Nominations were announced this morning for the 65th Annual Emmy Awards, and as always there are a slew of them–a complete list is here. Also as usual, the nominees are a mix of a lot of familiar names and titles with a few exciting new ones. This year, though, the most revolutionary newcomer isn’t so much a person or show as it is a delivery system. Here’s a quick look at some of the major categories:
DRAMA SERIES
BREAKING BAD (AMC)
DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
HOMELAND (Showtime)
HOUSE OF CARDS (Netflix)
MAD MEN (AMC)
Big Winner: Unquestionably, Netflix and its entry into the ranks of big-time TV “networks.” Of course, House of Cards was virtually a model of Emmy bait, and it would have been a giant contender however and wherever it aired, but the fact that Academy voters didn’t pass it up in favor of something on a conventional network is a huge validation for Netflix and all the other burgeoning services coming up right behind it.
Big Loser: FX’s The Americans, a superb and much-praised show that struggled in the ratings and could really have used the help. Also, The Newsroom, a less superb piece of work, but one that longs for this kind of recognition.
COMEDY SERIES
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
GIRLS (HBO)
LOUIE (FX)
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
30 ROCK (NBC)
VEEP (HBO)
Big Winner: Louie, the micro-budgeted masterpiece. It got quite a few nominations last year, but not the big one, and now Louis C.K. is officially one of the industry’s elite. Also, old-time network television, which continues to have its only toehold on Emmy glory in the world of sit-coms.
Big Loser: Arrested Development couldn’t quite push Netflix into the arena for both comedy and drama. Also, no valedictory nomination for The Office–which didn’t really deserve one for a final season that was uneven until the fine finale, but could have gotten one anyway.
MOVIE/MINISERIES
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM (FX)
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA (HBO)
THE BIBLE (History)
PHIL SPECTOR (HBO)
POLITICAL ANIMALS (USA)
TOP OF THE LAKE (Sundance)
Big Winner: A tie between Top of the Lake, which gave Sundance a major nomination for its first entry into original scripted programming, and Political Animals, a classic example of a mediocre (and flop) series recognized by old-line Academy voters because of all the big names attached to it.
Big Loser: Parade’s End, a beautiful HBO miniseries that even the network itself barely seemed to care about.
DRAMA ACTOR
Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD
Hugh Bonneville, DOWNTON ABBEY
Damian Lewis, HOMELAND
Kevin Spacey, HOUSE OF CARDS
Jon Hamm, MAD MEN
Jeff Daniels, THE NEWSROOM
Big Winner: Spacey and Daniels, who broke into the list on their first tries (displacing Steve Buscemi and Michael C. Hall)
Big Loser: Matthew Rhys from The Americans. Too many wigs?
DRAMA ACTRESS
Vera Farmiga, BATES MOTEL
Michelle Dockery, DOWNTON ABBEY
Claire Danes, HOMELAND
Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS
Elisabeth Moss, MAD MEN
Connie Britton, NASHVILLE
Kerry Washington, SCANDAL
Big Winner: Washington, who’s got the zeitgeist in her favor, but in a role that wouldn’t necessarily be seen as awards material.
Big Loser: It was indeed a forlorn hope that Tatiana Maslany would get a nomination for her spectacular multi-performance work on the little seen Orphan Black, but it was nice to dream. (BBCAmerica needed to put more work into that campaign.) Also, Keri Russell brilliantly redefined her entire career with The Americans and got nothing to show for it. And Monica Potter spent an entire season as the most believable cancer patient in TV history on Parenthood–what more do Emmy voters want? (Oh right, she’s on Parenthood, a show the Academy doesn’t know exists.)
COMEDY ACTOR
Jason Bateman, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Jim Parsons, THE BIG BANG THEORY
Matt LeBlanc, EPISODES
Don Cheadle, HOUSE OF LIES
Louis C.K., LOUIE
Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK
Big Winner: Jason Bateman, holding the flag for Netflix, and Matt LeBlanc, who never breaks character as “himself”
Big Loser: A nomination for Jake Johnson as TV’s most unlikely romantic lead on New Girl probably was never in the cards, but that doesn’t mean he’s not deserving.
COMEDY ACTRESS
Laura Dern, ENLIGHTENED
Lena Dunham, GIRLS
Edie Falco, NURSE JACKIE
Amy Poehler, PARKS & RECREATION
Tina Fey, 30 ROCK
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP
Big Winner: Dern, nominated for a show that may have had the tiniest ferociously devoted fan base in history.
Big Loser: Zoey Deschanel, nominated last year but for some reason squeezed out this time.
MOVIE/MINISERIES ACTOR
Michael Douglas, BEHIND THE CANDELABRA
Matt Damon, BEHIND THE CANDELABRA
Toby Jones, THE GIRL
Benedict Cumberbatch, PARADE’S END
Al Pacino, PHIL SPECTOR
Big Winner: Cumberbatch, deservedly recognized for work hardly anyone saw.
Big Loser: Anyone not on HBO. (Also, probably everyone nominated against Michael Douglas.)
MOVIE/MINISERIES ACTRESS
Jessica Lange, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM
Laura Linney, THE BIG C: HEREAFTER
Helen Mirren, PHIL SPECTOR
Sigourney Weaver, POLITICAL ANIMALS
Elisabeth Moss, TOP OF THE LAKE
Big Winner: Moss, excellent in a 6-hour drama that was very heavy going. Also, Weaver, for snagging a nomination in such a piece of mediocrity.
Big Loser: Rebecca Hall, remarkable in Parade’s End
The Emmys will be awarded September 22 on CBS.
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