Every year brings the announcement of the latest batch of Emmy Award nominees, and every batch of nominees brings the joy of favorites getting recognized and the pain of others being ignored. And while we can make the sportsman's claim that all nominees are winners in a way, there was one really obvious victor by the time all was said and done: the little streaming service that could, Netflix. (Also Laurie Metcalf, who totally rocked it this year, but mainly Netflix.)
The Emmys used to be a broadcast network's time to shine, with HBO leading cable's upward push some years back. This is just the fourth year that Netflix's original programming has been around, however, and each year has brought more critical acclaim and recognition than the last, with this year earning more than ever before, in seemingly every category that doesn't involve limited series and children's programming. And in all the usual major categories, only the Supporting Actress categories were free from Netflix shows.
We'll get to the repeat nominees in a sec, but let's take a moment to pump our fists for all of the new Netflix shows that got honored with nominations, as that is the real proof that the service's programming will continue to build its stronghold on the awards sector. Master of None, seen above, was particularly deserving of its Oustanding Comedy Series nod, as well as those for co-creator Aziz Ansari for Lead Actor, Directing and Writing. The true crime phenomenon Making a Murderer landed six nominations, with Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series as the obvious standout. (Season 2 of Chef's Table also made it into that category's finalists.)
The documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? also received six nominations. Narcos got three, Jessica Jones got two, Even Sense8 picked up a nod for its main title music. And that's not to mention the comedy specials and other one-off programs that were recognized.
That calls for a big glass of pinot noir, doesn't it? No, not that kind, second-time Emmy nominee Tituss Burgess.
And what about all of the Netflix shows, along with their casts and crews, that were nominated for second, third and fourth times? As you might have expected, House of Cards dominated on that front, with nominations dropping for most actors and creative aspects. Orange is the New Black was all but ignored with just a casting nod, surprisingly, but other shows like Bloodline (Lead and Supporting nods for Kyle Chandler and Ben Mendelsohn, respectively) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Comedy Series, Lead Actress, Supporting Actor, Casting) shined. You know Daredevil's stunts got honored as well. And, of course, the esteemed Lily Tomlin received her second nomination for her stellar work on Grace and Frankie.
With even more awesome new and returning shows coming in the near future and beyond - check out our premiere schedule - we can be sure that Netflix will not soon see its Emmy chances dwindling. In fact, I'm pretty sure the company will start funding limited series at some point soon so that those remaining categories can be conquered as well. Is the world ready for Ryan Murphy to jump over to streaming?
