With all the negative entertainment news out there, here's a little bit of positivity from the world of television awards. Nope, I'm not talking about the glamorous Emmys that are slated to air August 29, 2010, although these awards are handed out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, too.
Rather, these awards go by the name of "Television Academy Honors" and are given to particular TV show episodes, documentaries, and other programs that exhibit a "conscience." The awards were created in 2008 in the hopes of recognizing shows that portray real life in thought-provoking and inspiring ways.
The winners of this year's "Television Academy Honors" will be recognized at a May 5th ceremony in the Beverly Hills Hotel:
* CBS's CSI, Coup de Grace: The CSI team deals with racial prejudice when they take on the case of an off-duty cop who shot another cop.
* FOX's Glee, Wheels: The Glee Club supports Artie by performing a musical number in wheel chairs.
* HBO documentary, Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?: This film shows how some children have coped with their grandparents having Alzheimer's.
* National Geographic Television, Explorer, Inside Death Row: The program includes interviews with three death-row inmates as well as follows the lives of their families as they cope with their family member's death.
* ABC's Private Practice, Nothing to Fear: When one of the practice's cancer patients wants to commit suicide, he enlists the help of two doctors, Pete and Sam.
* HBO's film, Taking Chance: Based on real-life events, this film follows a military escort officer who is bringing the remains of a fallen soldier back to the U.S. from Iraq.
* Discovery Health's documentary, Unlocking Autism: This film looks at autism from a scientific perspective as well as through real-life stories.
* Current TV's Vanguard, The OxyContin Express: The documentary exposes how prescription drug addictions are a growing problem through interviews with addicts, prisoners, and law enforcement.
What other shows of the past year have stirred talk around your dinner table or the water-cooler at work? If you were going to honor any other shows for their emotional stories and thought-provoking ideas, what would they be?
