More reality vs. scripted backstage: Ellis and Probst

Patric Verrone is beginning to seem precognitive.

Backstage, Kirk Ellis just blasted the Academy for cutting him off while letting the reality hosts blab on.

The Emmy-winning writer for "John Adams" was ironically cut off by producers during his acceptance speech while talking about public oratory in Adams era, calling it "an amazing opportunity to talk about a period in our history when articulate men articulated complex thoughts in complete sentences." 

"I love freedom of expression and as soon as I opened my mouth they were signaling to wrap it up," Ellis says backstage. "I find it interesting we can do 30 minutes devoted to reality show hosts but none for the people who actually [write the shows]."

Ellis draws applause from the reporters.

"We listen to a lot of bloviating from pundits about whether words in this election matter," he says. "Of course words matter. They always matter."

Next: Probst came backstage and explained the instantly notorious opening bit. Probst said the sketch was because the Emmy hosts were unable to agree on anything else.

"Its hard to know when you’re in the middle of it how it’s going," Probst says. "It’s hard to get five people to agree on anything. Every time we had one idea, we had two people who didn’t like it. Did it work? I don’t know. I’ll have to go back and watch it. According to Piven it clearly didn’t."

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