Emmy Confidential: The Reality Producer

This is the fourth in our 2017 Emmy® Confidential series. Publishing this week, the Emmy Confidential series allows Emmy voters the opportunity to anonymously discuss what they voted for and why in four major Emmy categories. 

In our fourth installment of the 2017 Emmy Confidential series, we spoke with an Emmy-winning member of the producer’s branch. An avid Emmy voter, the Producer used a new voting strategy this year. Rather than take advantage of the new rule that allows voters to select as many choices as they’d like, the Producer selected only the shows he’d consider voting for in the final, Phase 2 round.

This year, our Producer felt especially surprised and happy that five new shows made it into the drama series race. He didn’t anticipate such broad support of new shows because the Emmys traditionally warm slowly to newer series. Still, he would have liked to see House of Cards left off the list. Or Modern Family for that matter. Still, he’s happy that the Television Academy seems to name check less than they used to.

He also wonders how black-ish‘s Jenifer Lewis never shows up in any awards category. It’s a great point that many at Awards Daily TV share.

Outstanding Drama Series – The Handmaid’s Tale

In the first round, I nominated The Crown, Westworld, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Those were the only three that I would consider voting for. First of all, House of Cards I binged in three days. It’s entertaining still, but I don’t think it’s very good. It’s almost like a more serious version of Empire. Better Call Saul I’ve watched. The first season I really respected. The second season I respected but was less excited by. I could barely get through this season. Maybe I don’t care enough about this world.

I watched the first three episodes of This Is Us because it was such a smash right out of the gate. But I don’t get it. It’s so sentimental and just sticky sweet. Three episodes was all I could do. It’s just not my thing. Stranger Things I watched right away. I thought it was charming, and I liked it for what it was. All of a sudden, it wins the SAG Award and the Producer’s Guild Award. I think it’s the most overrated show of the year. My whole purpose this year was to strategically vote to keep it from winning. I’m dead serious about that.

After I watched The Crown, I felt sure that’s what I was going to vote for. I thought it had the best shot at beating Stranger Things. I feel somehow the buzz has worn off as a show, but it was beautifully shot. All the actors were fantastic. Westworld I thought was fantastic. There was this bad buzz about it before it aired, and I was interested to see if it was a total disaster. I was hooked, and I’m excited to see where this goes in Season 2.

I voted for The Handmaid’s Tale. I can’t remember the last time I saw three series that I would have been totally fine with winning. This show, I was completely emotionally invested in the show. Elisabeth Moss was fantastic. The cinematography was great. It looked beautiful in a very depressing way. More than anything else, I’m really excited for this to come back.

Outstanding Comedy Series – Atlanta

What I voted for was only my fifth favorite. My top four were not nominated. My top series of the year was TBS’s Search Party. I also loved Insecure, Fleabag, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. First of all, Modern Family I wouldn’t vote for again. It’s just a shell of what it was. I put Veep and Silicon Valley on a time out. I’ve loved both of them in the past, but I didn’t feel the need to keep rewarding them this year. I just can’t with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I just don’t think it’s funny. Coming as a die-hard 30 Rock fan, I just don’t think this is funny. At all.

I still love black-ish and find it very subversive for a network comedy. Plus, it’s actually funny, which is a plus in a comedy series. Master of None wasn’t on my list that I nominated. I only watched an episode or two. I like it, but I never get hooked enough to watch the entire series. I don’t find it particularly funny. I voted for Atlanta. It’s not nearly as funny as something like Insecure, but I love Donald Glover. It’s very fun to watch, and I enjoyed watching the first season. Plus, I just wanted to reward something different.

Outstanding TV Movie – Black Mirror: San Junipero

The last great winner – I had to look back – was Behind the Candelabra. That was several years ago. We’ve really fallen on hard times. I voted for Black Mirror. I didn’t love “San Junipero,” so I guess I’m really voting for the whole series, which I know I’m not supposed to do. I really loved “Nosedive,” the Bryce Dallas Howard episode. I thought it was incredibly funny. I guess they thought “San Junipero” had more to say, but I wanted to vote for Black Mirror because I love what they do.

I was probably as surprised as Dolly Parton to see her movie get nominated. If my mother was voting, this would be the winner. It’s not my thing. It’s crazy that TV Movie was Henrietta Lacks‘s only nomination. The best part of the movie was Oprah’s performance, which I loved. I liked it, just not enough. Sherlock is another one that I feel I’ve been there and done that. I worry that this is the Academy’s go-to in this category. The prestige entry. I don’t want to reward another Sherlock movie.

I was super disappointed in The Wizard of Lies. I feel like I didn’t learn anything about Bernie Madoff. I didn’t like the construct of the reporter interviewing him. The flashbacks I found sometimes very confusing. I just don’t know what the point was.

Outstanding Limited Series – Feud: Bette and Joan

First of all, Genius… I tried. I watched one of the episodes, and I was out. I would have nominated American Horror Story: Roanoke this season. It was creatively interesting and smart for once. The rest of the four was much tougher. They were actually all really great series. Number four was The Night Of. I loved the performances, but I had problems with the timeline. It felt very confusing of how things went. There were some things that really annoyed me, and I don’t think it really delivered any new territory.

Fargo was number three for me. It took me forever to warm up to this season. I did think Ewan McGregor was incredible. I really did think I was watching two different actors. The final two were really tough, and I assume this is what everyone is experiencing. Ultimately, I voted for Feud: Bette and Joan. Honestly, I was a little surprised I did. Big Little Lies had great actresses and great performances, but there were a few episodes in there that I felt repeated the same beats over and over. I really liked it, but I probably liked it a little less ultimately. I thought about what my favorite episode out of all of these was, and it was the Oscars episode of Feud. It was fantastic, and it made me vote for this. I did not like the way it ended up being all about Joan, but they ended up making a great series.