Sorry, comedy and drama series – after a fresh rebranding in recent years, the categories of miniseries have become the most exciting and star-studded races at the Emmys, writes TV critic Daniel Fienberg of the Hollywood Reporter.
A decade ago, the limited series stood on its deathbed, as did its place at the Emmys.
To be honest, the “limited series” didn’t really exist. Back in the ancient past of 2010, they were called “miniseries”, a name that primarily referred to three things: PBS ‘prestigious literary adaptations, broadcast multi-parts reserved for air during holy’ sweeps’ periods, and Tom Hanks-produced epic for HBO, that all sounds good enough to support a genre.
It was not. At the 62nd Primetime Emmys, there were only two nominees in the category of exceptional miniseries: HBO’s ambitious, bloody masterpiece The Pacific Ocean, who would probably have won himself against a loaded field, and PBS ‘ Return to Cranford.
The TV Academy did something that made total sense at the time: It filled the categories of miniseries and TV movie together. But even that did not solve the problem, because at the Emmys in 2011 a miscategorized drama (Downton Abbey) triumphed in a category of six nominees that still had room for Reelz’s stupid-but-popular The Kennedys and Starz’s forgotten The pillars of the earth. One might be fair to think that this was just a style of storytelling that was on the way.
In 2020, the TV movie category is still on life support, but “limited series” has evolved into Emmy night’s marquee category, even though the producers of the Emmy telecast have yet to acknowledge this and adjust the show to reflect that the limited fields are competitive and star-studded then drama as comedy (and certainly more than programming for diversity).
Ryan Murphy deserves a healthy baby of credit for the revitalization of the category, starting with the first American horror story season, which introduced the anthology from season to season, a format that added Fargo gau nei. Murphy also sat behind the juggernaut The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, the limited series winner in 2016.
That re-examination of the OJ Simpson trial was part of a real tipping point for the limited genre, dominating one category after another at the expense of a second Fargo season that many fans consider the peak of the series. But it wasn’t just these two tempo setters. It was a category without weak links that would have seen much-needed recognition in every other year for the harrowing second season of ABC’s American Crime or for a remake of history of Roots that was surprisingly vital. Even the fifth nominee, AMCs The Night Manager, was an impeccably produced and acted adaptation of John le Carré.
While the categories comedy and drama fell into repetitive ruts of honor Veep en Game of Thrones again and again the restricted category changes every year and has featured The Night Fan, Fete, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and last year’s winner, Chernobyl.
Since its inception as a full-fledged category in 2014, the process of miniseries / limited selection has not been perfect. But most of the time, the limited categories are full of fresher and more temporary titles and bigger-name appearances, lured by the opportunity to do six or eight hours of provocative material without a five-season commitment – and probably have proven themselves to anchor the Emmy telecast instead. of buried in the middle.
Just a decade after the TV Academy struggled to justify two nominees in the category, this year its remarkably limited series field is a robust five. You have HBOs Watchmen, the most nominated program of the year, offering a presented lesson in American history and becoming the most current drama of the moment Black Lives Matter; FX’s Mrs. America and Netflix’s Unbelievable, who take real events that have been dry as unusual harrowing in various hands and make them humane, emotional and sometimes even funny; Small fires everywhere, powered by A-list star producers Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon; and Netflix’s Unorthodox, driven by a breakout innings by Shira Haas.
Even if keeping comedy or drama at the end of the awards show can offer such effective moments as an emotional valedictory for the beloved Schitt’s Creek as a passing of the torch from Game of Thrones no Follow-up, no genre can compete with limited finger-on-the-pulse currency series. And that’s before you get to performing showdowns like Cate Blanchett vs. Regina King and Mark Ruffalo vs. Jeremy Irons. It’s time to take pride in the limited series.
This story first appeared in a stand-alone August issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
