'Game of Thrones' wins Emmy for best drama

LOS ANGELES — "Game of Thrones" has won the best television drama series Emmy Award.

The HBO fantasy series won after a one-year hiatus in the category and was the leading nominee going into Monday's ceremony. Peter Dinklage also won the Emmy for best supporting actor in a drama series Monday night.


It beat out other drama series "The Americans," ''The Crown," ''The Handmaid's Tale," ''Stranger Things," ''This Is Us" and "Westworld."

source: philstar.com

Fil-Am up for Best Actor at Emmy Awards

LOS ANGELES — "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" star Darren Criss, who is of Filipino descent, could become the second Asian-American actor to claim an acting award at the 70th Emmy Awards on September 17, after Riz Ahmed's win last year for "The Night After," a notable back-to-back outcome if it happens.

Criss earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for starring as serial killer Andrew Cunanan in the second installment of Ryan Murphy’s “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianna Versace” in 2018.

Criss will be up against Antonio Banderas (“Genius: Picasso”); Benedict Cumberbatch (“Patrick Melrose”); Jeff Daniels (“The Looming Tower”); John Legend (“Jesus Christ Superstar”); and Jesse Plemons (“Black Mirror: USS Callister”) for the award.

Born to a Cebuana mother and a father of English, Irish, and German descent, Criss was raised in California. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Michigan.

The 31-year-old is best known for portraying Blaine Anderson in the hit musical comedy series “Glee.” His cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” became “Glee’s” fastest-selling single that reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified “gold” in America. Likewise, he was nominated for an Emmy in 2015 for composing the song “This Time” for “Glee’s” finale.


Apart from being a TV actor and singer, Criss co-owns the musical theater company StarKid Productions, for which he famously portrayed Harry Potter in the musical “A Very Potter Musical.” In 2012, he made a Broadway debut when he replaced Daniel Radcliffe in the play “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

In 2015, Darren’s duet with Filipino Tony Award-winning singer-actress Lea Salonga of the Disney classic “A Whole New World,” which Salonga recorded for the animated movie “Aladdin,” went viral on social media.

Darren is engaged to his girlfriend of more than seven years, Mia Swier.

Apart from him, Sandra Oh has the chance to become the first performer of Asian descent to win a lead drama actress trophy at the 2018 Emmys — a victory that would coincide nicely with the landmark box-office success of "Crazy Rich Asians." The Korean-Canadian is nominated for the spy thriller "Killing Eve" after receiving five supporting actress nods for "Grey's Anatomy."

A streaming service or basic cable series has yet to win top comedy, something that FX's "Atlanta" or Amazon Prime Video's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" could change.

Issa Rae of "Insecure" or "black-ish" star Tracee Ellis Ross could become the second African-American to win as best comedy actress, following Isabel Sanford (1981, "The Jeffersons") by 37 years — and making for a 21st-century first.

The 70th Emmy Awards will air on September 17 from Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California. — Reports from Associated Press/Lynn Elber

source: philstar.com

FULL LIST: 2018 Emmy Awards nominees

HOLLYWOOD — Nominations for the 70th Emmy Awards were announced today by the Television Academy in a ceremony hosted by Television Academy Chairman and CEO Hayma Washington along with Samira Wiley from the Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale and Ryan Eggold from NBC’s upcoming drama, New Amsterdam.

"It’s been another record-breaking year with more than 9,100 entries in 122 unique categories for the initial nomination round of voting,” said Washington.

“The continued growth of the industry has provided opportunities for acclaimed new programs to emerge, while allowing last season’s break-through programs to thrive. In addition, 36 performers -- ranging from new discoveries to revered international stars -- have received their first-ever acting Emmy nomination across all categories of scripted programming. We are honored to recognize both television’s seasoned veterans and rising talents.

“This year’s nominations continue to represent increased diversity and inclusion in front of the camera. And, there is a wealth of new and returning programs that reflect so many of today’s critical issues.”


Among this year’s eight Outstanding Comedy Series nominees, there are three first-timers representing an exceptional range of storytelling. Freshman shows Barry, GLOW and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel join returning hits Atlanta, black-ish, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Silicon Valley and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

The nominations in Outstanding Drama Series were again spread over distribution platforms, with returning nominees The Americans (FX) and Game Of Thrones (HBO) joining all of last season’s new nominees The Crown (Netflix), The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), Stranger Things (Netflix), This Is Us (NBC), and Westworld (HBO).

Nominees for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series include first-time Emmy nominee Issa Rae and category freshman Rachel Brosnahan, who join previous category nominees Pamela Adlon, Allison Janney, Tracee Ellis Ross and Lily Tomlin.
Bill Hader is new to the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category, Ted Danson and Larry David return to the category this season, joining last year’s nominees Anthony Anderson, Donald Glover and William H. Macy. Lead Actor in a Drama Series nominees Jason Bateman, Ed Harris and Jeffrey Wright are new to the category, joining returning nominees Sterling K. Brown, Matthew Rhys and Milo Ventimiglia.

Sandra Oh received her first Lead Actress in a Drama Series nomination, joined in the category by return nominees Claire Foy, Keri Russell and Evan Rachel Wood, and previous Emmy winners in this category, Tatiana Maslany and Elisabeth Moss.

Other notable first-time performer nominations include: Joseph Fiennes and Matt Smith, both for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series; Zazie Beetz and Betty Gilpin for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series; and Letitia Wright for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. Aidy Bryant (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series), Darren Criss (Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie), and Kenan Thompson (Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series) are also all first-time performer nominees, though each received a past Emmy nomination for Original Music and Lyrics.

James Corden, whose previous four Emmy nods were shared for producing and hosting the 70th Annual Tony Awards, two The Late Late Show Primetime Carpool Karaoke Specials and The Late Late Show with James Corden, is nominated this year as Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

In addition, Broadway star Kelli O’Hara received a first-time Emmy nomination as Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

Game Of Thrones had the most nominations (22) in all categories, followed by Saturday Night Live (21) and Westworld (21). Leading the nominations in totals by platform were Netflix (112), HBO (108) and NBC (78).

Multiple nominees include (but are not limited to) Jason Bateman for Ozark; Alex Borstein for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Family Guy; Sterling K. Brown for This Is Us and Brooklyn Nine-Nine; Jeff Daniels for The Looming Tower and Godless; Donald Glover for Atlanta and Saturday Night Live, Bill Hader for Barry and Saturday Night Live; Jane Lynch for Hollywood Game Night and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; Alex Berg for Barry and Silicon Valley; The Duffer Brothers for Stranger Things; Scott Frank for Godless; David Lynch for Twin Peaks; and, Amy Sherman-Palladino for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

The Television Academy’s membership has increased this year to more than 25,000, of which 23,000+ are voting members. That body welcomed more than 1,000 new voting members this year. Final-round online voting begins August 13.

The 70th Emmy Awards will telecast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Monday, September 17, (8:00 - 11:00 PM ET/5:00 - 8:00 PM PT) on NBC. Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost and Michael Che will serve as co-hosts. The 70th Emmy Awards will be executive produced by Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live; The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon). The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will air Saturday, September 15 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on FXX.

source: philstar.com

Oprah, Jimmy Fallon out of Emmy race, ‘Stranger Things’ star Barb in

LOS ANGELES | A mixed bag of new shows and old favorites on Thursday saw surprising Emmy exclusions for the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Jimmy Fallon and a surprise nod for short-lived character Barb Holland from Netflix’s “Stranger Things” in the race for television’s highest honors.

NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” were snubbed in the variety talk series category in favor of more politically scathing shows – “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee.”

While NBC’s breakout multi-generational family drama “This Is Us” earned 11 nominations, its lead actress, Mandy Moore, was left out of the best drama actress race.

USA Network’s cyber thriller series “Mr. Robot” was snubbed just a year after its star, Rami Malek, won the best drama actor accolade, and Lena Dunham’s final season of “Girls” found no love with Emmy voters this year.

Winfrey was overlooked for her well-received role in HBO’s TV movie “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” although the show itself earned one nomination.

The absence of HBO’s double Emmy-winning medieval fantasy series “Game of Thrones” this year – ineligible due to a summer season debut – left a gap in the drama race that unsurprisingly was filled by the network’s new sci-fi drama “Westworld,” which earned a leading 22 nominations.

“Saturday Night Live” also got an unusually high 22 nods after enjoying a six-year ratings high thanks to its scathing takedowns of U.S. President Donald Trump and his advisers.

Alec Baldwin’s Trump impersonation, Kate McKinnon’s portrayal of White House advisor Kellyanne Conway and Melissa McCarthy’s recurring guest spot as an enraged White House spokesman Sean Spicer all earned them Emmy nominations.

“Saturday Night Live” has won 50 Primetime Emmy awards in its 42 years on air.

Among the biggest surprises was a nomination in the guest drama actress category for nerdy teenager Barb Holland, played by newcomer Shannon Purser, on Netflix’s 1980s supernatural sci-fi “Stranger Things.”

Barb became a viral phenomenon after her sudden and gruesome death on the show, prompting online tributes and songs to the character and fans petitioning “Stranger Things” creators The Duffer Brothers with the hashtag #JusticeForBarb.

On Thursday, the Duffer Brothers celebrated the show’s 18 Emmy nominations and paid tribute to Barb, saying “Gone but never forgotten!”

source: interaksyon.com

‘Game of Thrones’ makes Emmys history

LOS ANGELES | Fantasy epic “Game of Thrones” made television history at the 68th Emmys on Sunday, becoming the most decorated fictional show since the awards began nearly seven decades ago.

The HBO series picked up 12 total Emmys this season — nine awards in technical categories and three top prizes at the glitzy ceremony in downtown Los Angeles — television’s equivalent of the Oscars.

The blood-spattered, sex-filled saga about noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne took home the most coveted prize of the night, the best drama Emmy — along with statuettes for writing and directing.

That gives it a total haul over the years of 38 — more than any other narrative series since the first Television Academy prize-giving in 1949, overtaking the haul of 37 won by long-running comedy “Frasier.”

“We love ‘Frasier’ and he had a long run and we’re sure someone will come along and take it from us. We just hope it doesn’t happen until we’re all dead,” showrunner David Benioff told reporters.

It went down to the wire in the end, as “Thrones” drew a blank in the acting categories, despite being a hot favorite and having multiple nominees, and only set the record with the last prize of the night.

Three of its stars — Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams — dominated the betting in the supporting actress category, but the statuette went to Maggie Smith of “Downton Abbey.”

Peter Dinklage missed out on a supporting actor trophy, as did co-star Kit Harington, the category’s favorite, with Ben Mendelsohn picking up the prize for Netflix family drama “Bloodline.”

“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” also glittered, picking up a total of nine awards this season, including the prize for best limited series.

“If your show doesn’t have a dragon or a white Bronco in it, go home right now,” host Jimmy Kimmel joked at the start of the three-hour broadcast, a reference to “Thrones” and the infamous car Simpson was in when he went on a wild ride through Los Angeles before his arrest.

The all-time Emmy list of winners — which includes nonfiction — is topped by NBC comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” with 45 awards, one of them handed out Sunday to Kate McKinnon for best supporting actress.

MILESTONE FOR LOUIS-DREYFUS

It was a night of recognition for old hands in the comedy categories, while the drama awards went to relative newcomers.

In the best actress in a comedy category, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won a fifth consecutive Emmy for her role as the hapless acting president on HBO’s “Veep.”

“I would like to dedicate this to my father who passed away on Friday, and I’m so glad that he liked ‘Veep’ because his opinion was the one that really mattered,” she said in an emotional tribute, her voice breaking.

“Veep” later picked up the Emmy for outstanding comedy series.

The award for best actor in a comedy went for the second year in a row to Jeffrey Tambor for “Transparent,” who pleaded with producers and directors to give transgender talent a chance in television.

In the tightest race of the night, lead actress in a drama, Tatiana Maslany won for “Orphan Black,” pipping favorite Robin Wright (“House of Cards”) and last year’s victor Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”).

“House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey, who has never won an Emmy, missed out again for outstanding actor in a drama, which went to Rami Malek, the star of cyberspace security thriller “Mr. Robot.”

POLITICAL NIGHT

Ex-presidential hopeful Jeb Bush made a surprise appearance as a limo driver in a televised opening joke sequence, asking Kimmel what it’s like to be nominated.

Several stars took aim at divisive Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, either in prepared jokes or in acceptance speeches.

“I want everyone to know that after careful consideration, I decided I’m going with Trump — which is why I’m saying we should get rid of all Hispanic and Muslim actors,” said award-winning comedian and writer Aziz Ansari.

GLORY FOR ‘O.J. SIMPSON’

The win for FX’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson” for best limited series was the most widely predicted victory of the night, and the show — a scripted drama recounting the American football star’s shocking fall from grace — swept up acting prizes.

Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance were rewarded in the lead acting categories for their acclaimed portrayals of sparring attorneys Marcia Clark and Johnnie Cochran.

Sterling K. Brown took home a statuette for his supporting actor role, while D.V. DeVincentis was recognized for the show’s writing.

In the battle of the networks, perennial leader HBO finished top with 22 Emmys — six on Sunday to add to its 16 from the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony last weekend.

FX, which scored the most nominations in history for a basic cable network, ended the night on 18 in total — twice as many as third-placed Netflix.

source: interaksyon.com

Shadow of ‘O.J. Simpson’ looms large at Emmys

LOS ANGELES | O.J. Simpson’s fall from grace became a defining tale of American life — a story not just of a murder but of race, the media and celebrity in modern culture.

Two decades after the unforgettable climax of the “Trial of the Century,” it continues to polarize and seduce TV viewers, with an acclaimed documentary released this year and a drama about the trial set to sweep the Emmys.

The 10-part “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” premiered on FX in February, offering a dramatized behind-the-scenes look at how he was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Exploiting a growing obsession with true-life crime mysteries, the show pulled in six to eight million viewers each week, with Simpson readying for release next year after being jailed for nine years in an unrelated robbery case.

It was nominated for nine Creative Emmy Awards — four of which it won — and is the most nominated show at television’s prestigious annual Primetime Emmys on Sunday, with a chance of winning 13 statuettes.

The series focuses on the white female prosecutor convinced of Simpson’s guilt and the star’s so-called “Dream Team” of lawyers that persuaded the predominantly black jury of reasonable doubt in the 1995 trial.

“I’ve never seen a phenomenon like that, when one crime fascinates America for so long. It’s really compelling,” said Tom Nunan, a former network boss who now teaches at UCLA’s School of Theater Film and Television.

The show’s Emmys recognition comes with American audiences feasting on a flood of true-crime series revisiting apparent miscarriages of justice.

WALL-TO-WALL COVERAGE

Netflix has announced a second season of its headline-grabbing “Making a Murderer” while September sees the broadcast of no fewer than three documentaries about the 1996 killing of six-year-old pageant star JonBenet Ramsey.

Meanwhile, Disney-owned ABC has commissioned a pilot for “The Jury,” described as a cross between 1957 courtroom drama “12 Angry Men” and NPR’s record-breaking investigative podcast “Serial,” which is credited with starting the trend.

But the Simpson case was the biggest of them all, says Nunan, combining celebrity, murder, race and wall-to-wall TV coverage in one of the biggest reality spectacles in history.

The saga is even credited with paving the way for modern reality TV shows following the likes of Kim Kardashian, whose father, attorney Robert Kardashian, is played by David Schwimmer in “The People v. O.J Simpson.”

“I’m not aware of any American crime story that has drawn this degree of scrutiny, of dramatization. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Broadway or another adaptation, because our fascination seems to be endless,” Nunan said.

There were various dramatizations nearer the time of the trial, including Fox’s 1995 TV movie “The O.J. Simpson Story” and the CBS miniseries “American Tragedy” in 2000, but none had the impact of this year’s TV offerings.

ESPN’s award-winning “30 for 30″ strand made the story the subject of a five-part documentary, “O.J.: Made in America,” in June which went meticulously into the background of the case.

Drawing upon more than 70 interviews from detectives as well as friends and colleagues of Simpson and other observers connected to the case, it attempted to uncover powerful truths about race and culture in modern America.

RESONANT

The series, which came too late for this year’s Emmys, goes into the history of police brutality against African Americans in Los Angeles, including the beating by four officers of unarmed driver Rodney King after a high-speed chase.

The officers were acquitted, which sparked the LA riots of 1992 in which 55 people died.

“There was a lot in there that most of us didn’t know about, including a lot of testimonies from jurors confirming what many people thought, which is that most of these jurors were penalizing the LAPD for the way they dealt with Rodney King,” said Nunan.

Nick Higgins, the documentary’s cinematographer, started out doubtful that anyone would still be interested in the case but came to realize that “Made in America” was as much a story about the US today as it was a courthouse saga.

“You can’t help drawing parallels with what’s going on now (with) American race relations, the fact that they havent changed in three or four decades,” he told AFP.

Bob Thompson, head of Syracuse University’s Center for Television and Popular Culture, said the FX series and the ESPN documentary would be particularly resonant to a generation less familiar with Simpson but all too aware of the racial tension stoked by recent police shootings on unarmed African Americans.

“One story after another has developed the idea of strained relationships between urban police departments and people in the community,” he told AFP.

“The O.J. story touches so much of that stuff.”

source: interaksyon.com

‘Breaking Bad’ finally makes good with best drama Emmy

LOS ANGELES | Television drama “Breaking Bad” won the top Primetime Emmy award for the first time on Sunday, just as the gritty tale of a chemistry teacher turned meth cook and drug kingpin winds down to widespread acclaim.

Although it won best drama series for its fifth season, AMC’s “Breaking Bad” has just one episode left to air next Sunday in its sixth and final season. Its creators credited a changing television world of binge-watching, video on demand, online streaming and social media buzz for its success Sunday.

“I don’t think our show would have even lasted beyond season two if it wasn’t for video on demand, and also the Internet component of it where folks get to chat,” “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan said backstage. “It really has held us in good stand. It’s a bold new era.”

If the best drama nod vindicated the gritty power of basic cable, the best comedy series award honored the slick production values of the broadcast networks. ABC’s “Modern Family,” a highly stylized show about unconventional families, won the top comedy award for the fourth consecutive year.

The Emmys are handed out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and in a nod to the changing times, host Neil Patrick Harris made much of the latest trends in television viewing. He opened the ceremony enclosed in a room, binge-watching on multiple screens to catch up on every episode.

“Right now, I am watching an episode of ‘American Horror Story: Asylum’ on my contact lens,” Harris joked with the audience at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

The newest player in the television industry, online streaming company Netflix Inc, failed to score wins in best drama and best acting categories for its political thriller “House of Cards.” But it took home an award for directing and was a topic of conversation backstage as competitors lauded its ability to break ground on original programming for online streaming.

Premium cable veteran HBO, which led the field with 108 of the more than 500 nominations, proved its staying power in the increasingly competitive television industry, where basic cable and Netflix have challenged its high-quality production.

Jeff Daniels, who plays a jaded anchorman in HBO’s “The Newsroom,” scored an upset win for the best actor in a drama, while Claire Danes clinched her second consecutive best drama actress Emmy for her role as a bipolar CIA agent in “Homeland.”

Daniels beat front-runner Bryan Cranston, who was looking for this fourth best actor Emmy in his role as unlikely drug kingpin Walt White in “Breaking Bad,” and Kevin Spacey, who made waves as a cutthroat congressman in “House of Cards.”

“I didn’t expect this,” Daniels said. “I usually don’t win anything. The last thing I won was for ‘The Squid and the Whale,’ best actor over 50 from the AARP. With all due respect to the AARP, this is better.”

Danes proved to be the only repeat winner in the major categories for Showtime’s domestic terror thriller “Homeland,” which won the trifecta of best drama series and best actor and actress for drama last year for its freshman season.

Its third season begins next Sunday after a second season that critics said fell short of the high notes in its first year.

BINGE-WATCHING ‘BREAKING BAD’

HBO also won the best miniseries/movie category with its slick Liberace program “Behind the Candelabra.” Veteran actor Michael Douglas won best actor in that category for his portrayal of the pianist, besting his co-star Matt Damon, who played his young lover.

“You deserve half of this,” Douglas told Damon. “Do you want the bottom or the top?”

The lead comedy acting awards were less of a surprise than the drama category.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus won the best comedy actress Emmy for the second year in a row for her role as hapless U.S. Vice President Selina Meyer on HBO’s “Veep.”

Jim Parsons picked up his third lead comedy actor win for his role as the nerdy and neurotic Sheldon Cooper on CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory.”

Some of the notable losers of the night were “American Horror Story: Asylum,” the miniseries that led the field with 17 nominations but only picked up two awards, and HBO’s medieval fantasy “Game of Thrones,” which received 16 nominations overall and won two technical awards.

“Breaking Bad” had 10 nominations overall and won three awards. Good timing and a surge in binge-watching seemed to be on its side.

AMC split the final season of “Breaking Bad” in two. It enjoyed a surge in ratings and a crescendo of critical and social media buzz perfectly timed to when Emmy voters were casting their ballots.

The first six episodes of the eight-episode ending to Walter White’s saga, released weekly starting in August, averaged 5.2 million viewers, more than double last year’s audience, according to AMC.

Netflix is credited with helping boost viewership for “Breaking Bad,” giving audiences a chance to binge-watch earlier episodes to quickly catch up – something that Gilligan recognized backstage.

“I think Netflix kept us on the air,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Game of Thrones’ favored over ‘American Horror Story’ in Emmys

LOS ANGELES – Although “American Horror Story: Asylum” bested HBO’s fantasy epic “Game of Thrones” in picking up the most Primetime Emmy nominations on Thursday, the fright-filled FX miniseries could face another tough year at the fickle Emmys.

“It’s cursed by being in the horror genre,” Hollywood awards show handicapper Tom O’Neil of Goldderby.com said. “Emmy voters, like Oscar voters, are horrified of the horror genre and tend to stay away.”

The torture-filled miniseries set in a nun-run mental hospital picked up the same number of nominations as its predecessor, “American Horror Story: Murder House,” did last year, and “Murder House” was only able to win two Emmys – best hairstyling and best supporting actress, both in a miniseries.

It was not the only show to flop at last year’s Emmys, the top awards in U.S. television. Perennial favorite “Mad Men,” the depiction of the 1960s Madison Avenue advertising world, set a record for losses, walking away empty-handed after 17 nominations.

The Emmys honor a broad swath of television production, from the pinnacle prize of best drama series to more obscure ones like best sound mixing for non-fiction programming. There are 537 separate nominations and HBO alone picked up 20 percent of those.

The Time Warner cable channel’s “Game of Thrones” racked up 16 nods and should run away with victories in many categories, O’Neil said.

“‘Game of Thrones’ will sweep those tech categories,” the analyst said of its nominations in best sound editing, visual effects and single-camera picture editing for a drama series, among others.

But the handicapper, who said it has also been difficult in the past for fantasy series to break through in top categories, believes “Game of Thrones” is poised to cash in for nods in best drama series and best writing in a drama series.

“Suddenly what was unthinkable last year is possible,” O’Neil said. “It can win.”

VOTERS WARMING

One element working in “Game of Thrones” favor is the broad range of nominees put forward by voters. The series goes up against the likes of British period drama “Downton Abbey” and anti-terror thriller “Homeland,” last year’s top drama.

“But whereas ‘Downton’ may not have matched the quality of its earlier seasons this year, ‘Game of Thrones’ had its best and most-watched season yet, and made demonstrable inroads with actors, too,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg.

Peter Dinklage, who won best supporting actor for “Game of Thrones” in 2011, picked up his third consecutive nomination in the category, and fellow cast member Emilia Clarke scored her first Emmy nod in the best supporting actress category.

Both O’Neil and Variety’s Justin Kroll said that although Academy of Television Arts and Sciences voters are often slow in warming to fantasy series, a show’s popularity may ultimately win out.

ABC’s top-rated fantasy drama “Lost” is one recent example as it won best drama series in 2005. “Game of Thrones,” to its credit, is HBO’s second-most watched TV drama in its history, behind only “The Sopranos.”

“For a show with a largely international cast that is shot far outside the confines of the U.S. (Ireland, Iceland, Bulgaria etc.), it took a little time for the creative community to wrap its arms around the epic fantasy,” Kroll wrote.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Homeland’, ‘Modern Family’, ‘Game Change’ win top Emmy prizes

LOS ANGELES – “Homeland” ended the four-year run of “Mad Men” to win the top drama prize at the Primetime Emmy awards on Sunday, while “Modern Family” reigned for a third year as the best comedy series on television.

“Homeland,” a post 9/11 psychological thriller, won best drama after one season on cable channel Showtime. It also took home trophies for best writing and best acting for its two leads, Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

“Homeland” brought to an end the reign of AMC’s stylish 1960s advertising show “Mad Men,” which left Sunday’s Emmy ceremony empty-handed.

“Modern Family,” ABC’s show about the chaotic lives of three related couples and their children, won best comedy series for a third year and supporting actor Emmys for Eric Stonestreet and Julie Bowen, as well as a directing award.

“Two and A Half Men’s” Jon Cryer was the surprise winner in the comedy actor category.

In what was seen as a tight race for lead comedy actress, Julia Louis-Dreyfus beat “Girls” star Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, “New Girl” Zooey Deschanel and Tina Fey for the Emmy for her turn as a frustrated U.S. vice president in the satirical HBO show “Veep.”

“Game Change,” the HBO story of Sarah Palin’s entry into the 2008 U.S. vice presidential race, was also a big winner, taking the Emmy for best miniseries, writing, directing, and acting for star Julianne Moore.

“The Amazing Race” won for the best reality series Emmy for the ninth time, while Tom Bergeron won best reality host for “Dancing with the Stars.”

source: interaksyon.com

'Game of Thrones,' Kathy Bates, win early Emmys

LOS ANGELES - Medieval fantasy "Game of Thrones" lead the winners at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday in a ceremony that also honored Kathy Bates for channeling Charlie Sheen on "Two and a Half Men" but shut out Emmy darling "Mad Men."

On a night that rewarded guest actors, choreographers, musicians and editors of the year's leading TV shows, "Game of Thrones" on HBO won six awards, including costumes, make-up and special visual effects.

Sketch show "Saturday Night Live" took home four - including a best guest actor trophy for comedian Jimmy Fallon as host - tying for second place with the Charles Dickens drama "Great Expectations" on PBS and Discovery Channel's nature documentary "Frozen Planet."

Bates, 64, was a popular winner for her guest actress turn as Charlie Sheen's killed-off bad boy Charlie Harper in CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men."

The Oscar-winning Bates, who this week revealed she had recently undergone a double mastectomy, played the ghost of Sheen/Harper complete with cigar and trademark bowling shirt.

In a night of surprises, 1960s advertising show and four times best drama series Emmy winner "Mad Men" was shut out of the creative arts portion of the biggest honors in the TV industry.

"Mad Men" will still hope to capture the top prize next week at the Primetime Emmys, which honors the best dramas, comedies, writers and actors and take place on Sept. 23 at a televised ceremony in Los Angeles, hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel.

On Saturday, the Nickelodeon animated show about a group of commando penguins, "The Penguins of Madagascar," beat popular Fox comedies "The Simpsons," "American Dad," and Bob's Burgers."

There were surprises too when the NBC backstage musical drama "Smash" took the award for best choreography over the three entries for perennial winners "So You Think You Can Dance."

On his second try, Jeremy Davies won for his guest drama role in the FX modern Western "Justified", while Martha Plimpton was named best guest actress in a drama for her turn as a devious lawyer in CBS legal show "The Good Wife."

"Hatfields and McCoys," the History channel miniseries about a legendary 19th century family feud starring Kevin Costner, won three Emmys on Saturday for sound, editing and make-up. The drama drew a huge 17 million average audience when it aired in May, leading to 16 Primetime Emmy nominations including nods for Costner and co-star Bill Paxton.

Reality show "Undercover Boss," in which senior executives leave their company boardrooms to work alongside ordinary employees, won the best reality program Emmy.

HBO finished Saturday night as the channel with the most Emmys - 17 - followed by CBS with 13 and 11 for PBS.

A complete list of winners can be seen at website Emmys.com — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com