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Did Netflix Make a Rookie Mistake in Its Golden Globes Submissions?

Dec 13, 2013  •  Post A Comment

Every year when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announces its Golden Globe nominees, there are shows that fans believe to be snubbed, and this year Netflix’s “alarmingly good ‘Orange Is the New Black’ was excluded from the list of Golden Globe nominees for best comedy,” writes Mary McNamara in the Los Angeles Times’ Show Tracker.

But the reason isn’t because “HFPA members wouldn’t know a game-changing comedy if it hit them in the face with a slipper made from maxipads, but because Netflix submitted it as a drama,” she adds.

“I don’t know what the execs over at the high-octane streaming service thought they were watching when they saw ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ but I, like most critics, thought I was watching comedy,” she notes.

Its star, Taylor Schilling, was nominated for lead actress in a drama, although how “voters are going to judge her performance against those of her dramatic peers is anyone’s guess,” McNamara notes. Schilling is up against Julianna Margulies of "The Good Wife," Tatiana Maslany of "Orphan Black," Kerry Washington of "Scandal" and Robin Wright of "House of Cards."

“Netflix is entitled to submit its shows any way it desires, and the line between drama and comedy grows blurrier every year,” the article notes, adding: "The decision to move ‘Orange Is the New Black’ from a category in which many expected it to do well does beg a few questions. Is Netflix so attached to ‘House of Cards’ that it doesn’t want its more original show to outshine it? Has creator Jenji Kohan, who one assumes has a large say in the decision, surrendered to the canard that drama is more prestigious/important than comedy? Will the second season skew more ‘serious’ and possibly less interesting?"

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4 Comments

  1. OITNB was one of my favorites, but what are these critics smoking? Comic moments do not make a drama into a comedy. Which murder was the funniest? Did the cliffhanger plot twist qualify as a knee-slapper? Give me a break.

  2. I did not consider it a comedy. It was an excellent drama with some comic moments, but not a comedy.

  3. Maybe it’s time for a new catagory. The Dramedy. And not just for TV. I can’t believe “American Hustle” is deemed a comedy! That’s ridiculous!

  4. Agreed. Shows like “Nurse Jackie” are entered in the comedy category since they are half hour length and have very few comedic moments. This show is excellent and NOT a comedy.

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