The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences along with producer Spike Jones, Jr. have announced presenters for the 2011 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards along with a special tribute to Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special. Priscilla Presley along with Steve Binder, Emmy Award winning producer and director of "Elvis '68 Comeback Special," will be present for the brief tribute to the television special that helped re-launch the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s career.
The two will also present 4 statues during the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Series; Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special; Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety, Music, Or Comedy Series; Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety, Music, Or Comedy Special.
Presenters for the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards also include Jon Cryer & Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men), Connie Britton & Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), Mitzi Gaynor & Bob Mackie (Mitzi Roaring in the 20s), Alison Brie & Dan Harmon (Community), Phil Keoghan & Bertram Van Munster (The Amazing Race), Noah Wyle & Robert Rodat (Falling Skies), Nick Tweed Simmons & Gene Simmons (Gene Simmons: Family Jewels), Kiernan Shipka & Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) and Jeff Probst & Mark Burnett (Survivor).
The Primetime Creative Arts Emmys will be held on Saturday, September 10, at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. The awards will air September 17, at 8:00pm ET and 8:00pm PT on REELZCHANNEL.
well deserved too. Still the greatest TV show by any rock star or band. Would love to have sat there in front of the TV in 68 not knowing what to expect and seeing his face appear singing Trouble. Must have been amazing. Would love to hear what people who did see it when broadcast thought.
Well, Andy_2, I was one of them. It is hard to describe the thrill that it gave me! And remember it was before the time of video etc. So I think the intensity of watching TV was much higher than now-a-days. I had goose bumps all over and I was almost luterally sucked into the TV. As my brother was very much into sixties popmusic I was unwantedly exposed to that and that was the time of clips being rampant. And there was the KING, (a)live and kickin'. A jam session pur sang. Even my brother (fan of Dylan, Doors, Stones, other 'heavy' stuff like underground, the fluffy surf music and motown) was shocked positively. From then on he had a complete different view on Elvis, whose all-round top performance was later on acknowledged by him after watching the ALOHA show via Satelite. After the meager years I proudly walked with him on the street, my hair like Elvis and my brother with long hair. A fabulous time, especially as I just missed the early days of the fifties! Elvis should receive a posthume award for this!
I saw the special on it's UK TV debut on the last day of 1969, Elvis did appear to jump out of the TV screen in the opening seconds. Frank Skinner once said that in the pre video recorder days he would stare at the TV screen whenever Elvis was on without blinking for fear of missing something. That sums up perfectly what it was like in those days.
I was one of those people also who saw the Special on Dec. 3, 1968. I had no idea what he was going to do. It was mind blowing. I did not expect that it would be so dynamic. Then a few days later I was in a record store and saw that it had an LP soundtrack. It became my most played LP for the late sixties. It got better. The following summer (1969) I went to Las Vegas to see Elvis live. Great memories of my late teens.
thanks guys for the replies. I can really get a sense of the excitement from just reading these posts. For me this is one of those moments in life when you wish you had been there.
When the special aired, I remember my mom having us kids gather in the living room to watch this show. Dad was at work. We had a brand new color TV. I thought the show was fun and pretty, but I was only a casual fan from watching Elvis in the movies on TV with Dad. My mom was so excited about this show. Very soon after, mom bought me the 45 single from the show, If I Can Dream -- my first Elvis single.
When Elvis came to Vegas in 1969, it was very, very electric here. Dad had been assigned to work at the International and he told us Elvis was coming. When the shows started, he would tell us how things were at work and in the showroom. He managed to bring home the VIP box which contained the TV special soundtrack (with From Elvis in Memphis). So, my first 2 albums. My fandom grew and by the time the TV special re-aired, I had a different attitude. I wasn't so casual! I had become a die-hard fan. My mom and I finally got to see Elvis in Feb 1970.
Why has it taken so long,maybe if Elvis received it at the time he might not have gone on to wear those jumpsuits.
Imagine if you will, Elvis walking out on the stage in the gold jacket and black slacks in the 70s,he would have brought the house down even more !
great thread - great stories! thats why i love this site! Good to see 'official' recognition for the special and steve binders vision and contribution. i did get the feeling of late that he was being muscled out and not receiving the credit he deserved. time for the directors cut to be released on blu-ray please!
Agree CircleG, great thread and nice to see us all coming together to remember what i think was our mans greatest achievement. As you say, about time Steve Binder gets official recognition for his vision and for being a big part of this historic show.
The show should have won an Emmy back in 1968. Amazing how TV ignored rock music back then. An Emmy now for Binder would be nice and one in Graceland would be even better.
The fact that the establishment ignored rock n roll, to me, is part of the appeal of music from that era, a bit like clint eastwood being ignored by hollywood for most of his career! unlike today where almost everyone gets a gong for their first album and then disappears! One thing that makes me cringe about todays artists, both young and old, is when they play at birthday parties for millionaires and sheikhs - NOT very rock n roll at all I'm so proud that elvis never did anything like that in his time.