North Hollywood, CA – The seven programs being honored at the Fifth Annual Television Academy Honors were announced today by multiple Emmy® Award-winning actress Dana Delany (Body of Proof), who will once again host the Honors presentation in May. The 2012 honorees are Dr. Oz, Five, Harry’s Law “Head Games,” Hot Coffee, Men of a Certain Age “Let the Sunshine In,” Rescue Me “344” and Women, War & Peace.
All of this year’s honorees use the power of television to create positive social change by focusing attention on such important issues as personal health, breast cancer, sports-related head injuries, the civil justice system, 9/11 first responders and the role women play as peace builders and creators of international law in global hotspots.
All of the recognized programs aired in 2011 on a diverse group of outlets: FX, HBO, Lifetime, NBC, PBS, TNT and in syndication. The always-inspiring evening will take place at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday, May 2nd.
Recipients of the Fifth Annual Television Academy Honors are:
• Dr. Oz Show (Syndicated) — Hosted by Emmy Award-winning host, Dr. Mehmet C. Oz., this multi-topic, multi-segment health and wellness talk show offers relevant, inspiring stories and newsworthy information that can be easily understood and safely integrated into the lives of its viewers. With his upbeat, entertaining format and thoughtful presentation, Dr. Oz has made his show a safe zone to shed light on physical, mental and emotional health issues, field questions and get answers. He has made health and wellness a part of the American conversation. (Co-Produced by Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and distributed by SPT)
• Five (Lifetime) — This anthology of five short films explores the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives from the moment of diagnosis. The films chart the different stages of the disease that affect relationships and the way women perceive themselves while searching for strength, comfort, medical breakthroughs and, ultimately, a cure. Five was directed by Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Independent Spirit Award-winner Patty Jenkins and Penelope Spheeris. (Produced by Sony Pictures Television)
• Harry’s Law “Head Games” (NBC) — Harry (Kathy Bates) and Adam (Nathan Corddry) argue on behalf of parents whose son died after receiving a concussive blow while playing on his high school football team. During the case, Harry examines the danger that football-related injuries pose to young athletes. (Produced by Bonanza Productions in association with David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television)
• Hot Coffee (HBO) — First-time filmmaker and former public interest lawyer Susan Saladoff uses four cases — including the infamous “McDonald’s coffee case” — to shed light on several instances in which multimillion-dollar corporate PR campaigns and media manipulation were used to spark America’s zeal for tort reform. This thought-provoking documentary challenges viewers to reexamine long-held beliefs that our courts are flooded with frivolous lawsuits that lead to “jackpot justice,” and questions the effectiveness of a civil justice system that may be heavily influenced by bottom line corporate interests. (Produced by If Not Now and The Group Entertainment in association with HBO Documentary Films)
• Men of a Certain Age “Let the Sunshine In” (TNT) — When perennial bachelor Terry (Scott Bakula) announces he’s getting a colonoscopy for his 50th birthday, the guys all decide to have the procedure and make a weekend of it in Palm Springs. Once there, however, Terry obsesses over his girlfriend, Joe (Ray Romano) wrestles with his gambling addiction and Owen (Andre Braugher) opens up about his father. True to the series’ focus on the turbulent emotional struggles and feelings of inadequacy its lead characters encounter with middle age, this episode underscores the importance of getting annual checkups to address health issues early. It also addresses the tendency of reasonably healthy, middle-aged men to avoid doctors. (Produced by TNT Originals)
• Rescue Me “344” (FX) — Created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan, Rescue Me has been acclaimed as one of the finest pieces of television or film dealing with the day-to-day lives of New York firefighters and their families in a Post-9/11 world. In “344,” the sixth episode of the seventh and final season of the series, Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) finds himself at Ground Zero almost 10 years after the attack on Manhattan’s World Trade Center. In a powerful opening scene, the topic of memorializing and commemorating loved ones is the subject of debate. The episode proceeds to tackle the issues of fear, love and loss as the firefighters still struggle with the emotional trauma of 9/11 almost a decade after the tragedy. (Produced by Apostle, The Cloudland Company and DreamWorks Television in association with Sony Pictures Television)
• Women, War & Peace (PBS) — Created by Abigail Disney, Pamela Hogan and Gini Reticker, this five-part series challenges the conventional wisdom that war and peace are a man’s domain. Women embroiled in the midst of today’s conflicts bring viewers inside their lives, forever changing the way we look at war. Narrated by Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton, Geena Davis and Alfre Woodard. (Thirteen and Fork Films in association with WNET and ITVS)
“Television Academy Honors was started to celebrate excellent programming that not only entertains, but also presents a unique or significant look at the human condition and important social issues,” said Television Cares Committee co-chair John Shaffner. “In our fifth year, it is so exciting to recognize a continued, diverse line-up of honorees that are using the medium of television for good.”
Added co-chair Lynn Roth, “With each passing year, this event further establishes itself as an important night for our television community. Each of these programs is more than deserving of this honor, and we couldn’t be happier about welcoming Dana Delany back once again as the host for this event.”
The 5th Annual Television Academy Honors will be hosted by Dana Delany and presented by Audi® with a special thanks to Beaulieu Vineyard® and Grey Goose® Vodka. Phil Gurin (The Singing Bee, Shark Tank, Oh Sit!) will produce the ceremony for the fifth consecutive year. This is Delany’s fourth year hosting the event.
Television Academy Honors held its inaugural ceremony in 2008. Honorees from the past four years include:
• Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq
• Boston Legal
• Brothers and Sisters
• CSI “Coup De Grace”
• Explorer: “Inside Death Row”
• Extreme Makeover Home Edition
• Friday Night Lights “I Can’t”
• Glee “Wheels”
• Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am? with Maria Shriver
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit “Harm”
• Private Practice “Did You Hear What Happened to Charlotte King?”
• Stand Up to Cancer
• The Big C
• Whale Wars
• Vanguard: “The OxyContin Express”
Eligible programs for this year’s Television Academy Honors aired from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2011, and were submitted for fiction/nonfiction as a whole series, single episodes or story arcs up to three episodes. Made-for-television movies, miniseries and fiction/nonfiction specials were also eligible to apply for Television Academy Honors.
For more information about the Television Academy Honors, please visit the Television Academy Honors home at Emmys.com. For ticket information, please contact Lauren Shoham of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at (818) 509-2265 or shoham@emmys.org.