CHAT WITH ROBERT
Robert Bianco chats with readers Mondays at 2 p.m. ET at facebook.com/USATODAY. Read edited excerpts below, email questions to askbianco@usatoday.com or tweet them to @biancorobert and visit him live online.
Q How is it that Lucy Liu has never been nominated for best supporting actress for Elementary? Actually, I think she has played the lead female role, but for years, I have been unable to determine how the judges distinguish one from another. And why isn’t her co-star Jonny Lee Miller nominated every year?
A First, the easy part: In general, actors are in charge of submitting themselves for Emmy nominations and choosing for themselves between supporting and lead. That’s how all the Modern Family actors end up in the supporting categories, and why the Friends bounced between supporting and lead. As to why Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller have never been nominated, it’s basically because they’re giving excellent performances in a good CBS show in an era where so many other actors are giving excellent performances in excellent, “prestige” shows. Miller faces a particularly tough road: No man has been nominated for a broadcast show in the lead drama category since Hugh Laurie’s nod for House in 2011. But male or female, it’s almost impossible to get nominated for a show like Elementary, no matter how good you may be in it.
Q Is there a remake of Dirty Dancing coming to TV? If so, nooooo!!!
A I’m afraid the answer is Yeeeessssss. ABC has a remake in the works, with Abigail Breslin and Colt Prattes in the roles created by Jennifer Grey (who turned down an offer to appear in the remake) and Patrick Swayze. Like you, I’m unexcited — but then, I was equally unexcited about Fox’s Rocky Horror Picture Show remake until Fox showed an extended preview that turned out to be pretty terrific. So fingers crossed on both accounts.