Emmy Awards will be held on Sept 20th this yearPreviously: The Comedy Nominations
On the Outs: The big news emerging from this Emmy nomination morning is that Orange is the New Black's 3rd season did not go over well with Emmy voters falling from all the major categories but it did receive a casting nomination. The Good Wife also didn't get a particularly warm nomination send off in its final season with only a handful of minor nominations.
Suddenly In: After years of pressuring the Academy, television critics finally got their beloved "The Americans" in the running in most of the big categories. Perhaps it was the title? Everything "American" did well... "The Americans", "American Crime", American Crime Story" etcetera.
Still In: Most everything they previously loved but particularly Game of Thrones which I believe is now the most nominated show in the history of the Emmys with 106 nominations from its six seasons. It's won 26 Emmys already.
Still Out: The Leftovers was snubbed again. Two brilliant, challenging, original, and very different seasons and not a single nomination even in technical categories in either year. For shame, Emmy voters, for shame.
The nominees with brief commentary...
DRAMA
Outstanding Drama Series
"Americans" (1st nomination. 4th season)
"Better Call Saul" (2nd season. 2nd nomination)
"Downton Abbey" (6th season. 6th nomination... though the first was in another category)
"Game of Thrones" (6th season. 6th nomination)
"Homeland" (5th season. 4th nomination)
"House of Cards" (4th season. 4th nomination)
"Mr Robot" (1st season. 1st nomination)
Similarity to Last Year: 5/7 They had to make one change with Mad Men gone so in goes Mr Robot, the most buzzed about freshman series. But the other change was voluntary: they dumped Orange is the New Black (3rd season) for The Americans (4th season). It's wonderful to see The Americans finally get its due but why couldn't it have dumped one of the long in the tooth shows that really don't deserve automatic placement each year?
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Danes, "Homeland" (5 noms in 5 seasons - 2 additional nominations and 3 wins in total)
Viola Davis, "How To Get Away With Murder" (2nd nomination, 2nd season)
Taraji P Henson, "Empire" (2nd nomination, 2nd season)
Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black" (2nd nom, 4th season)
Keri Russell, "The Americans" (1st nom, 4th season)
Robin Wright, "House of Cards" (4th nom, 4th season)
Similarity to Last Year: 5/6. Forced to make one change with Mad Men cancelled they opted for the long overdue Keri Russell in The Americans
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, "Bloodline" (2nd season, 2nd nom ... 3 previous nominations and 1 win)
Rami Malek, "Mr Robot" (1st nom, 1st season)
Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul" (2nd nom, 2nd season - 7 noms/2 wins in other categories)
Matthew Rhys, "The Americans" (1st nom, 4th season)
Liev Schreiber, "Ray Donovan" (2nd nom, 3rd season - 1 previous nomination)
Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards" (4th nom for 4 seasons, 4 additional noms in other categories)
Similarity To Last Year: 4/6. They were forced to make two changes with Jeff Daniels and Jon Hamm no longer eligible - they went with Rami Malek and Matthew Rhys. They made no voluntary changes.
Constance Zimmer rules the kingdom on "UnREAL"
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Emilia Clarke, "Game of Thrones" (3rd nom in 6 seasons)
Lena Headey, "Game of Thrones" (3rd consecutive nom in 6 seasons)
Dame Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey" (5th nomination, 6 seasons, 2 wins for this character. 4 previous nominations and a win for other shows)
Maura Tierney, "The Affair" (1st nomination, 2nd season. 1 previous nomination)
Maisie Williams, "Game of Thrones" (1st nomination, 6th season)
Constance Zimmer, "UnREAL" (1st nomination, 1st season)
Similarity to Last Year: 2/6. Almost a major shakeup in this category where they only had to replace one performer with Christina Hendricks no longer eligible after 6 nominations for her Mad Men character. They dumped 2 time winner Uzo Aduba, constant nominee Christine Baranski (the only time she's missed for The Good Wife and the last season no less) and Joanne Froggat for Downton Abbey after 3 nominations for her character. But "a major shakeup" sounds more exciting than it is because they just welcomed in another Game of Thrones actress, and added back in another constant nominee (Dame Maggie Smith). The breakthroughs: Maura Tierney and Constance Zimmer.
Sorry About It: The astounding female casts of The Leftovers and Orange is the New Black were all left out
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, "Better Call Saul" (3rd nomination for this character, 4th overall)
Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones" (6th nomination in 6 seasons for this character, 1 win)
Kit Harington, "Game of Thrones" (1st nomination, 6th season)
Michael Kelly, "House of Cards" (2nd nomination, 4th season)
Ben Mendelsohn, "Bloodline" (2nd nomination, 2nd season)
Jon Voight, "Ray Donovan" (2nd nomination, 3rd season. 2 previous nominations for other things)
Similarity to Last Year: 4/6. Both changes were voluntary. GASP. They said goodbye to Jim Carter for Downton Abbey after 4 nominations and Alan Cumming after 3 nominations for his Good Wife character but just welcomed Voight back, and doubled down on Game of Thrones -- now the most Emmy nominated show of all time -- all over the place giving Harington his first honor.
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Mahershala Ali, "House of Cards" (1st nomination)
Reg Cathey, "House of Cards" (3rd nomination for this character. 1 win)
Hank Azaria, "Ray Donovan" (1st nomination for this character. 11 previous nominations and 5 wins)
Michael J Fox, "The Good Wife" (5th nomination for this character. 17 previous nominations and 5 wins)
Paul Sparks, "House of Cards" (1st nomination)
Max Von Sydow, "Game of Thrones" (1st nomination for this character. 1 previous nomination)
Similarities to Last Year: Reg Cathey won this last year for his House of Cards character. Michael J Fox returns again for The Good Wife despite a year when The Good Wife was barely honored at all.
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Laurie Metcalfe, "Horace & Pete"
Ellen Burstyn, "House of Cards"
Allison Janney, "Masters of Sex"
Margo Martindale, "The Americans"
Molly Parker, "House of Cards"
Carrie Preston, "The Good Wife"
Similarities to Last Year: Margo Martindale and Allison Janney return from last year's slate. But basically Emmy voters are only watching a handful of shows and are using the Guest categories as a regular supporting field, still despite a rich totally shifting realm of possibilities (far more changes per year in eligibility than in any other acting categories).
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
"Downton Abbey" - "Episode 8 (Julian Fellowes)
"Game of Thrones" - "Battle fo the Bastards" (David Benioff & DB Weiss)
"Mr Robot" - "eps1.o__hellofriend.mov" (Sam Esmail)
"The Americans" - "Persona Non Grata" (Josh Fields & Joe Weisberg)
"The Good Wife" - "End" (Robert King & Michelle King)
"UnREAL" - "Return" (Marti Noxon & Sarah Gertrude Shapiro)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
"Downton Abbey" -- "Episode 9" (Michael Engler)
"Game Of Thrones" -- "Battle of the Bastards" (Miguel Sapochnik)
"Game of Thrones" -- "The Door" (Jack Bender)
"Homeland" - "The Tradition of Hospitality" (Lesli Linka Glatter)
"The Knick" -- "This is All We Are" (Steven Soderbergh)
"Ray Donovan" -- "Exsuscito" (David Hollander)
MOVIE/MINISERIES
Outstanding Miniseries
"American Crime" (2nd nomination, 2nd season)
"Fargo" (2nd nomination, 2nd season)
"Roots"
"The Night Manager"
"The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story"
Surprise: They finally dumped American Horror Story from this list!
Outstanding Television Movie
"A Very Merry Christmas"
"All the Way"
"Confirmation"
"Luther" (3rd nomination, 4th season essentially)
"Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" (3rd nomination, 4th season essentially)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Felicity Huffman, "American Crime" (2nd season, 2nd nomination. Plus: 2 previous noms and a win)
Lily Taylor, "American Crime" (3rd Emmy nomination - all for different characters)
Kerry Washington, "Confirmation" (3rd emmy nomination - previous 2 from Scandal)
Kirsten Dunst, "Fargo" (1st nomination!)
Audra McDonald, "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill (previously won the Tony for this. 5 previous Emmy nods and a win)
Sarah Paulson, "The People vs OJ Simpson" (5th Emmy nomination)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Bryan Cranston, "All the Way"
Idris Elba, "Luther"
Tom Hiddleston, "Night Manager"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "Sherlock Holmes"
Courtney B Vance, "People vs OJ"
Cuba Gooding Jr, "People vs OJ"
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Regina King, "American Crime" (2nd nom, 2nd season. She won the category last year)
Kathy Bates, "AHS: Hotel" (14th nom, 3rd for AHS. 2 Emmy wins)
Olivia Colman, "The Night Manager" (1st nomination!)
Jean Smart "Fargo" (8th nomination, 3 previous wins)
Sarah Paulson, "AHS: Hotel" (6th nomination, 4th for AHS)
Melissa Leo, "Lady Bird Johnson" (3rd nomination, 1 previous win)
Similarities: With the rise of anthology shows some of the miniseries categories stay the same. King, Bates, and Paulson are all up again for different characters in the same shows
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Jesse Plemons, "Fargo"
Bokeem Woodbine, "Fargo"
Sterling K Brown, "People vs OJ"
Hugh Laurie, "Night Manager"
David Schwimmer, "People vs OJ"
John Travolta, "People vs OJ"
Strange: I don't normally care for the work of Denis O'Hare but I thought he did his best work yet on American Horror Story but this time they didn't nominated him.
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
"Fargo" -"Palindrome" (Noah Hawley)
"Fargo" - "Loplop" (Bob DeLaurentis)
"Night Manager" -(David Farr)
"People vs OJ" - "The Race Card" (Joe Robert Cole)
"People vs OJ" - "Marcia Marcia Marcia" (D.V. DeVincentis)
"People vs OJ" - "From the Ashes of Tragedy" (Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski)
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
"Al the Way" -(Jay Roach)
"Fargo" - "Before the Law" (Noah Hawley)
"Night Manager" -(Susanne Bier)
"People vs OJ" - "The Race Card" (John Singleton)
"People vs OJ" - "Manna From Heaven" (Anthony Hemingway)
"People vs OJ" - "From the Ashes of Tragedy" (Ryan Murphy)
MISCELLANIA
There are approximately 67 more technical categories (The Emmys are nearly as robust as the Grammys with minutae) including multiples of many of the tech categories (for example, Cinematography gets 5 different competitive fields). We'll single some of those out in later posts but for now if you're interested, go to the official Emmy site.
Series That Emmy Doesn't Love. How'd They Do?
TFE "Pets":
PENNY DREADFUL: (2nd season. 6 nominations) Hairstyling, Makeup, Music Composition, Art Direction, Prosthetic Makeup, Visual Effects
CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND (1st season. 4 nominations) Choreography, Main Title Music, Original Music & Lyrics "Settle For Me", Comedy Editing
MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER (2nd season. 0 nominations)
RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE (8th season. 2 nominations) Costumes, Host
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (3rd season. 1 nomination) Casting
THE LEFTOVERS (2nd season. 0 nominations)
General Internet Obsessions:
JESSICA JONES (1st season. 2 nominations) Main Titles, Main Title Music
SENSE8 (1st season. 1 nomination) Main Title Music
THE WALKING DEAD (6th season. 2 nominations) Prosthetic Makeup, Visual FX
DAREDEVIL (2nd season. 2 nominations) Sound Editing, Stunt Coordination
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL (5th season. 8 nominations) Supporting Actress x 2, Sound Editing, Prosthetic Makeup, Art Direction, Makeup, Hairstyling, Costumes
Other Emmy 2016 Posts
Comedy Nominees
Tracee Ellis Ross for Black•ish
The People vs OJ Simpson
American Crime
Confirmation
Grease! Live
Constance Zimmer for UnREAL
Sterling K Brown for The People vs
Main Title Design Nominees
Snubs & Perplexities
Happy Thoughts Finale
If I had a ballot, Drama
If I had a ballot, Comedy