Anonymous Emmy Ballot: Network Executive Says Broadcast Series Should Win Because They Produce More Episodes
ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox recently sealed a new deal with the TV Academy to keep rotating who telecasts the Emmys every year. And yet, the broadcasters are mostly shut out of the major scripted categories. Some pundits argue that it doesn’t make sense to serve as a marketing tool for streaming and premium cable for three hours on their own air, but the networks are bound by tradition — and the hope that enough people will still watch that it’s worth airing on the eve of the new fall season as a marketing tool.
Nonetheless, it’s been pointed out quite a bit over the years that the broadcast networks are at a disadvantage, as their top shows often run 24, or more, episodes per season. To pit that kind of output up against a show with an 8- or 10-episode order seems a bit unfair. CBS and “The Good Wife” even made that point the cornerstone of their Emmy campaign one year.
This installment of IndieWire’s Anonymous Emmy Ballots comes from a network executive who clearly feels that way. This executive chooses NBC drama “This Is Us” and ABC comedy “Black-ish” for the win precisely because of the higher level of difficultly in churning out so many episodes.
IndieWire reached out to creatives across the industry this year to share their own Emmy ballots, anonymously, and explain why they made their choices. Performers, writers, producers, publicists, executives, and craftspeople from across the industry offered up their answers, and IndieWire has been posting some of those ballots this week and next week.
Here’s how the anonymous network executive made their picks on this year’s Emmy race. Read on below:
Outstanding Drama Series
The Americans
The Crown
Game Of Thrones
The Handmaid’s Tale
Stranger Things
☑ This Is Us
Westworld
The buzz seems to be a “Handmaid’s” vs. “Game of Thrones” battle, but I didn’t think either had a particularly great season. My vote goes to “This Is Us” for delivering as emotional and complex as second season as its first. And also for having to stretch it through nearly double the episode count of any of its competitors.
“Black-ish”
Outstanding Comedy Series
Atlanta
Barry
☑ black-ish
Curb Your Enthusiasm
GLOW
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Silicon Valley
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
I’ve always felt that a comedy should be funny. Only a few in this race meet that important criteria and “Black-ish” is one, having to do it 24 times a year. Respect.
Read More: Emmy Predictions 2018 — The 70th Annual Primetime Emmys
Outstanding Limited Series
The Alienist
The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Genius: Picasso
☑ Godless
Patrick Melrose
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Television Movie
Fahrenheit 451
Flint
☑ Paterno
The Tale
USS Callister (Black Mirror)
[No reason given.]
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Foy/The Crown
☑ Tatiana Maslany/Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss/The Handmaid’s Tale
Sandra Oh/Killing Eve
Keri Russell/The Americans
Evan Rachel Wood/Westworld
Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell, and Elisabeth Moss are excellent in their respective programs — but the competition is just too big this year. Sandra Oh and Claire Foy are powerhouses, and in Foy’s case it’s the last season to reward her work in “The Crown,” but it’s also the last chance to reward Tatiana Maslany — and no performance can match what she did in the series finale. Yes, she’s won once before, but she should have an Emmy not just for each season “Orphan Black” was on, but for each clone she played.
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman/Ozark
Sterling K. Brown/This Is Us
Ed Harris/Westworld
Matthew Rhys/The Americans
☑ Milo Ventimiglia/This Is Us
Jeffrey Wright/Westworld
Last year’s winner, Sterling K. Brown, is Emmy-worthy in all he does, but even he has to admit that this year belonged to his co-star Milo Ventimiglia. Wright, Harris, and Rhys are all fantastic, but Ventimiglia stepped into his own this season, navigating Jack through a tricky path this season worth of all the accolades.
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Pamela Adlon/Better Things
Rachel Brosnahan/The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Allison Janney/Mom
Issa Rae/Insecure
☑ Tracee Ellis Ross/black-ish
Lily Tomlin/Grace And Frankie
A new winner will be crowned in this category after six years. Through several of those years Tracee Ellis Ross maybe should have won at least once, so why not this year for her hilarious, and often drama-filled performance in “Black-ish.”
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson/black-ish
Ted Danson/The Good Place
Larry David/Curb Your Enthusiasm
Donald Glover/Atlanta
Bill Hader/Barry
☑ William H. Macy/Shameless
If you haven’t watched what Bill Macy does in “Shameless” you’re not only missing one of the funniest, outlandish performances on television, but also one of the best shows on television.
Lead Actress in a Limited Series/Movie
☑ Jessica Biel/The Sinner
Laura Dern/The Tale
Michelle Dockery/Godless
Edie Falco/Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders
Regina King/Seven Seconds
Sarah Paulson/American Horror Story: Cult
[No reason given.]
Lead Actor in a Limited Series/Movie
Antonio Banderas/Genius: Picasso
Darren Criss/The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
☑ Benedict Cumberbatch/Patrick Melrose
Jeff Daniels/The Looming Tower
John Legend/Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert
Jesse Plemons/USS Callister (Black Mirror)
[No reason given.]
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Alexis Bledel/The Handmaid’s Tale
Millie Bobby Brown/Stranger Things
Ann Dowd/The Handmaid’s Tale
Lena Headey/Game Of Thrones
Vanessa Kirby/The Crown
☑ Thandie Newton/Westworld
Yvonne Strahovski/The Handmaid’s Tale
I don’t understand a lot about “Westworld” but I do understand that Thandie Newton should have an Emmy for her brilliant performance each week on the show.
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau/Game Of Thrones
Peter Dinklage/Game Of Thrones
Joseph Fiennes/The Handmaid’s Tale
☑ David Harbour/Stranger Things
Mandy Patinkin/Homeland
Matt Smith/The Crown
“Stranger Things” had a strong sophomore season and David Harbour was a big reason why.
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Zazie Beetz/Atlanta
Alex Borstein/The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Aidy Bryant/Saturday Night Live
Betty Gilpin/GLOW
Leslie Jones/Saturday Night Live
Kate McKinnon/Saturday Night Live
☑ Laurie Metcalf/Roseanne
Megan Mullally/Will & Grace
As much as I like Leslie Jones, and hope she wins several Emmys throughout her career, I can’t bring myself to vote on a variety show performance in a series performance category. Megan Mullally was the best part of her revived series, but so was Laurie Metcalf and she lost an Oscar she deserved.
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Louie Anderson/Baskets
Alec Baldwin/Saturday Night Live
Tituss Burgess/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Brian Tyree Henry/Atlanta
Tony Shalhoub/The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Kenan Thompson/Saturday Night Live
☑ Henry Winkler/Barry
The Fonz. Full stop.
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Sara Bareilles/Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert
Penélope Cruz/The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
☑ Judith Light/The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Adina Porter/American Horror Story: Cult
Merritt Wever/Godless
Letitia Wright/Black Museum (Black Mirror)
[No reason given.]
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Jeff Daniels/Godless
Brandon Victor Dixon/Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert
☑ John Leguizamo/Waco
Ricky Martin/The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Edgar Ramírez/The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Michael Stuhlbarg/The Looming Tower
Finn Wittrock/The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Reality/Competition Program
The Amazing Race
American Ninja Warrior
Project Runway
RuPaul’s Drag Race
☑ Top Chef
The Voice
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Fixer Upper
Lip Sync Battle
Queer Eye
☑ Shark Tank
Who Do You Think You Are?
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Born This Way
Deadliest Catch
Intervention
Naked And Afraid
☑ RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell
[No reason given.]
Host for a Reality or Reality/Competition Program
W. Kamau Bell/United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell
Ellen Degeneres/Ellen’s Game Of Games
☑ RuPaul/RuPaul’s Drag Race
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn/Project Runway
Jane Lynch/Hollywood Game Night
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
☑ Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Late Show With James Corden
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
At Home With Amy Sedaris
☑ Drunk History
I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live
Tracey Ullman’s Show
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards
60th Annual Grammy Awards
Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert
Night Of Too Many Stars: America Unites For Autism Programs
☑ The Oscars
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
☑ Carol Burnett Show 50th Anniversary Special
Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It’s Complicated)
Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life
[No reason given.]
Outstanding Informational Series or Special
☑ Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman
StarTalk With Neil deGrasse Tyson
Vice
[No reason given.]
[Production assistance by Liz Shannon Miller.]
