From Variety · Michael Schneider · · 1m 10s
Hollywood didn't run out of ideas, the Emmys prove it
This year's Emmy nominees are stacked with original concepts instead of franchises, which kills a tired talking point.
In brief
This year's Emmy nominees are stacked with original concepts instead of franchises, which kills a tired talking point. The season's most dominant nominees were fresh concepts, so the idea shortage is a complaint about Hollywood, not a fact about it. Originally reported by Variety.
Put the fallacy to bed
Emmy week arrives with the usual complaint attached: Hollywood has nothing new left. The ballot argues the opposite.
“can we put to bed the fallacy that Hollywood has somehow run out of ideas?”
One glance is enough
No deep audit required. Read the comedy, drama and limited or anthology lists and the everything-is-a-reboot theory falls apart.
“Even a cursory glance at the comedy, drama and limited/anthology series races proves that it's just not true.”
Originals took most slots
In each major series category, most nominees grew from fresh concepts rather than books, films or franchises someone already owned.
“The lion's share of every category features nominees that are based on original ideas”
The shows doing it
The Pitt, Pluribus, Widow's Bay, Hacks, DTF St. Louis and Beef ran their races hard, and not one of them showed up pre-sold.
A pattern, not a fluke
If it were only comedy, call it luck. Drama and the limited field lean the same way, which makes original work the season's shape.
The takeaway
The season's most dominant nominees were fresh concepts, so the idea shortage is a complaint about Hollywood, not a fact about it.
