Instead, the TV masses tend to flock these days to major sporting events -- such as February's Super Bowl telecast on Fox, which drew a record audience of 97.5 million -- and live reality shows such as "American Idol" or "Dancing With the Stars." The latter were Emmy-nominated but mostly in the relatively low-prestige "reality competition" category.
"On broadcast networks, they have to speak to a lower common denominator," said Glenn Close, nominated for her star turn as a high-powered attorney on FX's thriller "Damages."
Cable can offer actors and producers much more freedom -- in part because the channels can live with far fewer viewers. Cable networks generally spend less on programs than do their broadcast counterparts, although the disparity is not as wide as it once was. Also, cable outlets make money from subscriber fees collected by cable and satellite companies, in addition to commercials bought by advertisers.
During its first season last summer, "Mad Men" averaged about 1 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. That's a very modest figure even in today's fragmented media universe, and a fraction of the nearly 30 million viewers routinely gathered by Fox's top-rated singing contest, "American Idol."
But "Mad Men" is hardly the only Emmy honoree starving for an audience. The field of best-drama nominees includes only one show with an indisputably big audience -- Fox's medical show "House" -- along with such little-seen series as Showtime's serial-killer drama "Dexter" (which drew wider exposure when edited repeats ran on CBS) and "Damages." The dominance of smaller fry holds up in the comedy category as well, where ratings-deprived shows such as NBC's "30 Rock" (last year's winner) and HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" coexist alongside TV's No. 1 comedy, CBS' "Two and a Half Men."
The disconnect could wind up having a huge effect on TV programming, as well as on the Emmys themselves. As more cable outlets follow the lead of HBO, FX and now AMC in making original scripted programming, the traditional broadcasters push for more sports, live specials and reality shows.
Meanwhile, ratings for the annual Emmy telecast, which have been declining for years, may erode further as the TV academy honors rarefied series. This year's Academy Awards slipped to a record low as homage was paid to a batch of acclaimed but little-seen films, including the best picture winner, "No Country for Old Men."
