Louie Anderson’s nomination among many to watch at Emmys
It’s television’s biggest night.
Aside from the 18 nights when NBC has NFL games.
The Emmy Awards broadcast rotates among the four major networks, and this year the ceremony falls on NBC, which has moved the show out of its traditional Sunday home to Monday so as to not interfere with “Sunday Night Football.”
Here are some storylines to keep in mind while watching The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards — aka television’s 19th-biggest night — at 5 p.m. Monday. (A replay is scheduled for 8 p.m.)
Local flavor
Longtime Las Vegan Louie Anderson, a winner in 2016, is nominated in the supporting comedy actor category for the third straight year for his role as Christine Baskets in FX’s “Baskets.”
Netflix’s “GLOW,” which is based on the outrageous “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling” that aired from 1986 to ’90 from the Riviera, has nominations for best comedy and supporting actress for Betty Gilpin. At last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, the show’s Shauna Duggins became the first woman to win for outstanding stunt coordination.
Clark High graduate Jimmy Kimmel, a nominee for outstanding variety talk series for his eponymous late-night show, will be among the presenters.
And recent Park Theater headliner Ricky Martin is up for a limited series or movie supporting actor trophy for his role as Gianni Versace’s boyfriend, Antonio D’Amico, in FX’s “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.”
Who’s out
Kevin Spacey, a mainstay of the drama actor category since “House of Cards” debuted in 2013, and “Transparent’s” Jeffrey Tambor, a winner of the comedy actor Emmys in 2015 and 2016 and a nominee in 2017, were ineligible after sexual misconduct allegations cost both actors their jobs.
HBO’s “Veep,” the three-time reigning best comedy, and its star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who’s won six consecutive comedy actress Emmys, are ineligible this year because production went on hiatus while Louis-Dreyfus sought cancer treatment.
“Better Call Saul” — a nominee in each of its first three seasons for best drama, best actor (Bob Odenkirk) and best supporting actor (Jonathan Banks) — isn’t represented because its fourth season debuted outside the eligibility window.
And “Modern Family,” which had received nominations in the best comedy and supporting actor categories every year since 2010, was shut out of both. Its absence leaves fellow ABC comedy “Black-ish” and the NBC drama “This Is Us” as the only broadcast network series among the 15 vying for best comedy and best drama.
Who’s in
The most celebrated newcomer is Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” For its debut season, the 1950s-set stand-up series from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino trails only FX’s “Atlanta” among comedy series with 14 nominations, including best comedy and comedy actress for Rachel Brosnahan.
Who’s back
After sitting out the 2017 awards season because of production delays, “Game of Thrones” breathed some fire into this year’s proceedings with a leading 22 nominations. With those nods, the best drama winner in 2015 and 2016 surpassed “ER” and “Cheers” as the most nominated prime-time series ever. (“Saturday Night Live” leads all shows with 252.)
Thanks to the Creative Arts Emmys, “Game of Thrones” already has seven statues heading into Monday’s ceremony. And, with his seventh nomination for best supporting actor, Peter Dinklage became the most-nominated actor in the category’s history.
Making progress
It’s already been a banner year for diversity, with African-Americans — Tiffany Haddish (“Saturday Night Live”), Katt Williams (“Atlanta”), Samira Wiley (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) and Ron Cephas Jones (“This Is Us) — completing a first-ever sweep of the guest-acting trophies at the Creative Arts Emmys.
At that same ceremony, “Strong Island” director Yance Ford became the first transgender man to win an Emmy.
And Sandra Oh, a five-time nominee for her supporting role on “Grey’s Anatomy,” is the first woman of Asian descent to earn a best actress nomination. She was honored for her work as a security operative tracking an assassin in BBC America’s “Killing Eve.”
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.
