Entertainment

Aren’t the Emmys meant to recognise excellence in the television industry? Well, please explain this year’s nominations to me, then.

I get that everyone has different opinions. Just because you think Girls is the best TV show ever, doesn’t mean everyone’s going to. Just because Johnny Depp is your favourite actor, doesn’t mean he’s everyone’s (although in the case of Johnny Depp he is pretty much everyone’s favourite). Therefore, I get that the Emmys can’t make everyone happy. But the whole point of having an awards show that hands out fancy golden statues to the best of the best on TV right now should surely be to actually RECOGNISE the best of the best on TV right now? So why, this year, do we have another list of Emmy nominations that are misguided, snubbing a shocking amount of well loved and well deserved shows, actors and actresses, while showering the less deserving with multiple nominations, the same as they do EVERY year? (Looking at you, Modern Family).

Let’s start with the Comedy categories. Much like last year, and the year before, Modern Family has a bazillion and one nominations. It’s a good show, but do the cast members REALLY deserve award nominations for this seasons work when people like Nick Offerman and Chris Pratt on Parks and Recreation are getting snubbed? Were Ed O’Neil and Julie Bowen’s performances as Jay Pritchett and Claire Dunphy really worthy of a place in the nominations listing over Jake Johnson from New Girl? And then there’s the Best Comedy category itself. No New Girl, which was arguably one of the best comedies on TV this season, and no Parks and Recreation. In fact, there’s never been any Parks and Recreation, which is shocking, considering this is a show loved by both critics and fans, and long deserving of a nomination. Please don’t even get me started on the fact The Big Bang Theory is up over shows such as New Girl or Parks. But then again, these are the same awards that thought Steve Carell never deserved to win for his portrayal of Micheal Scott over seven seasons of The Office US but were happy to hand out an Emmy to Jon Cryer at one point for Two and a Half Men. Two and a Half Men. I’m not judging you if you enjoy that show, but I do seriously worry for you if you think it is a show that deserves to be celebrated above others for it’s excellence. Jane Lynch up for Best Supporting Actress for Glee is a weird choice. I like Jane Lynch but I think even die-hard Gleeks will admit Sue Sylvester’s character has become stale and repetitive.

Over into Drama, some more rational choices have been made with nominations for Connie Britton for Nashville and Vera Farmiga for Bates Motel. Strangely, nothing for Hannibal. And nothing for Tatianna Maslany, outrageously. Within seconds of the nominations coming out, Maslany’s name was trending worldwide on Twitter. There’s also nothing for The Walking Dead, which is a massive shame – Andrew Lincoln’s performance as Rick Grimes was outstanding.

The Emmys tend to quickly overlook anything remotely fantastical or in the realm of science fiction. I know this isn’t the Teen Choice Awards, but The Vampire Diaries could have Meryl Streep acting her heart out, and she would still probably get ignored because this is a show about vampires and is on The CW. But by doing this, The Emmys is missing out on giving out nominations to actors – and shows – who genuinely deserve to be recognised for their work. Take Dylan O’Brien on Teen Wolf, for example. A stunningly good actor, both comedically and dramatically, but the chances of his nominations are around zero because this show features werewolves and not, lets say, 20-somethings living in New York or a fictional newsroom. But by ignoring the majority of the shows that fit into either the science fiction, teen or fantasy genre, it’s like the Emmys are saying one genre is more superior to the other. And it’s not.  Even Game of Thrones doesn’t get the full recognition it deserves. Why can we give nominations to pretty much everyone on Modern Family, but GoT, which contains an incredibly expansive cast , all giving stellar acting performances, only manages to grab two supporting nominations for Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke? What about Michelle Fairley, who gave a stunning performance in this seasons Red Wedding?

The Emmys desperately needs to expand its categories. Best Drama and Best Comedy? What about the shows that fit in the Dramedy category? Why can’t we have a best sci-fi or fantasy category so that genuinely good, well written and well-acted shows like The Walking Dead and Orphan Black don’t get overlooked? And does anyone else think they’re needs to be a Best Young Actor/Actress award? The under 18 actors on shows such as Game of Thrones, Modern Family and Mad Men, never even get a look in even though their acting can often surpass that of their older cast members.  This year’s Emmy nominations, overall, are stale, boring and predictable. They aren’t recognising excellence in television so much as showing how out of touch they have become.

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