Stand Up To Cancer

For all the talk about how television will melt your mind, last night The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences proved that TV has the power to warm your heart and impact positive change in communities and society at large. The Television Academy Honors recognized those programs in 2008 that exemplified "Television with a Conscience," which depicted issues in a compelling, emotional and insightful way. Stand Up To Cancer was honored alongside stellar programs including HBO's documentary, Breaking the Huddle: The Integration of College Football, the ABC series Brothers & Sisters and Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Morgan Spurlock's FX series, 30 Days, PBS' Holocaust drama, God on Trial, the CBS special A Home for the Holidays, and the Animal Planet series Whale Wars. These programs tackled challenging topics including racial integration, adoption, gun control, sexual orientation, animal rights, and questions of faith.

The final award of the evening was presented to SU2C for their landmark program, which brought together three networks for the fight against cancer and raised more than $100 million in innovative cancer research. Before introducing the award, host Dana Delany, one of the many celebrities who appeared on the Sept. 5th broadcast, joked about having a mammogram on live TV, "I thank all three networks for encouraging me to touch myself." Then presenter Brad Garrett, another SU2C celebrity participant, delivered a hilarious monologue about a digital rectal exam. "I don't want to go all Katie Couric on you," said Garrett. "But I get a colonoscopy every three weeks."

Renowned producer, and cancer survivor, Laura Ziskin accepted the award flanked by the Stand Up To Cancer leadership team, a group of extraordinary entertainment executives, all of whom were touched by cancer and united to take a stand against this vicious disease. The group included Noreen Fraser, Sherry Lansing, Ellen Ziffren, Lisa Paulson, Rusty Robertson and Sue Schwartz.

"As a cancer survivor, I'm determined to beat it. Some 1,500 Americans die every day of cancer. That's criminal," said Ziskin. "We can make a difference -- and we are."

Ziskin was inspired by the moving evening and the emotional stories from the other recipients. In her trademark energetic manner, Ziskin asked the audience to get involved in every way they could and promised the first wave of dream team collaborations between scientists would be announced in the coming weeks. "I don't know if we have saved a life yet," said Ziskin. "But I promise you, we will."

--John Koch