The TV IV:IVy Awards/2008/Best Made-for-TV Movie, Miniseries or Special

Candidates to be considered the Best Made-for-TV Movie, Miniseries or Special which first aired in the United States between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008. In the case of miniseries, the miniseries must have aired its final episode by December 31, 2008 to be eligible. Please read carefully the Definitions and Guidelines before putting a candidate up for nomination.

Definitions

made-for-TV movie

Any motion picture, scripted or documentary, which first premiered on television or which was produced and funded by one or more television networks for the express purpose of being distributed on television, even if its premiere was not on television (i.e.: film festival screenings).

miniseries

Any series which fits the definition of miniseries as it is defined in the TV IV Glossary, excluding those miniseries which are seasons of a non-limited TV series.

special

Any production premiering on television which is intended to be a stand-alone production, including those specials which are stand-alone episodes of a television series that are not listed as part of a season on The TV IV. (In other words, the Lost recap specials and the December episodes of Monk and Psych are not elligible, but HBO's Extra's series finale special and Battlestar Galactica: Razor were.)

Guidelines

Please feel free to propose as many or as few candidates as you like in each category. Feel free to discuss yours or others' proposals as much or as little as you choose. Actual number of votes listed in support of or opposition to does not effect a candidates ability to move to the next round. All candidates listed here will move on, but the amount of support and opposition can be taken into consideration by voters during the nomination phase.

Please follow the standard format shown below for proposing candidates and link the show titles, even if the linked articles are empty or stubs. To add your name in support or opposition simply add a new line with a pound and four tildas after the previous names like this # ~~~~

=====''[[Show Title]]''=====
======For======
# ~~~~
# ''Vote here''

======Oppose======
# ''Vote here''

======Comments======
* ''Comment here''

Candidates Discussion

24: Redemption

For

1. The-jam 18:11, 19 February 2009 (EST)
2. Rvb strongbad 01:01, 20 February 2009 (EST)
3. HuskersRule 23:44, 5 March 2009 (EST)
4. JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
5. Vote here

Oppose

1. Vote here

Comments

• The only 24 to air in 2008 was a pretty good addition to the series. It kept the real-time format but had a complete story in two hours that really helped to restart the series and Jack after a pretty subpar season 6. --The-jam 18:11, 19 February 2009 (EST)
• Comment here

A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All

For

1. Davidscarter 09:06, 9 March 2009 (EDT)
2. JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
3. Vote here

Oppose

1. Vote here

Comments

• Not just funny in its own right, this was a great, affectionate but irreverent tribute to the cheesy old Christmas specials of the '70s and '80s. -- JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
• Comment here

John Adams

For

1. The-jam 18:11, 19 February 2009 (EST)
2. OhGodBook2 05:01, 10 March 2009 (EDT)
3. JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
4. Vote here

Oppose

1. Vote here

Comments

• A great all around production, with stellar acting. The second part in particular was just spectacular. --The-jam 18:11, 19 February 2009 (EST)
• HBO and Tom Hanks just keep turning out the best historical miniseries of all time -- OhGodBook2 05:01, 10 March 2009 (EDT)
• Comment here

Generation Kill

For

1. JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
2. Vote here

Oppose

1. Vote here

Comments

• Although the Iraq War has often been compared to Vietnam, one of the major differences is Vietnam was on television nearly 24/7, while comparatively few images of Iraq have been seen, although the war is now entering its seventh year. HBO has twice gone where network and cable news cameras dared not twice - first behind the lines with the IVy Award-nominated documentary Baghdad ER, then back home with the soldiers in the IVy Award-overlooked (the fault was mine; I totally meant to propose its nomination and just plain forgot) James Gandolfini-produced documentary Alive Day Memories. This year, with Generation Kill, the network that tends to dominate both the Emmys and the Golden Globes categories for movies, miniseries and specials went back to the beginning of the war and did what Steven Bochco tried but failed to do with his FX series Over There: In dramatizing the war we're in as it began, it brought the reality of it back home. It's ugly and unpleasant, but the miniseries pulls no punches. I've talked with a few Marines who served in Iraq and described having flashbacks seeing the miniseries but being unable to look away. That's what great television this was. -- JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
• Comment here

George Carlin: It's Bad for Ya

For

1. JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
2. Vote here

Oppose

1. Vote here

Comments

• It's almost impossible for me not to propose the grand old master's last living appearance. It's not his best HBO special (but then, ranked in order - and there are a lot to rank - that would probably be something either from the early '80s or mid-'90s), and it turned out to be a little creepy, three months later, to hear him doing so much of the show on people dying. Still, it is, on its own merits, his best HBO special of the '00s, and a strangely appropos note for him to go out on. -- JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
• Comment here

Recount

For

1. JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
2. Vote here

Oppose

1. Vote here

Comments

• I suspect this TV movie (yet another from HBO, which had an overall killer year) was overlooked because it was so outdated, what with its release during an even more carnival-like and entertaining election year than 2000. (The wise-ass in me actually considered putting up the primaries and election under "Best Competition Series," but that's what special awards are for.) Still, while it may have taken some liberties with history, Recount was an entertaining and often hilarious portrayal of the 2000 Florida debacle. On a completely personal note, I think it behooves me to say this category is the strongest I've seen in the history of the awards. The first year, I think we really struggled to find five good potential nominees, and the second year, there were only two or three strong contenders mixed in with some clear also-rans. But looking over the wide range of specials nominated (even before I threw the four from HBO into the mix), this was a solid year for TV specials, and I'm glad to see this category really come into its own. I can't even imagine how I'm going to narrow it down to three votes this time round. -- JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
• Comment here

Ricky Gervais: Out of England

For

1. JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
2. Vote here

Oppose

1. Vote here

Comments

• One of the funniest stand-up specials in the history of the network. Ricky Gervais shows here how well he's honed the nasty, boorish but strangely likable persona he's portrayed to varying degrees in both The Office and Extras into a real comedic personality. He starts by making fun of cancer, obesity and AIDS - more by making fun of what a jerk he is than the illnesses themselves - so that when he gets around to the Holocaust, normally the greatest taboo in comedy, the audience is just saying, "What the hell? Why not?" And yet he ends it with a hilarious one-man show on animal headlines. Also peeing in a sink. A real masterpiece of stand-up. -- JCaesar^talk 01:51, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
• Comment here

When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions

For

1. OhGodBook2 05:01, 10 March 2009 (EDT)
2. The-jam 17:25, 11 March 2009 (EDT)
3. Vote here

Oppose

1. Vote here

Comments

• From The Earth to the Moon, In the Shadow of the Moon, and now When We Left Earth. Continuing to tell one of our nations most compelling stories! -- OhGodBook2 05:01, 10 March 2009 (EDT)
• Comment here