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One Omission From Emmys Tributes Called ‘Criminal’ — Veteran TV Actor’s Son Speaks Out

Sep 23, 2013  •  Post A Comment

The son of an actor who was a fixture on television for decades called his father’s omission from the Emmy Awards tributes "criminal." The Associated Press reports that the comment was made by Adam Klugman, the son of "Quincy M.E." and "The Odd Couple" star Jack Klugman.

"I think it’s criminal," said Adam Klugman told The AP. "My dad was at the inception of television and helped build it in the early days."

Jack Klugman, a three-time Emmy winner, died last December at age 90.

The Emmys producers announced ahead of Sunday’s Primetime Emmys telecast that five individual memorials would be featured during the ceremony in addition to the traditional "in memoriam" segment that groups together figures from the TV industry who died during the past year.

Those honored individually during the ceremony were Cory Monteith of "Glee"; James Gandolfini of "The Sopranos"; Jean Stapleton of "All in the Family"; comedian and actor Jonathan Winters; and "Family Ties" producer Gary David Goldberg.

Klugman was included in the group remembrance, the story reports, citing an academy spokesman. Monteith, who died at 31, was the youngest of those singled out for tribute.

"It’s an insult, and it really seems typical of this youth-centric culture that has an extremely short attention span and panders to only a very narrow demographic" of young adults, Adam Klugman told the AP.

Jack Klugman won an Emmy in 1964 for a performance on CBS’s "The Defenders" before winning two more Emmys during the early 1970s for the ABC comedy series "The Odd Couple." He was nominated four times for "Quincy," but did not win for that series, which ran from 1976-1983 on NBC.

Klugman’s other TV work included four appearances on "The Twilight Zone," along with a string of guest spots capped off by "Diagnosis: Murder," "Third Watch" and "Crossing Jordan."

Earlier in his career he focused on feature films, including performances in "12 Angry Men" in 1957 and "Cry Terror" in 1958.

jack-klugman.jpgJack Klugman

10 Comments

  1. It is criminal, actually. Saw that as I watched and thought Klugman, a great television actor, deserved better

  2. It was insulting not just to Klugman but to all those in the “In Memorium” segment. The fact that this all started because initially people called for a tribute to just Monteith makes it even worse. This isn’t something that Emmy has done in the past. But since they did do it, how dare they pick someone like Monteith over Klugman or Larry Hagman. Please, Conrad Bain, George Karras, Julie Harris, and many others deserved it over Monteith.

  3. What a shame that this terrific actor and pioneer in the industry was not properly honored.
    Someone really screwed up big.

  4. Conrad Bain over Jack Klugman? Not to say this was fixed as Bain was very good but Klugman as Oscar Madison was much much better.

  5. Sad just sad!!!!!

  6. I’m very sorry that Corey Montieth died. He may have been great IN THE FUTURE, but he certainly hadn’t earned a place at the table with the likes of Jack Klugman. Pandering to short attention spans gets you the dribble that is TV program today.

  7. I have no doubt that Corey Montieth had talent, but his performing career is dwarfed by so many of the others who were not selected to be honored individually. Shame on the Academy!

  8. I meant Conrad Bain over Cory Monteith. Not over Jack Klugman

  9. it would be nice to get rewarded before death

  10. Yes, Klugman and Hagman deserved better treatment. That said, at least they were acknowledged. I was SO disappointed that the Emmy producers totally ignored/snubbed actress LISA ROBIN KELLY. She was a regular on the successful FOX sitcom “That ’70s Show,” as well as appeared on such programs as “Murphy Brown,” “Married with Children,” “X-Files” and “Charmed.” She died in August at the age of 43. She and her career deserved much better treatment. Here’s hoping the SAG AWARDS don’t make the same thoughtless error.

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