In preparation for Sunday’s 2016 Emmys, here is a blog about the 2014 Emmys, originally published on elkharttruth.com on July 10, 2014.
It’s summer TV time, but it’s also Emmys time.
The Emmy nominations for 2014 were announced Thursday, July 10, and as usual, there were obvious choices and total snubs.
Here’s my breakdown of this year’s nominations:
Surprise nominations
While “Mad Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Breaking Bad” and this year’s season of “American Horror Story” are obvious returning nominations, there were a few unexpected twists.
“Bonnie and Clyde” was nominated for best miniseries. Considering many critics didn’t love the A&E, History and Lifetime show, which was plagued with historical inaccuracies, it was a shock to see it receive a nomination. It won’t win, though. The race will be between “American Horror Story: Coven,” and Billy Bob Thornton’s “Fargo.”
Melissa McCarthy is nominated for her work on “Mike & Molly.” Out of all the comedic actresses, I think there were other choices from shows more people are watching.
Biggest snubs
Andy Samberg, who (surprisingly) won the Golden Globe for his role on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” was left out of the Emmy race. The Fox comedy wasn’t nominated either.
“The Good Wife” received many deserved acting nominations, including Julianna Margulies 10th overall Emmy nomination — she had won once for “ER” in 1995 and once for “The Good Wife” in 2011, but the CBS show was left off the best drama category. Considering its rise to Sunday TV gold this season, I figured it would be a shoo-in for a nomination.
But perhaps the biggest snub of all was the omission of “Orphan Black.” It’s a show that may not appeal to everyone, but Tatiana Maslany plays multiple clones. Multiple! How does that not deserve a lead actress nomination?
“Modern Family” again?
The ABC comedy is up for outstanding comedy series for the fifth year in a row.
It’s been nominated every year it’s been eligible, and it’s won every year so far.
Will the show take the win again? It could happen. “Modern Family” showcased touching moments that still turn out a laugh, including Cam and Mitchell’s (played by Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson) wedding in the season 5 finale.
But I think a new show could take over, and with “Orange is the New Black” and “Silicon Valley” being first-time nominees, I expect the reign of “Modern Family” to end.
The conundrum of “Orange is the New Black” nominations
In its first year of eligibility, “Orange is the New Black,” the hit Netflix prison dramedy, snagged a decent amount of nominations. That’s no surprise, considering how popular and acclaimed the show is.
But what is surprising is what categories in which the actresses were nominated. Taylor Schilling (Piper) is in the lead actress category, with Kate Mulgrew (Red) is the supporting actress category.
Three actresses, however, are nominated in the guest actress category. Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Aduba and Laverne Cox have been lumped together with Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”), Melissa McCarthy (“SNL”) and Joan Cusack (“Shameless”).
The last three are guest actresses for those shows. But the OITNB stars, while not the leading actresses, are certainly more than guest actresses. Aduba is credited with being in 37 of the show’s 39 episodes, and Lyonne is credited with being in every episode on IMDb. They had standout and background moments. The characters are key to the story, so to only put them in the guest actress seems a bit strange.
The Emmys will air at 8 p.m. Aug. 25 on NBC. The show will be hosted by Seth Meyers.
What do you think? What were your surprises and snubs?
