It’s red carpet time! And the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is one of the first award shows of the season. The nominations (full list) are out and we wanted to take a closer look at the TV shows — what captured attention and what got overlooked. Also, what the SAG Awards can tell us about how the rest of trophy season will go. Guest host Josie Huang checks in with Alex Jung, a writer for Vulture.com on what the nominations mean.
Interview Highlight:
Who is voting to nominate the shows
It's going to be actors. That's why the SAG is the largest voting block for the Oscars. These actors literally hold a card and vote for their favorite performance. That's important because it's coming from your peers, and that's why it's held in such high regard.
Why so many critics' darlings got snubbed
People who love TV would have loved to see "The Americans" on the list. And there are smaller dramas that get snubbed. "Atlanta" was a big bummer for me. I would have loved to see it get nominated for best comedy. I would love to have seen Brian Tyree Henry and Keith Stanfield get nominated for that show. They are just brilliant. Comedy is the real missed opportunity in a lot of ways. "Fleabag" is amazing! "Insecure," too. It looks like the CW curse continues. I would love to see "Jane the Virgin" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" get their names out there. It's definitely a crowded field.
Networks vs. Netflix
Right now cable and streaming have a little more appeal. People give them more creative freedom and more budget for those productions. "The Crown" on Netflix is one of the most expensive shows ever made. It would be nice to see network names out there. "Speechless" on ABC is really good. However, in terms of comedy, network has sitcoms down to a science. "Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family" are still the biggest comedies on television.
- E. Alex Jung is a writer at Vulture.com. He tweets .
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