As a long-time admirer of the entertainment industry, I can’t help but feel disheartened and bewildered by the glaring omission of the extraordinary Shelley Duvall from this year’s Emmy Awards In Memoriam segment. The fact that an actress as influential and groundbreaking in children’s programming was overlooked is simply baffling, especially considering her two Primetime Emmy nominations.
Year after year, we bid farewell to some of the entertainment world’s legendary figures. In recognition of their contributions, annual award shows often honor deceased industry icons. The 76th Emmy Awards were no different in this respect. As Jelly Roll played, the In Memoriam segment paid tribute to several influential individuals in the entertainment industry who had recently passed away, among them James Earl Jones. Regrettably, the segment overlooked one significant figure who made a lasting impact on both the big screen and television: the iconic Shelley Duvall.
On Thursday, July 11, Shelley Duvall, famous for her role in “The Shining,” passed away at the age of 75. However, despite her significant contributions to television, particularly children’s programming in the 1980s and 1990s where she brought shows like “Tall Tales & Legends,” “Faerie Tale Theatre,” and “Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories” to life, her death was overlooked by the Emmys. This seems peculiar given that she was nominated for two Primetime Emmys and even hosted “Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories.” It’s surprising that she wasn’t recognized in the In Memoriam segment at this year’s Emmy Awards.
The fact that Duvall didn’t get her moment in the segment didn’t go unnoticed, and fans of the acting legend were quick to give the ceremony a piece of their mind on social media. “Its incredibly disrespectful and odd Shelley Duvall was not in the In Memoriam at the Emmys. Not only was she a pioneer in children’s programming but she also single handedly saved Nick Jr from being taken off the air,” user @flowerdrums wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, remembering Duvall’s prominence on Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr. channel. “Perhaps she wasn’t known as a TV actress but she was a prolific producer for children programs and a pioneer in cable TV. Her contributions deserved to be honored,” fan account @shelleyduvallxo posted. “I will be writing a sharply-worded letter,” @elaine_stritch tweeted.
Shelley Duvall isn’t the only one who wasn’t included in the segment
Criticisms often arise concerning In Memoriam segments due to their numerous errors. The 2024 Oscars’ In Memoriam segment was seen as an insult by many intended recipients, as the brief segment condensed several prominent figures into a text-filled wall. Similarly, the 75th Emmy Awards’ In Memoriam section overlooked noteworthy deceased individuals like Ray Stevenson and Raquel Welch. Eagle-eyed viewers couldn’t help but notice that the 76th Emmy Awards ceremony also had its fair share of such omissions in this segment.
In this segment, they failed to acknowledge notable figures such as Joe Flaherty, who has worked on shows like “SCTV” and “Freaks & Geeks”, Johnny Wactor from “General Hospital”, and Chita Rivera, known for her role in “The New Dick Van Dyke Show”. Interestingly, Flaherty, a two-time Emmy winner and former castmate of Eugene Levy and Martin Short on “SCTV”, is one of the more conspicuous omissions on this list alongside Shelley Duvall.
Of course, the unforgiving nature of a live awards ceremony means the In Memoriam segment has strict time limitations. Attempts to fit everyone in the segment can also be tricky, and as the 2024 Academy Awards showed, trying to include everyone in text form can easily come across as disrespectful. In an effort to pay tribute as inclusively as possible, the Emmys established an online In Memoriam database in 2009. Though they didn’t make it into the segment at the televised ceremony, Duvall, Flaherty, and others can be found here — complete with short biographies and even links to their extensive obituaries.
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2024-09-16 17:29