Are the Emmys stuck in a rut?
Loading...
At the Sept. 18 Emmys ceremony, it may be a victory for the residents of Westeros and the staff of Selina Meyer again.
As the TV awards approach, many critics are predicting that programs such as HBO鈥檚 鈥淕ame of Thrones,鈥 which won the best drama prize at the 2015 ceremony, and the HBO show 鈥淰eep,鈥 which took the best comedy prize last year, will see a repeat of their wins.聽
Since we鈥檙e living in what is often called a new golden age of television, with a massive amount of viewing opportunities, what do these predictions mean for TV? Are the Emmys stuck in a rut? Or are these shows the best of the crop and so deserving of multiple wins?聽
Balancing this out is the fact that both 鈥淭hrones鈥 and 鈥淰eep鈥 have only won their respective prizes once. 鈥淰eep,鈥 for example, has nothing like the record of ABC show 鈥淢odern Family,鈥 which took the best comedy series prize five times in its history. It was a feat that left some critics weary. 鈥 鈥橫odern Family鈥 is a completely acceptable show,鈥 wrote in 2014 following the series鈥 newest win. 鈥淏ut like throw some new people a bone, Emmy voters.鈥澛
However, some critics do see the fact that 鈥淭hrones鈥 and 鈥淰eep鈥 are seen as the frontrunners for their prizes as a signal that the Emmys need to think beyond past champions.聽
鈥淲hy, if there鈥檚 so much great TV, do the Emmys often reward the same shows and performances over and over again?鈥 wrote in his column predicting the winners for the upcoming telecast.聽
agrees that Emmy voters may like what is comfortable more than what is daring, also choosing 鈥淭hrones鈥 and 鈥淰eep鈥 as the winners for their prizes.聽
鈥淗eed that ancient saying about old habits,鈥 Ms. McFarland writes. 鈥淭hose of Emmy voters have deeper roots than an old growth forest. While predicting the outcomes could be trickier this time around owing to the presence of potent first-time nominees, including worthy veterans that finally busted into the ranks (hooray for 鈥楾he Americans鈥!), a few wrinkly voting patterns may prevent those contenders from going home with some much-deserved hardware.鈥
However, some critics feel that the probable wins for 鈥淭hrones鈥 and 鈥淰eep鈥 are very much deserved, even if they would be repeats. wrote after also selecting 鈥淭hrones鈥 and 鈥淰eep鈥 as his picks for best drama series and best comedy series, 鈥淸鈥楾hrones鈥橾 took lots of risks, measured out how much it would give in to fans' wishes, injected humor into an otherwise dark time, and ended with a huge, fan-pleasing battle 鈥 [and it was] another strong season of HBO's 鈥榁eep.鈥 鈥