Emmys 2015: Five Things To Watch Out For In The Drama Races

I can’t think of another television phenomenon quite like Mad Men, a series that carried its fierce critical buzz throughout its entire seven-season run. It’s received seven previous nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, winning for the first first four seasons. (The final season was split into two mini-seasons, which makes Mad Men eligible for an eighth round of Emmys.) It has previously won awards for its writing, but none of the cast members have taken home an Emmy despite multiple nominations for Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery, and Christina Hendricks. It’s the last chance for the Mad Men team to pick up Emmys for their work on the show, and expect the Academy to grace them with as many nominations as possible. [Where to stream Mad Men]

Per the new Emmy rules which classify hour-long shows as dramas and half-hour shows as comedies, the irreverent Orange Is the New Black is now officially being taken seriously as a drama. Along with other hour-long shows like Shameless, Jane the Virgin, and Glee, OITNB petitioned for consideration as a comedy, but unlike those three series, the TV Academy ruled the Netflix series ineligible as a comedy. While I doubt that will hurt its chances for nominations, it will have to compete against heavy-hitters like Mad Men, The Good Wife, Empire, possibly Game of Thrones, and Netflix’s other critically acclaimed series, House of Cards. (If I were Piper, I would not want to go head-to-head with Claire Underwood.) But this might work in Lorraine Toussaint’s favor, whose unnerving performance as Season Two’s villain Vee might just push her to the head of the Emmys race in the Supporting Actress category. Fingers crossed that Danielle Brooks also gets some recognition for her Season Two performance, although Kate Mulgrew and previous Emmy winner Uzo Aduba seem like better bets. [Where to stream Orange Is the New Black]

Empire was one of the biggest hits of the year, and there’s no doubt it’ll sweep the Emmy nominations. Outstanding Drama Series is a given, and Taraji P. Henson’s deliciously wonderful performance as Cookie Lyon will be a tough one to beat. But don’t discount the show’s leading man, Terrence Howard. And Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson could certainly earn a nod for her guest performance. [Where to stream Empire]

Despite its critical acclaim and high ratings, the HBO fantasy series has only received a handful of Emmys in technical categories for its makeup and special effects. While the Emmys don’t typically go for the fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres (despite previous wins for American Horror Story, Lost, and The X-Files), the fourth season of Game of Thrones upped the ante. Will this be the show’s year to get some Emmy love and, in turn, be legitimized as a drama series? It’s not out of the question for the show to get a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, but definitely expect Lena Headley and Peter Dinklage to get nominated in supporting acting categories and Diana Rigg for her guest performance. [Where to stream Game of Thrones]

Netflix staples Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards are likely to be the streaming platform’s biggest contenders in the drama category, but the sleeper hit Bloodline might not fare poorly in the acting categories. While it’s unlikely to get a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, Kyle Chandler could very well get an Outsanding Lead Actor nod. Ben Mendelsohn, who garnered a lot of praise for his role as the black sheep of the family, is likely to get a Supporting Actor nomination, and Sissy Spacek could pick up her fourth Emmy nomination as the show’s matriarch. [Where to stream Bloodline]

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