By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) --When the Emmy Award nominations for next month's ceremony were unveiled, there was a glaring shortage of love for popular dramas "The Good Wife," ''Scandal" and "The Blacklist."
Although some of those broadcast network shows received acting bids, all were snubbed in the best drama series category — eclipsed by cable and online programs that typically produce far few episodes per season than the 22 or so hours cranked out by broadcasters.
Is it time for a rules change or two, such as separating longer- and shorter-run series into two categories or maybe expanding the number of drama and comedy series nominees from six to 10?
Maybe, said the head of the TV academy, but it won't be because of criticism about this year's outcome, said Bruce Rosenblum, chairman and CEO of the Emmy organizing body.
The academy regularly reviews its rules and how they fit with the changing TV universe and will continue to do so as a matter of course, he said.
But he defended the bids announced last week.
"We're in a golden age of television" that produces more worthy Emmy contenders from varied outlets, Rosenblum told a meeting of the Television Critics Association on Sunday. The Emmy voters who represent the TV industry did a "terrific job" of nominating the best shows, he added.
He noted that the number of drama and comedy submissions have risen sharply in the past five years and said that the possibility of category expansion is "on the list" for consideration.
Rosenblum was also pressed about this year's "category-jumping" by some candidates. That includes the dark, prison-set series "Orange is the New Black," entered for best comedy series, as was "Shameless," about a highly dysfunctional family, which switched after failing to get traction in the past for top drama series honors. HBO's "True Detective," despite miniseries trappings including a closed-ended story, is a best drama series nominee.
HBO and new players such as Netflix ("House of Cards," ''Orange is the New Black") are producing shows and releasing them in ways that represent an "evolution" of the TV business, Rosenblum said.
Shows today are "unique and varying and don't fit into neatly defined boxes," he said.
Might that prompt the academy to introduce new categories? That's not the academy's goal, he replied.
Don Mischer, executive producer of the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony hosted by Seth Meyers and airing Aug. 25 on NBC, said adding "more and more awards" is not the solution.
As it is, veteran producer Mischer has the challenge of fitting some two-dozen categories into a three-hour show and keeping it lively. Previous efforts to cut the time devoted to less glamorous awards on the telecast, such as writing and directing, have run into stiff opposition from guilds.
“Overnight Success” Has Been More Than A Decade In The Making For Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson
Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson, two of the stars of Netflix's whodunit "The Perfect Couple," have news for you if you want to call them breakouts: They've been working in this business for more than a decade.
Fahy made her TV debut in 2009 in an episode of "Gossip Girl." Hewson's first big film role was in 2011's "This Must Be the Place." They do concede, however, that it's recent TV roles — "The White Lotus" for Fahy and "Bad Sisters" for Hewson — that have led to new frontiers of opportunity.
Susanne Bier, who directed "The Perfect Couple," says both Fahy and Hewson are "going to be big stars."
"They certainly have proper, profound star quality, Both of them in very different ways," Bier says. "Both are incredibly creative, incredibly smart, and also have a impressive insight as to who they are. You can be a great actor or actress and not necessarily really know who you are yourself. And they do."
Hewson, 33, whose dad is U2 front man Bono, may have grown up in a famous family but she's now in demand in her own right. She will next be seen in a second season of "Bad Sisters, " out in November. She's in Noah Baumbach's next film, alongside Adam Sandler, George Clooney and Riley Keough. She's also been cast in Steven Spielberg's next production and is set to star opposite Murray Bartlett in a racing series for Hulu.
Fahy, 34, is in production on a limited series with Julianne Moore and Milly Alcock called "Sirens," written by Molly Smith Metzler ("Maid") for Netflix. She also has two films in the can with Josh O'Connor ("The Crown," "Challengers") and Brandon Sklenar ("It Ends With Us").
The two actors spoke candidly about this phase of their careers. This interview has been condensed for clarity and... Read More