When “True Detective” debuted to wide critical acclaim for the writing, the direction and the performances of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, it was widely expected to sweep the miniseries category of the upcoming 2014 Emmy Awards.
However, Deadline is reporting that HBO is submitting “True Detective” as a drama series, not a miniseries. This means that “True Detective” will go up against several of the best shows on TV, including “Mad Men,” the final season of “Breaking Bad,” and even HBO’s own original series, “Game of Thrones” and “Boardwalk Empire.”
Another takeaway from this news is that “True Detective” will probably not steamroll through those shows. There’s no guarantee that “True Detective” will take home any of its inevitable lead and supporting actor nominations. If there’s one thing that Emmy voters seem to enjoy, it’s voting for the same shows and performers over and over again.
Yet there’s still a chance that McConaughey can be the first performer to the win lead actor in the Oscars and the Emmy Awards in the same year. The biggest factor working against “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” is that both of those shows have dominated the last several years of Emmy Awards. The Academy of voters may recognize that it’s finally time to move on to some other shows.
It’s also worth noting that FX’s “American Horror Story” hasn’t been able to dominate the miniseries category when it was submitted in that category. Only Jessica Lange and James Cromwell have taken home supporting actress and actor awards, respectively for “AHS.” But other than that, “American Horror Story” has come up empty in the major Emmy Awards. “True Detective” may also be rewarded by the voters for not taking the easier way to go home a winner.
The official nominations for this year’s Emmy Awards will be announced this summer.
