Thomas Mallon’s novel “Fellow Travelers” came out in 2007. Five years later, Ron Nyswaner–an Oscar nominee in 1994 on the strength of his original screenplay for Philadelphia–read Mallon’s book and wanted to create a TV series based on it. Nyswaner was inspired by the story and the romantic relationship of its protagonists, Hawkins Fuller and Timothy Laughlin. But then life got in the way for Nyswaner–specifically the need to make a living. So he didn’t get the chance to immediately pursue “Fellow Travelers.” The detour in and of itself yielded worthwhile results as Nyswaner served as writer and executive producer on such shows as Ray Donovan and Homeland, the latter earning him an Emmy nomination in 2016 for Outstanding Drama Series.
Still, Mallon’s novel–put on the backburner–was nestled in Nyswaner’s mind, heart and soul. Friend and compatriot Robbie Rogers encouraged Nyswaner some five years ago to actively pursue “Fellow Travelers.” Nyswaner took his advice and began shaping the story. While the novel was set in the 1950s, Nyswaner expanded it chronologically so that it spanned the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Nyswaner felt a personal need to bring subsequent decades into the story’s fold in that he in real life came out as a gay man in the late 1970s, at a time when the AIDS crisis had started to emerge. He wanted that pivotal time to be part of the Fellow Travelers series he envisioned.
That creative decision proved instrumental in that it was part of a dynamic that lent a new dimension to Fellow Travelers–one that was acknowledged by Peabody Award judges in its decision to honor the series earlier this year. A passage on the Peabody website reads, “Running all through Fellow Travelers, a limited series based on Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel, is the question of what it costs us–as individuals, as a community, as a country–to make parts of ourselves unknowable, inviolate, invisible. Set against the backdrop of the ‘Lavender Scare’ during the 1950s McCarthy era on one end and the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s at the other, this ambitious period drama is anchored by the decades-spanning affair between Hawkins Fuller (portrayed by Matt Bomer) and Timothy Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey). Along with their friends, who include a State Department secretary, an African-American journalist, and a stealth drag performer, the lovers are forced to wrestle with why and whether to keep their relationship–and their very identities–a secret. As Hawk finds pain and solace in the closet with a picture-perfect family and Tim rebukes his faith while thrusting himself into increasingly more radical politics, their love chains them to one another as they see the world and the queer community change around them. For chronicling a half century’s worth of LGBTQ history and anchoring it in a sweeping romance that makes us swoon and blush in equal measure, Fellow Travelers wins a Peabody Award.”
Nyswaner served as creator/showrunner of Fellow Travelers, with Rogers as an executive producer and fellow writer. Last month Fellow Travelers added three Emmy nominations to its accolades–Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Bomer, Supporting Actor for Bailey, and writing for Nyswaner (for the first episode, “You’re Wonderful”).
Nyswaner described himself as “starstruck” by the other writers nominated in the category–Richard Gadd for Baby Reindeer, Charles Brooker for Black Mirror, Noah Hawley for Fargo, Steven Zaillian for Ripley, and Issa Lopez for True Detective: Night Country. “I’m hoping that at the Emmy Awards I can find each of them and tell them what a big fan I am.”
Key to the success of Fellow Travelers is that Nyswaner got the chance to work with talented collaborators of whom he is also “a big fan.” While too numerous to mention, those colleagues included Rogers, director/executive producer Daniel Minahan and cinematographer Simon Dennis. Nyswaner credited, for example, Minahan and Dennis with creating “the rich golden look” of Fellow Travelers, a high contrast beauty that made the TV show “cinematic,” serving to enhance the story.
Nyswaner has a history with Minahan. Nyswaner wrote an episode of Ray Donovan directed by Minahan and ever since they had been looking to team again on a project. But scheduling and logistics got in the way–until some two-and-a-half years ago when Minahan got a call from Nyswaner and exec producer Robbie Rogers. They told Minahan about their plan to make a series based on Mallon’s “Fellow Travelers.” In a SHOOT interview earlier this year, Minahan recalled Rogers confidently saying to him, “You’re going to do it.”
That confidence was justified. Nyswaner felt it was in the cards. He remembered Minahan presenting him with a gift upon the wrapping of their Ray Donovan collaboration. It was a collection of pictures taken by gay photographer Tom Bianchi chronicling life on Fire Island in the 1970s. Ever since, Nyswaner and Minahan kept in touch as friends, exchanging books and thoughts in the hope that one day they would reunite on a project. Fellow Travelers proved to be that project but even then there were hurdles to clear. Minahan had a movie for which he had a firm start date for prep, not leaving much time for him to direct the first two episodes of Fellow Travelers. Thankfully the scheduling ultimately worked out, though there wasn’t much wiggle room.
Nyswaner observed that Minahan brought his own heartfelt perspective to Fellow Travelers, having come out of the closet during the AIDs crisis. He came of age a bit later–and was a little younger–than when Nyswaner did. Just beginning your adult life when the AIDS threat was so pervasive gave Minahan a context which proved invaluable to Fellow Travelers, observed Nyswaner who recalled having a private conversation with Minahan before the blocking of each scene. They would discuss the story point and purpose of the scene, helping to bring out the relevance of the narrative and what the characters were experiencing.
This collaborative nature was part of the Fellow Travelers process throughout and it infused a confidence in Nyswaner. “I don’t have the answer to everything but I was surrounded by genius” spanning direction, production design, costume design, acting, cinematography and other varied disciplines. “As showrunner/creator, I was the anchor. Everybody felt they could come to me, ask questions.” Nyswaner felt the confidence to answer or at least find the answer to those questions–based not only on the creative gut and sense of craft he developed over the decades but also due to a willingness to listen and learn from his collaborators.
Weronika Tofilska
“No good deed goes unpunished” is a cynical adage which comes to life in Baby Reindeer (Netflix). It happens when a struggling comedian, Donny Dunn (portrayed by Richard Gadd), performs an act of kindness for a vulnerable woman, Martha Scott (Jessica Dunning), sparking a suffocating obsession which threatens to wreck both their lives.
However, with punishment comes reward–actually awards–as this unique exploration of stalking and buried traumas created by Gadd, based on his own autobiographical one-man show, was named Best Breakthrough Limited Series at the inaugural Gotham TV Awards in June, and a month later earned 11 primetime Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Limited Series, Lead Actor (Gadd), Supporting Actress (Gunning), and Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
The latter went to Weronika Tofilska for “Episode 4,” marking her first career Emmy nomination. Tofilska was drawn to the stalker story, describing Gadd’s script as “the best I ever read. I was instantly gripped by it. It sparked my imagination.” She affirmed that “for a director to get a script as good as that” is “very rare.” The casting, noted Tofilska, was critical in order to attain “the right tonal balance from extreme comedic moments to extremely dark, disturbing moments.”
Tofilska directed the first four episodes, which afforded her the opportunity to partner with Gadd and lay the creative foundation for the show. That included the visual style and tone, for which cinematographer Krzysztof Trojnar was a key contributor. Trojnar shot the four episodes helmed by Tofilska.
Tofilska said that “Episode 4” was “sort of a little film within itself,” taking us to that juncture when Dunn enters the world of comedy as his world changes. “His eyes open to the cruelties of the world,” related Tofilska. “There’s an amazing shift in what he experiences and how dark it gets.” The journey of that episode in particular is a roller coaster ride, starting with “a sequence of send-up” as described by Tofilska. “It’s quite fun at the beginning and then where we end up is such a major contrast.” Tofilska noted that “our main rule” of making the series–and particularly that episode–was to have viewers go along with Dunn on his journey. The actor performances, she affirmed, were pivotal in bringing something “so emotional and complex” to the screen.
The show resonated with viewers. With a tally of some 85 million viewers and counting, Baby Reindeer advanced to number 10 on Netflix’s English-language TV series list counting down its most watched series of all time.
The other seven Emmy nominations for Baby Reindeer encompass Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Tom Goodman-Hill), another for Supporting Actress (Nava Mau), Writing (Gadd), Picture Editing (Peter Oliver, Benjamin Gerstein), Contemporary Costumes (costume supervisor Imogen Holness, costume designer Mekel Bailey), Casting (Nina Gold, Marin Ware), and Music Supervision (Catherine Grieves).
Among Tofilska’s other most recent endeavors is the A24 feature Love Lies Bleeding which she wrote with its director, Rose Glass. Love Lies Bleeding debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was released wide in the U.S. back in March. Prior to Baby Reindeer, Tofilska directed the series Irregulars for Netflix, Hannah for Amazon Prime Video, and His Dark Materials for HBO.
Millicent Shelton
Last month director Millicent Shelton earned her second career Emmy nomination. The first came 15 years ago for an episode of 30 Rock. Hearkening back to that time, Shelton noted that she had only been directing for two years prior to that. “I also had just given birth to twins, so my life was chaotic. I don’t think I really took the time to enjoy the honor and take it all in. I got a dress, sat in a seat, didn’t win, and went home to crying babies.”
Fast forward to today and her current nomination–for the “Poirot” episode of Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+) “is very special to me. There’s been a lot of ups and downs in the 15 years that have passed. Through it all, I have tried to always stay consistent with the quality of my work and to passionately bring the writer’s vision to life better than expected. For my work to be recognized by the members of the Television Academy is huge. I’m not a writer/producer/director or a producing director. I am a guest director who does the best with the episode that I am given. I was blessed to be given ‘Poirot.’ I wanted to do this beautiful script justice, but I am a hyper-critical being, so I wasn’t sure. I was truly blindsided by this nomination but am so grateful. It’s hard to put my emotions into words. I feel like I received an affirmation that, ‘Yeah, girl, you did it right.’ Even if your episode does well in the ratings, it’s not the same as having your creative peers who are in the life recognize your hard work. All the sleepless nights up drawing diagrams and shot listing. The physical toll that my body has taken. The pain of traveling away from my family to film for extended periods of time. It was all worth it. 15 years later, those babies are now about to start their senior year in high school. Life is no less chaotic, but this time the nomination feels different. I appreciate it 100% more. I am going to take time to bask in the love that is coming my way and be thankful that I can take in and enjoy this moment.”
Set in the early 1950s, Lessons in Chemistry–based on Bonnie Garmus’ best-selling 2022 novel of the same title–follows Elizabeth Zott (portrayed by Brie Larson), whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a patriarchal society. When Zott suffers a tragic loss only to later be fired from her lab, she accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show, Supper at Six, and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives–and the men who are suddenly listening–a lot more than recipes.
Shelton was drawn to the series because of Larson. “I have been a fan ever since I saw her in Room, so I wanted to work with Brie. That’s what piqued my interest in the project. What truly got me was the scripts. I was sent the first two episodes. I am a notoriously slow reader, but I sat in my backyard and read through these two scripts really fast. The world was engaging, and I was immediately hungry to read more. I sent a text to my team telling them that I had to direct on this series. I wanted to be a part of telling Elizabeth Zott’s story because I personally related to her struggle. When I first started, the entertainment industry wasn’t very receptive to Black female directors. The playing field wasn’t even, and I had to work harder to receive less, so the possibility of shaping this woman’s story about persistence, perseverance, and triumph despite adversity was something I couldn’t resist. Being able to bring Lessons in Chemistry to life felt very full circle to me as a director.”
Still, Shelton had to earn the opportunity. “I had not worked for Aggregate Films or the showrunner, Lee Eisenberg, before, so I had to interview via Zoom with them. I didn’t know what block of episodes they were considering me for. During the interview, I felt at ease. Lee is a very giving and inclusive showrunner who encourages collaboration. After that meeting, the final hurdle was a Zoom with just me and Brie. I was a little apprehensive about meeting with Captain Marvel, but Brie is the best. She’s smart, kind, straightforward, funny, and hard-working. We laughed through the entire Zoom! About a week or so before I started prep, I received the scripts for my block, which included the ‘Poirot’ episode written by Elissa Karasik.”
Among the challenges posed by Lessons in Chemistry was being the first director on the series to film multiple scenes inside the Supper at Six set and having to film there for an entire week. “We had many scenes,” related Shelton, “and making that set feel alive and different for each scene was challenging. I felt that Supper at Six was not only a set piece but an important character in the storytelling. Zack Galler (DP), Kris Kolpek (assistant director), and I prepped and walked the set for a couple of days. We discussed what we should do cinematically to keep the camera alive and what we should do with the extras to keep it moving with the appropriate tone per scene. For me, I had to think about how I was going to represent each space and what it meant in its perspective scene. By the end of that filming week, my head was spinning. We had filmed so many scenes in the exact same set that I felt bleary-eyed. Being in that one space was so challenging, but our hard work planning during prep paid off. It cut beautifully and felt alive.
“The other challenge,” continued Shelton, “was authenticity. Keeping it real was my internal mantra. Often period pieces romanticize the time period. It’s hard not to; everyone is dressed so nicely! But what was important for Lessons in Chemistry was to keep this world grounded. The characters’ wardrobes can still be well put together, but we should also convey the messy, realistic nature of the world they lived in, as it is more representative of true life. In this episode, my challenge was how to reveal why 1950s’ Elizabeth was emotionally closed off based on the limited pieces of her childhood that we flashed back to in 1932. She witnesses her father, who was unaccepting and abusive of his son because of his sexual preference, drive her beloved brother to suicide. I wanted to make sure that her father and brother were not one-note caricatures. It’s difficult to show the depth and history of a character in a flashback. I believe in finding the humanity in both good and bad characters, so this was a challenge. Luckily, I had two gifted actors, Jon Fletcher and Jackson Kelly, to work with. There was an innocence and thirst for parental approval that Jackson marvelously balanced with his portrayal of John Zott. While John Fletcher balanced the charm of Ezra Zott’s con man with the hatred of homophobia, which was only unmasked in the moment when he leans against the car after his son’s suicide, and we feel his remorse.”
Authenticity was also essential to the show’s depiction of the Sugar Hill protest in the late 1950s–and that was made all the more daunting when Shelton and her team could not find real photographic evidence of the event. The protest centered on an actual neighborhood in Los Angeles–largely consisting of residents who were Black professionals. They objected to the building of a freeway which would make an intrusive incursion into their community. A peaceful sit-in protest was staged in defiance of the freeway project. Prior episodes of Lessons in Chemistry indicated that a protest had been brewing–and viewers gained a personal stake in it through neighbors Elizabeth Zott and community organizer Harriet Sloane (Aja Naomi King)
Shelton related, “I did a lot of research, talked with a historian, and got a lot of information about what a protest of this type during this period would have looked like. That day was the toughest yet most beautiful day of filming. The cast and crew all wanted to tell the story as authentically as possible. I had to push the stunt police officers to be very aggressive with the protestors and, conversely, for our protestors to not fight back. We’ve seen many civil rights films with protests, and they are horrible, however, I wanted to capitalize off of this opportunity to make this one feel personal. As an audience, we know Harriet prior to the protest. Witnessing this ugliness happening to her and her husband should hurt because she’s not just an unknown Black woman; she’s our friend. I believe if you are going to show any character’s pain you must humanize his/her journey, not exploit it. Everyone on set that day did an amazing job to honor the ‘real’ pain these non-violent protestors experienced, which is deeper than being beaten and dragged away. The emotional toll is traumatizing. I was thrilled that Aja Naomi King was also nominated for an Emmy for her performance. She’s the heart and soul of that scene because you experience it through her character. She has strength on the outside, but the hurt is palpable just under her skin. The moment when the woman is thrown to the ground and stomped on was not written in the script. The stunt performers found it on the day. I used it to specifically show how it emotionally affected Harriet and, conversely, her white friend, Elizabeth.”
As for the lessons learned from Lessons in Chemistry, Shelton observed, “Teamwork makes the dream work is my takeaway from my Lessons in Chemistry experience. It sounds corny, but it’s true. Production is a chaotic experience period. It feels like Murphy’s Law is especially tuned into film/TV sets! Lessons in Chemistry was exceptional because of the joy that collaboration brought to everyone involved in the show. It starts at the head with Brie and Lee. They had a firm grasp on the version of the book that they wanted to tell, but they were fearless in allowing other cast and crew members to insert their ideas to help bring this vision to fruition. Often you hear that is the spirit of a show, but usually, it’s not true. This experience was real. I felt heard as a guest director and wasn’t questioned five times about the exact same thing. I felt that my interpretation of their vision was trusted, and it empowered me to be fearless as well.”
Shelton further shared, “Fearlessness, trust, perseverance, and joy…all of the things that Elizabeth Zott represents are what I took away as a lasting impression. Be fearless with your dreams as a director. Trust to empower your cast and crew to elevate those dreams. Persevere and don’t give up, especially when it’s a torrential downpour and you have an exterior scene all day long because it’s going to look awesome, and bleach will get the mud out of your white puffer jacket. It’s a blessing to get to make a living telling stories so enjoy every moment and the people that you are working with. During filming, we had a late night in a diner location. Brie and Alice Halsey (who played Brie’s daughter) stayed in the booth while the crew was lighting. They laughed and joked, making everyone else happy. It didn’t matter that we were cold and it was late at night. Often, we get so caught up in the process of filmmaking that we forget to enjoy it. I watched the two of them that night and couldn’t stop smiling…pure joy.”
The Emmy nominations for Shelton and supporting actress King are just two of 10 earned by Lessons in Chemistry–the others include Outstanding Limited Series, lead actress for Larson, supporting actor for Lewis Pullman, and cinematography for Galler.
Saul Metzstein
Director Saul Metzstein was drawn to the prospect of taking on season 3 of Slow Horses (Apple TV+), feeling an affinity for the premise of the series, having a strong desire to work with a stellar cast headed by Gary Oldman, and embracing the opportunity to treat the show as a movie of sorts.
The movie-making approach grew out of the fact that he would get to direct all six episodes of the third season. He thinks this is in part due to Oldman who’s accustomed to working with a single director on an individual feature–and likes the continuity of doing the same on each season of Slow Horses. Plus Metzstein had the advantage of being able to learn from the initial two seasons–the first directed by James Hawes and the second by Jeremy Lovering. “I stole the best bits and jettisoned the worst bits,” quipped Metzstein who in fact reached out to Hawes, talking to him at length about the show, particularly how the actors worked, what the dynamic was like on set.
“Directors come and go. The cast is there forever,” said Metzstein, adding that many shows are dictated by cast feelings, meaning it’s helpful for a director to “surf” actors’ intuition–and what better way to gauge the surfing conditions than to gain the benefit of insights into the cast from the director who in season one helped set the feel and tone for the series.
Metzstein proved to be a talented surfer, recently receiving his first career Emmy nomination–for “Strange Games,” the first episode of season 3. His was one of nine Emmy nods bestowed upon Slow Horses, including for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. The latter two nominations have the imprint of writer/executive producer Will Smith. Metzstein found Smith to be an invaluable collaborator not just for the high caliber of his scripts but also a mindset in which he didn’t regard his own words as too precious. If a scene wasn’t working or didn’t feel right for the director or actor, for example, Smith was open-minded about making a change. “He can turn around a script enhancement extremely quickly,” said Metzstein of Smith who’s amenable to a re-think or a revision if a line doesn’t work or a bit of motivation doesn’t make sense for a character.
“The worst thing that can happen to a TV director is something simply doesn’t work” and the writer won’t address it, related Metzstein. “The actor says why am I doing this and you have no idea.” Smith’s orientation is to solve the problem, doing justice to the protagonists, the story and premise, which in the case of Slow Horses–based on the “Slough House” novels by author Mick Herron–centers on a team of British intelligence agents who serve as the dumping ground department of MI5 due to their seemingly career-ending mistakes.
Metzstein concluded that although Slow Horses seems like an action thriller, it is at its roots “a character piece.” As a director, he felt it imperative to focus on the characters in that they were most essential to the drama and story.
Metzstein added that he benefited from an element of continuity that carried over from season one to season three–cinematographer Danny Cohen, BSC, an Oscar nominee for The King’s Speech. Metzstein described Cohen as adept in capturing London as “a strangely grand yet grubby city,” which dovetailed nicely with the narrative.
Metzstein found the nine Emmy nominations gratifying. When he learned of the recognition from TV Academy members, Metzstein hearkened back to how he felt in the edit suite working on Slow Horses. “I was enjoying what I was seeing,” he said, separate of the editing responsibilities. Metzstein observed that it’s “nice that someone else”–in this case Academy voters–is “enjoying it the same way you enjoyed it. That’s quire affirming in a funny way.”
The enjoyment continues as Metzstein recently wrapped season five of Slow Horses. He thus becomes the first director to go solo on two separate seasons of the series. His seasons three and five were sandwiched around season four episodes directed by Adam Randall.
In addition to being Emmy nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, directing and writing, Slow Horses received nods for dramatic series lead actor (Goldman), supporting actor (Jack Lowden), guest actor (Jonathan Pryce), picture editing (Zsófia Tálas), casting (Nina Gold) and original dramatic score (composers Toydrum and Daniel Pemberton).
Andy Breckman
Monk creator Andy Breckman is a five-time Emmy nominee. But it wasn’t until last month that he received a nod for his work on a Monk project–Outstanding Television Movie for Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock). Not that the original Monk series didn’t register on the Emmy scale. During its run from 2002-2009, Monk garnered 18 Emmy nominations, including eight for Tony Shalhoub as comedy series lead actor for his portrayal of the “defective detective” Adrian Monk. Shalhoub won three times.
Breckman likened the acclaim that the original series received sans nominations for its producers or writers as akin to a string of Frank Sinatra hit albums in which arranger Nelson Riddle took tremendous pride in the vocalist receiving all the accolades. “We took great pleasure from it [Shalhoub’s nominations]. Tony was celebrated because we had done our job,” related Breckman. And in the process, Adrian Monk became a beloved character–which made it possible some 14 years later for A Monk Movie to find a loyal following.
At the same time, Breckman didn’t want to deliver more of the same when bringing Monk back. This time around, there’s a bit more darkness evident in the Adrian Monk character. With his sleuthing days behind him, he’s a dispirited, anxiety-ridden civilian. Strangely in one respect, society has caught up to him in terms of angst due to the COVID pandemic. His germaphobe tendencies have become mainstream. And perhaps it’s that reality that brings us as viewers–even loyal fans of the original series–to feel a bit more empathetic toward Monk. Many of us have felt the isolation, fear and dread of the pandemic so we can relate to Monk even more–touched by the darkness that an old friend is experiencing.
“We did take Monk to a darker place. It was very calculated,” said writer/executive producer Breckman, noting that he, Shalhoub, director/exec producer Randy Zisk and EP David Hoberman were “determined to raise the stakes for Monk. We had done 125 episodes and didn’t want to just produce [a movie] that was episode 126. We wanted to make it resonate more and within the current culture.”
Breckman also discovered more about Adrian Monk during the process. In fact the prime lesson learned from the Monk Movie experience was akin to “meeting up with an old friend from college or high school–or maybe your first job, or summer camp as a kid,” observed Breckman. “These are friends whom you just reconnect with and are instantly in sync with again. You realize that this person is such a large part of your life even if you’re not aware of and conscious of it every day. When you meet them again, you realize how important they are to you. That was my experience writing this movie after 12 years away. As soon as I sat down at the keyboard, had this reunion in my head, it was like a great college reunion, having dinner with your best friend from college. That person is suddenly alive again, in my life again. These [Monk] characters will be with me my whole life like good and dear friends.”
That same dynamic, continued Breckman, seems to apply to many viewers as evidenced by the movie’s showing. He noted that Monk is still in syndication around the world, in 40 or 50 countries, still playing on streamers, in reruns, on DVD. “There’s something about it that is so universal. The character is so human. It pleases me to no end that it is still an important part of people’s lives.”
Breckman added that playing a crucial role in the series Monk as well as Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie was Zisk, an Emmy nominee in 2005 for directing Monk. Zisk directed dozens of Monk episodes as well as A Monk Movie, serving as series showrunner/exec producer, and an EP on the movie. Breckman described Zisk as “the unsung hero” of Monk. In fact, Breckman, Shalhoub and the producing partners all chipped in during the final season of Monk and bought Zisk a Tesla to say thank you. “He never got the credit that I or Shalhoub did,” said Breckman, adding that Zisk was “instrumental in setting and maintaining the quality and tone of the series” and that they would have never proceeded with the movie if Zisk hadn’t agreed to be involved.
As for Breckman’s alluded to non-Monk Emmy nominations over the years, they were for writing for a variety special, variety or music program–two for Saturday Night Live (in 1984 and ‘87), and one apiece for Late Night with David Letterman (‘84) and Triumph’s Election Watch 2016.
Maria Gonzales, Aika Miyake
To say that Shōgun (FX) was an ambitious undertaking would be an understatement. The series had to tackle history on two distinctly different fronts. For one there was the task of re-creating 17th century feudal Japan. But beyond the challenge of delivering a sprawling epic based on the 1975 novel of the same title by James Clavell, the new Shōgun in a sense also had to live up to significant television history. The book was first famously adapted in a 1980 series on NBC. Critically acclaimed and a major commercial success, it was pivotal in bringing into prominence the international miniseries which has proven viable to this day. The original Shōgun–which set the record as the most viewed piece of television worldwide–was a cultural phenomenon and spawned such ambitious miniseries as The Thorn Birds, The Winds of War and North and South.
Plus the new Shōgun sought to take a 180-degree narrative turn from its predecessor. The original series was a white savior story. This time around, writers/showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks did not want to depict John Blackthorne (portrayed by Cosmo Jarvis) as a white man arriving on the shores of Japan to civilize the population. Although the character of Blackthorne still needs to arrive in Japan with that kind of closeted, bigoted attitude, the audience needs to see the reality that he is a stranger infiltrating a Japanese civilization that is much more complex and exotic than his own.
Ultimately, though, the new Shōgun emerged with assorted accolades for the way it tackled such complexities as well as the weight of history spanning civilizations and television. Most demonstrably reflecting that success was Shōgun topping this year’s Emmy tally with 26 nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series. Included in that mix was a nomination for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series earned by Maria Gonzales and Aika Miyake on the strength of their cutting the final episode, “A Dream Of A Dream.”
This marks the first career Emmy nomination for Gonzales and Miyake who individually took on multiple Shōgun episodes before formally coming together on “A Dream Of A Dream.” Still, they had a rapport going into that collaboration, having give-and-take conversations throughout the preceding episodes of the series. “Aika and I had the good fortune of getting to know each other from the very beginning,” recalled Gonzales. “I was cutting the pilot. She was cutting the second episode. They were shot concurrently. From the get-go we had a dialogue. I was nervous about cutting Japanese. She was nervous about cutting long-form [with much of her experience in commercials]. We developed a symbiotic relationship.”
By the time episode 10, “A Dream Of A Dream,” rolled around, Gonzales said she was grateful Miyake was free so they could work directly together. “We didn’t divide the scenes. We tackled everything together. We each worked on all the scenes, talked about the scenes, had notes for each other. It was a great collaboration. Ultimately our styles really blended to where I couldn’t tell what were my cuts and what were her cuts. It was a great culmination to a wonderful season. Our partnership and friendship developed over 18 months.”
Miyake said that her experience on Shōgun helped her to “rediscover a love for editing, a love for storytelling.” As hard as the work was at times, Miyake affirmed that she “loved every minute of it.” She credited Gonzales with providing essential guidance and affording her the opportunity to work on episode 10.
Helping Miyake get the chance to edit the show to begin with was post producer Jamie Wheeler. Wheeler sent Miyake a DM on Instagram regarding Shōgun, having read an article about the editor in which she discussed moving from Japan to the U.S. to find more inspiring projects. Wheeler knew that writer/showrunner Marks very much wanted an editor who had lived in Japan, had an understanding of Japanese culture and its authenticity, yet offered an editorial style that reflected a more Western way of telling a story. Wheeler brought Miyake together with Marks and they hit it off.
Gonzales meanwhile already had a creative rapport with Marks as they earlier worked together on a show he created called Counterpart. Gonzales started out as an assistant editor during the first season of that series and was bumped up to editor for season two. She wound up cutting the only episode of Counterpart that Marks directed. Marks sent Gonzales an email asking her if she’d be interested in taking on Shōgun. She immediately responded in the affirmative, explaining, “The book was a staple in my household. I was very well aware of the material. Doing such a costume drama was a dream come true. Working with Justin, I knew it was going to be very respectful of the culture. The story had amazing characters, including amazingly strong female characters.”
Gonzales recalled that Marks asked her and Miyake not to watch the original Shōgun miniseries. “I watched it as a kid–not when it first aired–and I had memories of it,” said Gonzales. “There were scenes that left such a huge impression on me as a youngster.” But Gonzales understood why Marks didn’t want to dwell on the initial series in that this new version would focus more on the Japanese culture, not using the character of Blackthorne as the person we discover that culture and land through. In some respects, he’s more of a side character in the big picture.
The strength of women characters resonated for both editors. Miyake recalled being asked to do some additional editing for episode 9, “Crimson Sky,” including the fight scene in which Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai) attempts to leave Osaka Castle. Miyake crafted an edit to do justice to Sawai’s performance, balancing Mariko’s strength and vulnerability. Miyake felt a personal kinship to Mariko, observing that the character’s story in some respects held up “a mirror to my own journey” as a woman working in Japan who didn’t always fit in and was an outsider in a way. Being able to contribute to “Crimson Sky” was “very important to me,” affirmed Miyake who took painstaking steps “to help elevate the story as a whole” and bring empathy to Mariko’s journey.
Miyake noted that her experience on Shōgun was marked by the overriding feeling that she was “cutting something important,” infusing her with a sense of purpose that she hopes to find in her future projects. “I really felt this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I love doing this. I want to do more of this.”
(This is the 14th installment of SHOOT’s weekly 16-part The Road To Emmy Series of feature stories. Creative Arts Emmy winners will be covered on September 7 and 8, and primetime Emmy ceremony winners will be reported on come September 15.)
