{"id":164100,"date":"2022-12-21T10:12:10","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T10:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/emmy-rule-changes-2023-variety-talk-and-sketch-categories-replaced\/"},"modified":"2022-12-21T10:12:10","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T10:12:10","slug":"emmy-rule-changes-2023-variety-talk-and-sketch-categories-replaced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/emmy-rule-changes-2023-variety-talk-and-sketch-categories-replaced\/","title":{"rendered":"Emmy Rule Changes 2023: Variety Talk and Sketch Categories Replaced"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\tThe Television Academy is taking another stab at resolving its Emmys variety talk and variety sketch category conundrum. The org announced Tuesday that it would scrap those two controversial categories and introduce two new ones: Outstanding talk series, which will center on shows that focus on \u201cunscripted interviews or panel discussions between a host\/hosts and guest celebrities or personalities\u201d; and outstanding scripted variety series, which focuses on \u201cprograms that are primarily scripted or feature loosely scripted improv and consist of discrete scenes, musical numbers, monologues, comedy stand-ups, sketches, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tin creating these two new categories, the Television Academy is likely hoping to solve two debates at once: What to do with the decline in sketch shows, which have shrunk to a point where they can no longer sustain a separate Emmy category; and how to separate topical and news-focused talk shows from more variety-centric talkers.<\/p>\n

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\tWhether or not this will resolve that debate is unclear. Programs like \u201cThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\u201d could fall under either category: It features unscripted interviews, but it also includes plenty of loosely scripted improv, musical numbers, monologues, comedy stand-ups and sketches. But it would likely mean that \u201cLast Week Tonight with John Oliver,\u201d which has dominated the variety talk category since 2016, would move over to scripted variety series, where it would now compete with the likes of \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d instead of \u201c Jimmy Kimmel Live\u201d or \u201cThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.\u201d (\u201cThe Daily Show\u201d also contains a hefty scripted segment in addition to its talk segment.)<\/p>\n

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\tAccording to the new description for outstanding talk series, \u201cA talk series can include scripted elements and other aspects of a variety series such as monologues, musical performances, etc., so long as the main intent of the program is interviews\/discussions.\u201d That would seem to keep shows like \u201cTonight\u201d and \u201cThe Late Late Show with James Corden\u201d in the talk field. But the new scripted variety category also notes that it \u201cmay occasionally feature unscripted elements, but the main intent of the series is scripted or performed entertainment.\u201d That’s where the shows formerly in the sketch field, like \u201cSaturday Night Live,\u201d would now reside. But could that also include \u201cTonight\u201d and \u201cThe Late Late Show\u201d? This could make for an interesting debate in the coming months.<\/p>\n

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\tThe Television Academy has struggled to figure out what to do with variety talk and variety sketch in recent years. In December 2020, the org announced that it would merge the two back into one category \u2014 and then, after uproar from high-profile figures in the variety field, reversed course a few months later.<\/p>\n

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\tBut a change has been on the docket for some time. In September, TV Academy chairman\/CEO Frank Scherma said the org would \u201cmake some sort of decision\u201d soon. \u201cIt definitely is one of the things that’s on the agenda for this coming year,\u201d he said. \u201cAs television continues to change across the board, we have to try to change with it. And we have to look at those things. We’re talking to our network partners. We’re talking to the streamers, we’re talking all across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tBut, as Academy president\/COO Maury McIntyre added, there was no easy solution \u2014 hence the delay in finding one. \u201cIf it was an easy call, we would have done it already,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is a lot of interest and we want to make sure we do it right. Clearly we made a decision a couple of years ago [in announcing a talk\/sketch category merge] that people were not happy with and we revisited it. That just shows we’re willing to listen to our partners with what they have to say. We will have to make a decision at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tVariety talk and variety sketch series were awarded in one category until they were split in 2015. That decision came as the number of sketch shows were on the rise, with series like \u201cInside Amy Schumer,\u201d \u201cPortlandia,\u201d \u201cDrunk History\u201d and \u201cKey & Peele,\u201d in addition to stalwart \u201cSaturday Night Live.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tBut that trend was ultimately short-lived. And rules introduced in 2019 determining the number of nominees in each category had a negative effect on both variety talk and variety sketch fields: Under the setup, categories with between 20 and 80 entrants compete with five nominees; for six, there must be at least 81 entrants. If there’s below 20 entrants, it’s a sliding scale for even fewer nominees.<\/p>\n

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\tIn 2022, just eight shows were submitted in variety sketch, which led to just two nominees for the second year in a row: \u201cSNL\u201d and \u201cA Black Lady Sketch Show.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tMeanwhile, variety talk is also seeing its numbers drop. This past year, only 19 shows were submitted in the category, but the TV Academy rounded that tally up to 20, in order to at least maintain five nominees.<\/p>\n

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\tStill, with shows like \u201cDesus & Mero\u201d and \u201cFull Frontal with Samantha Bee\u201d ending, and the fate of CBS’ 12:37 am timeslot still up in the air after James Corden departs \u201cThe Late Late Show\u201d this spring, the talk tally is likely to continue to drop. And it doesn’t help that some shows that might have entered that category, like \u201cMy Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman\u201d and \u201cThe Problem With Jon Stewart,\u201d opted to enter the hosted nonfiction series or special field instead. Those shows would probably now enter the talk series category under the new setup.<\/p>\n

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\tThe TV Academy has also had to content with grumbling from inside the variety talk ranks about the wide difference in tone and structure from the shows: Topic-based shows like \u201cLast Week Tonight With John Oliver\u201d compete against variety-focused shows (\u201cThe TV Academy\u201d) Late Late Show With James Corden,\u201d \u201cThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\u201d), talk shows with a heavy dose of politics (\u201cThe Late Show With Stephen Colbert,\u201d \u201cThe Daily Show With Trevor Noah\u201d and \u201cLate Night With Seth\u201d) Meyers\u201d) and shows with a bit of everything (\u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d).<\/p>\n

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\tThe Television Academy’s Board of Governors met last week to discuss rule changes. \u201cThe Television Academy’s Awards committee and Board of Governors carefully review Emmy rules annually and adjust and refine competition requirements, often with input from television leaders, to reflect and support the current industry environment,\u201d said Frank Scherma, Television Academy Chairman and CEO.<\/p>\n

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\tHere are other rule changes:<\/p>\n

\n\tCap on nominations-round voting: <\/strong>\u201cThe number of selections each voting member is allowed to make per category in first-round voting will now be capped at the number of nominations specified for that category. Members will no longer be allowed to vote for an unlimited number of selections in any category.\u201d This should keep nomination voting more specialized and weed out the temptation to vote for everyone (or, more concerningly, everyone on your employer’s docket).<\/p>\n

\n\tChanges to tracked categories: <\/strong>Up until now, there was always the guarantee that multi-camera series would at least still receive nominations in categories exclusively devoted to them such as multi-camera picture editing for a comedy series. But that’s changing now. \u201cThe Single Camera and Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series categories have been combined into the tracked category Picture Editing for a Comedy Series. The Cinematography for a Single Camera Series (half-hour) and Multi-Camera Series categories have been combined into the tracked category Cinematography for a Series (half-hour).\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tBut also, \u201ca trigger has been added to all tracked categories such that during any year in which the number of submissions for each track is 20 or more, the category will automatically be split into separate categories for that year. In 2023 there will be 16 categories with tracks, which could potentially be split.<\/p>\n

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\tThose categories are animated program, cinematography for a series (half-hour), contemporary costumes, fantasy\/sci-fi costumes, period costumes, directing for a comedy series, directing for a variety series, period\/character hairstyling, period\/character makeup , picture editing for a comedy series, picture editing for variety programming, production design for a narrative program (half-hour), sound mixing for comedy or drama series (half-hour), sound mixing for variety series or special, sound mixing for nonfiction\/reality, technical direction and camerawork for a series.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cFinally, the minimum number of submissions required to include a nomination track in a tracked category has been changed to 5% of the total number of submissions but no less than three submissions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLine producers to recieve eligible credit for variety categories: <\/strong>Line producers are now eligible for Emmys in the categories of outstanding talk series, outstanding scripted variety series, outstanding variety special (live) and outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).<\/p>\n

\n\tPreviously announced \u2014 Game shows come to primetime: <\/strong>As revealed in August, the Television Academy (the West Coast org formerly known as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) and the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has agreed to migrate game show categories from the Daytime Emmys to the Primetime Emmys beginning next year. Moving forward, the new Primetime Emmy category for outstanding game show \u201cwill be awarded to programs with game elements that primarily take place in studio and involve mental challenges.\u201d As part of the move, the Primetime Emmys will also add a category for outstanding host for a game show, \u201cawarded to the \u201cmaster of ceremony\u201d host(s) for a continuing performance in a game show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tpreviously announced<\/strong> \u2014 The end of the hanging episodes rule: <\/strong>As announced in June, \u201cthe Hanging Episode Rule has been eliminated; only episodes that premiere on a platform available to a national audience by May 31 will be Emmy-eligible.\u201d The required number of episodes from a series must premiere nationally by May 31 to be eligible in the current Emmy competition: Six episodes are required for series in animation, comedy, drama, variety, short form and reality categories; three episodes are required for documentary series and hosted nonfiction series; and all episodes are necessary for limited series and anthology series.<\/p>\n

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\tAmong other rule changes:<\/p>\n

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\t\u2022 Time limit for commercials has been changed from 30-120 seconds to 30-180 seconds.<\/p>\n

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\t\u2022 The position of Costume Consultant is generally not an Emmy-eligible credit but may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n

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\t\u2022 In documentary programming, \u201crecreations, including the use of performers or animations, if such recreations are factbased and used for illustration purposes, are limited to a percentage of not more than
50% of the documentary special or series, with the remaining content being primary source documentary elements.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\u2022 Performers: \u201cIf the narration is performed as a character rather than a narrator, even if credited as the
narrator, the performer must submit in the character voice-over category.\u201d Also in character voice-over, any performance where the voice of the performer has been manipulated with AI requires the submission to be vetted for eligibility. And \u201ca performer who plays the same character in more than one program may only enter in one performer category in the current eligibility year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n