Ask Matt
Question: Finally! A TV awards show did it right. The People’s Choice Awards placed the TV nominations into three distinct categories: network, cable and premium channels. They recognized the unfairness of pitting network shows hamstrung by FCC guidelines against cable shows. Hopefully the Emmys will follow suit.— Maurice
Matt Roush: Don’t count on it. The People’s Choice is all about spreading the wealth to give fans the maximum opportunity to express their love for all kinds of TV shows and stars. The Emmys, on the other hand, is not a popularity contest. By dividing shows up not just by comedy and drama and limited series, but by the distribution system, would be to diminish the importance of any individual award. In the best of all worlds, a show like This Is Us should be able to compete against Westworld and The Americans, instead of each existing in its own separate category. The fault really lies with an industry whose voters often fail to appreciate the best work being done on the more commercial platforms, a situation that has only amplified given the unprecedented amount of product that even professional critics have a tough time keeping up with. It may not be an even playing field, but I don’t see the Emmys—or the Globes, or the SAG Awards, or the TCA Awards for that matter—bending the rules for this sort of distinction.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com