'CSI' Walks Home Empty-Handed From Emmys

CSI was nominated for four Emmys this year, including Best Director for Quentin Tarantino, but the show failed to pick up any wins.

Despite CSI's high ratings, which peeked during its 5th season, the show failed to produce any acting nods and was shut out of the Best Drama category, but fans still hoped the show would at least receive a technical award. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony took place last week, and though CSI and Miami received a few technical award nominations, neither show was granted a statuette. The shows were up against each other in the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series category but both series were shut out; the award was given to the team of 24 instead.

But perhaps the most disappointing loss occurred during last night's Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, when Tarantino failed to win the Best Director award. Tarantino's work on the CSI finale "Grave Danger" generated so much Emmy buzz nearly every critic predicted the director would not only go home with an award, but the episode would finally grant CSI the Best Drama win. Neither happened, and the Best Director award was given to J.J. Abrahms for his work on Lost.

But Tarantino still had the chance to go onstage to present the award for Best Made for Television Movie alongside CSI star Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows), who replaced co-star William Petersen (Gil Grissom) when he had to cancel due to a death in the family. Tarantino took the opportunity to announce he finally made the cross-over from independent films to television. Though the director worked on an episode of ER ten years ago, he'd yet to join the Directors Guild.

The Emmys surprised viewers with a new segment called Emmy Idol, in which actors and musicians, and Donald Trump, went onstage to sing theme songs from departed television shows. At the end of the night, viewers had the chance to go online and vote for their favorite performance. Gary Dourdan (Warrick Brown) joined Macy Gray to sing the theme song from The Jefffersons, but it was Donald Trump and Megan Mullally who won for their rendition of the theme to Green Acres.

Dourdan's performance received praise and criticism alike. While the Detroit News deemed his and Gray's bit as, "the only performance that really landed," other newspapers thought the actor lacked life and enthusiasm. Overall, viewers didn't take to Emmy Idol keenly, and as the segment was originally added to attract viewers it's not likely it'll return next year.

For a complete list of nominees and winners, visit the Academy of Television and Science's official website. For a brief rundown of the ceremony, head over to Yahoo News.

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