Canadians to watch
Emmy nominations to be revealed today
When this year’s Emmy Awards nominations are revealed today, “Orphan Black’’ star Tatiana Maslany will not be among the names announced.
Space, the Canadian network for the acclaimed sci-fi series, says the fifth and final season that debuted June 10 did not air during the eligibility window for this year’s Emmys.
That means Clone Club members will have to wait another year to see if Regina-born Maslany will get a third nomination for best lead actress in a drama, for playing multiple clones on the series (last year she won the statuette).
But fret not, Canadian TV fans, there are several other Canucks who are eligible for Emmys this year. Here are a few shows to watch for when the nominations are revealed:
1. “The Handmaid’s Tale’’: This much-heralded American series has strong Canadian connections that might not result in actual Emmy nominations, but nonetheless deserve mention. Among the connections is, of course, Toronto author Margaret Atwood. Her 1985 dystopian novel inspired the Hulu series, which aired on Bravo in Canada, and she was a consulting producer and had a brief cameo. The cast also had a Canadian — Amanda Brugel of Pointe Claire, Que., who played a Martha (a household servant). And it was all shot in Toronto.
2. Jean-Marc Vallee and James Tupper of HBO’s “Big Little Lies’’: Quebec-based Vallee directed the darkly comedic murder mystery, which David E. Kelley based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel. Critics widely praised Vallees’s bold visual style and use of music in the star-packed limited series, so his chances for a nomination appear strong. Tupper, a Nova Scotia native, plays the easygoing ex-husband to Reese Witherspoon’s acerbic character.
3. Samantha Bee: The Toronto native earned her first Emmy nomination last year, for writing on her variety series “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,’’ which airs on TBS and The Comedy Network. Since then, the show has continued to build momentum, with some critics hailing her fiery political commentary as an important voice in the Trump era.
4. “Fargo’’: A slew of Canadians — from casting directors to production designers and sound mixers — were nominated for their work on season 2 of the Alberta-shot FX series last year. Season 3 was also shot in Alberta, which poses for Minnesota, so perhaps the streak will continue. Season 3 stars Ewan McGregor in two roles: as both a parole officer and his more handsome and successful older brother.
5. Long shots “Schitt’s Creek’’ and “Anne’’: Canuck “Schitt’s Creek’’ stars Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy have appeared as long shots on some Emmy predictions lists for a couple of years now (especially O’Hara). Now that the CBC/ Pop TV comedy series has developed a global following, with profiles in major publications and availability on Netflix, perhaps season 3 will be their time. Meanwhile, CBC’s “Anne’’ (known as “Anne with an E’’ on Netflix) was shot in Prince Edward Island and Ontario and has many Canadian contenders, including Irish-Canadian star Amybeth McNulty and Canadian-born producer-writer Moira Walley-Beckett. The series is based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel.