Emmys: When Howie Mandel is your best host...

It should be noted here that the only reality host who’s been even vaguely entertaining on stage is Howie Mandel -- who’s also the reality host critics have derided in recent months for being nominated in the first place.

As I noted when he was nominated: “To commit a second act of Emmy sacrilege, let’s defend one of the most mocked choices on the list: Howie Mandel, for the newly created reality host category. Mandel arguably contributes more to the success of “Deal or No Deal” than the other nominees to their shows -- he’s on screen the entire time. “Deal” is silly and simple, yeah. But that’s what makes his performance so key. To find infinite variations on presenting the exact same statistics over and over while keeping the audience engaged is not easy.

Barry Garron, sitting beside me backstage, adds, "Mandel is the only one who is a genuine entertainer. The rest are stiffs. They work in reality and only know how to connect one thing to another."