The Emmys and Al Gore and Other Libs

Al Gore won an Emmy for his Current TV, a dud cable network that he launched two years ago.

Gore already has an Oscar and an Emmy. A Grammy and a Tony can't be far behind.

Al Gore: The Musical -- Andrew Lloyd Webber is probably working on it right now.

Rather than the traditional set normally used in awards show, the 2007 Emmys were staged in-the-round.

That's not a forum that's kind to those with less than perfect bodies, such as the bloated Gore. Though, I must admit, he did seem like he may have lost a pound or two.

No, I take that back. He's looks as big as ever.

Al Gore received a standing ovation from the Shrine Auditorium audience as his Current TV channel, which features viewer-created videos, was honored for achievement in interactive television.

"We are trying to open up the television medium so that viewers can help to make television, and join the conversation of democracy, and reclaim American democracy by talking about the choices we have to make," said Gore, whose global-warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" received an Oscar earlier this year.

Here's Emmy coverage from AP.

Some other Emmy notes:

---It was barely a few minutes into the show when a Ray Romano joke was too much for the censors.

The Emmys are being broadcast on FOX this year, so that's saying a lot.

The usually staid awards needed attention from the censors from the start, with first presenter Ray Romano. He joked about his former "Everybody Loves Raymond" wife, Patricia Heaton, sleeping with her new "Back to You" co-star Kelsey Grammer.

But he used a stronger word, which prompted Fox to black out the show for a few seconds.

I had no idea what had happened at first. I thought it was a technical glitch. All of a sudden the sound went out and there was a shot of the ceiling.

After a few seconds, it was back to Romano and there was Patricia Heaton. Romano was talking about Kelsey Grammer and Heaton having babies. It was then that I realized it was no glitch, but something too inappropriate to be broadcast.

The camera caught Heaton's reaction. She was smiling and chuckling, but looked a little embarrassed.

---Another sudden camera diversion was needed when Katherine Heigl of Grey's Anatomy was announced the winner of a supporting actress Emmy.

When the camera was on her to capture her initial reaction, she clearly said, "Oh, shit."

Of course, it was inaudible. She wasn't near a microphone. I didn't see the purpose of going back to the Ray Romano ceiling shot again. It drew more attention to it and really was awkward.

---Sally Field, winner for best actress in a drama, Brothers and Sisters, was also censored and the audience was treated to more dead air and another ceiling shot.

She was giving one of her trademark stupid acceptance speeches. "You like me, you really like me!"Field was babbling nonsensically. I wouldn't say that she seemed drunk. I would call it a bit tipsy. If alcohol wasn't a factor in her behavior, then she's just a natural ditz.

Toward the end of her incohorent ramble, she began talking about war. She said something to the effect that "if women ruled the world, there would be no goddamned war."

She was cut off before completing the sentence. She clearly said, "If women ruled the world, there would be no godda...."

When the sound was restored, the audience was roaring its approval.

The Associated Press ignored that incident completely. It was Field who rocked the boat, but the AP doesn't mention her anti-war rant at all. That's bad reporting. Plain and simple.

Sally Field was honored as best actress in a drama for "Brothers & Sisters."

"How can that be? These wonderful actors," she said. A clearly flustered Field lost her train of thought at one point, shouting at the audience to stop applauding while she struggled to finish her acceptance speech.

Here's more.

When asked if she minded that her comments may have been cut off, she said, “Oh well.”

“I've been there before,” she addd. “If [mothers] ruled the world we wouldn't be sending our children off to be slaughtered. I shouldn’t have said the ‘god’ before the damn.”

---Late Night with Conan O'Brien won a writing award for variety, music or comedy series.

As in past years to announce the nominees, there were taped comedy pieces submitted by the nominated shows to take the boredom out of the reading of the lengthy lists of names making up the writing teams.

Bill Maher's crew did a rather funny but too graphic Larry Craig bathroom spoof.

At least that showed a little more creativity than what David Letterman did. His segment was "our favorite George Bush moments." The writers names were read as clips of embarrassing George Bush moments rolled.

Yes, Dave, we know you're a flaming lib and hate Bush.

---Boston Legal actor James Spader won for best actor in a drama series.

He had a funny line about having a really bad seat, worse than at any concert he's ever attended. An in-the-round awards show is not a good idea.

---30 Rock won for best comedy.

---The Sopranos won for best drama.

Playing off of Sally Field's earlier comments, in his acceptance speech, executive producer and writer David Chase said, "Let's face it, if the world and this nation were run by gangsters.... Who knows? Maybe it is."

"In essence, this is a story about a gangster," said "The Sopranos" creator David Chase. "And gangsters are out there taking their kids to college, and taking their kids to school, and putting food on their table.

"And, hell, let's face it, if the world and this nation was run by gangsters" — Chase paused and shrugged, as everyone laughed — "maybe it is."

Hollywood, Hollywood, Hollywood.

Maybe I should have watched football.