Sept 2016

THE PRIMETIME EMMY AWARD GOES TO: AD SUPPORTED CABLE

TRENDINSIGHTS

2 TRENDS | INSIGHTS

On September 18, television will air its own awards show: the 68th Emmys. The nominees

for the television’s most prestigious award, and one of television’s most watched specials,

were announced in June. As with recent years, the nominations feature many ad-

supported cable programs (to distinguish from premium cable) across several prominent

categories. With so many nominees, ad supported cable continues to show its leadership

in providing quality programming. Below is look at the 2016 nominees for major

categories, and previous ad-supported cable winners.

Outstanding Drama Series: This season, three of the seven nominees come from ad-

supported cable. The Americans on FX, now in its fourth season, has been nominated for

its first Emmy Award in the category. Mr. Robot on USA has earned a nomination for its

freshman season. The only repeat nominee is AMC’s Better Call Saul, the spin-off prequel

drama (from the multiple Emmy winning Breaking Bad) earned its second nomination in

as many seasons.

THE PRIMETIME EMMY AWARD GOES TO: AD SUPPORTED CABLE

2

3

The forebears of the 2016 nominees are the groundbreaking Mad Men, the first program

on ad supported cable to win the best drama Emmy (and for the next three years as

well), and Breaking Bad which won back-to-back Emmy Awards in the category in 2013

and 2014.

Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress Drama Series: This year, three actors from ad-supported

cable programs are nominated for the award: Rami Malek for USA’s Mr. Robot; Bob

Odenkirk for AMC’s Better Call Saul; and Matthew Rhys for The Americans on FX. For best

lead actress in a drama series, among the nominees are Keri Russell for The Americans and

Tatiana Maslany for playing several characters on BBC America’s Orphan Black.

Michael Chiklis was the first person, to win an Emmy in a major category, in an ad

supported cable program when he won for outstanding lead actor for The Shield on FX in

2002. Following Chiklis was Glenn Close, a two-time lead actress winner for Damages on

FX and Kyra Sedgewick for The Closer on TNT. Furthermore, Bryan Cranston has won the

lead actor Emmy for Breaking Bad four times and Jon Hamm won it once for Mad Men.

TRENDS | INSIGHTS

4

Outstanding Limited Series: Nominees this year include Fargo on FX, in its second

season; (it won the award in its first season in 2014 and has 18 overall Emmy nominations

this year). Another nominee on FX is The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

That limited series has garnered 22 total Emmy nominations this year, the second highest

of any show. The remaining two are The Night Manager on AMC and the re-boot of Roots

on The History Channel.

Besides Fargo, previous ad-supported cable networks to win the Emmy Award in this

category have been Broken Trail on AMC, Taken on Syfy and Hornblower on A&E.

Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress in a Limited Series: Nominees include include Idris Elba

for BBC America’s Luther (who has been nominated in the past); Tom Huddleston for

AMC’s Night Manager; as well as Courtney B. Vance and Cuba Gooding, Jr. both from The

People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story on FX. Kirstin Dunst of Fargo and Sarah

Paulson for The People vs. O.J. Simpson; American Crime Story, both from FX, are among

the nominees for outstanding lead actress in a limited series.

Outstanding Variety/Talk Series: There is no programming category in which ad-

supported cable been more dominant than in outstanding variety/talk series. Over the

past thirteen years, The Daily Show on Comedy Central has captured the award 11 times.

The Daily Show’s spin-off series The Colbert Report won the other two years.

This year ad-supported cable programs continue to dominate the nominees for

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. In that category no fewer than five programs are

nominated: Drunk History, Inside Amy Schumer and Key & Peele all on Comedy Central as

well as Documentary Now! and Portlandia, both on IFC.

TRENDS | INSIGHTS

5

AD SUPPORTED CABLE WINNERS IN NOTEWORTHY CATEGORIES: PRIME TIME EMMY AWARDS

Outstanding Drama: Mad Men-AMC (4) 2008-2011; Breaking Bad-AMC (2) 2013 & 2014

Outstanding Variety Series: Daily Show with Jon Stewart-Comedy Central (11) 2003-2012

& 2015; The Colbert Report-Comedy Central (2) 2013 & 2014

Outstanding Limited Series: Hornblower-A&E 1998; Taken-Syfy 2003; Broken Trail-AMC

2007; Fargo-FX 2014

Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series: Michael Chiklis, The Shield-FX 2002; Bryan

Cranston, Breaking Bad-AMC (4) 2008-2010 & 2014; Jon Hamm, Mad Men-AMC 2015

Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series: Glenn Close, Damages-FX (2) 2008 & 2009;

Kyra Sedgewick, The Closer-TNT 2010

Outstanding Lead Actor Comedy Series: Tony Shalhoub, Monk-USA (3) 2003, 2005 & 2006

Outstanding Lead Actor Limited Series: Gary Sinise, George Wallace-TNT 1998; William

H. Macy, Door to Door-TNT 2003; Andre Braugher, Thief-FX 2006; Robert Duvall, Broken

Trail-AMC 2007; Barry Pepper, The Kennedys-The Reelz Channel 2011; Kevin Costner,

Hatfield & McCoys-History Channel 2012

Outstanding Lead Actress Limited Series: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven-

FX 2014

Source: Emmy Awards

Conclusion

With over 400 original scripted programs to choose from across broadcast networks,

premium pay cable networks, streaming video services as well as ad-supported cable

networks, the competition for consideration of an Emmy Awards is fiercer than ever

before. Once again, ad-supported cable, which has historically provided some of the most

critically acclaimed programs in television history, will be well represented and, based on

recent performances, should win its share of Emmys.

TRENDS | INSIGHTS

www.ComcastSpotlight.com