what’s so funny?
And by that, I mean, what’s so funny about “The Flight Attendant,” “Barry,” “The Kominsky Method,” “Cobra Kai,” “Dead to Me” and other shows that won the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmys? were nominated for, even though most of their material was blatantly serious?
What Was So Funny About “Orange Is The New Black” In 2014, When It Was Nominated For Outstanding Comedy Series, But Not In 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 And 2020, When It Was Nominated In Drama Categories Was it even though the tone of the show hadn’t changed?
Blame it for slipping and sliding on the treacherous surface of today’s television, where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to discern the difference between comedy and drama. Hell, the first season of “The White Lotus” won a Directors Guild Award as a comedy series, while its second season is now competing at the Emmys as a drama series. Meanwhile, “Succession” may be the funniest show on TV in its darkest and twisted way, but Emmy would never dare call it a comedy.
And this past year has given us loads of new shows that could go in more than one category. According to the Television Academy, “Bad Sisters” is a drama, but calling it a comedy wouldn’t be a stretch. “The Bear” is competing in the comedy categories, but it’s as funny as it is serious. “Poker Face” sounds like a crime drama or a murder mystery, but it got enough laughs at the Emmys to keep it in that category. “Atlanta” is a surreal satire with hints of the supernatural, but it’s also a comedy at the Emmys.
This is the television of 2023, when everyone knows that the line between comedy and drama has almost blurred and no one has a good solution to deal with it. Things weren’t always so bleak: Despite outliers like “I Spy” and “M*A*S*H” and the later work of Steven Bochco, which seemed to span all categories, television in its first few decades was pretty easy. Had to calculate The comedy was half an hour long and every joke was greeted with laughter from the live studio audience or the laugh track; The plays were one hour long and had no real or virtual audience.
In fact, the Television Academy recently decided to lean on episode length to suggest category placement: a 2015 rule stated that a half-hour show would go into the comedy category by default, while a one-hour show would automatically go into the comedy category. was formally considered. a drama (Producers can appeal that classification.) In 2022, that rule was changed to allow producers to determine category placement, though the Television Academy reserves the right to make the final determination. Current criteria in “I know it when I see it” territory: “At least six episodes are predominantly comedic for comedy series entries most of the time, or predominantly dramatic for dramatic series entries” “
So, what do you do? Cut down on genre categorization, grow categories and have all series compete against each other whether they be dramatic, comedic or somewhere in between? The Emmys have tried several times in the past (notably with the “Super Emmys” in 1974) and it was a disaster. They will drop the gender acting categories before giving out separate awards for comedy and drama.
Or should the Emmys have an outstanding dramedy category? It has the potential to make things even more confusing, setting up a devilishly sliding scale from comedy to drama.
Or should the top program categories do what some of the bottom regions do, and have separate awards for half-hour shows and one-hour shows? But then how do you deal with a show like “The Last of Us,” whose last season’s episodes ranged from 43 minutes to an hour and 21 minutes?
Or maybe here’s the solution: Accept that art and entertainment are not created within strict, clear lines. Accept that any attempt to come up with a clear classification is doomed to failure, but it would be even more frustrating to throw everything into one giant catchall category. Accept that TV is a giant mess, confusing and glorified, and often not fully declassified.
Drama? comedy? Dramedy? a little break? Who cares? Celebrate it all and then throw some golden statues in whatever box makes sense at the moment.
A version of this story was first published in TheWrap’s Emmy Magazine Comedy Series issue.
