Awards HQ July 19: Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke; ‘Ted Lasso’ Premiere; Emmy Telecast Plans; Why HBO and HBO Max Tallies Were Merged; More!
Michael Schneider
·31-min read
AWARDS HQ logo
Greetings from Variety Awards Headquarters! Today is July 19, 2021, which means it’s 31 days until final-round voting starts on Aug. 19; 42 days until final voting ends on Aug. 30; and 62 days until the Primetime Emmys telecast on Sept. 19.
TWO MONTHS UNTIL THE EMMYS. TWO MONTHS UNTIL THE EMMYS.
And we’re back! The 73rd Emmys nominations were announced on July 13, and almost a week later, we’ve all had time to dissect the news. Some of us have dissected them quite a bit, and you can read some of those hot takes below (or, if you prefer to listen, I hope you’ve caught the latest episode of our Variety Awards Circuit Podcast)!
Real talk, I think this is a really fun year with some great contenders — and a real race to boot, including a limited series category where you could make an argument for any of the five contenders on how they might win. We could have some exciting moments on the Sept. 19 telecast.
Am I being a bit Pollyanna? Perhaps. But this is the Emmys, we’re celebrating TV, and I’m going to get excited. There are some fun, popular shows on this year’s nominations list that audiences can get behind and root for, and this is exactly what the TV Academy needs in getting viewers invested in the competition.
Were there disappointments this year? Of course. I’m still stunned by the snubs for “Small Axe” and “The Good Lord Bird,” among others.
Meanwhile, during the break we got a lot more information on how this year’s Emmys will be handled, including a limited in-person event with host Cedric the Entertainer. More on that below.
And speaking of real talk. Events are returning, and it’s been exciting to see people in person again (well, at least the folks who have smartly been vaccinated!). But nonetheless, I’ve gone to two industry events in the past week, and both times quite a few people stuck out their hand for a shake (and I sheepishly did so, not wanting to be a jerk) as if we haven’t just been through 18 months of a pandemic. I don’t know, folks, but I’m thinking we should all rethink the shakes and the hugs. Howie Mandel had it right: Fist bumps may be the way to go. Think about it, and don’t be offended if I lift an elbow rather than extend my hand back when you see me.
I spoke to Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke on the morning of the Emmy nominations to get her take on the streamer’s tally and overall trends. Amazon scored 19 nods (20, if you include an Alexa commercial, which Amazon is counting) — but the big headline was its first-ever nods in drama (“The Boys”) and limited series (“The Underground Railroad”). The streamer didn’t receive major nods for “Small Axe” or for the performers on “The Underground Railroad,” which were truly surprising snubs. But nonetheless, a solid performance for the streamer in a year where its usual top Emmy contender, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” wasn’t eligible. Here’s my brief chat with Salke:
SALKE: I’m feeling great, I think for us to have ‘The Boys’ come out with all these nominations and get a best drama nomination was awesome, so we’re all kind of jumping for joy, across the board. I heard you predicted that one.
AWARDS HQ: I did, partly because you guys did a fantastic job banging the drum on that show and getting people to recognize it, to see it, to build up awareness. To me that’s where good old fashioned campaigning and awareness building works. You got people to pay attention in such a crowded and noisy marketplace. How did you identify ‘The Boys’ as an important player for Amazon?
SALKE: It’s a big creative swing. That show is undeniable in its originality and we certainly see the excitement about the show all over the world. The fan base is as loud as any could possibly be. We didn’t prescribe to the idea that it’s a genre show and it can’t be nominated. It rarely happens. I think the last time a superhero genre show was nominated was ‘Heroes.’ For us, the show is excellent, it’s entertaining, it’s just at the highest bar creatively. Just to see it break through in that list, and I know it’s a crowded category with so many great shows. We knew the competition was stiff, but we do believe the show deserves the recognition and to see it happen is beyond exciting.
AWARDS HQ: That got you into the drama race and then in limited you had ‘The Underground Railroad.’
SALKE: Which obviously we are so proud of. I would really have been disappointed if Barry [Jenkins] and that incredible masterpiece did not get nominated. So to see that happen is also equally gratifying and exciting.
AWARDS HQ: Obviously the work of Barry Jenkins is award-worthy. I assume it would have been nice to see more performers from the series recognized.
SALKE: It would have. We know that was also really competitive. And so that was definitely something we missed this morning. We’re so proud of those performances, but glad to see all the other great acknowledgments for the show.
AWARDS HQ: The one that I’m sure was a little disappointing and I know I paid a lot of attention to it was ‘Small Axe.’ Do you think it was hurt by the film versus TV confusion or, the question of how to classify ‘Small Axe’? Did it impact the TV Academy’s votes?
SALKE: I think we were happy with our strategy, we like breaking barriers and challenging the status quo. That was something Steve [McQueen] was excited about too. For us the goal was to embrace the form in which he saw the piece and stand behind it creatively, which we did. And have it be loved but so many people, the world. And it has gotten so much great critical acknowledgement that, yes, I miss seeing it acknowledged this morning, we all do. But, we remain really proud of it and we stand behind our strategy.
AWARDS HQ: You’re someone who oversees both film and TV, and there’s this continued conversation over how to determine what’s TV and what’s film. The TV Academy moved a step toward ending the documentary ‘double dipping’ that was going on in recent years. Do you think this is an ongoing issue, how do we decide what’s film and what’s TV? Is that a conversation worth having, or does it not matter in your eyes?
SALKE: We have a lot of conversations around this and for us, we’re always going to stand by the creative vision. And if we stopped trying to challenge the form and try different things and take big swings and surprise and hopefully delight and engage viewers all over the world, that would be a shame. The goal is to have content that is loved and shared all over the world. Create a cultural moment and have that content be viewed by tons and tons of people and be part of a cultural moment. We wouldn’t back ourselves into a safer content strategy to fit into categories.
AWARDS HQ: I’ve seen some people question how ‘Sylvie’s Love’ and ‘Uncle Frank’ wound up with Emmy noms, but those were always on the TV track, not theatrical, right?
SALKE: It’s gratifying to see movies like ‘Sylvie’s Love’ and ‘Uncle Frank’ acknowledged this morning, that was really exciting for us, to have those movies premiere exclusively on Prime Video and then see that work recognized. We’re going to continue to do more of that. It kind of plays right into what our sweet spot is, the curation of content and raising the bar on the quality of what we’re doing. We’re going to continue that strategy, whether it be movies or series. We’re going to work hard as a company to make sure that content lands when we know it can deliver. We’re certainly not closing the door to a theatrical, shared experience but at the same time, we see the power of what it means to have content that can be viewed all over the world and create a moment and a conversation for everybody in households. For us that’s very gratifying and obviously important for our business too.
AWARDS HQ: No ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ this year, but it will be back and help next year’s tally.
SALKE: It will be back in the season, it looks incredible. We’re really excited.
AWARDS HQ: Streamers dominated the nominations, how is that continuing to transform the Emmy race?
SALKE: Well, there’s so much great content out there. And so many great shows and movies to choose from that you can access on streaming. So the bar is really high for execution originality and creativity.
AWARDS HQ: I know we’re writing about the Norman Lear streaming acquisition which is a nice sort of addition to the Amazon library as well.
SALKE: There are a lot of exciting puzzle pieces that we’re putting together to make sure we have the most curated selection for viewers all over the world.
A bit of an annual tradition for me is to comb through the nominations and find some interesting tidbits, trivia, burning questions and more. Here are a handful:
Here’s more trivia behind this year’s Emmy races:
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN : It’s rare to see a canceled network get Emmy play, but Quibi at least went out with a bang. The short-form streamer earned a solid eight nominations this year, down from 10 last year (when it actually existed). Nominees “Reno 911,” “Mapleworth Murders” and “Die Hart” can all be found on Roku, but Quibi still got the credit, as per the TV Academy, the shows aired there first. Meanwhile, NBC’s now-canceled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” received five noms, which places it (tied with “Black-ish”) behind only “This Is Us” as the most-recognized primetime broadcast series. But for NBC, the unextraordinary ratings for “Zoey” didn’t make up for its accolades. And then there was HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” which earned the pay cabler its biggest haul of the year, with 18 noms, yet wasn’t renewed for a second season. Meanwhile, in terms of posthumous honors, late star Jessica Walters is nominated in character voice-over performance for her role as Malory Archer on “Archer.”
THE OVERACHIEVERS: Bo Burnham created, produced and starred in his Netflix special “Bo Burnham: Inside,” so it makes sense that he was nominated for it in, well, almost every category possible. Besides variety special (pre-recorded), that includes picture editing for variety programming, directing for a variety special, music direction, original music and lyrics (“Comedy”), writing for a variety special. Meanwhile, prolific “The Late Late Show With James Corden” executive producer Ben Winston had his hands full this year with the Grammys (variety special live) and “Friends: The Reunion” (variety special pre-recorded and directing for a variety special) in addition to other output like “Carpool Karaoke: The Series” (short form comedy, drama or variety series).
THE ONE WHERE HE EXITS ON A HIGH NOTE: Famed production designer — and former TV Academy chairman — John Shaffner recently retired after one final gig: “Friends: The Reunion.” Shaffner was the production designer on the original series, returned for the HBO Max special and was nominated for outstanding production design for a variety special. Shaffner also earned a nom in production design for a narrative program (half-hour), for his work on CBS’ “United States of Al” pilot.
Variety spoke to proud TV Academy president/COO Maury McIntyre about this year’s crop of nominees — and he, too, was pleasantly surprised by the mix of contenders.
But Variety also asked McIntyre about Tuesday morning’s burning questions, including the platform tally conundrum. How can HBO and HBO Max, which are cable and streaming services, respectively, be combined in final numbers? What about Disney’s multi-platform count? What does this mean to Netflix’s crowing rights? Does any of this matter?
The org caught flack for allowing HBO and HBO Max to merge their tallies, giving the combo a slight edge — 130 vs. 129 noms — over rival Netflix. But it also tallied Disney’s total conglomerate haul at 146 (ABC, Hulu, Disney Plus, FX Networks, Nat Geo, Freeform), beating them both.
“I would prefer the Academy just to step out of the platform, for lack of a better word, ‘wars’ altogether,” McIntrye told me. “We’re here to honor the work. The tallies that really matter to us are, ‘The Crown’ and ‘The Mandalorian’ tied with 24 noms each. ‘WandaVision’ second with 23. Those are the ones that really matter to us because that’s really what we’re focused on. The excellence of those particular shows.
“We’ve had a long ongoing discussion with a lot of our partners about how we tally those things. There’s also been a conversation of ‘why are you only focused on the distribution platform, why don’t you talk about, Warner Bros. studios produces some of these shows and ABC Studios or Fox?’ You get down into all of that and our partners can slice and dice it however they want. We can only go off what we have given from a submission perspective. And that’s how we report it out. How was it reported to us in terms of its platform or its network, etc. But, it’s a question for me moving forward as to whether we should be inserting ourselves in that count, or just be able to say, ‘yes, you want to claim that these are yours, we can say yes, that is what we are seeing, too, go at it.’
CBS turned to its primetime lineup for this year’s Emmy host: “The Neighborhood” star Cedric the Entertainer will take the stage when the 73rd Primetime Emmys airs on Sept. 19. Cedric the Entertainer stars in the Eye network comedy “The Neighborhood,” which airs Mondays (and likely returns the night after the Emmys, kicking off the entire fall 2021 TV season for CBS).
Back to helm the Emmys together for a second conesecutive year are Hudlin Entertainment and Done+Dusted (which marks the fourth year in a row for that production company). Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart are executive producers and Hamish Hamilton will serve as director of the telecast. Last year Hudlin made history as the first-ever Black producer of the Emmy telecast.
The Primetime Emmys rotate among the four major broadcast networks via a wheel deal; the last time CBS ran the Emmys, in 2017, Stephen Colbert was host. But the two times before that, in 2009 and 2013, CBS once again looked to its Monday comedy lineup for a host: “How I Met Your Mother” star Neil Patrick Harris.
Last year’s telecast earned high marks from critics for the deft way host Jimmy Kimmel, Done+Dusted and Hudlin handled such unusual circumstances and still pulled off an entertaining affair.
At press time, the Academy was still drafting its plans for the Creative Arts Emmys and the Governors Balls, but my guess is that the Balls will be put on hold again this year. As for the Creative Arts Emmys, which last year took place virtually over five nights, COO Maury McIntyre hinted (in the piece above) that it too may return to a limited in-person affair (and likely move back to its regular spot, the weekend before the televised ceremony): “We’re going to have hopefully some news on that within the next week. But clearly, I feel if we can do it we’re going to want to at least pull some people together. Again, we’re in a position where if you can do it for the telecast we should be able to do it for the Creative Arts.”
Mark Hamill and Lupita Nyong’o were among the winners on Saturday night as the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the winners of the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the children’s and animation categories on Saturday.
The on Sunday, Zac Efron, Karrueche Tran, Andy Serkis, “This Old House” and “Jeopardy: The Greatest of All Time” were among the winners as NATAS announced its remaining crop of Daytime Emmys winners, in the “fiction and lifestyle” fields.
Nyong’o won the limited performance in a children’s program Emmy for playing the Storyteller, in Netflix’s “Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices. Hamill was named outstanding performer in a preschool animated program for Disney Channel’s “Elena of Avalor.”
Efron won daytime program host for his Netflix series “Down to Earth with Zac Efron,” while “This Old House” was named best instructional and how-to program, Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro” was named outstanding culinary series. Tran won for lead actress in a daytime fiction program, for “The Bay.” Serkis won as guest performer in a daytime fiction program, for Netflix’s “The Letter for the King.”
In the evening’s one tie, IFC’s “2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards” and ABC’s “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time,” both won for outstanding writing team for a daytime non-fiction special.
This represented the first year that all children’s programming, regardless of timeslot, shifted to the Daytime Emmys, under a new agreement between New York-based NATAS and L.A.-based Television Academy.
The Daytime Emmy Awards are presented to individuals and programs broadcast between 2 a.m. and 6 p.m., as well as certain categories of digital and syndicated programming of similar content. More than 3,000 submissions, as premiered in calendar year 2020, were received by NATAS and judged by a pool of more than 1,000 TV industry professionals.
Among the big winners on the CBS telecast, which was hosted by Sheryl Underwood and aired on June 25: “Kelly Clarkson Show” won for best entertainment talk show, while Kelly Clarkson won for entertainment talk host. “General Hospital” was named top daytime drama, as well as lead drama actor (Maurice Benard), supporting actor (Max Gail), directing team for a drama, technical team for a drama and casting for a drama. Meanwhile, “Jeopardy!” once again picked up award for best game show, while the late Alex Trebek won another Emmy for game show host.
The live-streams of the July 17 and 18 Daytime Emmy ceremonies are still available to watch on the web at Watch.TheEmmys.TV and via the Emmy apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, Samsung Smart TV and Roku.
See the full list of children’s/animation Daytime Emmy winners here and the fiction/lifestyle winners here.
It’s good to be Apple TV Plus these days, with a critically acclaimed (and now Emmy nominated) hit like “Ted Lasso” entering its second season. Apple, you may have heard, has some cash, and the spent some on the show’s Season 2 premiere event last week. I got to go, and was quite impressed by the size and scope of it. This wasn’t your average TV premiere. The red (er, blue) carpet was held outdoors on the roof of the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, where Apple built a custom blue soccer pitch for the series. Before screening the first two episodes, guests ate stadium food like sliders, popcorn and hotdogs. The afterparty moved to nearby Cecconi’s for what was described as “elevated pub food,” such as fish and chips, sausage rolls, chicken/veggie tikka skewers, pizza and more. And everyone left with a box of Ted Lasso’s “biscuits with the boss.”
In the audience were star Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso” exec producer & writer), Hannah Waddingham (“Rebecca”), Brendan Hunt (“Coach Beard” & executive producer), Jeremy Swift (“Higgins”), Juno Temple (“Keeley”), Brett Goldstein (“Roy Kent” & writer), Cristo Fernández (“Dani Rojas”), Moe Jeudy-Lamour (“Thierry Zoreaux”), Sam Richardson (guest star), Bill Lawrence (executive producer & writer), Bill Wrubel (executive producer & writer), Joe Kelly (executive producer) and Marcus Mumford (composer).
Also on hand were Apple CEO Tim Cook and worldwide video heads Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg.
Attendees were required to show proof of vaccination, and also that morning were also told that a negative COVID-19 test was required. Apple set up rapid testing in the Pacific Design Center parking garage, and although it was one extra step before entering, I think it gave everyone there extra piece of mind. So much so that, as I mentioned above, people were shaking hands. Again, let’s stop doing that!
Meanwhile, even if you didn’t get a chance to attend the premiere, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy some “Ted Lasso” biscuits (aka shortbread cookies, for us Yanks). Believe:
Free “Ted Lasso” Biscuits, Tea and Coffee at Go Go Get Em Tiger TODAY:
Starting today, Monday, July 19, through Friday, July 23, four Go Get Em Tiger locations across Los Angeles will have complimentary biscuits available in their signature pink box, with a note from Coach Lasso for fans to enjoy, with every coffee or tea order while supplies last. On July 19, biscuits and coffee or tea will be FREE for all guests from 10 a.m. PT to close. On July 20-23, biscuits will be free with purchase and fans can get coffee or tea for $1 with Apple Pay.
Free “Ted Lasso” Fan Experience at Palisades Village:
Between Wednesday, July 21, and Monday, August 30, Apple TV Plus is bringing AFC Richmond Stadium to Palisades Village (15225 Palisades Village Lane, Pacific Palisades). Guests to the “stadium” can enjoy complimentary biscuits and their own “Believe” sign. The stadium installation will be open daily between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT.
Free “Ted Lasso“ biscuits in the Valley:
Fans can enjoy complimentary biscuits, tea and coffee at a pop-up location at the Studio City Farmer’s Market and other pop up locations in the Valley on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday July 25.
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One of the biggest knocks against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — that its members can be swayed by trips, gifts and other freebies — is going away. The org confirmed in a statement on Friday that it has approved “new gift, travel and conflict of interest policies. Under these new policies, HFPA members shall not be permitted to accept promotional materials or other gifts from studios, publicists, actors, directors or others associated with motion pictures and television programs.”
The news is the latest step in the HFPA’s ongoing response to charges of questionable practices and a lack of diverse membership, issues that led NBC to announce that it would not air the Golden Globes in 2022.
The producers behind CNN’s new eight-part docuseries “History of the Sitcom” knew that trying to tell the complete 70-year history of the TV genre would be an impossible task. So they divided some of the biggest comedies of all time into specific categories — and set out to illustrate how the evolution of the sitcom mirrored real-life advancements in society.
“It was pretty apparent that given the number of sitcoms that have been out there in history that you couldn’t do some sort of comprehensive, start-to-finish history, as though you were in a college course studying it from beginning to end,” says executive producer Bill Carter. “There had to be a way to categorize them and follow them according to some grouping. We have eight episodes; we could have done at least 80.”
“History of the Sitcom,” which airs on Sunday nights, is the follow-up to CNN’s recent “The Story of Late Night.” Both come from Cream Productions, through the CNN Original Series banner. But whereas “Story of Late Night” had an obvious chronological lineage to tell the story (Steve Allen to Jack Paar to Johnny Carson, and so on), Carter and showrunner/executive producer John Ealer say it took some time to figure out the best way to tell the “History of the Sitcom.”
“In some ways, you need a bigger story than just the sitcom in order to link them up together and that has to be the story of America,” Ealer says. “That was kind of our approach, whether it be the American family, how friendships in America have evolved, how work in America has evolved, how race and gender have evolved and how escapism has evolved. That’s how we came up with these themes.”
The producers conducted a total of 184 interviews for “History of the Sitcom,” including stars, producers, executives and journalists (including me, yes you’ve already seen me pop up a few times!). And they did it all in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among those interviewed: Norman Lear, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Kim Fields, Tim Allen, Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, George Lopez, Mel Brooks, Isabella Gomez, Ted Danson, Joey Soloway, Jimmie Walker, Judd Apatow, Dan Levy, Zooey Deschanel, Chuck Lorre, Mara Brock Akil, Helen Hunt and more.
Read more about it here and catch up via on demand! Just don’t tell me if I sound like an idiot on the show. I think I already know the answer.
“Nailed It” host Nicole Byer remembers her initial reaction to being nominated for an Emmy last year. “Honestly, when people say it’s just an honor to be nominated, you’re like, ‘That’s bullshit. You wanted to win.’ I was up against RuPaul. And like the people of ‘Shark Tank.’ I was not going to win,” she says. “And that’s okay with me. So, it was an honor to be nominated.”
This year, Byer is once again nominated in the host for a reality or competition program category, for “Nailed It.” And as an executive producer of the Netflix series, she’s also part of the team nominated for the show as outstanding competition program.
“It made me feel like yes, like I elevated hosting, like, I brought something very different to hosting and it was recognized,” she told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, in an interview conducted prior to this year’s Emmy nominations announcement. Click and listen below!
Also on this episode, a mega edition of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast Roundtable. We dissect the nominations for the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy awards, and share our hot takes on pleasant surprises, snubs, disappointments, shockers and more.
Variety’s Emmy edition of the “Awards Circuit” podcast is hosted by Michael Schneider, Jazz Tangcay and Danielle Turchiano and is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in television. Each week during Emmy season, “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines; and much, much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post every Thursday.
Clayton Davis writes:
Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett of the now-canceled “Lovecraft Country” made history as the first two Black leads to be nominated from the same drama series. “Pose” also joins for achieving the same feat with Billy Porter and Mj Rodriguez. It’s also the first piece of visual art to have a Black actor nominated in every eligible acting category, with Michael K. Williams and Aunjanue Ellis also picking up mentions.
Disney Plus’ “Hamilton” now has the second most nominations in the limited series/TV movie acting categories with seven. With the nominations for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Jonathan Groff, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo, it surpasses “And the Band Played On” (1993), “The Glass Menagerie” (1973) and “The Normal Heart” (2014) that all picked up six mentions in their respective years. It’s just behind “When They See Us” that received eight.
Mj Rodriguez made history as the first trans actress to be nominated in any major Emmy category. She’s just the third trans woman overall, following Laverne Cox (in guest drama actress for “Orange Is the New Black”) and Rain Valdez (short form comedy or drama actress for “Razor Tongue”).
As Megan Briscoe in HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” Rosie Perez became just the third Latina ever to be recognized in the supporting comedy actress race — following Liz Torres (for “The John Larroquette Show” in 1994 and 1995) and Sofia Vergara (for “Modern Family” from 2010-2013). Lin-Manuel Miranda is just the seventh Latino to be nominated for lead actor in a limited series, which has seen only one winner in Jharrel Jerome for “When They See Us” in 2019. Miranda already has an Emmy in original music and lyrics for “Bigger” in 2014.
HBO Max took over Santa Monica Pier’s Pacific Park this weekend, adding its branding and logos while celebrating the launch of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” both in theaters and on the steamer’s ad-supported tier. The event included a Ferris Wheel light show featuring Warner Bros. characters, as well as complimentary “Space Jam: A New Legacy”-inspired menu items such as ice cream scoops at Soda Jerks, grilled cheese at The Albright, fried pickles as Rusty’s Surf Ranch and pizza at Seaside by the Pier.
Also, Pacific Park games ranging from “Whac a Mole” to “Long Range Basketball” were rebranded for the weekend by HBO Max through large scale graphics, signage and prizing. And HBO Max purple-colored cotton candy and Dippin Dots (blueberry flavored) were handed out to attendees.
Despite the rise of the COVID-19 Delta variant, the place was packed — some with masks, most without. But HBO Max branding was everywhere, and the message was hard to ignore, so I’m sure it was mission accomplished for the team making it happen.
Between Discovery’s Shark Week and National Geographic’s SharkFest, sharks are big TV biz. We previously showed you Shark Week’s impressive mailer; for SharkFest, Nat Geo celebrated with shark-tinis and shark-cuterie. Guests were sent kits to make drinks and treats during a virtual event celebrating SharkFest 2021, six weeks of programming that started July 5 with the premiere of the special “Shark Beach With Chris Hemsworth.”
TLC is promoting its summer lineup with this mailer, in honor of returning series “Dr. Pimple Popper,” “Say Yes to the Dress,” “Darcey & Stacey,” “My Feet Are Killing Me,” “My Big Fat Fabulous Life,” “Welcome to Plathville” and “I Love a Mama’s Boy.” Maybe just don’t watch the pimple popping or messy feet while eating.
CBS’ “Love Island” is back for the summer, and it’s a marathon — so stay hydrated.
It’s the 10th anniversary of the PBS Short Film Festival, and these delicious Milk cookies help set the tone. Continuing through this Friday, July 23, all 25 short films will be available to stream via PBS.org and the PBS Video App. The celebration this year is themed around “A Decade of Being Seen,” and some shorts of local L.A. interest include “Atomic Café”: Infamous for its eclectic clientele — from Japanese American locals and kids from East L.A. to yakuza and the biggest musicians of the day — the Atomic Café became an important part of L.A.’s punk rock history. Also “PHONY” – Sunny, a young Asian American woman with anger management issues, returns home to the San Gabriel Valley seeking respite from her recent career failures — but a simple grocery shopping trip with her mother may prove more than she can handle.
Holey Moley! These gelatin shots look… well, perhaps I’m getting too old. But I DO love me some “Holey Moley”!
Speaking of feeling old, I was SO excited to receive this CD, featuring the amazing, catchy music from Peacock’s “Girls5eva.” I opened it up, and… no CD! Just a link to stream the tunes. [Cue sad trombone sound.] PHYSICAL MEDIA STILL MATTERS!
OK, so the TV Academy did well. The TV critics did better. I’m definitely not mad at this list. “Superstore” and “Mythic Quest” in comedy? “For All Mankind” in drama? “Desus & Mero” in talk? All yes, yes, yes. “Ted Lasso” led with five noms for the Television Critics Assn.’s annual TCA Awards, followed by four nominations apiece are HBO Max’s “Hacks,” HBO’s “I May Destroy You” and “Mare of Easttown,” and Disney Plus’ “WandaVision.” Here are the nominees:
Individual Achievement in Drama Michaela Coel, “I May Destroy You” (HBO) Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird” (Showtime) Thuso Mbedu, “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Prime Video) Elizabeth Olsen, “WandaVision” (Disney Plus) Mj Rodriguez, “Pose” (FX) Omar Sy, “Lupin” (Netflix) Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix) Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown” (HBO)
Individual Achievement in Comedy Bo Burnham, “Bo Burnham: Inside” (Netflix) Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max) Maya Erskine, “Pen15” (Hulu) Renée Elise Goldsberry, “Girls5Eva” (Peacock) Charlotte Nicdao, “Mythic Quest” (Apple TV Plus) Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max) Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus) Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information “Allen v. Farrow” (HBO) “City So Real” (National Geographic) “Framing Britney Spears” (FX/FX on Hulu) “Frontline” (PBS) “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HBO) “Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special” (CBS) “The Rachel Maddow Show” (MSNBC) “60 Minutes” (CBS)
Outstanding Achievement in Reality “Couples Therapy” (Showtime) “Deaf U” (Netflix) “The Great Pottery Throw Down” (HBO Max) “Legendary” (HBO Max) “Nailed It! Double Trouble” (Netflix) “The Real World Homecoming: New York” (Paramount Plus) “Taste the Nation” (Hulu) “Top Chef: Portland” (Bravo)
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix) “Bluey” (Disney Jr.) “Donkey Hodie” (PBS Kids) “Emily’s Wonder Lab” (Netflix) “Odd Squad” (PBS Kids) “Sesame Street” (HBO) “Waffles + Mochi” (Netflix) “Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum” (PBS Kids)
Outstanding New Program “Bridgerton” (Netflix) “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max) “Hacks” (HBO Max) “I May Destroy You” (HBO) “Mare of Easttown” (HBO) “P-Valley” (Starz) “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus) “WandaVision” (Disney Plus)
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials “Bo Burnham: Inside” (Netflix) “The Good Lord Bird” (Showtime) “I May Destroy You” (HBO) “It’s a Sin” (HBO Max) “Mare of Easttown” (HBO) “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix) “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Prime Video) “WandaVision” (Disney Plus)
Outstanding Achievement in Drama “Bridgerton” (Netflix) “The Crown” (Netflix) “For All Mankind” (Apple TV Plus) “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu) “Lovecraft Country” (HBO) “The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus) “Pose” (FX) “P-Valley” (Starz)
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max) “Girls5Eva” (Peacock) “Hacks” (HBO Max) “Mythic Quest” (Apple TV Plus) “Pen15” (Hulu) “Superstore” (NBC) “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” (NBC)
Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch “The Amber Ruffin Show” (Peacock) “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO) “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central) “Desus & Mero” (Showtime) “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO) “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC) “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS) “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) “Ziwe” (Showtime)
Program of the Year “Bridgerton” (Netflix) “Hacks” (HBO Max) “I May Destroy You” (HBO) “Mare of Easttown” (HBO) “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix) “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus) “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Prime Video) “WandaVision” (Disney Plus)
We were busy last week, and all of these stories deserve your attention!
BBC Countryfile viewers were left distracted as they tuned in to watch the latest instalment of the nature and farming programme, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts
Screaming Into the Void Despite an astronomical number of red flags, investors who poured their hard-earned cash into former president Donald Trump's Truth Social meme stock are experiencing a rude awakening. As the Washington Post reports, Trump supporters are seething as the value of the social media platform's parent company Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) […]
Prince William has been the Duke of Cornwall for two years now, and has already started to make his mark on the Duchy of Cornwall - which left his father King Charles in tears
The Queen appointed Liz Truss as Prime Minister just two days before her death and the former PM travelled to Balmoral to meet the ailing monarch in her final days
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The entire region just witnessed the whimper of the Tehran regime and the bang of Israel and its allies. It is time to capitalise on this opportunity for real political gains, Samuel J. Hyde writes.
Three people have died and two more are in hospital after a late-night car crash at a retail park. All five were travelling in the same car and are believed to be men in their early 20s, police say. Emergency services were called to Staples Corner retail park in north London at just before 11:30pm last night (Sunday). Three people were pronounced dead at the scene while two others were taken to hospital. One is in a critical condition while the other person’s condition has been assessed as not life-threatening, the Metropolitan Police said.
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