Are shows finally going to get what they deserve?

The primetime Emmy's are going to change their nominating method so it could include more underdog and non-rating kings in the final nominations.

This is such awesome news. Shows like Veronica Mars, Smallville and their respective actors and actresses could finally get the recognition they deserve for their hard work. Last year Kristen Bell got screwed out of a nomination and with this new format, she should be able to get in this year. And how cool would it be if Allison got nominated for a supporting role.


Primetime Emmy voting to be overhauled

Uh-oh. There's bad Emmy news for all of those Desperate Housewives, but good news for "Veronica Mars" star Kristen Bell and other TV rookies on the rise. The primetime Emmys just announced a radical overhaul of its nomination process that will probably boost underdog stars like Bell and make it harder for TV grandstanders like those Housewives to get automatic bids.

Emmy nominees for best series actor and actress plus best comedy and drama series will now be chosen in part by judging panels. In the past the top five nominees in those categories were selected by popular vote of academy members, which usually favored the most popular contenders when measured by Nielsen ratings or industry buzz. From now on they'll actually be judged by their TV work too.

Academy members will still use a popular ballot to determine finalists in those categories, but now they'll cite 15 entries for acting and 10 for series instead of 5. The finalists must submit a sample TV episode to judging panels, which will convene at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood, Calif., on June 24 and 25. The judges will then whittle down the entries to five per category, announcing the full list of nominees on July 6. Winners will be chosen at the Emmy ceremony to be telecast on Aug. 27.

The voting overhaul is likely to be welcomed enthusiastically by TV critics, who often mount nuclear attacks on the academy because Emmy nominations frequently ignore great work on low-rated TV programs. There is little criticism of the Emmys' method of picking winners because it's far more careful and fair. Voting is limited to peers who must sign affidavits attesting that they've viewed sample videos submitted by every nominee in a category.

"This new voting initiative hits the issue of a narrow nominations process head on and significantly increases the potential for the widest and most diverse selection of nominees possible," said academy chairman Dick Askin (who is also president and CEO of The Envelope's sister company, Tribune Entertainment Co.). "It is also representative of the effectiveness of collaboration between our peer groups and the focus of our board to advance and improve our voting process whenever we are able to do so."

"The voting change really isn't new," insisted the academy's awards chief John Leverence. "We currently use the same process to determine the nominees for performers in a music variety show and guest actors in a series. Now we're extending it to the lead acting categories and best series. At this point we are not yet introducing it in the supporting acting races."

Rules were also changed to permit 700 directors and casting executives to vote in the acting categories, which were previously restricted to 1,400 performers.

http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2006/02/primetime_emmy_.html