The 2017 Emmy Nominations--Who cares?

I could do a long, thoughtful analysis f the recently announced nominees for the Primetime Emmy awards, but frankly who cares?  The number of series available for nomination now that we have broadcast networks, basic cable networks, premium cable networks, streaming services and digital platforms (for god sakes, Facebook and Snapchat got a nomination!) that the whole thing is ridiculous.  Instead of throwing everyone into a big hopper, maybe we should go back to when only the broadcast networks competed for Emmies.  Cable shows competed for Cable Ace Awards. We could invent new awards for Netflix and Hulu to fight over.  It would make more sense that considering there are now over 1,400 series on TV (and that number is 18 months old).

Before I start griping, a couple of shout outs.  I am pleased that Stranger Things got a Best Drama Nomination, and that Millie Bobbie Brown snagged a Supporting Actress nod.  In a time when the category of Best Drama has gotten increasingly pompous, with only “serious dramas” being considered, it is nice that a fun little science fiction-ish show made the final cut.  Shows like the old 60’s series Mission Impossible used to win Best Drama, but lately it’s been all The Sopranos, Mad Men and Breaking Bad type heavy dramas.  Good for Stranger things, although why it is a series and not a limited run series I don’t understand; yes, a second season is planned, but there were three seasons of Fargo and it’s a limited series.  Oh, and the actress who played Barb got a nomination; how wild is that?

I am also thrilled that Ellie Kemper FINALLY got a nomination for Best Actress for Unbreakable Kimie Schmidt.  How they nominated the show for Best Comedy and failed to nominate her makes no sense.  Her performance is so central to the success of that show, you can’t appreciate the show without appreciating her.

I was also pleased, but not surprised, that Ewen McGregor was nominated for his astonishing work on Fargo.  This season’s version seemed like a let down from the first two, but McGregor and fellow co-stars Carrie Coon and David Thewlis all were recognized.  Playing twin brothers is difficult, but playing non-identical brothers must be even harder.

Now for the griping.  For the love of all that is good and holy, can someone explain to me why the show with the most primetime Emmy nominations is Saturday Night Live, a show that isn’t even in prime time.  In fact, the actors are called the “not ready for prime-time platers.”  There are six nominees in the best supporting actress in a comedy category, and half of them are from SNL.  These are performers who do not create a character week-in and week-out, do not do consistent character work, and just do skits in a free form variety show; they should not be confused with REAL actors who attempt to create REAL characters that are supposedly based on some semblance of reality. The show also takes up 5 nominees in the guest actor/actress categories.  With so few nominations and so many shows, a show that is not in prime time (and hasn’t been consistently funny in 35 years) shouldn’t be hogging so many slots.

Possibly the single greatest acting performance I saw last season was Ted Danson’s brilliant turn around in the final episode of The Good Place, when the seemingly feckless Michael was revealed to be (spoilers!) the architect of the scheme to put Kristen Bell’s character through perpetual torment.  Maybe the academy has gotten so used to Danson being so good for so long that him being brilliant isn’t enough.  Or maybe too few people saw the show, or got the context of his performance within the show.  Whatever, he should have won the Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Comedy.

And any season in which Andre Braugher isn’t nominated for Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a travesty. 

Ok, Mr. Robot’s second season wasn’t as good as its first (how could it have been?) but no love for last year’s winner, Rami Malik?  Is it because his performance is so one note, because he had several episodes where the usual Elliott persona was dropped and he showed real range. 

And The Simpsons was nominated for Best Animated Series.  Remember when the show was good, twenty years ago?  And people complain that Modern Family gets nominated based on reputation.

That’s it, I’m out of bile.  It’s just impossible.  It’s like the debate between the critics at Hollywood Reporter who argue whether the answer is putting ten nominees in every category, or just getting the Academy to not nominate shows that have passed their sell-by date (House of Cards, Modern family, The Simpsons).  There is no answer.  There are too many shows, and the categories are too blurry.  Series or Limited Series?  Drama, Comedy or Dramedy? 

As the great sage (and Nobel Lauriat) Bob Dylan once said in an Oscar winning song, I used to care but things have changed.  I think I will stop worrying about the Emmy Awards.  Maybe I’ll start taking the ESPYs seriously.