Out With the Old, in With the Hopefully New

DIFFERENT FYC CAMPAIGNS AND LAST YEAR’S NOMINEES NOT RETURNING COULD ALLOW SOME SURPRISES TO SNEAK ONTO THE DRAMA AND COMEDY SERIES BALLOTS

Michael Schneider

COULD THIS BE THE YEAR that the Television Academy voters finally shake up the Emmy race? Given that this is a time in our history like no other, perhaps people are in a different mindset right now — and that could very well impact how they’re choosing nominees.

What that might mean is a few surprises when the 2020 Emmy noms are finally announced July 28. At least, let’s hope so. Emmy voters tend to stick with what they know, which is why there are so many repeat nominees and winners annually. The Oscars and Grammys

only deal in new contenders every year, but the ongoing nature of TV means often the Emmy race is over before it ever begins: Just look at the dominant wins over the past decade for “Veep” and Julia Louis-dreyfus, “The Amazing Race” and “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.” Those were fantastic programs, but so many others didn’t get a seat at the Emmy table because of voters’ tendency to invite the same nominees.

We’ve already written about the TV Academy’s move to begin vetting its membership, in the hopes that a more active (and younger) body might lead to more representation. And as we’ve also noted, the decision to firm up eight nominations in both comedy and drama will at least potentially add a little more competition to the race.

But this year will also look different because of both a changing of the guard and the more common practice of shows taking extended hiatuses between seasons. 2019’s big winners “Game of Thrones” and “Fleabag” won’t be back, which means at the very least there won’t be back-to-back wins in the drama and comedy categories. In the competition program