This morning’s announcement of the 2019 Emmy Awards nominations includes the usual “How did that get in there?” head-scratchers (all those “Game of Thrones” nods for a dud final season?), applause-worthy choices (“When They See Us”), and left-field surprises (“Schitt’s Creek”!).
Overall, though, the 71st Emmy Awards nominations again reflect the amazing range of offerings, deep well of talent, and head-spinning variety of shows there are to watch, whether on broadcast, cable or streaming platforms.
In a year when some high-profile, trophy-laden champs are ending their runs (“Veep”), the Emmy nominations are, in general, a good mix of familiar names and newcomers.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the Emmy voters got everything right. When do they ever? Awards are subjective, and your pick as best show of the year may not even have registered with the Television Academy.
Foibles and all, the Emmy nominations are a good excuse to speculate about why voters decide what to overlook, and what to honor (seriously, “Schitt’s Creek”? How about that!)
Here’s a look at some of the best picks, a few of the weirdest, and examples of Emmy nominations with a bit of local interest:
HBO comes roaring back: Forget about the battle for the Iron Throne. The biggest fracas in TV for the last few years has been the rivalry between HBO, longtime symbol of prestige programming, and Netflix, the former upstart-turned-world conqueror. For those who obsess over such things, last year seemed to be a game-changer, with Netflix breaking HBO’s most-Emmy nominations-per-year streak.
But the 2019 announcement shows a major comeback for HBO. As the premium channel put it in a press release, “HBO receives more Primetime Emmy nominations than any other network ever,” with a total of 137, ahead of Netflix’s total of 117 nominations. Not that HBO is bragging, or anything, but that headline is in all capital letters.
Among the shows contributing to HBO’s hefty haul are 32 nominations for “Game of Thrones,” which is not only the most of any program this year, but also a new record, beating out the 25-year-old record previously held by “NYPD Blue.” Over eight seasons, “Game of Thrones” has earned 161 Emmy nominations.
‘Game of Thrones’ earns a record-breaking 32 Emmy Award nods
The show’s nominations lead HBO back to dominance over Netflix.
Also performing for HBO are “Chernobyl,” which received 19 nominations; “Barry,” with 17 nominations; “Veep,” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and “True Detective” Season 3, all of which received nine nominations.
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in “Game of Thrones.” (Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO)
Yeah, but about those “Game of Thrones” nominations….: Expectations were as high as dragons soaring in the sky for the eighth and final season of HBO’s blockbuster, “Game of Thrones.” Maybe that’s why it felt like the show’s last few episodes thudded to earth. Sure, I can see a nomination for Darkest Episode (“The Long Night,” in which the Battle of Winterfell was fought in barely visible gloom).
But the acting nominations? As good, and as underrated, as Lena Headey’s performance as Cersei has been, her role in the final season was bewilderingly static, mainly consisting of shots of Cersei smirking as she stands on the balcony, gazing out at King’s Landing. Including Headey in this year’s supporting actress in a drama series category makes about as much sense as, well, how “Game of Thrones” concluded.
It’s not just Headey. Pretty much everyone who came in camera range in the final, frustrating “Game of Thrones” season was recognized: Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Gwendoline Christie, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Alfie Allen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage and Carice van Houten all were nominated. I’d argue that only Dinklage and Coster-Waldau had strong enough seasons to merit being nominated.
Why the “Game of Thrones” love, then? Maybe it’s to tip the hat as a show so epic in scale and, overall, beautifully done, bids farewell (at least until the spinoffs arrive). Perhaps the nominations are a way to pay tribute to what HBO has stood for. The channel is now owned by AT&T, and many in the industry worry about HBO’s status as a home for quality under new corporate leadership.
So many good shows, and only 24 hours in the day: To my mind, a few shows that earned nominations have been a tad overpraised (“Fleabag” Season 2 was an improvement over Season 1, for example, but I didn’t find it the life-altering experience that others seem to think it is). On the other hand, it’s still pretty remarkable that most shows that are nominated are as good as they are, and represent individual, fresh voices. This is especially welcome at a time when, as many others have said, the movie business is becoming a franchise factory, with endless iterations of superhero tales and “Star Wars” sagas.
Let’s hear it for “Schitt’s Creek”: I’ve been remiss in not getting caught up on this comedy (see the “so many good shows” item above), but darn it, I intend to make up for that oversight, especially now that it’s entering its final season. And even without having watched the show, I’m thrilled to see it snag four nominations (comedy series, lead actor in a comedy series, lead actress in a comedy series, and contemporary costume design). That’s because I’ve adored stars Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy since their old “SCTV” days, and the comedy airs on the generally ignored Pop TV network. Maybe Emmy voters wanted to give a thumbs-up to Pop TV for picking up “One Day at a Time” after Netflix canceled it. Or maybe they just want to hear glammed-up presenters say “Schitt’s Creek” as they read off the nominee names during the Emmy extravaganza.
Snubs (there are always some): Perennial comedy powerhouse “The Big Bang Theory” ended its amazingly successful run in 2019, leading some to wonder if star Jim Parsons would get another nomination (he’s won four times before) or the show would return to the outstanding comedy series category. Didn’t happen.
It was also a bit surprising to see ABC’s “Black-ish” get left out of the comedy series category (newcomers who made it on the list this year include “Fleabag,” “The Good Place,” “Schitt’s Creek” and “Russian Doll”). Also missing was Tracee Ellis Ross, though her costar, Anthony Anderson, received another comedy series lead actor nod.
In the competition show category, the kooky freshman hit, “The Masked Singer,” didn’t earn a nomination, and neither did the stylish revamp of “Project Runway.”
An eyebrow-raising snub was delivered to the show and stars of “Homecoming,” the clever and disturbing drama that streamed on Amazon Prime Video. From its movie star lead, Julia Roberts, to its auteur style (director Sam Esmail put his distinctive stamp on the series), “Homecoming” was well acted and smart. Emmy voters, however, didn’t recognize Roberts, or add the show to the drama series category.
Oregon pride: This year also brought more nominations for people and projects with local connections. Unfortunately, “Shrill,” the Portland-set Hulu comedy starring Aidy Bryant, didn’t win nods for the show or star. But former Portland stand-up comedy favorite Ian Karmel, who’s since gone on to bigger things in Los Angeles, was among the writers nominated for “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool,” in the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special category. Karmel is co-head writer for James Corden’s “The Late Late Show,” which also earned a nomination in the Outstanding Variety Talk Series category.
Longtime Portlander Crofton Diack, a producer on the National Geographic/BBC Studios series, “Life Below Zero,” is also among the nominees for the show, which is included in the Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program category.
And though it didn’t film all of its third season in the Portland area, we’ll do some basking in the credit for IFC’s “Documentary Now!,” nominated in the Outstanding Variety Sketch Series category (other nominees are “At Home With Amy Sedaris,” “Drunk History,” “I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Who Is America?”)
Taran Killam on locally-filmed ‘Documentary Now!’ ‘Company’ spoof: ‘Musical theater fantasy camp’
Taran Killam, of “Saturday Night Live” and “Single Parents,” says appearing in the locally filmed “Documentary Now!” episode inspired by Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” cast album recording was “a gift.”
Among the other “Documentary Now!” nominations is a nod in the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series category, for John Mulaney and Seth Meyers, and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for “Holiday Party (I Did a Little Cocaine Tonight),” featured in the “Original Cast Album: Co-op” episode that filmed at Clackamas Community College. Mulaney and Meyers are nominated for the lyrics, and Eli Bolin is nominated for the music.
‘Documentary Now!’ directors on filming in Portland, Rajneesh memories, and more: TV press tour
Portland native Alex Buono and Rhys Thomas talk about why they filmed “Documentary Now!” Season 3 in Portland.
Adding to the “Documentary Now!’ nominations is a nod for Portland native Alex Buono, and his co-director, Rhys Thomas, recognized in the Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series category for the “Waiting for the Artist” episode, which didn’t film in Portland, but featured terrific performances by Cate Blanchett and Fred Armisen.
And it wouldn’t be an Emmy nominations list without Portland’s Wieden + Kennedy ad agency earning another nod in the Outstanding Commercial category. This year’s nominee is particularly interesting, however. It’s the “Dream Crazy” commercial for Nike, featuring controversial NFL veteran Colin Kaepernick narrating, as we see images of athletes who have risen to achieve, despite the odds.
“Believe in something,” Kaepernick says, “even if it means sacrificing everything.”
The 71st Emmy Awards will air live, starting at 5 p.m. PT, Sunday, Sept. 22, on Fox.
— Kristi Turnquist
kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist
Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
