Emmys Nix Schmigadoon! Category Change for Season 2
Schmigadon’t you even think about it.
The Television Academy has denied Apple TV+’s petition to have Schmigadoon! Season 2 compete in the new-ish Scripted Variety Series categories.
As recently reported by THR.com, Apple TV+ had sought to remove Schmigadoon! from the Outstanding Comedy Series race (where Season 1 competed) and instead have the new season vie for Scripted Variety Series (and related technical categories). The Schmigadoon! cast, however, would have still competed in Comedy categories.
But per Variety, the TV Academy has told the musical-comedy it must stay put and compete for Best Comedy against the likes of The Bear, Abbott Elementary, Barry, Ted Lasso, Poker Face and Only Murders in the Building.
The Scripted Variety Series category — which was created in December in part to make Saturday Night Live face more than one challenger — is defined as “a variety program that is primarily scripted, or loosely-scripted improv, and consisting of discrete scenes, satire, musical numbers, monologues, comedy stand-ups, sketches, etc. Scripted Variety Series may occasionally feature unscripted elements, but the main intent of the series is scripted or performed entertainment.”
As defined above, the category now invites HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver into the tent alongside the likes of SNL and A Black Lady Sketch Show (which is currently airing Season 4). Last Week Tonight is confirmed to be competing in the new category.
Good. What a flagrant attempt at category fraud
My question is why are they allowing The Bear to compete as a comedy? Just because it’s 30 minutes? It’s clearly a drama.
I asked before but my question was misunderstood: Can John Oliver enter the comedy acting categories with these changes?
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Also, wasn’t History of the World part II also trying for this category? What about them? Allowed or shifted to limited series?
History of the World would definitely fall in this category, if they intended to continue, but I’m pretty certain they’ll fall under the limited series heading instead.