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Emmy Awards 2016: 5 Things to Look for at the Ceremony Emmy Awards 2016: Surprises Among Early Comedy Winners
(35 minutes later)
LOS ANGELES — Free of the controversy that overshadowed this year’s Academy Awards and its lineup of all-white acting nominees, the 68th Primetime Emmys arrived on ABC on Sunday night with the focus squarely on the awards at a time when there’s never been more competition in TV.
[ Read our live coverage of the Emmys | see red carpet looks | the list of Emmy winners ][ Read our live coverage of the Emmys | see red carpet looks | the list of Emmy winners ]
LOS ANGELES — Free of the controversy that overshadowed this year’s Academy Awards and its lineup of all-white acting nominees, the 68th Primetime Emmys arrive on ABC on Sunday night with the focus squarely on the awards at a time when there’s never been more competition in TV. Two HBO hits, “Game of Thrones” and “Veep,” were looking to repeat in the best drama and best comedy categories. And the limited series category was receiving extra attention thanks to FX’s “The People v. O. J. Simpson” and its star-studded cast. Would it come close to sweeping all the limited series categories? (Very possibly.)
Will HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” repeat for best drama and best comedy? (They’re favorites.) Will FX’s “The People v. O. J. Simpson” and its star-studded cast come close to sweeping all the limited series categories? (Very possibly.) And will Netflix benefit from this year’s presidential election and finally break through in the top acting categories for Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright in “House of Cards?” (Maybe.) In a sign of the expected Emmys dominance for both shows, Jimmy Kimmel, the show’s host, said in his opening monologue, “If your show doesn’t have a dragon or a white bronco in it, go home.”
[ Here is your Emmy Awards cheat sheet ] Mr. Kimmel then veered into the presidential election. Lamenting the possibility of a Donald J. Trump presidency, he lit into the reality show producer Mark Burnett, who was one of the creators of NBC’s “The Apprentice,” the show that made Mr. Trump a nationwide television star. With ABC’s camera firmly squared on Mr. Burnett — who laughed the entire time, despite the charged barbs — Mr. Kimmel said that if Mr. Trump is elected president, Mr. Burnett is the man to blame.
Oh, and just how much will the show’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, address the election and its sometimes nasty overtones at what is supposed to be a (mostly) feel-good celebration about television? “If he’s elected and he builds that wall, the first person we’re throwing over it is Mark Burnett,” Mr. Kimmel said.
Here are five things to look for at this year’s Emmys ceremony: He otherwise spent his routine on the TV industry, including an introductory video in which he appeared in a Carpool Karaoke segment with his late-night rival James Corden.
The Emmys tend to find winners and cling to them for years (Jim Parsons, “Modern Family,” Allison Janney), which is what made last year’s first-time victories for HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” in the best drama and best comedy categories so refreshing. The first award of the evening went to Louie Anderson for his role as Zach Galifianakis’s suburban mother in FX’s “Baskets.”
New voting rules helped secure their victories. (Everyone in the Television Academy, which organizes the Emmys, can now vote in the top categories, instead of just members of a closed-off committee.) But the question looming over Sunday’s selections is whether their victories usher in a new era of unpredictability, or whether Emmy voters have simply found new thoroughbreds to ride. In the night’s first big upset, Kate McKinnon won for best supporting actress in a comedy series for her role in “Saturday Night Live,” upsetting Allison Janney, a seven-time Emmy winner. And, yet again, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won the best actress in a comedy Emmy, the fifth consecutive year she’s won for her role as Selina Meyer in “Veep.”
Here were five issues that loomed as the awards approached and took the air:
The Emmys tend to find winners and cling to them for years (Jim Parsons, “Modern Family,” Ms. Janney), which is what made last year’s first-time victories for HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” in the drama and comedy categories so refreshing.
New voting rules helped secure their victories. (Everyone in the Television Academy, which organizes the Emmys, can now vote in the top categories, instead of just members of a closed-off committee.) But the question looming over Sunday’s selections was whether their victories ushered in a new era of unpredictability or Emmy voters had simply found new thoroughbreds to ride.
There is some good news for HBO’s rivals: Next year, “Game of Thrones,” one of the most widely praised dramas, will not be eligible for the Emmys; the network elected to start the show’s seventh season next summer, outside of the Emmy-eligible window.There is some good news for HBO’s rivals: Next year, “Game of Thrones,” one of the most widely praised dramas, will not be eligible for the Emmys; the network elected to start the show’s seventh season next summer, outside of the Emmy-eligible window.
Though the Emmys are usually numbingly predictable, two categories seem very much up for grabs, and they are big ones: best actor and best actress in a drama. Will Viola Davis repeat her victory last year for “How to Get Away With Murder,” when she became the first African-American woman to win in that category — or, with politics in the air, will Ms. Wright’s portrayal of the vice presidential candidate Claire Underwood result in her first prime-time Emmy? Though the Emmys are usually numbingly predictable, two categories seemed very much up for grabs, and they were big ones: best actor and best actress in a drama. Last year, Viola Davis became the first African-American woman to win in that category for “How to Get Away With Murder,” and she was a favorite to prevail again. And with politics in the air, Ms. Wright’s portrayal of the vice-presidential candidate Claire Underwood in “House of Cards” had a chance to produce her first prime-time Emmy.
The best actor category — in which the prize went last year to Jon Hamm, whose Don Draper character in “Mad Men” is now retired — is wide open. The three top contenders are the newcomer Rami Malek for his role as a hacker in “Mr. Robot” and two veterans: Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood in “House of Cards” and Bob Odenkirk in “Better Call Saul.” None has won an acting Emmy. The best actor category — in which the prize went last year to Jon Hamm, whose Don Draper character in “Mad Men” is now retired — was wide open. The three top contenders were the newcomer Rami Malek for his role as a hacker in “Mr. Robot” and two veterans: Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood in “House of Cards” and Bob Odenkirk in “Better Call Saul.” None have won acting Emmys.
One other open question: Will Emmy voters give any love to “Downton Abbey,” which completed its final season this year? It’s up for drama but its best chance for a win is in the best supporting actress in a drama category, with Maggie Smith. One other question was whether Emmy voters would give any love to “Downton Abbey,” which completed its final season this year. It was up for drama, but many experts considered the best supporting actress in a drama category, with Maggie Smith, to be its best chance for a victory.
The comedy talk-show space has never been more crowded, and even with diminished ratings, the spotlight can still be awfully bright: Just ask Jimmy Fallon, who was criticized for his “Tonight Show” interview with Donald J. Trump on Thursday.The comedy talk-show space has never been more crowded, and even with diminished ratings, the spotlight can still be awfully bright: Just ask Jimmy Fallon, who was criticized for his “Tonight Show” interview with Donald J. Trump on Thursday.
Comedy Central has dominated the variety show category, winning for 13 consecutive years with “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” Not this year; Trevor Noah, Jon Stewart’s replacement, was shut out of the race in his first year as “The Daily Show” host. Comedy Central has dominated the variety show category, winning for 13 consecutive years with “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” Not this year; Trevor Noah, Jon Stewart’s replacement, was shut out of the race in his first year as host of “The Daily Show.”
The favorite to win is John Oliver for his HBO show “Last Week Tonight,” now in its third season. It would be a breakthrough of sorts: The Emmy for variety show has been handed out to daily talk shows for years, and hasn’t been given to a weekly show since Tracey Ullman won for her sketch series “Tracey Takes On…” nearly 20 years ago. (Starting last year, variety sketch series and variety talk series were separated into different categories.) The favorite to win was John Oliver for his HBO show “Last Week Tonight,” now in its third season. The Emmy for variety show has been handed out to daily talk shows for years and hasn’t been given to a weekly show since Tracey Ullman won for her sketch series “Tracey Takes On…” nearly 20 years ago. (Starting last year, variety sketch series and variety talk series were separated into different categories.)
Other nominees include the newcomer James Corden (though, notably, not his CBS colleague Stephen Colbert), and late-night veterans including Mr. Kimmel, Mr. Fallon, Bill Maher and Jerry Seinfeld for “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” Other nominees include the newcomer James Corden (though, notably, not his CBS colleague Stephen Colbert) and late-night veterans including Mr. Kimmel; Mr. Fallon; Bill Maher; and Jerry Seinfeld, for “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.”
FX’s “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” was a ratings hit and critics darling, but it was still an open question as to whether that would translate that into big wins at the Emmys. FX’s “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” was a ratings hit and a darling of critics, setting it up for a potentially big night at the Emmys.
Nearly every feature player for the limited series scored a nomination, including Sarah Paulson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown, John Travolta and David Schwimmer. Ms. Paulson has been nominated for an Emmy six times and is looking for her first win. Her possible good-luck charm? She’s bringing the former prosecutor Marcia Clark — whom she portrayed in the 10-episode series — as her date. Nearly every feature player for the limited series scored a nomination, including Sarah Paulson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown, John Travolta and David Schwimmer. Ms. Paulson has been nominated for an Emmy six times and was looking for her first win. Her possible good-luck charm? She brought the former prosecutor Marcia Clark — whom she portrayed in the 10-episode series — as her date.
For FX, the Emmy glow extends beyond the O .J. series. “Fargo” is also nominated in the limited-series category and is vying to claim its second victory in three years. And after years of being shut out, FX’s critically praised “The Americans” finally broke through with three major nominations — best drama, best actor (Matthew Rhys) and best actress (Keri Russell). For FX, the Emmy glow extended beyond the O. J. series. “Fargo” was also nominated in the limited-series category and was vying to claim its second victory in three years. And after years of being shut out, FX’s critically praised “The Americans” finally broke through with three major nominations — best drama, best actor (Matthew Rhys) and best actress (Keri Russell).
HBO has an early lead after the Creative Arts Emmys were handed out last weekend, but FX is not far behind; HBO has won 16 so far compared with FX’s 12. And there is a possibility, though remote, that FX could catch HBO, which has won the most Emmys of any network for 14 consecutive years. HBO had an early lead after the Creative Arts Emmys were handed out last weekend, but FX was not far behind, with 12 compared with 16 for HBO. There was a possibility, though remote, that FX could catch HBO, which has won the most Emmys of any network for 14 consecutive years.
The Oscars have been the subject of withering outrage the last two years for a lack of racial diversity in the acting categories. The Emmys? There’s been something closer to silence. No one would argue that TV has fully addressed the issue of race — it has a problem when it comes to tapping minorities behind the scenes, as the Directors Guild of America reported last week, and CBS was criticized in August for a fall lineup featuring familiar white male actors. But nearly two dozen minority actors are nominated for Emmys this year, following Ms. Davis’s acting victory a year ago. The Oscars have been the subject of withering outrage the last two years for a lack of racial diversity in the acting categories. The Emmys? There’s been something closer to silence. No one would argue that TV has fully addressed the issue of race — it has a problem when it comes to tapping minorities behind the scenes, as the Directors Guild of America reported last week, and CBS was criticized in August for a fall lineup featuring familiar white male actors. But nearly two dozen minority actors were nominated for Emmys this year, following Ms. Davis’s acting victory a year ago.
Instead, attention has turned to the awards themselves, with campaigning having turned into something of a blood sport. In the last two years there has been a 40 percent increase in the number of submissions for the best drama Emmy, according to the Television Academy. And “for your consideration” mailers have reached comical proportions, with Netflix sending out a package to Emmy voters so hefty that it could crush a toe.Instead, attention has turned to the awards themselves, with campaigning having turned into something of a blood sport. In the last two years there has been a 40 percent increase in the number of submissions for the best drama Emmy, according to the Television Academy. And “for your consideration” mailers have reached comical proportions, with Netflix sending out a package to Emmy voters so hefty that it could crush a toe.
But even if the industry is in a locked battle, that interest isn’t necessarily spreading to the public. The Emmys broadcast had its lowest ratings ever last year, following a trend for other awards shows.But even if the industry is in a locked battle, that interest isn’t necessarily spreading to the public. The Emmys broadcast had its lowest ratings ever last year, following a trend for other awards shows.
For each of the last three years, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon have been getting close to breaking through at the Emmys. Netflix had 54 nominations this year, its highest ever, and for the first time, it did better than any of the broadcast networks (Pity ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox: Their presence gets smaller each year.) For each of the last three years, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon have been getting close to breaking through at the Emmys. Netflix had 54 nominations this year, its highest ever, and for the first time, it did better than any of the broadcast networks. (Pity ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox: Their presence diminishes each year.)
But when it comes to the major awards, the streaming services are having a harder time of it. Jeffrey Tambor did win best actor in a comedy last year for his role as a transgender woman in Amazon’s “Transparent.” And last year, Netflix had one victory in the major awards, with Uzo Aduba taking best supporting actress in a drama for her role as Crazy Eyes in “Orange Is the New Black.”But when it comes to the major awards, the streaming services are having a harder time of it. Jeffrey Tambor did win best actor in a comedy last year for his role as a transgender woman in Amazon’s “Transparent.” And last year, Netflix had one victory in the major awards, with Uzo Aduba taking best supporting actress in a drama for her role as Crazy Eyes in “Orange Is the New Black.”
But Ms. Aduba was not even nominated this year, and Netflix in previous years has struck out in all the other top awards: best drama, best comedy, best actor and actress in a comedy or drama. Mr. Spacey and Ms. Wright have the chance to change that on Sunday. Netflix could also hope for victories (however unlikely) from “House of Cards’’ in the drama category and “Master of None’’ and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’’ in comedy. But Ms. Aduba was not even nominated this year, and Netflix in previous years has struck out in all the other top awards: best drama, best comedy, best actor and actress in a comedy or drama. Mr. Spacey and Ms. Wright had the chance to change that on Sunday. Netflix could also hope for victories (however unlikely) from “House of Cards” in the drama category and “Master of None” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” in comedy.