Inside TV+Movies with Daniel Fienberg

What impact will 'Downton Abbey' shifting Emmy categories have?

If 'Downton' is no longer a miniseries, how will its hopes be impacted?

By Daniel Fienberg Saturday, Feb 25, 2012 1:21 PM

Maggie Smith does not need to worry

Credit: PBS

Are you a fan of Emmy Awards 2011?

Sign up to get the latest updates instantly.

In a move that's almost shocking in its logic and truthfulness, PBS' "Downton Abbey" will reportedly depart the miniseries category for this fall's Emmys and move into the far more appropriate and competitive drama field.

The news first broke on GoldDerby.com, which got this somewhat confusing quote from TV Academy awards chief John Leverence.

"After starting out as a miniseries, 'Downton Abbey' caught fire and so now it moves over to drama series category as it plans for future TV seasons," Leverence tells Gold Derby. "It follows the trajectory of previous shows like 'The Starter Wife' that started out as a miniseries and then became a regular series."

Leverence's quote makes the confusing assertion that it was success that made "Downton Abbey" into a worthy entrant for the series field, rather than "Downton Abbey" simply being a TV series that was miscategorized last year and then moved into the correct category this year.

It would be too much, presumably, for Leverence to say, "Yeah, British TV shows confuse us." After all, does the shift of "Downton Abbey" to the correct category mean that the TV Academy will also stop calling "Luther" a miniseries? And will this enforce a ripple effect that will cause the Golden Globes and the various guilds to also stop calling "Downton Abbey" (and "Luther" and "The Hour") a movie/miniseries or will it exist only in isolation?

The big question, and the reason I'm writing this as blog post rather than as a news story, is what impact moving "Downton Abbey" into the drama field will have on various category races that are already the most heated on Emmy night.

[More after the break...]

The Outstanding Drama Series category, for example, has been won by "Mad Men" four consecutive years. Some folks think that's a bad thing. I happen to think "Mad Men" has been the best drama on TV for four consecutive years.

Among last year's fellow nominees, "Friday Night Lights" is over and no sane person expects the Academy to nominate "Dexter" again (or rather, no sane person *hopes* the Emmys will nominate "Dexter" again). That leaves two slots, assuming "Mad Men," "Boardwalk Empire," "The Good Wife" and "Game of Thrones" don't fall out. "Homeland" is probably close to a lock, leaving only one available slot for "Downton Abbey," but also theoretically for "Luck," "Boss" or "American Horror Story," to say nothing of "Breaking Bad" (nominated two years ago) and "Justified" (slowly making in-roads with the Academy). So all of these stories that are asking if "Downton Abbey" is going to end the "Mad Men" run are ignoring that merely getting nominated is going to be a fight for the PBS favorite, especially given a semi-consensus that "Downton Abbey" had a creative decline -- the degree of said decline depends on who you talk to -- in its second season.

If I had a hunch, I'd say "Downton Abbey" is probably likely to get a nomination, but that may just make HBO step up the promotional game for "Boardwalk Empire," "Game of Thrones" and "Luck," which seemed like a no-brainer for contention before people actually saw the show.

What of the other nominations that came so easily for "Downton Abbey" on the Miniseries/Movies side that may not come so easily now?

Maggie Smith doesn't need to worry, I'd guess. The movie/miniseries supporting actress winner is entering a field that loses last year's deserving winner in Margo Martindale, but also has relatively bumpable nominees in Christine Baranski and Michelle Forbes. Even though at least one slot is guaranteed to be reserved for Jessica Lange for "American Horror Story," Smith would just bump an established nominee and life would go on.

Elizabeth McGovern, nominated last year in the weaker lead actress movie/miniseres field will have a harder time, but it also won't be impossible. The Lead Actress, Drama field loses Connie Britton and returning nominees Mireille Enos and Kathy Bates have to be considered at least somewhat soft. Claire Danes is a lock for a nomination, but we can safely assume Emmy voters aren't going to vote on Golden Globe newcomers like Callie Thorne and Madeleine Stowe.

One person who definitely suffers is Hugh Bonneville, who was nominated for the Golden Globe for Lead Actor in a Movie/Miniseries, but didn't receive a similar Emmy nomination last year (in a category that included Idris Elba for "Luther"). Assuming PBS decides to keep Bonneville as a "lead," he wanders into the absolute hurrican of the Lead Actor, Drama field that loses last year's winner in Kyle Chandler, but will feature the return of Bryan Cranston, plus new faces like Damian Lewis, Golden Globe winner Kelsey Grammer, long-time presumptive nominee Dustin Hoffman and more. Even Hugh Laurie, who smart money would have guess was easily droppable this year, is going to get an inevitable boost from whatever stops the writers pull out as "House" approaches its series finale. No matter how zeitgeisty "Downton Abbey" feels at this exact second, the chances of Bonneville moving ahead of enough favorites to earn a nomination here are middling at best.

PBS will also have a handful of big choices to make about the entire "Downton Abbey" supporting cast.

Last summer, when "Downton Abbey" had yet to attain its current popular status, PBS limited its Emmy submissions to Smith, McGovern, Bonneville and Brendan Coyle. It's hard to imagine Michelle Dockery, Brendan Coyle and Jim Carter not at least being submitted this year, though none of the three are all that likely to earn nominations. But where does that leave somebody like Iain Glen? Could he be a candidate in the guest star field?

Most of the below-the-line nominations for "Downton Abbey" are probably safe, regardless of the selected field. Cinematography? Costumes? Art direction? Casting? "Downton Abbey" can hold its own in most of those fields, even if "Homeland" and "Luck" and "American Horror Story" and "Boss" and several other new shows make for a crowded pack.

The bottom line is that we were all going to make fun of the Emmys if "Downton Abbey" became an annual champion in a category it had no business competing in. Regardless of how much British TV flummoxes Emmy voters and the TV Academy, they're smart enough to know that if something keeps getting renewed every year, it's probably not a miniseries anymore. "Downton Abbey" isn't and wasn't a miniseries, so it's probably better for the legitimacy of all concerned that it isn't treated as one anymore.

What do y'all think? Will "Downton Abbey" have a big impact in the drama categories, or did this shift hurt its Emmy chances?

Want More...

Emmy Awards 2012?

Check out everything there is including photos, reviews, videos.

Go There ►

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.

Related Searches: Emmys 2012, Downton Abbey, Emmy Awards, Maggie Smith

Trending Now on HitFix Boards

Topic	Started By	Latest Post	Replies
I'd like to see Jimmy Fallon host the Emmys every year	dave1279	over 1 year ago	1
With no disrespect to Jeff Probst, I'm ready for Ryan Seacrest to win an Emmy for his work on Idol	dave1279	over 1 year ago	1
Discuss Emmys on HitFix Message Boards »

gregel

Sad to say it, but I think Good Wife will be out. Homeland, Downton, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Boardwalk and, ugh, Luck. It's gonna be hard for them to say no to Mann/Milch/Hoffman, etc. Although there has never been a year where a major network did not land a nod. Hmmmm....
February 25, 2012 at 2:47PM EST Reply to Comment
- Greg - I'd say the one advantage "Good Wife" obviously has over ALL of these shows is that it's watched by 10+ million people every week. That might not be enough for it to win, but I think it'll still be enough to keep it in the nomination field. My fear would be that "Breaking Bad," which has always had only limited Emmy approval, may suffer from out-of-sight-out-of-mind problems stemming from its eligible season airing nearly a year earlier...
  
  Maybe...
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 2:54PM EST
- Mike Is the support really that limited for Breaking Bad? Cranston did win 3 Emmys for the show over more highly predicted people like Hamm and Laurie and Hall, and Aaron Paul got over the hump last season.
  February 25, 2012 at 3:14PM EST
- Mike - It's mostly limited relative to "Mad Men," I suppose. It got seven Emmy nominations last time it was eligible, which was a good number, but it hasn't become the sort of every-category favorite that "Mad Men" has, hence the lack of writing nominations and hence people like Anna Gunn and Giancarlo Esposito and Dean Norris not really being factors previously...
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 3:58PM EST
- nic919 I don't think Luck is going to make the Best Drama list. While there might not be a limit as to how many HBO shows can be nominated, Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire are more watchable than Luck. Dustin Hoffman is the only sure bet for a nomination, whereas the show itself hasn't really made the impression that it wants to. When Game of Thrones aired there was buzz surrounding it, even among people who had never read the books. None of that is happening with Luck.
  
  I think there is room for Downton Abbey, but it is not a sure thing. If I had to pick between Breaking Bad and Downton, then Breaking Bad is the better show. I agree that the Good Wife will benefit from the massive audience it gets compared to the other shows.
  February 25, 2012 at 4:04PM EST
- Adam B. If year-to-year quality matters more than inertia, the The Good Wife thus far hasn't earned nomination for this season.
  
  Then again, these are the folks who always nominate and award The Amazing Race no matter what.
  February 25, 2012 at 4:19PM EST
- Nick Jeez, so many options! Considering the abundance of choices now, there's probably no chance of Justified cracking it, nor can I see them stooping to American Horror Story.
  
  I'd wager Luck misses out too, even with the pedigree on and off camera. Not only have the ratings been pitiful but the horse racing backdrop could alienate many. And while we're only four episodes in, gosh does it remain a pretty tough watch. HBO also has two other shows to push.
  
  Didn't we have 7 nominations in 2009? This would seem as good a year as any for that to happen again: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Homeland, Downton Abbey, The Good Wife, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones.
  
  But one final point: both Starz and DirecTV only have one show to campaign for so you can't count them out. In the case of Boss, you've got a show revolving around politics with a powerhouse lead performance by a guy with 5 Emmy wins and 14 nominations. In the case of Damages, you've got a show that was already nominated in the category twice. And remember what DirecTV did for Friday Night Lights at the Emmys.
  
  EXTREMELY interesting race.
  February 25, 2012 at 6:06PM EST
- Nick - I think your point regarding Starz's single-direction campaign is very likely to work out for Grammer, but I really can't imagine it working for the show. Similarly, I think DirecTV may be able to get nominations for Close and Byrne, but the series itself is far less likely.
  
  But I definitely agree that this will be an impressively cluttered, chaotic year... And that a lot of deserving shows/actors are likely to be snubbed...
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 6:12PM EST
Bailarge

To me this just braces me more for the potential heartbreak of Breaking Bad not being recognized as one of the best shows on TV. It's only gotten better and if it gets ignored this year it would be very unfortunate and stupid.
February 25, 2012 at 3:15PM EST Reply to Comment
Captain Hammer

First thought: about damn time they got it right.

Second thought: I really hope it doesn't get nominated. If it were in the right category last year, then I think it would've deserved it. But the second season was much poorer than the first, and there's more competition than last year. If it were my choice, the list would be:

Breaking Bad
Mad Men
Boardwalk Empire
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Luck

Though I do say that without having yet seen The Good Wife or Justified. As for the acting categories, just give Maggie Smith a nomination and let it end there.
February 25, 2012 at 3:24PM EST Reply to Comment
Vanessa

If anybody in Downton Abbey aside from Maggie Smith should be nominated for an acting award, it's Michelle Dockery, hands down. Why do you think she's unlikely to secure a nomination? Her acting was one of the only things all critics could agree on (even those who felt the second season was not as good as the first).

I do agree that a) Downton is not at all close to being a lock for a drama nod at all and b) that even if it is nominated, it has basically no chance of winning. Its pacing in the second season undermined several potentially promising (and more serious subplots) and that will hurt it in a category chock full of super serious nominees.
February 25, 2012 at 3:41PM EST Reply to Comment
- Vanessa - She's likely to be submitted as supporting, which puts her head-to-head with Smith in her own category and there's zero chance she's bumping Smith. It's just hard for an actress who's a relative unknown *here* to break into one of these fields for a PBS show. I would have zero objections, personally, to her being nominated... None at all...
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 3:55PM EST
- Vanessa True, battling Maggie Smith wouldn't work out. I recognize this is unlikely to happen because it would probably ruffle feathers, but Elizabeth McGovern didn't really have that much to do this season nor do I think she's one of the strongest actors on the show. If I were PBS, I'd put Michelle Dockery over Elizabeth McGovern in the lead actress category and/or put them both for that category. It's not like there haven't been/aren't shows that have had multiple actors nominated in the same category before...
  February 25, 2012 at 4:04PM EST
- Vanessa - With McGovern, it comes down brand awareness. I don't know that she was ever a movie "star," but Elizabeth McGovern has had a long and frequently respectable film career , which helped her stand out. Bonneville was selected as PBS' lead actor candidate for somewhat similar reasons. That's at least part of why only the four actors were submitted last year. This year, though, because the show is a known quantity, we'll see more actors submitted and things could get shaken up a bit...
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 4:14PM EST
Alex

Won't Mad Men be ineligible this coming fall because of the fact that it took a year off? Or will the fact that it's returning in March put it in the running again?
I don't think Downton Abbey entering the drama category will do much besides hurting its chances of winning; though it is a series I think it fits much better in mini-series than drama.
Though I can see the logic in the shift after it did so well in the mini-series category.
In any case, will make the Emmys at least a little bit more interesting this year.
February 25, 2012 at 3:47PM EST Reply to Comment
- Matt Mitovich Eligibility for this year is: June 1, 2011 - May 31, 2012
  February 25, 2012 at 3:55PM EST
- Vanessa OK so question: Mad Men is coming back on March 25th and presumably has 13 episodes - so it will not have finished its full season run before the end of the eligibility period. Does this mean that individual episodes that fall outside of that period (i.e. episodes 9-13) can't be nominated for anything and/or can't be submitted by the various actors/actresses as part of their bid to be nominated? Frankly I think the fact that a show can get nominated without having aired its full run in the eligibility window is a bit sketchy...but Emmy rules are weird...
  February 25, 2012 at 4:07PM EST
- Vanessa - I *think* -- and Matt or somebody else can maybe correct me here? -- but I think that the eligibility window is for shows to premiere, but a certain number of episodes airing afterwards are still eligible? Or eligible as submission episodes after people are nominated? I think Enos last year had a submission episode from "The Killing" that aired out of the window. But in any case, this happens regularly. "Game of Thrones" premiered in April last year and aired its last chunk of episodes post-May 31, for example. So "Mad Men" will air eight or nine episodes pre-May 31? That seems pretty representative/fair for a show like that?
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 4:17PM EST
- alynch Correct, it's called the hanging episode rule. The rule is that if you air at least six episodes in the eligibility period, then episodes aired after the date are eligible so long as they air before Emmy ballots are due. The rule doesn't apply if those post-deadline episodes aren't aired continuously with the rest of the season (e.g. split seasons and stuff like that) They made that rule back in 2007 to accommodate the Sopranos finale.
  
  By May 31, Mad Men will have aired 10 episodes, barring any weeks off. Since the premiere is two hours, that means there'll only be two episodes left, so they'll be fine.
  February 25, 2012 at 4:41PM EST
- Vanessa Ah OK, thanks. Convenient that Emmy rules get adjusted whenever a critical darling (i.e. the Sopranos or the 70s version of U/D which shuffled back and forth between the miniseries and drama categories) is threatened/is threatening to dominate :)
  February 25, 2012 at 5:19PM EST
- ALEX Thanks, thought for some reason it was in the same situation as Breaking Bad was last year where it wasn't in the running because of taking a year off.
  February 25, 2012 at 5:31PM EST
Corey

"Downton Abbey" is weird show for acting awards. Unlike Jon Hamm pretty much dominating every episode, it really is an ensemble cast. Granted you or I might more interested in some charaters and their plotlines, but I do every character as least gets one.

Honestly think PBS should push Michelle Dockery more then Elizabeth McGovern since Lady Mary is the character even some of the harsher reviewer seem to at least find interesting and Dockery's acting did carry a lot of episodes.
February 25, 2012 at 4:01PM EST Reply to Comment
odessasteps

Dan, how do you think they would categorize sherlock? Its a 3 episode season of 90 minute length.
February 25, 2012 at 4:43PM EST Reply to Comment
- OdessaSteps - Definitely still movie/miniseries. Shouldn't be. But will be.
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 4:53PM EST
syd

Michelle Dockery deserves a nomination, she is pretty amazing in every scene she is in. I find her way more deserving of a nod than McGovern.
February 25, 2012 at 4:57PM EST Reply to Comment
Keith

As I understand it, the shift in category has nothing to do with the fact that the show's back for a second season; it's a simple matter of Academy rules. To be eligible as a Drama/Comedy Series, a show has to air six episodes. The first season of DOWNTON was shorter than that, so was eligible in the Miniseries category; the second season was seven episodes long, and therefore eligible in Drama Series.
February 25, 2012 at 5:17PM EST Reply to Comment
- Keith - And the Academy rules are still a muddle mess built around confusion about the British TV model. Every once in a while, an American show gets to take advantage, like when Andre Braugher won an Emmy for "Thief," which became a miniseries after-the-fact. But if "Downton Abbey" is a series -- and it is -- "Luther" and "The Hour" are as well. Any rules system that considers "Downton Abbey" magically a series because it aired seven installments, but keeps "The Hour" as a miniseries because it aired six is warped.
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 5:26PM EST
- Keith "Thief" was considered a miniseries because it was only six episodes long (and I don't think it was ever scheduled for more than that); nothing "after-the-fact" about it.
  
  Given that you've got to have some way to differentiate between a series and a miniseries (unless you want to do away with the miniseries category entirely), how could you do it that would be any better than number of episodes aired?
  February 25, 2012 at 6:10PM EST
- Keith - "Thief" was picked up as a series. The network simply opted not to renew it. Because of the season length, it became a miniseries for Emmy purposes, but it was designed as a continuing series. A "miniseries" can't have its second season cancelled, but "Thief" was cancelled. It was not a miniseries except for for Emmy purposes.
  
  "Sleeper Cell" aired 10 episodes on Showtime and it, illogically, was considered a miniseries, even though it was renewed. So the rules are illogical and poorly applied.
  
  But in England, "Luther" is a TV series. NOBODY would call it a movie or a miniseries. It's absurd that the Emmy rules just don't care.
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 6:29PM EST
- leemats Keith - The first season of D.A. was actually seven episodes. PBS grouped a few episodes together if one of them was over two hours. For example, episode 1 was 66 minutes, so they ran it with episode 2 (48 minutes), so it would fit in a 2-hour scheduling block. They did the same thing with episodes 6 and 7, and also did a similar thing for Season 2. Although now I wonder if this "stringing" of episodes had anything to do with making it eligible for the miniseries category. But as far as I'm concerned, when a second season is produced, it can no longer be called a miniseries no matter how many episodes are produced.
  February 25, 2012 at 8:06PM EST
Sergei

Elizabeth McGovern is terrific in "Downton," as is Michelle Dockery and of course Maggie Smith, but Hugh Bonneville is the lynchpin of the ensemble. It's too bad that a showy (but terrific) performance like Idris Elba's in "Luther" automatically trumps a magnificent yet understated one like Bonneville's.
February 25, 2012 at 5:41PM EST Reply to Comment
- Corey This is kind of interesting to think about how is the acting "star" of DA. Maggie Smith is definately a supporting character although she does so of clear up any confusion by randomly dropping to storylines like telling Matthew that Mary still loves him and that Daisy probably did love the late William.
  
  I don't think Hugh Bonneville, who I generally like, was all the amazing this season whining about something to do for the war effort and that rando romance with the war widow turned housemaid.
  
  Similar to 'Brideshead Revisited,' weird to think of younger cast who will be the Jeremy Irons of it and who will be the Anthony Andrews of it never to be heard much again.
  February 25, 2012 at 7:02PM EST
Write a comment

Do you mean Jim Carter, who plays Carson?
February 25, 2012 at 6:30PM EST Reply to Comment
- Yup. Stupid confabulation. Fixed. Thanks...
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 6:39PM EST
ccv707

Breaking Bad should win best drama series, and Cranston and Esposito should both win in their respective categories. They put together one of the greatest single seasons in television history.
February 25, 2012 at 9:41PM EST Reply to Comment
Ricardo

How confusing. I always thought the category was "Outstanding Mini or British Series"!

About the category...
Mad Men is a lock. The Good Wife is a very good bet (you're right, being watched by 10+ million people is gonna help). Game of Thrones is also very likely. Its second season is gonna air close to the Emmys and that buzz will definitely help.

I know you say Breaking Bad has "only limited Emmy approval" but I cannot imagine an Emmy winner in two important categories which was nominated two times already in this category only two years ago is gonna have much difficulty breaking *in*.

I'm not so sure about Boardwalk Empire. Everyone thinks the show is some kind of Emmy juggernaut but what did *actually* win? A directing award for Martin Scorsese which was practically a given since the news got out.

Homeland has a very good shot.

So we're left with Luck, Downton Abbey and Justified. I think Luck will be left out despite its pedigree. I hope Justified will get the spot because I'm one of *those* people who loved Downton Abbey's first season but was very underwhelmed by the second (though I've yet to watch the Christmas special).

So, I think the nominees will be...

Mad Men
The Good Wife
Game of Thrones
Breaking Bad
Homeland
Downton Abbey

Thought Boardwalk Empire could easily find its way there, I hope Justified gets in.

PS: Sorry for my english.
February 25, 2012 at 10:15PM EST Reply to Comment
- Ricardo - Your English is nifty and that's an entirely plausible Outstanding Drama Series field. My conviction that Boardwalk Empire is still set there is based on all of the nominations it got last year, as well as the second Golden Globe nomination and all of the guilds it repeated with (or was renominated by) this winter. But I definitely wouldn't say I'm convinced it would get in over those six shows you listed, which are all VERY strong...
  
  -Daniel
  February 25, 2012 at 10:20PM EST
Pretto

Such a great deal of outrage over Downton Abbey's proper categorization. Were you a big fan of 'The Kennedys' or 'Pillars of the Earth' and thought they were robbed of last year's miniseries Emmy?

I know you think DA was not a miniseries because they were planning a second series of the show. But EVERY miniseries is a potential regular series if the ratings are high enough. The 'Pillars' sequel is being filmed right now. And if 'Kennedys'' had been a big hit, the Teddy Kennedy Chronicles would be coming to Reelz Channel next fall.
February 26, 2012 at 2:33AM EST Reply to Comment
- Pretto - Not that much outrage. Tiny bit of annoyance about Academy rules being silly. But the actual story is almost no outrage at all.
  
  And if you can't see how "Downton Abbey" is different from "Pillars of the Earth" or your entirely imaginary "Teddy Chronicles," there's not much I can say.
  
  And "Mildred Pierce" would have won. Some people liked "Mildred Pierce" a lot. I didn't. No big loss there.
  
  -Daniel
  February 26, 2012 at 3:57AM EST
- leemats I don't think EVERY miniseries is a potential regular series. Those that are based on books ("Shogun" for example) are usually meant to have a finite end.
  February 26, 2012 at 5:23AM EST
- Pretto It aired on Masterpiece Theatre. Everything that is presented there is automatically considered a miniseries until a second series shows up.
  
  And leemats, Roots, Lonesome Dove, and Rich Man Poor Man all had finite endings too. That didn't stop them from making more. Richard Chamberlain's character died at the end of The Thorn Birds. And he filmed a second miniseries that took place WITHIN the time frame of the first.
  February 26, 2012 at 1:16PM EST
- leemats Pretto, I think there is some confusion here. Yes, it's true that they made "mini-series sequels" to the titles that you mentioned above, but none of them became regular series. My point is that if DA was originally conceived to be a series, then the first season should have been in that category in last year's Emmys.
  February 27, 2012 at 3:22AM EST
rita

The second season of Downton doesn't deserve to be nominated with Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Game of Thrones. It deserves a costume nomination and that's it.
February 26, 2012 at 4:49AM EST Reply to Comment
B

All I care about is Michelle Dockery--probably going supporting, but is really the leading lady and the best thing about DA.
February 26, 2012 at 7:18PM EST Reply to Comment

News From Our Partners

Follow HitFix:

Follow @HitFix

Get Instant Alerts on Breaking News

Latest Posts

A&E's 'Bates Motel' finale closes Season 1 - Are you psycho for it yet?

Something seems to be wrong with Norman Bates

Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Listen: Firewall & Iceberg Podcast No. 183

Dan and Alan talk 'Goodwin Games,' 'Motive,' 'Behind the Candelabra' and more

Monday, May 20, 2013
The 'Nikita' Season 3 finale sets the endgame in motion - How did it do?

Would Nikita kill the President or not?

Saturday, May 18, 2013
Listen: Firewall & Iceberg Podcast No. 182

Dan and Alan talk upfronts, reality and 'The Office' finale

Friday, May 17, 2013

Cannes Film Festival 2013

Inside TV+Movies with Daniel Fienberg

What impact will 'Downton Abbey' shifting Emmy categories have?

Are you a fan of Emmy Awards 2011?

Sign up to get the latest updates instantly.

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever Emmy Awards 2011 is updated

Want More...

Emmy Awards 2012?

Send to your friends

Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/74ypsgh

What impact will 'Downton Abbey' shifting Emmy categories have?

Share this Post on ...

Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/74ypsgh

What impact will 'Downton Abbey' shifting Emmy categories have?

Trending Now on HitFix Boards

Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

gregel Sad to say it, but I think Good Wife will be out. Homeland, Downton, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Boardwalk and, ugh, Luck. It's gonna be hard for them to say no to Mann/Milch/Hoffman, etc. Although there has never been a year where a major network did not land a nod. Hmmmm....

Mike Is the support really that limited for Breaking Bad? Cranston did win 3 Emmys for the show over more highly predicted people like Hamm and Laurie and Hall, and Aaron Paul got over the hump last season.

Adam B. If year-to-year quality matters more than inertia, the The Good Wife thus far hasn't earned nomination for this season.Then again, these are the folks who always nominate and award The Amazing Race no matter what.

Bailarge To me this just braces me more for the potential heartbreak of Breaking Bad not being recognized as one of the best shows on TV. It's only gotten better and if it gets ignored this year it would be very unfortunate and stupid.

Matt Mitovich Eligibility for this year is: June 1, 2011 - May 31, 2012

Vanessa Ah OK, thanks. Convenient that Emmy rules get adjusted whenever a critical darling (i.e. the Sopranos or the 70s version of U/D which shuffled back and forth between the miniseries and drama categories) is threatened/is threatening to dominate :)

ALEX Thanks, thought for some reason it was in the same situation as Breaking Bad was last year where it wasn't in the running because of taking a year off.

odessasteps Dan, how do you think they would categorize sherlock? Its a 3 episode season of 90 minute length.

OdessaSteps - Definitely still movie/miniseries. Shouldn't be. But will be.-Daniel

syd Michelle Dockery deserves a nomination, she is pretty amazing in every scene she is in. I find her way more deserving of a nod than McGovern.

Write a comment Do you mean Jim Carter, who plays Carson?

Yup. Stupid confabulation. Fixed. Thanks...-Daniel

ccv707 Breaking Bad should win best drama series, and Cranston and Esposito should both win in their respective categories. They put together one of the greatest single seasons in television history.

leemats I don't think EVERY miniseries is a potential regular series. Those that are based on books ("Shogun" for example) are usually meant to have a finite end.

rita The second season of Downton doesn't deserve to be nominated with Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Game of Thrones. It deserves a costume nomination and that's it.

B All I care about is Michelle Dockery--probably going supporting, but is really the leading lady and the best thing about DA.

News From Our Partners

Be the first to know - sign up now to get an instant e-mail alert whenever something big happens in Movies, TV or Music

Latest Posts

Recent Activity on Facebook

Most Popular on Facebook

About HitFix

Advertise on HitFix

Subscribe to HitFix

Popular Topics

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever
Emmy Awards 2011 is updated

gregel

Sad to say it, but I think Good Wife will be out. Homeland, Downton, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Boardwalk and, ugh, Luck. It's gonna be hard for them to say no to Mann/Milch/Hoffman, etc. Although there has never been a year where a major network did not land a nod. Hmmmm....

Adam B. If year-to-year quality matters more than inertia, the The Good Wife thus far hasn't earned nomination for this season.

Then again, these are the folks who always nominate and award The Amazing Race no matter what.

Bailarge

To me this just braces me more for the potential heartbreak of Breaking Bad not being recognized as one of the best shows on TV. It's only gotten better and if it gets ignored this year it would be very unfortunate and stupid.

odessasteps

Dan, how do you think they would categorize sherlock? Its a 3 episode season of 90 minute length.

OdessaSteps - Definitely still movie/miniseries. Shouldn't be. But will be.

-Daniel

syd

Michelle Dockery deserves a nomination, she is pretty amazing in every scene she is in. I find her way more deserving of a nod than McGovern.

Write a comment

Do you mean Jim Carter, who plays Carson?

Yup. Stupid confabulation. Fixed. Thanks...

-Daniel

ccv707

Breaking Bad should win best drama series, and Cranston and Esposito should both win in their respective categories. They put together one of the greatest single seasons in television history.

rita

The second season of Downton doesn't deserve to be nominated with Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Game of Thrones. It deserves a costume nomination and that's it.

B

All I care about is Michelle Dockery--probably going supporting, but is really the leading lady and the best thing about DA.

Be the first to know - sign up now to get an instant e-mail alert
whenever something big happens in Movies, TV or Music