The miniature statutes given at the Emmy Awards on Sunday can be an outsized boon to egos, careers and .
Will 鈥淭he Mandalorian鈥� bow to 鈥淭he Crown鈥� as best drama series? Can the feel-good comedy 鈥淭ed Lasso鈥� charm its way into freshman glory? Will Jean Smart be honored as best comedy actress for 鈥淗acks鈥�? (She will.)
But there鈥檚 oh-so-much more at stake when the TV industry 鈥� or a pandemic-constrained slice of it 鈥� gathers to honor itself at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards.
The ceremony (8 p.m. EDT, CBS) is a snapshot of a business morphing into its 21st-century form; who we see or don鈥檛 see on the small screen, and the rapid splintering of TV and its viewers.
The obvious winners and losers are those to be revealed in 27 categories during the s. But there鈥檚 more at stake than personal victories, and yardsticks of success or failure beyond trophies.
Here鈥檚 some of the outcomes and trends to watch for, both up close and wide-angle.
ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT
Streaming services are poised for a triumphant night that will cast further shade on the status of broadcast networks, including the big three ABC, CBS and NBC, and once-dominant cable channels such as HBO and Showtime.
鈥淭his is the year that the streamers will officially conquer Hollywood,鈥� likely winning best drama and comedy series honors for the first time, said Tom O鈥橬eil, editor of the Gold Derby predictions website and author of 鈥淭he Emmys.鈥�
Premium cable鈥檚 encroachment on turf once owned by broadcasting was gradual: HBO launched in 1972 and waited two decades for its first best series Emmy nod, earned by Garry Shandling鈥檚 comedy 鈥淭he Larry Sanders Show.鈥� It wasn鈥檛 until the 2000s arrived that 鈥淪ex and the City鈥� and 鈥淭he Sopranos鈥� earned best series prizes.
In contrast, streaming is racing ahead with Ferrari-like speed, especially as the services multiply and shell out big bucks for shows aimed at winning over paying customers.
In 2017, Hulu鈥檚 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥� became the first streamed series to win the best drama Emmy. The next year, 鈥淭he Marvelous Mrs. Maisel鈥� scored a matching victory on the comedy side for Amazon, which won again in 2019 for 鈥淔leabag.鈥�
Victory is possible for either Netflix鈥檚 鈥淭he Crown鈥� or the Disney+ series 鈥淭he Mandalorian,鈥� which . For Netflix, which launched its on-demand service in 2007 and fielded the first drama series nominee, 鈥淗ouse of Cards鈥� in 2014, patience would finally be rewarded.
For Disney+, the victory would be swift and sweet: it launched in November 2019. Apple TV+, which arrived the same year, could win its first top series award with 鈥淭ed Lasso.鈥� If that happens, streaming鈥檚 prominence would be solidified with the one-two punch in the comedy and drama categories.
ROOM AT THE TABLE
The push for diversity has moved at a grindingly slower pace than the digital revolution, but this year鈥檚 slate of nominees was unimaginable just a few years ago.
Of the 96 acting nods for drama, comedy and miniseries, nearly 44% 鈥� a total of 42 nominations 鈥� went to people of color. According to 2020 Census figures, white Americans make up just under 58% of the population.
Among this year鈥檚 groundbreakers: , and Bowen Yang of 鈥淪aturday Night Live,鈥� the first Asian American to compete for best supporting comedy actor.
The top drama acting categories are particularly inclusive, and strikingly so in comparison to a decade ago when all of the 12 nominees for best actor and actress were white, with Kyle Chandler (鈥淔riday Night Lights鈥�) and Julianna Margulies (鈥淭he Good Wife鈥�) the winners.
That was 2011, this is now. Black men make up a majority of the lead drama actor nominees, four of six, including past winners Sterling K. Brown for 鈥淭his Is Us鈥� and 鈥淧ose鈥� star , in 2019.
Half of the six best-actress contenders are women of color. Jurnee Smollett (鈥淟ovecraft Country鈥�) and Uzo Aduba (鈥淚n Treatment鈥�) are Black, and Rodriguez is Afro Latina.
If the final test of inclusivity is who wins, the story could be different. 鈥淭he Crown鈥� stars Josh O鈥機onnor and Emma Corrin are considered frontrunners for their portrayals of ill-fated royal mates Charles and Diana.
PANDEMIC, PART 2
Constraints can breed inventiveness.
Last year鈥檚 all-virtual ceremony included a defining lockdown moment: Hazmat-suited trophy couriers who loitered outside nominees鈥� homes until their categories were called, either handing over the award or taking it disappointingly away.
鈥淪omebody mentioned (the idea) in a meeting as kind of as a joke, and then it was constantly needling away at us and we decided that it could be a great way to do it,鈥� recalled Guy Carrington, a producer for the 2020 Emmys.
This year, about 500 nominees and guests will gather under a glammed-up tent in downtown L.A., with COVID-19 precautions including a vaccine requirement and testing. There are big names among the presenters, including Angela Bassett, Michael Douglas, Dolly Parton and Awkwafina, but at least one star, Jennifer Aniston, was candid about staying away because of virus concerns.
Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart, executive producers for the telecast, said they approached the reduced attendance as an opportunity.
Instead of being confined in a theater seat, guests will be at tables and part of what sounds like an oversized dinner party 鈥� with drinks and snacks allowed 鈥� and encouraged to mingle.
鈥淭o have the industry come out and sit together and see each other, it is a celebration,鈥� said Stewart.
HELLO, IS ANYONE OUT THERE?
Ratings for awards show, from Oscars to the Grammys, have been steadily declining in recent years and hit new depths during the pandemic. Despite honoring the TV shows that kept us company through COVID鈥檚 darkness, the Emmys weren鈥檛 exempt.
After hitting a record-low viewership of just under 7 million in 2019, last year鈥檚 telecast tumbled further to 6.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
Part of it is simply awards overload, with upstart, dime-a-dozen ceremonies taking the luster off the major ones, including the 94-year-old, grande dame Oscars and the Emmys, which turn 73 on Sunday.
Then there鈥檚 the shows鈥� sheer length. A leisurely, three-hour telecast, commercials included, was expected and tolerated in the old TV world. In the new one, viewers are more inclined to check out an event鈥檚 highlights online and at will.
But as Hudlin sees it, social media can give as well as take.
鈥淚f you deliver a show that works, if people say, 鈥極h, are you watching the Emmys thing? It鈥檚 kind of cool,鈥� all of a sudden people start tuning in because you鈥檙e talking about it like, 鈥榊o, this is crazy,鈥欌�� Hudlin said. 鈥淪o we like to keep it crazy.鈥�
Details were under wraps, but there will be music: Reggie Watts, band leader for 鈥淭he Late Late Show with James Corden,鈥� is the night鈥檚 DJ.
The event鈥檚 producers also recognize that niche shows on cable and streaming may be unfamiliar to many viewers, especially those who favor network shows such as ABC鈥檚 鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy鈥� or CBS鈥� 鈥淭he Neighborhood鈥� 鈥� the latter starring Emmy host Cedric the Entertainer.
鈥淲e have gone to a lot of those mainstream, well-known actors, actresses and people in the industry to be presenters so that we do reflect popular television,鈥� Stewart said.
鈥擫ynn Elber, The Associated Press
