The TV Column

Rules change for prime-time Emmy categories

Steve Kazee as Gus and Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher in Shameless (Season 5, episode 8) - Photo: Cliff Lipson/SHOWTIME - Photo ID: shameless_508_1633
Steve Kazee as Gus and Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher in Shameless (Season 5, episode 8) - Photo: Cliff Lipson/SHOWTIME - Photo ID: shameless_508_1633

Here are the Emmy rule changes for which several of you have been lobbying.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has ruled that for the purposes of the Primetime Emmys, it will now consider comedies to be 30 minutes long, while dramas will be presumed to have one-hour episodes.

I've gotten emails from fans wondering how some shows, such as Netflix's Orange Is the New Black and Showtime's Shameless can be considered comedies when they are obviously dramas with a few comedic overtones.

Both those series are an hour long and will now be considered dramas so as to better even out the playing field.

Bruce Rosenblum, chairman of the television academy, told the Los Angeles Times that the change doesn't preclude producers from petitioning a waiver of the rules on a case-by-case basis.

"They can absolutely do that," Rosenblum said, noting a petition will trigger an industry panel that will then take up the case. This isn't a new concern. The hour-long Ally McBeal won the best comedy series Emmy in 1999.

One example: The CW's hour-long Jane the Virgin could make a case as a comedy instead of a drama. I call it a comedy/drama, but there's no such Emmy category. Shows tend to be dramas with comedic moments or comedies that get fairly dramatic at times.

The growing problem is that producers tend to take the path of least resistance when it comes to Emmy categories and submit their shows where they believe they have the best chance of winning.

Perhaps more important in determining who wins the coveted statuette, the academy has greatly expanded the number of members who can vote in the final round where the winner is chosen from among several nominees.

Up until now, a somewhat nebulous "blue-ribbon panel" of members has made the final selection. Now, any member who voted in the nominating round can vote online in the finals. Voters will still have to watch all the submissions and vouch that he has no personal conflict of interest in the outcome.

The goal was to make the final vote more democratic.

In addition, nominations for best comedy and drama series have been expanded to seven (up one). The move was "due to the dramatic increase in series production."

"That was an easy decision due to the quality and quantity" of current series, Rosenblum said.

Also, the label miniseries is out and limited series is in. It's defined as "programs of two or more episodes ... that tell a complete, nonrecurring story, and do not have an ongoing storyline and/or main characters in subsequent seasons."

The variety series category will be split into two sub-categories, sketch series and talk shows. That keeps something such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! from competing against Saturday Night Live. Last season's winner was The Colbert Report.

Finally, in order to qualify in the guest actor category, performers must be in fewer than half the season's episodes. No more "guest starring" honorifics just to placate egos for what are, in reality, recurring stars.

Hopefully, with these changes next year's awards will reflect the changing times and (maybe) something other than Modern Family will win the comedy Emmy.

For the record, the the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 on Fox. That's a Sunday and that's a big deal.

Last year's Emmy ceremony was moved by NBC to Aug. 25 (a Monday) in order not to conflict with NBC's Sunday Night Football and the MTV Video Music Awards.

The ceremony rotates among the four major broadcast networks and Emmy's usual slot is the third weekend of September, the start of the new television season.

Hell's back. Gordon Ramsay, the Marquis de Sade of celebrity chefs, returns with Season 14 of Hell's Kitchen at 7 p.m. today on Fox.

In the first episode, the 18 contestants present their signature dishes, with the winners getting a night with William Shatner.

CSI Cyber. And in case you've lost last Sunday's TV Week insert, tonight's the night CSI: Cyber kicks off its midseason tryout.

The CSI spinoff airs at 9 p.m. on CBS and stars recent Oscar winner Patricia Arquette as FBI Special Agent Avery Ryan. In the pilot, Ryan and her cyber analysts take on a case involving hacked baby monitors.

Broadchurch. Program reminder: Season 2 comes to BBC America at 9 p.m. Wednesday. The crime drama stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Charlotte Rampling, Olivia Colman and David Tennant.

The second season revolves around two separate murder cases linked by Tennant's character, Detective Inspector Alec Hardy.

The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:

mstorey@arkansasonline.com

Style on 03/03/2015

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