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Tag: Emmys

  • Henry Bromell Awarded Posthumous Writing Emmy

    The Emmys have been criticized in recent years as being the TV industry’s annual “pat on the back,” where millions in advertising dollars are spent on gift packages for voting members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Others have blasted the awards ceremony for entirely failing to appreciate present-day talent in favor of honoring a nominee’s past work.

    Thankfully, this year’s ceremony saw at least one deserved award go out to Henry Bromell, who died following a heart attack in March of this year.

    Bromell took home the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for the Showtime CIA drama Homeland, and his wife Sarah took the stage in his absence: “I accept this award on behalf of Henry with deep appreciation to the Academy and thank you so much,” she said. He had previously won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his work on Homeland.

    The television world mourned the loss of Henry Bromell last March. Twentieth Century Fox TV said in a statement at the time, “He was a supremely talented writer and as kind and warm a person as you could ever meet. He will be deeply missed at the studio and on Homeland.” Showtime’s statement said that “Henry was an immensely talented and prolific writer, director and showrunner, and his work on ‘Brotherhood’ and ‘Homeland’ was nothing short of brilliant. His passion, warmth, humor and generosity will be greatly missed.” Both networks lent their thoughts and prayers.

    The New York Times described Bromell’s career, which began with a series of short stories for The New Yorker. After publishing a novel entitled The Follower, Bromell sought to enter the screenwriting business in California and struggled to break in as most do. His big break came when he helped writer John Falsey develop a show called Northern Exposure about a New York doctor who moves to Alaska.

    Bromell would go on to write and produce many of the best shows of the generation, including Homicide: Life on the Street, based on The Wire creator David Simon’s first foray into Baltimore’s mean streets. Much of Bromell’s recent Homeland inspiration had come from his father, who was a CIA agent in the Middle East in the 1950’s and ’60s.

    If you want to read more about Henry Bromell’s career, the Times article is sure to be enlightening.

    [Image via a YouTube interview with Henry Bromell about coming up with stories for Homeland]

  • Netflix’s ‘House Of Cards’ Wins David Fincher An Emmy

    Netflix original shows were nominated for a combined fourteen Emmys. On Sunday night, they came away with one as David Fincher won for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for House of Cards.

    Netflix released this congratulatory video for Fincher:

    In addition to this award, House of Cards had actually already won two Primetime Creative Arts Emmys announced last week. These were for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series (casting directors Laray Mayfield and Julie Schubert) and Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series (Director of Photography Eigil Bryld).

    Other nominated Netflix shows included Arrested Development (Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series, Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series, Outstanding Music Composition For A Series) and Hemlock Grove, (Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music, Outstanding Special Visual Effects).

    Next year, Netflix may have even more horses in the race. Look for Orange is the New Black and Derek to generate some buzz going in. House of Cards will have another season to work with as well.

    Netflix also plans to double its investment in original content in the coming years, so we may be seeing quite a bit more from them in these awards shows in the future.

    Image: Netflix (YouTube)

  • Michael Douglas Makes Surprising Acceptance Speech

    Michael Douglas accepted the award for lead actor in a miniseries or movie at Sunday night’s Emmy Awards for his role as Liberace on HBO’s biopic “Behind the Candelabra”. The actor, 68, made a surprising and memorable speech as he clutched his glittering statuette. He immediately honored Matt Damon, who plays his love interest in the show. Watch the whole thing:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXT2fSSGKek

    Douglas joked, “Matt, you’re only as good… as your other half…This is a two-hander and Matt, you’re only as good as your other hand,” Douglas went on to say, while pointing to the statuette, “Matt, you deserve half of this. You want the bottom or the top?”

    Then things got serious quickly. He thanked his wife of 13 years, Catherine Zeta-Jones, which was a sweet surprise since the two recently announced that they were separating to re-evaluate their relationship. While Zeta-Jones didn’t accompany him, he was still wearing his wedding ring. Maybe there’s hope for those two silly kids yet.

    He also praised the script for “Behind the Candelabra” as one of the best he’s ever seen and gushed over director Steven Soderbergh and his hard work on the show, for which Soderbergh also snatched an Emmy.

    Douglas didn’t leave out his children, including the troubled Cameron Douglas, who is currently serving time for a drug sentence. “And a shout-out to my oldest son Cameron, but hopefully I’ll be able to see him soon,” Douglas said.

    Later on, backstage, he revealed a little more about the status of his marriage to Zeta-Jones, telling “Entertainment Tonight’s” Nancy O’Dell, “Everybody is fine. Nothing really more to say. We were just taking a little break. We’re talking. I think everything will be fine and I’m very hopeful.”

    Image via wikipedia

  • Claire Danes Hijacks Seacrest Interview

    Claire Danes looked nothing like Carrie from her hit show “Homeland” on the Emmys Red Carpet. She certainly didn’t act like her character when she totally interrupted an interview to enthusiastically greet her good friend Lena Dunham right in the middle of her telling E!’s Ryan Seacrest, that all through last year’s Emmys, she felt like urinating. Apparently the two grew up in the same New York City neighborhood, and met through a mutual friend.

    Danes garnered lots of attention with her new golden bob to go with her sparkling Armani dress. She looked beautiful as the girls squealed like old pals and gushed about each other, totally forgetting Seacrest, and Claire even snatched the mic away from Ryan and began her own interview of Dunham:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njjbdZGE_j8

    “Seacrest out, Danes in,” Dunham quipped.

    “How do you feel being here tonight?” Danes asked, laughing, before quickly admitting, “I’m so bad at this!”

    “I’m really excited because you’re my really good friend and I never get to see you except for on the E! red carpet!” Dunham gushed.

    “I know, it’s totally wackadoodle,” Danes agreed.

    “Are we ruining your life?” Dunham asked the amused Seacrest.

    “No, this is fantastic,” he insisted. “I’m great, I’m gonna have a beer.”

    “I love this lady very much,” Danes revealed. “I love you so much,” Dunham agreed.

    It kind of went that way for a while, then:

    Danes: “I’m in constant awe of what she does.”

    Dunham: “She’s my favorite actress.”

    Danes: “She’s my favorite everything.”

    Speaking of working together the besties clarified the situation:

    Dunham: “I would love to but she’s on a Showtime show and I’m on HBO.”

    Danes: “It’s very Capulet and Montague.”

    Dunham: “We’ll wait unitl there’s a less turf-warrish situation.”

    Danes: “A web series!”

    During the lovefest Seacrest interjected, “I feel like we should do our nails.”

    Dunham also revealed in the presence of her two friends, that she’s an obsessed Kerry Washington fan. “I stalked her and I met her!” she said proudly. Washington “was really nice,” Dunham added. “She knew I’d been stalking her because I said it to, like, 17 media outlets, so she was really great about it.”

    Image via wikipedia

  • Diahann Carroll Says, “We’re All Very Grateful”

    Diahann Carroll was happy to be joined by Kerry Washington on stage during the Emmys. Both women are talented African-American actresses who have starred in television shows that at some point received Emmy nominations. Kerry Washington was a 2013 nomination for the lead in the drama, Scandal. While enthusiastic to share the stage with another talented individual, Diahann Carroll had other concerns about the selection for nominations.

    “I feel we’re a little behind, we need to catch up. We’re all very grateful to the Emmys because they’ve been on our side. At the same time, we’d like it to be a little more with what’s going on in the world,” Diahann Carroll said.

    Seventy-eight-year-old Diahann was recognized for her talents when she starred in Julia where her performance earned her a nomination back in 1969.

    Diahann Carroll’s presence at the Emmys showed that she can still captivate an audience. Though Claire Danes won the Emmy for her involvement in the series Homeland, Kerry Washington was viewed as the winner for other reasons. Kerry Washington was not only envied for her nomination, but rather for being able just to stand near the legendary Diahann Carroll.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Emmy Awards 2013: The Best Speech Ever

    Emmy Awards 2013: The Best Speech Ever

    Everyone knew when it was announced that “How I Met Your Mother” star Neil Patrick Harris would be hosting the 2013 Emmy Awards that there would be quite a few humorous moments. To add to that, funny ladies Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were announced as presenters for the awards show. While these folks certainly provided lots of laughs, “Nurse Jackie” actress Merritt Wever unintentionally stole the show as far as comedy goes with her acceptance speech.

    Check out a video of the entire announcement and speech above, or a GIF of the speech below–don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

    To recap, the “Nurse Jackie” star won the 2013 Emmy Award for supporting actress in a comedy series. Her speech consisted of eight words: “Thank you so much. I gotta go. Bye.”

    Wever’s speech at the Emmy Awards got quite a chuckle from the audience, and when Harris came back on stage, he wasted no time declaring that the “Nurse Jackie” star’s speech was “the best acceptance speech ever.” The irony in Wever’s speech is that her short acceptance speech is the exact opposite of what the character she plays on “Nurse Jackie” is known for. Wever plays the lovable character Zoey Barkow on that show, and her incessant chatter usually drives Jackie, played by Edie Falco, crazy.

    In a backstage interview, Wever explained her short speech, saying it was a combination of shock and nerves. “I wanted to thank everyone at Showtime, and most of all Edie Falco. And people at Showtime. I’m scared, honestly, because it was unexpected. I mean, I have therapy next week,” Wever said.

    Twitter users showed a lot of love for Wever’s speech:

    Check out a list of all of the nominations and winners in the Emmy Awards 2013 here. Did any actors or TV shows you’re pulling for win? Respond below.

    Image via YouTube

  • Catherine Zeta-Jones Makes First Appearance Since Separation

    The surprising news that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones were separated was revealed in August, following Zeta-Jones’s stay in a mental health facility for treatment for bipolar II disorder. The two haven’t been seen together in months, and Zeta-Jones made her first public appearance since a source confirmed the separation rumors on Sunday, without Douglas.

    Zeta-Jones reportedly attended two red carpet ceremonies in China on Sunday. The “Chicago” actress was in China to participate in a ceremony for a new film studio. Zeta-Jones wasn’t the only big-name celebrity at the ceremony–she was joined by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Beckinsale.

    Meanwhile, Douglas was 6,000 miles away in Los Angeles getting ready for his Emmy nomination for “Behind the Candelabra,” an HBO mini-series the actor starred in as Liberace. The series received 10 Emmy nominations, including “Outstanding Lead Actor” and “Outstanding Art Direction.”

    Douglas and Zeta-Jones have been married since 2000. Since that time, the couple has endured a lot of hardships, including treating Douglas’s cancer, dealing with Zeta-Jones’s mental issues and dealing with Douglas’s son’s drug abuse and imprisonment. When the separation rumors were raised, Douglas admitted that the two are living separately, but said that things are “fine” and that the separation is only “temporary.” Douglas also said, “‘I have a crisis at home? No…we are fine. My wife and I are…fine.” So far neither Douglas nor Zeta-Jones have filed for legal separation or divorce.

    According to the source that confirmed the separation, the situation is more than temporary. “He concluded that his marriage was over in all but name and he saw no point in continuing to live a lie,” the source told Daily Mail.

    While there haven’t been any updates on the situation between Douglas and Zeta-Jones, many fans of the couple hope they will be able to work things out since they have two children together. For the meantime, though, it looks like the two are more than fine with going their own separate ways.

    Main image via Wikimedia Commons; Article image via YouTube

  • Neil Patrick Harris Gets Ready To Host The Emmys

    Neil Patrick Harris is getting ready to host the Emmy Awards again this year and the stage is being set, as the show gets underway this Sunday. Harris has hosted both The Emmys and the Tonys before and has plenty of experience in the position. Many people probably know him as a child star from his days on Doogie Houser, M.D. and recently on the popular CBS comedy, How I Met Your Mother.

    He has been rehearsing plenty for the show and is very excited to be able to share the dance routines that he has worked out with the audience. The show will be held at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles, according to CBS News. The show will honor the best of the best in television and made for TV movies. Some of the biggest awards of the night include Best Drama and Best Comedy, along with the main actors that go along with the comedy and drama shows.

    The Best Drama category is always one of the biggest when it comes to any award show involving television or film. This year, it is filled with old favorites that fans have loved for a long time, including Breaking Bad and Mad Men, but also Homeland, which is getting ready to start its third season soon and House Of Cards, a Netflix original show that aired its first season this year. The full list of nominees can be seen here

    Netflix recently started streaming shows that are shown exclusively on the platform that are only available to Netflix subscribers. While a large number of people already use Netflix, this business venture could work to get more users as well, compared to people that might subscribe to HBO in order to watch a few particular shows. In addition to House Of Cards, which stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, several other shows are being picked up by Netflix as well. Neil Patrick Harris has expressed great interest in the subject as well and is curious to see how these shows will do at the awards. He said “I think it’s really interesting to see how that’s going to shape the way we watch television.It questions commercials. It questions programming.”

    The awards are just a few days away now, and Harris is busy at work and working hands-on in order to help put the show together. His work in helping produce and host awards has even earned him an award, a Creative Arts Emmy, which he was awarded last Sunday for being the executive producer of last year’s Tony Awards, mentions the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Tribune goes on to say that Harris won’t say whether he’ll perform any tricks during the ceremony, but promises “a lot of exciting things that have never happened before.” There is also a special musical tribute to Liberace that is to be performed by Elton John.

    Tune in this Sunday, September 22, at 8 PM, and catch the full show.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z_zqnsthlc

    Image via Youtube

  • Cory Monteith Emmy Tribute Starts Debate

    “Does Cory Monteith Deserve A Special Emmy Memorial?” was the headline of Variety Editor-in-Chief Andrew Wallenstein’s Opinion column yesterday.

    The question Wallenstein poses is not whether Monteith deserved to be recognized alongside the others that will be featured in the regular Memoriam segment, but rather does his career warrant elevation alongside James Gandolfini, Gary David Goldberg, Jean Stapleton and Jonathan Winters? And above such TV legends as Larry Hagman?

    A poll offered alongside the Variety article asks readers their opinion. As of Tuesday evening, results were slightly in favor of the tribute.

    (image)

    Monteith is one of five television stars who passed on this year and will be receiving a special tribute in addition to being featured among the many actors, producers and other entertainment professionals featured in the Memoriam segment of the prime time Emmys broadcast this Sunday.

    While Wallenstein lauds Monteith’s Glee work as showing great promise and allows that the actor’s death was tragic—making no judgment on the circumstances surrounding it unlike others voicing their dissent—he proposes that an honor of this type ought not be laid on an actor whose body of work was so short-lived and who had not warranted an Emmy nomination to date. Though Monteith is not among them, Glee’s directing, casting, fellow actors and guests have added up 39 Emmy nominations including six wins.

    For those who might question Gandolfini’s inclusion, Wallenstein sites him and his most recognized role in The Sopranos as transformative in television history. Gandolfini won three Emmy awards as Tony Soprano, for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He was also nominated an additional three times and was nominated in a producing role for two miniseries, Hemingway & Gellhorn and Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq.

    The Opinion piece gets to the financial bottom line of the debate by pointing out that honoring Monteith among more aged and revered personalities may be an award show bid to, “cater to the younger audiences that are in decreasingly short supply for award shows these days.”

    “The event should be first and foremost about recognizing a body of work,” Wallenstein concludes. “In that respect, the Emmys needs to aspire to timelessness… It’s about what has been achieved—not what could have been.”

    Awards show Memoriam segments are often under scrutiny for those left out of the montage. This year’s Academy Awards broadcast passed over Andy Griffith and Larry Hagman (one hopes Hagman will not suffer the same on Sunday). While the Academy pointed fans to an online tribute, that alone missed others, among them comedian Phyllis Diller.

    Just in case you are unfamiliar with the other three being given the special tribute…

    Gary David Goldberg was a 30-plus-year veteran writer and producer of film and TV series, most notably Family Ties in the 1980’s, Spin City in the 1990’s and the movie Must Love Dogs (2005). He has two Emmy awards and five additional nominations.

    Jean Stapleton’s career stretched for half a century, with roles on Broadway, in television and film, including her most recognized as Edith Bunker in All in the Family (1968-1979), for which she won three Emmys. She was additionally nominated seven times.

    Jonathan Winters most recently voiced Papa Smurf in the 2011 and 2013 films but his credits go back to the 1950’s as a comedian and night club performer with roles in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Bob Hope specials and Mork & Mindy in the early 1980’s. He has two Emmy nominations, including one win.

    [Images via Variety.]

  • ‘Breaking Bad’ Would Win Drama Emmy If Searches Determined Winners

    Yahoo is sharing some data related to Emmy-nominated television shows.

    “If winners were predicted by Yahoo searches, [breaking bad] would be this year’s Outstanding Drama Series as it’s the highest searched show this month,” a Yahoo spokesperson tells WebProNews. “Coming up next is [game of thrones], which is searched for nearly 6x more than [house of cards], [homeland], [mad men] and lastly, [the newsroom].”

    Not a lot of change there. Yahoo told us back in July that Breaking Bad was the most-searched for show from the Outstanding Drama Series category.

    “Last year’s Best Actor in a Drama, [damian lewis], trails last in Yahoo searches among other nominees, with [bryan cranston], [kevin spacey] and [jon hamm] leading,” the spokesperson says. “The leading lady for Best Actress on Yahoo searches this month is [kerry washington], her first time nominated for an Emmy, followed by [claire danes], [michelle dockery] and [robin wright].”

    Some other interesting Emmy-related stats from Yahoo:

  • 68% of Emmys searches come from females in the past week.
  • Top searched Emmy nominated actors for comedy, ranked in order this month on Yahoo are: [alec baldwin], [jim parsons], [jason bateman], [louis ck], [don cheadle], [matt leblanc]. [alec baldwin] is spiking 283% this month on Yahoo.
  • If Outstanding Comedy were won by number of Yahoo searches, [big bang theory] would be the winner as the top searched comedy. Ranked in order, other top searches include [modern family], [30 rock], [louie], [girls hbo] and [veep]
  • Top searched Emmy nominated actresses for comedy, ranked in order this month on Yahoo are: [amy poehler], [tina fey], [julia louis-dreyfus], [laura dern], [lena dunham], [edie falco]. [amy poehler] is spiking 330% this month on Yahoo

    • Many of us are wondering how Netflix shows will perform in the Emmys this year, as simply being part of the race is something that has never happened before for online-only shows. Netflix shows have received a total of fourteen nominations, and House of Cards has already won two awards for casting and cinematography.

    Yahoo shares these stats about Netflix shows:

  • [netflix new releases], [house of cards 2013] and [house of cards season 2 release date] are spiking off the charts this month on Yahoo
  • [robin wright] is spiking 70% this week on Yahoo
  • Top Netflix original shows ranked in order this month on Yahoo are: [orange is the new black], [house of cards], [arrested development] and [hemlock grove]
  • Most Netflix originals – [house of cards], [arrested development] and [hemlock grove] are preferred by men, however [orange is the new black] is preferred by women
  • [orange is the new black] searched for 58% of the time time by women this month on Yahoo
  • [hemlock grove] searched for 54% of the time by men this month on Yahoo
  • [house of cards] searched for 63% of the time by men this month on Yahoo
  • [arrested development] searched for 61% of the time by men this month on Yahoo

    • Out of all of these shows, Orange is the New Black is the only one not up for any Emmys this year. It just came out too late. Next year, look out.

    As previously reported, Yahoo has actually partnered with the Emmys this year, and will be live streaming from the red carpet, as well as backstage and the post-party Governor’s Ball on Sunday.

    Image: AMC

  • Netflix’s ‘House Of Cards’ Has Already Won 2 Primetime Creative Arts Emmys

    Netflix announced on Sunday that its show House of Cards has already won two Primetime Creative Arts Emmys, “making history” as the first win in a major Primetime Creative Arts category for non-linear programming.

    House of Cards won for Oustanding Casting for a Drama Series and Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series. The awards went to casting directors Laray Mayfield and Julie Schubert and Director of Photography Eigil Bryld.

    “We are so proud that both Casting and Cinematography were recognized with these historic Emmy wins for ‘House of Cards’ and Netflix,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer for Netflix. “Laray Mayfield, Julie Schubert & Eigil Bryld’s work was truly exquisite, and the Academy’s acknowledgement for their work is richly deserved.”

    Netflix shows are up for a total of fourteen Emmys. House of Cards makes up nine of those nominations, with the others going to Hemlock Grove and Arrested Development.

    This all must be very encouraging to Netflix. Sarandos indicated last week that the company is about to double its budget for original programming. Also last week, Netflix debuted its latest original, Derek.

    Filming for the second season of House of Cards is currently underway. It will debut next year.

    Image: Netflix

  • ‘Hemlock Grove’ Soundtrack (Which Is Responsible For One Of Netflix’s Emmy Nominations) Now Available On iTunes

    ‘Hemlock Grove’ Soundtrack (Which Is Responsible For One Of Netflix’s Emmy Nominations) Now Available On iTunes

    The soundtrack for Netflix’s Hemlock Grove, which features music from composer Nathan Barr, is now available on iTunes.

    Barr, Gaumont TV and CW3PR shared the news on Twitter.

    The show has been nominated for two Emmys. One of them is for the title theme, which Barr composed, and is the first track on the soundtrack.

    Post by Hemlock Grove.

    The track listing is as follows: Hemlock Grove, Ice Cream, Shelley’s Email, Crime Scene, Carnival, Aftermath, Is This a Joke?, Killer Wolf, Letha Dreams, Roman and Olivia, Peter Dreams, Land Beyond, Brooke’s Vigil, Longing, Trust Each Other, Screaming Schoolkids and Peter’s Transformation.

    The tracks are sold separately for $0.99 a piece if you don’t want to grab the whole thing.

    Barr has also worked on other Eli Roth projects Cabin Fever, Hostel, Thanksgiving (the fake trailer in Grindhouse) and Hostel: Part II, as well as on True Blood, The Americans and numerous other movies and TV shows.

    We recently learned that they were getting ready for production on Hemlock Grove: Season 2. It’s unclear whether it has actually begun at this point. Either way, it’s due out in 2014.

    Image: Hemlock Grove (Facebook)

  • Netflix Wants To Make Sure Its Users Know About Its Emmy Nominations

    Netflix shows have been nominated for a total of fourteen Emmys. We’ve known this for a while, but Netflix also wants to make sure all of its users know it too. The company has put out a new video driving home this point.

    The video was uploaded to Netflix’s YouTube channel wit the following description:

    Netflix Congratulates its Original Series “House of Cards,” “Arrested Development,” and “Hemlock Grove” on a combined 14 Emmy nominations. Watch them all, only on Netflix.

    According to The Wrap, Netflix will be showing the ad to subscribers.

    Netflix’s Emmy nominations are, of course, historical. They mark the first time online video programming has ever received a nomination (let alone multiple nominations).

    Hemlock Grove was nominated for two Emmys, while Arrested Development was nominated for three, and House of Cards was nominated for nine.

  • ‘Breaking Bad’ Searches Surging, RJ Mitte Spiking 1,289%

    If you haven’t been hiding under a rock in another dimension, you’ve probably heard that the final episodes of Breaking Bad are approaching. In fact, the first of the last episodes premieres this Sunday.

    A couple weeks ago, we looked at some search data showing that Breakiing Bad is the highest-searched Emmy-nominated drama.

    Yahoo is now sharing some fresh data related to Breaking Bad searches. The query “breaking bad” itself is spiking 37% this week, and searches are up nearly two times over what they were last years, the company says.

    “Yahoo! Users are ecstatic to find out how the show wraps up,” a spokesperson for Yahoo says. “However, women’s interest in [breaking bad] has decreased over the past year, with 67% of Yahoo! Searches over the past month coming from men and only 33% coming from women.”

    When we looked at Yahoo’s data a couple weeks ago, Bryan Cranston was the top-searched actor from the show, but Aaron Paul (then #2) has moved up to become the top one so far this month, the company says.

    Still, searches for RJ Mitte, who plays Walter, Jr. are spiking more than any other cast member at 1,289%.

    Breaking Bad is still the most searched for Emmy-nominated show so far this month on Yahoo. Others ranked in order, include: Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Downton Abbey, The Newsroom, Homeland and House of Cards.

  • Amazon Gets Emmy Nod For Instant Video Technology

    Netflix got a lot of attention when three of its original shows earned a total of fourteen Emmy nominations, but it turns out that its competitor in online video is also getting some Emmy recognition.

    No, Amazon isn’t up for any awards for Outstanding Drama Series or anything like that. Rather, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will recognize Amazon Instant Video with a 2013 Technology & Engineering Award for its work on personalized recommendation engines for video discovery, Amazon announced today.

    “Our goal is to give customers the best possible movie and TV watching experience. That means both enabling customers to find exactly what they’re looking for and helping them discover new TV shows and movies in a personalized way,” said Bill Carr, VP of Music and Video for Amazon. “We’ve made it effortless to discover new content they’ll love, and we will continue to innovate on behalf of our customers to make it even easier and more enjoyable to explore all of the great movies and TV shows on Amazon.”

    This is the first time Amazon has won such an award, though Amazon has been known for its recommendation technology for years. Amazon Instant Video is getting the award for its development of tools and algorithms that let customers easily find and discover videos that cater to their specific tastes and preferences, Amazon says.

    One feature of Amazon Instant Video’s personalization and recommendations include Video Finder, which lets users find relevant movies and TV shows through classifications such as “Dystopian,” “Love,” “Zombies,” and “Revenge,” to name a few examples. These are ordered by users’ unique viewing habits and likes.

    The engine also utilizes genre-based recommendations (determined by viewing history and favorite categories), the “customers who watched this also watched” feature and of course the “Your Store” feature, which gives personalized recommendations based on tastes and preferences.

    LIke Netflix, Amazon is cranking up its original content output (It just greenlit five new pilots this week). Perhaps Amazon will be even more in the Emmy conversation like its rival Netflix when awards season rolls around next year.

  • Breaking Bad Is Currently The Highest-Searched Emmy-Nominated Drama

    Searches for the hit AMC show Breaking Bad are spiking this week, according to Yahoo, as fans gear up for the final season, which premieres on Sunday, August 11th.

    Yahoo informs us that searches for “breaking bad” are spiking 31% for the week, while 69% of these searches are coming from men. The top cities for the query are: San Diego, Phoenix, Grand Rapids,LA, and Dallas.

    San Diego, of course, is the site of Comic Con, where Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston appeared in a Walter White costume (image courtesy of The Verge):

    Bryan Cranston at Comic Con

    “Bryan Cranston” searches are spiking 190% this month, Yahoo says.

    A lot of the Emmy conversation has been about Netflix since nominations were revealed, particularly when it comes to the drama category, for which Netflix original House of Cards was nominated (one of its nine nominations). But if search buzz is any indication, House of Cards may have a tough time beating the competition.

    According to Yahoo, Breaking Bad is the highest searched Emmy-nominated drama this week, though HoC is right behind it. Here’s the rankings:

    1. Breaking Bad
    2. House of Cards
    3. Downton Abbey
    4. Mad Men
    5. Homeland
    6. The Newsroom

    In fact, more people have been searching for Netflix’s Orange is the New Black than House of Cards.

    And in case you’re wondering about Google data, here’s a comparison between Breaking Bad and House of Cards:

    Here are the Breaking Bad cast members ranked from most to least searches on Yahoo this week:

    1. Bryan Cranston
    2. Aaron Paul
    3. Anna Gunn
    4. RJ Mitte
    5. Dean Norris
    6. Betsy Brandt

    Actors from the show with nominations this year include Cranston, Paul, Gunn and Jonathan Banks. The show has a total of 13 2013 nominations. You can see them all here.

    By the way, if you have Netflix, and you live in the UK, you can watch the new Breaking Bad episodes the day after they air.

  • Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Nominated For Emmy

    Last fall, in the run-up to the November release of Halo 4, Microsoft Studios released a five-part live-action mini-series called Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. The series provided some back story for the Halo 4 campaign and was a surprisingly good live-action addition to the Halo lore.

    The mini-series has now been nominated for an Emmy Award. The nomination isn’t for the series’ acting or special effects, though. Forward Unto Dawn has been nominated for Outstanding Main Title Design. The other nominees for the award include the shows Elementary, The Newsroom, Vikings, Da Vinci’s Demons, and American Horror Story: Asylum. The award is given to primetime shows for their main title sequence, and in the past has been won by shows such as Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and Six Feet Under.

    Forward Unto Dawn follows a few weeks in the life of Thomas Lasky, a recruit at the UNSC Corbulo Academy of Military Science. As part of Hastati Squad, Lasky deals with bullying, family issues, and a burgeoning romance with a squadmate played by Anna Popplewell (Susan from the Chronicles of Narnia movies). When the inevitable Covenant invasion occurs, Master Chief himself arrives to usher the cadets to safety. Forward Unto Dawn‘s main title sequences tie the events of the series into the beginning of Halo 4.

  • Anna Chlumsky: Baby Before Emmy Nod Keeps Her Grounded

    Anna Chlumsky had two major life events occur within just a week of each other, and she says she’s glad they happened in the order they did.

    Chlumsky–a former child actress who starred in “My Girl”–just got an Emmy nod for her work on the Julia Louis-Dreyfus vehicle “Veep”, and it came just days after she gave birth to her first child, a little girl named Penelope. Chlumsky, who has won several awards for her work but has never been nominated for an Emmy, said she couldn’t be happier…or more firmly on the ground.

    “I’m so glad that she was born first, because I feel very grounded about it. I’m so terribly grateful and appreciative to be noticed for my work, which I think is what this is all about. Your community noticing what it is you do. Having her, and knowing that I’ve got to feed her when she wakes up again — it definitely keeps you on the ground a little bit. My priorities are in check,” she said.

    The actress was in the nursery feeding her daughter when she got the call about the award nomination.

    My husband and I were hanging in the nursery,” she said. “My manager let me know, and he was so excited that I reacted more to his excitement. It just came out as uncontrollable laughter.”

    Chlumsky says now she just has to figure out how to work around breastfeeding to attend the awards show.

  • Netflix Shows Net 14 Emmy Nominations

    History has been made in television land as original shows from Netflix have received a total of fourteen Emmy nominations. This is significant on a historical level, because it marks a new era of TV show consumption – one that stems from the Internet. Original online shows are going head to head with the biggest names in television.

    Of course it’s really about the people involved with the shows more than the medium, but it’s still noteworthy.

    Netflix had been campaigning heavily to encourage nominations for House of Cards and Arrested Development, but it appears the company got more than it bargained for. Not only did House of Cards pick up nine nominations and Arrested Development pick up three, but even Hemlock Grove picked up a couple. Had Orange is the New Black debuted a little earlier in the year, I suspect we’d be seeing it on the list a few times too.

    Following are all the Emmys Netflix shows have been nominated for.

    House of Cards

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Kevin Spacey)
    Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series – (Robin Wright)
    Outstanding Drama Series (House of Cards)
    Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (David Fincher)
    Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series (Casting directors Laray Mayfield and Julie Schubert)
    Outstanding Cinematography (Director of Photography Eigil Bryld)
    Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series (Editor Kirk Baxter)
    Outstanding Music Composition For A Series – Original Dramatic Score (Jeff Beal)
    Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music (Jeff Beal)

    Hemlock Grove

    Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music (Nathan Barr)
    Outstanding Special Visual Effects (Chris Jones, Jon Massey, Sean Joseph Tompkins, Sallyanne Massimini, Michael Kirylo, Jacob Long, Chris Barsamian, Colin Feist and Kyle Spiker)

    Arrested Development

    Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series (Jason Bateman)
    Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (Editors Kabir Akhtar and AJ Dickerson)
    Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (David Schwartz)

    It will be interesting to see how many awards Netflix shows are able to claim. They are facing some pretty top notch competition. I wouldn’t want to compete in any category against Breaking Bad.

  • Yahoo Partners With Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences On Emmy Coverage

    The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today that Yahoo will be its official digital partner for red carpet and behind-the-scenes content surrounding the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.

    “Yahoo! is the Television Academy’s official online destination to live stream the red carpet and offer the Academy’s Backstage LIVE companion program, as well as deliver exclusive streaming content after the live coast-to-coast television broadcast airing Sunday, September 22, 2013, on CBS,” a spokesperson for Yahoo tells WebProNews.

    “As television viewing habits evolve and people are consuming content across multiple platforms, it is imperative that the Television Academy meet the demands of the public,” said Maury McIntyre, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Vice President of Digital. “Yahoo! is the ideal digital partner with a reach unlike any other to bring the Primetime Emmy red carpet and Backstage LIVE — and all of the Academy’s year round events — to television fans far and wide.”

    Yahoo is the first digital partner for the academy outside of the broadcast networks. By partnering with Yahoo, it has the potential to reach 700 million of the company’s users.

    The content itself will be showcased on a hub within Yahoo TV. This will include live coverage leading up to the awards beginning with the nominations announcements on July 18th. It will extend after the awards, and will also feature a live stream from the Red Carpet before the show, backstage coverage during the show, and from the Governors Ball after the show.

    Yahoo will also offer interviews with key players, photo galleries, analysis of the vote, and features on fashion as well as the “best Emmy moments”.

    For months after the show, Yahoo will offer a series called “An Evening With…” This will include discussions with creators and stars of various shows.

  • Netflix Really Wants ‘House Of Cards’ To Win Some Emmys

    Netflix has been campaigning hard to win its original shows (especially House of Cards) some Emmy awards.

    Last week, reports came out that Netflix was having a Freddy’s BBQ truck delivering free lunch to influential players. Freddy’s BBQ is a place on House of Cards where Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood often eats ribs. The Hollywood Reporter, for example, wrote:

    The most competitive Emmy race in history got another dose of campaign stunt work on Monday when Netflix, which has two hot contenders in the race — House of Cards for drama series and Arrested Development for comedy series — delivered a BBQ lunch to the offices of The Hollywood Reporter. The lunch, earmarked for staffers who cover the shows, included an announcement that Cards’ fictional BBQ joint Freddy’s would be operating food trucks around Los Angeles this week, and ATAS voters would be eligible for a free meal upon presentation of their membership cards.

    The campaigning didn’t stop with free BBQ, however. Deadline reported on Monday that Netflix has been going door-to-door in “upscale neighborhoods with high concentration of TV Academy voters” offering yard signs (as if it were a political campaign) for House of Cards and Arrested Development. Click over to Deadline to see what they look like. According to the site, homeowners are being offered a choice of a six-month Netflix subscription, a a $50 donation to the Red Cross in their name, or a $50 AmEx Gift Card.

    Clearly Netflix wants the television world to know that it is serious about its original programming, and wants to be recognized for that fact.

    Emmy ballots due on June 28th.