HBO’s True Detective to Compete for Best Drama TV Series
Alright, alright, alright. The 2014 Primetime Emmy race just became a little bit more interesting with the news that HBO's much lauded freshman drama
True Detective will be competing in the drama series category rather than in the TV miniseries category as many had thought.
Since
True Detective is an anthology series (replacing it's cast each season and launching a completely new story with new characters), many had thought that it would settle into the miniseries category, sweep through and win all the awards, and move onto it's brand new second season. But apparently HBO wants to play with the big boys, and has opted to place the series into the drama category, meaning that
True Detective will be going head to head with the likes of
House of Cards, Downton Abbey, The Good Wife, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and HBO's own
Game of Thrones.
What makes this choice even more interesting is that, prior to this announcement, nearly every critic and industry insider had expected AMC's now departed
Breaking Bad to essentially sweep the dramatic Emmy categories, with star Bryan Cranston a practical lock to take the Best Actor award. These same critics and insiders had also predicted that
Detective star Matthew McConaughey would easily walk away with the Best Actor in a Miniseries trophy. With these two titans of television now set for a collision path, the nascent Best Actor in a Drama Series race has suddenly become incredibly interesting.
But the real fireworks are likely to occur in the Best Drama Series race, wherein
Detective will snag a spot from a perennial favorite series. Considering the lackluster season from Showtime's
Homeland, their space is the most vulnerable. This isn't the first surprise category shift announced recently, though. Netflix announced that after failing to garner a nomination in the drama category for the Golden Globes,
Orange is the New Black will be competing as a comedy for the Emmy. Joining it among the comedy ranks will be Showtimes's
Shameless, which might fare better away from the stiff competition that drama will bring this season. While it's clear why these two shows swapped categories, there has been no reason given by HBO for the move to the drama side. That being said, this will mark the best chance for the network to pick up an Emmy in a category it once dominated.
What makes this choice even more interesting is that, prior to this announcement, nearly every critic and industry insider had expected AMC's now departed Breaking Bad to essentially sweep the dramatic Emmy categories, with star Bryan Cranston a practical lock to take the Best Actor award. These same critics and insiders had also predicted that Detective star Matthew McConaughey would easily walk away with the Best Actor in a Miniseries trophy. With these two titans of television now set for a collision path, the nascent Best Actor in a Drama Series race has suddenly become incredibly interesting.
But the real fireworks are likely to occur in the Best Drama Series race, wherein Detective will snag a spot from a perennial favorite series. Considering the lackluster season from Showtime's Homeland, their space is the most vulnerable. This isn't the first surprise category shift announced recently, though. Netflix announced that after failing to garner a nomination in the drama category for the Golden Globes, Orange is the New Black will be competing as a comedy for the Emmy. Joining it among the comedy ranks will be Showtimes's Shameless, which might fare better away from the stiff competition that drama will bring this season. While it's clear why these two shows swapped categories, there has been no reason given by HBO for the move to the drama side. That being said, this will mark the best chance for the network to pick up an Emmy in a category it once dominated. 
