Comedy Central’s foray into daytime programming with D.C. rally earns four Daytime Emmy nominations

The Daytime Entertainment Emmys don't usually have much to honor comedy, outside of the comedians who host talk shows or game shows.

But Comedy Central went big this past year with the live Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on Washington, D.C., and they could go home with four Emmys for it, nominated today in the categories: Outstanding Special Class Special, Outstanding Special Class Writing, Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control and Outstanding Achievement in Live & Direct To Tape Sound Mixing. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert co-hosted the rally that drew close to 200,000 fans to D.C. in October 2010, just before the mid-term Congressional elections.

Other nominations of note for comedians and comedy fans:

  • The Electric Company, which features Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan and often other members of Freestyle Love Supreme, is up for Outstanding Children's Series
  • Cash Cab, with host Ben Bailey, again is up for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show, up against Jeopardy, The Price is Right (with host Drew Carey), and Wheel of Fortune
  • Ben Bailey also is up for Outstanding Game Show Host, against Todd Newton, Wayne Brady, and Meredith Vieira.
  • The Ellen DeGeneres Show is nominated for Outstanding Talk Show Entertainment, up against Live with Regis and Kelly, Rachael Ray, and The View
  • Martin Short provided the voice of The Cat in the Hat in a PBS program, and he's nominated for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program (along with Steven Tyler?).
  • The women of The View (including Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar) are up for Outstanding Talk Show Host

Wayne Brady will host the Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards from Las Vegas on June 19, 2011, on CBS.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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