3 posts tagged emmys

The Emmy headlines are familiar: HBO dominates, much love for Mad Men, snubs and surprises. But there’s a new story point this year: For the first time, broadcast networks have been shut out of the the Best Drama category, as The Wrap and others reported.

Showtime’s new Homeland joined the drama category for the first time, as did PBS’ Downton Abbey, which moved over from the movie or miniseries category, where it competed last year. Breaking Bad returned to the category after not airing in the eligibility period last year. They bumped Dexter and The Good Wife, which were nominated last year. (Another drama nominated last year, Friday Night Lights, ended its run with that season.)

The exit of CBS’ The Good Wife from this year’s nominees made it a cable and public television sweep of the drama category.

FX’s American Horror Story, like Abbey, benefited from choosing its category wisely. It could have entered as a drama, but instead competed as a movie or miniseries — even though it will return for a second season.

There was also much love for some newcomers, as USA Today pointed out:

Most years we’re happy if even one new series can break into the Emmy mix - this year, Homeland (the worthy leader among new shows), Girls, Veep and their top stars all got nominated. There were also nods for such freshman-class actors as House of Lies’ Don Cheadle and New Girls’ Zooey Deschanel and Max Greenfield, along with such welcome-to-the-party nominees as Mayim Bialik (the first woman to get a nod for The Big Bang Theory), Nurse Jackie’s Merritt Wever and Breaking Bad’s Anna Gunn.

Find the full list of nominees at Emmys.com. Winners will be announced Sept. 23.