One of the most important factors in any Oscar campaign — more crucial even than the film sometimes — is the person behind the pic. Headstrong Hollywood was so determined to give Ron Howard an overdue hug that "A Beautiful Mind" won best picture despite being under fierce attack by journalists questioning its historical accuracy and the heroic nature of its lead character — math wacko John Nash. (There was no real evidence of a smear campaign against it — let's not go into that nonsense again.)

Mel Gibson had his heyday at the 1995 Oscars with "Braveheart," of course, but he had a falling out after that with Hollywood honchos who secretly wondered if he really didn't share his dad's extreme views about the Holocaust being no big deal, all that. Mel never completedly disavowed those views and, in fact, continued to donate mega-millions to his small Holy Family Church in Malibu, which maintains that the Jews killed Christ.

Two years ago Mel looked like the ultimate movie outcast and holy martyr when he set up his own firm, Newmarket, to distribute his bloody paean to his extreme religious views in "Passion of the Christ," which was widely accused of anti-Semitism.

Now Mel's boozy meltdown may make Jewish Hollywood believe they're worst fears were real. The Oscar is an industry kudo, remember, and usually a good gauge of what peers think of a filmmaker.

Disney/Touchstone gave Mel's latest opus-in-a-dead-language, "Apocalypto," $50 million and an Oscar-friendly December release date, no doubt believing that the "Braveheart" boy could have an Oscar resurrection of sorts after his "Passion" had been shut out of the top races. Now, suddenly, it doesn't seem to have a prayer.

Photo: Anti-Semitic outbursts by the real man behind "A Beautiful Mind," John Nash, didn't hurt the film's chances in the end. Nash said he believed in a Zionist conspiracy and even insisted that all of the major problems he faced in life could be traced to Jews.

Tivo and ABC's online streaming video player have won the new Emmys for achievement in enhanced television programming, beating rival nominees AOL Music, CNN Enhanced and DirecTV Sports. Winners will claim their trophies at the Creative Arts Awards on 19 August.

TiVo won for achievement for enhanced or interactive programming. Company president and CEO Tom Rogers says, "Tivo is proud to receive an Emmy Award and recognition from the Academy and its peers for the innovative services that it provides in enhancing the viewing of television by bringing it to a whole new level."

Emmywatchers are furious over Ellen Burstyn getting a nomination for best supporting actress in a TV film for her blink-and-you-miss-it performance in "Mrs. Harris."

"She was in a flashback sequence and had two lines about her past affair with Ben Kingsley's character. Her title in the credits was Ex-Lover #3," notes our forums poster "BabsonLacrosse." "To me, it's obvious the voters simply looked at the ballot, saw Ms. Burstyn's name, recognized her as a respected famous actress, and nominated her for this performance that isn't even big enough to classify as a cameo."

That's right, BabsonLacrosse. This is typical of the injustices you get from employing a popular ballot. Please call this insane example to the attention of ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson, who wishes to return the determination of nominees to an outright popular vote. If McPherson gets his way, there will only be more of these absurdities on the list.

The same is true of the Emmy bashers everywhere, including in our message boards where Burstyn's nomination has sparked a firestorm. CLICK HERE to read the dish and see how many posters like "rrussaw" inexplicably bash away at both panel voting and popular vote just because the results of both didn't line up with their personal choices for nominees.

If "rrussaw" gets his way and the TV academy nixed the popular vote and close-scrutiny voting, there would be no Emmys at all.

Like it or not, all of the finalists who got nominated by the judging panels this year deserve their shot at Emmy gold. Yes, James Gandolfini and Edie Falco are great actors who had very good episode submissions, but, come on, they each had two small crying scenes. Compare that to the one-hour fireworks shows put on by "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit's" Christopher Meloni or "The Closer's" Kyra Sedgwick, who got nommed instead. It's obvious how Meloni and Sedgwick nabbed deserving bids.

Every year Emmywatchers kvetch about voters nominating the same ole, same ole. This year voters mixed it up and still got slammed. Gimme a break. Gandolfini is a fine actor, yes, but he's just another one of those 'tude-heavy dudes who gets credit for being a brilliant actor because he acts like he's ticked off all the time, thus appealing to TV critics, who are mostly macho social misfits with chips on their shoulders.

Compare what Gandolfini did in his "Sopranos" submission to the impressive emotional range displayed by Peter Krause in his "Six Feet Under" episode and you can easily understand how the latter got nommed over the former.

Photo: Ellen Burstyn is on screen for less than 20 seconds while portraying Gerda Stedman in "Hrs. Harris."
(HBO)

"Well, it was awfully nice to win an Emmy that one time," Julia Louis-Dreyfus told us about her victory as best supporting actress for "Seinfeld" in 1998. "It was a big surprise because I had lost so many other times." Now she's up for best lead actress for "New Adventures of Old Christine" and confesses to us why she chose the "Supertramp" episode as her Emmy entry. When we asked her what she thinks of those rumors of a "Seinfeld Curse," her reply kind of rhymed with claptrap, but had one less syllable. Many thanks to Teri Belyea ("babypook") for editing the chat transcript.

babypook: hi

MrTalented: Welcome, you Emmy-winning tv legend!

BC: Welcome,Julia!

Boomer: Hi, Julia!

Tom O'Neil: Welcome, Julia! Tell us about your Emmy submission episode. Why did you choose "Supertramp" episode of "New Adventures of Old Christine"?

Julia Louis-Dreyfus: : hi sorry. i'm new at this.

Tom O'Neil: you're already doing great in cyberspace here -- especially since you're doing your own typing!

ble320: take your time. we're cool.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus: : I chose 'Supertramp' because i thought the writing was particularly good and it had physical comedy in it. And it aired in the beginning of our run which was important at the time because i didnt know if they were going to air all episodes or not.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes "sad dad" Andy Richter smile twice in her Emmy episode of "Old Christine." (CBS)

Believe it or not, there are three simple ways to tweak Emmy voting that can make the new nominating system work just fine. Stop your nuclear attacks on the TV academy, please! Here's the ultimate Peace Plan — CLICK HERE!

"It's nerve-wracking when your category comes up," Oliver Platt confessed to us about his recent experiences as a nominee for a Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe. "But the main thing is that I feel very fortunate to be there." Now he's nommed again for an Emmy in "Huff" and reveals why he chose episodes "Red Meat" and "So . . . What Brings You to Armageddon" to submit to judges. ("There is a really muscular dramatic arc.") Oh, yeah, and just in case you're wondering, he confessed that he has not yet met Suri Cruise. Special thanks to Shannon Horton ("BDFan") for editing this transcript. Read more:

Oliver Platt: Hi everyone

Tom O'Neil: Oliver, tell us about the two episodes you chose to submit to Emmy voters. The story line is about your wigging out on drugs, right? That's big flashy acting

Oliver Platt: Yes I am on strict probation at work and I am trying to handle this case for a very close friend of the senior partner of the firm

Tom O'Neil: And you're using crystal meth in the scenes?

Tom O'Neil: Why did you choose those episodes? We'd like to know how you made your decision

Oliver Platt: this kid who is trouble is a crystal meth addict and I try to track him down at a meth house and I have to psychically go and extract him and unfortunately I become entangled and the consequences are disastorous

Oliver Platt: There is a really muscular dramatic arc to those episodes

Tom O'Neil: That's just the kind of big emoting that Emmy voters love

Oliver Platt: You see me get subverted by my instincts

Tom O'Neil: Hey, everybody -- jump in with questions

TommyCastro: Have you seen any of the episodes or the work of the other people nominated in your category, and what do you think of them?

Oliver Platt: I haven’t seen their work, but I think they are all wonderful actors

Tom O'Neil: I gotta ask, Oliver -- What was your reaction when you first heard that you and Blythe Danner were gonna do the hoochie koochie on "Huff"?

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"Showtime is just as disappointed as the rest of us that they couldn’t get the kind of traction desired for 'Huff,'" says Platt. (Showtime)

"Trade" just made an abrupt turn. Lionsgate plans to give its Oscar contender a new debut date that looks suspiciously like the starting line "Crash" had before it zoomed off into the best picture race. Originally set to be released this October, the edgy indie about child sex trafficking will move to an unspecified day next April. Lionsgate released "Crash" on May 6, 2005.

"We're not saying it's 'Crash, Part 2,'" says Tom Ortenberg, president of Lionsgate Theatrical Film, "but 'Trade' is really good. It's a tough subject, though. This is the kind of movie that needs to find its audience, like 'Crash' did. We want to give it time to establish itself as a smart indie with a political and social conscience — an alternative to the big films with big Oscar campaigns. If we release it this fall when everything else is coming out, it might not get the attention it deserves."

"Trade" stars Kevin Kline as a Texas cop who joins the search for a 13-year-old Mexican girl kidnapped by sex slavers. "'Trade' also stars a lot of important international actors who aren't well known in the U.S.," add Ortenberg. "American moviegoers may need extra time to discover their work."

Photo: Alicja Bachleda is a Polish woman tricked into the sex trade ruled by gang thugs (Pasha D. Lychnikoff).
(Lionsgate)

At first Will Arnett appeared in our chatroom as "Gob Bluth," his character on "Arrested Development." That's because his publicist was supposed to assume the name "Will Arnett" and type for his client while they had a bicoastal phone chat (Gob — or, rather, the real Will, in New York) and they were both linked to our chatroom. But then came the inevitable plot complication: Will's rep had tech woes signing in, mayhem worthy of "AD" ensued, and our lively chat revealed juicy tattle. Special thanks to Shannon Horton ("BD Fan") for editing this transcript. Read on:

Tom O'Neil: Hi Gob!

Gob Bluth: hello...just trying to figure this out

Gob Bluth: what's happening?

Bob Loblaw: We'd rather hear what's happening with you.

CherithCutestory: Yeah, we're boring

Gob Bluth: well I'm sitting here in nyc

FlickPaddy: Will how many movies do you have coming up

Gob Bluth: well 3 movies

Tom O'Neil: Tell us about the episodes you chose for your Emmy submission. What are they about and why did you pick them?

Gob Bluth: well, i didn't pick them...

Tom O'Neil: Who did?

Gob Bluth: i didn't think i was going to win, so my publicist did

Gob Bluth: i didn't even know the noms were coming out

Tom O'Neil: NOTE TO EVERYBODY HERE: Will Arnett is signed in as his character on "Arrested Development" -- Gob Bluth

Tom O'Neil: So what happened noms morning? Did you get an early wake up call

Gob Bluth: i was on a plane arriving in Sweden. My phone started to go nuts

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Photo: The TV series "Arrested Development" may be "dead in the water," but Will Arnett says that a movie extension might occur. (Fox)

ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson wants the Emmys to return to a popular vote and thus scrap judging panels, which — ironically — were instituted to calm the fury of that same network's president Tom Moore, who was outraged about the results of Emmys' popular vote back in the 1960s. Since then the panels have done a heroic job hailing low-rated shows in danger of cancellation like "Cheers," "All in the Family" and "Hill Street Blues." Even ABC series like "The Practice." Is McPherson aware that, if panels and other means of close-scrutiny voting are zapped, he may be partially to blame for the premature deaths of the next "Cheers" and "The Practice"? Read more — CLICK HERE

Remember what the WB network did last year when it got ticked off about being snubbed by the Emmy Awards? It did what courteous networks aren't supposed to do on the night of the TV industry's Oscars: it counter-programmed. Royally. Literally. On Emmy night the WB telecast "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers."

Now this year ABC is mad about "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" being snubbed. Since the Emmycast will occur earlier than usual, on Aug. 27, the network doesn't have fresh new episodes of one of its hit series to air, but it does have a movie that could make the Emmys walk the plank: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."

However, there's a big difference between the WB's and ABC's Emmy situations. Last year there was no one to blame for the tragic and inappropriate snub of the WB but clueless Emmy voters who don't seem to know that superhip network is on their cable dial. Last year all nominees were determined by a popular ballot, so the WB was just a passive observer — or, rather, victim.

This year ABC arguably got snubbed because it submitted poor episode samples to judging panels after "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" made the finalist lists. If true, the snubs are, to some degree, the alphabet net's own fault. Not totally. But partly.

It sure doesn't look like ABC is willing to accept any responsibility, however. But it will pay a significant price financially for striking such revenge. ABC and USA networks reportedly paid well in excess of $20 million for "Pirates'" telecast rights. ABC needs to strike a real treasure trove of advertising to cover expenses. In general, TV viewership is down more than 10 percent in late August. A blockbuster like "Pirates" is usually saved up for a popular viewing period, like sweeps.

Photo: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" was the biggest surprise hit in modern movie history, earning $305 million at the U.S. box office in 2003. Its sequel, "Dead Man's Chest," just set a new record as fastest film to cross the $300 million mark (16 days), reaping $321 million so far. (Disney)