Some of the top Emmy nominations this morning went to shows you can’t get on broadcast or cable TV.
Specifically, the streaming service Netflix flexed its muscle, with 14 nominations from its initial efforts at original content, amid largely the usual suspects from broadcast and cable networks.
Nine of those nominations went to “House of Cards,” the absorbing political drama that was a nominee for best drama alongside “Homeland,” “Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men,” “Game of Thrones” and “Downton Abbey” — and nothing from commercial broadcast TV.
Kevin Spacey of “House of Cards” is up for best actor in a drama, opposite usual suspects Bryan Cranston, Jon Hamm, Damian Lewis and first timers Hugh Bonneville of “Downton Abbey” and Jeff Daniels of “The Newsroom.”
Also, Robin Wright, who plays his wife in “Cards” is up opposite Clair Danes, Elisabeth Moss, Michelle Dockery of “Downton Abbey,” first timer Vera Farmiga of “Bates Motel” and a couple of actual actresses from broadcast TV, Kerry Washington of “Scandal” and Connie Britton of “Nashville.”
Netflix, which revived “Arrested Development” got fewer nominations for that effort. In fact, its three were the fewest nominations ever for that show, which has amassed 22 nominations in the past and six wins. Still Jason Bateman got a nod for lead actor in a comedy against Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K., Jim Parsons, Matt Leblanc and Don Cheadle.
Its Tony Hale is up for best supporting actor in a comedy, but for his work in “Veep.” That’s a strange category that has Adam Driver from “Girls,” Bill Hader from “Saturday Night Live” and three members of “Modern Family,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O’Neill and Ty Burrell.
HBO continue to dominate the miniseries and movie category, with all the male nominees from one of their movies. The category itself though featured the popular but terrible “The Bible,” “Political Animals,” the excellent “Top of the Lake,” and “American Horror Story: Asylum” alongside the HBO movies “Phil Spector” and “”Behind the Candelabra.”
“American Horror Story,” listed again as a miniseries instead of a series, led all titles for nominations. Sundance’s “Top of the Lake” also produced a double nominee in Elisabeth Moss, up for this and for her role in “Mad Men.” But where is that other, equally good Sundance series “Rectify”?
Probably on Netflix.
Neil Patrick Harris hosts the Emmys on CBS Sept. 22.