Tuesday, October 2, 2012

64th Annual Primetime Emmy Award Winners: The Best of Each Genre


The Primetime Emmy Awards started in 1949. Each award is determined by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. In order to be considered, a show must originally air on an American TV station. There are many different categories, but the over-arching ones are: Programs, Directing,Writing, Lead Role, Supporting Role and Guest Role. Within each of these categories there are subcategories depending on the genre. 

Here I list the best programs for each genre in order to show you who the Academy deems outstanding. 

Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family



Premiering on ABC in 2009 with an astounding 12.6 million viewers, this show has won the hearts of any comedy buff. It tells the story of three different families and the hilarious trials they face throughout their lives together. Entertainment Weekly called it “immediately recognizable as the best new sitcom of the fall” in 2009.

Not only did it win this award for the 64th Annual Emmy Awards, but it won the two previous years as well. Along with this award, the show also won awards for Directing in a Comedy Series as well as Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor in a comedy series.

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program: The Amazing Race



The competition involves teams of two who race around the world against the other teams to win the one million dollar prize. Each episode the team must arrive at a “pit stop.” The team who arrives first wins a prize that will give them an advantage over the rest. The team who arrives last either gets eliminated, or they get seriously disadvantaged against the other teams.

The Amazing Race premiered in 2001 on CBS as a cutting edge competition. It has won the Outstanding Reality-Competition Program for every year from 2003-2012 except for 2010.

Outstanding Drama Series: Homeland



With only one season, Homeland managed to bring Showtime it’s first award in this category. Along with Best Drama Series, it also won Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The second season premiered on September 30, 2012.

The show is about a CIA officer who is put on probation after she pulled an unauthorized operation. With the help of her old mentor, the two work to prevent another terrorist attack in America.

Outstanding Variety Series: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart



Craig Kilborn originally hosted The Daily Show on Comedy Central from its original airdate of July 21, 1996 until December of 1998. Jon Stewart then took over the late night satirical program, making it more about politics than pop culture. The show makes a comical satire out of the news of that week.

With 1.45 to 1.6 million viewers each night, The Daily Show is clearly very popular. The main audience is young adults and well-educated individuals. All together, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart has won 18 Emmy Awards.

Miniseries or Movie: Game Change



Game Change is a political drama about the 2008 presidential election. The film follows Sarah Palin and John McCain through their race against Barack Obama. This film was not played in theaters, but rather on HBO as their original movie.

This film was greatly received by critics and has earned awards such as: the Critics Choice Award, Golden Nymph Award and five Emmy Awards. 

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