The lines are becoming more and more blurred until they aren’t
As the Oscar season is now upon us, there was a lot of discussion at Telluride and TIFF about what is a “film” and what isn’t. Frankly, this isn’t anything new, but there are some interesting twists that need to be considered when looking at both AMPAS and the Television Academy moving forward. Because of Peak TV and the high quality of television/streaming content, more AMPAS members are ending up as Television Academy members. Because of AMPAS’ mission to diversify, many industry figures better known for their television work are now AMPAS members. Over the past 48 hours I’ve had two separate publicists tell me that two public figures – again, better known for their TV work – would be attending the Governors Ball next month not to push a potential Oscar-nominated movie, but to stay in the industry eye for general awards consideration overall including next year’s Emmys. That seems crazy right? Not anymore. The two sides of Hollywood are mixing more than ever. The question is where the designation lines are going to be drawn and if anyone will be happy when they are.
How did Ann Dowd win?
My heart would like to believe that Ann Dowd won Supporting Actress in a Drama Series going away. That it wasn’t even close. In reality, it’s more likely that a stacked field opened the door for her to pull through. Both “Westworld’s” Thandie Newton and “This Is Us’” Chrissy Metz were the perceived favorites. It’s likely along with “Stranger Things’” Millie Bobby Brown, that the three ladies split the vote enough to create a window for Dowd to sneak in. That’s not to discredit Dowd’s accomplishment. She’s an amazingly deserved winner…even if her best performance over the past year may have been in her Guest Actor nominated performance in “The Leftovers.” And that body of work may have been what pushed her over the top.
READ MORE: 69th Primetime Emmy Awards: Complete Winner’s List
FX might have a Ryan Murphy problem with the Television Academy
This was a pretty good year for FX, but that was mostly thanks to the success of Donald Glover who took home Outstanding Actor in a Comedy and Comedy Series direction. Two of the network’s other four wins came from Murphy’s “Feud: Bette and Joan,” but “Big Little Lies” domination over “Feud” in the Primetime categories was astounding. Alexander Skarsgård wasn’t the universal favorite for Actor in a Limited Series or Comedy, but still beat both “Feud’s” Alfred Molina and Stanley Tucci. You could argue that’s because Molina or Tucci split the vote or that “BLL” was just a train no one was going to stop. Or it could be that Murphy’s specific style that can skew the line between over-the-top drama and camp (take your pick) is becoming less appreciated by the Television Academy than it was a few years ago. Sure, “The People v O.J. Simpson” was an awards monster in 2016, but Murphy wasn’t front and center for that campaign. Creators Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski were. Moreover, this was the first year since 2012 that “American Horror Story” didn’t receive one Primetime Emmy nomination (and it got some previous nods for some truly horrible seasons). It also earned the least number of Creative Arts Emmys in its six-season history although it did win in Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special. Throw in the fact that Murphy decided to follow up the socially relevant “O.J.” season of “American Crime Story” with “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” a subject matter that fits much more into Murphy’s usual aesthetic than the previously announced “Katrina” which was pushed to season three (if it ever happens). Murphy’s instincts have been impressive for the past 15 years, but we’re starting to wonder if the Television Academy is burning out just a little on his voice (hey, it happens to everyone in this industry, right?). And no doubt FX is wondering it too.
Even when it’s great network TV can’t match the competition
This was the year network TV was going to make a comeback in the prestigious Drama Series categories and NBC’s “This Is Us” was going to lead the way. Outside of Sterling K. Brown’s win (and it’s important to note how much goodwill Brown still has from “People v. O.J.” and his years of working in the business) it didn’t happen. As noted previously, Metz, an arguable frontrunner in Supporting Actress in a Drama lost and the show wasn’t the Drama Series spoiler many were hoping it would be. In fact, network television won just five Primetime statues including two in the Supporting Comedy categories for Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin (and there are already rumblings that variety shows should have their own acting categories). There have actually been worse years for network TV at the Emmys (there were only four winners in 2016 for instance), but if a ratings phenomenon with critical kudos like “This Is Us” can’t truly break though, what will?
