TV Acad Dances With Reality, Welcomes Newbies for Emmy Noms
This morning’s Emmy nominations saw Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” cha-cha back under the kudos disco ball, as both competition skeins picked up seven and nine noms respectively, more than their haul last year.
The hoofer programs significantly outshone the fading “American Idol” on Fox, which failed to break into the reality competition category for the second straight year. Younger series “The Voice” repped for singing competish shows in the overall category for reality competitions, while Fox’s sibling singing show “The X Factor” received no nods altogether.
Notable newbies on the reality TV block in this batch of Emmy nods include HBO’s edgy newsmag “Vice,” which debuted earlier in the year. Exec producer and Vice co-founder Shane Smith admitted this morning on a call with Variety that he wasn’t awake when nominations were announced, a testament to him not expecting the honor at all.
“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” a new docuseries on CNN from the chef and TV personality, picked up four nods today, including in nonfiction writing and the overall informational series category. This number of nominations is the same as the number that Bourdain’s Travel Channel program “No Reservations” received last year, seeming proof that the irreverent Bourdain has made a smooth transition over to a new cabler. (Granted, his show on CNN bears an almost mirror-like similarity to his now-defunct Travel Channel skein.)
Missing from the slew of unscripted skeins that will make an appearance at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards is “Duck Dynasty,” which became a pop culture phenomenon and broke ratings records for A&E. Programs included in the overall reality category include “Antiques Roadshow,” “Deadliest Catch,” “Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives,” “MythBusters,” “Shark Tank” and “Undercover Boss.”
The redneck docucomedy picked up no nominations, even after the show tied for best reality series with Sundance Channel’s “Push Girls” at this year’s Critics’ Choice Television Awards. Its absence from the crop of 2013 Emmy noms echoes, in a way, “The Walking Dead’s” typical absence from the TV Acad’s nomination list, despite being a critics and audience darling.
Elsewhere, CBS’s “Amazing Race” continues its reign in reality categories, picking up a nom in overall competition, along with four others. In 11 years of eligibility, “Amazing Race” has been nominated for 59 Emmys, and won 14.
For the full list of this year’s Emmy noms, click here.
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