Amph 2014 Emmy Nominations

The comedy categories are a mess (though JLD won Best Actress and Louie won something), but drama is usually decent. Except last year Jeff Daniels won for The Newsroom. It's all because the average age of an Academy voter is 51, I think.

 

Nothing for Penny Dreadful. I am disgusted.

 

Because the academy hates Sci - Fi and will go out of it's way to avoid nominating it (unless it's a jaggernaut like Game of Thrones that apparently can't be ignored). The fact that Orphan Black is on BBCAmerica and not, say Showtime or HBO doesn't help.

 

Tatiana Maslany is fantastic in Orphan Black, I'm continuously impressed by her range.

 

Tony was the only misstep, I think. It didn't help that the fake beard looked awful.

 

Yeah, I was going to mention that. They pushed her just a little too far.

 

Okay, so I knew ABC's list was off because they incorrectly listed the mini-series noms as "mini-series or movie". They didn't include the movie noms at all, hence why Sherlock wasn't on their list. I had thought that was weird because I knew those two categories were being split up again, but when I read the noms (quickly on my way out the door to the doctor's), I figured maybe the categories weren't being split until next year. Glad to see things didn't go completely insane.

Honestly haven't been able to look over everything too closely yet today... but here are the writing and directing nominations:

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
“Breaking Bad” • Ozymandias • AMC • Sony Pictures Television
Moira Walley-Beckett, Written by

“Breaking Bad” • Felina • AMC • Sony Pictures Television
Vince Gilligan, Written by

“Game of Thrones” • The Children • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions
Written by David Benioff, written by D.B. Weiss,

“House Of Cards” • Chapter 14 • Netflix • Donen/Fincher/Roth and Trigger Street Productions, Inc. in association with Media Rights Capital for Netflix
Beau Willimon, Written by

“True Detective” • The Secret Fate of all of Life • HBO,
Nic Pizzolatto, Written by

CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS

Directing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire • Farewell Daddy Blues • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions
Tim Van Patten, Directed by

Breaking Bad • Felina • AMC • Sony Pictures Television
Vince Gilligan, Directed by

Downton Abbey • Episode 1 • PBS • A Carnival Films/Masterpiece Co-Production in association with NBC Universal
David Evans, Directed by

Game of Thrones • The Watchers On The Wall • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions
Neil Marshall, Directed by

House of Cards • Chapter 14 • Netflix • Donen/Fincher/Roth and Trigger Street Productions, Inc. in association with Media Rights Capital for Netflix
Carl Franklin, Directed by

True Detective • Who Goes There • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Neon Black, Anonymous Content, Parliament of Owls and Passenger
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Directed by

Directing for a Comedy Series
Episodes • Episode 309 • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Hat Trick Productions, Crane Klarik Productions
Iain B. MacDonald, Directed by

Glee • 100 • Fox • Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television
Paris Barclay, Directed by

Louie • Elevator, Part 6 • FX Networks • Pig Newton, Inc. and FX Productions
Louis C.K., Directed by

Modern Family • Vegas • ABC • Picador Productions and Steven Levitan Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television
Gail Mancuso, Directed by

Orange Is The New Black • Lesbian Request Denied • Netflix • Lionsgate Television for Netflix
Jodie Foster, Directed by

Silicon Valley • Minimum Viable Product • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Judgemental Films, Alec Berg, Altschuler Krinsky works, and 3 Arts Entertainment
Mike Judge, Directed by


Writing for a Comedy Series
Episodes • Episode 305 • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Hat Trick Productions, Crane Klarik Productions
David Crane, Written by
Jeffrey Klarik, Written by

Louie • So Did The Fat Lady • FX Networks • Pig Newton, Inc. and FX Productions
Louis C.K., Written by

Orange Is the New Black • I Wasn’t Ready (Pilot) • Netflix • Lionsgate Television for Netflix
Liz Friedman, Written by Jenji Kohan, Written by

Silicon Valley • Optimal Tip-To-Tip Efficiency • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Judgemental Films, Alec Berg, Altschuler Krinsky works, and 3 Arts Entertainment
Alec Berg, Written by

Veep • Special Relationship • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Dundee Productions
Simon Blackwell, Story and Teleplay by Tony Roche, Story and Teleplay by Armando Iannucci, Story by


Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
American Horror Story: Coven • Bitchcraft • FX Networks • 20th Century Fox Television
Ryan Murphy, Written by Brad Falchuk, Written by

Fargo • The Crocodile’s Dilemma • FX Networks • MGM and FX Productions
Noah Hawley, Written by

Luther • BBC America • A BBC and BBC America co-production
Neil Cross, Written by

The Normal Heart • HBO • HBO Films in association with Plan B Entertainment, Blumhouse and Ryan Murphy Productions
Larry Kramer, Screenplay by

Sherlock: His Last Vow (Masterpiece) • PBS • Hartswood West for BBC/Cymru Wales in co-production with Masterpiece
Steven Moffat, Written by

Treme • …To Miss New Orleans • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Blown Deadline Productions
David Simon, Written by Eric Overmyer, Written by


Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
American Horror Story: Coven • Bitchcraft • FX Networks • 20th Century Fox Television
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Directed by

Fargo • The Crocodile’s Dilemma • FX Networks • MGM and FX Productions
Adam Bernstein, Directed by

Fargo • Buridan’s Ass • FX Networks • MGM and FX Productions
Colin Bucksey, Directed by

Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight • HBO • HBO Films in association with Rainmark Films and Sakura Films
Stephen Frears, Directed by

The Normal Heart • HBO • HBO Films in association with Plan B Entertainment, Blumhouse and Ryan Murphy Productions
Ryan Murphy, Directed by

Sherlock: His Last Vow (Masterpiece) • PBS • Hartswood West for BBC/Cymru Wales in co-production with Masterpiece
Nick Hurran, Directed by

 

The mini-series/series designation is completely messed up, and I think this year makes that more obvious than ever. Basically the problem with the rules is that there aren't any rules. The shows submit themselves; they aren't nominated out of thin air. And far too many shows are allowed to submit to something that's clearly wrong.

As has been pointed out, True Detective is an anthology series (new story every season), exactly like American Horror Story. Yet TD submitted in Drama, which is completely unfair. The time and money they were able to spend on each episode was much larger than the other regular dramas. They can also bring in big name actors because they only have to film 8 episodes. The Academy has no consistency whatsoever on this. I love True Detective, but I loathe that they were submitted in series and will probably beat out actual series that had far more restrictions in their production.

And yes, on the flip side it's insane that Treme and Luther are in the mini-series category. They are just series with a small number of episodes per season. But back in the day the UK Office won Best Comedy while only having 6 episodes, so again, this is totally inconsistent. Those are obvious series.

The one exception that I understand is Sherlock. If they were a 6 episode, 60 minutes per episode series submitting as a mini-series, I wouldn't think that was right. However, because their format is to have essentially three 90 minute movies per season, I think it does make sense for them to select their favorite and submit it as a TV movie. I say this because I don't really think any continuing show should be allowed in the mini-series category unless it's an anthology series. But though the episodes are all part of a continuing series with Sherlock, they are also constructed like stand-alone TV movies.

The thing is, more and more networks are going to be producing 6-10 episode mini-series. They're on the rise in the US. And I think they're great. But because they're increasing, I think the Academy clearly needs to actually lay down some rules. It's only going to be worse and more confusing from here.

And yeah, OITNB is great, but it's not a comedy. Unfortunately both hour and half-hour "quirky" dramas have a history of being submitted as comedies for no reason other than that they don't think they will stand a chance against "serious" dramas, whatever that means.

Yeah, that really is. One of the most visually stunning and effective shows I've ever seen. Really, it should have been nominated for a lot of things. Downton Abbey is best drama but not Hannibal? Come off it. I mean, I've already accepted that Parenthood will never be nominated, but NBC ought to get some kind of recognition for its rare great network dramas.

 

One nomination for Boardwalk is better than nothing I suppose, but still, good grief on the paucity of its nominations.

 

I guess "real" TV people don't care about the documentaries.

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special
JFK (American Experience)
PBS • American Experience is a production of WGBH
Mark Samels, Executive Producer Sharon Grimberg, Senior Producer Susan Bellows, Produced by
Paycheck To Paycheck: The Life And Times Of Katrina Gilbert
HBO • HBO Documentary Films in association with The Shriver Report and Mackerel Sky Films
Sheila Nevins, Executive Producer Maria Shriver, Executive Producer Nancy Abraham, Senior Producer Sascha Weiss, Producer
Shari Cookson, Produced by Nick Doob, Produced by
Running From Crazy
OWN • Cabin Creek Films
Erica Forstadt, Executive Producer Mariel Hemingway, Executive Producer Barbara Kopple, Executive Producer Lisa Erspamer, Executive Producer Oprah Winfrey, Executive Producer David Cassidy, Produced by
The Sixties: The Assassination Of President Kennedy
CNN • Herzog & Company
Tom Hanks, Executive Producer Gary Goetzman, Executive Producer Mark Herzog, Executive Producer Jonathan Buss, Producer
Stephen J. Morrison, Producer
The Square
Netflix • Noujaim Films, Maktube Productions, Netflix Originals, Worldview Entertainment, Roast Beef Productions and Participant Media for Netflix Jodie Evans, Executive Producer
Lekha Singh, Executive Producer Sarah Johnson, Executive Producer Mike Lerner, Executive Producer Gavin Dougan, Executive Producer Karim Amer, Produced by
Jehane Noujaim, Produced by
Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley
HBO • HBO Documentary Films in association with George Schlatter Productions and Whoop Inc. Productions
Whoopi Goldberg, Executive Producer / Produced by
Tom Leonardis, Executive Producer / Produced by George Schlatter, Executive Producer

WOOT WOOT!!!

 

See, I'm still torn. Even though they're longer, and are essentially movies, it's still very weird to have three categories (this year) that separate series from mini series from movie, and even in the least series-like category, movies, you have a "Season 3, Episode 3" nominated. It just doesn't jive.

Comparing it to other similar things - and honestly Poirot is the only one that comes to mind immediately - I just think that whole form "long-running series of TV movies" just fits better in mini-series than it does in movies. You accomplish different things narratively with established recurring characters than you do in a contained movie, regardless of the length of each episode.