Emmys

The Crown

Peter Morgan’s latest take on Queen Elizabeth II – The Crown – is a sumptuous and well acted awards contender.

Netflix’s latest prestige series, The Crown, comes to Netflix via the UK’s Peter Morgan. It lands with the dubious fanfare (much like The Get Down) of being a Very Expensive Series. The good news is that the money arrives onscreen backed by Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and his amazing talent for royal dialogue. The Crown is an ambitious project – an expected six seasons will follow Elizabeth’s 60+ year reign. Based on the pilot, it will be completely worth the ride. Morgan’s significant contributions are backed by a excellent cast and stunning visuals. At this point, this series looks to be Emmy’s cure for the Downton Abbey blues.

The Crown begins with stuttering King George VI (Mad Men‘s Jared Harris) and his persistent, nagging cough which, of course, develops into lung cancer. Unaware of his condition, Elizabeth (Claire Foy, Wolf Hall) marries Philip (Doctor Who‘s Matt Smith) with all the expected pageantry of a royal wedding – a great way to start the series, honestly. Finally, we’re introduced to Winston Churchill (John Lithgow) as he regains the position of Prime Minister.

Directed by Stephen Daldry, the pilot offers a stately, deliberate pacing that you admire more than love. It almost certainly by intent lacks the juicy, gossipy thrill that propelled many through Downton Abbey Season 1. That and Dame Maggie Smith. Still, The Crown has all the markings of a potently binge-worthy series. While the set design, costumes, etc., all provide top-notch period sensibilities, it’s the cast that really reels you in. Foy manages to balance charisma with Elizabeth’s inherent reserved nature and timidity. She has a very nice moment during her nuptials where you can hear her nerves in her quick, shallow breathing. It’s the kind of thing that goes a long way toward humanizing such a legendarily stoic figure. I can only imagine that, as Elizabeth ascends to the throne, Foy’s stamina in the role will push her to the upper ranks of Emmy’s dramatic actresses.

(Photo: Alex Bailey/Netflix)
(Photo: Alex Bailey/Netflix)

Matt Smith provides an amusingly robust Prince Philip. Again, his characterization opens a window to the man always seen just behind the Queen of England. Plus, we find out that he sleeps in the nude, which is both bizarre and provides a fairly hilarious quick scene. The rest of the production is peppered with something of a “who’s who” of the British acting class. Best, for me, is American actor John Lithgow’s Winston Churchill. Initially, I feared he was playing to the rafters, making Churchill a gross caricature rather than a fully realized character. He quickly erased those concerns, though, as he assumes a surprisingly large role within the pilot. He was so prominently featured that I’m starting to wonder if he would place in Best Supporting Actor or Best Actor at the 2017 Emmys. Make no mistake, though. He will be there.

As will many of The Crown‘s cast and crew, I suspect. This series feels like it could prove to be everything we wanted it to be – an intelligent and elegant (but still a little soapy) exploration of one of the more fascinating women of the post World War II era. This series will undoubtedly unfold in insightful and intelligent ways. Let’s just hope it continues to pull back the British stiff upper lip from time to time. It could prove to be a major threat in coming 2017 awards season.

Network TV
This is the first post in an on-going Awards Tracker series focusing on what network TV shows have awards heat through the winter and into next year’s Emmy season.

Fall awards season can make or break a new TV show, especially on network TV. Just last year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and critics shockingly awarded an unknown Rachel Bloom for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, giving the little-seen musical enough buzz to be saved from cancellation. The year before, Gina Rodriguez had her “a star is born moment” and was then almost immediately cast into the Star Wars universe. Ten years ago, SAG and the HFPA gave Desperate Housewives the top award long before it even competed at the Emmys.

However in 2016 network TV hasn’t brought us any huge successes besides continuing the trend of giving aging 90’s stars uninteresting material (Matt LeBlanc, Damon Wayans, Kevin James) instead of creating a new star. 2016 may not have given us the next Shondaland hit or a FOX camp classic, but there are some new shows worth mentioning even if it’s becoming increasingly unlikely for the guild awards or the Emmys to throw a bone network TV’s way. They haven’t honored a network show in its premiere year since Grey’s Anatomy and Lost for dramas and Glee and Modern Family for comedies. At least the HFPA and BTJA are much more likely to open their arms.  These are the four broadcast shows to keep an eye on this awards season.

This Is Us  

After years of near irrelevancy, NBC finally has the most buzzed about show of the TV season with their family dramedy This Is Us. Critics are embracing the show, it continues to grow in ratings, and Entertainment Weekly even gave it a cover story over shows with much more star power. Even with all that success, the show still has an upward battle in terms of awards momentum. Broadcast dramas are having an increasingly difficult time breaking through (only Empire and The Good Wife have been successful), and it took seasons for the voting groups to even acknowledge NBC’s other generational drama, Parenthood.

If critics, guild members, and the HFPA choose to ignore the excessive schmaltz of This Is Us and attempt to reward one of the only new shows curbing the decline of network TV, they’ll likely champion either Emmy-winner Sterling K. Brown or newcomer Chrissy Metz. HFPA voters could easily be swayed to honor Brown for his current work instead of honoring something for which he has already won an Emmy, especially since all of the supporting genres are combined at the Globes. Critics, on the other hand, are more likely to honor Chrissy Metz the breakout performance on any network show this fall.

Best Bet

Supporting Actress, Chrissy Metz: Critics Choice

Possible Contenders

Supporting Actor, Sterling K. Brown: Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice

Worth Mentioning

Drama Series: Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice

network TV
(Photo: ABC)

Speechless

Ten years ago, a Minnie Driver-led sitcom about a lower-middle-class family with a physically disabled son would emerge as the most embraced comedy on television. Driver without a doubt would be the front-runner for every major award. However, the network TV landscape changed, and, as groundbreaking as ABC’s inclusive lineup is, guild members and the foreign press aren’t as impressed anymore although the BTJA always makes an effort to honor a sitcom for every HBO or streaming hit.

Even if Speechless is bound to be pushed aside for a wave of auteur comedies, the show still has a chance of being honored through lead nominations for its star, Academy Award-nominee Minnie Driver. The HFPA loves Oscar nominees, and they love Brits so Driver should be an easy sell. The critics nominated just about every leading mother of an ABC comedy since the awards began six years ago. In a sea of Wendi McLendon-Coveys, Patricia Heatons, and Martha Plimptons, there stands a strong likelihood that Minnie Driver doesn’t factor in at the Critics’ Choice.

Strongest Contender

Lead Actress in a Comedy, Minnie Driver: Critics’ Choice, Golden Globes

network TV
(Photo: ABC)

Designated Survivor

The Hollywood Foreign Press loves to bring back old stars to the champagne table (James Spader in The Blacklist, Rob Lowe in The Grinder to name a few), and, other than Sarah Jessica Parker, there is no bigger returning icon on TV this year than Kiefer Sutherland. After winning just about every major award, his return to television was inevitable, and there’s no better way to entice awards groups to welcome him back than turning him into a politician and having him watch the rest of Washington literally explode.

Sutherland appears as the saving grace of network TV, but Designated Survivor doesn’t emerge as the type of drama that critics, journalists, and guild members get excited over. Kerry Washington reaped a lot of nominations for Scandal, but the show never received top recognition anywhere. The Good Wife started off strong, but everyone from the HFPA to SAG became distracted by flashier streaming and cable shows. Quantico can only boast a People’s Choice Award – and a minor one at that. If Designated Survivor was an unavoidable ratings juggernaut, the case exists for a series nomination. Yet, with ratings quickly diminishing to half of what the premiere produced, the show feels easy to write off.

Possible Contender

Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Kiefer Sutherland: Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice

network TV
(Photo: NBC)

Superstore

Superstore is a small show that, after a year of word of mouth from everyone from NPR to our own ADTV, the show is slowly becoming one of the most surprising sleeper hits of 2016. The workplace comedy doesn’t seem like an obvious awards contender, but it boasts a few interesting factors going for it even if the show won’t be anywhere near the guild awards.

America Ferrera has been a Golden Globes staple ever since the HFPA turned her into the television darling of the year. She received two more nominations and a hilarious presenting spot in last year’s ceremony. Bringing Ferrera back to the party would also be the easiest way for the foreign press to honor their host network.

Even if Superstore lacks contender status at the Golden Globes, the workplace comedy demonstrates the potential as the perfect type of comedy that the critics love to pretend they “discovered” at the Critics’ Choice awards. Critics love to honor breakout performances (like Eden Sher), and no other supporting actor fits that bill more than Lauren Ash, although the chances of the Second City alumna standing out against a sea of big names seems incredibly unlikely.

Possible Contenders

Supporting Actress in a Comedy, Lauren Ash: Critics Choice

Worth Mentioning

Lead Actress in a Comedy, America Ferrera: Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice

Other Possibilities

Of course there are other big names that might pop up this season, especially if the foreign press resorts back to their star gawking ways. Geena Davis is earning positive reviews for FOX’s remake of The Exorcist. With three wins and eleven total nominations, Ted Danson (The Good Place) merits consideration at the Golden Globes, especially if NBC Universal campaigns for him. Kylie Bunbury (Pitch) could become the ingénue of awards season just like Gina Rodriguez was two years ago, although the show is one that critics seem to adore even if it is sinking in ratings.

What new broadcast shows are you predicting to emerge as awards favorites at the end of the year? What new shows are you hoping break out throughout awards season?

Netflix Emmys

The 2016 Netflix Emmys After Party took place on Sunday at Hollywood NeueHouse. Attendees included Emmy-winners Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, who both won for Master of None, as well as Patton Oswalt. Oswalt won his Emmy for writing the variety special Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping.

Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey and Michael Kelly, all nominated from House of Cards, also attended the party.

Check out the photos below:

2016 Emmy

The 2016 Emmy season is finally over. As to be expected, Television Academy voters threw curve ball after curve ball with their selections for the best TV of the year. After gratingly endless months of speculation, there was a bizarre mixture of first-time and repeat winners taking to the podium. Vote splitting occurred sometimes, but suddenly the Television Academy shocked everyone by proving they paid attention to the material. These are the biggest takeaways from the biggest night in television.

Vote Splitting Happened…

After all of the “What if?” buzz of whether or not a popular vote would enable vote splitting, it turns out that in the drama and comedy races vote splitting was a factor. No one was able to overcome their co-star nominee obstacle except for Game of Thrones in the directing race. Veep won the top prize for the second year in a row, but it lost both the directing and writing race where its episodes represented half of each category. The acting branch clearly loved Game of Thrones, but the entire cast went home empty handed. In the future, it will be interesting if this affects how shows and networks submit their work to be considered. Will we see fewer episodes submitted for writing and directing? Will certain cast members be left out when they don’t have the material to warrant a nomination?

…Except When It Didn’t

It seems that the Limited Series/TV Movie winners are able to overcome vote splittingvance2 in a lot of areas. From Courtney B. Vance to Sterling K. Brown to Sarah Paulson, the argument can be made that the best performances prevailed. The writers were able to overcome vote splitting by simply choosing the best episode of American Crime Story, “Marcia Marcia Marcia.” The main factor that led to this might be that most voters actually watched the limited series and TV movies since they don’t require that much of a commitment. Voters are able to make thoughtful decisions and determine Sterling K. Brown was the standout of his ensemble and that Bryan Cranston’s LBJ can’t hold a flame to Vance’s Johnnie Cochran. With the drama and comedy races voters simply don’t have the time to catch up on anything so they probably rely on outside factors to come to a decision.

How Did Tatiana Maslany Pull Off The Biggest Upset of The Night?

With the plurality vote replacing the ranked ballot, there might be a new form of “vote splitting” happening that has nothing to do with co-stars or shows. Tatiana Maslany was able to win her first Emmy because she gives one of the most unique and skilled performances on TV and because she is essentially the apple in a bag of oranges. In the old ranked ballot system, similar performances were able to battle it out and attract similar voters. Now that voters are simply marking off their favorite performances, actors like Maslany are on an even playing field because they can attract their passionate fans without fear of being ranked at the bottom of voters who might have biases against a show like Orphan Black. Actresses like Davis and Wright (both very respected actresses in their 50’s) probably attract similar voters.  The same could be said for a newcomer like Rami Malek when he’s nominated against well-liked and well-known actors like Kevin Spacey and Kyle Chandler.

Fandoms Prevailed

Some of the biggest surprises of the year came from the popular vote allowing fresher, fandom-based winners. From RuPaul’s Drag Race to Tatiana Maslany to Sherlock and even Rami Malek, shows and performances that lean towards the genre-specific geek fandoms took home multiple awards. Performances like Rami Malek and Tatiana Maslany clearly appeal to actors on a craft level, but a couple of years ago the two drama winners would have never been from BBC America and USA.

Newcomers Finally Embraced

Eight of tonight’s acting winners were first time winners which made 2016 the most successful year for first-time winners since 2011. Kate McKinnon, Louie Anderson, Sarah Paulson, Sterling K. Brown, Courtney B. Vance, Tatiana Maslany, Rami Malek, and Ben Mendelsohn all won their first Emmys this year. For five of these winners, it was even their first time being nominated. The excitement behind the first-time winners was often the best part of the night, especially with the cast for Brown and Vance who have gone unrecognized for so long.  The worry that new shows and performances couldn’t win under the new popular system proved to be wrong, at least once the Television Academy eliminated the ranked ballot.

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The Biggest Surprises of the Night

  • Sherlock: The Abominable Bride – The PBS show proved in the past that it’s a force to be reckoned with at the Emmys, but after an underwhelming turnout in nominations no one took the newest installment seriously.
  • Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline  – Mendelsohn has an appeal that a lot of people (myself included) don’t understand. More voters than anyone was expecting clearly watched Bloodline, and, even though he didn’t have the material to warrant a win this year, we know that voters are always a year or two behind.
  • Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black  – Tatiana Maslany might be the biggest shock of the year as well as the single biggest triumph of the internet pushing a performance to awards triumph. It took a couple seasons, but voters got over their sci-fi bias and realized how legendary Maslany’s endless pool of characters is.
  • Louie Anderson, Baskets – All season long, I underestimated Anderson appeal on a low-rated show. Instead, there was a lot of passion behind his performance and him as a comedian.
  • The Night Manager, Directing – Foreign film Oscar-winner Susanne Bier beat out big names like Ryan Murphy, John Singleton, and Emmy-favorite Jay Roach to become the biggest shock of the behind-the-camera races of the night.
  • Key and Peele Key & Peele finally earned the recognition it always deserved in its final season. In a habit of rewarding the same shows year after year, Inside Amy Schumer won the directing award last weekend. It was poised to win the top variety sketch award for the second year in a row, but voters instead rallied behind Key & Peele. We should have seen this coming after the attention they earned from their first summer blockbuster Keanu and that surprise SAG ensemble nomination earlier this year.

Readers, what were your takeaways from this year’s Emmy awards? Sound off in the comments below and check back in next week for our continued awards tracker as we begin to take a look at the end of year awards races including the Golden Globes, SAG awards, and the Critics’ Choice.

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Emmys contest

Well, it was a rough night for most who tried predicting the Emmys, but that makes a great night for viewers. The Television Academy threw some curveballs and spread the Emmy love in several strange ways. Sometimes, they went with the tried and true (ahem… Maggie Smith). Sometimes, they bucked that trend and went in completely different directions (Rami Malek, Tatiana Maslany). What made for exciting awards made for lower-than-average prediction scores.

With that, here are our top three winners in the AwardsDaily TV Predict the Emmys contest!

Jason Simpson – 15
Brian Bedard – 12
Shane Slater – 12

Prizes are on their way to our top three courtesy of HBO Home Entertainment. The Emmy-nominated All the Way and Confirmation are available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. Also, the critically acclaimed second season of The Leftovers is also available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.

Congrats to our winners!

2016 Emmy Winners

The time has come… AwardsDaily TV has the 2016 Emmy Winners and a Live Tweet!

Well, readers, this is it! The 2016 Emmy Winners will be announced tonight during the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. To get ready for the big evening, Team AwardsDaily TV worked hard to give you exactly what you need to win your Emmy pool as well as impress your friends with Emmy knowledge. First, you still have time to join in the competition and predict the 2016 Emmy Winners at our Emmy contest. Prizes are courtesy of HBO! If you need some help, the full AwardsDaily TV team made their predictions in the major categories announcing tonight.

We have a lot of interviews with Emmy nominees and Emmy winners from last weekend’s Creative Arts ceremonies. Jalal Haddad posted in our weekly Emmy Tracker series and performed a deep analysis of many categories up for tonight’s Emmys.

So, feel free to drop your comments below, follow us on Twitter, or post on our Facebook page all the joys and sorrows of the night. Plus, we’re live tweeting with #EmmysADTV. Also, we’ll be recording a late podcast tomorrow night to review the ceremony and the winners. That will post later tomorrow night or early Tuesday morning, depending on where you are.

So, let’s do it! May the best show win… Or the most popular show… We all know it’s a popularity contest, right?

Comedy

COMEDY SERIES – Veep
DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES – “Man on the Land,” Jill Soloway, Transparent
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Louie Anderson, Baskets
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES – “Parents,” Aziz Ansari & Alan Yang, Master of None

Drama

DRAMA SERIES – Game of Thrones
DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES – “Battle of the Bastards,” Game of Thrones
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES – Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES – Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES – Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES – Dame Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES – “Battle of the Bastards,” Game of Thrones

Limited Series / TV Movie

LIMITED SERIES – The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
TELEVISION MOVIE – Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL – Susanne Bier, The Night Manager
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOVIE – Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOVIE – Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOVIE – Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOVIE – Regina King, American Crime
WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL – D.V. DeVincentis, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Variety / Reality

REALITY-COMPETITION – The Voice
VARIETY SKETCH SERIES – Key & Peele
VARIETY TALK SERIES – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL – Thomas Kail & Alex Rudzinski, Grease: Live!
WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL – Patton Oswald, Talking for Clapping


2017 Emmy dates

Team ADTV pulls together their 2016 Emmy predictions

Here are the 2016 Emmy predictions from AwardsDaily TV’s full set of contributors. Based on our predictions, HBO’s Game of Thrones and Veep won’t be the only repeat winners of the night. Nearly everyone thinks Julia Louis-Dreyfus will repeat for her iconic role as Selina Meyer in Veep, and a few of us think her cohort Tony Hall will follow suit. Jeffrey Tambor is also tipped by most to repeat for his transformative role in Amazon’s Transparent.

One of the biggest questions on the drama side is, “Will this finally be Robin Wright’s year?” Some of us think so. Others think Viola Davis will repeat last year’s historic win. With the actors, Mr. Robot‘s Rami Malek seems a sure bet to win for his stellar performance on the USA freshman series. Oh yeah, and FX’s critically acclaimed limited series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story should go home very happy Sunday night winning series, direction, writing, and at least one – possibly two – acting trophies. It can’t lose, right?

The winners will be formally announced Sunday night on ABC with host Jimmy Kimmel.

Clarence MoyeMegan McLachlanJoey MoserJalal Haddad
Drama SeriesGame of ThronesGame of ThronesGame of ThronesGame of Thrones
Lead Actor in a Drama SeriesRami Malek,
Mr. Robot
Rami Malek,
Mr. Robot
Rami Malek,
Mr. Robot
Kevin Spacey,
House of Cards
Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesViola Davis,
HTGAWM
Keri Russell,
The Americans
Robin Wright,
House of Cards
Viola Davis,
HTGAWM
Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesJon Voight,
Ray Donovan
Kit Harington,
Game of Thrones
Jonathan Banks,
Better Call Saul
Jon Voight,
Ray Donovan
Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesMaura Tierney,
The Affair
Maggie Smith,
Downton Abbey
Lena Headey,
Game of Thrones
Maggie Smith,
Downton Abbey
Direction for a Drama Series"Battle of the Bastards,"
Game of Thrones
"Battle of the Bastards,"
Game of Thrones
"Battle of the Bastards,"
Game of Thrones
"Battle of the Bastards,"
Game of Thrones
Writing for a Drama SeriesMr. RobotMr. RobotMr. RobotMr. Robot
Comedy SeriesVeepVeepVeepVeep
Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesJeffrey Tambor,
Transparent
Jeffrey Tambor,
Transparent
Jeffrey Tambor,
Transparent
Jeffrey Tambor,
Transparent
Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesJulia Louis-Dreyfus,
Veep
Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
Veep
Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
Veep
Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
Veep
Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesTony Hale,
Veep
Tony Hale,
Veep
Tony Hale,
Veep
Tony Hale,
Veep
Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesAllison Janney,
Mom
Allison Janney,
Mom
Kate McKinnon,
Saturday Night Live
Kate McKinnon,
Saturday Night Live
Direction for a Comedy SeriesTransparent"Mother,"
Veep
"Mother,"
Veep
Transparent
Writing for a Comedy SeriesMaster of None"Mother,"
Veep
Master of None"Mother,"
Veep
Limited SeriesThe People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime StoryThe People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime StoryThe People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime StoryThe People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
TV MovieAll The WayAll The WayAll The WayAll The Way
Lead Actor in a Limited Series/TV MovieCourtney B. Vance,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Bryan Cranston,
All The Way
Courtney B. Vance,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Courtney B. Vance,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Lead Actress in a Limited Series/TV MovieSarah Paulson,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Sarah Paulson,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Sarah Paulson,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Sarah Paulson,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series/TV MovieHugh Laurie,
The Night Manager
Hugh Laurie,
The Night Manager
Sterling K. Brown,
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series/TV MovieJean Smart,
Fargo
Jean Smart,
Fargo
Olivia Colman,
The Night Manager
Jean Smart,
Fargo
Direction for a Limited Series"From the Ashes of Tragedy,"
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
"From the Ashes of Tragedy,"
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
"From the Ashes of Tragedy,"
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
"From the Ashes of Tragedy,"
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Writing for a Limited Series"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia,"
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
"From the Ashes of Tragedy,"
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia,"
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
The Night Manager
Variety TalkThe Late Late Show With James CordenThe Late Late Show With James CordenLast Week Tonight with John OliverLast Week Tonight with John Oliver
Variety SketchInside Amy SchumerPortlandiaInside Amy SchumerInside Amy Schumer
Reality CompetitionThe VoiceThe Amazing RaceThe VoiceThe Voice

Robin WriteJazz TangcayRyan Showers
Drama SeriesGame of ThronesThe AmericansGame of Thrones
Lead Actor in a Drama SeriesRami Malek, Mr. RobotKevin Spacey, House of CardsKevin Spacey, House of Cards
Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesRobin Wright, House of CardsRobin Wright, House of CardsRobin Wright, House of Cards
Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesMichael Kelly, House of CardsPeter Dinklage, Game of ThronesKit Harington, Game of Thrones
Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesMaggie Smith, Downton AbbeyEmilia Clarke, Game of ThronesLena Headey, Game of Thrones
Direction for a Drama Series"Battle of the Bastards," Game of ThronesHomeland"Battle of the Bastards," Game of Thrones
Writing for a Drama SeriesMr. RobotThe AmericansThe Good Wife
Comedy SeriesVeepVeepVeep
Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesAziz Ansari, Master of NoneAnthony Anderson, black-ishJeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesEllie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtJulia Louis-Dreyfus, VeepJulia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesTony Hale, VeepTituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtTony Hale, Veep
Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesGaby Hoffmann, TransparentAnna Chlumsky, VeepAllison Janney, Mom
Direction for a Comedy SeriesTransparent"Mother," Veep"Kissing Your Sister," Veep
Writing for a Comedy SeriesMaster of None"Mother," Veep"Mother," Veep
Limited SeriesThe People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime StoryThe People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime StoryThe People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
TV MovieConfirmationAll The WayConfirmation
Lead Actor in a Limited Series/TV MovieCourtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime StoryCourtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime StoryCourtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Lead Actress in a Limited Series/TV MovieSarah Paulson,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Sarah Paulson,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Sarah Paulson,
The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series/TV MovieSterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime StorySterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime StorySterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series/TV MovieSarah Paulson, American Horror Story: HotelRegina King, American CrimeJean Smart, Fargo
Direction for a Limited Series"The Race Card," The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story"From the Ashes of Tragedy," The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story"From the Ashes of Tragedy," The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Writing for a Limited Series"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia," The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story"From the Ashes of Tragedy," The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story"From the Ashes of Tragedy," The People v. O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story
Variety TalkLast Week Tonight with John OliverLast Week Tonight with John OliverLast Week Tonight with John Oliver
Variety SketchInside Amy SchumerInside Amy SchumerInside Amy Schumer
Reality CompetitionThe VoiceThe VoiceThe Voice

Emmy Races

Some Emmy Races Are Too Close to Call

2016 raised a lot of questions in the Emmy races, and for once it seems like more races are completely up in the air than not, which leads to what could be one of the more exciting Emmy ceremonies in recent history. These five races are some of the closet of the night.

Lead Actress in a Drama – Viola Davis vs. Robin Wright Viola Davis is becoming one of the most revered actresses of 21st century and won every peer voted award for her work on HTGAWM. However, viewers recently found the show to be pretty divisive. Robin Wright had a huge year on House of Cards in front of and behind the camera and probably came in second just about every year since the show premiered.

Lead Actor in a Drama – Kevin Spacey vs. Rami Malek   The two-time Oscar winner is pitted against the breakout star, and the two choices couldn’t be more different. House of Cards is at an all-time high in popularity within the actors branch of the academy (not so much anywhere else), and Spacey is the reigning champ at the SAG awards for the second year in a row, meaning he is clearly popular. Rami Malek isn’t technically new to Hollywood, but he is now a household name and dominated the critical conversation since Mr. Robot premiered last summer. This race is really a test on whether or not a newcomer can win a popular vote or if lead races like these will always go to the most respected actor in the category.

Anna Chlumsky vs. Allison Janney vs. Kate McKinnon Without a clear front-runner, this supporting actress race could give us one of the only new winners of the night. Allison Janney is a two-time winner for her work on Mom, but how long the question needs to be asked of how long voters will award her for a show they don’t watch? Anna Chlumsky was snubbed last year, but as Veep becomes even more popular she could easily win a make-up Emmy if the political comedy sweeps. Kate McKinnon has had the best year of her career playing Hillary Clinton on SNL as well as great reviews in a summer blockbuster (which has helped winners in the past).

Writing of a Drama Series Last year Game of Thrones nearly swept the drama categories and the writing branch even surprisingly awarded them for an episode not particularly noticeable for its writing. This year the writers could follow the same path for the action heavy “Battle of the Bastards” or they could instead back a more interesting choice like The Americans or Mr. Robot. The writing branch has never been afraid to follow their hearts and give us a few surprises (Friday Night Lights), and they could easily vote for either show especially since they were both recognized at the WGA awards as well.

Bryan Cranston vs. Courtney B. Vance Bryan Cranston is the industry darling in a prestigious HBO film with a performance for which he has already won a Tony. Courtney B. Vance is a character actor finally receiving the recognition he deserves for his work as Johnnie Cochran on the biggest TV sensation of the year. Voters could easily vote for their favorite actor even though All The Way was one of HBO’s most underperforming shows in recent years or Vance and American Crime Story could easily sweep throughout the night.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver v. The Late Late Show With James Corden   The Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert dominance at the Emmys is as old as this year’s freshman highschoolers, which makes the first year neither of them are in contention an exciting year for variety talk shows. John Oliver is an obvious heir to their throne with his snarky political commentary especially after winning two Emmys last weekend including the writing award. James Corden is just as popular with two wins last weekend and a year in pop culture with a hosting stint at The Tonys and the viral sensation Carpool Karaoke.

Dark Horse Contenders to Watch

Like Merritt Wever or Bobby Cannavale in the past it wouldn’t be a year at the Emmys without some left-field choice that no one saw coming.

black-ish  and Company Veep may be the front-runner in almost every category, but if voters are looking for an alternative they may go for the exact opposite, a family sitcom that reminds viewers that sitcoms can be just as funny as they were in the 70’s and 80’s. The same could be said for the show’s stars, Anderson and Ross, who have been working in Hollywood for years and are probably the polar opposite to their respected front-runners.

Sarah Paulson for American Horror Story There is no doubt that 2016 is Sarah Paulson’s year, but what if voters decide that she also deserves recognition for the anthology series they snubbed her for in the first place? Maybe some voters might feel guilty for not voting for her performance as Marcia Clark in the lead race (if there are even any members not voting for her) and decide to throw her a bone in supporting since the category is a little underwhelming anyway.

Hugh Laurie After years of Emmy-nominated work on House, he has never been recognized the television academy, and after a huge year on The Night Manager and Veep voters might decide it is finally his time. He also stands out on a ballot next to three men from American Crime Story and two men from Fargo.

Kerri Russell  As farfetched as it may sound maybe there is a portion of the acting branch of closeted Felicity fans? She has been working in television since the late 90’s and if voters are looking for another opportunity to award The Americans she comes across as the more overdue of the two stars.

Liev Schreiber The industry cult around Ray Donovan has grown over the years, and the Showtime drama already won its first acting award last weekend. With season four airing during the voting period, Liev Schreiber received a lot of visibility making him the perfect surprise in a Kevin Spacey/Rami Malek matchup.

Keegan-Michael Key With ten nominations in various categories over the years (including a surprise voice-over nod this year), Keegan-Michael Key is pretty well-known among his peers. He’s easily had more visibility than any other nominee throughout the year on shows like Archer, Playing House, Modern Family, Bob’s Burgers, House of Lies, The Muppets, as well as his first major film Keanu.

The “Parents” Episode of Masters of None  This may not count as a dark horse contender, but partially due to vote splitting between Silicon Valley and Veep and partially because this might be the best comedic episode of TV this year Aziz Ansari has a good shot at taking home his first Emmy.

Niecy Nash From Reno 911! to Scream Queens, Niecy Nash has proven she is one of the most consistently hilarious actresses of the past decade, and in a category with so many uncertainties pure goodwill towards her might actually pay off. Not to mention her Didi Ortley is the most relatable and likable characters in the group which might make her standout in a category filled with over-the-top performances.

nashFinal Thoughts Before The Emmys

Like Kylie Jenner predicted, 2016 will be the year of realizing things, not only in life but especially at the Emmys. We’ll finally have an answer on whether or not vote splitting is really a dilemma the Television Academy will have to deal with. The writing and directing races will be the most telling races of the year, especially those for the Limited Series and Comedy races. In any other year, American Crime Story and Veep would dominate those races, but now that they consist of half the nominees in any given race that might not be the case.

We’ll also get a better idea on whether or not newcomers and breakout stars are able to stand out in a popular vote system against well-respected names that have been working in television for decades. Can Rami Malek attract enough voters over a two-time Oscar winner like Kevin Spacey? Can a young stud like Kit Harington ride the success of a year all about Jon Snow to a win, or will he lose to his beloved costar Peter Dinklage or even someone like Jon Voight? Last year Tituss Burgess was the breakout performance of the year, but he still lost to Tony Hale who didn’t have anywhere near Emmy-winning material in 2015. If this continues there may never be another winner like America Ferrera or even Merritt Wever again.

 

Readers, what races are you most excited to see play out on Sunday? Make sure to catch the rest of our Emmy coverage including the ADTV Emmy Confidential series, our final predictions, and to enter our Emmy predictions contest with prizes donated by HBO!

actress
This is the last in our 2016 Emmy Confidential series. The Emmy Confidential series allows Emmy voters the opportunity to anonymously discuss what they voted for and why in four major Emmy categories. 
Our final post comes from a character actress whose has a prominent role on a hot new Fall cable drama. This actress considered the A-Z, Z-A ranking of nominees a non-starter and considers the noise around it silly. She is a huge fan of Game of Thrones but thinks Bates Motel (and its stars Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore) were all robbed for what she considers a classic season of television.Emmy Confidential

Drama Series – Game of Thrones

First of all, I voted for Game of Thrones because it’s an amazing hour of television literally every week. The sets, the costumes, the story, the acting… It’s literally an amazing achievement every week. That said, I’m heartbroken that “my” show Bates Motel wasn’t nominated. But, like, it’s just a popularity contest. I barely know anybody who watches it unfortunately. It’s huge on Twitter, though. I don’t get The Americans. I tried to watch the first season, but it was too slowly paced for me. Downton Abbey I haven’t watched in years. I’m a bad Emmy voter, I know, but it’s just not something that ever really catches my attention. I loved the second season of Better Call Saul because I have a massive crush on Bob Odenkirk, but who would vote for it because of that? (Laughs) I almost did though. Homeland was good this season. I have no complaints there, but it’s kind of “been there, done that.” You know? I’m obsessed with House of Cards, but it’s really not “great drama.” It’s more of a really well done political soap opera. I hope Robin Wright wins this year. She should really have at least 3 Emmys for this show. Mr. Robot was the show all my friends talked about this year, and I liked it. I absolutely hate the second season, though. Good luck next year, guys.

Comedy Series – black-ish

black-ish is the funniest show on network television. Hands down. I thought Veep was great this season. That “Congressional Ball” episode was amazing, especially when Julia (Louis-Dreyfus) dressed that congresswoman down. They won last year, though, and I have a problem with repeat winners. Yeah, I know I voted for Game of Thrones, but there weren’t really any other dramas I felt could compete. black-ish needs this win this year. We need to celebrate its diversity and different perspectives as much as possible. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt felt like a step down in Season 2. They totally wasted Lisa Kudrow, too, when they had her ride roller coasters at Universal. What the fuck was that all about? Tina Fey was fun though. Transparent shouldn’t be in this category because it’s not a comedy. Next please. I don’t personally find Silicon Valley all that funny in Season 3. They focused on Richard too much. I’ll still watch it, but not enough to vote for it. (Laughs) What the hell is Modern Family doing here still? I love Aziz Ansari, and I almost voted for Master of None. It’s too soon, though. It was a sweet show, but it’s not as good as both black-ish or Veep.

Limited Series – The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

I’m so glad American Horror Story: Hotel wasn’t here. It would be ridiculous putting that up against The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. I voted for that, of course, because it’s amazing in literally every way. I worship Sarah Paulson, and her Marcia Clark was a revelation to me as an actress. I would have killed for that role. There really isn’t any competition here. Fargo was really kind of great up until the finale, which I thought they completely botched. The Night Manager was something I didn’t really want to watch, but I did because a friend of mine knows Tom Hiddleston. I liked it, but I multi-tasked through it. Did I tell you I’m a bad Emmy voter? Roots was fantastic but so hard to watch. I’m glad they remade it, and I’m a little surprised it didn’t get more nominations.

TV Movie – A Very Murray Christmas

Did I tell you I was a bad Emmy voter? I didn’t really love or even like anything in this category. I voted for A Very Murray Christmas because… ok this is really shallow… but I love Christmas. And I love variety shows like that, which is pretty hard to pull off without making it seem fake. Does that make sense? It was a very honest sort of call-back to variety shows of the 70’s. I think that was cool and different. All the Way and Confirmation were just sort of made to win Emmys. I didn’t see Luther or Sherlock. People are going to get mad at me when I say this, but I just didn’t care. They both sat at the bottom of the pile for a solid month.

Sure, the Emmys are great, but it’s our turn first. And so, the Cooler Awards…

Sunday night marks the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Sure, they’re kind of the gold standard for television awards. Yeah, they’re voted on by the 20,000+ members of the Television Academy. OK, they hand out pretty gold (gold-plated, am I right?) statues. But they aren’t voted on by the staff of AwardsDaily TV. They’re not The Cooler Awards. All I can say is, we stepped up where the Television Academy did not.

We voted back in June, just like the Television Academy did. We tried to stick with their voting rules and regulations as best we could, and we published our nominees on July 13 – one day before the Television Academy. Now, we’re announcing the winners just before all that Emmy noise. We just don’t have pretty, gold (gold-plated, am I right?) statues to hand out.

And the winners are…

(Photo: FX)
(Photo: FX)

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Ansari
(Photo: Netflix)

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(Photo: A&E)
(Photo: A&E)

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