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Michael Schneider
As a one-time member of the
Tolan's idea: Get the nation's TV critics to choose Emmy winners.
"Most of us are too damn busy to watch TV, and we're making uneducated decisions," said Tolan, explaining why Emmy nominations and winners usually contain several head-scratchers. "TV critics, their job is to watch this stuff."
Tolan took on the
Panelist Kurt Sutter, who famously trashed the Emmys after his FX drama "Sons of Anarchy" wasn't nominated this summer, mostly held his punches this time out. But Sutter argued that the award is more a popularity contest than a true exhibit of TV's top creative achievements.
"Which shows are my friends working on? That's how I vote," he said.
"Burn Notice" exec producer Matt Nix was a bit more opimistic that voting patterns would change over time, but added that he didn't think there was a perfect solution -- there will always be debate over
"I don't think there is a voting system that will reflect what we want them to reflect," Nix said.
For his part, Sutter said he was more satisfied with his nomination from the TV Critics Assn.
Tolan said his proposal didn't go anywhere during his time on the
As negotiations continue to renew the org's "wheel" deal with
According to insiders, a new wheel deal is likely to be worked out -- but the
Back at the HRTS luncheon, Tolan didn't hold back on his comedic disdain for the Globes, calling the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. "a group of whores. They can be bought." A Globe, he added, "means $#*! at this point. F*** the Globes."
Coincidentally, the panel discussion was being held at the Beverly Hilton, in the same ballroom where the Globes show is annually held.
The outspoken Tolan began the lunch by lamenting that his two favorite executive punching bags -- former
"Two of the biggest clubs have been taken out of my bag," he said.
Among other topics, Tolan asked "NCIS" and "NCIS: Los Angeles" exec producer Shane Brennan, who began his career in Australia, the biggest difference in working in the U.S.
"Money," Brennan answered, without a beat.
Tolan also asked Sutter, who's married to actress Katey Sagal (also a star of "Sons of Anarchy"), what it was like to be married to a thesp.
"(Actresses) are a bottomless pit of need," Tolan quipped. "Who in their right mind would want to go home to that at night?"
But Sutter noted that he wasn't such a joy to be around at home.
"I come home and she's still there, so I'm excited," he said.
Asked about his "Hawaii Five-O" reboot, exec producer Roberto Orci -- who also relaunched the "Star Trek" franchise with partner Alex Kurtzman -- said that nonetheless, he believed that "some things shouldn't be remade."
"It's about picking the right material and the right people to bring it back to life," he said.
Asked about juggling network vs. cable shows, Nix -- whose "Burn Notice" runs on USA and "The Good Guys" airs on Fox -- said he's found it more difficult to keep both networks feeling like they're in first position.
Sutter, meanwhile, said he's not sure he's cut out for the broadcast world.
"Every pitch I've done at the major networks has resulted in them calling security," he joked.
Then there's "iCarly" exec producer Dan Schneider, who found himself defending
"I think