Emmy fans and party planners, take note. The Emmy Press Preview occurred today, meaning members of the media were allowed inside the Nokia Theater to see (among other things) the seating arrangements! Curious to know where the cast of Glee sits relative to The Good Wife? Wonder who the Emmy producers favor to win Best Actor? And most importantly, do you want to know which star will become the Jack Nicholson of the Emmy telecast?
· The role of Jack Nicholson will be played by Betty White
A winner for Best Guest Actress in Comedy for hosting Saturday Night Live, Betty White has been placed in the front row at the Nokia Theater -- sandwiched between the hodgepodge of Matthew Morrison and Will Arnett -- meaning she's likely going to be at the center of an array of reaction shots and a part of at least one "impromptu" walk through the audience by host Jimmy Fallon. Between this and her guest appearance on Community, it looks like White's Emmy campaign for 2011 starts right now.
· Ed O'Neill still isn't getting any respect
Who knew Ed O'Neill was the new Rodney Dangerfield? Already ignored by Emmy voters -- he's the only adult cast member of Modern Family who failed to earn a nomination -- O'Neill isn't even allowed the privilege of having his headshot affixed to the cardboard placard holding his seat. Even LL Cool J got one!
· The Emmys forgot that Glee is very popular
Hey, three cheers for Christine Baranski for getting a well-deserved Emmy nomination this year, but why is the veteran actress given a front row position when Lea Michele is relegated to row three? Do Emmy producers not want people under 30 to watch their telecast, or do they just want to avoid Michele rushing the stage to sing "Don't Rain on My Parade"?
· Matthew Fox is not winning Best Actor
Best Actor nominee Jon Hamm is given top position in the Nokia Theater: on the aisle and in the front row, seated across from Best Actress favorite Julianna Margulies. His fellow nominee Matthew Fox? Well, he's shoved four rows back, behind both O'Neill and Kristin Wiig. Ouch. Memo to Foxy: Don't bother writing a speech.
· NBC is going to plug the hell out of Undercovers
Want to know which of its fall pilots NBC is most excited for? Try Undercovers. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Boris Kodjoe are the stars of the J.J. Abrams-produced spy romance, and they'll be sitting in the second row (or third, if you count the Betty White mini-row), right next to the sure-to-be on-camera cast of The Good Wife. Surprisingly, the cast of Outsourced is nowhere to be found.
· Emmy Seating Charts! Inside the Awards Show Pecking Order (PHOTOS) [Huffington Post]