Awards HQ May 31: ‘The Daily Show’ Installation; TikTok’s Emmy Submission; Hulu’s Free FYC Goodies; Netflix’s FYC Space; More!

It’s the end of May, which means Emmy campaigns have already been underway for months. Our first special stand-alone Emmy issue is already out (more on that later), our Awards Circuit Podcast has been churning out two — and sometimes three — episodes a week with TV talent for two months now, and our coverage is all booked.

And yet, we’re still getting last-minute pitches from talent reps anxious to get some coverage for their clients. And unfortunately, we have to tell them all the same thing: The door is closed, we’re all full up. But the sheer number of people we’ve been hearing from — frequently pitching the exact same stars and shows — has been stunning this year.

An excerpt from this week’s column:

It’s daunting trying to cover the Emmy race in an era of so much prestige TV, just as I’m sure it’s challenging for the armies of publicists trying to get journalists interested in writing about their clients’ work.

I’ve never had to turn away so many pitches on worthwhile shows, performers and producers as I’ve had to this year. Sure, there are limited slots in most categories for Emmy nominations, but there’s also a limit to how many podcasts I can produce, how many features our team can write and even how many panels any of us can moderate.

In TV, there didn’t used to be such a thing as an “awards consultant” or a “head of awards.” It just fell on someone in PR or marketing to make sure submissions were sent to the Television Academy and For Your Consideration ads were purchased. But now there are so many TV awards consultants spending a good chunk of the year on campaigns that we’re often pitched by three or four different people on the same show or star. There’s usually an awkward back-and-forth as we figure out who is covering what, and it often leads to some contenders being over-covered and others being under-covered. It’s not a perfect system.

Read it all here.

*****************************

TikTok is once again entering the Emmy race, but this time with the first-ever musical commissioned by the social media platform itself.

A year after TikTok entered the user-generated “Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical” into the Emmy competition, this time it’s looking to make some waves with “For You, Paige.” The event, which TikTok said was “developed in collaboration with creators around the world and inspired by the musical theater community on TikTok,” recently was performed live on stage in New York and streamed globally on TikTok.

According to the service, “For You, Paige” attracted more than 40 million views across the platform. TikTok will enter it in the Variety Special (Live) race, as well as craft categories in music, direction, and camerawork/technical direction.

“For You, Paige” stars Roman Banks (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) and Sri Ramesh (EarCandy) and was hosted by Bravo’s Andy Cohen. Other stars include Krystina Alabado, James Henry, JJ Niemann, Aveena Sawyer, Alysia Velez, Fernell Hogan, Cori Jaskier, Max Antonio Gonzalez, Emily Stillings, Thursday Farrar and Paul Schoeffler. Banks stars as teenager Landon, whose TikTok song inspired by best friend Paige (Ramesh) goes viral and propels Landon to success, threatening their friendship.

“For You, Paige” was created by Daniel Mertzlufft, who also created “Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical.” Mertzlufft was executive producer, co-bookwriter, composer, executive music supervisor and music supervisor.

“The way theater is being created and consumed is changing,” Mertzlufft said. “We are now able to give people across the globe access to theater through their screens, and TikTok is the perfect platform to empower this. It’s not about follower count, it’s about the work you are putting out there. It’s so exciting to constantly see new voices emerge from this platform, and even more exciting to see TikTok acknowledge and embrace the community. I hope For You, Paige serves as a love letter to all of those people.”

Others involved include co-bookwriter and lyricist Kate Leonard; TikTok creators and songwriters Julia Riew, Katherine Lynn-Rose, RJ Christian, Blake Rouse, Morgan Reilly and Alex Engelberg; and orchestrations by Macy Schmidt. Schmidt was also co-executive producer and music director of the Broadway Sinfonietta, which recorded the score.

Maria Goulamhoussen was co-director; Emily Maltby, co-director, co-choreographer; Katie Spelman, associate director/co-choreographer; Patrick Sulken, music director. Other EPs include Catherine Halaby, Chrissy Mahlmeister, Avi Bagla, Katie Dills and Joyce Chun of TikTok; and EP Joshua Asen and producers Danielle Dioguardi and Jessica Norton of Media.Monks.

Watch the full production on-demand in the TikTok playlist here.

*****************************

The Television Academy has slowly been expanding the outstanding comedy and drama series categories to reflect the sheer volume of entrants… but it still doesn’t seem like enough, given this era of peak Peak TV.

Maybe it will never be enough. There will always be snubs, at least until the streamers and networks pull back on the sheer number of productions they’re offering. Right now, comedy series and drama series have eight nominations, while all other categories — including limited series/anthology — rely on a tally of entrants to decide how many nominees there will be. Any category below 80 entrants receives five nominees, which is where limited series has resided — even though it arguably boasts the most competitive field.

I’ve been saying for years that the key categories should go ahead and spread out to a nice, even ten nominees in the key categories — comedy, drama, limited/anthology and even competition. So what say you? Take this week’s poll! Click on the box below.

Meanwhile, here are the results from last week’s poll. The majority would like to see Jimmy Fallon host this year’s Emmys on NBC. Write-in candidates included the women of “Girls5eva,” and… the duo of Will Smith/Chris Rock. Somehow I don’t see that one happening. But stay tuned!

Hulu is hitting area farmers markets over the next two weekends to promote “Only Murders in the Building” and “The Dropout” via free giveaways of key goodies from the two shows.

Hungry for Dimas Deli Dips from “Murders” or those green juices that Elizabeth Holmes kept drinking in “The Dropout”? You’ll have a chance between June 3-5 or June 10-12. Here are the details:

Friday, June 3
Echo Park Farmers Market (3 to 7:30 p.m.)

Saturday, June 4
Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Sunday, June 5
Brentwood Farmers Market (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Friday, June 10
Echo Park Farmers Market (3 to 7:30 p.m.)

Saturday, June 11
Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Sunday, June 12
Studio City Farmers Market (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Brentwood Farmers Market (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

*****************************

Finally made it to the Netflix “FYSee” installation, following a screening and panel of the “Stranger Things” Season 4 premiere. Naturally, brought one of my boys… and wound up in a Squid Game. Oops!

Like it has in the past, the Netflix space is tailor-made for Instagram and other social media, featuring installations for “Bridgerton,” “Stranger Things,” “Ozark,” “Russian Doll” and, yes, “Squid Game.”

Other dispatches from the campaign trail last week:

On May 25, to celebrate the end of “This Is Us” and the closing night of the NBCU FYC House in Hollywood, Mandy Moore, Taylor Goldsmith and “This Is Us” composer Siddhartha Khosla performed “The Forever Now,” the original song from Season 6 of the series. Actress Jennifer Morrison introduced Khosla and his band, who also played several score tracks from the series. Above, Moore and Goldsmith.

Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Christine Baranski, Julian Fellowes, Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson and Cynthia Nixon attend “The Gilded Age” FYC event at The Whitby in New York on May 23.

Variety‘s co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton and Food Network’s Bobby Flay attend the “Beat Bobby Flay” Emmy FYC event on Monday, May 23 at the Wolf Theater at the Television Academy.

*****************************

You know “The Godfather,” of course you do. But Paramount+’s 10-episode limited series “The Offer” tells a story of how it got made. Created and written by Michael Tolkin (“Escape at Dannemora”) and also written and executive produced by Nikki Toscano (“Hunters”), “The Offer” stars Miles Teller, Matthew Goode, Juno Temple, Giovanni Ribisi, Dan Fogler, Burn Gorman, Colin Hanks and Patrick Gallo. Other executive producers include Dexter Fletcher (“Rocketman”), who also directed the first two episodes of the series. I asked Fletcher to fill out our Showrunner Seven.

Sum up your show’s pitch in one sentence.
“The trials and tribulations of the great Hollywood producer Al Ruddy and how he got The Godfather made with the help of the real New York Mafia.”

What’s an alternate title for your show? 
“Take the Cannoli.”

What do we need to know before tuning in? 
It’s the story of the making of one of the greatest films of all time. A film that changed the movie landscape and reversed the fortunes of Paramount. It’s a portrait of an era that was seminal in Hollywood and how 3 different worlds collided and got a classic movie made against all the odds. Great people, from a great era, doing great things that we all still influenced by 50 years later. Genius acting as well as amazing visuals and period costumes. What’s not to love?

Give us an equation for your show. (Blank plus blank minus blank times blank, etc.)
“The Player” plus “The Sopranos” plus “Star Wars” plus “French Connection” plus “Marathon Man” plus “Ordinary People” plus “On Golden Pond” plus “Tootsie” plus “Arthur” plus “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind” plus “Fitzcarraldo” plus “Bullet” plus “North by Northwest” plus “The Third Man” plus “The Producers” minus “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”

What’s the best thing someone said about your show?
They want to see the other 9 episodes. Immediately.

If you could work on any other series on TV, what would it be?
I will have to create my own :).

Finish this sentence: “If you like _______, you’ll love our show.”
“If you like The Godfather,” you’ll love our show.”

*****************************

The Banff World Media Festival will honor late filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée posthumously with its Canadian Award of Distinction next month, the event announced on Thursday. Vallée will be joined in being honored at Banff’s Rockie Award Gala by “American Auto” star Ana Gasteyer, who will receive the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award, and the “Yellowjackets” team of Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco, who have been named Showrunners of the Year (presented by Variety).

The Rockie Award Gala takes place on Tuesday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m. MT at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada, in the middle of the Banff World Media Festival. Canadian R&B star Jully Black will host the awards program.

Other honorees will include Vivica A. Fox (“Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2,” “Empire”), who has been named this year’s winner of the Inclusion Award. Rose Matafeo (“Starstruck,” “Funny Girls”) will recieve the Creative Voice Award. And Eagle Vision is the recepient of this year’s Innovative Producer Award.

Read more here.

*****************************

The night before HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere” was set to shoot an episode revolving around a tornado, a real one came close to the show’s set. “Somebody Somewhere” star Bridget Everett recounted to Variety‘s Awards Circuit podcast how life imitated art that day, and vice versa.

“There was a real tornado that ripped through Naperville (Ill.) and also not far from where we were staying in Lamont,” she says. “Jay Duplass was directing that episode, and the people in the Duplass’ post, the VFX and all that stuff, they knew how to make it look real, and to kind of fake it in the right ways. But it was important to me that it felt like a real tornado, because I’m from Kansas, and I know what that shit looks and feels like.”

In “Somebody Somewhere,” Everett (“Inside Amy Schumer”) stars as Sam, a woman who returns to the small Kansas town where she grew up and stuggles to find her place. She’s dealing with grief from the death of her sister, and navigating her complicated relationships with her parents and surviving sister. But singing is her saving grace, which leads her to a new community of friends, including Joel, played by Jeff Hiller.

We spoke with Everett about the show and the positive response that it has received, plus the show’s personal nature, its music and more. Also in this episode: Of course you all know Craig Robinson as Darryl on “The Office” or Doug Judy from “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Perhaps you’ve seen him on tour with his stand-up show, or on stage as part of his music act Nasty Delicious. But most recently, he’s been the star of Peacock’s “Killing It.”

The show stars Robinson as Craig, a man who competes in a state-sponsored python hunt in his quest to achieve the American dream. The idea originates from his Uber driver, played by Australian comedian Claudia O’Doherty, who takes him on a wild ride.

Robinson’s busy schedule include films, other TV shows and even hosting “The Masked Dancer.” He tells the Awards Circuit Podcast that in some ways, he’s achieved that American dream. Listen below!

Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, produced by Michael Schneider, is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each week “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines; and much, much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post every Thursday and Friday.

Read more here.

*****************************

Daniel D’Addario and Caroline Framke write:

This past season was a strong year for television — including new outings from recent best series champs in the drama (“Succession”) and comedy (“Ted Lasso”) fields. But beyond past winners, the list of entries grows so thick that voters may need a reminder of what was great — not just the most-promoted series but the ones that were idiosyncratic, intriguing and made with real sensibility.

From the shrewd humor of “Abbott Elementary,” to the way “Dopesick” and “The Staircase” went beyond the headlines to deliver insight, to the chilling vision of a world just moments away from our own experience of the office in “Severance,” TV was firing on all cylinders this year.

Even while the complaint that “there’s too much TV” remains ever relevant, the fact that there’s plenty to reward beyond the usual suspects does, too. Now, Emmy voters just need to take the time to select the best of a seemingly boundless slate.

Variety’s chief television critics Daniel D’Addario and Caroline Framke place the spotlight on the shows that most deserve second look from the Television Academy. What shows did they pick? Read their choices here.

*****************************

Jem Aswad writes:

Peacock’s Emmy-nominated comedy “Girls5eva” will have an exhibition at the Grammy Museum at LA Live in Los Angeles titled “Famous 5eva, Because 4ever’s 2 Short: A Girls5eva Retrospective” in June. Tickets are available for purchase now via the Grammy Museum.

The series, based on a fictional one-hit-wonder girl group from the ‘90s that was churned through the pop music machine and reunites to give their dreams one more shot, will be the subject of the retrospective exhibit from June 9-27, 2022. The retrospective will feature wardrobe, memorabilia, an interactive sound booth, an exclusive mix of their hit songs, new and old, and other surprises.

The exhibition, produced in partnership with Peacock and creative marketing agency BMF in collaboration with the Grammy Museum, is a tongue-in-cheek “For Your Consideration” campaign celebrating the girl group that’s “Gonna be famous 5eva, ‘cause 4ever’s 2 short.”

Read more here.

*****************************

Our Emily Longeretta has been overseeing our Emmy special editions this year, and we’re off to the races! First up: Lead Actor.  Variety’s Brent Lang spoke to Jason Bateman for the cover:

For four seasons, Marty and Wendy Byrde were in survival mode.

They’ve tangled with cartels and crime syndicates, petty crooks and CEOs who bend the law, compromised law enforcement officials and even members of their own family, all while running a money laundering scheme that threatens to implode at any minute. And yet, as the hit Netflix show wrapped up its 44-episode run, both Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney), as well as their two children, were miraculously still standing. That, in and of itself, would be a remarkable achievement given “Ozark’s” high body count. But as the show fades to black, the Byrdes are in surprisingly good shape. They’ve outrun the law, built up a base of political support and outmaneuvered their enemies.

Bateman, who played a key role both in front of and behind the camera as both the show’s star, executive producer and the director of nine of its episodes, hesitates to declare that the Byrdes are winners. Rather, he claims that the show gives them a happy ending — one that comes with a caveat.

“There’s a scarlet letter or a black eye attached to it,” he says. “In true ‘Ozark’ fashion.” In a wide-ranging interview, Bateman didn’t just weigh in on the fate of the Byrdes, he also talked about his passion for directing, his willingness to return to the world of “Ozark” and the guest he’s hoping to land for “Smartless,” the podcast he co-hosts with his friends Will Arnett and Sean Hayes.

Read Brent’s full cover story here.

*****************************

We’ll dive into a different category each week to examine Clayton Davis‘ Emmy predictions. This week, he writes about lead acress in a comedy:

As Variety wrote in the reminders of hilarious Black women that have delivered stellar work in the 2021-2022 eligibility year – In lead actress comedy, only six Black women have been nominated since its inception in 1966 — Diahann Carroll (“Julia”), Isabel Sanford (“The Jeffersons”), Nell Carter (“Gimme a Break!”), Phylicia Rashad (“The Cosby Show”), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”) and Issa Rae (“Insecure”). Sanford was the only Black woman to win the category in 1981.

In 2020, we saw history made with the first two Black women, Ellis and Rae, nominated for outstanding comedy series and lead actresses in a comedy.

Here is Clayton’s comedy actress frontrunners as of this week:

Read more here.

*****************************

Understandably, saying goodbye to “This Is Us” has not been an easy task for Mandy Moore. So, she leaned into that, especially when it came to wrapping up the NBC series with the train scenes.

“I allowed myself a moment, I think probably the first take of rehearsal or something, to really feel it, really listen to Gerald McRaney (Dr. K) and let myself have that emotional response,” she recently told Variety. “As time went on and we were really in the scene, it was like, ‘Oh, okay. I can be present.’”

However, once it got to the final scene of the penultimate episode, as well as the actual finale scenes with Milo Ventimiglia — the duo talking while lying in bed on the train in the afterlife — that became much more difficult. In fact, Moore couldn’t help but begin crying during this interview while discussing it.

On this bonus edition of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, Variety’s Emily Longeretta speaks to Moore about the end of “This Is Us.” Listen below!

Read more here.

*****************************

In almost every instance, “Squid Game” has made history. For the Globes, O Yeong-su was the first Korean-born actor to win the award. And at the SAG Awards, “Squid Game” was the first non-English series to win, or even be nominated, for the prize.

Quite a change from the days when the idea of any language other than English, let alone subtitles, were considered non-starters in TV. Remember when it was such a big deal that Jin and Sun were allowed to speak Korean on “Lost”?

In some cases, the languages weren’t even subtitled — better to build anxiety for viewers who don’t quite know what’s going on, and instead have to rely on body language and tone of voice.

Of course, it’s the streaming revolution that finally made it much easier for audiences to find non-English fare (rather than hunting for it on PBS stations, indie broadcasters or small cable channels).

And it’s also the streaming revolution that suddenly made some international, non-English productions eligible for Primetime Emmys. Until recently, most shows hailing from overseas were very specifically sent to the Intl. Emmy Awards for competition. And it was pretty clear what was eligible, given that English-language U.S. networks weren’t in the business of airing non-English fare. But the streamers are global, which means these American companies doing local productions in international territories are still able to be entered into the Primetime Emmy competition.

“Any production produced in the U.S. in a language other than English, is eligible in the Primetime Emmys,” this year’s rules stipulate. Besides “Squid Game,” this year’s contenders featuring languages other than English include comedy “Acapulco” and dramas “Pachinko,” “Tehran” and “Lupin.”

Read more here.

*****************************

Tuesday, May 31, 5 p.m. PT: CBS and Warner Bros. TV’s “Bob Hearts Abishola: Celebrating Nigerian Characters and the Actresses Who Portray Them” FYC event. (Virtual)

Wednesday, June 1, 9 a.m. PT: NATPE Hollywood conference, at the W Hollywood. (Los Angeles)

Wednesday, June 1, 7 p.m. PT: CBS’s “Ghosts” FYC panel at the El Rey Theatre. (Los Angeles)

Wednesday, June 1, 7 p.m. PT: Variety and Sony Presents FYC Virtual House In-Person Preview Event: An Exclusive Conversation with Sony Pictures Television’s Emmy Award Contending Showrunners from Atypical, Better Call Saul, The Goldbergs, The Good Doctor, Outlander, at the Sony lot. (Los Angeles)

Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m. ET: Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” FYC event, at Steiner Studios, 25 Washington Ave. (Brooklyn)

Thursday, June 2, 5 p.m. PT: MTV’s “The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies” FYC panel. (Virtual)

Thursday, June 2, 5 p.m. PT: Disney+’s “What If…?” FYC panel. (Virtual)

Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m. PT: Starz’s “BMF” FYC panel. (Virtual)

Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5: ATX TV Festival returns to an in-person event. (Austin)

Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m. PIT NATPE’s 18th Annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards, honoring Channing Dungey, Whoopi Goldberg, Alex Kurtzman, Amy Poehler, Maury Povich, Jeff Sagansky and William Shatner. Beverly Wilshire Hotel. (Beverly Hills)

Thursday, June 2, 7:30 p.m. PT: HBO Max’s “Minx” FYC event, Wolf Theatre at Saban Media Center Television Academy. (North Hollywood)

Friday, June 3, 5 p.m. PT: Hulu’s “Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition” FYC panel. (Virtual)

Friday, June 3, 7 p.m. PT: Amazon Prime Video’s “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” FYC event, at the DGA Theater Complex, 7920 Sunset Boulevard. (Los Angeles)

Friday, June 3, 7 p.m. PT: FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” FYC event, at the Disney FYC Fest at the El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. (Hollywood)

Saturday, June 4, 11 a.m. PT: Disney+’s “The Book of Boba Fett” FYC event, at the Disney FYC Fest at the El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. (Hollywood)

Saturday, June 4, 3 p.m. PT: Netflix’s “Russian Doll” FYC event, at Netflix FYSEE at Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Avenue. (Los Angeles)

Saturday, June 4, 3 p.m. PT: Disney+’s “Moon Knight” FYC event, at the Disney FYC Fest at the El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. (Hollywood)

Saturday, June 4, 7 p.m. PT: Apple TV+’s “We Crashed” FYC event, at the DGA Theater, 7920 Sunset Blvd. (Los Angeles)

Saturday, June 4, 7 p.m. PT: ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” FYC event, at the Disney FYC Fest at the El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. (Hollywood)

Sunday, June 5, 11 a.m. PT: Disney+’s “Wolfgang” FYC event, at the Disney FYC Fest at the El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. (Hollywood)

Sunday, June 5, 3 p.m. PT: Funimation’s “Ranking of Kings” FYC event. (Virtual)

Sunday, June 5, 3 p.m. PT: ABC’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” FYC event, at the Disney FYC Fest at the El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. (Hollywood)

Sunday, June 5, 7 p.m. PT: Netflix’s “Ozark” FYC event, at Netflix FYSEE at Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Avenue. (Los Angeles)

Sunday, June 5, 7 p.m. PT: FX’s “Under the Banner of Heaven” FYC event, at the Disney FYC Fest at the El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. (Hollywood)

*****************************