbed "angelic elegance." And Anna Chlumsky wore a white "one-zip" Zac Posen. 
Also in the white stuff: Sofia Vergara (natch, curvy, skintight), Kristen Wiig (streamlined), Katherine Heigl (satin). Hayden Panettiere's baby girl bump was encased in a silver metallic job by Lorena Sarbu, and Gwen Stefani rocked a two-piece Versace ensemble dripping in Swarovski crystals. 
Flaming red was so prevalent that Claire Danes said she was "glad to be part of the red posse," wearing Givenchy with inset lace and dramatic jeweled neckline. Christina Hendricks went for a sari-inspired Marchesa with gold embellishment at the waist. January Jones was drop-dead gorgeous in structured Prabal Gurung, with a swooped-up hemline and a grand train; Julia Louis-Dreyfus worked a leather-trimmed Carolina Herrera number in raspberry. Heidi Klum glowed in slim Zac Posen with a winged back that the designer called "coral angel." And no one worked the fire-and-ice trend better than Sarah Hyland -- she wore both in a crop-top-meets-ball-skirt outfit. Kerry Washington, four months after giving birth, looked smashing in a tangerine slit-to-there Prada gown with a sequined mini underskirt. 
Julia Roberts was a scene-stealer -- not because she was on trend, but because she bucked it in a short, pearl-embellished Elie Saab navy cocktail dress that flaunted her mile-long legs. 
As for the coifs, well they were predominantly California casual -- worn loose and sometimes tousled and occasionally a touch too messy (hello Christina Hendricks). And there was a man bun or two in the mix (yeah, you, Kit Harington).

Celebrities

ETRED26

Emmys 2014: Red carpet sees shades of fire and ice

Hayden Panettiere / Uzo Aduba-CROPPED / mg

Why won't you be watching the Emmys on Monday night? 
OK, sure, fine ... Maybe you will be watching. But if past is prologue, and if numbers don't lie and the sun also rises, chances are good you won't watch. Instead, you'll catch up with the winners from news stories Tuesday morning. 
Besides, the big show on NBC will air on a Monday night because of a football game Sunday. 
Monday night? Who watches the Emmys on a Monday? 
Television -- most reasonably discerning people can agree -- is better than ever. There are more worthy series to honor on more networks than at any time in the medium's 75-year history. Yet, the awards show that honors this bounty seems to be sliding into, if not outright irrelevance, then senescence. 
Now the final insult, on a Monday night ... near the end of August.... 
That's the harsh view, and maybe an unfair one, but the numbers appear to confirm that slow, inexorable slide. Last year's 65th Annual Primetime Emmys on CBS was seen by a fantastic 18 million viewers, an eight-year high. But that number was, perhaps, a bit too fantastic -- an aberration, fed by a regular-season NFL game lead-in that blew in millions of viewers who otherwise would have found something else to do. 
In the good old days -- from about 1992, when Fox's Emmy exclusivity run was coming to an end, up through the mid-2000s -- 19 million to 20 million viewers reliably watched the Emmys. Since 2007, when viewership started to taper in earnest, around 13million or so have regularly settled in for the big show. 
By contrast, the Oscars reliably draw around 40 million for ABC, while the Grammys on CBS brushed up against 30 million last year. Even the Golden Globes (21million in January, a 10-year high) are booming for NBC. 
So what is happening to our dear, muddled Emmys? 
It's a question that consumes both the Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences and the broadcast networks -- the Emmys are now rotated among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox every four years. Solid answers are elusive while that aforementioned paradox -- more good TV than ever, fewer people watching the awards -- remains stubbornly in place. But within this paradox is another: The Emmys were never really designed to be a TV spectacle promoting TV as much as an industry spectacle promoting itself -- to itself. 
The telecast has long been a carefully choreographed balancing act that attempts to serve the interests of the various guilds -- actors, directors, writers -- and not necessarily those of the viewers. "You're kind of straddling a line you've got to be respectful to the academy and to the industry, and you can't just design a show that's strictly, strictly for the television audience," says Don Mischer, the highly regarded awards show director who's handled a dozen Emmys over the years and will direct tomorrow's 66th annual awards show. 
From a practical standpoint, this means less flexibility for the broadcaster. From a viewer's standpoint, this means more dead spots -- those unavoidable low-interest awards, for example, that send them either to the refrigerator or to bed. 
But that's always been the case. Why is this suddenly an issue now? In part because the networks badly want more flexibility as the numbers remain soft, if only to craft a show that appeals to a bigger, broader audience -- or, at a minimum, promotes their own interests. 
The Emmys, in fact, have slowly and ineradicably turned against the interests of the Big Four. Over the past decade, they've morphed into a celebration of great cable TV, not necessarily great broadcast TV. HBO got 99 nominations this year, for example, or more than the total for NBC and CBS combined. Of the 10 series with most nominations, only one ("Saturday Night Live") airs on a major commercial broadcaster. 
Or this curiosity: CNN's "Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown" received the same number of nominations (7) as TV's most-viewed comedy, "The Big Bang Theory." 
None of the Big Four's dramas earned an outstanding drama series nod. 
Of course, a lightly viewed series can be just as good -- often better -- than a massively viewed one, but when the awards telecast is stuffed to the rafters with such honorees, from "Mad Men" to "Orange Is the New Black," millions of viewers who want to see their own popular hit honored are less likely to tune in, or stay tuned in. 
And this is where the discussion this year has turned to "The Blacklist," NBC's homegrown hit, which was largely shut down in the nominations -- an oversight that has resparked interest in the idea of expanding the number of nominees, from six to as many as 10, to better reflect TV's horn of plenty. 
"We are in the golden age of television," says Paul Telegdy, NBC's president of alternative and late-night programming. "There is excellence left, right and center, wherever you look for it. But is whether we're just creating a gradual decline because the audience can't possibly all be watching all of these shows." 
He dismisses the idea of expanding the honoree list because, "from the audience's point of view, you'd just be honoring more shows that they'd never heard of." 
Moreover, he quips, "The Emmys would be six hours long." 
(That's the other strike against an expanded nominee list -- it'd add more time to the show, which all of the networks are dead set against.) 
"The Blacklist," he adds "is an incredibly important asset here, and a lot of people were disappointed not to see James Spader get a nomination. But he's not crying, and we're not, and we should just get on with things." 
As this year's Emmy network, even NBC has shouldered some of the blame for devaluing the Emmy brand by moving the show from Sunday to Monday in late August. That was done to accommodate an NFL preseason game that will air Sunday night (as well as competition from MTV's Video Music Awards). 
Telegdy also dismisses the gripe by some industry members that they'll be stuck in rush-hour traffic on their way to the Nokia Theatre tomorrow: "Most people who live and work in Los Angeles have a pretty good handle on traffic...." 
Nevertheless, an impression remains that NBC -- in a why-fight-city-hall spirit -- has simply shunted the Emmys aside. If the vast majority of viewers don't care all that much, why should the network airing them? 
That impression also may be unfair -- football is NBC's single most important program staple -- while a planned tribute to Robin Williams, as well as a number of awards expected to go to buzz hit "True Detective" could even boost interest. 
But if you do watch, maybe it's best to do so in the spirit of this year's host, Seth Meyers. 
"We want to approach it the way we would approach anything," he said at the TV Critics' recent press tour in Los Angeles, "which is to just be upbeat and have fun." 
A deep reserve of patience wouldn't hurt, either. 
--- 
EMMYS ON TV: 
PRE-SHOW 
Countdown to the Red Carpet: The 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards (4:30p.m., E!) 
Live From the Red Carpet: The 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards (6 p.m., E!) -- Giuliana Rancic and Ross Mathews interview celebrities as they arrive at the Nokia Theatre. 
1st Look: Live on the Red Carpet (7 p.m., NBC/4) 
66th Primetime Emmy Red Carpet Special (7:30p.m., NBC/4) -- Billy Bush, Shaun Robinson and Louise Roe interview celebrities as they arrive for the ceremony. 
THE SHOW 
66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (8 p.m., NBC/4) -- Seth Meyers hosts from Nokia Theatre LA Live in Los Angeles. 
POST-SHOW 
E! After Party: The 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards (11 p.m., E!)

ETTEL24.WEB

Do the Emmys still matter in 2014?

Orange Is the New Black - cropped

Billy Crystal, who had (at least) a 30-year association with Robin Williams, will present his tribute on Monday's telecast of the 66th Primetime Emmys. 
The program's executive producer, Don Mischer, made the announcement Wednesday. Mischer said last week that the Academy was planning to mount "a proper and meaningful tribute," which will now fall to Crystal, who has long hosted Comic Relief USA with Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. (Crystal and Williams also co-starred in "Father's Day"). 
Williams presented the tribute to his personal comic icon, Jonathan Winters, at last year's show.&nbsp; 
Indeed, Williams' and Crystal's close ties long predate Comic Relief, which they had co-hosted with Goldberg since 1986. Like so many A-list comics, they came up through the east coast/west coast comedy club circuit in the '70s, shared prominent managers (Jack Rollins and Charles Joffe) and at times even seemed to be one another's most visible cheerleader. 
After Williams' 2009 heart surgery, for example, Crystal explained to The New York Times how that might impact his comedy going forward. "I think he needs the stand-up in a different way than he did before. It's still a safe place for him to be, but he can talk about things and make himself feel better, not just everybody else." 
After Williams' death was reported last week, Crystal could muster only this, in a Tweet: "No words." 
Musical accompaniment for the "In Memoriam" tribute will be performed by Sara Bareilles. She had dedicated her song, "Hercules," to Williams during a recent concert, but Mischer did not say what the music choices will be.

Billy Crystal to give Emmys' Robin Williams tribute

Billy Crystal to present Robin Williams tribute at Emmys

williams crystal cropped

What if Lucille Ball competed with Julia Louis-Dreyfus for an Emmy? Or if Will Arnett was nominated alongside Henry Winkler? Here, they are: TV critic Verne Gay nominates the best actors, actresses and shows in all of television history, choosing just one winner in each major category. It's the Ultimate Emmys, in which he drills down to the very best of all time. See if you agree with his winners.

Ultimate Emmys: Critic's picks for TV's best of all time

BEST DRAMA

drama

BEST COMEDY

comedy

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

drama actress

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

drama actor

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

comedy actress

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

comedy actor

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

drama supp actress

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

drama supp actor

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

comedy supp actress

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

comedy supp actor

Ultimate Emmys: Critic's picks for TV's best 

Take "Game of Thrones," "True Detective," "Breaking Bad," "Downton Abbey" and other Oscar-nominated movies and ask kids to re-enact some of the scenes. What do you get? Adorable little ones wearing fake mustaches, wigs and other costumes as they recite lines (in their own words) from the television shows. 
These kids get a nod — and a chuckle — from us. Nothing beats watching young children re-imagine scenes involving controversy and crime, historical drama and suspense. 
Here, the <a href="http://mom.me" target="_blank">mom.me</a> and Whalerock Industries of “Kid Emmys” features six television shows nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. Click below to watch the video. 
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/D-2nb644tMw" width="560"></iframe>

Things to Do

Family

Kids re-enact Emmy-nominated TV shows

Watch Emmy-nominated TV shows re-enacted by kids

Kids re-enact Emmy-nominated shows

Emmys: Your guide to the 2014 awards

Newsday

Emmys 2014 guide

meyers - hosting-CROPPED / mg

Entertainment trending

Take our quizzes

Take the LI music quiz

Taylor Swift's LI connections

Jones Beach summer 2026 concerts

Most Popular

Entertainment Rail Module

Snoop Dogg has made a splash as an NBA analyst, joining Reggie Miller and Terry Gannon during the second half of Peacock's recent Warriors at Clippers broadcast.

Snoop Dogg's NBA analyst role underscores why his on-air presence and global appeal keeps growing

Affleck and Damon have a good time and so will you.

'The Rip': Affleck and Damon deliver intense performances as Miami cops

Harper was a familiar face, first at WPIX and then WNBC.

Remembering pioneering NY anchor Pat Harper, who 'vanished' from the airwaves, never to return

Newsday's film critic Rafer Guzmán shows us what movies to see this winter.

A look at upcoming winter movies

She also dreams of doing a New York gig with her dad, Billy Joel, popping up.

Alexa Ray Joel had a '60s vision for 'Heavy Eyes'

Young cadets navigate a post-"Burn" universe in the "Star Trek" saga.

'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy': Great-looking newcomer, but a bit too '90210'

Sign up for Newsday's Entertainment newsletter

Entertainment newsletter widget

More Entertainment

Entertainment Article Bottom Module

As Lifetime's "I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco" arrives, she talks about why the movie is so important to her.

How's Mary Jo Buttafuoco doing? Mostly fine.

The hit Netflix drama starring Keri Russell and Allison Janney filmed the season 3 finale at the historic Oyster Bay estate.

Go behind the scenes of 'The Diplomat' with new Planting Fields tour

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" resembles a classic Western.

New 'Game of Thrones' prequel should win viewers' hearts

Newsday TV shorts

Vertical videos

The soft-serve ice cream dipped in melted butter and sprinkled with salt has gone viral.

Ice cream dipped in melted butter? Stew Leonard's has it

Five years after a Newsday investigation into police hiring, neither county has diversified ranks to reflect the communities they serve. Newsday's Virginia Huie and Jim Baumbach reports.

Despite 30% increase in Hispanic officers, LI police forces still overwhelmingly white

NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano gets a sneak peek of "The Diplomat" Tour, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at all the places at Planting Fields Arboretum where the Netflix thriller's season 3 finale was shot.

'The Diplomat' films on LI

NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger takes a look at some of the reasons behind the decline in family-owned hardware stores on Long Island.

Declining number of family owned hardware stores

Newsday's food team tasted and ranked sheet cakes from eight supermarkets on Long Island.

The great grocery store sheet cake taste test 

NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa learns what it takes to troubleshoot a pinball machine in this week's edition of LI Works.

LI Works: A wizard at fixing pinball machines

Newsday's third annual Cheer Fest was held at Hofstra University on Sunday. Participants spoke about the thrill of competing and watching teams from other divisions. Newsday's Jared Valluzzi has more.

Energy, pride and school spirit: Newsday's 3rd annual Cheer Fest

Doug DeFeo, a volunteer with the New York Marine Rescue Center in Riverhead, says it's important to him to give back to the environment as well as the individual lives of people.

Volunteers of Long Island: New York Marine Rescue Center

NewsdayTV's Doug Geed takes us to the South Fork, where, after generations of farming the land, the Ludlow family pivoted to making cheese from the milk of their cows.

Out East: Mecox Bay Dairy in Bridgehampton

New York became the first state to require health insurers to cover scalp cooling treatments, which help to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Health insurers must cover scalp cooling treatments

Sitewide Video Playlist

Andrew Dykes' defense team added another attorney as the 66-year-old suspect is accused of killing Gilgo Beach victim Tanya Denise Jackson, also known as "Peaches." NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'Mr. Dykes did not cause the death of Miss Jackson'

Lines out the door at open houses, offers above asking price: NewsdayTV's Macy Egeland and Newsday real estate reporter Rachel Weiss talk to local professionals about how to navigate this hot market.

It's Your Business: Tips on navigating another hot year for real estate

New court papers reveal details of Rex Heuermann's first 24 hours in custody. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

'They include a prisoner log which noted he appeared calm'

Two months after Manuel Hernández Zelada disappeared after being arrested by ICE, his family has found him, in a federal facility in New Mexico.

Family reconnects with ICE detainee after judge intervenes

Republican Bruce Blakeman took the oath of office to begin his second term as county executive on Monday night. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

Blakeman formally begins second term

The deposed Venezuelan leader made his first court appearance on Monday in Manhattan as large crowds gathered outside the courthouse. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

Maduro makes first court appearance

Hundreds attended the funeral for Edeedson Cine Jr., 23, in Dix Hills on Friday.

Final farewell for CVS worker

Port Washington's Rapid Response Network aims to prevent or stop federal officials from making arrests by warning immigrants of ICE sightings. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie has more.

'This is not the way we operate in this country'

A South Setauket father, Vincent DiStasi, was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday for beating his infant son to the point where he needed brain surgery. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

The infant was 5 weeks old

Each semifinalist will receive $2,000 and their school will receive a matching amount. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

'I'm ecstatic'

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is preparing a legal fight. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'Child care is needed more than ever'

John Pilaccio pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges in the fatal stabbing of CVS employee Edeedson Cine Jr. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

'A violent criminal record'

App Nativo Ad Unit Slot

TV - megaslot

Newsday TV critic Verne Gay reviews new TV shows and series from Netflix, Max, Hulu and more. Plus, what Long Island actors are working on and Long Island filming locations.

Emmys: Your guide to the 2014 awards

Most Popular

Top Stories

Stay logged in.