Five reasons to watch the Emmys on Monday
SINGAPORE — With the arrival of Netflix in Singapore early next year, the television landscape is about to get a lot more interesting. How are we supposed to find time to watch even more TV in-between episodes of Masterchef Asia, America’s Next Top Model and Dance Moms, a new season of Empire, re-runs of Seinfeld and Golden Girls, as well as our usual staple of shows from Channel 5 and 8?
SINGAPORE — With the arrival of Netflix in Singapore early next year, the television landscape is about to get a lot more interesting. How are we supposed to find time to watch even more TV in-between episodes of Masterchef Asia, America’s Next Top Model and Dance Moms, a new season of Empire, re-runs of Seinfeld and Golden Girls, as well as our usual staple of shows from Channel 5 and 8?
The trick is in being more discerning and the nominees for this year’s Primetime Emmys, which will be aired here on Monday, are somewhat reliable markers of quality shows to invest our time and emotions in — even as there is the inevitable snub (the travesty of Fresh Off The Boat’s mercilessly funny Constance Wu being left out of this year’s Outstanding Actress for Comedy race!) and the question of whether deserving ones really take home the trophy will always hang in the air.
This year also presents a crop of new nominees to root for, as well as long-standing favourites we hope will win.
Will they or won’t they? Here are five other burning questions for Monday morning.
1. WILL JON HAMM FINALLY WIN OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN DRAMA?
The actor went from being a nobody to, well, Jon Hamm on the strength of his nuanced, compelling portrayal of ad man Don Draper, a pop culture icon, fashion pin-up, TV anti-hero and sex symbol men want to be and women want to be with. It seems quite inconceivable that Hamm has never gotten an Emmy these past eight years for his work on Mad Men. We hope justice will be served but we are not holding our breath — after all, Steve Carell never received an Emmy as lovable loser Michael Scott in The Office. And a resounding boo to that.
2. WILL HISTORY BE MADE?
If either hot favourite Taraji P Henson (Empire) or the acclaimed Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder) gets the Outstanding Actress in Drama award, it will be the first time for an African-American to win said accolade. That would be pretty darn awesome.
3. ARE EMMYS JUDGES REALLY ROBOTS?
Despite the bounty of brilliance in the Outstanding Comedy Series category (Veep, Parks And Recreation, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), the Emmys has given the prize to Modern Family for the past five years. We are sorry to say but these days, it is a pale shadow of its former sharp and witty self. If it wins for the sixth time in a row, it simply shows the judges really have not been paying attention at all.
4. WILL THE NEW OUTSTANDING VARIETY SKETCH SERIES CATEGORY BE CREDIBLE?
For the first time in its 67-year history, the Emmys has split the Outstanding Variety Series (dominated by talk shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live) into Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and Outstanding Variety Talk Series. Word is the highly popular Inside Amy Schumer will take it, especially since Schumer is having a banner year.
5. CAN ANDY SAMBERG DELIVER ON THE BIG STAGE?
The goofy but delightful Andy Samberg has been a host on (and member of) Saturday Night Live and has hosted smaller award shows such as the MTV Movie Awards in 2009. But this is the litmus test. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor has said that his version of the Emmys will be a “good balance that’s not too silly or too meta” while having fun. SERENE LIM
The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards airs on Monday, 8am, on Mediacorp TV Channel 5, with an Emmys Red Carpet and Pre-Show starting at 6am. The encore telecast airs on Tuesday at 9.30pm.