Unconventional television has become the norm and the 2016 Emmys proves that. This year’s Emmys was full of surprise winners and snubs, but whether or not The Americans should have won best drama series following its best season to date is a conversation for another article.
What became glaringly clear after this year’s Emmys is that no matter how many good shows you’re watching right now, there are probably twice as many great shows that you are missing.
Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Video, and Hulu have become popular and very good at creating quality shows. Netflix received 54 total Emmy nominations, Amazon Video received 16, and Hulu 2.
The competition for awards has become crowded with shows like The Big Bang Theory and Orange is the New Black not even being nominated this year. Cable networks mostly dominated in wins but shows like Transparent and Bloodline won big. HBO had 94 nominations and won best drama series, but even it has a streaming service of its own, HBO Now.
So is it time to trade in paying for cable and just live the life of a streamer? Not quite yet. While it’s true that streaming services have become big, cable shows still have a lot to offer. However it does seem like the tides are turning. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon in particular have many shows you could’ve argued should’ve been nominated too.
One solution for the Emmys would be to add more nominee spots for each major category. In her article for Variety, “Emmy Awards Should Expand to 10 Nominees in Peak TV Era,” Debra Birnbaum argued that the Emmys should take a page out of the Oscars playbook and expand to 10 nominees for each of the series categories.
Now what’s a good solution for a person who wants to catch up on all these great shows? Maybe it’s time to quit your job and dedicate your life to watching TV.