The nominations have been announced for The 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. So now, it's time to speculate on who will and should win in each major category. Next up for analysis is Structured Reality Program.The Nominees Ranked By Which Should Win:
- Netflix's Queer Eye
- Netflix's Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
- ABC's Shark Tank
- PBS' Antiques Roadshow
- TLC's Who Do You Think You Are?
- Food's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Once again, my own personal understanding of this particular race is thin largely because of my lack of context. I certainly watch some reality shows - just not the ones actually nominated in this race. As such, I'm mostly basing this judgment on public sentiment as well as the few snippets I have actually seen of the six nominees. Netflix has come to define so much of our cultural lives. Some shows struggle to cut through in a crowded marketplace. And yet, Queer Eye and Tidying Up managed to do exactly that while serving audiences that were craving these shows. Queer Eye may be a reinvention of a former series but it remains the young blood in this particular category. The same goes to Tidying Up. They provide a sense of excitement to the field. It shows that creators are still capable of coming up with exciting concepts in this space. Of course, that shouldn't diminish the achievements of the other nominees. They've lasted for so long for a reason. They have solid and steady audiences that tune in every week just to see what stories are being told that may also inform them along the way.
The Nominees Ranked by Which Will Win:
- Netflix's Queer Eye
- ABC's Shark Tank
- Netflix's Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
- TLC's Who Do You Think You Are?
- Food's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
- PBS' Antiques Roadshow
This is the fifteenth straight nomination for Antiques Roadshow. It has never actually won though. It's unlikely to do so this year as well simply because PBS doesn't have the budget to compete with Netflix. In fact, this may be the field where the streamer's money can be the most dominant. In many of the other fields, it's a coin toss of whether or not campaigning for the victory will actually be a winning strategy. Here though, it has the ability to compete with the likelihood of winning because it prevailed a year ago and now has two contenders vying for the trophy. Queer Eye should probably be treated as the favorite simply because Emmy voters like to go on streaks. Whenever a new show is crowned, then the voters typically reward it a couple more times. That was the trend when Shark Tank won for the four previous years - ever since the field was divided into structured and unstructured. Now, it wouldn't be surprising to see Shark Tank sneak in with another victory. It has the track record after all. And yet, the narrative could also be formed to reward some of the other contenders in the field - especially the newer ones. That may actually be the best argument for a Tidying Up victory.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!
