Netflix makes presence felt at Emmys
Many of the usual suspects of recent years are in the running for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards ... but thanks to much-discussed broadcast and cable newcomers, there are other faces among the nominees, too.
Stephen Colbert — in the running himself for his weeknight “Late Show” — debuts as host of television’s celebration of its own excellence as CBS presents the event tonight at 8 from Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater. As usual, expect to see many familiar stars as presenters, especially since the new TV season starts the next week, and their presence at the ceremony won’t hurt as reminders of their shows (or so their respective networks hope).
It’s significant that a broadcast series (NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”) and a cable series (for its first season, HBO’s “Westworld”) are tied for the most Emmy nominations, with 22 each. Looking at the contenders, cable again has the lion’s share, but streaming services also make a very impressive showing in quite a few contests.
The drama-series category is particularly interesting, since no less than three of the seven nominees hail from Netflix. Despite the absence of HBO’s perpetual contender “Game of Thrones” — whose latest season began after the close of the Emmy eligibility period — cable makes its mark with AMC’s “Better Call Saul” and HBO’s “Westworld.” And there’s still room for NBC’s “This Is Us,” the first time a broadcast drama has been in that contest since “The Good Wife’s” nomination in 2011.
Following are nominees in various categories in the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Comedy series: “Atlanta” (FX); “black-ish” (ABC); “Master of None” (Netflix); “Modern Family” (ABC); “Silicon Valley” (HBO); “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix); “Veep” (HBO).
Drama Series: “Better Call Saul” (AMC); “The Crown” (Netflix); “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu); “House of Cards” (Netflix); “This Is Us” (NBC); “Stranger Things” (Netflix); “Westworld” (HBO).
Leading actor, comedy series: Anthony Anderson (“black-ish”); Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”); Zach Galifianakis (“Baskets,” FX); Donald Glover (“Atlanta”); William H. Macy (“Shameless,” Showtime); Jeffrey Tambor (“Transparent,” Amazon).
Leading actress, comedy series: Pamela Adlon (“Better Things,” FX); Jane Fonda (“Grace and Frankie,” Netflix); Allison Janney (“Mom,” CBS); Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”); Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”); Tracee Ellis Ross (“black-ish”); Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”).
Leading actor, drama series: Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”); Anthony Hopkins (“Westworld”); Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”); Matthew Rhys (“The Americans,” FX); Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan,” Showtime); Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”); Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”).
Leading actress, drama series: Viola Davis (“How to Get Away With Murder,” ABC); Claire Foy (“The Crown”); Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”); Keri Russell (“The Americans”); Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”); Robin Wright (“House of Cards”).
Limited series: “Big Little Lies” (HBO); “Fargo” (FX); “Feud: Bette and Joan” (FX); “Genius” (National Geographic); “The Night Of” (HBO).
Television movie: “Black Mirror” (Netflix); “Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love” (NBC); “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” (HBO); “Sherlock: The Lying Detective” (PBS); “The Wizard of Lies” (HBO).
Variety talk series: “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” (TBS); “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC); “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” (HBO); “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS); “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS); “Real Time With Bill Maher” (HBO).
Reality competition series: “The Amazing Race” (CBS); “American Ninja Warrior” (NBC); “Project Runway” (Lifetime); “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1); “Top Chef” (Bravo); “The Voice” (NBC).