Remember how excited we were about the Oscars? After a few months, we finally managed to get over it and stop talking about Argo. But now award fever has hit once again: this morning, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced its nominees for this year’s primetime Emmys. Many of the nominees are exactly what you’d expect. Modern Family and Louie lead in comedy, Homeland, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men, are in contention for drama, and HBO original movies continue to lead the miniseries category.
But there are a few notable shockers on the list, primarily the inclusion of programs debuted on non-television services. Netflix’s House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, and Arrested Development all received nominations, and the Xbox-exclusive Halo 4: Foward Unto Dawn miniseries received a nod. Even Zack Galifianakis’s low-budget web series Between Two Ferns got a nod. For the first time, the distinction of “television” is no longer just confined to what’s broadcasted on-air. It can be available through a service or exclusively via a certain platform. Soon it might be silly to call these awards “primetime.”
Consider that a film must be played in a Los Angeles theater for one week to be Oscar-eligible. By comparison, the television industry is quickly recognizing new trends in consumption and technology. If television is really in a golden age, as many critics and filmmakers suggest, then this marks a turning point for television as a truly modern medium.
The Los Angeles Times has a complete, easy-to-navigate list of the nominees on their website. We can’t wait until September 22 to see who comes out on top.