With an ever-increasing number of TV shows to choose from, the Emmys made some surprisingly good choices.
And not just some: This year’s slew of nominations is better than we’ve seen in quite some time. No list is going to please everyone, and some worthy shows and performances are inevitably going to get short shrift. But overall, by shedding its habit of repeating nominations year after year by rote, the Television Academy assembled a list that reflects much of the best TV has to offer — while more fairly representing America at large.
More than ever, diversity matters, particularly when you’re talking about the most powerful and influential medium in modern America. Every one of the six lead-actor categories boasts an inclusive slate of nominees, led by Aziz Ansari, Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross in the comedy categories and Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson and Rami Malek for dramas.That list puts the Oscars to shame (though it's also one that would have looked even better had voters paid a bit of attention to CW’s Jane the Virgin).
The shunning of Jane and CW’s equally worthy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, along with the even more inexcusable slights to CBS’The Good Wife, represents one of the academy's worst traits: myopia when it comes to broadcast series. Yes, there's a tremendous amount of good work being done on newer platforms, but that doesn't justify ignoring the older ones.
Still, in a good year for Emmy, let's look at some of the things the voters got right. In its fourth season, FX's The Americans and stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys finally got the recognition they’ve deserved since the first. The nominations for Mr. Robot and its star prove that buzz and quality can equal Emmy notice, even for a first-year show on USA. And after a terrific year, ABC's Black-ish was named one of TV's best comedies, joining Modern Family as the only broadcast series to make it into the drama or comedy categories.
Elsewhere, I'm glad Louie Anderson got nominated for the otherwise forgettable comedy Baskets, and that Bokeem Woodbine joined some of his more famous co-stars in Fargo. I'm very happy that voters made room for American Crime — a great show that needs their support. I’m even glad John Travolta got a nod for O.J Simpson, if only because that nomination is certain to confound those who felt he was the show’s one weak link.
As for surprises, the biggest shock was felt at Netflix, which otherwise saw its Emmy presence grow. Still, if voters were going to grow tired of a Netflix show, most would have expected it to be House of Cards, which did well, instead of Orange Is the New Black — which really, really didn't.
The worst snub? It’s hard to imagine how the voters could have overlooked TBS' Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, a show I would have picked to win its variety category. Take it as proof that even a good Emmy year has its glitches.
Next year, do even better.
