MOVIE/ MINISERIES & REALITY ISSUE

TV AcademyThe same week two of the highest-profile longformentries of the year premiered, the HBO movieHemingway & Gellhorn and the History miniseriesHatfields & McCoys, the Academy of TelevisionArts & Sciences voted to cut in half the movie andminiseries acting categories.Beginning with the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards,instead of having separate lead and supporting actor/actress fields, as has been the case since 1979, therewill be only one each for male and female actors:Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie andOutstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. Theywill feature six nominees each, one more than the fivenominees both the lead and supporting categoriescurrently have. That’s in line with the six nominationslots in the Emmy series acting categories.By Nellie AndreevaFurtherMergesThe move comes on the heels of the TV Academy’sdecision last year to merge the best movie and miniseriescategories into one, meaning that all longform Emmycategories have now been consolidated, including writingand directing, which had been merged since the get-go.The cutbacks in the longform categories have coincidedwith a rapid expansion of reality TV’s Emmypresence, and, according to the TV Academy’s seniorVP of awards John Leverence, that reflects the changein popularity of the two TV genres.“Categories align with programming,” Leverenceexplains. “Over the last decade, there’s been anincrease in reality and a decrease in longform categoriesthat corresponds to their primetime presence.”Undoubtedly, the shift is a welcome one for the broadcastnetworks, which carry the Primetime EmmyAwards. The presence of so many longform categoriesduring the main Emmy telecast had long been a boneof contention between them and the TV Academy.Longform Emmy CategoriesSince they have largely abandoned longform programming,broadcasters had been increasingly vocal abouthaving to pay for an Emmy telecast, a substantialportion of which excludes broadcast programming andshowcases programs that few viewers have watched,thus contributing to the telecast’s ratings decline. Theissue was a major sticking point in the most recent renegotiationsbetween the TV Academy and the big fourbroadcast networks last year, which ultimately resultedin a new eight-year “wheel” deal that has ABC, CBS,NBC and Fox alternating in hosting the PrimetimeEmmy Awards.The TV Academy first tried to shift eight categories fromthe live main Emmy telecast to a pre-taped ceremonyin 2009. The eight targeted categories were longformheavyand included the now merged best movie andbest miniseries as well as the supporting actor andactress in a movie or miniseries, which have now beenfolded into lead actor/actress. At the time, the movebackfired and, facing stiff opposition from guilds andcable networks, the TV Academy scrapped the plan.But, just three years later, three of those eight categoriesno longer exist.The consolidation of the lead and supporting actor/actress also represents strategy continuity at the TVAcademy as it is the first major Emmy rule change undernew TV Academy chairman Bruce Rosenblum andfollows up on last year’s decision to merge the top longformcategories under Rosenblum’s predecessor John Shaffner.The ongoing consolidation in the longform arena is badnews for the few remaining networks commissioningsuch programming, led by Emmy juggernaut HBO andsurging PBS. But while HBO’s Emmy trophy chanceswill certainly be hurt by the three fewer longformcategories, the impact could be even greater on smallercable channels that make TV movies, such as Lifetimeand Hallmark, which could be shut out completely.Lifetime’s EVP of programming Rob Sharenowsaid the network was disappointed with the decision.“Movies and miniseries represent some of television’sfinest programming and it is our firm belief the industryshould honor each category separately,” he saidin a statement. “The Academy recognizes lead andsupporting actresses and actors in other genres – asit should. However, the continued consolidation ofthe movies and miniseries categories will unnecessarilydeny award-worthy films and performances fromreceiving their proper recognition.”Veteran TV producer Larry A. Thompson, whoproduced the hit Lifetime movie Amish Grace and isbehind the network’s talked-about Liz & Dick biopicstarring Lindsay Lohan, was more blunt in his reaction:“Merging TV movies and miniseries in any way into onecategory makes sense only to the producers of the Emmytelecast who want to make room for another musicalproduction number from the cast of Glee or haveRyan Seacrest present a lifetime achievement awardto the Kardashian family,” he says. “It is like the MotionPicture Academy merging movies with short films.”The continuing consolidation “certainly disadvantagesthe TV movie, which usually has a substantiallylower production and marketing budget,” Thompsoncontinues. “And in Hollywood, less money means lesseverything – less star power, less production values,less promotion and less respect from the academy. Itwould be possible in any one year for an exceptionalTV movie to win over a weak offering of miniseriesnominations, but not probable. It just ain’t fair.”10EMMY AWARDS PRINT EDITIONS 2012Lifetime’s Liz & Dick could face tighter competition in the 2013 Emmy race.